Chapter 118 Reunion
Xie Pei!
Zhu Mingyue's brain pump went blank.
Before I could even react, the lock fell to the ground, and the door creaked open.
Zhu Mingyue exclaimed incredulously, "You... how could you come back?" Then she realized her words were ambiguous, as if she didn't welcome people back, so she added, "That's not what I meant. I meant, shouldn't you be staying in Jizhou now?"
Soon his voice grew softer and softer, because he noticed Xie Pei looking at him with a strange gaze, and his face, already red from being roasted by the fire, felt even hotter from the stare.
He suddenly remembered that he had messy hair and was being laughed at by Xie Pei. He was both ashamed and annoyed, so he simply stepped aside and said, "Come in!"
He noticed a thin layer of snowflakes covering Xie Pei's broad shoulders, and his fingers twitched but he ultimately didn't touch them.
Xie Pei seemed to have seen enough, his voice hoarse: "You fell?"
Zhu Mingyue stubbornly replied, "That's not true." He was already embarrassed enough; he didn't want Xie Pei to know that he could even trip and fall while walking at home.
Unexpectedly, Xie Pei's gaze seemed to drift towards his buttocks.
Zhu Mingyue had experienced that look in her eyes countless times in her dreams, and instinctively covered her buttocks.
Xie Pei: ...
After a brief silence, Zhu Mingyue finally realized that something was wrong.
His palms were cold and damp. Turning around and looking down, he saw large water stains on the plate on his backside. He probably hadn't noticed because he was wearing thick clothes.
How embarrassing!
He bit his lip. "I accidentally sat on the ground." Yes, he just sat on the ground; he didn't fall.
Xie Pei smiled and gave a soft "hmm".
Zhu Mingyue sniffed, her face turning even redder, "Come in quickly!"
Just as he was about to lift his foot, a pair of large hands grabbed his wrists. Zhu Mingyue turned around to look at him, confused: "What's wrong?"
The next second, Xie Pei walked in front of him, knelt down on one knee, and said, "Get on, I'll carry you."
It must be an occupational hazard he developed; his tone left no room for argument. Even Zhu Mingyue was momentarily stunned.
He paused for a moment, then turned his head and said curtly, "You don't need to carry it."
Xie Pei remained motionless, seemingly ignoring his words.
After a brief standoff, Zhu Mingyue ultimately lost out in this short, silent struggle. He pursed his lips, leaned against the man's back, and wrapped his arms around the man's neck.
Xie Pei walked with extreme steadiness, only glancing at the thin ice under the corridor before stepping into the snow.
The snow was up to Xie Pei's calves, and every time he stepped on it, he made a snow crater.
"Your shoes are wet," Zhu Mingyue whispered in his ear.
Xie Pei paused for a moment, then said, "I know."
There was some distance between the front yard and the main house. Zhu Mingyue lay on the man's back, her muscles pressed against his.
With each step Xie Pei took, Zhu Mingyue could feel his bulging muscles surging beneath his clothes; this unparalleled strength was something anyone would envy.
Zhu Mingyue, however, had no such thoughts. His face was burning hot, and his mind was filled with images of muscles touching in his dream.
Snowflakes flew wildly through the air, landing in Zhu Mingyue's collar. The icy touch was instantly melted by his body heat, instantly sobering him up.
Zhu Mingyue's room was a mess.
It wasn't that it was dirty, but since I lived alone, I wasn't so particular. The bed wasn't made, and the boxes were wide open with a few of my frequently worn coats hanging out.
Zhu Mingyue quickly slid off Xie Pei's back and immediately began tidying up the house.
He tried to cover it up by saying, "It's not usually like this, it's not that chaotic."
Xie Pei's smile widened. "Yes, it's not chaotic."
He paused, then continued, "There's no need to care about what others think."
Zhu Mingyue clutched the hem of her clothes tightly, unsure whether to tidy up or not.
He muttered under his breath, "Who cares?"
