Chapter 37 No Practice Required

Ever since that day by the gardenias, when Li Minghua stammered out that earth-shattering line, "You're prettier than the flowers," Tang Xiaoning felt as if she were soaking in the very bottom of a honey pot, bubbling with sweetness.

Three whole days!

She smiles when she's awake, and her lips curve into a smile even when she's asleep.

Even the bamboo broom that caused her so much suffering during her training, which she wished she could chop up and burn for firewood, could make her burst out laughing.

Her eyebrows and eyes were always curved, like she had secretly eaten ten pounds of candy.

"Miss Li, please think of something!" The maid Xiao Cui ran anxiously to Li Minghua, who was wiping her weapons.

She lowered her voice, her face full of worry: "If Miss keeps laughing like that, I'm terrified. I'm really afraid her face will cramp up, or she'll laugh herself to death!"

As she spoke, her eyes glanced toward the lotus pond not far away.

Tang Xiaoning was leaning on the railing, watching a large red koi slowly swaying its tail in the water, and muttering something in a serious tone.

Then a string of clear, bell-like laughter escaped her lips, and her shoulders shrugged along with it, truly a sight to behold.

Li Minghua paused in wiping the sword blade, following Xiao Cui's gaze.

Sunlight shone on the lotus pond and also fell on the girl who was grinning foolishly at the carp.

Her calm gaze lingered for a moment on Tang Xiaoning's back, which radiated pure joy. A faint hint of pleasure flickered in her usually deep, cold eyes.

She did not respond to Xiao Cui's concerns, but instead used the velvet cloth in her hand to stroke the cold blade of the sword more carefully, as if trying to calm some unfamiliar emotions.

Xiao Cui received no response. Looking at her young mistress's "silly" appearance, and then at Guard Li's profile which seemed... a little softer than usual, she shook her head helplessly and amusedly, and silently retreated.

That afternoon, the weather was rather muggy, and even the cicadas seemed to be chirping weakly.

Tang Xiaoning felt languid from the summer heat and leaned against the soft couch covered with a bamboo mat by the window.

She held a book of romance novels in her hand, but her mind was not on the poignant stories at all. What kept replaying in her mind was that man's awkward, flushed face and his deep, solemn words, "You are more beautiful than flowers."

The turning of the pages slowed down, and my eyelids felt like they were filled with lead, beginning to droop heavily.

Half of the page slipped from her soft fingertips and was about to fall to the ground.

In a daze, she sensed someone approaching.

Her footsteps were very light, with a familiar, steady rhythm.

Then, she felt the storybook that was about to slip from her hand being gently taken away by a hand and carefully placed on the small table beside the tatami mat.

Then, a thin silk blanket, smelling of dry, clean air from being sun-dried, was placed over her abdomen and calves.

The movements were careful yet... a little clumsy.

This subtle touch disturbed the boundary of the nap.

Tang Xiaoning opened her eyes groggily, her long eyelashes trembling.

Before my vision was fully clear, a sharply defined face came into view, right up close – it was Li Minghua!

She seemed not to have expected Tang Xiaoning to wake up suddenly, and froze, still in the position of slightly bending over and tucking the blanket around her.

The two were so close that they could feel each other's breath gently brushing against their cheeks. The air was filled with dust, the rich, sweet fragrance of gardenias outside the window, and Li Minghua's unique scent.

Tang Xiaoning looked at her lowered eyelashes, her straight nose, and... her clearly defined lips, so close to hers.

"Did I wake you up?" Li Minghua broke the momentary silence first, his voice lower and hoarser than usual.

She sat up almost immediately, her movements slightly hurried, and pushed the storybook that had slid to the edge of the tatami mat further in to make sure it wouldn't fall.

Her tone remained as steady as ever, but her jade-like ears honestly revealed a faint blush that hadn't yet faded.

Tang Xiaoning's sleepiness vanished instantly. She felt a ticklish, warm sensation on her cheek where the other person's breath had brushed against her.

She instinctively wrapped herself tighter in the warm, sun-drenched silk blanket, leaving only her bright, watery eyes peeking out as she blinked at Li Minghua, trying to make conversation: "...What...what are you doing?"

She asked the question knowing the answer already, her voice slightly hoarse from just waking up and with a hint of coquettishness.

Li Minghua sat down on a round stool not far from her bed, picked up the map scroll that had been spread out on the table, and looked at it.

Without even looking up, she replied quite frankly, "I saw you were asleep and was worried you'd catch a cold."

After a pause, perhaps feeling that the explanation was not sufficient, he added, "If the abdomen and back are exposed to wind, one is susceptible to catching a cold."

This straightforward and natural concern made Tang Xiaoning's already sweet feelings even more active.

She buried half her face in the soft blanket, leaving only her smiling eyes showing, and deliberately dragged out her words to tease her:

"Oh—so our Lady Li is not only highly skilled in martial arts, but also very caring now!"

She tilted her head, her mischievous eyes like little hooks: "Did you... practice secretly?"

Li Minghua's gaze remained focused on the complex lines and markings of the map. Upon hearing this, he didn't even flinch, answering with utter composure and self-assurance:

“No practice needed,” she said, tracing a mountain range on the map with her fingertip. “You’ll see.”

Her tone was calm and even, as if she were talking about the weather.

Tang Xiaoning: "!!!"

The body wrapped in the blanket suddenly stiffened, and then a surge of scalding heat rushed from the heart to the top of the head.

She instantly understood what Li Minghua meant: by looking at her, she knew that she would move around a lot in her sleep, kick off the blanket, and catch a cold, so "by looking at you, I can know" how to take care of her.

These seemingly ordinary words, coming from this blockhead's mouth, are more moving than the most tender love poems in storybooks.

