Chapter 126 Meeting Guan Shao

Could it be because of his donation of food?

Xie Pei gently bit his earlobe and whispered in his ear, "It's understandable that he wants to meet his subordinate's wife."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Zhu Mingyue said, feeling both embarrassed and annoyed.

Since the two confirmed their relationship, Xie Peihe has become a completely different person, no longer serious at all.

What do you mean by "excusable circumstances"? It's like talking about an ugly daughter-in-law meeting her in-laws.

Wait, the ugly daughter-in-law?

He's not ugly. No, wait, he's not my wife either.

Zhu Mingyue muttered in dissatisfaction, "I'm not your wife."

Xie Pei's breath hitched, and his heart felt like it had been pierced, with cold air seeping into it.

He couldn't very well argue with Zhu Mingyue, so he pulled her into his arms and gently bit her fair and delicate face, leaving no tooth mark. "Hmm, not my wife."

Where Zhu Mingyue couldn't see, Xie Pei's eyes were dark and deep.

Sooner or later it will completely belong to him.

Xie Pei still had official duties to attend to, and Zhu Mingyue felt bad about bothering him, so she only lingered with him for a short while before sending him away.

He paced back and forth in the tent.

Xie Pei's tent wasn't small, but because there wasn't much inside, it looked clean and tidy, which really... gave people no desire to look at it.

The table was cluttered with miscellaneous items, and even a set of bowls and chopsticks.

Zhu Mingyue walked over curiously, her eyes consciously avoiding looking at anything she shouldn't be looking at, and instead staring straight into the bowl.

There were two mouthfuls of brown rice left in the bowl, which looked somewhat frozen solid. It was obvious that he had rushed off without finishing it in his haste to get to the dungeon to pick him up.

There was another bowl of food that I barely touched.

Xie Pei pulled out a cloak from somewhere and draped it over him. Only then did he realize that it was already noon and Zhu Mingyue must not have eaten. He frowned slightly and said, "I'll have someone bring you some hot food. The food in the army isn't very good, so please eat something. I'll go out and buy you something nice to eat when I have a day off tomorrow."

Seeing that Zhu Mingyue was staring blankly at the cold food on the table without saying a word, he asked someone to remove the bowls and chopsticks.

When the food was cleared away, Zhu Mingyue came to her senses. "Did you finish the dried meat and kimchi I prepared for you last time?"

Xie Pei: "No."

Zhu Mingyue asked, "Why aren't you eating?"

Xie Pei: ...

Xie Pei didn't say anything, but Zhu Mingyue knew what was going on.

Ultimately, it's just that they can't bear to part with it.

He pursed his lips, feeling a pang of heartache: "I prepared this for you, so just eat it! I'll make you more after you finish."

Xie Pei said softly, "Mm."

He hadn't forgotten that Zhu Mingyue hadn't had lunch yet.

Zhu Mingyue refused to eat, saying that she had eaten a lot in the morning and her stomach hadn't digested it yet.

He didn't mind going hungry for a while; he simply didn't want to take away from the soldiers' rations.

If Xie Pei, as a general, ate so frugally, then the soldiers below him would eat even less.

If I eat one more bite, they will eat one less bite; there's really no need for that.

With the tents next door already set up, Zhu Mingyue, feeling bored while Xie Pei was still dealing with official business, went to the next tent by herself.

The other party seemed to assume he would stay permanently, so everything was provided according to the standards for military dependents, with tables, chairs, and benches. The bed, which looked a bit old but was very sturdy, was brought from somewhere, and most importantly, it was very wide, more than enough to accommodate two people.

He guessed that the bed must have belonged to a military couple. Soldiers, including generals, wouldn't need such a spacious bed; he had just noticed that Xie Pei's bed was also quite narrow, only big enough for one person.

Zhu Mingyue looked left and right, satisfied but also feeling regretful. The arrangement was so thoughtful, it was a pity that he wouldn't be staying in the army permanently.

It is not proper for him to visit relatives as a widowed sister-in-law, and if he stays for too long, he may be ridiculed.

Moreover, he did indeed have important business to attend to in Jizhou this time.

Recalling the leftovers she had just seen on Xie Pei's desk, Zhu Mingyue lowered her eyes in deep thought.

Perhaps he could stay in Jizhou a little longer. As a businessman, it would be perfectly legitimate for him to come to Jizhou to run and develop a restaurant, and no one could criticize him behind his back.

His bed wasn't very soft, unlike the ones at home, but the blankets looked familiar to him. They seemed to be the ones Xie Pei had brought from home, so it seemed they were for him.

Fortunately, no one was in the tent. Zhu Mingyue curled her lips and laughed unrestrainedly twice, then pounced on the bed like a frog.

He buried his face in the thick blankets, Xie Pei's unique scent filling his nostrils, and a sense of security welled up inside him.

The sun, high in the sky, gradually sank, and the last rays of orange light broke through the tents and shone on the ground.

Xie Pei finally finished his official duties and handed a letter to Zhong Kai, "Ming... has he returned?"

