Married to the Grim Reaper Against My Will

Jiang Wang is Jiang Xuanyang

From Jiangshi to Qiuxi County, you can travel by car or boat. To allow students to appreciate the magnificent scenery of "white waves rising across the river, jagged cliffs resembling a snow-capped city," and to enrich their writing material, the school decided to take everyone on a boat trip.

The second year of high school, including the "Sunshine Class," has fifteen classes, but the grade level could only rent thirteen boats. Ultimately, it was decided that classes eleven, twelve, thirteen, and fourteen would squeeze into two boats. These small boats have limited passenger capacity and are cramped; one boat per class is manageable, but two classes crammed together are extremely uncomfortable. Classes thirteen and fourteen, the two lowest-performing classes, mostly had wealthy and irresponsible students who weren't suited for hardship. So, the students from both classes pooled their money to rent a large, luxurious boat.

On the day of departure, the thirteen small boats surrounded the two-story luxury boat, creating a spectacular scene. The mischievous boys from classes thirteen and fourteen even went up to the top deck, teasing the girls, throwing snacks at them, or shouting insults at the boys from other classes as the boat passed by.

Everyone was in a lighthearted mood, the boys and girls were all a little restless, and no one minded a few jokes. As long as they weren't too outrageous, the teachers didn't interfere much, letting them fool around.

The large boat passed by the Sunshine Class's small boat, and a bunch of boys jeered, "Driver, slow down! Just follow them! Get closer!"

Those who paid are the bosses, so the boatman followed the Sunshine Class's boat at a leisurely pace.

A group of boys crowded around the second-floor railing, shouting at the Sunshine Class's small boat—

"Ren Xueyi, want some potato chips?"

"He Ziyi, catch this, yogurt. Catch it, don't let it burst..."

"Ouch, damn it, tell your teacher Tian to get out of the way, I'll hit him with a banana!"

Teacher Tian glared at them, "You little brats."

The whole boat burst into laughter, and the Sunshine Class students joined in the giggling. Jiang Wang and Xu Ting's group sat on the second floor at the stern of the boat. Everyone was fooling around, while he listlessly leaned against the railing, half-asleep.

The noise was getting on his nerves. He yawned drowsily, instinctively reaching for a cigarette, but a glance from his homeroom teacher made him reluctantly put it away.

"Wang-ge, did you go steal chickens last night? You're so sleepy?" Xu Ting leaned against him. "Ji Mian's over there."

Jiang Wang lazily lifted his eyelids and saw Ji Mian leaning against the small boat window, half her face visible. She wasn't fooling around with her classmates, just quietly leaning against the window.

"Hey, Ji Mian!" A boy on the larger boat started shouting her name.

Jiang Wang glanced over and saw a boy from Class 13 holding an apple, calling out to Ji Mian.

Xu Ting looked at Jiang Wang, then at the boy, and subconsciously frowned. Oh no. The boy, oblivious to Jiang Wang's gaze, was still enthusiastically teasing Ji Mian, "I'll treat you to an apple! Catch... Brother Wang..."

Before he could throw the apple, Jiang Wang dragged him to the back row.

Jiang Wang looked at him expressionlessly, his gaze unfriendly, and chuckled, "I also quite like apples, are you going to treat me?"

The boy, unsure of what he had done to offend this big shot, suddenly felt a little uneasy and chuckled awkwardly, "Here, if Brother Wang likes it, I have more..."

Jiang Wang didn't stand on ceremony, took the apple, took a bite, and slapped the boy's face with the back of his hand, "You f*****g quiet down, I want to sleep."

Just as he said this, the noise from the others almost deafened the sky.

The boy: ...

It was clearly not a matter of noise; he just didn't know what he had done to displease this big shot, and he was just making up an excuse to pick a fight. The boy didn't dare argue or challenge Jiang Wang, so he obediently returned to his seat, put on his headphones, and quietly listened to music.

Ji Mian, who had been leaning against the window, was disturbed by the boy's noise and looked up at the large ship.

