Chapter Sixty-Three: Moon Reflected in a Cup, Sitting Knee-to-Knee
"Would it be convenient for me to sit in your tent for a while?"
Bai Ming chuckled and shook his head. "How could it be inconvenient?" He stepped aside to make way and glanced at Yang Xiao. "Let's go."
Yang Xiao nodded, met Bai Ming's deep and affectionate eyes, and smiled as she reached out to take his arm.
Faced with Yang Xiao's sudden action, Bai Ming was momentarily stunned. His body stiffened instantly as the stiff touch entered Yang Xiao's palm.
She glanced back at Bai Ming's bewildered expression, then chuckled and shook her head. "Never mind," she said, gently letting go of his hand. "I won't hold your hand anymore."
"Hey, wait!" Bai Ming suddenly snapped out of his daze, a hint of panic flashing in his eyes. He quickly took Yang Xiao's hand, holding it tightly, and looked back at her with lingering affection. The blush on his face was particularly noticeable in the moonlight.
Yang Xiao turned around and chuckled softly, running her fingertips across his palm and interlocking her fingers with his.
Bai Ming's heart pounded like a drum. He couldn't help but look away, raising his eyes to look at the camp in front of him. He squeezed Yang Xiao's hand and said, "Ah Xiao, we've arrived."
Lifting the curtain, I saw a brazier already prepared inside the tent, steaming with warmth. The warm yellow candlelight shone on the table, creating a cozy atmosphere.
"Please sit down first, I'll make you a cup of tea." Bai Ming took off his cloak and hung it by the door, then turned around to go to the stove to boil water and make tea.
Yang Xiao sat up and looked up at Bai Ming's busy figure with a smile. A warm feeling welled up in her heart. "No need to go to so much trouble. Come and sit down too." She looked out the window at the bright moon and said with a smile, "If we weren't going back tomorrow, this scene would really be perfect for a few drinks tonight."
"You're one to talk," Bai Ming said, turning around and sitting down next to Yang Xiao with a light laugh. "I wonder who it is that always drinks like this, getting drunk after just one cup..." He looked into Yang Xiao's eyes, a blush spreading across his face, and his voice gradually softened. "And they always have to drink it when I'm about to confess my feelings to you."
Upon hearing this, Yang Xiao immediately laughed. "It seems that drinking really does lead to trouble. How about this, I promise you I'll never drink again, okay?"
Bai Ming chuckled and shook his head, gently taking her hand. "Alright, let's not talk about that. So, what did you want to discuss with me in my tent tonight?"
Yang Xiao cleared her throat, turned around and looked earnestly into Bai Ming's warm eyes, "I'm going into the city. No matter what, I have three wins against you."
"You," Bai Ming chuckled and shook his head, "didn't you say this matter was to be decided by the strategist?"
“You don’t need to worry about my safety. My experience in the city is no less than yours,” Yang Xiao squeezed Bai Ming’s hand and said seriously, “I’ve traveled to so many cities, so I definitely know the way better than you, right? Putting that aside, my identity as a woman will naturally make it easier for me to get by. At the very least, I can pretend to be someone from the theater and sneak into the city. That’s my second advantage.”
Bai Ming listened with a smile, nodding gently. "And what about three wins?"
"I can't tell you that yet," Yang Xiao tilted her head mysteriously, "You'll know when the time comes."
Upon hearing this, Bai Ming chuckled and shook his head. "Alright, alright, since you insist, then so be it." He gently squeezed Yang Xiao's hand, turned around and poured the boiled water into the teapot. "Then I will lead the ambush troops to meet you outside the city and ensure your safety."
Steam billowed from the teapot, and in an instant, the room was filled with the aroma of tea.
Yang Xiao reached out to take the teacup Bai Ming handed her, but was scalded by the hot rim of the bowl. She hissed and quickly stood up, putting the teacup back on the table. The tea sloshed around a bit, but not a drop spilled.
"Hey, Xiao, are you alright?" Bai Ming quickly put down the teapot he was holding, took two steps forward, took Yang Xiao's hand, and examined it carefully in front of his eyes. "Why were you in such a hurry? What should we do if you get burned?"
Yang Xiao looked up at Bai Ming's slightly worried expression and couldn't help but shake her head with a light laugh, "It's nothing, it's just a little burn, it's nothing serious..." As she looked up, her gaze fell upon Bai Ming's slightly furrowed brows. Her heart skipped a beat, and her breath caught in her throat.
