Chapter 28. Our Hualang is great, they've learned to be friendly...
Hua Lang had never taken such a long bath before.
The main reason is that I'm afraid to leave the bathroom and face it.
But if we don't go out, are we going to stay in the bathroom all night?
Hua Lang resigned herself to her fate, pretending that she hadn't heard anything, and tightened the belt of her nightgown.
It was getting late, and it was pitch black outside. The snow was falling heavier and heavier, and the wind was howling like a wild beast.
However, the main house was very warm, so warm that it felt stuffy.
Charcoal was lit inside, and the heat enveloped the entire main house. Zhan Yunmei was not afraid of the cold, and was even sensitive to heat. She was already sweating slightly, and her outer clothes were already hanging on the clothes rack.
The hair ornament was removed, and Hualang hairpins were used to casually tie it up. A few unruly strands of hair fell down from behind the ears, spreading across the back and shoulders.
The light from the oil lamp shone half on the books and half on Zhan Yunmei's gentle face.
With his sleeves rolled up high, his arms and wrists moved powerfully as he processed documents.
Hua Lang withdrew her gaze and tiptoed into the inner room.
"Come here." Zhan Yunmei noticed him.
Hua Lang didn't speak, but stubbornly headed towards the inner room, quickening his pace.
Zhan Yunmei put down her pen with a crisp click, startling Hua Lang.
After a brief pause, they continued walking inside.
Zhan Yunmei was taken aback by him.
Unexpectedly, after pushing him for a while, his arrogant nature returned. Whether he showed weakness or remained arrogant, she... liked it very much.
He lifted his robe and followed them inside.
With just a few steps, Xiao could catch up with Hua Lang.
With a pull, Hua Lang was unable to move forward. He clenched his fist, clearly turning half of his head back, but his eyes were fixed on the ground.
"General, I'm exhausted." He said, full of resentment.
“The dressing hasn’t been changed yet. Go to sleep after it’s changed,” Zhan Yunmei said, not mentioning a word of what she had just used to scare him.
"Is it just... a change of dressing?"
She could hear the expectation in his voice.
Zhan Yunmei smiled gently, seemingly without any malicious intent. "Yes, it's just changing the dressing. Come on."
The medicine for the injury had been prepared in advance and placed in front of the pear wood screen separating the inner and outer rooms. Zhan Yunmei then lowered the curtain.
I took out the medicine and sniffed it first.
It's bitter and pungent; I wonder if it will hurt if I apply it to a wound.
Zhan Yunmei pressed Hua Lang into the rose chair, while she bent down and gently and slowly loosened his tightly tied belt.
—It can't be pulled apart.
"...What kind of knot did you tie?" Zhan Yunmei looked at the huge knot and was at a loss.
"A dead knot."
Zhan Yunmei cast a questioning glance at Hua Lang, who lowered his eyes and feigned innocence.
"What's wrong? You don't want me to touch you?" Zhan Yunmei shoved the medicine jar into Hua Lang's hand and then pulled out a pair of scissors.
It's just a dead knot; it won't stump anyone.
With a snap, everything scattered, revealing a pure white exterior with a hint of pink, like plum blossoms splashed on the winter snow. Just like that, pure yet alluring.
The ointment, once applied, looked out of place, its astringent and bitter aroma gradually emanating from it, masking the original borneol-like fragrance.
Her body was already sensitive, and when the wound reopened and blood gushed out, the ointment caused a sharp, piercing pain that seemed to penetrate her very bones, doubling the pain. This forced Hua Lang to bite her lip tightly to avoid making any strange noises.
The oil lamp was still flickering, its light casting a haphazard glow that made his face appear flushed.
"Alright, alright!" Hua Lang reached out and covered Zhan Yunmei's eyes. She blinked, her eyelashes scratching his palm, creating a strange sensation.
"I'm really sleepy, General." The tone was pleading.
“Hmm,” Zhan Yunmei raised her hand and placed it on the back of Hua Lang’s hand. Although her eyes were covered, the signs in her mind lingered.
She rarely saw him in the light; he remained reserved, unwilling to let her remember his appearance.
Perhaps he doesn't realize that the more incomplete he is, the more she likes him. If he didn't have this disability, she probably wouldn't like him so much.
Zhan Yunmei gently brought Hua Lang's hand to her lips and kissed his hand lightly.
