Chapter 133 Cherishing Love "The only one I cherish is you."...

Cui Ying was not seriously injured, but her hand was badly burned by the heated bamboo slips. The skin on her palm was almost burned off. The imperial physician applied a secret ointment and wrapped it with gauze. The rest was left to wait for the wound to heal.

Xiao Qiyu's right shoulder was hit hard by the falling roof beam, leaving it bruised and purplish-black. Fortunately, his bones and muscles were unharmed, and the bruises were slowly fading away.

The next morning, a gentle breeze blew and the weather was clear. If it weren't for the thick smoky smell still lingering over the Marquis's residence, no one would have imagined that such a dangerous thing had happened the night before.

Cui Ying lay in bed to recuperate, her hands swollen like two plump white buns from being wrapped in too much gauze.

Xiao Qiyu sat by the couch, holding a bowl of warm porridge in his hand. He blew on the surface of the porridge one spoonful at a time before bringing it to Cui Ying's lips.

"Open your mouth," he commanded, his tone harsh.

Cui Ying opened her mouth and took the warm porridge in, swallowing it obediently. The warm porridge slid down her throat, spreading warmth. Unconsciously, a little porridge stain appeared on the corner of her mouth.

Xiao Qiyu raised his hand to wipe it away for her, his movements extremely delicate and gentle, a stark contrast to the violent and desperate look he had displayed in the firelight the night before.

Cui Ying had been dizzy all night, and only now was she regaining some clarity. She blinked, her long eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings, and said softly, "Yesterday I made the whole family live in fear. Grandmother, you don't blame me, do you?"

"No." Xiao Qiyu scooped up a spoonful of porridge, blew on it, and handed it to her. "Grandmother is blaming me."

Cui Ying looked up at him: "Blame you? Blame you for what?"

Xiao Qiyu waited until she swallowed the porridge before saying indifferently, "It's my fault for yelling at you."

Cui Ying lowered her head involuntarily, her voice muffled: "Come to think of it, you were quite fierce back then."

Xiao Qiyu's brows furrowed immediately, and his voice turned cold: "How dare you blame me for being fierce? When a fire breaks out, everyone else is trying to escape, why are you rushing in? Just for that map of the northern desert and that ancient military treatise?"

Cui Ying said, "The map was drawn by your own hand, and the ancient book was given to you by your second uncle. It also has his own annotations. They are all things you cherish."

"Cui Ying—" Xiao Qiyu interrupted her coldly, his phoenix eyes blazing with anger as he stared intently at her, enunciating each word clearly:

"The only person I cherish is you."

One sentence instantly transported Cui Ying back to the scorching flames of the previous night, to Xiao Qiyu's bloodshot eyes, a single tear rolling down his cheek, and that fierce, earth-shattering roar: "I just love you!"

"I like you so much! Cui Ying! I like you!"

Cui Ying blushed instantly, suddenly finding herself unable to look directly into those eyes so close to hers. Her long, curled eyelashes drooped as she stared blankly at her two hands, which were wrapped up like plump buns.

After Xiao Qiyu finished speaking, his expression was similarly evasive. His gaze fell on the bowl of porridge in his hand, and he stirred it with a spoon. A blush quietly crept up behind his ears.

Silence spread, with only the faint clinking of spoons and bowls drowning out the two rapidly beating hearts.

Two people who had slept together countless times, naked and facing each other without changing their expressions, now felt somewhat uncomfortable, unsure of what to do with their hands and feet.

Cui Ying fiddled with the two "white steamed buns" and muttered to herself, "So all that risk I took last night was for nothing? Nobody appreciates it after all this time."

"Who said that?"

Xiao Qiyu looked up at her, his gaze now calm and collected. He said solemnly, “The map you rescued marks more than a dozen marching routes and strategic locations in the northern desert. The annotations in the military book are the culmination of my second uncle’s years of practical experience. If we can combine these two and apply them to actual combat, even if we cannot say that we will achieve a great victory, it will certainly point the way for the battle and reduce unnecessary casualties.”

He looked into her eyes and said earnestly, "Cui Ying, you saved many lives last night."

Before Cui Ying could get excited, Xiao Qiyu poured cold water on her: "But if there is a next time, I absolutely do not want you to put yourself in danger."

He lowered his head and blew on a spoonful of porridge to warm it, his voice suddenly becoming much softer, even revealing obvious vulnerability: "Just take pity on me."

"One more time, let me see you on the verge of death, I can't bear it."

The last few words, though as light as a feather, seemed to strike Cui Ying's heart like a heavy blow, making her heart tingle and her nose tingle slightly.

