Chapter 97: Pain and Swelling “…How can I feed her if you are still here?…

He Jiuyue's few words were like a bolt of thunder from the blue, which shocked Wen Zheliu, who was most afraid of thunderstorms, out of his dazed state of just waking up, and made him tremble.

This voice is... He Jiuyue?

Why does it sound so close?

Wen Zheliu carefully opened his eyelids, only to see a pair of enlarged peach blossom eyes and a half-smile at the corners of his mouth.

Hmm? From this position... is she hugging him?

But didn’t they have a falling out and start arguing with each other whenever they met?

Why would she hug him in such an intimate posture?

Wen Zheliu subconsciously wanted to step away to avoid suspicion, but he was reluctant to give up this comfortable and warm feeling.

He froze in place, his mind torn between conscience and desire.

"I forgot all about the past, was betrayed by you, and let you groan all night long. And now, half asleep, you open your mouth and call someone else's name. You are too heartless."

He Jiuyue rested one hand on the head of the bed, and with the other hand she held Wen Zheliu's slender waist, looking at him leisurely.

"But have you gained weight recently? Why do you have so much fat on your belly?" She not only said it, but also pinched it while talking.

Wen Zheliu shrank back as he felt itchy.

"What..." His heart was raging, yet he appeared calm on the outside. He was about to confront her with a sullen face, but a surge of anger rose up with his emotions, mercilessly shattering his forced composure. "Cough, cough cough cough!"

"I'm just asking you, how did you choke yourself to death? Is the question of 'Who is Xiaobai?' really that difficult to answer?"

He Jiuyue heard that Wen Zheliu's voice was hoarse, and it was time for her to drink some water to moisten her throat, but she still maintained that semi-lying position and showed no intention of moving.

What a joke. Now she is the master who holds the power of life and death, and he is a slave who escaped and was captured.

She knew that Wen Zheliu was not feeling well, but he had disappeared for more than half a year without a word. She had been restless during this time and was not feeling any better.

She had been fooled once by Wen Zheliu's harmless behavior. Wouldn't it be embarrassing for her to get close to him again?

"Water... cough, cough, cough!"

Before Wen Zheliu could utter a complete syllable, his throat started to itch again. He had no choice but to cover his heart with his hands and coughed muffledly like a weak willow in the wind.

"Yeah, I know." He Jiuyue played with Wen Zheliu's black hair that fell leisurely on her shoulders from time to time.

"But that's not the attitude you have of begging."

...He couldn't even utter a complete sentence, so how could he beg for mercy humbly like before?

“Cough cough cough!”

After coughing hard for a while, Wen Zheliu saw stars and felt that all his internal organs were about to be coughed out of his throat. However, the itching that followed him like a shadow was finally relieved after much persuasion.

His Adam's apple rolled, and he swallowed the dry hiccups that were about to come to his lips. He raised his eyes slightly when he heard Zheliu.

His beautiful round eyes were filled with water.

"He Jiyue, I... beg you."

Maybe he coughed too much just now, so his voice is hoarse now, but as luck would have it, his usually clear voice has an even more alluring and tender tone.

It's like using the finest soft bird feathers to gently rub the sensitive earlobes.

It makes people feel itchy.

He Jiuyue then let go of the hand that was playing with Wen Zheliu's hair, and holding the fire starter, she personally boiled a pot of boiling water for him. She added the cold water left over from last night and was about to hand it to Wen Zheliu when she subconsciously tested the water temperature.

...Habit is a terrible thing.

I still can't forget it after more than half a year.

White steam rose from the warm water, faintly revealing the warmth that soothed the stomach and intestines, but Wen Zheliu did not take it.

"What's wrong? Aren't you thirsty?" He Jiuyue pushed the cup in front of his eyes. "The water is right in front of you. If you don't have any eye problems, you should be able to see."

"...My hands are shaking and I can't hold it steady."

Wen Zheliu's voice was still as hoarse as ever. His eyelashes fluttered, "Could you trouble Mr. He to lend a hand?"

"arrogance."

He Jiuyue sneered, but did not refuse to feed him. She put the edge of the cup between Wen Zheliu's lips and carefully controlled the flow of water according to the speed of his Adam's apple rolling.

His lips were pale just now.

How come it’s so red after getting wet?