This forced Hua Lang to back down, pulling her clothes on both sides to wrap herself up tightly.
"Aren't military affairs being dealt with?" Hua Lang turned his head to look elsewhere.
“It’s almost done,” Zhan Yunmei said as she slowly got up, walked to the wardrobe, took out her nightgown, and hugged it to her forearm.
He thought she had let him go, and he breathed a heavy sigh of relief, but then felt a faint sense of emptiness rising within him.
Hua Lang lowered his eyes, slowly walked to the edge of the couch, and sat down.
Only by clearing my mind can I properly recall what Zhan Yunmei said tonight.
The questions she asked him and the words she used to comfort him might have been true; he had indeed never seen anyone from the manor before, and taking him out of the banquet was a way of making him a public spectacle.
He finally understood Zhan Yunmei's situation.
I just can't understand why. She could have left the emperor with other weaknesses, but she chose to leave him, the most troublesome one. Why?
Hua Lang was a little confused. She had an answer in her heart, but she dared not admit it.
He turned over and his cheek touched Zhan Yunmei's pillow, which smelled of her. Although she always teased him and made him uneasy, she was the only one who could give him a sense of security when he was out in the world, and only the General's Mansion gave him a feeling that he was still alive.
Hua Lang couldn't resist taking a few sniffs.
My eyelids gradually felt heavy, and I felt sleepy but couldn't fall asleep.
In a hazy state, it seemed as if someone was holding him in their arms and resting his head on their neck and shoulder.
My back felt cold, as if I had no clothes to cover it.
My lower back is itchy and sometimes painful, and I always feel like annoying bugs are crawling up there.
Hua Lang suddenly opened his eyes and found himself holding Zhan Yunmei's neck. He looked up slightly and saw her smiling at him.
"Don't sleep," Zhan Yunmei pinched Hua Lang's cheek. "Do you really think I'm joking?"
Hua Lang's heart pounded, but he still pretended to be clueless, saying, "I don't understand what you're saying." He pushed her away and reached for the blanket.
Zhan Yunmei didn't have much patience for him at this moment, so she immediately grabbed his hand and pulled him downstairs.
Hua Lang didn't know how long he had slept, probably only the time it takes to burn a few candles. He hadn't slept deeply and woke up quickly, stumbling as she led him off the bed.
I could clearly see a blanket laid under the screen; it wasn't there before, as she had moved her desk here.
Before Hua Lang could figure out what was going on, Zhan Yunmei had already sat back down in her chair behind the desk and picked up her pen to dip it in ink.
“Come on,” Zhan Yunmei said calmly, picking up her pen to review the booklet. “Make sure you’re well prepared, or you’ll get hurt.”
My mind went completely blank.
Hua Lang sat blankly on the blanket, her face turning red and white in turns, looking dazed.
The bite mark on her neck throbbed with pain for no reason. Hua Lang covered it and lowered her head. This lowering of her head was quite surprising. She had actually prepared things for him, arranged in order from smallest to largest, as if to say, "Please prepare them for me."
"No, no," Hua Lang blinked nervously, her words muffled.
Because of the matters in the book, Zhan Yunmei frowned, which Hua Lang interpreted as dissatisfaction with him.
She didn't even glance at him.
With tears welling up in his eyes, Hua Lang suddenly felt overwhelmed by a dense wave of despair, leaving him utterly helpless.
He doesn't like her; he only likes her and what she brings. Without her, there is no meaning, and no matter how much pleasure she brings, it is meaningless.
Tears dripped down, soaking the blanket.
She let out a few weak sobs, which sounded particularly loud in the quiet room.
Zhan Yunmei finally looked up from the booklet and saw Hua Lang kneeling on the carpet.
She still couldn't bear to see him compromise like this.
I put down my pen, went to his side, and slowly squatted down.
Zhan Yunmei gently cupped Hua Lang's face in her hands. He was so stubborn that she couldn't lift him at all; he was deliberately going against her.
"Good boy, lift your head," Zhan Yunmei pressed her forehead against Hua Lang, trying her best to soothe and comfort him. "I won't tease you anymore, be good and look at me."
Hua Lang still didn't listen to Zhan Yunmei's words. She argued with herself for a while, and finally forced back her tears before shakily raising her head.
He met her calm gaze.
He felt as if he had been burned, and a surge of shame and anger welled up in his heart. He clenched his teeth and refused to speak, but his body had already honestly leaned into her arms.
