Chapter 41 Hua Lang is clumsily exploring
He immediately wavered after saying that.
What if this man meant no harm? What if this man was important to Zhan Yunmei? If he was her elder, his disrespectful behavior would damage the reputation of the General's Mansion.
He was reserved and hung his head.
“This is my wife,” Zhan Yunmei said, holding Hua Lang’s hand, their fingers intertwined, her forearm half-raised. “My wife’s cloak got wet, and I was worried she would catch a cold, so I came to buy her a new one for emergencies.”
Even if a man harbors contempt in his heart, he cannot fully show it on his face. In front of Zhan Yunmei, a founding general, he is nothing.
But he was her elder!
Even if they're not close, shouldn't she greet him when they meet? He thinks she lacks manners.
He shook his head twice and sighed, "Yunmei, if you see me, at least call out to me."
They ignored Hua Lang and also bypassed Zhan Yunmei's words.
Zhan Yunmei furrowed her brows almost imperceptibly, then quickly relaxed, took off her cloak and draped it over Hua Lang's shoulder, saying calmly, "Shout? I don't think there's anything to shout."
The implication was that she and he were not familiar with each other.
Even if Hua Lang was slow to realize it, he was right. This man's attitude was strange, and Zhan Yunmei didn't seem to want to talk to him anymore.
“General,” he said, squeezing her hand in return, “I’m hungry.”
I crushed taboos in the temple dormitory in the morning, and lost all my strength. I slept until almost evening, and when I woke up, I was tricked by her. I cried a lot and didn't eat all day. I wasted so much energy.
"Okay, let's go."
Leaving the clothing shop people behind, he took Hua Lang's hand and didn't look back.
"Yunmei, is it that the clothes don't fit or you don't like them? Just tell me, and I'll find a way to help you," the embroiderer hurriedly followed, smiling broadly and chattering incessantly, all to persuade Zhan Yunmei to stay.
But this attempt to persuade her to stay was useless; the embroiderer watched helplessly as she pulled the eunuch into the carriage.
Turning her head, her ingratiating smile turned into a complaint.
"Why are you so useless? What's the point of saying all that nonsense? They don't even acknowledge you as their father, yet you still try to ride on their coattails and status..."
The embroiderer's voice was sharp and high-pitched, and Hua Lang vaguely heard it, so he pressed his face against the carriage window.
Puzzled, he looked at Zhan Yunmei, who was resting with her eyes closed, leaning against the back of the couch.
He was so rude to her father, wasn't she angry at all...?
"Aren't you hungry? What are you doing sitting there like that?"
Hua Lang looked up blankly and found himself sitting in a private room of the restaurant with Zhan Yunmei. She was right next to him, piling up a mountain of food in his bowl.
"I didn't know what you liked to eat, so I just ordered everything. Don't force yourself if you can't eat it, but it's best if you can," she pinched his cheek. "Don't get distracted."
“Oh… okay,” he nodded and stuffed all the food she had picked up into his mouth.
With cheeks bulging, he chewed gently.
He eats very quietly, chewing slowly and deliberately, making very little noise.
Zhan Yunmei unconsciously smiled and leaned back in her chair, watching Hua Lang eat.
Although there is a rule that one should not speak while eating or sleeping, Zhan Yunmei always wanted Hua Lang to speak, even if it was something useless.
She rarely talks to him about herself.
After thinking for a moment, I asked him, "Aren't you curious about who that general was?"
Curious?
Of course I'm curious.
He was curious about everything about her.
I want to know about her life in Beiyuan, her past, her family, her thoughts, everything about her, as long as it's her.
But she never said anything, and he didn't dare to ask.
Because he hadn't completely swallowed what was in his mouth, Hua Lang couldn't speak and could only nod quickly.
After nodding, he continued chewing.
"Eat slowly," Zhan Yunmei tucked a strand of hair behind Hua Lang's ear and put a piece of braised pork into his bowl.