Jiang Wang sat casually at the stern, chewing an apple and watching the small boats below, when his gaze unexpectedly met Ji Mian's.

He raised an eyebrow at her, and then Ji Mian turned around in a panic, grabbed a plastic bag, and vomited violently.

Jiang Wang: ...

Ji Mian hadn't expected to get seasick. At first, it was fine; the gentle breeze on the river made her feel quite comfortable. But after only twenty minutes, she started feeling dizzy and nauseous, her stomach cramped, she was covered in cold sweat, and she had no strength at all; she felt terrible.

After vomiting once, Ji Mian felt a little better. She took the water Zhang Keke handed her to rinse her mouth, and then apologized to the students nearby, feeling embarrassed. He Sihang threw the bag away and returned to ask, "Are you alright?"

Seeing him throw her the bag of vomit, even with Xiang Shu's instructions, she felt extremely embarrassed. "Much better, thank you. I'll go by myself next time."

"It's alright, it's nothing," He Sihang said, sitting down beside her.

Zhang Keke's gaze swept back and forth between the two of them, but she didn't say anything.

The small boat continued its swaying motion. Ji Mian's condition, which had just recovered from vomiting once, worsened again, with waves of dizziness washing over her. She closed her eyes and leaned against the windowsill, letting the wind blow over her head to reduce the dizziness. He Sihang sat beside her, and as the boat swayed, her head occasionally brushed against his arm.

Ji Mian felt uncomfortable, but she was too unwell to move. "What are you guys from the Sunshine Class doing? Gathering together in broad daylight?"

Suddenly, someone on the large boat started teasing and jeering. Ji Mian felt extremely uncomfortable, but she still tried to prop her head up and move away. Suddenly, a commotion erupted from the boat, like a fight. She heard Jiang Wang cursing—

"f**k your mother, can't you be quiet? If you shout again, I'll throw you into the river, you believe me!"

Immediately afterward, the homeroom teacher of Class 14 yelled, "Jiang Wang, you shut up!"

Ji Mian felt dizzy and couldn't concentrate, so she closed her eyes and lay down again.

The boat rocked for a while, then suddenly stopped. She thought they had arrived, but when she opened her eyes, she heard Teacher Tian calling her.

“Ji Mian, you'll catch a cold if you keep your head exposed to the wind like that. Why don't you go to the big boat? It's more stable, less rocking, and the air circulation is better. You won't have to stick your head out.”

Actually, Ji Mian didn't want to move at all, but she noticed that the Sunshine Class's boat and the big boat were moored on the river, and a wooden bridge had been built between their decks. The other classes' boats had already left, and she felt bad about taking up everyone's time, so she got up and walked out.

Zhang Keke immediately followed, “I'll help you.”

He Sihang also wanted to follow, but Ji Mian turned to look at him, “It's okay, it's only a little over an hour.”

She knew He Sihang had a grudge against Jiang Wang and was afraid of a conflict.

He Sihang didn't say anything more and sat back down.

Ji Mian and Zhang Keke came out of the cabin and immediately saw Jiang Wang standing on the deck of the big boat. Jiang Wang's expression wasn't good; he looked unhappy, and his cold gaze fell on Ji Mian's face.

She looked terrible. Her ponytail, tied behind her head, had come undone, and stray hairs hung down her cheeks. Her porcelain-white face was completely drained of color; tears were streaming from her vomit, and her eyes were bloodshot. Combined with her pale face, she looked like a little rabbit.

She looked so weak and pitiful, as if a gust of river wind could sweep her away.

Jiang Wang gritted his teeth, his expression softening considerably. He reached out his hand to her, "Come here."

Ji Mian was suffering terribly from seasickness and didn't think much of it, placing her hand in his large hand.

Her hand was small, her fingers soft and cold; his hand easily enveloped her completely. Jiang Wang couldn't resist squeezing her fingers.

Ji Mian had no mind to respond to him. Using the support of his arm, she carefully crossed the narrow wooden bridge.