This small gesture was actually a sign of weakness. Zhan Yunmei saw it, smiled, and changed to a half-embracing posture.
He lifted Hua Lang's face with one hand, buried his face in her chest, and she lowered her head to kiss him.
My eyes, I kissed my wet eyelashes, the tears tasted salty.
The bridge of my nose, touching the high, straight bone, actually felt a bit rough on my lips.
My lips were soft, almost more comfortable than a soft blanket.
Their lips and teeth, on the other hand, were moist, sticky, and warm, mingling with the emotions and warmth of two people, intertwined and inseparable.
Hua Lang's memory is incomplete; he can't remember how Zhan Yunmei pressed him down on the blanket, or how he was kissed and caressed while she was fully clothed.
He longed to face her, to see her face, to see her in the bright light of the oil lamp.
So he gripped her hand tightly.
"What's wrong?" Zhan Yunmei's hoarse voice rang in my ears, a voice that seemed to pierce through my eardrums and reach my blood and bone marrow.
Hua Lang couldn't help but tremble all over, letting out broken sobs, and stammered, "I want to turn around..."
Zhan Yunmei twisted his chin, making him turn his head so that she could kiss him. Their lips met, and she took advantage of the situation, not gently at all.
It felt like she was eating him; his lips were swollen and painful, yet it strangely captivated him, and he endured the pain.
She granted his wish, allowing him to see her.
Why is an oil lamp so bright?
Hua Lang's eyes were blurry; the water droplets blurred the light into individual bubbles, so dazzling and embarrassing.
Her kisses were continuous, and after a short break they would immediately resume. He slowly learned to respond, and even learned to chase after her, asking for her kisses.
Hua Lang didn't know how to describe her feelings at that moment; it was probably... very happy, extremely happy.
The snow piled up to knee-deep overnight; it's unusually cold this year.
Hua Lang withdrew her hand from under the covers, curled up inside for a while, and reluctantly got out of bed.
Hua Lang went to the bathhouse to wash up. The servants had already prepared hot water. She washed up carefully, and as she left the bathhouse, she caught a glimpse of herself in the small mirror.
Hmm...
He stared at the red marks on his body in the mirror, and touched himself outside the mirror.
pain.
I lost my balance and grabbed the edge of the stand.
Hua Lang dared not linger any longer. He left the bathhouse, put on his clothes, and dared not look back at the screen.
Even though the blanket had been removed long ago, the screen was still there. Whenever I saw it, I would think of overlapping shadows and floating ripples.
I always feel like my tailbone is shaking.
Hua Lang quickly left the main house.
"Good morning, Eunuch Hualang," Yao Shuniang said, carrying a basin of freshly cut wintersweet blossoms toward the kitchen. "The General went to the Beijing Garrison early this morning. Would you like something to eat now?"
Hua Lang opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
He felt a dryness in his throat and knew what kind of weird sound it was without even opening his mouth, so he simply shook his head.
“You should eat something. The general instructed us to make sure you eat on time so you can take good care of yourself,” Yao Shuniang said, pointing to several servants. “Take the things the general prepared to Eunuch Hualang.”
Before long, the servants brought over a jar of throat lozenges and some chrysanthemum tea that had been prepared in advance.
Hua Lang didn't want to eat, but considering that Zhan Yunmei had specifically instructed her to, she obediently ate it anyway.
Zhan Yunmei returned late at night, well past the time for dinner at the mansion. She had already eaten dinner before returning, so she went straight to the main house.
Hua Lang was sitting on the daybed by the window, engrossed in reading a book.
Very well-behaved.
This was the first thought in Zhan Yunmei's mind.
She walked over quietly and sat down next to Hua Lang. Hua Lang glanced at her and then continued reading.
Zhan Yunmei reached out and pulled Hua Lang into his arms. He didn't like the chill in her clothes, but he liked her holding him, so he endured it.
"What did you do today?" Zhan Yunmei raised her hand and rubbed Hua Lang's face.
Like kneading dough, they are at the mercy of others.
Hua Lang rubbed his head unhappily, so Zhan Yunmei put her hand down, cupped his face, and kissed his lip that she had bitten and which had not yet healed.
When the wounds on her waist and lips were touched at the same time, Hua Lang squinted, whimpered, and left her embrace like a cat hiding from being touched.