His two pink lips were more tender than the fruits hanging on the branches, and it seemed that if he pinched them, a large pool of soft waves would emerge.

Just watching from the side makes the evil fire in your heart rise three feet high.

He Jiuyue tried to hold back again and again, but still couldn't hold it back.

"Can you please drink some water?"

"...Hmm?" Wen Zheliu was unable to speak with his mouth full of the clear water poured into it by He Jiuyue. He could only barely hum a single note from his nose.

"Wow——" Before the two could say anything else, loud crying suddenly came from outside.

Wen Zheliu's face, which had turned red due to embarrassment, turned pale again.

It was dawn outside. The little girl was crying so miserably, probably because she was very hungry.

He tilted his head slightly, narrowed his eyes, and used body language to indicate to He Jiuyue that he didn't want to drink anymore.

He Jiyue was distracted. If he hadn't seen that Wen Zheliu was sick and obviously couldn't withstand the rain and dew, he would have wanted to eat him up immediately.

Seeing that he said he didn't want to drink any more water, He Jiuyue felt as if she had been pardoned and took the cup, but Wen Zheliu pulled her sleeve.

"He Jiyue, I am indeed sorry for you, but the child is not sorry for you."

He looked at her eagerly, like a cat with its tail hooked around someone's ankle.

"...Just say what you mean."

Wen Zheliu is a person who usually does not show weakness unless he has something to ask for.

"The little girl is crying." Wen Zheliu stuck out his tongue and licked away the water droplets hanging on his lips. "She's hungry and wants to drink milk. Even if you hate me, don't let your own daughter starve, right?"

"My biological daughter?"

He Jiuyue put down the cup and crossed his arms over his chest: "Who knows if she is the child of you and some wild woman?"

"I don't have any other women!" Wen Zheliu got excited and started coughing again. "I've only given this body, cough, to you alone. You say I betrayed you, and I admit it, but I really can't bear the accusation of sharing two women with one man."

"Really?" He Jiuyue raised an eyebrow. "Then how do you explain your marriage to Murong Jin?"

Wen Zheliu's heart ached with pity for his daughter, and before she could even begin to ease, she jumped again.

Didn’t he tell Murong Jin to suppress the matter and not let He Jiuyue hear it?

He Jiuyue snorted from her nose.

"Are you wondering who tipped me off about this? Wen Zheliu, Wen Zheliu, you're probably underestimating me. Could the Murong clan's little tricks keep it from me?"

When he heard about Zheliu, his breathing stopped.

Oops, if this matter is concerned, He Jiuyue really misunderstood.

If she was sure of the answer in her heart, no matter how hard he tried to explain, it might not be of any use. But keeping silent and letting her misunderstand like this was obviously not a good idea.

"...Then the Grand Marshal brought this up with me. Does he want to hear my explanation, or does he want to bring the matter to justice without any investigation?"

He Jiuyue lowered his eyes and said.

"If you're willing to explain, I'll listen."

The two were silent for a moment, and Wen Zheliu opened his thin lips slightly.

"I thought Murong Jin and I were just talking about marriage. She wanted me to persuade you to stop fighting. I wanted her to help me secure my position as the Emperor of Xiyue. At that time, Situ Yun was in power, and to consolidate his power, he sold me cheaply to a woman from an aristocratic family. I chose to 'marry' Murong Jin, but we each had our own needs."

The little girl had been crying outside, and Wen Zheliu's heart was broken into petals. After explaining in a few words, he abruptly changed the subject to the child: "Can you bring her in now so I can feed her?"

He Jiuyue is a man who keeps his promises.

"Chen Jin." After hearing the answer from Wen Zheliu, she didn't rush to send her men to verify the authenticity. Instead, she waved her hand, signaling Chen Jin to carry the crying little girl to Wen Zheliu's arms, "Here, feed her."

Chen Jin bowed and left. He Jiuyue and Wen Zheliu looked at each other in silence, ignoring the baby's crying that was gradually getting quieter. An awkward silence filled the room.

He Jiuyue folded her hands across her chest.

"Didn't I give you the child? What's wrong with that?"

She spoke so frankly, and had the demeanor of a woman who stood tall and proud.

When you are under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. Wen Zheliu knew that he was now in He Jiuyue's hands, and he depended on her for food, clothing, shelter and transportation, so he should humble himself.

