Chapter 132 Speaking

He dawdled, looking back every few steps, as if under some kind of spell, and just wouldn't go to take a bath.

"I'm leaving, I'm really going." Wei Li was still reluctant to leave. Actually, it wouldn't be a problem if Zhao Xiheng went to shower with him.

Although she should have already showered, a bath was still very comfortable.

Zhao Xiheng sighed, seeing him dawdling, grabbed his sleeve, dragged him inside, and then tore open his collar.

The scabbed wound on her chest was exposed, and she couldn't help but move more gently.

It looked like a deep wound, with gruesome scabs.

Wei Li instinctively flinched, pulling her clothes up to her sides. "You can go out now, I can manage on my own."

Zhao Xiheng forcefully grabbed his wrist and ripped off his shirt, revealing all the scars intertwined with his tattoos, some deep and some shallow.

He remained unfazed, as if he felt no pain. Zhao Xiheng was afraid of pain; even a small cut on her hand was unbearable. Now, seeing the numerous wounds of varying sizes on his body, she couldn't help but feel her legs go numb.

"Don't look, it's awful," he said, then tried to push her away. His fingers involuntarily curled; it was too ugly, all rough and unsightly. Wouldn't Zhao Xiheng find it repulsive?

So many wounds, it wouldn't look good on anyone.

"It's not ugly." Zhao Xiheng's eyes were slightly moist as she gently touched the spot with her finger. "Does it hurt?"

That's just asking a pointless question. How could it not hurt?

Wei Li thought for a moment, and seeing her cautious expression, she quickly frowned and bit her lip, "It hurts, it hurts so much."

He wasn't in pain at all; his wound healed quickly. It's been so many days, it's already completely healed, it just looks scary.

However, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. The more he cries out in pain, the more Zhao Xiheng will feel sorry for him. Ideally, she'll forgive all the "disrespectful" things he wrote a few days ago.

"It looks painful too." Zhao Xiheng dared not touch him anymore, looking at him with teary eyes.

Her eyes were round and large, filled with tears, and looked extremely pitiful, making one's heart clench.

Wei Li's heart ached, and he dared not lie to her anymore. He quickly bent down and wiped away her tears with the back of his hand. "Don't cry. I was just kidding. It doesn't hurt anymore."

"You know how badly I was bitten by Luo Haoran's dog, but I was back to my old self in just two days. This little injury is nothing."

"Really?" Zhao Xiheng sniffed and asked uncertainly.

"Of course." To show that he was telling the truth, Wei Li patted his chest, confirming that nothing was wrong.

"So you were lying to me when you said it hurt?" Zhao Xiheng asked again, wiping her eyes.

Wei Li remained silent, rubbing the bridge of his nose. This was a difficult question to answer, so he chose not to.

"Get out of here! You damn liar!" Zhao Xiheng's tears were all for nothing. That old dog Wei Li was probably secretly laughing while she was crying!

"Hey!" Wei Li was standing right next to the hot spring. When she pushed him like that, he was caught off guard and stumbled and fell in. He grabbed her in the process and dragged her down with him.

The two splashed around in the hot spring for a while before finally managing to stand up, their bodies soaking wet like two drowned ducks.

Wei Li instinctively shrank back towards the hot spring, afraid of being caught by Zhao Xiheng. "We're even now! You can't hit me anymore!"

Zhao Xiheng ground her back teeth. "Come here, I won't hit you, I'll give you a scrub!"

"I'm so embarrassed," he said, but actually dawdled and moved over hesitantly.

"Ouch! You won't let me soak for a while before scrubbing? You're just going to scrub me like this!" Wei Li tried to run away, but Zhao Xiheng grabbed his arm and dragged him back.

"Shut up." Zhao Xiheng's subordinate exerted force again.

Wei Li cried out, "Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! My skin is going to break!" Looking down, she saw that her body was indeed covered in red marks.

"Keep your voice down, or you'll wake Zhizhi up," Zhao Xiheng threatened him, her heart filled with a smug sense of intimidation.

Looking at his arm, which was bright red and looked like it was about to bleed, Wei Li thought to himself, "Indeed, the most vicious heart is that of a woman."

The two of them came out of the hot spring; it was almost dawn.

The beautiful emotions of a long-awaited reunion vanished without a trace during a bath.

Wei Li leaned closer, showing Zhao Xiheng his collarbone, which was almost raw, and whispered, "Could you be a little gentler? You've rubbed it raw."

He casually ripped open his shirt, revealing a large expanse of firm skin, a slightly protruding Adam's apple, and prominent collarbones.

A flash of white light appeared before Zhao Xiheng's eyes. Damn, that was so exciting!

His skin still bore the red marks from being rubbed, giving it a forbidden allure.

She couldn't resist and took a bite. The steamy, fragrant jelly, infused with the scent of gardenia bath beans, tasted like an incredible delicacy.

Male beauty can be quite detrimental.

She bit down quite hard, and Wei Li gasped. "Is this how you welcome me back?"

"Then how are you going to welcome her?" Zhao Xiheng licked her lips, puzzled.

She's not going to scrub his back anymore? Isn't that a welcome gesture?

Wei Li rubbed his collarbone, which she had bitten so hard, then pinched her chin and pressed it down, their lips meeting as they exchanged breaths.

