Chapter 112 Amidst the Clouds (Part Two) Just a touch, and Zhi Rou instantly…

A lamp was lit in the tent, its light bright. A book lay open on a table, and Zhi Rou sat behind it, flipping through it idly. After a while, her thoughts drifted away, and she thought of Suzhou again.

But they weren't close.

She brought him back because of her mother; now that his life was no longer in danger, she no longer needed to squat there waiting for him to wake up.

The military treatise in her hands seemed to have lost its flavor; the moment she saw the words, an image of someone covered in blood flashed into her mind. Zhi Rou rubbed her eyes wearily, her hand falling to her cheek, her fist supporting her chin.

The candle pushed the darkness into the corner, and Wei Yuanzhan sat at the lower end. Usually at this time, he would be at home writing, but tonight, in order to keep Zhirou company, he was also holding a book and reading it listlessly, his eyes darting back and forth to watch her movements.

She seemed troubled and spoke little, so he didn't talk to her often. He noticed that her left hand was not very nimble; even after a day, her fingertips were still trembling when she lifted things.

While Lan Ye was helping her wash her face and rest, he asked Chang Huai to bring her a bunch of medicine and a medical book. It was drawn by an old military doctor to take on apprentices, with illustrations and text complementing each other; he didn't know if she had used it.

Wei Yuanzhan's gaze was piercing, and Zhi Rou sensed it, raising her head slightly, her eyelashes fluttering: "What's wrong?"

He paused for a moment, then asked, "Are you feeling unwell anywhere? Did you use the things I asked Changhuai to take?"

"I used it."

The medical book that Changhuai sent was very unique, with proper annotations and easy-to-understand language. She then used it to apply medicine.

Hearing his question, Zhi Rou shifted slightly, her left shoulder feeling uncomfortable. She touched it and felt even more pain. Her brows furrowed slightly. "I think I fell pretty hard...it's alright."

"Where did you fall?" Wei Yuanzhan immediately put down his book and walked towards her, as if he wanted to treat her personally.

Seeing this, Zhi Rou's heart skipped a beat, and a mischievous idea suddenly popped into her head. She picked up the book again and said slowly, "I remember... it was in my room, and some thief was hiding inside. He threw me to the ground."

Why does this sound so familiar?

Wei Yuanzhan raised an eyebrow slightly, seeing her smile hidden behind the book from his vantage point, and then realized what was happening. His eyebrows lowered, and his hands clenched a little tighter.

"I'm sorry."

“It’s okay,” Zhi Rou smiled, a hint of smugness in her eyes as she teased him, and quickly added, “I was just joking with you.”

She was adept at shifting the atmosphere; with every word and gesture, she transformed the quiet within the tent.

The flames crackled as Wei Yuanzhan sat opposite Zhi Rou, his robes billowing. Her cheeks looked exceptionally delicate in the firelight, like the finest mutton-fat jade.

"Actually, it was Fusu who dismounted and accidentally bumped into something," she rephrased.

Remembering what Lan Ye had said to her alone, her gaze gradually straightened, and she looked at Wei Yuanzhan intently.

Those fragmented memories, growing from a few to a few, suddenly surged up.

He always stood by her side unconditionally.

Zhi Rou opened her mouth: "Wei Yuanzhan."

Her voice was clear, like a babbling brook caressing a blue stone; such a pure voice could even convey a tender sentiment.

He gazed at her, their eyes meeting. The color of his pupils appeared deeper in the candlelight, as if a voice was emanating from his chest, rising and falling, steady and powerful.

"You're so kind. You're the best person I know," Zhirou said with a smile.

The question seemed a bit abrupt, and Wei Yuanzhan paused for a moment, then smiled broadly, a genuine smile that made his shoulders tremble slightly. He then raised his eyes and asked, half-seriously and half-jokingly, "How many people do you know?"

Zhi Rou was amused by him: "So many!" She straightened her back, looking smug, "I can't even count them all in the capital alone, and then there's Luozhou, the North..."

"Master, Fourth Miss, that person has woken up."

In front of a stick of incense.

The light was on, and occasionally a gust of wind would flip the sleeve, causing the flame to flicker and then instantly stand upright again.

