Chapter 33 Calling her by her nickname. He usually spoke without a harsh tone, but now…
She hurriedly pulled her clothes shut, and then heard a creak as the wooden door was pushed open. Wang Yan gripped the hilt of her sword tightly, but before she could make a move, the man spoke in a hoarse voice.
"...Wang Yan?"
The door was blown wide open by the wind, and a man stood at the door with a sword in his hand.
Wang Yan paused for a moment, then loosened his grip, his eyes moistening, and a smile appeared on his face. "It's me."
Shen Minghuai took off a raincoat he had found somewhere, hurried over, and knelt down beside her. The light was so dim that she could only smell the blood mixed in with the bitter scent of medicine. Her heart ached silently, and her bloodshot eyes seemed to pierce through the darkness.
"I'll bandage it for you."
Even he had moments of such helplessness. Wang Yan turned her head and responded. Before she could carefully treat the wound, her soaked clothes had already smeared all the medicine.
Shen Minghuai shifted his gaze and gently lifted his outer robe slightly. In the sweltering heat of midsummer, Wang Yan was not wearing a scholar's robe, only a tube top underneath; the outer robe on his left shoulder had slipped down to his upper arm. Shen Minghuai took out some wound medicine, stared intently at the wound, held his breath, and lightly sprinkled the medicine on it.
Outside, a thunderstorm raged, but the temperature in a corner of the woodshed suddenly rose. The small room was icy cold on all sides, but he, like a hot water bottle, poured warmth onto her, making her skin burn—a scene of intense intimacy. Wang Yan wanted to say something to break the atmosphere, but her mind was already out of control, and what came out sounded like incoherent ramblings.
"What are you afraid of? I won't hold you responsible for this."
Shen Minghuai paused in applying the medicine, his eyes darkening slightly, before decisively tearing off a piece of fabric. Lightning flashed again, illuminating the room.
The girl's skin was as white as snow, her left shoulder slightly exposed, the fleeting light and shadow outlining the beautiful lines of her neck. Her wet hair clung to her back, and the wound covered in medicine was shocking to behold. Her fair face was devoid of color. Shen Minghuai pursed his lips and focused intently, carefully bandaging the wound.
Wang Yan felt uneasy under that focused and direct gaze, and could only try to shift his thoughts. She said she didn't want him to take responsibility, but he didn't respond... Looking closer, she noticed that his complexion was also terrible, his lips were pale, and sweat was dripping from his forehead.
She called out to him, "Shen Minghuai."
Shen Minghuai responded softly and closed her coat.
"……cold."
Shen Minghuai reached out and touched her forehead; it was alarmingly hot. "When did you get a fever?"
Wang Yan said in a low voice, "So it's a fever."
Shen Minghuai noticed that she was trembling all over, and couldn't help but frown and ask, "Why are you so sick?"
Wang Yan kept murmuring "cold." Shen Minghuai took off his outer robe, intending to cover her with it, but Wang Yan was about to take it off herself. Shen Minghuai quickly turned around and simply stretched out his hand to her.
Wang Yan took the outer robe and spoke first: "I told you, I don't need you to take responsibility, why are you avoiding me like this—"
"Wang Yan," Shen Minghuai interrupted her coldly.
A large, dark figure loomed before her. Wang Yan gritted her teeth and straightened her clothes. Only then did Shen Minghuai turn around, let out a long sigh, and slowly lean down to take her hand.
"What do I have to do for you to understand my feelings?"
Shen Minghuai gently stroked the back of her hand with his fingertips, his dark eyes, filled with worry, overflowing with tender affection. His true feelings were poignant, lingering on his lips, ready to burst forth.
“Aying”.
He usually spoke without a harsh tone, but now, when he called her by her nickname, his voice was even gentler, almost intoxicating. Shen Minghuai leaned down, and Wang Yan rushed into his arms.
"This is what you call a 'true friend'."
Shen Minghuai smiled silently, tightened his grip on her arm, and coaxed her softly, "Go to sleep, I'm here."
Wang Yan slept fitfully, slowly opening his eyes to find himself in an unfamiliar place. The medicinal soup was gradually boiling under the gentle heat of the fire, its liquid constantly bubbling against the ceramic lid. Beside the bed was a beautiful, pure white fox. The fox called out to the outside, and the old woman immediately brought in the medicine.
"Little girl, you're awake."
"Senior brother!"
Wang Yan awoke with a start, sweat beading on his forehead. A stove had already been lit inside. The wind and dew had cleared, the dust had settled, and birdsong filled the air outside. All that vast snowfield was gone.
Shen Minghuai seemed to have just returned from outside. "Awake? Why is your face still so pale? Did you have a nightmare? Are you feeling any better?"
With his help, Wang Yan sat up. "Much better. Your sleeve—"
"There was a misunderstanding with someone just now." Shen Minghuai draped a cloak over her shoulders, helped her sit down at the desk, and began grinding ink for her.
"After breakfast, I will go to find a doctor to examine you. You need to rest well for a while. Would you like me to write this for you?"
