Chapter 138 Even breathing became softer.
"It's okay, I'm not cold." Pei Zhi held her hand and continued picking mint. "Just make sure you don't get cold. If you catch a cold, who will make me mint tea?"
Ye Wanning stopped arguing and simply quickened her pace in picking the mint. The bamboo basket was soon full, and the refreshing scent of mint mingled with the moisture from their clothes—it smelled wonderful.
Pei Zhi picked up the bamboo basket and let her walk inside, while he walked along the side of the road, reminding her from time to time, "Watch your step, that stone is slippery."
The fog slowly dissipated, and sunlight streamed through the gaps, falling on the ground like shattered gold. As they neared the foot of the mountain, Ye Wanning suddenly noticed that Pei Zhi's shoes were covered in mud—clearly, he hadn't been watching where he was going while searching for her.
“Your shoes are dirty,” Ye Wanning pointed to the tips of his shoes.
Pei Zhi glanced down and laughed nonchalantly, "If it gets dirty, you can wash it when you get back. As long as you're okay, that's fine." He took out a piece of candy from his pocket, unwrapped it, and held it to her lips. "You must have been scared just now. Have some candy to sweeten your mouth."
Ye Wanning opened her mouth and took the candy in; the cool mint flavor mixed with the sweetness warmed her from the tip of her tongue to her heart. Pei Zhi turned his face to the side, sunlight falling on his eyelashes, even softening the furrowed brows he had just been carrying.
The afternoon sun slanted into the room, falling on the needle and thread of the embroidery hoop on the windowsill. Ye Wanning sat by the window, holding a needle in her hand, threading a dark brown thread—this was the second tiger pouch she was embroidering for Pei Zhi.
Last time, her embroidery looked like a cat. This time, she practiced for several days and finally got the stitches neat. But when she got to the tiger's eyes, something just didn't look right. "Why is it crooked again?" She pricked the embroidery hoop with a needle, glared at the little circle on the pouch with dissatisfaction, and sighed.
The tiger's body was all embroidered, except for the eyes. She adjusted them again and again, but the eyes were either too round or too flat, making her so angry she wanted to throw her purse away.
"Are you being stubborn about a purse?" Pei Zhi walked in from the door with a smile, holding a sugar painting she had just bought—a tiger, which matched the purse she was going to embroider.
He walked over, bent down, and stared at the crooked eyes next to her, unable to help but laugh out loud: "This is much better than the cat-like one from last time; at least it's a tiger."
"Still laughing!" Ye Wanning rolled her eyes at him, trying to hide the embroidery hoop, but Pei Zhi held her hand down. He pulled over a chair and sat down, picked up the silk thread from the edge of the embroidery hoop, and chose a dark black one: "I'll teach you how to embroider eyes that are more expressive."
His hand held hers, his fingertips calloused yet remarkably steady. The needle pierced her fingertips, slowly weaving into the cloth, his voice warm and gentle beside her ear. Ye Wanning's ears flushed instantly, and she even softened her breathing.
She could feel the warmth of his palm creeping up his fingertips, and his breath brushing against her earlobe. It tickled her so much she wanted to run away, but she couldn't bear to.
"Yes, that's it, slowly fill it in." Pei Zhi held her hand and carefully filled the black lines into the circle. Her originally slanted eyes gradually became round and even slightly upturned, as if they had come to life.
After finishing the last stitch, Ye Wanning breathed a sigh of relief and was about to pull out the needle when Pei Zhi stopped her. He picked up the purse and examined it from all angles, his mouth almost reaching his ears: "My wife's hands are truly skillful. The tiger's eyes are even more spirited than those in a sugar painting."
As he spoke, he untied the jade pendant from his waist, tied the purse to it, and deliberately straightened his back as he walked around the room: "Look, it's perfect hanging here, more precious than any jade pendant."
Seeing his childish appearance, Ye Wanning couldn't help but laugh: "You're showing off as soon as you tie it on. When the guards come to report, they'll laugh at you."
"Let whoever wants to laugh laugh." Pei Zhi walked up to her, bent down and brought his face close to hers. "This was embroidered by my wife. I can show it off however I want."
Just as he finished speaking, a guard's voice came from outside the door: "General, the official document from the Ministry of War has arrived."
Ye Wanning quickly pushed him, "Go on, don't keep them waiting."
Pei Zhi didn't move. Instead, he lifted the purse up a bit before opening the door and leaving. Ye Wanning, sitting by the window, could hear him talking to the guards. She even pointed to the purse and said, "This was embroidered for me by my wife. Isn't it beautiful?"
The guard seemed stunned for a moment before replying, "Beautiful! Madam's cooking is truly excellent!"
Ye Wanning's face flushed red instantly. She covered her face with her hands, but couldn't help laughing. When Pei Zhi returned, she teased him deliberately, "Now the whole mansion knows you're carrying a tiger-shaped purse."
Pei Zhi walked over, took out a piece of sky-blue brocade from his pocket, and handed it to her: "I've looked at this fabric. The color is the same as what you said last time. Next time, embroider a rabbit for me, okay?"
The afternoon sun warmed the stones by the stream. Ye Wanning squatted on one of them, holding a moon-white handkerchief in her hand—the one Pei Zhi had accidentally stained with ink while writing military treatises in his study yesterday.
She dipped her finger in soapberry water and rubbed the ink stain vigorously. But the ink stain seemed to be stuck to the fabric; after rubbing for a long time, it only faded a little, and her wrist turned red.
"If you keep scrubbing like that, you'll tear the handkerchief." A familiar voice came from behind. Ye Wanning turned around and saw Pei Zhi carrying a food box, walking briskly towards her.
He wasn't wearing armor today, just a plain cloth robe with his trousers rolled up to his knees, revealing his muscular calves—clearly he had just returned from the military camp and hadn't had time to change.
"I've been washing it for ages and I still can't get it off." Ye Wanning said, a little discouraged, and threw the handkerchief on the stone. "I should have just sent it out to be washed."
“Nothing sent out to be washed can be as clean as what Madam washes.” Pei Zhi squatted down beside her, picked up a handkerchief and put it into the wooden basin filled with warm water next to her. “Ink stains need to be soaked in warm water first, then add some soap and rub the edges. Just rubbing hard won’t work.”
He was very skillful; holding a corner of the handkerchief, he rubbed the ink stain back and forth. The soapy water quickly foamed, and the ink stain slowly faded. Watching this, Ye Wanning couldn't help but ask, "How do you even know how to wash a handkerchief?"
“At the border, where would you find maids to wash things?” Pei Zhi chuckled, then suddenly flicked some water onto her face. The cool water droplets landed on her nose, and Ye Wanning shrank back before realizing he had done it on purpose.
"Pei Zhi! How dare you splash me!" Ye Wanning scooped up some water and splashed it on him. Pei Zhi smiled and didn't dodge, nor did he actually move away. Instead, he slowed down and let her water splash on his arms.
Water droplets slid down his sleeve, soaking a large patch of cloth. The two chased and laughed by the stream, he running and she chasing, splashing high into the water, making even the reeds on the side sway and nod.
Pei Zhi deliberately slowed his pace, waiting for her to catch up. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms. His chest, still warm from the outside, enveloped her back, instantly calming her down.
"If you keep making a fuss, your clothes will get wet." He looked down at her, his eyes full of laughter. "You'll catch a cold when you get back."
Ye Wanning leaned against him, able to hear his steady heartbeat and the sound of flowing water. A little embarrassed, she reached out to push him away, saying, "Let go quickly, it's not good if others see."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com