Zhong Kai carefully tucked the letter into his pocket. "Seeing that the general was so engrossed in his work, I forgot to mention that Young Master Zhu said there was no need to take him around the army camp. He told Su Er and the others to go about their own business and went into the newly set-up tent by himself, saying he wanted to go in and take a look."

Zhong Kai handed him a damp towel. "I've been watching, he hasn't come out yet!"

Xie Pei took it, wiped away the ink stains that had accidentally gotten on his hand, and nodded expressionlessly, "Go out."

Zhong Kai nodded in agreement. It was getting late, and he was thinking about how to leave the camp as soon as possible and deliver the letter to the post station.

After Zhong Kai left, Xie Pei dismissed the guards outside the door, and he turned and sneaked into Zhu Mingyue's tent.

There was not a sound inside the tent. Xie Pei looked towards the bed and immediately held his breath.

Zhu Mingyue was curled up on the bed, lying on her side. She had even lifted a corner of the blanket to cover her stomach. Perhaps the sun was shining brightly today, and she was sleeping warmly. Her face was flushed, and she looked very cute.

The sharpness in his eyes faded away, replaced by tenderness.

Zhu Mingyue slept soundly. Although Xie Pei deliberately kept quiet, the sound of soldiers marching in formation not far away was quite obvious. Even so, Zhu Mingyue showed no signs of being woken up.

Xie Pei quietly gazed at his sleeping face, from his thick eyelashes to his upturned nose, then to his cherry-red lips, down to his slender neck, and then down to his clothes which covered his face completely, but it was enough to make people's imaginations run wild.

Even with his strong self-control, Xie Pei was still a hot-blooded young man.

Moreover, having just tasted the sweetness of love and been savoring its flavor, he was now forced to be separated from his beloved. How could he bear it?

Those who have tasted the finest delicacies like phoenix liver and dragon marrow can hardly stomach plain porridge and side dishes. Every night, no matter how hard he tried with his right hand, even if he fantasized about Zhu Mingyue's every smile and frown, he couldn't find the right words.

Xie Pei's eyes grew darker and darker, as if a storm was brewing, ready to devour the person in front of him in an instant.

After an unknown amount of time, Zhu Mingyue groaned, slowly opened her sleepy eyes, her voice trembling slightly. She stretched like a kitten, incredibly languid, and asked, "When did you get here?"

Xie Pei tucked his messy hair behind his ear. "You woke up as soon as I arrived."

Zhu Mingyue rubbed her sleep-reddened cheeks and chuckled, "That's quite a coincidence."

"Xie Pei, you don't know how well I slept. I've never slept this well, not even at the inn."

The main reason was that the sunlight shone into the tent, enveloping Zhu Mingyue, making her feel warm and comfortable all over. Moreover, there was little noise around. Zhu Mingyue had only intended to lie down and take a nap, but she unexpectedly fell asleep immediately.

Xie Pei's hands were busy as she tidied his clothes: "Then stay in the camp and sleep."

This suited him perfectly.

Zhu Mingyue was naturally unwilling to agree; his mind couldn't be changed by a single night's sleep.

Xie Pei gently touched the faint red marks on his face left by the needlework on his clothes, her voice as gentle as water: "It's getting late, shall I take you to see General Guan?"

Zhu Mingyue's smile suddenly froze.

How could he forget? How could he forget this? Xie Pei clearly said that he would take him to pay his respects to General Guan today!

He had never met the legendary General Guan Shaoguan. Rumor had it that he was short-tempered and not someone to be trifled with, but he had heard about his deeds from Guan Jing and the brothers who traveled with the merchant caravan, and he admired him from the bottom of his heart.

Wouldn't it seem too abrupt for him to go like this?

Zhu Mingyue's face showed a hint of panic. She paced back and forth a couple of times before looking at Xie Pei and hesitatingly asking, "Wouldn't that be inappropriate?"

Xie Pei took his hand and squeezed it gently: "He's wanted to see you for a long time."

Seemingly sensing Zhu Mingyue's anxiety, she coaxed him like a child, saying, "Don't worry, he's not a bad person."

Zhu Mingyue pouted, "General Guan is definitely not a bad person, I'm just... just worried about him..."

"Why did he suddenly summon me? Was it about the grain supplies, or because I'm your sister-in-law?"

It should be the former. As for the latter, he thought casually, General Guan probably doesn't have that much free time.

Xie Pei saw him in this posture for the first time. Although he was a little embarrassed, he seemed particularly cute and lively.

Xie Pei felt a ticklish sensation in his heart, like being scratched by a cat's claws, and couldn't help but gently rub his lips together.

After all that, Zhu Mingyue's already somewhat fleshy lips looked even more swollen.

Xie Pei stared at his lips for a moment, admiring them, and only then did she speak: "Don't worry, the General won't make things difficult for you. He has a very good impression of you, and besides, I'm here to keep you company."

