Married to the Grim Reaper Against My Will

The dangers of Jiang Wang's words

When Ji Mian arrived at the bar street, it was just past three o'clock. The once bustling street was now nearly deserted. Her cheeks were still a little hot; turning her head, she could see her flushed cheeks reflected in the shop windows.

Her fair skin made it very noticeable.

Ji Mian pressed the back of her hand against her cheek, stood outside for a while, and finally went into a nearby milk tea shop, ordering an iced lemonade.

It was three or four in the afternoon, business was slow, the streets were nearly empty, and besides her, there were no other customers in the shop. Feeling at ease, Ji Mian found a seat by the window and gently pressed the iced lemonade against her cheek.

She was afraid Zhang Keke would notice and start making a scene again, going after Shi Man. She didn't have many friends, and she really didn't want her troubles to involve them.

Perhaps because there weren't many customers, the proprietress was also sitting by the floor-to-ceiling window, sunbathing and playing on her phone. After playing for a while, perhaps getting bored, she put down her phone and looked at Ji Mian across from her.

The proprietress was a young woman in her early twenties, youthful and beautiful, with delicate, light makeup, and a pleasant appearance.

Ji Mian felt a little embarrassed by her gaze and lowered her head slightly.

"Did you get into a fight?" The proprietress pointed to Ji Mian's cheek.

Ji Mian opened her mouth, unsure how to explain, and only softly hummed in agreement.

"You're here alone, getting a face mask to reduce redness?" The proprietress was very enthusiastic and sat down beside her. "Are you in a hurry to meet someone?"

Slightly nervous talking to a stranger, Ji Mian quietly hummed in agreement.

"You won't look good like this. Your skin is too fair; even a little bit will be noticeable. It'll take forever for the redness to completely fade. Let me do your makeup? I can use some concealer and powder to cover it up."

The shop was empty; the proprietress was too idle, and seeing a pretty and well-behaved girl, she couldn't resist striking up a conversation.

"No, no trouble at all..."

"No trouble at all. I'm so bored, I'm getting dizzy from scrolling on my phone. Let me do your makeup. I'm super skilled, look at my eyeliner, isn't it amazing?"

The young woman said, closing her eyes so Ji Mian could admire her exceptional eyeliner.

Ji Mian sincerely praised, "It's beautifully done."

"Right! Come on, let me do your makeup. You have great natural features, so I only need a little touch-up, mainly to cover up the redness on your face. Your eyes are so beautiful, I'll give you a pitiful, 'green tea' eye makeup look, it'll definitely melt your boyfriend's heart."

Ji Mian: "..."

"No, I don't have a boyfriend, it's a friend's birthday."

"Then it has to be the most stunning of the whole party!"

The young woman enthusiastically brought over a bulging makeup bag. Ji Mian couldn't refuse her, so she let her do her makeup.

The young woman was very skilled and quick, finishing in just half an hour. She held up a mirror in front of Ji Mian, trying it on, and asked proudly, "How is it? Absolutely stunning, isn't it?"

Ji Mian wasn't very good at commenting on makeup; she only looked at her cheeks and indeed, the redness was gone. She smiled sincerely at the young woman, "Thank you, it's beautiful."

Having wasted so much time, by the time Ji Mian arrived at the bar, almost everyone had already arrived.

It was afternoon, and the bar hadn't officially opened yet. The doors were closed, and the large hall was deserted and dimly lit. Only a few dimly lit booths along the side had a few suggestive colored lights, from which laughter and chatter could be heard from time to time.

Zhang Keke seemed unruly and unrestrained, but in reality, she was just forced to put on a tough front by the mundane realities of life; deep down, she was still a very sensible girl.

She had invited a bunch of friends to have fun, without interfering with the bar's opening hours or her own performance time to earn money. The bar wasn't crowded in the afternoon, so she could do whatever she wanted. In the evening, she paid for a private room on the second floor herself. She sang in the main hall while her friends played upstairs.