She immediately regretted saying it, worried that it would hurt Xie Pei, and secretly observed him out of the corner of her eye.
He didn't know why he suddenly became so conflicted. It was as if from the very first second he saw Xie Pei, some inexplicable and strange emotions began to arise in his heart.
He's clearly not like that...
A strand of hair on his forehead was dampened by the snow and clung to his skin, making him feel itchy. Zhu Zhuming wanted to pull the hair down, but Xie Pei's hand was faster than his and reached out first.
The warmth of her fingertips touched her briefly before leaving. A look of panic flashed across Zhu Mingyue's face as she said, "Your shoes are soaking wet. I'll go get you a dry pair."
There were several pairs of Xie Pei's shoes left at home, all old shoes with varying degrees of wear on the soles. When Xie Pei joined the army, Zhu Mingtian, considering that he would have to travel long distances, prepared many new shoes for him. These old shoes were left unattended, so he washed them and put them away in the storeroom.
Fortunately, the shoes were well stored and didn't get dusty. Zhu Mingyue clutched the shoes, her heart pounding for no reason.
I wouldn't say I'm irritable, but I always feel like there's a fire burning inside me, making me feel scorched.
He casually patted the top of his shoes, looked back and saw that there was no one outside the door. He took a deep breath, stood up abruptly and ran out.
Huh? Where did they go?!
He heard the sound of shoveling snow coming from the front yard, and immediately understood. He placed his shoes in a conspicuous spot and went to the kitchen.
The water had already boiled. Zhu Mingyue wrapped the buns and steamed them in the pot. She scooped out a small basin of boiling water, mixed it with cold water, and carefully washed herself.
Not content with just doing all that, I finally sat down in front of the mirror and started tidying up my messy hair.
My hair, which I've been growing for over two years, is almost waist-length. If I comb it too quickly, the ends get tangled, and I feel impatient. After finally getting it done, I look at myself in the mirror: rosy cheeks, red lips, white teeth—my appearance is top-notch.
The only drawback is a pimple on my chin. It's not very noticeable unless you look closely, but you can see it when you get up close.
Zhu Mingyue leaned forward, almost pressing her face against the mirror, and rubbed her fingers against the pimple, feeling a slight stinging sensation on her skin.
Zhu Mingyue frowned, stared at her face for a long time, then suddenly sat back down on the stool as if she were angry. She looked in the mirror, then looked down at the wooden comb in her hand.
Snap—
He threw the wooden comb on the table.
Zhu Mingyue also lay on the table, burying her face in her arms.
He thought he might really be going crazy.
They actually started paying attention to their own appearance.
It's just that Xie Pei is back, what is he doing! Does he think Xie Pei will look down on him?
Her teeth gently ground against her lips, a hint of struggle flashing in Zhu Mingyue's eyes before she returned to normal.
She raised her head and picked up the wooden comb he had thrown away, then obediently combed the stray hairs that were not quite in place on her forehead.
So what if he's gone mad? After all, he can even fall for his brother-in-law, so it's not surprising that he's gone insane.
Zhu Mingyue picked out a light blue ribbon, examined it in her hair, but wasn't quite satisfied, so she put it back. She then picked out a light purple one, but felt it was too flashy.
Black is too lifeless, gray is too boring, white is too cold...
This process was repeated until only one red ribbon remained untested in the drawer.
Zhu Mingyue hesitated for a long time before finally picking it up.
A red ribbon was casually tied in her hair, loosely accentuating Zhu Mingyue's hair, which cascaded like a black waterfall.
Zhu Mingyue looked around, a slight smile playing on her lips, quite satisfied, and the anxiety in her heart finally subsided somewhat.
Zhu Mingyue changed out of her bulky cotton-padded house clothes, put on a decent-looking outfit, draped a fox fur cloak over her shoulders, and finally twirled in front of the mirror.
Ancient bronze mirrors were expensive and not very big; Zhu Mingyue had to stand quite far away to barely see her waist.
Well, it'll do!
