Xie Yun looked at Zheng Wanqing in his arms, with dried tears on his eyelashes. His eyes inadvertently swept across the dark red on the bed sheet, like a plum petal falling in the snow, particularly eye-catching. His fingertips gently stroked the faint fingerprints left on her wrist last night, the touch was delicate and real, as if he was recalling the tenderness of last night.
"Young Marshal..." There was a knock on the door from outside.
Xie Yun frowned slightly, subconsciously pulled the blanket over and wrapped the person in his arms tightly, then responded in a deep voice: "Come in."
Two maids walked in with their heads down, taking small steps, their eyes fixed on the carpet under their feet, not daring to glance around. The older one held the gilded copper basin steadily in her hands. The hot water in the basin was steaming, and dried osmanthus flowers were floating on the water, and the elegant fragrance filled the air. The younger maid held a neatly folded moon-white middle-length gown, with silver thread winding branches carefully embroidered on the collar, which shone softly and delicately in the dim light.
Xie Yun looked calm and ordered in an orderly manner: "Change the sheets. Tidy up and go out." After that, he picked up Zheng Wanqing, who was wrapped in a blanket with only a blushing face exposed, and walked towards the bathroom.
The maids responded, their eyes fell on the bright red on the bed sheet, and they immediately understood what was going on. Their faces flushed instantly, and they lowered their heads and began to change the bed sheets with numb hands and feet. Zheng Wanqing saw this scene and felt a wave of heat rushing to her cheeks. She was so embarrassed that she quickly pressed her face tightly against Xie Yun's chest, wishing she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
The bathroom was filled with steam, and the hot air was filled with the faint scent of soap. Xie Yun carried Zheng Wanqing to the enamel bathtub, leaned over slightly, stretched out his hand to test the water temperature, and when he felt it was just right, he put her in. Zheng Wanqing was about to struggle to get up when his strong hand pressed her shoulder, and he whispered, "Don't move."
Xie Yun picked up the sandalwood soap and gently wiped her back. Zheng Wanqing only felt a cool sensation on her back, but when Xie Yun's palm touched her waist, she suddenly straightened her back. There were still a few red marks there, which had turned slightly purple.
"Does it still hurt?" The voice was three inches softer than the warm water in the bathtub. "I lost an inch last night."
Zheng Wanqing hurriedly shook her head, but before she could speak, Xie Yun pulled her chin over. Xie Yun picked up a soft towel, dipped it in warm water, and wiped the corners of her red eyes bit by bit: "Wash first, then have some porridge." His thumb rubbed across her slightly swollen lips, and a hint of pampering flashed in his eyes, "In the afternoon..." Suddenly, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, and he chuckled, "If you still have energy, I'll teach you how to disassemble a gun."
"Really?" Zheng Wanqing's eyes suddenly lit up, and water droplets slowly slid from her collarbone into the bucket, creating tiny ripples on the water surface.
"Really." He said with a smile.
After breakfast, Zheng Wanqing clung to Xie Yun like a little tail, eager to learn how to disassemble the pistol. Xie Yun looked at her anxious look and nodded with a smile: "I'll teach you right away."
He walked to the quaint mahogany cabinet in the study, opened the top drawer, and took out an object wrapped in dark blue velvet. He unfolded the velvet to reveal a Browning pistol with a dull luster.
This gun has a unique historical charm, the lines of the gun body are smooth and elegant, the metal parts are a little oxidized, showing a dull luster of years. The wooden part on the handle has a delicate texture, and the edges have been polished to be round and smooth, obviously after countless grips, and there are still a few fine scratches on the trigger guard.
Xie Yun took the gun in his hand, stroked it gently, and a hint of nostalgia appeared in his eyes.
"This gun was my first practice pistol when I was in Baoding Military Academy. At that time, I was still a young boy, full of passion and yearning for the military."
His thumb rubbed the worn area on the gun handle. "Every day after lights out, I would secretly practice disassembly and assembly in bed until my fingers were covered with blisters."
Zheng Wanqing looked at him in surprise: "You also get blisters from rubbing?" In her impression, Xie Yun was always the invincible young general who would never have any clumsy moments.
"Of course. We were the first cavalry to use German machinery. I was at a loss when I got the gun for the first time. In my first year at the military academy, I was the slowest at disassembling the gun." He turned the gun to let the sun shine on the barrel. "This gun has accompanied me through countless days and nights, witnessing my sweat and hard work. Later, in the graduation assessment, I ranked first in the whole school, and the instructor gave me this gun."
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