Ji Mian understood her perfectly. Without the Heavenly Palace and the fortuitous opportunity to become the wife of a deity, she would probably be working odd jobs to make ends meet, forced to be assertive and outspoken to avoid being bullied.

But everyone's fate is different. She now had the Heavenly Palace providing for her, and Zhang Keke and Jiang Wang solving many problems for her.

Ji Mian took out the gift she had prepared for Zhang Keke and walked to the booth. "Keke, happy birthday."

Zhang Keke, who was curled up on the sofa, immediately jumped up and hugged her. "Why are you so late? Didn't you say you'd be here soon? That bastard Jiang Wang, I told him to pick you up, and you went out to play instead! You're such a jerk!"

Ji Mian was about to speak when a boy curled up in the corner of the sofa raised his head and glanced over indifferently. "Who's a jerk?"

Jiang Wang?! Ji Mian looked at him, blinked slowly, somewhat incredulous. Didn't he say he wasn't coming? And...and Jiang Wang looked a little different.

Ji Mian silently observed him, noticing that Jiang Wang, usually dressed in all black, was now wearing a white shirt! His hairstyle had changed too; in her memory, Jiang Wang always had brown hair, which he seemed to have permed, often a messy, straw-like pile on his head.

But now, it was straight, black hair?! His bangs fell down, brushing against his brow bone, hiding his dark eyes among the stray hairs, looking obedient and clean, yet making Ji Mian feel extremely uneasy.

Like a perfectly healthy husky suddenly turning into a golden retriever, she was momentarily unable to adapt.

Ji Mian wasn't good at hiding her emotions, so she stared wide-eyed in surprise at Jiang Wang, who was nestled on the sofa. Jiang Wang seemed oblivious to her, retorting to Zhang Keke before lowering his eyes and urging his next player, "Hurry up and play! Are you going to play one hand until the New Year? Want to set off firecrackers to celebrate?"

His volatile temper and inability to speak properly were back to normal.

Ji Mian wasn't so shocked anymore; otherwise, she would have suspected that Jiang Wang had also encountered some strange event, like being possessed.

Ji Mian glanced around. There were probably twenty-odd people in the group. Apart from the few from Building 4, she didn't recognize most of them. She didn't see Lu Chen. According to Zhang Keke, he had something to do, had just received a phone call and left, and would come over in the evening.

As the main character, Zhang Keke naturally couldn't just stay by Ji Mian's side; she also had to attend to the others and busy herself ordering food from the kitchen. Ji Mian took care of herself, finding a quiet corner to sit down. Next to her was Xu Ting, wearing headphones and engrossed in a game.

"Weren't you guys not coming?" Ji Mian asked, somewhat surprised.

Xu Ting noticed someone sitting down next to him, took off one earphone, looked over, and immediately shouted, "Holy crap, Mianmian, you're finally here!"

His shout attracted a lot of attention, and some people started to jeer—

"Brother Ting, what's wrong? Why are you so excited?"

"No wonder you didn't play cards, you're just sitting on the side waiting for a girl?"

Xu Ting noticed a cool gaze coming from the corner, turned his head, and saw Jiang Wang. He hissed, grabbed an orange from the table, and threw it at the jeering people, "Why are you talking so much? Go play in your own mud! Don't look at me!"

After Jiang Wang's gaze disappeared, Xu Ting silently breathed a sigh of relief, and somewhat awkwardly explained to Ji Mian, "Don't listen to their nonsense, I'm bad at cards, Jiang Wang kicked me out. You know, we're all just talking nonsense, but we don't mean any harm."

Ji Mian smiled and nodded at him, indicating understanding. Xu Ting glanced furtively at Jiang Wang in the corner. Seeing he wasn't looking this way, he leaned closer and whispered to Ji Mian, "What do you think of Wang-ge today?"

Ji Mian was a little confused. "What?"

"Don't you think he looks different?"