The boat was large enough that most people had gone up to the second deck to sunbathe, enjoy the river view, and chat with students from other classes. Only a dozen or so people were sparsely seated on the first deck, huddled together in small groups playing cards, games, or watching movies.

Jiang Wang led Ji Mian and Zhang Keke in. Everyone paused for a moment, but no one dared to say anything, only exchanging meaningful glances.

At the stern of the cabin was a row of soft benches, which Jiang Wang led the two to.

As soon as Ji Mian sat down, she instinctively opened the window behind her.

She had just opened it when Jiang Wang closed it. "Don't let the wind blow on you, it'll give you a headache."

As he spoke, he reached out and pulled the hood of Ji Mian's sweatshirt over her head, then took out a pair of earphones and put them in her ears.

Ji Mian felt dizzy, only slightly warm around her ears. Before the music filled her ears, she heard Jiang Wang whisper in her ear, "Listen to music, don't look out the window, it'll make you feel better."

Jiang Wang put the headphones on her, stepped back a little, and then helped her lie down on the chair, supporting her arm.

Ji Mian was in too much discomfort to make a sound, quietly letting him do as he pleased.

She found a comfortable position, curled up on her side, and after a moment, something warm and soft was placed in her arms. It must be Jiang Wang's clothes. She instinctively hugged the clothes, pressing them against her stomach, and felt much more comfortable.

Zhang Keke watched in stunned silence. In her memory, Jiang Wang was the kind of spoiled rich kid who could do nothing but order others around.

Unexpectedly…

She looked at the quietly lying Ji Mian, then at Jiang Wang staring down at her, and for a moment, she was speechless. "Damn it, you...you..."

"Stop making a racket," Jiang Wang looked up, lowering his voice to stop her. "Be quiet, let her sleep for a while. She won't feel uncomfortable if she's asleep."

After he finished speaking, he sat up straight, leaned back in his chair, and kicked Zhang Keke's shoe. "Go get an orange over there."

"Why?!"

"Go ahead, you talk too much nonsense."

Zhang Keke reluctantly got an orange and then watched as Jiang Wang peeled it and placed it next to Ji Mian's head.

Zhang Keke: ...

She plopped down next to Jiang Wang, leaning in close, and asked in a low voice, "Do you like Ji Mian?"

Jiang Wang was also taken aback, scratching his forehead in slight distress. "I don't know," he said, grinning mischievously, "It's always other people liking me, how would I know what it feels like to like someone else?"

"Damn it, get lost."

Ji Mian, listening to music, didn't hear their hushed discussion. She pressed her clothes against her stomach, the fresh citrus scent filling her nostrils, and the nausea subsided. She felt much better, and with the gentle swaying of the boat, she actually fell asleep.

The seasickness was quite severe. When they arrived at the folk-custom town in the primeval forest, Ji Mian was still a little dizzy, walking as if on cotton, soft and swaying.

It was almost five o'clock when they arrived at the folk-custom town. The teacher told everyone to rest a bit, wander around to familiarize themselves with the environment, and meet for lunch at 5:30. Ji Mian wasn't feeling well, so Teacher Tian asked Zhang Keke to take her to the inn to rest. The second and third floors of the inn were all rooms for the Sunshine Class; Ji Mian could choose any room to rest in first, and they would assign rooms after dinner.

Ji Mian went to her room and fell asleep immediately. She slept soundly, waking up after 8 PM, her seasickness completely gone.

Zhang Keke texted her at 6 PM, saying she had saved dinner for her and to ask the kitchen staff to heat it up when she woke up.

At 7:30 PM, she texted again, saying the rooms had been assigned, and Teacher Tian told her and Zhang Keke to stay in the same room to avoid the hassle of moving around.

Ji Mian tidied her things in the room and went out to eat. Just as she stepped out of her room, she ran into the class monitor, Xiang Tiantian.

