Extra 3: Morning and evening, sharing the sweetness of frosting

In the spring of the sixth year of the Spark Calendar, Mingyuan City had begun to take shape, its order and vitality thriving. Within the City Lord's Mansion, perched high above the sea to the east, a warm and sweet atmosphere permeated the air, a stark contrast to the bustling world outside.

The morning light was fading, and the chirping of seabirds drifted through the window paper. Zhang Qing, his biological clock perfectly accurate, woke up on time. He didn't get up immediately, but instead turned sideways, gazing at the sleeping face of the person beside him in the dim light filtering through the gauze curtains.

Qiongying slept soundly, her long, dark hair spread across the pillow, accentuating her fair skin. Shed the wisdom and composure of the day, her features now soft, her breathing shallow, a sense of unguarded tranquility. Zhang Qing's gaze meticulously traced her eyebrows, her eyes, the tip of her slightly upturned nose, finally resting on her lips, slightly pouting in sleep. His gaze held a tenderness and doting he hadn't even noticed.

He gently reached out and carefully tucked a strand of hair from her cheek behind her ear, his movements so gentle that it felt like he was touching a rare treasure. His fingertips accidentally brushed against her warm earlobe, and Qiongying unconsciously rubbed the pillow in her sleep, letting out a soft whisper.

Zhang Qing's heart instantly softened, and the corners of his lips lifted uncontrollably. He quietly leaned in and placed a feather-soft kiss on her smooth forehead. Only then did he get up contentedly, tiptoeing to avoid disturbing her sweet dream.

However, just as he sat up, a warm and soft hand gently pulled his pajamas sleeve from behind.

"What time is it?" Qiongying's voice was lazy and hoarse as if she had just woken up, like a coquettish cat.

Zhang Qing turned around immediately and saw her gazing at him sleepily. His heart warmed, and he said softly, "It's still early, sleep a little longer." He lay down again, pulling her into his arms, blanket and all. Qiongying found a comfortable position in his arms, her cheek against his solid chest, listening to his steady, powerful heartbeat, her nose filled with his refreshing, reassuring scent, and soon fell asleep again.

Zhang Qing held her like this, not daring to move, feeling his heart filled with an unprecedented sense of fullness and happiness. It was not until the daylight outside the window and the sound of soldiers' morning exercise horns could be heard in the distance that he had to gently stand up again.

By the time Qiongying woke up naturally, Zhang Qing had finished practicing his spearmanship and even returned from a round of urgent business in the meeting hall. He walked into the inner room carrying a basin of warm water and found Qiongying sitting at her dressing table, combing her long, flowing black hair in front of a bronze mirror.

"I'll do it." He put down the basin, walked behind her very naturally, and took the wooden comb from her hand.

Qiongying watched his focused yet clumsy movements in the mirror and couldn't help but smile. The "featherless arrow," feared by his enemies on the battlefield, now resembled a novice apprentice, his grip on the comb stiff, afraid to hurt her. His movements were slow and gentle, patiently combing through her long hair strand by strand.

"My husband, are you not busy today?" Qiongying joked, enjoying this rare moment of warmth.

"No matter how busy I am, it's not as important as spending time with my wife." Zhang Qing said this now-familiar love line without changing his expression, though a faint blush crept into his ears. He carefully tied her long hair into a simple bun and inserted a hairpin he had recently had a craftsman polished from the island's unique pink coral.

"Does it look good?" Qiongying looked left and right in the mirror. The warm luster of the coral made her look extremely good.

"Madam, you look beautiful no matter what you do." Zhang Qing leaned over, hugged her from behind, and gently rested his chin on the top of her head. Looking at their figures leaning on each other in the mirror, he felt that life was perfect and there was nothing more perfect than this.

After breakfast, the two of them set out together. Zhang Qing was going to the parade grounds to review the new recruits, while Qiongying was going to the academy to teach. At the gate of the City Lord's Mansion, the guards had already prepared their horses.