"You mean his hairstyle and clothes?" Ji Mian laughed. "I still think his old style suited him better."

Xu Ting straightened up and slapped his thigh. "See? I told you so! He wouldn't listen to me."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, wanna play cards?"

Ji Mian shook her head and glanced over there.

A few people were playing cards with Jiang Wang, watching from a circle. A girl sat next to him; Ji Mian recognized her—she'd seen her at the brothel, Chu Yan.

She was tilting her head, looking at the cards in his hand. They were very close, almost touching his arm. Jiang Wang didn't react, continuing to play cards with his eyes down. The two girls opposite deliberately said, "Chu Yan, come out by yourself, is your boyfriend okay with that?"

"Isn't your boyfriend quite strict?"

Chu Yan's face darkened, quite displeased, "We broke up a long time ago, bringing up things from ages ago, are you deliberately ruining Keke's mood?"

The two girls fell silent, their expressions also not very pleasant.

Someone playing cards shouted, "Zhang Keke, come over and take my place, I need to take a dump!"

"Tian Hong, you son of a b***h, how disgusting! Get lost!"

"I want to leave too, someone need a substitute! Anyone else know how to play Texas Hold'em? Zhang Keke, come over here."

"I want to, but I have to go get the cake, or you can hold it in?"

The group laughed heartily.

Xu Ting shouted, "I'll play, I'll play! It's a deal, if I lose, it's on you, my cards are terrible."

Xu Ting was a typical case of a big addiction but poor skills, unable to wait for a substitute. Before leaving, remembering something, he grabbed Ji Mian beside him, "Come here, play cards with me."

"I don't know how."

"It's okay, watch me play."

With Tian Hong making a racket, Ji Mian couldn't stay in the tense situation any longer, so she followed Xu Ting over.

She didn't know what was going on, but as soon as they got there, Xu Ting pressed her shoulder and made her sit directly in the seat opposite Jiang Wang.

Xu Ting, shameless as ever, said, "Come on, Ji Mian, help me fight. If we lose, it's on her."

A chorus of boos erupted around them—

"Xu Ting, have some decency!"

"Brother Ting, this is too much! Bullying a little girl?"

Xu Ting kicked him. "You don't know anything! If you did, you'd be my brother. Get lost."

Xu Ting sat down next to Ji Mian, softly comforting her, "Don't be afraid. I'll give you some advice. Just do what I tell you."

The onlookers couldn't help but close their eyes: Damn it, if Xu Ting teaches her, the little girl will cry from the loss.

Jiang Wang sat opposite, his eyes downcast the whole time, lost in thought. Someone handed him a lens, which he took. He finally looked up, glancing at Ji Mian's face before looking down again. He leaned back in his chair, fiddling with a cigarette between two fingers, his expression relaxed, seemingly not even listening to their conversation. Xu Ting was annoyed by his appearance. He was usually so talkative, why was he so quiet now?

He kicked him under the table.

Jiang Wang finally reacted, lifting his eyelids to look over, his gaze fixed on Ji Mian, a flicker of light in his dark pupils.

“Playing cards or chatting? Why don’t you start playing?”

Xu Ting: …You bastard! You might as well stay single forever!

Jiang Wang ignored Xu Ting's wink and turned to Chu Yan, “Why are you sticking so close to me?”

Although everyone could see Chu Yan was about to stick close to him, the atmosphere instantly became awkward.

A chorus of expectant gazes fell upon Chu Yan, making her uneasy. She still forced a smile and tried to salvage the situation, saying, "Let me see your cards."

Jiang Wang looked at her expressionlessly. "Why? My card skills are excellent; I don't need a strategist."

This was clearly a veiled attack on Ji Mian. Everyone could understand it, and Xu Ting was especially furious, glaring at him fiercely.

*You bastard! No wonder Ji Mian doesn't like you! Look at your shameless face! The girl isn't blind!*

Even the most oblivious person could sense that Jiang Wang was in a bad mood today and shouldn't be provoked. Although his fighting exploits had earned him a fearsome reputation, he usually interacted with this group with a playful and jovial attitude, rarely displaying such a stern and merciless tone.