He got up, but he wasn't very satisfied. He realized he didn't have enough clothes when he needed them. He only cared about keeping warm in winter and not about looking good, so he couldn't find a single piece that satisfied him even after searching through the box.
Zhu Mingyue stuffed the remaining clothes into the box, slammed it shut, and didn't want to look at it again.
At the same time, I was secretly thinking about whether I should wait until the weather got warmer to go to a clothing store and buy a few pieces if I found anything suitable.
Stepping out of the house, a clean path leads straight out the door.
Xie Pei was young and strong, and had plenty of strength to do the work.
What Zhu Mingyue couldn't finish in an hour was taken care of by Xie Pei in just a short while.
They were already burying themselves in clearing the ice from the ground along the corridor.
Er Ya tilted her head and cackled twice.
The sound wasn't loud, but it was loud enough for Xie Pei to hear.
Hearing the sound, she turned around and looked at him. Her gaze seemed completely fixed on him, as if she had no intention of looking away.
Zhu Mingyue flicked Er Ya's head, pretending to be nonchalant, and called out, "Don't shovel it yet, I steamed a pot of buns, come to the kitchen and eat some while they're hot."
Xie Pei put down his tools, stood up, and slowly walked towards him.
When she reached him, Zhu Mingyue hurriedly lowered her head and tapped her toes to urge him, "Go eat quickly!"
A soft laugh sounded from above. "Very beautiful."
Zhu Mingyue looked up: "What?" She clearly hadn't heard clearly.
Xie Pei's eyes were as deep as the night, and upon closer inspection, they were focused on Zhu Mingyue's face; there was nothing else in them.
Zhu Mingyue seemed somewhat lost in thought.
Xie Pei rubbed his fingertips together, suppressing the itch in his heart, and whispered, "It looks very good."
Xie Pei's voice is very pleasant, neither overly mellow nor youthful in its clarity. It sounds as if it makes your eardrums vibrate, like an ancient bell stirring ripples in your heart.
Zhu Mingyue felt a bit of heat in his nasal cavity, as if a clear stream was slowly flowing out. He quickly touched his nose, and thankfully it was just snot, not nosebleed.
It's all Xie Pei's fault; he blamed everything on the man in front of him.
He glared at him and said, word by word, "What's so good about it? I always dress like this."
The tiny bit of guilt that suddenly arose was quickly suppressed by him: "This is just my everyday outfit."
Little did Xie Pei know that Zhu Mingyue's puffed-up face was especially adorable.
The red silk ribbon fluttering in the wind made Zhu Mingyue's face look like a peach blossom.
Xie Pei suddenly remembered the peach blossom pastry that Zhu Mingyue had brought back from the pastry shop a long time ago. The snow-white pastry was decorated with bright flower petals, and it tasted too sweet, which did not suit his taste.
But then a thought popped into his head: what if he replaced the peach blossom pastry with Zhu Mingyue's? It wouldn't be so bad. It would still be sweet and cloying, but it would be much more to Xie Pei's liking.
Xie Pei's throat bobbed, and all the thoughts he couldn't express finally turned into a single sentence: "Mmm."
The firewood in the stove went out, so Zhu Mingyue lit the stove. The area near the dining table was warm enough with the door closed to block the wind.
The plump, white steamed buns were served. Zhu Mingyue blew on her reddened fingers and explained to the buns, "I didn't know you would be coming back, so I only made some vegetarian buns, but I put eggs in them, so they smell pretty good."
Xie Pei used to eat steamed buns often, but he only liked meat-filled ones—pork, lamb, anything with meat. Zhu Mingyue had never seen him eat vegetarian steamed buns on his own initiative.
He was a little annoyed. He should have thawed the meat earlier and made some meat-filled buns. He wondered if the man would even like vegetarian fillings.
Xie Pei was certainly used to the food. After spending so long in the army, all his bad habits of being picky about food had disappeared without a trace.