Wang Yan spread out the letter paper, still somewhat exhausted, and smiled faintly, "Fortunately, it wasn't my right shoulder that was injured, otherwise I would really have had to trouble you to write it for me."
Shen Minghuai held her left hand and gently stroked it. "We don't need to be so polite now. Wait for me, I'll go cook some porridge."
Wang Yan folded two sheets of hemp paper, placed them in the letter, and handed it to Shen Minghuai in the kitchen. He then found a nearby post station to send it to Jiaxing, where someone would deliver the letter to Li Changling by carrier pigeon.
Shen Minghuai helped her adjust her cloak, then went back into the room to get another set of clothes.
"Although this outfit isn't made of the finest material, it's new, so you can make do with it for now."
Wang Yan hesitated for a moment after receiving the clothes, then said, "Thank you, Young Master Shen."
Just as she was about to turn around, Shen Minghuai grabbed her hand and pulled it into his. "What did you say?"
Wang Yan pursed her lips, turned around and smiled, "Thank you... Minghuai." After changing her clothes and stepping out of the house, a floral fragrance surrounded her. Looking towards the kitchen, she couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Upon hearing the sound, Shen Minghuai put down the pottery lid and took a good look: her blouse was tucked into her skirt, and her knee-length pleated skirt was tied outside her pleated skirt. He immediately smiled, wiped his hands, pulled her to sit down beside him, and began to braid her hair.
"Where did these shoulder straps come from?"
"Borrowed from Aunt Wu who buys rice."
"The clothes fit perfectly."
"That's good."
"Your eyes are so sharp, and your hands are so skillful too. You're not like most men." Wang Yan felt that his movements were very adept, and that he even wove better clothes than she had.
Shen Minghuai made no attempt to be modest, saying, "In your eyes, am I just an ordinary man?"
Wang Yan remained motionless, staring quietly at the dress. "You must have woven this many times before."
Shen Minghuai gave a soft affirmation. Wang Yan lowered his head slightly and whispered a reprimand: "From now on, you can only make these for me."
Shen Minghuai chuckled softly, "I'm afraid I can't agree."
Wang Yan looked up immediately and slapped away his hand that was busy behind her, "You still think about her."
Shen Minghuai asked, puzzled, "Whom do I miss?"
"The daughter of the prefect."
Wang Yan pulled her hair to the front, glanced down at it, and was about to undo her braid when Shen Minghuai reached out to stop her.
"It's A-Wan, my younger sister."
Wang Yan's hand froze on the spot. "My...sister?"
Shen Minghuai turned her around and looked intently into her eyes, saying, "I've only ever braided hair for Awan before, no one else. Awan lives with her mother in Xiangzhou, and her parents have long since divorced, so few people mention her."
"So that's how it is." Wang Yan secretly smacked his lips twice. He had chosen him as the best person to deal with the Prince of Wei, but he hadn't bothered to get more detailed information from Juan Tao Sang Xing.
"That...that daughter of the prefect..."
Shen Minghuai walked into the kitchen and opened the ceramic lid. The rich aroma of roses mixed with the fragrance of rice wafted out. He used a copper spoon to divide the porridge into bowls on the side.
"Uncle Wei is a friend of my father. He was summoned back to the capital a few years ago and stayed there for a while. Madam Wei and my master are close friends despite their age difference. She often visits my home to see him, drink wine, and chat. Because she is young, my father asked me to take good care of her. I only treat her as a younger sister."
Wang Yan pouted and took the porridge he handed her, "Oh... I heard it from someone else too."
Shen Minghuai patted her head. "When we return to the capital, I'll take you to meet A-Wan."
Wang Yan smiled and agreed. Just as he walked to the table, he heard a woman's voice calling out.
"Young Master Shen! My mother asked me to bring you some pickled vegetables and steamed buns as an apology."
As Xiao Tan entered the courtyard, she saw that her clothes were already on the young girl in the courtyard. The light green blouse made her already pale face look like a blank sheet of paper, and a pair of dark eyes were warily scrutinizing her.
"So you are Young Master Shen's wife?"
Wang Yan was taken aback upon hearing this, unsure how to react.
Shen Minghuai hurried over and introduced, "This is Aunt Wu's daughter, Xiao Tan."
Wang Yan only glanced at him, but Xiao Tan keenly noticed. The young lady said righteously, "This sister isn't your wife, is she? What are your intentions in slandering someone's innocence? Men in this world are truly untrustworthy." As she spoke, she tried to protect Wang Yan behind her.
Shen Minghuai, no longer flustered, responded to her accusation without looking at her directly, "It seems that Aunt Wu has misunderstood. I never said such a thing."
The moment their eyes met, Shen Minghuai quickly looked away and turned to walk towards the kitchen. It was as if the air itself had been filled with wine, instantly intoxicating him.
Xiao Tan thought carefully for a moment, then apologized to Wang Yan, admitting that her mother had indeed misunderstood her. She then rambled on for a while, eventually returning to Wang Yan's clothes, "Sister, does this dress fit?"
Wang Yan tugged at the hem of her clothes. "Perfect. Is this your new dress?"