“Sweetie,” Ji Mian remembered Xiang Shu’s instructions and went to ask Xiang Tiantian, “Um, which room is He Sihang staying in?”

Xiang Tiantian stood in the hallway watching her, a knowing smile on her face. “Mianmian, what’s going on between you and He Sihang? When we were assigning rooms, he came to me asking which room you were in.” Her words became increasingly meaningful. “And he begged me to put him in the room next to yours.”

Ji Mian felt a sense of relief and pointed to the door next to her. “This one?”

“Mmm,” Xiang Tiantian caught her pleased expression, her smile becoming even more ambiguous, “We’re still students, you two be careful, don’t cause any trouble.”

Ji Mian: “…Be careful of what?”

“Anyway, you know what you’re doing,” Xiang Tiantian giggled, “They’re showing a movie downstairs, I’m leaving, bye-bye.”

“Bye-bye.”

Ji Mian was completely confused. Before she could figure out what Xiang Tiantian meant, she heard a soft hum coming from the other end of the corridor.

She looked in the direction of the sound and saw a small spark flickering in the shadows. Then, Jiang Wang emerged from the corner.

He stared straight at her, his expression not good. Gone was his usual carefree demeanor; he was bathed in the night, exuding a sinister and terrifying aura.

Ji Mian felt a sudden chill of fear and whispered, "Jiang Wang?"

"Not only are we arm in arm on the boat, but we also have to stay next door," Jiang Wang stubbed out his cigarette on the trash can and walked over. He looked at her and curled his lips into a smile, which was more frightening than a genuine smile. "What, is it more convenient tonight?"

Ji Mian was startled by his appearance and took a step back. "What's wrong with you?"

Jiang Wang didn't answer, his dark eyes fixed on her. His thin eyelids and slightly upturned corners made his gaze exceptionally sharp and piercing. "Why do you want to stay next door to that guy? Are you two going to be banging on the wall and sending Morse code at night?!"

His last sentence suddenly rose in volume, making Ji Mian shudder.

But she really didn't know how to answer this question, so she could only whisper back, "None of your business."

After she finished speaking, she turned to leave, but Jiang Wang stopped her.

"What are you doing!"

Jiang Wang didn't know what he wanted to do either. He was incredibly agitated and didn't know how to vent, so he instinctively stopped her.

"Stop talking to that guy."

"Why?"

"Men are all the same!"

"You're a man too."

"..." Jiang Wang was speechless. "Am I the same as them?"

"How are you different?"

Jiang Wang was speechless again, hissing in frustration several times, but couldn't explain himself. He simply resorted to his rogue nature, saying unreasonably, "Anyway, stop talking to other men!"

"Why?"

Jiang Wang was stumped again. He scratched the back of his head in annoyance. "There's no why. I'm just stating the facts."

Ji Mian didn't want to talk to him and turned to leave, but he grabbed her hoodie and pulled her back. "Will you listen to me?" He lowered his eyes, looking at her fiercely. "If you don't, I'll beat you up, you hear me?"

Ji Mian also got angry, glaring at him. "Why should I listen to you?"

"Why do you have so many questions?" Jiang Wang was furious. "Didn't your parents teach you that girls shouldn't flirt with boys?"

"No."

Jiang Wang chuckled. "Then they're pretty irresponsible!"

Ji Mian didn't speak, just stared intently at him. Jiang Wang suddenly noticed something was wrong with her, and his anger subsided considerably. "What's wrong?"

"You're so annoying! Get away!"

After saying that, she shoved him hard, then turned and ran back to her room, slamming the door shut.

Jiang Wang stood in the dark corridor, looking at the closed door, and yelled, "Damn it!"

Then he raised his hand and threw the dinner he was carrying into the trash can. The school showed an open-air movie in the square outside the inn. It was already 11 PM when it ended, and students gradually returned to their rooms to rest. Zhang Keke was dragged by Xu Ting and his group to Jiang Wang's room to play cards. Jiang Wang didn't refuse, but he had a sour face and exuded a low-pressure, icy aura that sent chills down everyone's spine.

