25 Chapter Twenty-Five

◎It's over, they didn't escape.◎

Chapter Twenty-Five

Male warriors have strong, powerful bodies, quite different from the soft bodies of women. Liu Qingqing's body was as soft as dough, while his body was hard as a rock.

I was so anxious a few days ago that I didn't have time to appreciate his figure. Now that I see him, he's definitely a real oddball.

Even though she has barely eaten in the past few days and has lost a lot of weight, her muscle lines are still beautiful and smooth.

Concerned about her injuries, Liu Qingqing remained relatively focused, only letting out a couple of sighs in her heart. Occasionally, she would think, "Are the male protagonists in all those storybooks I've read really like this?"

Some of the wounds had already grown pink, tender flesh, which made Liu Qingqing marvel at the person's strong vitality. She couldn't help but gently touch them with her soft fingertips.

Her touch caused goosebumps to rise on the surrounding skin as if it were sentient, and the hairs on the skin stood on end.

It feels so vivid and lifelike.

She tirelessly touched each of the newly grown pink flesh, feeling the relief that he had returned and that she had escaped a calamity.

My thoughts drifted away for a moment, and I couldn't help but think of my mother who had passed away early.

I wish my mother could have endured it all. But it's just a thought; she's been gone for over ten years, maybe she's been reincarnated by now.

She was thinking about this and that, and she hadn't had a proper rest these past few days taking care of him without taking off her clothes. Her head was dizzy and numb, and she lost her strength when applying medicine to the knife wound in her lower abdomen.

"Hmm."

Hearing his muffled groan, Liu Qingqing quickly snapped back to reality. Before she could even look at her hands, she apologized profusely, saying "I'm sorry" twice. When her unfocused eyes refocused and she saw clearly, she gasped and looked away.

It got hot today, marking the official arrival of summer. Liu Qingqing decided to open the window on the side where no one passed by. As she glanced out, she saw that the nameless tree outside the window had sprouted thick, tender buds, stretching out its branches in a fierce and unrestrained manner.

"You must be thirsty after waking up. I'll go get you some warm water."

Liu Qingqing was about to run away after saying that, but his large hand grabbed her wrist.

Oh no, they didn't escape.

Liu Qingqing remained in the position she had just turned to stand up, her back to him, and showed no intention of turning around even when he grabbed her.

How can we turn back and let her see that stiff, lively, tender shoot?

His rough fingertips slowly caressed the inside of her wrist, tracing the blue veins, again and again. A tingling, itchy sensation shot from the base of her tailbone to the top of her head. Even though the window was open, Liu Qingqing felt the air in the room was incredibly thin, almost suffocating. In a daze, she thought she saw the hairs on her back stand on end.

She swallowed quietly.

Just as she was wondering what to do, Xie Lang let go of her hand and gently patted the back of her hand.

They didn't say a word, but it was as if they said everything.

Freed from his shackles, Liu Qingqing, as if his feet were greased, picked up the porcelain kettle, left with the words "I'll go get some more hot water," and ran off.

Xie Lang's gaze followed her retreating figure. His face remained expressionless, but a faint smile appeared in his eyes.

He seemed to be gradually savoring the taste of marriage.

He married a woman he barely knew, a refined young lady, thinking it would be a dull and uneventful life, just another mouth to feed. But now, seeing her virtuous and elegant facade crumble to reveal her genuine and lively soul, he realizes she's far from being just someone who eats a simple meal. Look how interesting his wife is!

No wonder his mother adored her.

The smile in his eyes gradually faded when he thought of his mother.

The reasons for this trip were twofold: first, to deal with the matter of the Governor-General of Huguang, and second, to find a trace of someone who appeared to be his mother.

If his mother were alive but did not want to return to the mansion to be with his father, he would risk his life to bring glory to her.

If his mother knew that he had married the girl she loved, she would surely be very happy.

"I learned by chance that you were suffering from some kind of serious injury at the Liu residence, and that you were sensitive to the cold. The other day, after the divine physician examined my pulse, he told me that I must take good care of myself while I am still young, and not to avoid seeking medical treatment. He said that if I take care of myself early, I will recover sooner."

Xie Lang didn't want Liu Qingqing to know how vile the drug she had been given was. What could she do besides be upset if she found out? He'd just take the medicine and that would be it. He'd handle everything else.

Just as Liu Qingqing was unaware that the Liu family had been so peaceful lately, it was because Lord Liu was suffering terribly. He had heard that the Regent's men had secretly dealt with him, but he wondered how that scoundrel had offended so many people.

