I danced barefoot on the carpet, to the sound of Xie Yuancheng striking the chimes. This kind of dance doesn't need so many people watching; I was only dancing for him. He's just trying to fool me.

This time, it wasn't as melodramatic and tragic. When I jumped, I could feel myself stepping on sand. It felt like going back to 2020 with him, to a place where there were no strangers, and we didn't have to worry too much. We could just live freely every day.

I finally understand why he was in such a hurry to go to the Western Regions after he came back; he wanted to make Linyang the kind of place we saw in 2020. However, I had just given birth to Xizhi and Suling at the time, and even though I was physically young, I was inevitably a little depressed.

He knew all of this, but he didn't force me. He just did a lot of things behind my back, almost to the point of having my child. Back then in the Western Regions, I was almost led astray by others several times, but he always showed up and pulled me back.

I was overthinking things back then. I left Xie Yuancheng in the Western Regions, depressed and unhappy. If he had been any younger, he would have died in that battle. Luckily, he had many people around him who helped him, which allowed him to escape many calamities.

Before he had even recovered his strength, he rode off on horseback. It was then that I began to understand him better. I always saw bad things, and it was always him who risked his life to come back, even wiping out a very fierce band of bandits. Of course, it wasn't him who wiped them out, but rather the people following behind.

The music was cheerful, but the more I danced, the more desolate I felt. Luckily, it didn't last long; less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Xie Yuancheng came over. I deliberately tugged at his sleeve and danced a few steps with him, just to make him happy.

"Great!" I was so pleased with myself that I almost forgot this was a family dinner. But the voice sounded like Lu Fengjun's. When I turned around, Xie Yuancheng's eyes were practically blazing with anger.

“Yuancheng, today is the first day of the Lunar New Year. Your teachers have finally come back, so you can’t be angry. It’s not good for your wound, and they’ll feel sorry for you.”

"Stop acting all cute with me. Do you think I don't know what you're thinking?" He's dressed so festively today, and I pulled him along as we jogged back to our seats.

I had just sat down when Yu'er arrived with his younger siblings. "Mommy~ I want to see more~" This kid always likes to find things to do. I went to pinch his little cheeks.

"Go ask your father, see if he can help you." At this moment, it was most appropriate to pull Xie Yuancheng out to take the blame.

"Sigh~ My child is such a delicate person, yet he can't even get his mother to dance for him. It's so painful." Yu'er shook his head, cupping his little face. I hugged him and kissed him, and then Xie Yuancheng carried him over.

"Daddy~ I'm hungry, I want to take my little brothers and sisters back." This opportunist really knows how to coax people. I went to hold Xizhi and the others' little hands, and they all chattered and competed to speak.

There were quite a lot of people today, and I don't know how many compliments I received, but Xie Yuancheng didn't praise me at all. People danced for him, and as long as he was happy, I would be happy too.

"Yuancheng~" The banquet has been over for a while now. I helped him take a bath and change his clothes, but he didn't praise me at all. I can't stand it anymore, I have to ask him myself.

"Ying'er~ hurry up and take off your clothes, I need to take a good look at the pattern tattooed on my back." Xie Yuancheng remembered this, so I tightened my collar and wouldn't let him pull it open.

"Ying'er~" Xie Yuancheng's breathing became heavy, and I quickly shook my head. He even put his hand on the back of my hand, but I still forced myself to calm down. "Ying'er, stop teasing me, or you'll die young."

"You won't die young. I'll follow you wherever you go from now on, so don't talk nonsense. If you die young, wouldn't I be the wife of a short-lived ghost?"

"You're so talkative, let go of my hand now, aren't you going to warm my hand up?" Just wait and see, I don't believe he can't feel it. Staring into his eyes, I'm starting to feel resentful.

"I know, Ying'er is waiting for me to praise you. Why should I praise you? It's all for my benefit. It's only because you said something nonsense in the carriage that I went along with what you said."

"You've changed your mind, boohoo~" I pretended to cry, and Xie Yuancheng leaned in and kissed me. "I'm not satisfied, I'm not going to cooperate with you."

"What can I do to satisfy my little Ying'er? Will she listen to everything you say today?"

"Why did you change the song? I almost didn't realize it." I then reached out to hug him. Xie Yuancheng always knows how to seize any opportunity, afraid that I would ignore him, so he clung to me like a koala.

"Of course it needs to be changed. When we're together, it should be more beautiful. This is a family dinner, and you've said there are so many people, so it should be more cheerful."

"That's right, there's something else." Before I could ask him, Xie Yuancheng cut me off, "Ugh, don't try to escape this topic. You have to tell me honestly, how did you come back from the Western Regions?"

"Ying'er wants to know? Spring nights are too short to waste, I'll tell you slowly later. Don't worry, I'll definitely make you feel ashamed."

"Stop arguing with me. I'll let it go since you accompanied me today, but you have to tell me next time."

"Yes~" He likes to make promises first, and then try his best to fulfill them if he can't keep them. I need to think of a way to stop him from pushing himself so hard, but if he doesn't push himself, the people behind him won't have a good end.

I'm completely baffled no matter how much I think about it. I really hope I won't have to worry about this anymore, but if I don't worry, I have no motivation to live. Either way, there's a problem.

"Ying'er?" I was still asleep, worried about Xie Yuancheng. It wasn't even dawn yet, why did you wake me? "Ying'er~ get up quickly, your forehead is all sweaty. I'll give you acupuncture, it'll be over in a bit."

"What time is it? I'm so tired." I could barely lift my fingers, but Xie Yuancheng was full of energy. "Let me see if you have any serious injuries?"

"What nonsense are you talking about? We only went to sleep in the middle of the night, and it's almost dawn now. I just touched your face and it was cold, which scared me so much that I couldn't sleep at all."

"Are you really alright?" I dreamt that when he was in the Western Regions, Xie Yuancheng was already taking out silver needles. I forced myself to sit up. "I dreamt of you, when we were in the Western Regions."

"What's there to say? It's all in the past. Don't worry, I broke through the encirclement and didn't embarrass you at all."

"I don't want you to be righteous. Tell me what's wrong, otherwise my heart will keep pounding." My hands trembled as I held him, and I couldn't help but kiss him. "It's good that you went to Misty Abode to find me. I won't leave you again."

"Ying'er, you're making it sound like something terrible has happened to me." Xie Yuancheng wiped my sweat; my fingers were trembling. "Don't worry, after I give you acupuncture, get a good night's sleep, and I'll tell you everything when you wake up."

Is it true?