Anyone could tell he was in a bad mood, but he still urged everyone to continue playing cards, seemingly determined to play all night. No one dared to spoil his fun, and everyone played cards with trepidation.

After playing for a while, the atmosphere gradually warmed up. Aside from his sour face, Jiang Wang didn't seem to have any intention of losing his temper, so everyone started to relax and chat.

"Are you going to Shi Jiao's house for May Day?"

"Sure, I'm pretty close to her. Her father's funeral is coming up, I have to go."

Shi Jiao was also in Class 14. Her father had died in a car accident a few days ago, and she hadn't even come to the picnic. It just so happened to be May Day, the day of her funeral, and a group of close friends from Class 14 were planning to go visit her.

“Brother Wang, are you going?”

Jiang Wang tossed out a pair of Queens, glancing at him with a slight lift of his eyelids.

“Fine, I know, I’m not going.”

“Shi Jiao is so pitiful. The day her dad had the accident, I went to see her, and her eyes were swollen from crying. A Cup!” The boy said, tossing out a pair of Aces.

Someone seemed to remember something and nudged Zhang Keke, “I think Ji Mian from your class is also an orphan, right? I really admire her; she lost both her parents, but her grades are still so good, she’s really strong…”

Jiang Wang stood there, holding a pair of Twos, stunned. “What did you say?”

Jiang Wang’s face suddenly turned extremely pale, his gaze sharply fixed on the boy opposite him.

The boy shuddered, unsure how he had offended this big shot again. He stammered, "I...I heard from someone that...that Ji Mian's parents died when she was in elementary school..."

"Damn it!"

Jiang Wang cursed, slamming his cards down, grabbing his coat, and dashing out like a whirlwind.

The room fell silent. Everyone was bewildered. What...what happened now?

After arguing with Jiang Wang, Ji Mian lost her appetite and shut herself in her room.

She recalled Jiang Wang's words. He had been very direct; she understood. At the same time, Jiang Wang's words reminded her of what Xiang Tiantian meant.

They all thought she and He Sihang were going to do something that night. This wasn't true, but she couldn't explain, and could only let them look at her strangely. Ji Mian grew increasingly distressed. She pulled out the kitten hidden under her pillow and clutched it tightly. "Mommy, is this wrong? But I want to live, and I can't tell anyone. It would cause trouble for the Heavenly Palace, right? Great-Grandpa and Great-Grandma are both so good, I can't cause them any trouble..."

As she spoke, large tears streamed down her face, quickly soaking the somewhat worn kitten.

She wasn't in good physical condition to begin with, and this unexpected event had left her disoriented. She had vomited everything she ate on the boat at noon, and hadn't eaten dinner yet. As she cried, she felt her hands and feet grow cold, and she felt incredibly weak, even struggling to breathe.

It must be low blood sugar.

She thought silently, raising her hand to wipe away her tears, and through her blurry vision, she saw her mother.

Her mother still looked as young as ever, smiling gently at her. "Mianmian, don't cry. Mommy will hug you, okay?"

She opened her arms to her. Ji Mian felt a chill run through her body, yet she couldn't stop herself from moving forward, wanting to throw herself into her mother's arms. She tried to control her trembling body, taking one step at a time…

“Ji Mian—! You come back here!”

A furious roar suddenly exploded in her ears. The voice was familiar, making her freeze in place.

When she came to her senses and looked ahead, there was no sign of her mother, only an endless river. Moonlight shimmered on the water, casting a chilling glow.

She looked down and saw that the river water had already risen above her chest, reaching her neck.

Ji Mian snapped back to reality in shock, gasping for breath in fear.

Remembering the voice that had awakened her, she stood in the river and turned to look at the bank—

Under the cold moonlight, a man with flowing black hair, dressed in a black robe, held a dagger in his backhand, his gaze fixed intently on her.

Ji Mian's scalp tingled. Jiang Wang?! Jiang Xuanyang?!