Chapter 21 Eastern Expedition Against Lü Bu (Part 5) Naturally… the body would involuntarily…
The carriage drove into the Chen residence courtyard and had not yet come to a complete stop when Guo Jia called out anxiously, "Say Yi!"
Upon hearing the sound, Deng Jie immediately leaned out of the car window and saw Guo Jia walking briskly towards them, followed by Chen Qun, who looked displeased.
As soon as the car came to a stop, Guo Jia rushed to the front of the car, lifted the curtain, and saw that Xun Wei had stepped out first. He paused, instantly suppressing his anxiety, and calmly made a "please" gesture.
Xun Wei glanced at him, then calmly leaned on the carriage shaft and prepared to get off.
At this moment, Chen Qun also approached and naturally extended his arm, steadily handing it to Xun Wei.
The handshake and the support were performed with fluid and practiced movements, clearly a daily habit.
Inside the car, Deng Jie and outside, Guo Jia exchanged a knowing glance, their lips curving into a slight smile as they chuckled to themselves.
Once Xun Wei had landed and was standing firmly, Deng Jie also leaned out.
Guo Jia immediately stepped forward, opened his arms and wrapped them around Deng Jie's slender waist, lifting her steadily off the carriage. "Why didn't you say anything before running off? I was terrified when I heard you were going to find Hou Cheng!"
Held in Deng Jie's arms, Deng Jie proudly showed him the bronze plaque from the Marquis's residence: "Look! Thanks to Shen Ge, we escaped unscathed!"
Both ladies were overjoyed, seeing their husbands' astonished expressions.
"You...you guys are like this?!" Guo Jia's gaze swept between Deng Jie and Xun Wei, incredulous. "And after visiting the Marquis's residence, their relationship has become this good?"
Chen Qun gently led Xun Wei aside and asked in a low voice, "Madam... that Hou Cheng is uncouth, did he cause you any trouble? Is he hurt?"
As he said this, he began to carefully examine his wife.
Xun Wei, however, ignored his concerned gaze and called out loudly with a grin, "It's nothing! Shuo Yi put in a lot of effort! He even held a knife to Hou Cheng for me!"
"A knife?!" Guo Jia and Chen Qun exclaimed in unison, their expressions changing drastically.
The two immediately transformed into tense prosecutors.
Guo Jia grabbed Deng Jie and examined him from head to toe, while Chen Qun disregarded etiquette and pulled Xun Wei's wrist to examine his neck and arms closely.
"Are you really alright? There's no need for this..."
Deng Jie was still comforting Guo Jia when he pulled her into his arms before she could finish speaking, saying, "You promised not to take risks easily, yet you went behind my back... and even used a knife..."
Deng Jie's heart softened, and she hugged him back and patted him gently, "It's alright... I'm sorry..." She buried her face in his shoulder.
Just as Chen Qun was about to speak, Xun Wei stopped him, saying, "Let's go see if dinner is ready." He had no choice but to reluctantly follow Xun Wei away.
Dinner was served in the elegant hall. Four tables were neatly arranged, clearly separated from each other.
Guo Jia frowned upon seeing this. Remembering how Chen Qun had clearly cared for Xun Wei earlier, he deliberately walked to his desk, picked up the food tray, and placed it on Deng Jie's desk. "Brother Changwen, you two need to eat at separate tables. Isn't that too formal? I can't get used to it."
Then, Chao Dengjie made arrangements, "Come on, let's be as lively as we are at home!"
Deng Jie understood Guo Jia's meaning and gladly took his seat.
Chen Qun watched Guo Jia's utterly unruly behavior, and then saw that his wife hadn't objected. A vein throbbed on his forehead. He suppressed his anger and sat down on the opposite side.
Ignoring Chen Qun's dark face, Guo Jia picked up a piece of fish and naturally offered it to Deng Jie's lips, his eyes gentle and smiling: "Say yes, try this fish, it's extremely fresh."
Deng Jie, used to this, smiled and opened her mouth to take it, chewing and savoring it carefully: "Mmm, indeed delicious!"
Seeing this public display of intimacy, Chen Qun frowned deeply, slammed down his chopsticks, and exclaimed in anguish, "Guo Fengxiao! One should not speak while eating or sleeping! The proper way for husband and wife to be together is to treat each other with respect. Such intimacy in public... what kind of decorum is this!"
