068
Yu Baizhou couldn't help but recall that kiss, the unstoppable heartbeat at that moment, and that sleepless night.
Song Ling, however, had already taken off her outer garment without any hesitation. After all, she was in excruciating pain.
When Yu Baizhou saw a flash of white, he immediately turned around as if there were some ferocious beast in front of him.
She chuckled softly, "Just kidding, I can do it myself." Then, gritting her teeth, she gently tore off the bandage. However, because it hadn't been changed in a long time, some of the blood had dried and stuck the white cloth to her skin, making it much more painful to remove than it had been inserted in the first place.
The woman behind him was breathing heavily, and the rustling sound lingered in Yu Baizhou's mind. He frowned, took a deep breath and turned around. When he saw the injury on her shoulder, his pupils dilated and his face tightened. He couldn't even care less about being shy.
“I’ll do it,” he said, carefully taking the scissors and heating them over the candlelight for a while. He then cut off pieces of the haphazardly wrapped white cloth, carefully tearing apart the stuck parts… as if he were tearing off another layer of skin.
"Does it hurt?" Seeing that Song Ling kept her eyes closed and wouldn't look, he paused, then became even more cautious. "You still went to the Qi army camp, didn't you?"
"Was it those people who hurt you?"
After the dressing was changed and the white bandage was re-wrapped, the man's eyes were somewhat bloodshot, his lips were pursed down, and he exuded a low mood, filled with self-blame, wishing that the injury could be transferred to him.
“I didn’t go into the military camp. This injury… was inflicted by an enemy.” Song Ling raised her right hand and pinched his cheek. “Didn’t you come back safely? A-Zhou, smile…”
“A-Ling, don’t change the subject,” Yu Baizhou said, grabbing her restless hand with a serious expression. “Tomorrow I will send someone to Shannan Prefecture to recuperate. It’s under Su Duan’s control there, so it’s relatively safe for now.”
Song Ling looked up, glancing at him with a rare hint of temper, "What kind of strategist isn't staying in the military camp?"
I'm begging you.
Yu Baizhou was truly terrified, especially after hearing what Chu Yan had told her. He was now afraid that Song Ling might disappear from his sight at any moment.
Whether Chu Yan's words were true or false, Yu Baizhou knew perfectly well that he dared not gamble, nor could he afford to. Just like the momentary panic he felt upon receiving the King of Qi's challenge, if he really had to choose between the people and her, he didn't know.
He didn't know. He was terrified and heartbroken. It felt like his heart had skipped a beat, as if a piece of it was missing.
And then there was Chu Yan's death; he still didn't know how to explain it to her. As a general, life and death on the battlefield were always unpredictable. Chu Yan was like millions of other soldiers, yet he was also different.
For Song Ling, he was different.
“A-Ling,” Yu Baizhou stared intently at her face, unsure how to begin, “Chu Yan…”
The atmosphere instantly calmed down. He couldn't bring himself to say it, and she didn't ask. They both knew the truth.
"Let's not talk about it anymore, let's not talk about it anymore..." It was unclear whether Song Ling was comforting herself or him.
Yu Baizhou did not miss the fleeting sadness in her eyes. Just as Chu Yan said, Song Ling was skilled in divination and had always been a master strategist.
Considering all the instructions she gave in advance, did she really already know that Chu Yan would die? Chu Yan's desperate words from that night echoed in my ears once again. Did Chu Yan know that too?
"All of Huailai's disciples who knew the secret are dead."
Yu Baizhou grew up on the battlefield, and from being trembling with fear at the beginning to becoming numb later, he had long been accustomed to life and death.
But at this moment, he felt a pang of heartache. If Chu Yan had already known his fate, what was his mindset as he stepped onto this battlefield? If Song Ling had already known of her loved ones' impending doom, what was her state of mind as she witnessed all of this unfold...?
Knowing it was a dead end, yet powerless to change it.
"This is the ending he chose for himself." Song Ling's tone was cold, and she was too sad to cry. "Rather than die an unclear death, it's better to do something for the people. At least he died on the battlefield, at least he died meaningfully."
“But it only takes a few years. I only need him to wait a few more years.” Song Ling murmured, her pupils unfocused. “My wine is not worth him staying, neither is Huai Lai, nor the people, nor am I.”
For some, death may be a relief.
A heavy secret, burdened with the deaths of countless people, is a burden, a shackle, and a mountain of pain for a person.
Perhaps Chu Yan had already resolved to die when Sui Yan died. Or perhaps, upon discovering this secret, he simply didn't want to do something so thankless and arduous.
He gently touched the corner of her eye with a finger and wiped away the tears. Only then did Song Ling realize that her eyes had become wet without her noticing.
Yu Baizhou tentatively pulled Song Ling into his arms and gently patted her back. "A Ling, it's okay to cry."
"You can cry."
"I was wounded on the battlefield when I was eighteen. I would cry from the pain when the medic applied medicine to my wounds..."
Hearing this, Song Ling burst into laughter through her tears, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "You really are..."
"Really what?"
"I really like it." Song Ling reached out and wrapped her arms around his waist, unable to suppress a smile. This was the first time she had ever heard someone comforted like this.
