Chapter 137 Beware of Stomach Aches
Ye Wanning carried a basin of grain to the pigeon coop. As soon as she opened the coop door, the pigeons fluttered their wings and swarmed towards her, some even landing on her arms. She was covered in grain, and a few grains even stuck to her hair.
"Oh dear!" Ye Wanning hurriedly reached out to brush them off, but there were too many pigeons, and the more she brushed, the more they got on her, making her look particularly disheveled.
"These pigeons are getting more and more disobedient." Pei Zhi's voice came from behind him. He had just returned from the military camp and was carrying a cloak.
Seeing Ye Wanning like this, he quickly ran over, took out a clean handkerchief from his pocket, and helped her wipe the grain off her body: "I'll feed her next time, you just stand by and watch."
As he spoke, he took the grain bowl from Ye Wanning's hand and gently scattered it into the cage. The pigeons immediately swarmed around and stopped flying at people.
While scattering the millet, Pei Zhi said to Ye Wanning, "These pigeons need to be fed slowly. If you scatter them too quickly, they will try to snatch them."
Seeing how skillfully he fed the pigeons, Ye Wanning couldn't help but ask, "When did you learn to feed pigeons?"
“Little Bean fed it last time. I saw him feed it once and he learned how.” Pei Zhi smiled and reached into the cage to pick up a white pigeon. The pigeon was very well-behaved and nestled directly in his hand.
He handed the pigeon to Ye Wanning: "Look, this pigeon is the best-behaved, just like you."
Ye Wanning reached out and touched the pigeon's feathers; they were so soft. The pigeon rubbed against her palm, feeling warm, and she chuckled.
Pei Zhi smiled, his eyes full of tenderness: "Your smile is cuter than a dove's."
After feeding the pigeons, Pei Zhi helped Ye Wanning put on a cloak and tied the straps: "It's getting dark and the wind is chilly, don't catch a cold."
His fingers touched her neck; they were warm, and a warmth spread through her heart. The two sat on a stone bench, watching the pigeons pecking at their food in their cages. The setting sun painted the sky orange-red, and the pigeons' feathers shimmered.
Ye Wanning leaned on Pei Zhi's shoulder and whispered, "I wish every day could be like this."
Pei Zhi held her hand, his fingertips tracing her palm: "I will. Every evening from now on, I will come to feed the pigeons, watch them grow, and watch them have baby pigeons."
The study was quiet at night, except for the crackling of the candlelight and the soft rustling of turning pages. Ye Wanning was lying there reading a medical book, a pen in her hand, occasionally jotting down notes on the table, forgetting even to drink her tea.
Pei Zhi sat opposite her reading a military book, but his eyes kept drifting towards her every few minutes. Seeing her frowning and biting her pen, and reaching for the cold tea on the table, Pei Zhi quickly put down his book, went over, and held her hand to stop her from drinking.
"Don't drink it cold, or you'll get a stomachache." Ye Wanning looked up and realized that the tea had gone cold. She was a little embarrassed: "I was so engrossed in watching that I didn't notice."
Pei Zhi didn't say anything, picked up the teacup and walked towards the door. After a while, he returned with a steaming cup of tea and handed it to her—it was ginger and jujube tea, which she had mentioned before as being warming in winter.
"It's freshly boiled, be careful it's hot." His fingers touched her fingertips, and he felt that her hands were very cold, so he took them to warm them up. "Don't forget to drink hot tea while reading, your hands are so cold."
Pei Zhi sat down beside her, gently tucking her loose hair behind her ear with his other hand. His fingertips inadvertently brushed against her earlobe, making her shiver slightly from the coolness.
Ye Wanning's ears turned red instantly. She lowered her head and sipped the ginger and jujube tea. The sweet, warm tea slid down her throat, making her feel warm inside. When she looked up, she met Pei Zhi's gaze.
His eyes shone especially brightly in the candlelight, full of tenderness, which startled her so much that her heart skipped a beat.
"What's this page about?" Pei Zhi pointed to her medical book to change the subject and prevent her from getting more nervous.
Ye Wanning quickly pointed to the words in the book and explained to him, "This is about how to treat colds. It says to boil perilla and ginger in water, and it works quite well. If Xiaodouzi catches a cold next time, we can use this prescription."
Pei Zhi listened attentively, nodding occasionally and asking her a few questions. Their conversation gradually flowed, and the earlier awkwardness slowly dissipated.
The candle flame burned shorter and shorter, and Ye Wanning yawned, her eyes almost closing.
"Tired?" Pei Zhi smiled and helped her close the book. "Go to sleep after you finish this page. I'll keep you company."
His hand was still holding hers, not letting go, the warmth of his fingertips seeping through her skin, making her not want to let go.
Just as dawn broke, the gate to the backyard of the General's Mansion was pushed open a crack. Ye Wanning carried a bamboo basket, wearing a thin cloak, and walked lightly, as if afraid of waking the flowers and trees in the flowerbed.
Pei Zhi had been complaining of a headache for the past two days. Remembering that mint could be refreshing, she thought she would go to the back mountain to pick some fresh mint before the morning mist dissipated...
She knew the path to the back of the mountain well, but the fog was much thicker than usual today. After walking a few steps, all she could see was a cloud of white fog, and the jujube trees by the roadside were just blurry silhouettes. Only the fresh scent of mint drifted over with the fog, enticing her to walk deeper into the mountains.
"It should be around here." Ye Wanning squatted down, parted the roadside grass, and sure enough, saw a clump of lush green mint. The leaves were covered with morning dew, and when she touched them, the cool water dripped through her fingers.
She carefully picked the mint tips, wanting to gather more so she could make tea or dry them and put them in her medicine box. But as she picked, just as she was about to stand up and move to another spot, she suddenly wanted to look back.
She turned around and was stunned—the path she had come from was completely obscured by fog, and she couldn't even find the stone she had marked earlier. She tried to walk back a few steps to find her way, but the fog only grew thicker. Besides the sound of her own footsteps, she could hear the occasional chirping of birds.
A moment later, an oil-paper umbrella emerged from the fog, and the figure beneath it drew closer. Pei Zhi saw her and quickly stepped forward, reaching out to grab her wrist. His fingertips brushed against the fog clinging to the back of her hand, and he frowned: "Why didn't you wait for someone to come out on their own? It's easy to slip and fall in this fog."
Ye Wanning noticed the fog on his shoulders and felt a little embarrassed: "I wanted to pick some mint for you to make tea, but I'm afraid it won't be good if the sun comes out later."
Pei Zhi didn't argue with her, but instead tilted the umbrella sharply towards her. He raised his other hand and gently pressed his fingertips through her hair—where a small piece of grass was stuck.
"Call me next time you pick mint." His voice softened, his fingertips brushing against her scalp, causing a slight itch. "You can't even see the road in this fog. If I hadn't come to find you, were you planning to wait here until noon?"
Ye Wanning's ears turned red instantly, and she lowered her head to continue picking mint: "I originally wanted to find it myself."
He smiled and squatted down to pick mint alongside her. His hands were bigger than hers, so he picked the mint quickly and accurately, and he didn't forget to teach her: "Pinch the top two or three leaves, don't break the stem, so it can grow again next time."
The morning dew quickly soaked the hems of their clothes. Ye Wanning noticed out of the corner of her eye that half of Pei Zhi's shoulder was completely wet, and his cloak clung to his body, revealing the texture of the fabric underneath. "Move the umbrella over to your side, it's all wet," she said, reaching out to push the umbrella handle.
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