She gently stroked Bai Ming's knuckles, then pushed his hand slightly backward, until she pressed him against the curtain.
"Ah Xiao, what are you doing?" Bai Ming's eyes showed a hint of surprise, but he still gently met Yang Xiao's movements and stepped back lightly.
Yang Xiao released his hand, raised her hand to his shoulder and neck, her eyes filled with love and laughter, mixed with a touch of youthful awkwardness. She tiptoed closer to Bai Ming and whispered, "How about we finish what we were doing earlier?"
Bai Ming froze upon seeing this, staring at Yang Xiao in disbelief. The unreal feeling was quickly replaced by a sudden, rapid pounding of his heart. His breathing quickened, and his hands awkwardly circled Yang Xiao's waist, yet he dared not make a move.
Yang Xiao leaned closer, put her arm around his neck, and seeing that he didn't move, she touched noses with him and softly called out, "Bai Ming?"
Bai Ming's heart skipped a beat. He seemed to suddenly realize something and came back to his senses. He groaned, tightened his arms around Yang Xiao's waist, and leaned down to gently kiss her lips.
Their breaths mingled, the rising steam from the teapot enveloping their hearts. The person they had longed for and cherished for seven years was now embracing them before their very eyes; such an unreal feeling overwhelmed them and seeped into their minds.
The overwhelming love in her heart could not be expressed in words, but could only be conveyed through her possessiveness, her inseparable interaction, and her slightly awkward kisses.
Perhaps Yang Xiao was a little unsteady on her feet. She gently pressed Bai Ming's shoulder blades, lowered her heels, and looked up at him. Bai Ming, however, seemed to have not withdrawn his emotions at all. Following Yang Xiao's momentum, he bent down and lifted Yang Xiao's face, gazing deeply and dreamily into her eyes, and kissed her again.
An awkward kiss followed by a tight embrace caused their heartbeats to resonate in unison, their breaths mingling. Bai Ming seemed to be overcome with emotion, his hands unconsciously tightening around Yang Xiao in his arms, causing Yang Xiao to let out a soft gasp.
That barely perceptible breath seemed to bring Bai Ming back to his senses, and the soft, moist touch of her lips became even more vivid in his mind. Like waking from a long dream, everything felt real.
He slightly opened his eyes, and the hand that was tightly wrapped around Yang Xiao's waist involuntarily loosened a little.
Bai Ming reluctantly released Yang Xiao's waist, and as he slightly rose, the affection in his eyes grew even stronger and more indescribable. He lowered his gaze to Yang Xiao's flushed cheeks and moist lips, and his cheeks involuntarily turned red as well.
"Ah Xiao," he took Yang Xiao's hand and gently placed it against his chest. Besides his pounding heart, his chest rose and fell with each breath. Bai Ming leaned down, gazing deeply into Yang Xiao's eyes, "Can you...feel my affection?"
Yang Xiao paused for a moment upon hearing this, then smiled and gently cupped his face in her hands, lightly wiping his lips with her thumb. "How could I not feel it? I just feel that it's a little unreal."
Bai Ming grasped Yang Xiao's hands in both of his, placed them against his chest, and leaned down to inquire, "Why doesn't it feel real?"
Yang Xiao looked up and met Bai Ming's deep and affectionate eyes. She sighed with emotion, "Seven years ago, when we first met in Yuzhou, we had similar backgrounds and hit it off immediately. You even gave me a silver spear as a token of your friendship."
She took Bai Ming's hand and led him to a seat, smiling as she looked out at the full moon. "At that time, I thought we would never see each other again, but every time I saw that gun, your voice and smile would reappear in my mind. But I never expected," she turned to look at Bai Ming, her eyes full of nostalgic smile, "that the first battle I fought after heading north to join my lord was against you."
Bai Ming smiled and nodded, looking at her with gentle eyes, waiting for her to continue.
“At that time, I burned down the granary and, together with Yude, we split into two groups and marched straight across Jizhou,” she gently stroked Bai Ming’s knuckles. “I thought that after overcoming all obstacles, we would be able to join forces with Yude, but I didn’t expect your troops to come straight at our army.”
Yang Xiao turned back and looked at Bai Ming with a bitter smile, but unconsciously tightened her grip on his hand. "Do you know? At that time, I even had the will to die."