What does it matter if he is a general? Guan Shao is upright and strict, and he shares weal and woe with his soldiers. Therefore, from the generals to the soldiers, everyone in the army eats the same food. Xie Pei is no exception. However, there are some differences. He eats more than the soldiers at each meal, but it doesn't matter much for a man.
At this time, it was already a rare treat to be able to eat steamed buns made from fine flour. Moreover, after traveling day and night for several days, with the weather changing along the way, and in order to get back to Ganzhou before the possible snowfall, they had been riding at breakneck speed and hadn't even had a proper meal.
Zhu Mingyue was worried that Xie Pei wouldn't like vegetarian buns, but seeing him slowly and methodically finish one after another, she felt a pang of heartache.
Xie Peilian can eat so many vegetarian buns that she doesn't even like with such pleasure; she must have suffered a lot.
The steamed buns that were about to be eaten suddenly lost their flavor. She only ate one, and when she took the second one, she only took two bites before losing her appetite. She casually placed most of the bun on the table and stood up: "I'm not eating anymore, I'm full. You should eat less. Vegetarian buns... they're not very tasty. We have some frozen meat at home, I'll make you some braised pork, it'll be quick."
Xie Pei's favorite dish is his braised pork.
After he finished his work, he finally put the meat into the pot to stew. Looking at the blazing fire, he turned around and said, "The fire's strong, it's cooking very quickly. I'll go steam some more white rice. We can..."
His eyes widened slightly, revealing a hint of confusion: "Where's my steamed bun?"
He remembered clearly that the bun he had taken two bites of was now sitting empty.
He looked at Xie Pei in disbelief: "You didn't...eat it, did you!" His face turned bright red as he finished speaking; the bun was covered in his saliva!
Xie Pei paused in his chewing, swallowed, and then succinctly explained, "You're not eating anymore."
"I'm not eating anymore, so you ate mine? There were so many buns, and you still need this half!" Zhu Mingyue couldn't tell if she was annoyed or embarrassed.
Xie Pei lowered his eyes: "What a waste."
Zhu Mingyue gritted her teeth: "Can't I keep it for the next meal? It's covered in my saliva, don't you mind..."
He fell silent as he spoke, unable to continue.
He wondered if it was just his imagination, but he seemed to see a sense of grievance and helplessness on Xie Pei's indifferent face.
Did he say something too harsh?
Zhu Mingyue couldn't help but reflect.
He didn't know why he reacted so strongly.
It's just a steamed bun, why are you yelling at people?
Xie Pei suffered so much hardship in the army camp, lacking food and clothing, while he lived a life of luxury at home. He simply valued food so highly that he couldn't bear to waste a single grain.
A wave of guilt washed over her, and Zhu Mingyue cursed under her breath.
She stepped forward, grabbed his sleeve and tugged it gently, her attitude sincere: "I'm sorry! I shouldn't have yelled at you."
Xie Pei's fingers curled slightly, as if he had been injured, but he still said firmly, "It's okay. You did nothing wrong, I don't blame you, it's my fault."
He was silent for a moment, then continued, "It was my lack of boundaries that made...my sister-in-law angry."
The more he explained, the more anxious Zhu Mingyue became. Hearing him call her "sister-in-law" was especially jarring, and she stammered incoherently, "It's not your fault, it's...it's my problem, really!"
Xie Pei looked up and calmly asked, "Can I still eat your leftovers from now on?"
Zhu Mingyue: ...Is this some kind of unique quirk?
Seeing that he remained silent, Xie Pei slowly lowered his head again, looking like a lonely big dog.
Zhu Mingyue had never seen him like this before, and she was heartbroken. So what if there's leftover food? As long as he promises not to leave any, that's fine.
So he immediately agreed: "Sure."
Where Zhu Mingyue couldn't see, Xie Pei couldn't help but curl up the corners of his mouth.
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The author's note: In Xie Pei's eyes, who is a dog-like green tea b*tch, eating his sister-in-law's leftovers is no different from eating his sister-in-law's mouth.
If they're already eating leftovers, how far away can they be eating their own food?
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