Xiao Tan nodded, "Yes. When Young Master Shen bought it from Mother, I was reluctant to part with it. Now that I see it on you, Sister, it really suits you better than I do."
"It's just a piece of clothing. What's the point of saying it suits you or not? As long as you like it, it suits you." Wang Yan took a sip of porridge and suddenly heard someone calling her. She looked up and saw Hua Xin walking briskly into the courtyard.
Wang Yan habitually raised her left hand to greet someone, and a sharp pain immediately shot through her left shoulder. Shen Minghuai supported her with one hand and put down the porridge with the other, saying softly, "I'll change the dressing later, and I'll go find a doctor now."
His words brought back memories of him bandaging her wounds last night. Wang Yan blushed and buried her head in her food, saying, "Let's eat breakfast first."
Seeing Wang Yan dressed so differently from his usual self, Ying Ming looked at Shen Minghuai in disbelief, "Young Master, you don't mean you're not planning to return to the capital, do you?"
Shen Minghuai asked, puzzled, "Why do you say that?"
"Wang Niangzi's clothes..." Ying Ming hesitated, wanting to say something but stopping himself.
From the moment the two of them entered the courtyard, Xiao Tan had been on guard, and now she glared at him fiercely, "What's wrong with these clothes?"
Hua Xin continued Ying Ming's words, saying, "It seems we want to farm and live a secluded life, giving up our good days in the capital. The two of us will return to our hometown and become recluses."
Xiao Tan fell silent, staring intently at the man who was taciturn yet had refined features.
Hua Xin suddenly exclaimed with delight, "Tu Mi porridge?! Young Master's Tu Mi porridge is so delicious, I haven't had it in a long time."
Wang Yan lowered his eyes and stirred the porridge, which was not very thick to begin with, gradually turning it into water. "Does he often make this?"
Hua Xin craned his neck in anticipation, "It's only during the few days the young lady stays."
Xiao Tan immediately became alert, "Young lady?"
Wang Yan quickly explained, "It's his younger sister."
Shen Minghuai brought over the last bowl of porridge, saying, "The rice we bought only yielded this much porridge."
Hua Xin, quick as a flash, grabbed a bowl and started eating. Ying Ming silently held out his hand, asking Xiao Tan, "Have you had breakfast yet?"
Xiao Tan grabbed the bowl first, saying, "Tu Mi porridge, what a novelty! We have to try it even after breakfast."
Shen Minghuai pushed the porridge towards Ying Ming, "This lady also brought some steamed buns."
"How can that be! You eat, young master, I'll have the steamed bun." Ying Ming said, then picked up the steamed bun and took a bite with the pickled vegetables.
Xiao Tan looked at him expectantly, "Is it delicious?"
Ying Ming gave a vague reply, "It's alright."
Xiao Tan said with dissatisfaction, "It's alright? This was pickled by my mother herself. Not to mention the neighbors, even if you took it to Shimen Town to sell, everyone would be fighting to buy it."
Ying Ming honestly said, "But the salted pickled vegetables from Uncle Wan's family in the capital are tastier than this."
Xiao Tan angrily snatched the steamed bun from his hand, taking it along with the rest of the buns. "The capital is indeed a hundred or a thousand times better than here. These coarse grains can't serve noble young masters like you."
Ying Ming was stunned for a moment, staring blankly at Hua Xin's bowl, which was completely empty. "What happened to her? I haven't eaten yet!"
Hua Xin said with a long face, "Me too."
Ying Ming exclaimed, "You ate a bowl of porridge, and I only ate two bites of steamed bun!"
Hua Xin scolded her repeatedly, "Who told you to provoke her? Now look what's happened, we won't get anything to eat."
"It was clearly her fault for acting inexplicably." Ying Ming kicked a pebble.
Wang Yan laughed at him, preparing to clear the dishes, "The place you were born and raised in always has the deepest feelings. If you praise one and criticize the other, how can people not be angry?"
Shen Minghuai held her hand down, and Hua Xin, seeing this, slapped Ying Ming and raised his fist, saying, "Come on."
"Why is it me again!"
Ying Ming suffered a crushing defeat, and Hua Xin solemnly entrusted him with the important task of washing the dishes. Shen Minghuai suddenly asked the two of them for silk, and Hua Xin stepped forward in astonishment, "Young Master is injured?!"
“It’s not him, it’s me.” Wang Yan pointed to her left shoulder.
Hua Xin then noticed that Wang Yan was pale and weak. Ying Ming's face was filled with shame, "If I hadn't gotten separated from my wife..."
Wang Yan comforted him, saying, "What does it have to do with you? The forest is deep and the fog is thick; who can predict what will happen?"
Only then did they ask about the person who injured her. Wang Yan shook her head, only saying that the person was exceptionally skilled, and that every move he made was aimed at vital points…
Shen Minghuai frowned. "His purpose is not to calm his mind."
Wang Yan suddenly realized, it was her. That person's target was her.
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A note from the author: I was looking for friends, and I finally found a good one!
Please like and comment. If even asking requires queuing, then I'll take my love's number and wait in line...
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