Bai Ming nodded, rubbing Yang Xiao's palm in response, then frowned slightly and said softly, "Don't talk nonsense."
Yang Xiao looked up at him with a gentle smile, her eyes shining like the moon, "But you recognized that gun at a glance. You don't know what I was thinking back then..."
Yang Xiao felt a pang of sadness, and tears welled up in her throat. Seeing this, Bai Ming quickly moved closer and gently pulled her into his arms, stroking her hair softly. "Why are you crying, Xiao?" he said, wiping away her tears. "I'm here for you, aren't I?"
He closed his eyes and sighed with a smile, "Actually, the first thing I recognized wasn't the gun, it was you."
"Thank goodness it was you who came," Yang Xiao's voice was already trembling with tears. She helped Bai Ming sit up, raised her hand and stubbornly wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. She turned back and looked at Bai Ming with a smile. "You know the details of what happened afterward. I just can't believe it..." Her fingertips trembled slightly. "The person I have loved for seven years is just as persistent in his feelings for me as I am."
Upon hearing this, Bai Ming couldn't help but chuckle as he looked at Yang Xiao's smiling eyes, which were glistening with tears. "Perhaps this is what they call a predestined fate." He gently stroked the back of Yang Xiao's hand. "Now I feel that giving you that gun was the best decision I ever made."
“I don’t think so,” Yang Xiao chuckled and shook her head, looking up at Bai Ming. “You’ve made too many decisions, but in my eyes, every single one of them was correct.”
“You,” Bai Ming chuckled and gently tapped her nose, “it’s getting late, and we have to get up early to head back tomorrow. Go back and get some rest, drink some hot water, and I’ll take you back to your tent.”
Yang Xiao chuckled, picked up the teacup she had just put down because it was too hot, took a sip, and then turned back to Bai Ming with a smile, "I've fought so many battles with the lord, big and small. Do I really need you to deliver things to me in my own camp?"
"I just..." Bai Ming smiled and nodded, "I wanted to spend more time with you."
Yang Xiao chuckled and sighed, then took his hand and pulled him up. "Then you can take me to the door, but no more."
"Okay, okay, I'll listen to you." Bai Ming chuckled and conceded, "Go back and get some rest. We'll head back early tomorrow morning."
"Oh, right." Yang Xiaogang stood up, then turned back as if remembering something.
She chuckled and tapped Bai Ming, "When we were returning to camp just now, were you looking at me the whole time?"
"This..." Bai Ming was taken aback by her question, then nodded in agreement, "Yes, you figured it out."
Yang Xiao smiled and tugged at his hand. "Perhaps I'm just being presumptuous, but I still have to tell you something."
"Okay." Bai Ming sat up straight obediently. "Tell me, I'll remember everything."
"Now that our relationship is established, we must not be distracted on the battlefield."
Bai Ming held Yang Xiao's hand, looked into her bright eyes, and nodded vigorously, "Your concerns are not unfounded. Distraction on the battlefield is a major taboo, and neither of us can afford to make that mistake."
"And you're telling me? During our previous sparring session, when did you ever use your full strength? Hmm?"
Upon hearing this, Bai Ming couldn't help but smile. "How can that be the same? Our hearts are united, and our ambitions are aligned. How could we possibly be enemies on the battlefield, facing each other with swords and spears?"
He stood up and patted Yang Xiao on the back. "It's late. Go back to your tent and rest. You have to get up early tomorrow."
"You're trying to kick me out? I'm leaving right now."
Yang Xiao chuckled, squeezed his palm, and ran cheerfully out the door. She then turned back and waved to him, "See you tomorrow!"
Bai Ming followed her outside, standing at the door and waving to her with a light laugh. The red figure skipped and hopped away nimbly, her light and agile steps like raindrops, stirring ripples in the moonlight.
-
The night passed quickly, and the daylight, shrouded in morning mist, illuminated the entire dawn. Yang Xiaobai and Ming had already prepared themselves and led their men to Jizhou early in the morning.
As I passed by, all I saw were newly sprouting willow branches, freshly melted spring water, and grass shoots breaking through the soil. Everywhere I went, there was a damp and fragrant atmosphere.
With a light breeze and swift horses, they soon returned to Jizhou. Filled with joy, the two spurred their horses toward the governor's office.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