Ji Mian noticed and whispered, "Jiang Wang, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," Jiang Wang looked up at her, "People like us aren't very polite, that's how we talk."

Ji Mian: ...

"Play cards, play cards, play cards, stop talking." Xu Ting quickly stepped in to smooth things over, wishing he could shut Jiang Wang up.

Jiang Wang stopped talking, lowered his eyes, and his slender fingers grabbed the cards on the table, dealing them to the four players in turn.

Ji Mian had absolutely no idea what Texas Hold'em was, so she just followed Xu Ting's instructions: bet when told to bet, call when told to call, and flip cards when told to flip.

The surroundings were noisy, and Ji Mian was completely in the dark, finishing the first round in a daze. Jiang Wang revealed his cards, and Qian Zhou, sitting next to him, angrily slammed his own cards on the table, rubbing his face and wailing, "Brother Wang, what the hell did you eat today? You're ripping us off!"

Everyone knew Jiang Wang was in a bad mood and was bullying the weaker opponents.

Ji Mian, however, wasn't quite sure. She turned to Xu Ting and asked, "So we lost?"

"Yeah, we have to be punished."

Everyone was already used to Xu Ting's shamelessness.

"Is it these chips?" Ji Mian pointed to the pile of chips on the table.

"No way, using chips is gambling. We're just having fun."

"What kind of punishment is it?"

Xu Ting was still a little guilty, his gaze constantly shifting, avoiding Ji Mian's innocent expression. He whispered, "Well, if you lose a few chips, you get a few slaps."

Ji Mian: !!!

Before she could even finish her shock, she heard several slaps beside her ear. Following the sound, they saw Jiang Wang holding a bar order slip and slapping Qian Zhou across the face.

The slaps were loud and painful. Ji Mian watched in horror, instinctively covering her face.

After several slaps, Qian Zhou cried out, "Ouch, damn it, that really hurts! Brother Wang, can't you be gentler?"

"No way, that's how we rough guys are."

Xu Ting, hearing this, thought, "Damn, he's got a barbed tongue. His anger hasn't subsided at all." He had originally hoped Ji Mian would say a few words to Jiang Wang to calm him down, but it seemed things wouldn't get better.

He was probably still angry; he worried Jiang Wang might actually hit him hard. Xu Ting immediately changed his mind, wanting to take the slaps for Ji Mian. But Jiang Wang seemed to know what he was thinking, giving him a disapproving look, and Xu Ting instantly froze. Ji Mian was only worried about the slap and didn't notice the glances they were giving her.

After slapping Qian Zhou, Jiang Wang had already bent down, reached over the table, and was right in front of her.

Ji Mian was genuinely scared; her cheek was still burning where Shi Man had hit her. She covered her face, looking at Jiang Wang with her big eyes, and whispered, "Jiang Wang, could you be a little gentler? I'm afraid it will hurt."

That soft, gentle plea was enough to break Jiang Wang's composure instantly.

All the anger he'd been holding in all day inexplicably dissipated, leaving him as spineless as a mule.

"That won't do," he leaned closer, saying no but his tone was like coaxing a child, "unless you say Jiang Wang is f*****g handsome."

After saying that, seeing Ji Mian's astonished expression, he couldn't help but laugh.

Everyone present was collectively shocked: ??? What the hell??? Brother Wang, wake up!

So, subduing a rampaging boss only requires a girl's soft words. The old saying is true: there's always something to subdue.

Ji Mian looked at him speechlessly, still covering her face, afraid he would hit her, and complained softly, "Can you please stop talking nonsense?"

"No," Jiang Wang leaned down to look at her, still unable to suppress his laughter, "Hurry up and tell me, or I'll really hit you."