"This morning I got up and took a walk around the manor to check if the general was secretly keeping someone. In the afternoon, my wound was too painful, so I treated it myself for the whole afternoon. After dinner, I sat here reading."
An ordinary, even boring day.
But Zhan Yunmei listened very attentively and asked, "Have you found the person yet?"
Hua Lang paused, then shook his head. "No."
"So you still won't believe me?" Zhan Yunmei said casually, leaving the choice of whether to believe her to Hua Lang. She had already gotten up, rummaged through her nightgown, and headed to the bathroom.
Hua Lang moved his lips slightly, then put down the book.
He unconsciously smiled, feeling so good being coaxed by Zhan Yunmei. He felt a longing that she would always treat him like this.
He couldn't understand why anyone would go against such a good person as her. He automatically categorized himself as her possession, so when someone went against her, he would see that person as a thorn in his side.
Hua Lang pulled out the small piece of paper tucked inside the book, the one the princess had given him.
He was injured at the time, but at least he was still conscious and knew that it was thrown by Princess Rongning, so he opened it to check.
The paper listed the location where Geng Qi was being held and the charges against him.
Hua Lang was somewhat puzzled. What did Princess Rongning mean by this? Did she want him to take action on behalf of Zhan Yunmei and her?
He didn't mind; his feud with Geng Qi had never ended. But given the current situation, it was difficult for him to interfere in politics, and he might cause trouble for Zhan Yunmei.
"What are you looking at?" Zhan Yunmei asked as she came out, drying her hair.
Hua Lang tucked the small piece of paper back into the book, closed it, and said, "It's nothing, just a picture book that came with the book."
"Oh," Zhan Yunmei said with some skepticism, not intending to investigate further. She handed the handkerchief to Hua Lang, "Here, help me wipe it."
Hua Lang didn't answer; he was already wiping his hands.
Those who had served the emperor were indeed skilled. Zhan Yunmei relaxed and took the opportunity to review the military affairs register.
They were silent, but it was far better than anything before.
Hua Lang didn't know what had changed, he only knew that Zhan Yunmei seemed to be... really good to him.
It's better than I ever imagined.
Looking at her focused eyes and the slight movement of her wrist, it was as if the world had frozen in that moment.
Hua Lang unconsciously moved closer and snuggled into Zhan Yunmei's arms. She was surprised for a moment, then casually opened her arms and let him in.
Lying in her arms, it felt strange, unlike anything before, unusually warm.
Hua Lang realized that he might really be dependent on her.
He panicked for a few moments, but gradually calmed down as he was nestled in her strong and firm embrace.
So much self-loathing had been piling up, yet now it felt both powerless and liberating. He desperately wanted her attention, desperately wanted to hold her close.
An invisible force pulled Hua Lang up, causing him to hook his arms around Zhan Yunmei's neck, rest his head on her shoulder, and unconsciously snuggle against her neck.
Zhan Yunmei put down the booklet and glanced at the restless Hua Lang. Unexpectedly, he closed his eyes and was about to fall asleep, muttering something softly.
Only when I leaned closer to listen did I realize that he was complaining about her.
"It hurts to sit, and it hurts to stand," Hua Lang frowned, weakly accusing her of not being able to control herself, "It hurts so much, and the wound hurts too..."
Zhan Yunmei couldn't help but soften her features with a smile.
"What are you laughing at, General?" Hua Lang woke up and scolded him gently.
Zhan Yunmei was pleased to see his fierce appearance; she found it lively and adorable. She took out a wolf tooth strung with a red rope and put it around his neck.
She tucked the wolf fang into her collar, lowered her head, and kissed his thin, tender lips gently. She closed her eyes and listened to his wet, rapid breathing.
Zhan Yunmei never hesitates to express her love for Hualang, "because our Hualang is great, they've learned to be friendly, so they want to laugh."
He felt somewhat apprehensive and uneasy, but dared not show it. He could only hold her tighter and accept her kisses, which were not exactly delicate.
Then, secretly, push the book with the crumpled paper inside to a distance.
Zhan Yunmei saw it, but didn't say anything. Since Hua Lang wouldn't bring it up, she gave up.
As their lips parted, giving him a moment to catch his breath and regain his senses, she brought up something else, "How about you learn to manage the household affairs, so you'll have something to do?"
Hua Lang's eyes were still dazed and he hadn't quite woken up yet. Hearing her words, he nodded obediently without much thought.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