Su Du struggled to open his eyes and vaguely saw two figures moving. Outside, the sound of clappers could be heard. For a moment, he thought he had returned to his childhood when he was in the army camp with his father.

This was neither his father's military tent nor his exclusive territory in the birch forest, and he could not settle there without any precautions.

Su Du was about to get up when the excruciating pain stopped him. He gritted his teeth and, after a moment, let out a muffled breath.

The two shadows were still pushing each other, the movements were small, and the voices were low, as if they were plotting something.

"...If you want to say it, just say so. I'm not going."

"I only know that when the country is in trouble, people will remember loyal ministers. Our master and the fourth young lady are doing just fine, so I'd rather be a 'treacherous villain' who obeys orders and slanders others."

"Changhuai, Changhuai, if there's ever a traitor among my men, I'll come looking for you first."

“Then I will tell you, sir, that you said he was blinded by lust.”

"Nonsense! That's not what I said!"

"Yes, your exact words were, 'I met the Fourth Miss...' " The man's voice suddenly stopped. He caught a glimpse of movement on the bed out of the corner of his eye, turned around, and took two steps forward.

A somewhat familiar face came into view. Su didn't move. The person looked down at him for a moment, then turned to his companion and said, "It seems he's awake."

Then came the sound of footsteps. A moment later, another person approached, his face expressionless. He glanced at him and then nudged his companion's shoulder: "I'll go tell Fourth Sister."

The man nodded and waited for him to go, then crossed his arms and looked at Su Du.

With the knife wound and high fever, Su woke up briefly and in a daze over the course of two days and one night, as if it were all a dream.

The present moment is real.

His memory remained on the cliff, and he couldn't recall at all why he was with Wei Yuanzhan's men.

The firelight flickered, and Changhuai and Sudu stared at each other, neither of them truly "recognizing" the other.

That night in Suyuan City, the sky was dark. Even though flames clung to everything, the soldiers' faces were covered in blood, and it was hard to see a clean face. Those who fought fiercely were only short-sighted about the ferocious enemies in front of them and could not care about the archers drawing their bows in the distance.

At that time, it was also these two people who faced life and death together.

Unexpectedly, now that Su Du is lying in bed, Chang Huai has to take care of him.

Su turned to the side, supporting himself on the bed with his palms. He tried to get up again, but it aggravated some nerve, causing him to hiss softly in pain.

Chang Huai bent down and pressed him down: "The army doctor said you will be able to get out of bed and walk around in a few days. Rest now, don't let our master and girl's efforts to save you go to waste."

"...Save me?" Su Du opened his mouth with difficulty, his voice hoarse as if filled with sand. Hearing "girl," he guessed that it referred to Zhi Rou.

Come to think of it, if he and Wei Yuanzhan can get along, how could Zhi Rou not be among them?

Chang Huai straightened up and scrutinized Su Du with a suspicious look. Compared to his previous indifferent expression, his face now appeared more serious.

"Does Fourth Miss owe you something? Or... do you possess something that makes her wary?"

Changhuai always remembered Zhirou's kindness and wanted to repay it.

Although Su Du was exhausted and his head was heavy, his thoughts were slowly returning. Seeing that Wei Yuanzhan's men were of one mind with him, he slightly curled the corners of his mouth and asked, "Where is she? Where is she?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the curtain was parted, and through the screen, several figures could be vaguely seen walking in.

Chang Huai then stepped aside, and Su Du struggled to sit up, her lips almost bitten raw, and blood seeped from her clothes.

Before long, Zhi Rou's robes swayed as she arrived at the bedside. As always, she wore a long, narrow-sleeved robe, her hair tied up like a man's, and a bunch of things hanging from her belt, like that silent yet always prepared "Han boy" on the grasslands.

Zhi Rou was sizing up Su Du.

He had spent most of his time in Beili, and his skin was tanned healthy. However, he didn't realize that his young body, covered in plain colors and without any embellishment, resembled a white wall that was about to collapse.

At least those eyes are open now, full of life.

She thought she had something to say to him, but when she stood in front of him, she remained silent for a long time, her throat feeling sore and swollen as if the wind had blown it.

After a moment of calm eye contact, she took a half-step closer, her voice low and her tone unreadable.