If Liu Qingqing finds him an eyesore, Xie Lang wouldn't mind sending both Lord Liu and Young Lord Liu out of the capital. The world is so vast now; they can take up their posts anywhere.

Let's see how much affection she still has for her family.

Having gone over the important matters in his mind, and waiting for a long time without seeing Liu Qingqing return, Xie Lang simply closed his eyes to rest. Exhausted from years of work, he fell asleep as soon as he closed his eyes.

When Liu Qingqing returned, she found him fast asleep again. She hesitated for only a moment before putting the teacup back down.

This time, she didn't dare to touch him casually. She just stood in front of the bed and stared at the bluish-gray under his eyes for a long time.

Outsiders only see his success and prestige, but they can't see the hardships he endures.

She used to think he was a celestial being descended from heaven, enjoying boundless glory, commanding the wind and rain, and able to obtain whatever he desired with ease. But now she realized that wasn't the case; he was also human, and had his own difficulties.

I couldn't help but feel affection and pity for him.

After a moment of silence, Liu Qingqing turned to rest on the chaise lounge, picked up a book, and saw that the cover was a travelogue, but it wasn't.

This storybook was specially covered by other travelogues by Granny Li, not because she wanted to read it for excitement at this time. The main reason was that she always felt like she was about to consummate her marriage, but before she got married, no one taught her. Granny Li only gave her a picture book that she couldn't understand very well, so she had to find something to learn on her own.

Since he woke up, Liu Qingqing refused to share a bed with him, afraid of touching his injuries. She also refused to move out, and had Xie Wu bring a soft couch to place beside his bed so she could personally watch over him.

Every night, after he would wake up from the dark cave where he was dying in his dreams, he would always turn his head to look at her, whether she was awake or fast asleep.

Whenever this happens, he always remembers what his mother once told him—that life is only truly enjoyable if you marry a woman you love.

He didn't know if he felt any pleasure now, but when he fell off the cliff and survived the day with the two pieces of pastry she stuffed into his chest, all he thought about was returning home. He had promised her that he would come back safe and sound.

Since his mother's sudden departure, Liu Qingqing has once again made him feel the warmth of home.

He may never be able to have a romantic relationship with her in this life, but he will respect and protect her.

He felt guilty for suddenly leaving Beijing on their wedding night, and he wanted to make it up to her.

He ordered Xie Liu to handle this matter secretly, without making a sound, wanting to give his wife a surprise.

Seven days after returning home, all the knife wounds on his body had scabbed over, and in some shallower areas the scabs had fallen off, revealing new flesh.

Seeing this, Liu Qingqing breathed a sigh of relief and allowed him to walk around freely. In the previous few days, he had only been allowed to walk a few steps less.

Xie Lang felt a strange sensation in his chest whenever he saw her anxious expression, so he went along with her. Before, he would only secretly get out of bed and move around a bit when she went out.

That night, the two tacitly lay down in their own places, each lost in their own thoughts.

Xie Lang thought to himself that he didn't know anything about this, so maybe he should learn? He had heard that some rough young men would hurt women on their first time, and he couldn't let his wife get hurt.

While Xie Lang was thinking about how to smoothly become a real couple, Liu Qingqing was plunged into indescribable sorrow.

After he recovered from his injuries, she belatedly fell into fear.

Fearing Xie Lang would repeatedly face death like this, she had narrowly saved him this time. She still had half a pill left, but what if she didn't have enough next time? And what about the time after that?

They hadn't even consummated their marriage; their affection for each other was very shallow. What could she say? Could she suggest that they avoid doing such dangerous things in the future? Xie Lang would probably think she was meddling.

But the thought of him dying made her feel like she couldn't breathe.

She lay there lost in thought, not sleepy at all.

Xie Lang turned his head and caught a glimpse of her quiet profile; she must be asleep.

Looking at the moonlight outside, I thought it would be good to go to bed early, as I probably wouldn't be able to sleep tomorrow night.

He lay there for a long time but couldn't fall asleep at all. He was thinking about the new jewelry he had ordered for Liu Qingqing, which would arrive tomorrow. He wondered where he could hide it so that she would be pleasantly surprised when she found it.

After much deliberation, I finally decided to put it in the closet.

Although the wardrobe contained their clothes, most of them belonged to her, and he had recently noticed that she always liked to roll up her dresses to fit her jewelry inside.

Tomorrow before bed, she'll go to the bathroom and get some clean clothes from the wardrobe. When she opens them and sees them, she'll be pleasantly surprised!

[Author's Note]

Next chapter preview:

But she didn't know that Xie Lang had excellent night vision.