He got up and started complaining without thinking: "I really don't understand how my father-in-law could have taken a liking to you and recommended you for an official position twice!"
Upon hearing this, Xun Wei choked and almost spat it out again.
Guo Jia, however, didn't care at all, lazily picking at the fish bones, not even wanting to lift his eyelids: "Compared to formalities, Wenruo cares more about Jia's sincerity!"
Although he thought of Xun Yu, who had suffered various mental traumas in Xudu, he suppressed the mischievous glint in his eyes.
"He has a keen eye for people, and naturally knows that although Jia is unconventional and never hides his true feelings, compared to some people... who are perfectly clear-headed but insist on putting on airs, making even their closest friends and family struggle to guess what's going on, yet they don't seem to get tired of it?"
Although these words were spoken to Chen Qun, they also seemed to drift into Xun Wei's ears unnoticed.
Deng Jie also noticed Xun Wei's silence, and recalled Xun Wei's whisper in the carriage that Chen Qun was "more polite than charming," and a thought struck her.
She also mustered her courage and said, "Young Master Chen, you always talk about etiquette and rules, but you are so kind to Shen Ge! Just like when she got out of the carriage, you immediately reached out your arm to help her, how considerate! But..."
She glanced at Xun Wei, "You're just being too 'respectful'! Fengxiao may seem unruly, but he never hides his feelings for me. I know his intentions, and naturally I'm happy with them. Shenge is so good, you should relax a bit and not always be so tense..."
As she spoke, she winked at Xun Wei, "Shen Ge, you should try it too, don't let him be the only one putting on airs!"
Xun Wei blushed at Deng Jie's blunt and bold encouragement. He subconsciously looked at Chen Qun and saw that he was also surprised. A spark of desire to "give it a try" was actually ignited in his heart.
Seeing Xun Wei's seemingly eager yet forced composure, Guo Jia chuckled inwardly and decided to add another match to the fire.
He deliberately moved a couple of inches closer to Deng Jie, saying, "Look at that 'Young Master Chen,' sitting so upright, his eyes never straying, truly a gentleman! Unlike me, I can't help but want to sit next to you, wanting to serve you food, afraid you won't eat enough..."
Perhaps it was Guo Jia's smug little look that spurred her on, or perhaps it was Deng Jie's encouraging gaze that gave her courage, or perhaps it was her deep-seated competitive spirit that stirred within her, a surge of unwillingness to admit defeat rising in her chest.
Xun Wei placed his food tray on Chen Qun's table. While Chen Qun was still in shock, Xun Wei suddenly reached out with his chopsticks, picked up a piece of mutton from Chen Qun's food tray, and with a resolute determination, held it straight to Chen Qun's slightly swollen mouth, as if he wanted to say something.
"You...you should try this too!" Xun Wei's voice was forced with composure. "See...see if it suits your taste..."
She stuffed the mutton into Chen Qun's mouth, startling him so much that he froze completely, staring blankly at his usually aloof and reserved wife, whose face was now flushed red, revealing a shyness he had never seen before.
"Pfft... Hahahaha! Lady Xun, well done!" Guo Jia burst into laughter first, "It was just as expected, just as expected!"
Deng Jie couldn't help but laugh, covering his face with tears of joy. "Young Master Chen, how does it taste?"
Hearing the laughter, Xun Wei lowered his head even further, wishing he could disappear into a crack in the ground. But his shoulders began to tremble suspiciously, and eventually he couldn't help but burst out laughing, quickly covering his mouth with his sleeve.
For a moment, the small hall was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.
The maids waiting outside the hall also lowered their heads and suppressed their laughter.
Only Chen Qun remained in the position of being fed. His expression changed from initial shock and bewilderment to a hint of disbelief and astonishment, and then, as he looked at his wife's rare shy smile, a tenderness and... a secret joy quietly surfaced deep in his eyes, a joy that even he himself was unaware of.
He silently chewed his mutton, looking at Guo Jia and Deng Jie across from him, who were laughing without any regard for their image, and then at Xun Wei beside him, who was covering his face and chuckling. In the end, he could only sigh helplessly and indulgently, resignedly accepting this dinner that was "in a state of moral decay" yet unusually warm.
As night deepened and the noise subsided, Xun Wei arranged guest rooms for the two of them to stay in.
Deng Jie undid her slightly disheveled hair in front of the dressing table, and her face, still showing signs of enjoyment, was reflected in the bronze mirror.