"Isn't it because your ambitions are unfulfilled, and you dare not demean your life, nor face death?"

Su Du paused for a moment, then suddenly laughed, the laughter hitting his chest wound before subsiding shortly. He stared at Zhi Rou, not answering her question but asking instead, "How did you find me?"

Zhi Rou rarely saw him smile like that, and felt a little awkward. She looked away and said, "Zhao Xun took me there."

Zhao Xun? Su Du thought to himself. He hadn't told Zhao Xun where the ambush was set up, but Zhao Xun certainly knew that he had left the city. It seemed that his intention to go find Zhi Rou was true.

He had other questions to ask, but glancing around, he saw that Wei Yuanzhan had come in with Zhi Rou. At this moment, he was standing in line with the screen, arms crossed, staring at him with a very indifferent expression.

His two subordinates, one on his left and one on his right, though standing a little distance away, both had their eyes fixed on him. If we go back a year or two, he would still think he had fallen into the enemy camp.

Within the small space, Su Du's gaze shifted, which Wei Yuanzhan naturally noticed. He slightly raised his hand, waving away Chang Huai and the other two, as a small courtesy.

Seeing that he wasn't going to leave, Su Du had no choice but to say, "General Wei, may I have a moment alone with her?"

Wei Yuanzhan's gaze was much gentler than before, yet a hint of hostility lingered. He shook his head at him, his tone flat: "You're resting in my military camp; there's no reason for me to retreat."

He knew Su Du's identity, but accepting it was not easy. His wariness wouldn't be completely removed just because Su Du was Zhi Rou's brother.

Wei Yuanzhan was right; he had received favors from him, and there was no denying it. Su Du looked up at Zhi Rou, his brows furrowing slightly: "Besides me... who else?"

I wanted to ask her who else was still alive.

On the mountain path, Zhi Rou was focused on finding Su Du and didn't have a moment to inquire about anyone else. If anyone was still alive, that was Zhao Xun's jurisdiction.

"I don't know," she said honestly.

Su Du listened in silence for a while, then said nothing more.

The light dimmed, becoming warm and inviting. Zhi Rou looked at him for a moment; he was actually quite young, but his usually serious expression made him appear much older than his age.

The Chang Jinchen she read about in her journal didn't have this aloof personality.

Su Du looked extremely haggard and dejected at this moment, but even in his disheveled state, he still maintained an arrogant demeanor, as evidenced by the trace of blood between his lips.

Zhi Rou suddenly didn't want him to exert himself anymore, so she went over and touched his forehead.

The girl's fingers were cool and dry, and Su was stunned the moment she touched them.

The fever had subsided, and Zhi Rou felt a little relieved. She put her hand down, looked around, and then went somewhere to pour him a glass of water, which she placed on the high table by the bedside.

"You should rest well. I'll come again tomorrow. I'll tell Zhao Xun to pick you up when you can walk again."

After saying that, he quietly pulled Wei Yuanzhan aside and left the military tent.

As night fell, the army was under heavy guard. Su Du's temporary tent was near Zhi Rou's; they were just a short walk away.

Upon entering the tent, Wei Yuanzhan asked, "Who is Zhao Xun?"

Zhi Rou glanced at him, wondering what he was thinking. His expression seemed somewhat displeased. She asked softly, "Can't you guess?"

Who else might be associated with Su Du?

"Is he the one who sent you to find someone? If there's danger, if you also..." Wei Yuanzhan couldn't bring himself to say the rest, and could only swallow it down.

Zhi Rou wasn't slow-witted. Hearing his anxious tone and the fact that his hands were still clenched tightly, she suddenly realized what was going on. A bright smile appeared on her lips. When she dressed as a man, she always looked a little childish.

"I have important matters to attend to, and the King of Hell will surely not spare me."

He had said the exact same words to her in Chuzhou, and now she was using them to brush him off. Wei Yuanzhan felt her attitude was extremely perfunctory. He was seriously discussing the issue with her; he didn't want her to take any risks, for whomever it might be.

"You..." Wei Yuanzhan was a little angry, but seeing her smiling at him, he couldn't vent his anger. Then he thought that he might have fooled her like this before, which made him lose his temper. He could only put on a cold face and urge her, "Go take a shower and go to sleep quickly."