The scene instantly shifted from an animal world to an animated channel, leaving everyone dumbfounded. When Jiang Wang got cheeky, he completely disregarded the feelings of the crowd, even wanting to beat them up and kick them out.

"Then hit me," Ji Mian absolutely couldn't say that. She simply closed her eyes, waiting for Jiang Wang to hit her.

Ji Mian waited a while, but instead of a slap, her eyelids were lightly touched. She suddenly opened her eyes, meeting Jiang Wang's scrutinizing gaze.

"What's that on your eyes?"

"Huh? Oh, the girl downstairs did it for me."

"You're wearing makeup?"

Ji Mian nodded obediently. Jiang Wang looked at her, his lips curving upwards, his smile deepening. "Pretty, I..."

"Stop flirting, Brother Wang!" Xu Ting interrupted him directly. He knew his buddy too well; Jiang Wang was sure to say something utterly indecent. He was always so oblivious to others. "Are you two going to spend the whole night just slapping each other in the face?"

His shout immediately livened up the atmosphere again. Everyone noticed Jiang Wang's gloomy mood had lifted and started teasing him. "Brother Wang, are you going to hit him or not? You can't bear to, can you?"

Jiang Wang glanced at the man. "Get lost!"

With everyone egging him on, Ji Mian felt embarrassed and didn't want to drag things out any longer. She simply tilted her head back, presenting her face to him. "Go ahead and hit him."

"Then I really will."

"Hmm."

"Hit him hard."

"Okay."

"Then don't cry..."

"Brother Wang, hurry up, you're so cloying!" Xu Ting realized for the first time how damn long-winded his brother was. This pointless, meaningless conversation could probably go on for a whole night with Ji Mian.

Love makes you stupid, that's for sure.

Jiang Wang kicked him. "Get lost."

"I won't get lost, I'll just watch you hit him."

Jiang Wang laughed as he cursed him, simultaneously raising the order slip high and then lightly landing it on Ji Mian's face. Onlookers: Damn, is this a beating of the loser, or a beating of single people? Just watching the show, and I got a million points of damage.

Jiang Wang lightly touched her face four times, and that was it.

Ji Mian opened her eyes and looked at him, "Is that enough?"

Jiang Wang was amused by her, "What, you really want me to hit you?"

"Isn't that against the rules?"

Onlookers: "No, it's perfectly against the rules. That's how we treat girls."

"Right, our rules are that Brother Wang decides."

A group of people started to cheer, and Jiang Wang was in a great mood, laughing to himself on the sofa.

Ji Mian was a little embarrassed by their teasing. Just then, Tian Hong returned, so she got up and went to the bathroom to cool down her face.

Ji Mian went to the bathroom, washed her hands, and looked at herself in the mirror. She had to admit that makeup was quite amazing; it wasn't very noticeable how red her face was. She waited until her face cooled down a bit before preparing to leave, when she heard an argument coming from the inner cubicle.

"Guo Lang, can you stop being so annoying? I told you, break up, break up, break up, don't you understand?"

It was Chu Yan's voice, seemingly arguing with her rumored vocational high school boyfriend.

"Where are you? At the door?! Get out of here, go back inside, don't come in! What are you doing looking for Jiang Wang? I don't like you, what does it have to do with him? Guo Lang, I'm warning you, if you dare cause him trouble, I'll never forgive you! If you want to kill him, kill me first!"

Ji Mian immediately grasped the key information: Guo Lang had brought people to the door, intending to cause trouble for Jiang Wang.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly walked out, so hastily that she didn't even see Jiang Wang waiting for her against the wall.

"What are you looking at?" Jiang Wang chuckled, reaching out to pull her back. Upon seeing him, Ji Mian panicked and said, "Jiang Wang, come with me! Someone's coming for you!"

"Hmm?"

Ji Mian didn't have time to explain. She grabbed his hand and pulled him outside. A series of hurried footsteps echoed from the other end of the corridor; Guo Lang and his men had probably arrived. Ji Mian panicked and, pulling Jiang Wang, hid in a small storage room nearby.

