"Young Master," the steward spoke up, reminding Xie Fu, who was staring at Shu Yun in a daze, "what brings you here?"

Xie Fu then spoke up, "Are the two maids who served her before still in the manor? If they are, transfer them over to continue serving her."

The steward ran through the names in his mind and vaguely remembered that there were two maids who had been chosen to serve Shu Yun.

Xie Fu: "I think she really likes those two girls. You can arrange for them to be transferred over here to take care of her."

The steward recalled the names of the two maids and said to Xie Fu, "The older of the two maids is named Luwei. Last year, she reached marriageable age and was taken back by her brother to get married. I'm afraid we won't be able to call her back."

"The younger one, I remember... I think her name is Xiaoshu. She's still in our household. I'll transfer her over in a bit. But Luwei is married, so Xiaoshu is the only one serving Miss Shuyun. I'm afraid we won't have enough people..."

Xie Fu didn't worry about these things; she only remembered that she used to like the two maids around her. "You handle it."

He paused, then instructed, "She seems to prefer maids who are simple-minded. Choose one with the same temperament as the two maids you met before."

The butler nodded, indicating that he understood.

"Young Master, you must be tired from your journey. Please rest early."

Xie Fu responded with a low, hoarse, and weary voice, "You may leave."

"yes."

The butler bowed and stepped back, glancing inside as he closed the door.

The young master naturally lifted the corner of the quilt and slept in the same bed with Shu Yun.

The same thing happened three years ago. The young master brought her back to live in the mansion, and the two had been sleeping in the same bed even before they were married.

If this had happened in the Central Plains, the two would have been labeled as licentious long ago. Even in their Western Liang region, there were no such rules.

However, the people of Xiliang were much more open-minded than those in the Central Plains, and their acceptance of this matter was far higher than expected. At most, they would talk about it a few times after dinner, but no one criticized the two men's character.

The butler silently closed the two doors, his heart filled with conflicting emotions.

He had served the old master the longest, so he naturally knew that the old master did not like Shu Yun to be the granddaughter-in-law of the Xie family.

Three years ago, on the day Shu Yun disappeared, the old master had a special talk with her, which involved the issue of a marriage alliance between the two countries.

As the ruler of Xiliang, the Grand Master believed that the marriage alliance was a wise move. The Central Plains needed time to cultivate its own military talents, and Xiliang needed time to recover from the national losses caused by the plague.

Putting aside his status as a king, as Xie Fu's grandfather, he only hoped that his future granddaughter-in-law would be someone his grandson liked.

Unfortunately, for the Xie family of Xiliang, the future of the people of Xiliang rests on their shoulders, a responsibility heavier than Mount Tai.

The roles of the old master and the king are inseparable, and it is undeniable that the former is more prominent than the latter.

The steward adjusted his brocade hat, thinking that he could try to persuade the old master when he woke up.

It's rare to see the young master like someone after all these years.

Besides, can that Central Plains princess be as powerful as Shu Yun? With just a few gestures, she could instantly take the lives of thousands of southern barbarians.

Such a powerful weapon is far more reliable than that damned marriage alliance.

Xie Fu wrapped his long arm around Shu Yun's waist, getting very close to her.

As soon as he applied force, the person who was in a deep sleep frowned slightly and let out a soft moan.

Xie Fu's hand paused in place, and after a while he began to reach out and unbutton Shu Yun's clothes.

Large bruises covered her snow-white skin, a shocking sight.

He stared at her for two seconds, then carefully covered Shu Yun with the blankets before getting up to rummage through the drawer for ointment.

Xie Fu gathered the charcoal brazier by the bed, turned over the quilt, scraped out the medicine with a jade piece, and carefully applied it to the bruises.

She said she wasn't a demon, but at that moment Xie Fu only wished she were.

If it's a demon, would its body be stronger?

Despite possessing superhuman strength, why is her body so weak, and why is she so afraid of the cold?

The bruise on my neck last time also took a long time to fade.

The light blue ointment was spread evenly on the bruise, and Xie Fu tore off a clean strip of white cloth and carefully wrapped it around her.

He knew that mortal medicine wouldn't work for her.

But there was nothing he could do; this was all he could do.

Xie Fu dressed her up layer by layer, covered her with a blanket, and silently pulled her into his arms, listening to her soft breathing.

"sorry."

He apologized, his voice hoarse and indistinct.

On the battlefield, every second counts; a single wrong judgment can cost a person their life in a very short time.

The scene was so bizarre and sudden that his mind didn't even have time to react before his body reacted defensively.

Xie Fu knew how much force he could generate when he swung his spear. An ordinary adult man would suffer greatly if he were caught off guard and hit by his spear, let alone her.

Xie Fu pulled her into his arms, gazing absently at the slender, fair neck peeking out from beneath her dark hair.

He didn't know how long he had been lost in thought.

Having just returned to the capital of Xiliang from the front lines, he was ambushed by the Nanman people. The continuous fighting, the days of non-stop travel, and the wounds on his body had taken their toll.

Xie Fu was starting to feel the strain.

He rested his chin on Shu Yun's soft, long hair, his dark eyes filled with a thick, misty light, unfathomable.

Xie Fu clutched the blanket tightly around himself and Shu Yun, then closed his eyes.

Shu Yun felt as if she had fallen into complete darkness, where she couldn't see her own hand in front of her face. Unable to find her way, she could only wander around aimlessly.

The air around her was sticky and humid, as if she were in a swamp. The more she struggled, the deeper the air squeezed into her, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.

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