But...she was going too far.

"…How am I supposed to feed her if you're still here?"

"I am the child's mother. After all, I haven't seen her for so long. Let me see what happened to the child." He Jiuyue was quite righteous, but the smile on the corner of her mouth revealed that she was not unaware that the time was wrong, but she was doing it knowingly.

Why don't you look at it early or late, but when he is breastfeeding?

When he heard about Zheliu's behavior, he opened and closed his thin lips three times, but he was angry but dared not say anything.

"Ahhh——" The sweet and delicious milk was far away in the sky, yet right before her eyes. The little girl smacked her lips and her crying gradually subsided. When her mother pulled her, the cooked duck disappeared, and she started howling heart-wrenchingly again.

"You are a magnanimous person and I believe you will not bully an orphan and a widower. Please step aside for a moment and let the crying child drink milk, okay?"

"Who is the orphan? Who is the widower?"

He Jiyue kept nagging, but seeing the big tears welling up in the little girl's eyes, she finally retreated behind the screen, mumbling in dissatisfaction, "I'm still alive."

As the sucking sound started, Wenzheliu's voice, which had been steady and argumentative just now, became a little more trembling.

"You didn't marry me, so my child and I have no legal status. Naturally, we are orphans and widows."

There was resentment in his words, but He Jiuyue was busy instructing Chen Jin on military exercises and did not reply.

Hearing the sound of willows being cut and the silence outside, I felt uneasy.

Given He Jiuyue's character of not giving up until he has convinced others, it is impossible for him to just let the matter of his marriage with Murong Jin go.

Why did she change her attitude? Did she realize that the hard approach wasn't working, so she tried a soft approach, a policy of appeasement?

"Hiss!" Wen Zheliu lowered his eyes.

it hurts.

But I haven't fed it for most of the day, and it has grown to this size.

Fortunately, the little girl was diligent enough... No, why did she turn her head and stop drinking halfway through?

She was happy, but he was still miserable.

"Drink some more."

Wen Zheliu urged her in a low voice, but the little girl refused. The two of them were in a stalemate, and He Jiuyue turned around and went in.

"Are you ready?"

Wen Zheliu screamed and turned sideways, hurriedly pulling the blanket covering his abdomen, trying to hide his graceful figure. However, although the blanket was thick, it could not cover his thin figure, and it still outlined his figure.

It is elusive and the more you try to cover it up, the more obvious it becomes.

"What are you doing!" Wen Zheliu scolded.

Judging from the tone, it should be an angry shout, but coupled with the way he turned his head to avoid it, He Jiuyue only felt that it was a coquettish scolding.

"I told you to take good care of the child."

Ignoring Wen Zheliu's chaotic rage, He Jiyue immediately picked up the sleepy little girl, weighed her gently, and raised the corner of her mouth slightly: "Not bad, very solid... We've seen each other so many times, and the baby has been made. You're only feeling ashamed now. Isn't it too late?"

"It's different. It was pitch dark back then, and I couldn't see anything clearly."

The more Wen Zheliu spoke, the lower his voice became and the hotter his face became.

"She just finished breastfeeding, she needs to..." He quickly buttoned up his clothes and racked his brains, finally coming up with a way to use his daughter to change the subject.

Thinking that He Jiuyue didn't know how to get along with babies, Wen Zheliu was about to give her some guidance, but he was also curious why his daughter, who always hummed after feeding, stopped making any sound when He Jiuyue held her in her arms.

When I looked up, I saw that He Jiuyue was actually helping her daughter to calm down.

Her technique was smooth and her dexterity was visibly evident, and it didn't seem like it was her first time doing this.

"Are you surprised?"

Seeing the surprise in Wen Zheliu's eyes, He Jiuyue raised his eyebrows.

"When my father gave birth to my younger brother, the guards in the mansion were all extravagant and lavish. I was worried about leaving my younger brother in their care, so I took turns with my father. I never thought that this set of moves would come in handy now."

I see.

The child in front of him closed his eyes and gradually fell asleep. He heard the sound of willow breaking become softer. He was just about to take this opportunity to say something nice to ease the tension between him and He Jiuyue.

But suddenly I felt a sharp pain in my chest.

“Hmm!”

His face turned pale.