The storage room was narrow and small. Once the door closed, not a ray of light penetrated, plunging the two of them into complete darkness.

Ji Mian couldn't see anything, only sensing that Jiang Wang was right behind her, very close. She could hear his breathing and even feel his body heat through his clothes.

As a Grim Reaper, Jiang Wang was more adapted to the darkness than to daytime; he could see everything clearly.

He clearly saw Ji Mian protecting him, clearly saw her hands clenched into fists, terrified but pretending nothing was wrong. He could clearly see her turn her head, her lips pursed, nervously trying to look at him, but she couldn't see anything in the darkness, her eyes filled with confusion.

She whispered, "Jiang Wang, are you alright?"

Jiang Wang didn't answer, silently watching her in the darkness, then shook his head. He wasn't alright at all. He was starting to lose control of his desires, especially in the darkness, which amplified his violent side.

Ji Mian received no response, reaching out to touch him, her hand immediately pressing against his chest. She quickly withdrew her hand, and after confirming he was alright, her expression visibly relaxed. "Why aren't you saying anything? Are you scared? It's okay, I'll help you. You can hide behind me."

Jiang Wang was stunned. From the moment he became conscious, everyone had told him: Jiang Xuanyang, you are the Grim Reaper, your mission is to cleanse this world of filth and protect all living beings.

But no one had ever told him, "Jiang Xuanyang, I can help you."

He was born strong; protecting all things was ingrained in his very bones, accompanying him throughout his life. Therefore, he had never longed for anyone to protect him. But when one day he was shielded behind someone, the impact was immense; his heart almost instantly melted.

Ji Mian's soft yet firm words, "You stay behind me," easily subdued the incomparably powerful God-King Xuan Yang.

From that moment on, he only wanted to protect her.

He kept looking at her, unable to utter a word, his emotions churning.

A commotion arose outside. It was indeed Guo Lang with his men. Chu Yan also emerged from the bathroom. The two groups met outside the storage room and began arguing and crying.

Amidst the chaotic noise outside, Ji Mian couldn't hear Jiang Wang's response, nor could she see his condition. She grew worried.

"Jiang Wang? What's wrong? Can you say something? Don't be afraid, keep your voice down, they'll be gone soon."

She was clearly terrified herself, yet she was still trying to comfort him.

"Jiang Wang, can you answer me?"

"Yes."

He finally spoke, but his voice was strangely low, as if his throat was hoarse.

Ji Mian thought he was crying. She suspected Jiang Wang might have claustrophobia, because he wasn't afraid of fighting. His unusual behavior strongly suggested claustrophobia. Ji Mian reached out to pat him, to comfort him, but her wrist was suddenly gripped. Jiang Wang leaned over and slammed her against the wall.

She was so frightened she almost screamed, but immediately covered her mouth with her hand.

Jiang Wang pressed her against the wall, his body firmly restraining her, then grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand down, pinning it to the wall. Ji Mian couldn't see anything; the darkness amplified her fear. She gasped for breath, her voice trembling as she asked, "Jiang...Jiang Wang, what are you doing?"

Jiang Wang's breath brushed against her ear, burning hot, and she couldn't help but shiver.

"Didn't I tell you not to block my way anymore? It's dangerous."

He spoke slowly and deliberately, his voice low and hoarse, like a mermaid's song in the moonlight, alluring yet dangerous.

Ji Mian realized what was happening. She tried to back away, but pressed herself firmly against the wall.

"Jiang Wang, calm down, it's not dangerous. We just need to keep quiet... um..."

Before Ji Mian could finish speaking, a warm kiss sealed her lips. Her eyes widened in the darkness.

She froze, feeling Jiang Wang gently nibbling at her lips, her scalp tightening. Then she heard Jiang Wang's suppressed, deep voice spread through the darkness. "The danger I'm referring to is the danger we're talking about now."