Well, no one had ever comforted her before.
Even though he had heard the word "like" from her more than once, Yu Baizhou's heart still raced.
Perhaps it was because Song Ling's personality was too quiet and aloof at first that he could never imagine what it would be like for her to "love" someone.
But he soon found out.
Under the woman's gaze, Yu Baizhou's vision became somewhat unfocused, and a thin layer of sweat slowly appeared on his palms, his back stiff as a log.
Song Ling had originally planned to tease him a bit before returning to her tent, but seeing his appearance now, even the tips of her ears couldn't help but burn. A thought stirred within her, and some unknown idea slowly began to surface.
"General, can you please bow your head?"
The words sounded familiar, but before Yu Baizhou could figure out when he had heard them before, his body had already lowered his head before his brain could process them. "You..."
The sound stopped abruptly.
The herbal scent emanating from her ultimately overpowered the stench of blood, mingling with an unknown, pure fragrance emanating from the woman, all of which rushed into his nostrils.
A soft touch enveloped his lips, and with a gentle caress, the man froze, unable to move. All his senses seemed to converge on one point, his face flushed, and finally, impulse triumphed over reason.
He tentatively raised his hand, one arm around her waist, the other stroking her hair, and gently deepened the kiss.
Both were novices, and at first they stumbled a bit, but slowly they began to figure things out. Their heartbeats pounded, and everything around them seemed to blur; a sweet, intoxicating atmosphere slowly fermented and permeated the cold tent…
Just as Song was about to loosen Yu Baizhou's waistband, he suddenly stepped back a few inches and grasped her restless hand. His breathing was still a little heavy. Looking at the woman's lustrous red lips, his eyes were dark and unfathomable. "No."
Because her eyes were still glistening with tears from her earlier outburst, Song Ling's tone was full of confusion as she stared at him stubbornly and asked, "Why?"
“A-Ling, we’re not married yet.” Yu Baizhou’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he looked away. “A woman’s reputation is very important.”
“If I were to act recklessly, outsiders would at most say that a man is a womanizer, but they would be extremely harsh on a woman.”
Song Ling lowered her eyes, her mood somewhat downcast. "Huai Lai doesn't have these constraints, so I don't care about them."
Where they live, if they like someone, they just say it out loud, then bring them to their family and friends, receive their blessings, and become partners with heaven and earth as witnesses. They don't have so many complicated rules.
That's what she thought, and that's what she told him, with a hint of resentment in her voice, "Since you're so fond of her, let's set up a jar, offer a toast, and then go to the bridal chamber to have a baby. That's how it's done where I'm from."
"You people from the foot of the mountain have so many rules."
Yu Baizhou rarely saw this childlike side of her, and the corners of his lips couldn't help but turn up. Suppressing the passion in his heart, he gently kissed the corner of her mouth to comfort her, "Then how about A-Ling sets the rules from now on?"
"I still want to save up more betrothal gifts for A-Ling."
There are rules on the mountain, and there are also regulations at the foot of the mountain. A man with even a modicum of conscience shouldn't wrong the woman he loves, and he was no exception.
Yu Baizhou nuzzled against her, pressing his nose against her forehead, and said ingratiatingly, "Besides, A-Ling is injured. Shall I take you back to your tent?"
Song Ling didn't know why she was in such a hurry. Perhaps it was because the person she met this time had made her panic and made her eager to seek real comfort and warmth.
"good……"
Song Ling's tent wasn't large, but its furnishings were far more exquisite than the main tent. Someone had purchased quite a few things for her this time.
Yu Baizhou's thinking was actually quite simple. His military camp was full of men, so a rough lifestyle wouldn't be a problem. But even if Song Ling was independent, she was still a girl. Living in a military camp was already inconvenient enough, so even if she didn't say anything, he should have prepared more for her.
Therefore, he made a special trip to Shannan Prefecture to inquire about Qi Man and Wu Sheng. However, there's no need to go into details.
The night after the snow was truly cold; even wearing thick clothes, one couldn't help but feel chilly. Yu Baizhou lit a charcoal fire, which finally drove away some of the chill.
There had been no fighting these past few days, and he would take his quilt out to air it every day. Although it was a bit cold, it wasn't damp.
Song Ling could tell just by touching it, and a warmth welled up in her heart. Their general was indeed meticulous.
"It was my fault for not thinking things through. I should have let Jinghe start a fire first." Yu Baizhou sat down next to her, a hint of annoyance in his eyes.
After waiting for a while, the tent warmed up, and he prepared to leave. But just as he stood up, the woman grabbed his waistband again and asked him softly, "General, are you so heartless? Can't you stay and keep me company?"
“I’m cold,” Song Ling said, her eyes lowered, her fingers clenching slightly as if she had thought of something. “I’m also afraid of the cold.”
Yu Baizhou couldn't bear to see her looking so aggrieved. The word "rejection" stuck in his throat, unable to come out.
He held her hand; her fingertips were terribly cold. Even though the surroundings had warmed up, it felt as if her body contained many blocks of ice.
Her words kept replaying in his mind, but all that remained was her fear of the cold, and a string in his heart finally snapped.
"good."
"I'll stay with you."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com