Zhi Rou paused for a moment, her relaxed smile vanishing instantly, replaced by a look of unease: "Where...where should I wash?"

There were no bath tubs in the army, so the soldiers would carry bath towels to the river to wash. Zhi Rou had seen that scene before in Bei Li.

Wei Yuanzhan would certainly not call her that.

He took two steps out, and someone immediately brought water over. Zhi Rou stared blankly as he carried the basins to the left behind the folding screen. He then went to his trunk and took out two of his own clothes for her: "Go wash. I've been wanting you to change your clothes for a while now."

The clothes were speckled with blood and stained with mud. When he ordered Lan Ye to take her to wash her face, he wanted to give her the clothes. But when he thought about it carefully, he wondered how she would explain if she returned to the Song residence wearing his clothes.

Now, finally, I had the chance to ask her to take off her dirty clothes.

Zhi Rou, clutching the clothes, her eyelashes fluttered slightly like butterfly wings: "Aren't you leaving?"

“Where can I go? Su Du has taken my tent, and this,” Wei Yuanzhan glanced around casually, then looked back at her with downcast eyes, “is where I rested at noon. Now that I’ve given it to you, I have nowhere to go. I’ll sleep here too.”

The last sentence was probably a result of lingering anger and speaking recklessly.

In Changfeng Camp, it was not difficult for Wei Yuanzhan to find a place to spend the night.

Zhi Rou was stunned by his abrupt words and remained silent for a long time.

If he smiled, she would know he was teasing her and could relax. But he looked down at her, his eyes neither frivolous nor flirtatious, leaving her unsure.

A moment later, Zhi Rou heard her own stammering voice and said, "...I understand. I...I...you can at least avoid it, right?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Yuanzhan's gaze swept over her flushed ears and her hands clutching her robes in confusion, and he was momentarily stunned. After regaining his composure, he quickly stammered a few words, said "okay," and then darted out of the tent.

The night wind blew, and Wei Yuanzhan stood obediently outside the tent, like a statue, but his heart was not at peace. Hearing the faint rustling and dripping sounds, he couldn't help but have some wet and sour thoughts. His Adam's apple bobbed, and he had completely forgotten his anger at not seizing the opportunity.

As soldiers patrolled by, they called out to him, "Sir!" He nodded casually, avoiding their gaze for the first time.

I don't know how long I stood there, but then I heard Zhirou's soft voice behind me, like a kitten, through the tent curtain: "I'm all done... I'm going to sleep."

As soon as the last word was uttered, the person had already run two or three steps away, then crawled onto the bed and lay motionless.

There was no movement inside the tent; perhaps she had spoken too softly for him to hear.

Zhi Rou lay uneasy in bed because he had said he would sleep there with her. She waited anxiously for a long time, but Wei Yuanzhan did not come in.

After a long day of tossing and turning, she was exhausted. Her limbs slowly softened under the covers, and drowsiness overcame her as she closed her eyes.

When Wei Yuanzhan returned, his footsteps were very light. The candlelight shone through the gauze curtains, revealing Zhi Rou's sleeping face, who was wearing his clothes.

He looked down at her, her smooth and lovely face stirring his heartstrings.

Wei Yuanzhan smiled slightly. Having held it in for so long, he simply leaned down and quickly kissed her on the cheek.

Zhi Rou was a light sleeper. As soon as he moved inside, she noticed him. Although she didn't open her eyes, she could feel his lingering gaze. Her hands, hidden under the covers, suddenly clenched.

Before long, a familiar scent pressed against her. This softness was not the first time she had experienced it. Just a touch made Zhi Rou's heart pound like a drum, her long eyelashes trembled, and her cheeks flushed.

The figure by the bed seemed about to leave, but for some reason, it fell silent again.

Soon, the bedside sank slightly, and a broad hand caressed her cheek, his thumb gently stroking her eye sockets and the bridge of her nose. His hand was always burning hot, tracing her like sparks, and Zhi Rou felt a little hot.

Gradually, Wei Yuanzhan's shadow seemed to draw closer, a few damp strands of hair falling down and lightly brushing against his skin, leaving wet marks.

He spoke with a smile in his voice, whispering in her ear, "I'm going out now, don't be afraid."