Zhang Qing first helped Qiongying onto her docile white mare, then swiftly climbed onto his warhorse. He didn't rush off, but instead rode closer, smoothed her wind-twisted temples, and carefully checked to see if her saddle girth was fastened securely.

"Drive slowly on the way. If I'm free at noon, I'll pick you up from the academy." He whispered in a low voice. His meticulous and thoughtful look made the guards beside him couldn't help but smile.

Qiongying's face was slightly hot, but her heart was sweet. She nodded and said, "I know. You should be careful too."

The two rode side by side for a while before separating at a fork in the road. One headed east, the other west, but they kept looking back, their eyes meeting in the air, until their figures disappeared around the corner.

At the academy, Qiongying was still the knowledgeable and demanding "Mr. Qiongying." But attentive students noticed that today, a subtle, gentle smile lingered on the corners of Mr. Qiongying's lips, and his tone seemed softer than usual when he explained medical principles.

Just after noon, Zhang Qing arrived as promised. Without disturbing anyone else, he stood quietly outside the lecture hall window, watching Qiongying speak on the stage. The sunlight filtering through the window lattice cast a halo over her. Her focused expression and clear voice held his gaze captivating.

Zhang Qing didn't walk into the lecture hall until the class was over and the students had dispersed.

"Have you been waiting for a long time?" Qiongying asked him with a smile while sorting the books.

"Not long." Zhang Qing walked forward and took the thick medical book from her hand very naturally. He then held her slightly cold hand in his warm palm and held it tightly. "Are you hungry? I heard that the catch was good today. Let's go back and have some fish sashimi?"

"Okay." Qiongying let him hold her hand, and they walked out of the academy side by side. The setting sun stretched their shadows very long, intertwining them, inseparable.

In the evenings, unusual noises occasionally emanated from the small kitchen of the City Lord's Mansion. Sometimes it was Zhang Qing, with his sleeves rolled up, attempting to bake a dessert called "cake" according to Qiongying's "modern" methods. He ended up with flour all over his face, and the finished product was hard as a brick, making Qiongying double over in laughter. Sometimes it was Qiongying herself in the kitchen, trying to make some of her hometown's side dishes, but she always failed to get the heat right, leaving them either too salty or too bland. Yet, Zhang Qing always finished them off, solemnly praising her, "Madam's cooking is unparalleled in the world."

After dinner, the two of them would either walk hand in hand on the beach, watching the sunset melt into gold and listening to the ebb and flow of the tide; or they would stay in the study, one handling official business while the other read ancient books, with the beauty by their side, in a quiet and peaceful atmosphere; sometimes they would do nothing, just leaning on the soft couch by the window, chatting casually, or playing a game of chess by the light.

At night, Zhang Qing would always preheat the bed with a hot water bottle. Qiongying had a cold constitution, and on these island spring nights, the air was still a bit damp and chilly. When she finished washing up and slid into bed, she could always feel a warmth spreading from her feet to her entire body. Zhang Qing would tuck her cold feet into his arms, warming them with his body heat.

"Don't...it's cold." Qiongying wanted to retract her foot, but he held it tightly.

"It's okay, it will be warm in a while." His voice sounded particularly low and gentle in the darkness.

Resting her head on his arm, nestled in his warm embrace, listening to the rhythmic crash of the waves outside, Qiongying felt a profound sense of security. She would tell him about a student's latest anecdote, discuss the properties of newly discovered herbs, and imagine the future development of Mingyuan City... He would share interesting military anecdotes with her, analyze the situation in the surrounding waters, or simply listen quietly, occasionally placing a gentle kiss on her hair.

The bloody storms and turmoil of the past, the hardships of displacement, seemed to fade away in this gentle warmth. What remained was the clear reflection in each other's eyes, the warmth of their clasped hands, and the sweetness of their daily lives, shared day and night, as thick as icing sugar.