He complained that the meat was too fatty, but she wanted him to eat it, so she pursed her lips, picked it up, and put it in her mouth.
Seeing his obedient manner, she couldn't help but smile gently. She didn't mean to force him to eat; she just wanted to put the food on his plate to see if he would do whatever she asked.
“That was my father just now,” she said, putting more food into his bowl, “but not anymore.”
Hua Lang chewed slower and slower; he couldn't eat anymore. But Zhan Yunmei was still watching him, and not wanting to disappoint him, she still forced herself to put the food in her mouth.
"Why?" the question pressed vaguely.
Zhan Yunmei noticed that Hua Lang was eating uncomfortably, so she reached out, took the chopsticks from him, gave him a handkerchief, and he began to wipe his mouth.
“My mother practiced martial arts from a young age. She had already married my father before she joined the army. Later, my father refused to let her join the army.”
Hua Lang wiped his mouth and knees clean.
She handed him some tea to rinse his mouth.
"And then?" he said.
“Then my mother divorced me,” she finally picked up her chopsticks. “After divorcing him, I found out I was pregnant with him.”
Hua Lang blinked.
You can't tell her family isn't complete because she's so wonderful. How could she have such a personality if she hadn't grown up in a sweet environment?
However, she was never truly immersed in sweetness, as could be seen from her rough fingers.
Her scars weren't limited to her fingers; once, he caught a fleeting glimpse of her body and vaguely saw many scars of varying depths.
She rarely showed herself. Often, he was the only one with disheveled clothes, or he was confused and couldn't see clearly. He didn't have many opportunities to see her, so he only knew that she had many scars, but didn't know exactly how many or what they looked like.
I really want to see it.
How disgusting.
Hua Lang felt guilty and turned her face away, inexplicably feeling her ears burning. "There is no such person. The general is also very handsome."
"Are you willing to use that silver tongue of yours today?" Zhan Yunmei was not downcast. She calmly recounted past family matters, simply wanting him to know more and to make him feel more relaxed.
"Huh?" He frowned in displeasure.
Is it mocking him for his unpleasant way of speaking?
Okay, it's definitely not pleasant to hear, and it often makes me furious.
Suddenly, her ears started to ache and itch. She trembled slightly and looked at Zhan Yunmei accusingly.
"Why are your ears so red?" She pinched the soft cartilage on his earlobe. "They're hot and red. What are you thinking about?"
“No,” he answered immediately.
"real?"
"Um."
.
The atmosphere in the Chaotian Hall was somber. In the first day or two of the first month, the emperor did not submit any memorials and instead reclined on a long couch, playing chess with Zhan Yunmei.
As the white piece fell, making a crisp sound, a swirl of snow drifted in through the window. Zhan Yunmei lowered her head slightly and brushed the snowflakes off her crown.
Taking advantage of her momentary lapse in attention, the emperor stole a white piece from the chessboard and, after Zhan Yunmei looked up for a moment, placed a black piece on it.
"Zhan Qing, you've lost."
Zhan Yunmei tilted her head suspiciously, examining the chess pieces on the board. Something seemed off... but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
Something strange is about to be discovered.
The emperor raised his hand, his dragon-embroidered sleeve covering the chessboard. "Alright, business is more important."
Zhan Yunmei stopped holding a grudge. Although she didn't know exactly what had happened, she had a hunch that the emperor had once again taken advantage of her, a bad habit she'd had since childhood.
The female official removed the chess pieces from the board and served hot tea.
"After the spring, you will be in charge of recruiting soldiers," the emperor said, taking a sip of his hot tea and naturally changing the subject.
When a thief feels guilty, they will do something to cover it up.
Instead of exposing the emperor's words, Zhan Yunmei continued, "Your Majesty, let Vice General He come. It'll be a good opportunity to train him. I can just provide guidance from the side."
"Oh?" The emperor put down his tea, kicked up both hands, and stuffed them into the wide yellow embroidered purse.
