Chapter 119: Revealing One's True Feelings

An hour later, Xie Pei finally got to eat braised pork.

Zhu Mingyue didn't like eating meat much, so she watched the other person eat while sipping her rice porridge.

Xie Pei: "Why aren't you eating?"

Zhu Mingyue finished the rice soup at the bottom of the bowl in one gulp, licked the soup from the corner of her lips, and put down the bowl: "I'm full."

Whether it was his imagination or not, Xie Pei seemed to have a hint of regret in his eyes after hearing his words.

"Ahem." Zhu Mingyue coughed lightly twice, changing the subject: "So, Suiyuan has been recalled. Isn't the army busy?"

Xie Pei filled another bowl with rice. His stomach seemed bottomless, as if he could eat as much as he wanted without ever feeling full. "Fortunately, there are some tedious chores that I don't need to worry about."

"So it means it's not important," Zhu Mingyue pursed her lips and said, "Mm."

Xie Pei: "Don't you want me to come back?"

Here it comes again, that inexplicable feeling of grievance resurfaced, and Zhu Mingyue was already numb: "No, really no. Don't overthink it."

Xie Pei: "Oh."

Zhu Mingyue: ...

I feel like I'm a heartless man.

He didn't really not want Xie Pei to come back, but Xie Pei's return was too sudden, he just...

I just wasn't prepared.

The lines I had rehearsed countless times in my mind seemed to vanish like a wisp of smoke in the wind.

The atmosphere was a little awkward.

Xie Pei finished his meal silently and then washed the dishes.

In winter, it gets dark early; by late afternoon, the sky is already overcast and things are not visible.

Zhu Mingyue lit the oil lamp and took out the newly made quilts to put on Xie Pei's bed.

"They're all made with new cotton, so they're very warm."

"By the way, if you get cold at night, turn on the stove, but remember to open the windows to let in some fresh air."

He explained for a while, then yawned and said, "I'm a little sleepy, I'm going to bed now."

The spacious room, now occupied by only two people, felt incredibly cramped to Zhu Mingyue.

His heart was pounding; he felt he couldn't stay in the same room with Xie Pei any longer, or something would happen sooner or later.

Zhu Mingyue turned to leave.

"Zhu Mingyue, there's something I want to make clear to you."

The lamp flame swayed precariously with the cold wind seeping through the window cracks, its reflection on the wall resembling branches and leaves battered by a downpour.

The scene looked so familiar.

Snap—

The string in Zhu Mingyue's mind snapped instantly.

"It's too late, let's not talk about it," he said softly, refusing.

Xie Pei stared at his face without moving: "We'll talk about it tomorrow."

Zhu Mingyue: ...Can we not talk about it tomorrow either?

Clearly, he couldn't refuse. He stood there uncomfortably, his voice becoming flustered: "I...I also have something to tell you."

A barely perceptible glint appeared in Xie Pei's eyes: "You go first."

Zhu Mingyue twisted the hem of her clothes with her fingers: "What do you want to eat tomorrow morning?"

Xie Pei: ...

The dark light disappeared, and Xie Pei gritted his teeth. "It's my turn to speak."

Zhu Mingyue quickened the pace of her movements, and said softly, "Mmm."

I want to marry you.

The stone stirred up a thousand waves. Zhu Mingyue felt as if she had been electrocuted, her whole body stiffened and she stood frozen in place, even her fingers stopped moving.

He had guessed and thought of everything, but he could only anticipate that Xie Pei would reveal his feelings to him.

To everyone's surprise, Xie Peilian's confession was unusual; she skipped the dating part and directly wanted to marry him.

Zhu Mingyue took a deep breath and said seriously, "No."

Xie Pei's expression suddenly turned dejected, his Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice was extremely strained: "Then just pretend I never said that."

Zhu Mingyue: !!!

Who can deceive themselves to this extent! Words spoken are like water spilled; they cannot be taken back, nor can they be forgotten.

Zhu Mingyue told the truth: "No."

Hsieh Pei: "After tonight, shall we still be the same as before?"

Zhu Mingyue had never seen Xie Pei plead so humbly. Although he still had a cold expression, the words he spoke were completely different.

Zhu Mingyue's heart is incredibly soft.

He was certain that he probably liked Xie Pei, but he wasn't sure if this liking stemmed from a fleeting infatuation or something else.

At nearly twenty years old, he faced love as if it were a vast universe to humanity, knowing very little about it.

This is why he wasn't prepared; he didn't want to easily agree to Xie Pei's request, only to abandon him later if he didn't like him anymore. That would be extremely irresponsible and unfair to Xie Pei.

But Xie Pei's actions tonight softened the heart he had so painstakingly tried to protect with a hard shell.

Perhaps, we can give it a try.

The future is unpredictable, and for Xie Pei, being unwilling to take the first step for something that hasn't happened yet is another kind of injustice.

Her eyelashes trembled slightly, casting a dark shadow under her eyes. In Zhu Mingyue's eyes, there was anxiety, confusion, and hesitation, but in the end, she became more and more certain.

"Xie Pei, have you ever considered that besides your wife and our current relationship, there is another kind of relationship between you?"

Xie Pei's heart was as still as black water, and it took a great deal of effort to force him to say, "You want to be a stranger to me."

A mocking smile appeared on his lips, showing how overconfident he was to think that confessing his feelings to Zhu Mingyue would get him the answer he craved.

Being uncle and aunt for life isn't so bad, is it?

He was willing to do anything to get close to Zhu Mingyue, even in this capacity, just to be able to quietly watch over her.

Xie Pei closed his eyes, panic surging like a tidal wave, an unimaginable pain gripping his heart, like a dull knife repeatedly cutting into his chest, endlessly...