Would you call this a uniquely Li Minghua-style, direct and to the point love confession?

Her face flushed bright red instantly, like the finest rouge spreading across her skin, and she almost shrank into the blanket like a perfectly cooked shrimp.

Only a pair of bright, watery eyes were visible, like a startled yet delighted fawn, secretly watching the "wooden man" who was earnestly studying the map.

Good heavens! How did this person suddenly become so quick to understand?

And he drove so steadily, accurately, and ruthlessly!

Her little heart was pounding like a drum, completely overwhelmed!

To hide her pounding heart, she cleared her throat, tried to change the subject, and turned her gaze to the incredibly complex map:

"Why are you looking at that? We don't plan on going far away."

Even though she tried her best to suppress it, her voice was still a little unsteady.

Li Minghua pointed his finger to a spot on the map where the mountains were densely packed with lines, where three small characters were marked: "Qixia Ridge".

“This place is strategically important, with deep canyons and winding mountain paths,” she explained, her voice losing its usual calm and analytical tone. “If bandits were to occupy this area, it would be easy to defend and difficult to attack. If one day…”

She paused slightly, looked up at Tang Xiaoning, and said seriously, "If you need to pass through this place, you should make preparations in advance and plan thoroughly."

Tang Xiaoning, wrapped in a blanket, curiously leaned over to take a look.

She had no interest in the crooked lines and markings, but she found Li Minghua's slightly furrowed brows, focused gaze, and smooth, clear jawline to be exceptionally handsome and dashing in the soft afternoon light, making it impossible for her to look away.

A thought popped into her head uncontrollably: "Minghua," her eyes shone brightly, filled with anticipation and longing, "you're researching these things... are you planning to take me out to explore the world?"

Just like in the folk tales, roam the world with a sword, living a life of chivalry and vengeance!

Upon hearing this, Li Minghua raised his head, his deep eyes meeting her sparkling eyes.

Her gaze was calm and resolute, her voice firm: "If you have such intentions," her voice was not loud, but every word was clear, like a promise, "I will protect you to the death."

"Really?!" Tang Xiaoning was overwhelmed with joy.

She excitedly crawled out from under the blanket, almost kneeling on the soft couch, leaning forward and supporting herself on the edge of the couch with her hands:

"Then let's go to the borderlands to see the lone smoke rising straight from the desert and the setting sun round over the long river?"

Or perhaps we should go to Jiangnan and listen to the spring rain all night in a small building, and see apricot blossoms being sold in a deep alley tomorrow morning?

Or go to the East China Sea…

She excitedly listed them off, as if an infinitely vast world was unfolding before her eyes.

"Either is fine." Li Minghua's answer remained concise and calm.

But the power contained beneath that calm is more reassuring than any grand pronouncement.

"Where do you want to go?" she said clearly, looking at Tang Xiaoning's flushed cheeks, as if making a vow, "I will go with you wherever you want to go."

There are no fancy words, only the simplest companionship and the most steadfast protection.

Tang Xiaoning's heart was deeply touched by this simple yet incredibly weighty promise.

Looking at the woman sitting upright with calm eyes, she felt a surge of intense emotion welling up inside her, almost to the point of bursting.

The dashing and eloquent heroes depicted in those stories now seemed pale and powerless in her heart.

The person in front of me, who is taciturn and sometimes clumsy like a block of wood, is a thousand times, ten thousand times better than all of them combined!

Because she is Li Minghua, and she is... exclusively hers.

"Minghua..." Joy, emotion, and an overwhelming sweetness intertwined, causing Tang Xiaoning's voice to soften unconsciously.

Her voice was filled with deep dependence and longing, and she unconsciously began to whine, "You're so good to me."

Li Minghua looked into her shimmering eyes, at her cheeks flushed with excitement and shyness, and listened to her soft, dependent calls.

Her fingers, gripping the edge of the map, tightened slightly, and a few white spots appeared at her knuckles.

His thin lips seemed to move slightly, as if some words were rolling between his lips and teeth.

Her usually sharp, hawk-like gaze, now fixed on the map, seemed somewhat unfocused, the dark lines blurring into a hazy blur in her eyes.

In the end, all the words he wanted to say were reduced to a low, restrained "Mmm" from his throat.

She lowered her head again, but there was a hint of stiffness in her focused posture.

The rich fragrance of gardenias outside the window seeped in, but it couldn't compare to the subtle, sticky, sweet, and throbbing silence that permeated the room.

This silence was more unsettling than any words, making one's breathing cautious.

After a while, perhaps wanting to break free from this suffocatingly sweet cage, Li Minghua suddenly put the map down, his movements slightly hurried.

“Now that you’re awake,” she stood up, her gaze quickly sweeping over Tang Xiaoning’s still flushed face before looking away, “would you like some plum juice to cool down? I’ll go get it.”

She tried to remain calm, but her turn was as swift as the wind.

"Ah? Let Xiao Cui go..." Tang Xiaoning subconsciously wanted to stop her; she hadn't seen enough of her rare embarrassment yet.

Before he could finish speaking, Li Minghua's figure had already disappeared through the doorway. His back was still upright, but it seemed to exude a sense of... haste in his escape.

The sound of footsteps on the bluestone slabs was several beats faster than usual.

Tang Xiaoning stared at her retreating figure, which seemed to "rush out the door," for a moment, then couldn't help but chuckle.

She buried her flushed face in the soft silk blanket that Li Minghua had covered her with, and laughed out loud in a muffled but uncontrollable manner, her shoulders heaving with each laugh.

Her heroine Li! Not only can she "speak" sweet words now, albeit in a unique way, but she's also learned to shyly "escape"!

This clumsy cuteness is more precious than any gift!

Wouldn't you call this a huge, exhilarating step forward?