At night, Zheng Wanqing sat in front of the mirror, combing her hair slowly from the roots to the ends. Her long black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, with a satin-like luster in the candlelight.
A figure suddenly appeared in the mirror.
Xie Yun had stood behind her without knowing when, wearing a moon-white satin nightgown loosely draped over his body, with his belt untied, revealing a large area of his bronze chest. He stared at his wife in the mirror with a heavy gaze, his expression as if he was about to say something but was reflected by the flickering candlelight.
"What's wrong?" Zheng Wanqing stopped what she was doing and asked him through the mirror.
Xie Yun took the comb from her hand and brushed the back of her hand with his fingertips inadvertently, causing a slight shudder.
He gently combed her scattered hair, "Beijing..." He said in a low voice with some hesitation, "I need to go there."
He paused while combing his hair, and Zheng Wanqing saw from the mirror that he frowned slightly.
Xie Yun continued, "I have just taken over the garrison, and there are still many things to deal with." He ran his fingers through her long hair, skillfully twirling a strand and entwining it between his fingers, "It will take about... a month before I can return."
In the bronze mirror, Zheng Wanqing's shoulders suddenly tensed, then slowly relaxed: "When are you leaving?" Her voice was so calm that no ripples could be heard.
"The day after tomorrow at three quarter past the hour of the first lunar month. From now on... I'm afraid I'll have to stay in Peking for a long time." As he finished speaking, the word "long" sounded heavy.
Zheng Wanqing lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes casting a shadow under her eyes. She turned around and held his hand, "When you are settled..." Her fingertips gently stroked his palm, leaving a faint touch, "I will go over."
"The Xie family's old house has a lot of things to do." Xie Yun leaned over and put his mouth close to her ear. The hot air from his breath brushed against her sensitive earlobe. He looked at the skin there quickly turning pink with satisfaction. "I have a separate courtyard in Beijing, which is more spacious than the old house..." He hesitated again and lowered his voice a few notes. "If you don't want to, you can stay in Tianjin. Anyway, the two places are not far away..."
Zheng Wanqing pinched his palm gently, and when she looked up, a sly look flashed in her eyes: "Could it be that the young marshal is going to learn from those young men and build a golden house in Beiping to hide his mistress when he goes north this time?" She deliberately dragged out the last syllable, her red lips slightly raised, revealing a mischievous smile.
Xie Yun chuckled softly, and the vibration from his chest could be heard through their pressed bodies.
"Madam, you are wise..." His palm was large and warm, easily enveloping her tender hands. He exerted a little force with his knuckles, interlocking his fingers with hers, and the veins on the bronze back of his hand, which were clearly defined by the joints, were faintly visible, contrasting with the light blue veins on her snow-white skin.
"Even my wife is overwhelmed these days, how can I spare the energy for others?"
Zheng Wanqing's ears suddenly felt hot, but she forced herself to raise her chin and acted arrogantly: "You don't have the guts to do that." Before she finished her words, Xie Yun had already pinched her rosy cheeks, his eyes full of doting.
"Wanqing." He suddenly became serious, with a rare worry between his brows, "You have your father-in-law and brother to take care of you in Tianjin, and you have gotten used to living there."
A hint of understanding flashed across Zheng Wanqing's eyes. She gently broke away from her husband's hand and turned to hold his face.
"Yumin," she said softly but firmly, "Does this mean that the city of Beiping cannot survive because of what I have done?"
Xie Yun's eyes moved slightly, and then he chuckled.
He knelt on one knee, his eyes level with hers, and gently stroked her soft lips with his thumb: "I was confused. How could I not know Mr. Qingwu's name?"
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