Not knowing how to continue the conversation, she turned her face away and sniffed: "You just said that if combined with strategy in actual combat, even if we can't achieve a great victory, we can reduce casualties. Do you have any insights into the war in Mobei?"

Xiao Qiyu stared at her still-reddened ear tips, handed her a spoon, and narrowed his phoenix eyes: "Finish your porridge, and I'll tell you the story."

...

After the meal, a large map of northern desert was set up at Qiyun Pavilion, with its complex terrain resembling the winding and intersecting veins of a human body.

"The Turks expect that our army has just lost its commander, and they will either be eager to take revenge or their morale will be low."

Xiao Qiyu pointed to the map and said decisively, "We will do the opposite. We will rely on the strategic terrain to avoid the enemy's main force, find their grain and fodder storage areas and where their horses drink water, burn the grain and wastewater, and cut off their retreat. Moreover, Ashina Boketu is treacherous and cunning. Cunning people are always suspicious. Warfare is based on deception. Since he can use the royal family to sow discord within our dynasty, why can't we spread rumors that someone within our ranks is secretly colluding with our dynasty? Even if we don't make him believe it, it will be enough to arouse his suspicion, making him unable to consider both sides, and causing him to be suspicious and miss opportunities when making decisions."

Cui Ying listened intently, and even the pain in her hand seemed less intense. Looking at Xiao Qiyu's focused profile, she felt as if the sunlight was pouring into the bed and shining down on him, making him sparkle from head to toe.

"When their front lines have been attacked for a long time without success, their morale has gradually declined, their supplies have run out, their morale has wavered, and they have become suspicious of each other due to rumors, then it will be time for our army to launch a general offensive. This battle is not about conquering cities and seizing territories, but about annihilating their royal court's elite troops. If we can achieve this, even if Ashina Boketu does not die, the Turkic tribes will inevitably fall into internal strife and struggle for power, and will be unable to organize a large-scale invasion of the south for at least ten years."

After he finished speaking, the room fell silent, with only the faint chirping of birds outside the window.

Xiao Qiyu's eyes shone brightly, full of vigor, as if he were personally on the battlefield.

"good!"

Cui Ying clapped her hands excitedly, but the next moment her face contorted in pain. Xiao Qiyu quickly checked her injury and saw blood seeping out. He took out some medicine and gauze and re-bandaged her.

"I don't want you to do it for me," Cui Ying hissed in pain, tears welling up in her eyes. "You're too rough, it hurts! I need the imperial physician!"

“It will take time for the imperial physicians to come from the palace,” Xiao Qiyu said coldly, without stopping his movements, but much gentler, clearly showing some restraint.

Cui Ying was still afraid: "Then I'll go home for a few days and come back after I've recovered. Don't touch me!"

Xiao Qiyu didn't even lift her eyelashes, and before she could finish speaking, she had already unwrapped the gauze: "I'll go back with you."

Cui Ying immediately got angry: "Wherever I go, you go. Are you clinging to me?"

“I can’t rest easy if I can’t see you,” Xiao Qiyu said. “Having learned this lesson, I will never let you out of my sight again. For the rest of my life, wherever you go, I will follow.”

...

Cui Ying did not return to the Duke of Cheng's mansion in the end, not because Xiao Qiyu was too clingy, but because the next day was the day Xiao Heng was to set off for war, and she had to stay to see him off.

As the sun set, Xiao Shu came to Cui Ying again and cried. She had too many sad things to say, but no one in the Marquis's mansion was without sorrow. Seeking comfort from anyone else would be a disturbance, and the only one she could lean on was Cui Ying.

Xiao Shu was heartbroken and worried about her father. She didn't want to get married yet. The sixteen-year-old girl was devastated and every day felt like a year.

After seeing Xiao Shu off, the sun had completely set. The sycamore trees in the courtyard were blown by the wind, and many green leaves fell softly, floating on the surface of the pond, drifting aimlessly with the current.

Cui Ying sat on the chaise lounge, gazing at the crabapple fruits hanging from the branches outside the window, and asked Xiao Qiyu, "Which official in the court was the commander who accompanied Third Brother on the expedition?"

Xiao Qiyu was tidying up the map when he answered her, "An old acquaintance, Chen Fengnian."

Cui Ying's thoughts were immediately drawn back to southern Jiangxi. Thinking of the six months she and Xiao Qiyu had spent relying on each other amidst the clash of swords, she murmured to herself, "Lord Chen... how could it be him?"

Xiao Qiyu tied the rolled-up map tightly with a silk rope, his tone calm and steady: "He has made great contributions in the suppression of bandits in southern Jiangxi, so his promotion is only reasonable."

