She carefully took off her clothes and crawled into bed, but tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.
She had slept on Zheng Dinglian's back all afternoon and wasn't very sleepy to begin with. Now, the bedding was filled with his scent, making her restless.
But she dared not move around. The tent was so small that he could hear every little sound. Therefore, she could only try to remain calm and avoid making any movements.
Zheng Dinglian's hearing was exceptionally sharp; every breath she took was like a gentle breeze, not escaping his ears. Realizing she hadn't yet fallen asleep, he sheepishly abandoned his attempt to reach the bed. However, he couldn't calm himself down to do anything else, so he remained silently waiting at his desk.
And so, the two remained in silent confrontation until the night deepened, when Gu Qinlan finally succumbed to exhaustion and drifted off to sleep in a half-awake state.
After confirming that she was fast asleep, Zheng Dinglian carefully approached the bedside, quietly removed his outer clothes, and then silently slipped into the quilt.
Normally, he could fall asleep instantly once he lay down. But tonight, he couldn't sleep no matter what he did.
He lay stiffly on the bed, afraid that any movement would disturb her peace. However, he did not find it to be torture.
A light sniff revealed her faint, delicate fragrance, and the soft, even breathing of her was audible. A simple turn of the head revealed her peaceful sleeping face.
This feeling was hard to describe in words, but Zheng Dinglian's heart was filled with peace and joy.
Although they still seemed like strangers to each other, it seemed that only she could give them this peace of mind.
Zheng Dinglian gazed at her, savoring the emotion, until the dawn quietly broke.
When Gu Qinlan woke up, Zheng Dinglian was no longer in the tent.
She glanced at the empty spot beside her; the sheets were smooth as water. She mistakenly assumed that Zheng Dinglian hadn't gone to bed last night, and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
"Girl, is it time to get up?"
Fuyu's voice came through the curtain.
Gu Qinlan responded.
Fuyu entered the tent and carefully helped Gu Qinlan get up and wash.
“Miss, I’ve heard that there’s a female physician by the young master’s side named Meiyun. I’ve observed her and I think she’s quite cunning.”
Gu Qinlan said nonchalantly, "The Crown Prince already told me about her background last night. Her brother died a heroic death on the battlefield and entrusted her to the Crown Prince's care."
She believed what Zheng Dinglian said.
In her previous life, she had vaguely heard about Mei's background. Her brother had sacrificed himself on the battlefield to shield Zheng Dinglian from a fatal blow, which was why Zheng Dinglian treated her with great respect.
But Zheng Dinglian didn't mention any of this last night, and his attitude towards Mei Yun seemed indifferent, which made Gu Qinlan guess that perhaps the situation had changed in this life.
As they were talking, the tent flap was suddenly lifted, and a figure nimbly rushed in, then landed in front of Gu Qinlan with a thud.
"Madam, my daughter has a favor to ask of you. I implore you to lend a helping hand."
The visitor was none other than Mei Yun, whom we just mentioned.
Gu Qinlan gestured for Fuyu to help her up quickly.
But Meiyun refused Fuyu's help: "If Madam does not agree to help me, I will not get up."
Gu Qinlan smiled slightly: "Miss Mei, are you coercing me?"
Meiyun bit her lip: "This humble girl wouldn't dare, this humble girl just..."
Gu Qinlan interrupted her: "You say you wouldn't dare, but your behavior is quite presumptuous. I have never met Miss Mei before, and I don't know how I can help you. If Miss Mei insists on not getting up, then so be it. Fuyu, let's go have breakfast first."
After saying that, Gu Qinlan led Fuyu outside.
Mei Yun was surprised by Gu Qinlan's response and hurriedly said, "Madam, please plead with the Prince. I do not want to be transferred to the capital. I want to stay in the military camp here."
Gu Qinlan calmly scrutinized her: "I'm sorry, I can't agree to this favor. Since you are a member of the military, how can I, a mere woman, have the right to interfere in military affairs?"
Seeing that Gu Qinlan was determined to leave, Meiyun quickly crawled to her side and pleaded, "Madam, you can definitely do it. The general will listen to your advice. Please help me. I really don't want to leave here. Oh, and I need to stay here to treat Miss Luofeng's injuries. Her injuries are severe, and ordinary military doctors are not up to the task."
Gu Qinlan remained steadfast in her stance and refused to compromise easily.
Although she still couldn't figure out why Zheng Dinglian wanted to transfer Meiyun to the capital, her intuition told her that Meiyun longed to stay in the military camp, or more accurately, she wanted to stay by Zheng Dinglian's side.
Since she arrived on this land last night, Mei Yun has silently revealed her inner thoughts through her actions.
She deliberately demonstrated her unique position in Zheng Dinglian's eyes in front of Gu Qinlan.
Fortunately, Zheng Dinglian's reaction satisfied Gu Qinlan.
He demonstrated his respect for and commitment through his actions.
Although she didn't know how long Zheng Dinglian's determination would last, she didn't intend to test him.
After a night of deep thought, she finally came to a decision. Since Zheng Dinglian was willing to make such a promise to her, she might as well trust him this once.
However, she will no longer devote all her energy to a man like she did in her previous life, helping him reach the pinnacle of his career at all costs.
She plans to invest all her resources in herself.
Only when she truly becomes strong will she have enough confidence and ability to turn away even if Zheng Dinglian breaks his promise one day.
As for whether Zheng Dinglian would be ungrateful like Ji Yinli, she believed that Zheng Dinglian was not that kind of person.
Having figured all this out, Gu Qinlan quickly adjusted her mindset.
“Miss Meiyun, the Prince and I are extremely grateful for your help in saving Luofeng, but since the Prince has decided to send you to the capital, he must have his reasons. As his wife, I have no right to interfere with his decision.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Gu Qinlan turned to leave.
Meiyun suddenly put aside all her concerns and cried out, "Madam, I am deeply in love with the Prince and only wish to stay by his side to serve him. Please grant me your request."
Gu Qinlan's steps came to an abrupt halt.
Fuyu's face turned ashen with anger. She scolded in a low voice, "How could you utter such shameless words? You are utterly shameless! Get out of here and don't offend my lady's eyes!"
Normally, Fuyu would affectionately call Gu Qinlan "Miss," but at this moment, in order to highlight Gu Qinlan's status, she couldn't help but change her address, her tone full of anger.
Meiyun gritted her teeth and said resolutely, "I can't care about that anymore. Madam, before my brother passed away, he entrusted me to the Crown Prince, and he promised to take good care of me."
Gu Qinlan smiled slightly: "Since it's his promise, you should go find him. What he promised is none of my business."
Mei Yun raised her head and met Gu Qinlan's gaze firmly: "Because you are his wife, as a wife, you should assist your husband in handling household affairs. The Crown Prince values his promises, and since he has promised our country, he will certainly not abandon me. However, the Crown Prince also values etiquette, and he will not bypass you to accept me."
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