After hearing his words, Zhu Mingyue felt much more at ease. Although she was still a little uneasy, it was not as serious as before.

Upon arriving at General Guan's tent, Zhu Mingyue paused for a few seconds at the entrance, taking several deep breaths to encourage herself.

Don't show any fear later. Even if General Guan is as terrifying as the rumors say, at least he has a good heart.

Moreover, having Xie Pei by his side made him feel much more at ease.

Guan Shao's personal guards seemed to have received orders and had been waiting at the door for a long time.

Upon seeing the two of them arrive, he lifted the curtain of the outer tent: "General, Young Master Zhu, this way please come in."

Zhu Mingyue smiled and said, "Thank you."

The guard was momentarily stunned by the smile, his hand trembled, and realizing his lapse in composure, his ears turned red. He lowered his head and refused to look at him again.

Zhu Mingyue didn't notice that all his attention was focused on General Guan, whom he was about to face, and he couldn't afford to be distracted.

But just because he didn't notice doesn't mean Xie Pei didn't see them; Xie Pei's sharp eyes swept over these people.

Although they were both consciously avoiding staring directly at Zhu Mingyue, Xie Pei still felt uncomfortable.

It feels like a lion's territory has been coveted by an unrelated animal outside of its territory.

His heart was slightly agitated. Zhu Mingyue noticed that he had fallen behind her and turned around somewhat anxiously to look for him. The moment she met his gaze, her eyes curved slightly and she immediately felt at ease.

Zhu Mingyue was dependent on him, and after having this thought, Xie Pei's hidden restlessness subsided.

He strode up to Zhu Mingyue and whispered comforting words in his ear: "Don't be afraid."

Zhu Mingyue hummed in response, her voice barely audible, only Xie Pei could hear it.

"Hey! Did you all see that just now?"

"I see it! I see it! So this is what General Xie's sister-in-law looks like. I had heard about her before, but I thought it was an exaggeration."

"It turns out that the description was not exaggerated. After seeing it today, I feel that the previous description was somewhat inadequate."

"They're just a bunch of uneducated guys who can't even read a few words. How can you expect them to be accurate? They just spout off things like 'big eyes, upturned nose, red lips,' but if you ask them how beautiful they are, they can't give a proper answer. They just say they're pretty."

"Did you see that? He smiled at me just now. He's truly beautiful inside and out."

"General Xie is truly blessed. He is exceptionally capable and appreciated by the General, and he also has a kind and shrewd sister-in-law who is good at business. He is the envy of everyone!"

"Seventh Brother Ding, why are you silent? Weren't you just making fun of General Xie for having a male sister-in-law?"

Caught off guard by being called out, Ding Laoqi was somewhat embarrassed and angry, and glared at them: "If only you had such a good memory when you did things."

"Hey! You're still denying it?"

Ding Laoqi said helplessly, "What accounts? Do you think I owe General Xie anything?"

People outside gathered together, gossiping and expressing their envy of Xie Pei for having such a sister-in-law.

Why not just envy his brother for having a male wife who is like a celestial being?

Who doesn't know that General Xie's elder brother died young? No one dares to envy him!

Inside the tent, all was silent.

After Zhu Mingyue bowed, she was asked to sit on a chair to the side, where she felt extremely uncomfortable.

I don't know what's wrong with this chair, it creaks and groans with the slightest movement, it's so annoying. I hope I'll be too stiff to move tomorrow.

Fortunately, things went much better than he expected; at least the rumors were wrong.

He had secretly glanced at General Guan a few times; he was just an ordinary old man. He did have some imposing presence, but not enough to stop a child from crying.

Guan Shao carefully examined the person in front of him. She was as beautiful as a piece of fine mutton fat jade.

He glanced at Zhu Mingyue, then turned his head to look at Xie Pei, and clicked his tongue inwardly, finding nothing satisfactory.

Xie Pei was also handsome; at least in their Jizhou camp, he was a rare find among handsome young men.

He was tanned dark, his skin was rough, and he always had a stern face, looking unapproachable and fierce.

Comparing the two, the scales in his heart inevitably tipped in one direction.

No wonder this kid thinks about his sister-in-law back home even when he's fighting. Looking at it this way, with a fat rabbit at home, how could he not think about catching it every day?

He thought Xie Pei wasn't very shrewd, but Xie Pei was incredibly shrewd.

Zhu Mingyue is a good child in every way now. Aside from being kind and righteous, she is a well-behaved child today, without any of the shrewdness or airs of a businessman.

Guan Shao couldn't help but think back to when his wife told him that she wanted to have a beautiful and lovely child, regardless of gender, who would have a gentle personality and be able to stay by her side for many years.

Unfortunately, although his children were of good character, they were all stubborn and unruly.

Zhu Mingyue is exactly the kind of child his wife envisioned.

Zhu Mingyue felt a strong, undeniable gaze upon her.

He glanced up casually, then his brow twitched.

Something's not right. Isn't General Guan discussing the grain supplies with him?

Why do his eyes look so kind?