Cui Ying frowned: "But you were the one who charged into battle and devised the strategies for suppressing bandits in southern Jiangxi. If Lord Chen is entrusted with important responsibilities because of this, it will not be a good thing for him or the court."

She didn't say anything more serious: Chen Fengnian was a rigid and inflexible man. Against an opponent like Ashina Boketu, who was cunning, treacherous, and unconventional, it was almost certain that his army would collapse at first glance.

After a moment of silence, Cui Ying looked at Xiao Qiyu and cautiously asked, "What will happen if they fall into Ashina Boketu's trap and are eager to send troops to take revenge?"

Xiao Qiyu remained silent for a long time before saying, "Many people will die."

Cui Ying's heart sank, and she opened her mouth: "What about Third Brother? Will Third Brother... die?"

Xiao Qiyu did not answer.

The room seemed to cool down suddenly. The night wind outside the window swept through the courtyard, swirling up a few sycamore leaves and making a rustling sound. A maid came to light a lamp, and the soft candlelight shone through the silk gauze lamp, creating a dim, hazy glow.

Cui Ying stared at Xiao Qiyu's profile, which was half in shadow. Her gaze moved slowly from his forehead down to his eyebrows and eyelashes, then to his high nose and thin lips, and finally landed on his clenched fist, where veins throbbed as he tried his best to suppress his emotions.

The birds kept in their cages under the eaves chirped, and a drop of dew quietly dripped onto the windowsill, making a clear, crisp sound.

In the instant her gaze shifted from hesitation to determination, Cui Ying suddenly felt a chill run through her body, and a dense, throbbing pain swelled in her chest, making it difficult for her to breathe.

She took a soft breath, her eyes involuntarily welling up with tears, her voice softening as she gently chuckled, "Xiao Qiyu."

Xiao Qiyu looked up at her; her face was fair, her eyes were dark, and she was tall and elegant, with a questioning look in her eyes.

Cui Ying opened her arms to him, her eyes red-rimmed, her smile growing even brighter: "Hug me."

Xiao Qiyu's body trembled, and the gloom in his eyes was suddenly brightened, overflowing with a light that was a mixture of surprise and joy.

This was the first time Cui Ying had ever taken the initiative and so directly asked him for a hug.

Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately put down what he was holding, strode forward, stretched out his long arm, and tightly embraced the girl's soft body in his arms, with such force that it seemed as if he wanted to embed her into his very bones.

"Does your hand hurt again?" Xiao Qiyu asked softly, gently stroking Cui Ying's back.

Cui Ying buried her face in his chest, shook her head, and said in a nasal voice, "It doesn't hurt."

"What happened?"

"Nothing."

Cui Ying snuggled closer to him, finding a more comfortable position. The nasal tone in her voice lessened considerably, and she said in a relaxed tone, "Let's hug like this for a while."

"Okay." Xiao Qiyu didn't ask any more questions, but simply tightened his grip on her arm.

In the silence, their heartbeats gradually became clearer and intertwined.

After a long while, Cui Ying suddenly spoke softly: "What you said yesterday about liking me, was it true?"

"Hmm?" Xiao Qiyu's body stiffened slightly, and he loosened his embrace a little before saying in a deep voice, "It's fake."

Cui Ying looked up in surprise, her almond-shaped eyes wide open: "Huh?"

Seeing her dazed look, Xiao Qiyu couldn't help but chuckle and pinched her cheek: "Cui Ying, only a fool would ask that question."

His eyes sparkled as he gazed into the depths of her pupils: "If I didn't like you, would I risk my life to save you time and time again? If I didn't like you, would I be jealous of Xiao Yuncheng? If I didn't like you, would I share a bed with you and grovel before you for pleasure? Cui Ying, I, Xiao Qiyu, am not a beast. I cannot consummate our marriage with a woman I do not like."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "I like you. I've liked you for a long time, so long that I didn't even know what liking someone meant before I started liking you."

Cui Ying looked up at Xiao Qiyu's serious face, his amber eyes sparkling with a crystalline light, and was completely stunned.

I like you, I like you, I like you… repeating “I like you” over and over again, almost making her forget where she was and who she was.

Xiao Qiyu released his mischievous hand, looked at the warm, rosy finger mark on her fair cheek, lowered his head and kissed it, then raised his head slightly to touch her forehead, and asked softly, "And you, Cui Ying?"

"do you like me?"

-----------------------

Author's Note: A sweet moment, then the angst begins tomorrow (but not too angsty). The part where the girl asks for a hug can be seen in real life as one partner suddenly expressing affection not only because they are deeply in love, but also because they implicitly acknowledge that they are about to separate.