A cool touch came from my cheek.

"Xie Pei, let's not be strangers."

Xie Pei slowly opened his eyes, his heart as still as death, numbly awaiting the final verdict.

Zhu Mingyue was so embarrassed by her own actions that her hand covering his face twitched slightly.

His eyes reddened with embarrassment. "I want to try being your lover."

At this moment, all was silent, as if time had been frozen.

The raging floodwaters receded, the dark clouds dispersed, and brilliant sunlight shone on the ground, restoring the earth to its vibrant state.

Zhu Mingyue swallowed silently. Xie Pei's appearance frightened him, and he didn't know what to say.

"You...ah!"

Before Zhu Mingyue could finish speaking, she only had time to exclaim in surprise before she was forcibly pulled into a broad and warm embrace.

Zhu Mingyue tried to look up, but a pair of large hands covered the back of her head. Her ear was pressed against the other person's chest, and his heart was pounding like a drum. Zhu Mingyue's hands were suspended in mid-air, but in the end, she chose to gently wrap them around his waist.

"I'm overjoyed." Xie Pei's chest trembled.

Zhu Mingyue: "I know." He could feel the other person's heartbeat.

Such a hug wasn't unpleasant, Zhu Mingyue thought, if he could, he wouldn't mind hugging her for a while longer on such a cold winter day.

But he was really sleepy. Sometimes, the biological clock is just that powerful. Even after experiencing the exciting event of his first confirmed romantic relationship, he still couldn't control his biological clock.

He nudged Xie Pei with both hands, his voice soft: "Xie Pei, I'm so sleepy, I really want to go to sleep." Usually at this time, he would be dreaming.

Xie Pei finally moved and reluctantly let go of her hand.

Zhu Mingyue rubbed her sleepy eyes: "Good night."

"Wait." Xie Pei lowered his head, his thin lips pressed against Zhu Mingyue's lips, and he even rubbed them together with a mischievous grin, his eyes filled with uncontrollable excitement and madness.

Zhu Mingyue: ...You dog of a man, how could you just kiss me like that?

He cursed inwardly, but his face was already flushed, a deep red from the inside out.

He pursed his lips: "Goodnight."

After saying that, he ran away as fast as he could.

The door was pushed open with great force, even puncturing a hole in the window paper. The perpetrator acted as if he didn't see it and didn't even have time to close the door.

Immediately afterwards, the door next door was pushed open in the same way, making a loud bang.

Then the lights went out and there was no more sound.

Xie Pei chuckled, his fingertips brushing against the corner of his lips.

Zhu Mingyue surprisingly didn't have that dream again. All her worries were resolved last night, and she will sleep exceptionally soundly tomorrow.

When I woke up, the sky was bright. I made a tiny sound as I stretched, which was quickly caught by someone with a keen eye.

Within minutes, there was a knock on the door.

Zhu Mingyue was stunned for a moment, then burrowed deeper into the blankets and said, "Come in!"

Xie Pei came in carrying a bowl and chopsticks.

"Oh, you made breakfast!" Zhu Mingyue blushed. He had asked her what she wanted to eat for breakfast last night, but she had already made it while he, the lazybones, was still lying in bed.

However, it must be said that being fed by others is a truly wonderful experience.

Zhu Mingyue took a bite of the egg, then secretly glanced at Xie Pei, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly that he had suddenly found her a boyfriend.

Even after a night had passed, he still did not regret it.

Being fed by hand and foot—isn't this the life he always dreamed of?

I never expected it to happen so easily.

At this moment, Zhu Mingyue no longer even hoped that he could return to Jizhou quickly.

After the meal, Xie Pei carefully wiped the sticky liquid from the corners of his mouth, covered him with the blankets, and tidied up even the corners: "Sleep a little longer."

Zhu Mingyue's happiness has become tangible in this way.

So this is what it feels like to date Xie Pei.

Zhu Mingyue smiled, her eyes crinkling, and hid half her face under the blanket, leaving only her big, round almond-shaped eyes visible.

He said sullenly, "Come a little closer."

Xie Pei bent down.

"A little closer."

Xie Pei, as always, did as instructed.

Her red lips landed on Xie Pei's face, too forcefully, making a slapping sound.

The sound was clear in the room, and even Zhu Mingyue was stunned. After she came to her senses, she buried her face in the blankets, leaving only the ends of her hair scattered on the pillow.

"Ah Yue."

The body under the covers stirred, and a muffled voice came out: "Don't call me A-Yue."

Zhu Mingyue, lying in bed, wiggled his bottom when Xie Pei called him "A-Yue," making him uncomfortable.

"Ming Yue."

"Um."

"Ming Yue."

"Um."

The two of them didn't mind the annoyance and started playing a game of asking and answering questions.

After playing for a few rounds, Zhu Mingyue became impatient: "Are you going to let me sleep or not?!"

Xie Pei found even his arrogant demeanor endearing.

Xie Pei clumsily learned how to care for Zhu Mingyue. Naturally, she obeyed his every word and was already content to be summoned and dismissed by Zhu Mingyue. Hearing this, she smiled and took the empty bowl and chopsticks out.

Only after everyone had completely left did Zhu Mingyue feel comfortable sticking her head out to breathe.

He blinked at the doorway, then slipped back inside.

Zhu Mingyue was so lazy that she lost all sense of time and place.

Xie Pei doted on him, even wanting to feed him by hand, which resulted in Zhu Mingyue spending almost the entire day in bed.

Xie Pei was completely oblivious to this, and had become addicted to feeding the animals on his head.

Both of them are completely immersed in their new role as lovers.