Guo Jia leaned against the low couch by the window, gazing at her with gentle eyes and a deep smile on his lips.
“I’m so glad,” he said, his gaze becoming more focused as he noticed Deng Jie’s disheveled hair. “Today has truly been an eye-opener for me.”
"What do you mean by that?" Deng Jie looked back at him in the mirror, combing his long, dark hair.
"You mean you and Madam Xun." Guo Jia couldn't help but sigh. "Who would have thought that when you entered the city you said you were nervous, but in just half a day you were able to brave the Tiger's Den side by side with her, and just now you put on such a good show, forcing Chen Changwen into an embarrassing situation."
Guo Jia's smile deepened as he recalled Chen Qun's appearance.
He stood up, walked behind Deng Jie, picked up a strand of hair, and smoothed out the knot. "You're like a little sun, melting the ice in people's hearts wherever you go... Even someone as proud as her can be attracted to you..."
His fingers ran through her hair, tracing strands to Deng Jie's face, and he lowered his head to kiss her forehead lightly. "My beloved is truly a one-of-a-kind treasure."
Deng Jie felt a little embarrassed by his praise, and tilted her head slightly to press her face against his. "It's not as amazing as you make it out to be. Shen Ge is naturally insightful, but she's just bound by her identity and past."
She paused, looked into Guo Jia's smiling eyes in the mirror, and suddenly said seriously, "Moreover... Fengxiao, I really feel more and more that you two have something in common."
"Similar?" Guo Jia was taken aback. "What do you mean by that?"
Deng Jie turned around and looked up at him. "It's that feeling... the pride in your bones, the unwillingness to admit defeat, the sharpness in your mind, and... the loneliness hidden deep in your heart that you don't want to easily show to others."
She reached out and gently touched Guo Jia's chest, "Just like you always say you come from a poor family, she also feels that her identity is 'borrowed'... In your hearts, there is a little corner where you hide yourselves."
The shock on Guo Jia's face slowly faded, turning into a deep sense of realization.
"Perhaps... but you've already dug them all out."
He sighed softly, turned and sat down next to Deng Jie, pulling her into his arms. "When we met again in Ye City, she thought we were both 'orphans,' which is why she mistakenly believed we were 'connected,' and developed feelings and obsessions that she shouldn't have had."
"Then you..." Deng Jie felt a little nervous for some reason, and didn't dare to lean against Guo Jia's chest, stiffening slightly, "Do you regret it?"
"Regret?" Guo Jia chuckled. "Regret what? I only regret not going to find you with Brother Yuanming sooner."
He cupped Deng Jie's face in his hands, his deep eyes shimmering in the candlelight, clearly reflecting her image. "Seeing her like this today, moved by you to learn to touch and respond to the feelings of those around her, and then seeing Chen Changwen's helpless yet trying-to-adapt appearance, I am even more convinced that my choice was right."
He pressed his forehead against Deng Jie's. "As you said, if we are both broken and yearning for warmth, we will only clash like ice, adding to our wounds."
People like us…
He chuckled self-deprecatingly, “What we lack are people with strong, warm, and steadfast hearts like you and Brother Yuanming.”
You are like an inextinguishable fire, capable of melting away all our sharpness and vulnerability, making us irresistibly drawn to you.
His gaze deepened, carrying a burning light, slowly sliding from Deng Jie's clear eyes to her delicate nose, finally settling on her slightly parted lips, glistening with an alluring sheen.
Deng Jie's heart raced and her cheeks flushed under his gaze. A strange shyness made her eyes dart around. "W-what is it... we were just talking..."
"Besides, no matter how compatible we are psychologically, some things just can't be hidden..." Guo Jia's voice deepened, and he slowly leaned forward, forcing her to lean back slightly against the dressing table.
"W-what is it..." Deng Jie was held in his arms, and she already had some guesses in her mind, but his breath was so close that it made her feel hot.
“Of course…it’s something your body will involuntarily want to get closer to…” Guo Jia took the opportunity to put his arm around her waist and kiss her earlobe.
Deng Jie felt a familiar yet long-lost surge of heat rush to his head, and hurriedly raised his hand to stop him: "You, you promised Cao Gong that you would be 'uninterested in romance'!"
"That was in the military camp!" Guo Jia said matter-of-factly, his words muffled. "Do you know how hard it has been for me these past two months? Holding you in my arms every night while having to abide by military regulations... Jia has... endured it for a long time."
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