After a long while, both of them were panting heavily. He whispered in a hoarse voice, his ear close to hers, "Like this, do you understand?"

Zhao Xiheng tightened her grip on his clothes, making them crumpled, and turned around with a flushed face. Seeing that Zhizhi was still asleep, she breathed a long sigh of relief.

Thankfully, Zhizhi didn't see it, otherwise the two of them would have set a bad example for the child.

"This is the limit, honey." Zhao Xiheng doesn't usually stay up late, and she's feeling a bit dizzy and lightheaded by now. Wei Li, who has been traveling day and night, just wants to sleep now.

The two of them huddled together, like two little swans with their necks intertwined, and fell asleep in no time under the covers.

Zhizhi, all alone, slept on the other side, as if isolated from the world by her parents.

Wei Li woke up early in the morning feeling tightness in his chest and shortness of breath. The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was Zhi Zhi's face close to his. He was too tired; he had slept so soundly last night that he didn't know when Zhi Zhi had climbed onto him.

Zhizhi crawled all over his chest, getting closer to look at him. When she saw that he was awake, she blinked her eyes and simply lay down on his chest, burying her face in his neck.

Wei Li's heart softened. He hugged her soft little body, rolled over, and placed her between Zhao Xiheng and himself. He quietly asked, "When did you get up? You've picked up that bad habit of kittens, climbing on people. Want to sleep a little longer?"

Zhizhi snuggled into Zhao Xiheng's arms, turning her back to him.

Zhao Xiheng was always a heavy sleeper, so she subconsciously hugged the little fleshy ball that was wriggling around in her arms and continued to sleep in a daze.

Wei Li couldn't resist, so he leaned over and kissed the top of Zhi Zhi's head, then kissed Zhao Xi Heng's cheek, hugged the mother and daughter together, and closed his eyes for a while.

A short while later, Zhizhi was probably hungry and needed to urinate, so she started to whine. Wei Li took her out to be fed and have her diapers changed by the nannies.

Zhao Xiheng stayed up all night and felt dizzy and lightheaded when she woke up. She hugged the blanket and rubbed her eyes to wake herself up. When she saw Wei Li, she was startled at first, but then she came to her senses and remembered that he had come back last night.

"When will the army return to the city?" She touched the top of her head; her hair didn't stand up, so she was fine.

Wei Li clearly left them behind and came back first.

"About half a month later." Wei Li poured two glasses of warm water, one for each person.

"So you're still not going into the city with the army this time?"

After his victory over Goguryeo, Wei Li did not return, and he did not personally experience the grand welcome the people lined the streets to greet his army as they entered the city.

He doesn't like being watched, so let him be.

Wei Li pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "No, this time I will enter the city with the army."

"Then you can bring Zhizhi and stand on the city wall to watch me. I want Zhizhi to see how powerful her father is."

Most fathers are like this: they want to be heroes in their children's eyes and to appear majestic in front of them. Wei Li is no exception.

Even if Zhizhi is too young to remember, he will still appear in the best way possible.

Even when Zhizhi grows up, she can still brag to her friends that when her father returned in triumph, everyone gathered around and cheered, and he was incredibly heroic.

His armor gleamed in the sunlight as he rode a tall horse, followed by tens of thousands of soldiers, rumbling chariots, and fluttering banners.

Zhao Xiheng drank the water, then nodded very seriously and affirmed, "You are definitely the most handsome, the most dashing, and the best father in the world."

Wei Li, who had been keeping a serious expression, couldn't help but soften upon hearing her certainty, revealing a hint of pride as she slightly raised her chin. "Of course!"

While the army rested outside the city of Buxian, Wei Li changed into armor and went to join them.

He needed to leave the city under cover of night, otherwise it wouldn't look good for the people.

Zhizhi sat on the bed, very curious about his grooming, her eyes fixed on him.

Wei Li patted her little pigtails, "Father will be back tomorrow."

She seemed very resistant to this scene, turning her head away and refusing to speak to him.

"Watch your step on the road. It rained during the day, and there are puddles on the ground," Zhao Xiheng instructed him, then picked up a lamp, opened the door, and was about to see him out.

It's only a one-night separation, so there's no need to feel any reluctance.

Wei Li had just taken a step forward when he suddenly heard Zhi Zhi shout from behind, "Father!"

He and Zhao Xiheng turned around at the same time, only to see that Zhizhi's eyes were filled with tears, her mouth was pursed, and she suddenly burst into tears.

She seemed to remember that Wei Li left in the same way last time and didn't come back for a long time. So when she saw him about to leave again this time, she thought he was going to be gone for a long time again, and in her anxiety she called out.

She didn't like Wei Li leaving; she could never wait for him to come back.

Zhao Xiheng's eyes widened in surprise, and she grabbed Wei Li's hand, "Zhizhi can talk!"

"Zhizhi, say it again quickly." Zhao Xiheng picked her up.

Zhizhi remained silent, stubbornly staring at her father.

Wei Li was so excited that he tripped over his own foot and almost fell to the ground along with his heavy armor. "Zhi Zhi Zhi Zhi, say it again!"

Zhizhi's round eyes darted around, feeling that her parents were watching her like a monkey show. She buried her face in her mother's neck and refused to look up no matter what.