If the founding generals do not maintain their authority, they are prone to overshadowing the emperor. Zhan Yunmei's intention is that she is unwilling to participate in major military affairs, does not want to be overshadowed, and wants to gradually withdraw from the court.
I felt a little disappointed.
Zhan Yunmei was a very good subject. Even though he secretly feared her, he cherished her more than anything else, out of friendship and trust between ruler and subject.
He was the one who pushed Helan Wan to the position, so why is he the one who can't bear to part with her now?
The emperor sighed.
"Okay, we'll do it your way."
They then talked about some other things.
The emperor stood beneath the main gate of the Chaotian Hall, gazing at the surrounding red walls, which were covered in a blanket of snow, creating a somber and melancholic atmosphere. Zhan Yunmei had long since departed, banished from the palace.
He An stepped forward, bending low, and held up an umbrella to shield the emperor from the flying snow.
"Your Majesty, if you can't bear to part with General Zhan and can't keep her, you can keep the person in the General's mansion instead."
.
On the seventh day of the first lunar month, Zhan Yan left the capital and returned to Beiyuan.
The General's Mansion returned to silence.
Outside the flower hall, peach and pear trees were in bloom, and a new round of revival seemed to be just beginning as dawn broke.
Hua Lang stood on the bench, trimming the branches and leaves.
If the top branch is too long, it will affect the branches below, so it can only be shortened to inhibit growth. Unfortunately, it is too tall, so it must be placed one step forward.
Suddenly, the ground beneath my feet began to shake.
Hua Lang was startled. She struggled to steady herself and leaned against a tree branch, swaying precariously and shaking down flower buds and petals.
There was laughter below.
"General, is it fun?" Hua Lang asked fiercely.
He was very careful, how could he possibly lose his footing? What else could it be but that reason?
Of course, Zhan Yunmei deliberately shook him down there!
“Oh? I think that’s interesting,” Zhan Yunmei said with a smile. “Be careful, I’m letting go.”
Hua Lang landed back on the ground, smashed the scissors aside, pretended to push Zhan Yunmei away, and went to the shelf to wash her hands.
Zhan Yunmei did not follow, but sat on the other side of the untouched bench, casually looking around.
The flowering trees were carefully nurtured and grew vigorously, with large and full buds. Having survived the cold winter, they had gathered their energy to bloom in full glory in the spring.
At this time last year, Hua Lang had completely ruined it.
Zhan Yunmei raised her eyebrows, sunlight pierced through the clouds and fell on her eyelashes. She closed her eyes briefly, then opened them again, her vision becoming clearer and clearer.
Hua Lang is back.
Stand in front of her.
"What did you do today?" he asked, pulling the person forward and into his arms.
Support his lower back and hips to make him more comfortable.
The flower hall was not covered with gauze curtains, so the scene inside could be seen at a glance. Even though most of the servants in the mansion had not returned, Hua Lang still did not dare to be intimate with Zhan Yunmei outside.
The shyness was rooted in her bones, and it sprouted and grew completely when Zhan Yunmei pinched the back of her neck and kissed her.
A blush spread across her ears, cheeks, and neck.
The kisses were sticky and wet, invading his senses and reason. As if he had been trained by Zhan Yunmei, Hua Lang couldn't control himself and went from putting his hands on her shoulders to embracing her.
Unconsciously, they moved forward, trying to get closer.
Still half asleep, she answered, "When I woke up, the sun was already up. After breakfast, I sat in the flower hall waiting for the general to return."
"So well-behaved!"
In Hua Lang's eyes, she found herself, completely and utterly alone.
“Hmm,” Hua Lang’s eyes caught sight of a scar on Zhan Yunmei’s neck, and her attention drifted away. Without much thought, she answered almost unconsciously.
Zhan Yunmei did not look away, but she had already clearly noticed.
Hua Lang is clumsily exploring.
They were curious and bold, as if they had discovered some treasure.
Her fingertips touched his moist lower lip, and he, completely unaware, naturally took them in without complaint.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
