The snow outside paused for a while, then started again.
Yu Tingwan and Wei Zhao had been at a standoff for quite a while.
Despite all her efforts, Wei Zhao just wouldn’t let her co close. Without further negotiation, Yu Tingwan directly started undressing him to apply dicine.
Wei Zhao’s eyes moved from shock to anger, and finally to a familiar sense of despair.
Forget it.
He was as good as dead.
Let her do as she pleased.
Yu Tingwan had more strength than usual, and he couldn’t stop her now.
Wei Zhao remained motionless, at her rcy.
His upper body was bare, with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and a smooth line of muscles.
He did not cooperate, nor resist, nor struggle.
It was the first ti Yu Tingwan had seen a man’s body, but she didn’t blush, only focused on applying the dicine: "Isn’t this better?"
"Why did you reject earlier? I’m not doing anything else, it’s not like I’m taking advantage of you."
Wei Zhao’s expression was indifferent: "You started by pulling my belt."
True, that’s what she did.
But Yu Tingwan didn’t feel she was wrong at all. She efficiently applied the dicine, then awkwardly dressed him again to prevent him from catching a cold.
"If blood stains solidify on the clothes, it’ll be too late if you want to take them off later. It would tear a layer of skin off."
Did Wei Zhao seem like soone who feared pain?
He wasn’t.
He was so exhausted, he wouldn’t even bother to lift a finger.
"I don’t want to."
Yu Tingwan: "I’m not afraid of seeing you shirtless, can’t you be a little more generous?"
Wei Zhao didn’t look at her. His eyes were hollow, his tone flat: "You forced ."
Yu Tingwan: ...
Those words sounded like she could actually pin him to the bed!
After Hui Niang returned, she put down the red fabric and went into Wei Zhao’s room without noticing anything unusual between the two.
Wei Zhao still looked like a dead man.
Yu Tingwan was carefree.
Hui Niang called her over: "Wan Niang, co here, auntie will asure you."
Yu Tingwan rembered Hui Niang ntioning that she would make her a cotton coat, and didn’t think much more of it.
The wedding date was quickly set for five days later.
The entire Wei Family was busy, except for the half-dead Wei Zhao.
Ti passed day by day, the mountain roads were hard to traverse, and Yu Tingwan didn’t go up the mountain again.
On the third day, as she arrived at the Wei family’s house, Hui Niang brought out the wedding dress that had taken three days to make.
The villagers couldn’t embroider, but they could make simple clothes.
The wedding dress couldn’t compare to those bought outside, but the stitches were fine and made with care.
Hui Niang smiled: "What girl doesn’t want to get married in a wedding dress? If your mother were still here, imagine how much her heart would ache."
"Auntie can’t embroider, can’t compare to your mother’s skills, just make do with it."
Yu Tingwan clutched the wedding dress tightly, unsure if it was ntioning her mother that saddened her, or the warmth lingering in the dress from Hui Niang that made her cling to it.
For a mont, her eyes ward.
She didn’t know what to say.
Hui Niang continued: "Oh yes, and for Lang too."
She looked at the absent-minded Wei Zhao.
"Your cousin just got married half a year ago, I borrowed this from him."
"Lang, try it on, see if it fits. If it doesn’t, mother will alter it for you."
Wei Zhao glanced over expressionlessly.
He didn’t take it.
"Why..."
He slowly asked, "Is it old?"
Yu Tingwan was wearing new, while he had to make do with sothing soone else had worn.
Hui Niang: ...
"You never care about such things, yet for this you’re competing with your bride?"
She spoke with a mix of anger and amusent: "That’s ant for a girl. If you really like it, ask Wan Niang if she’ll switch with you."
She was joking.
Wei Zhao went silent.
He had no interest in won’s clothing.
But soone took it seriously.
Yu Tingwan, unwilling to part with her prized possession, silently hid the wedding dress behind her back.
Wei Zhao: ... Life really is aningless.
After breakfast, Yu Tingwan didn’t idle, sitting by Wei Zhao’s bedside, cutting out red paper characters of various sizes.
The windows, doors, cabinets... tomorrow, they all had to be decorated.
It would definitely look joyous.
Hui Niang ntioned that they would hang two red lanterns at the entrance of the house later.
With her skillful hands, the cuts quickly ford into rough shapes. The sound of cutting in the room drowned out the girl’s shallow breaths.
While working, the girl could still find ti to watch Wei Zhao flick away at the red paper fragnts blown onto him by the wind.
There were many scraps.
Wei Zhao, exhausted, fiddled with them a bit before leaving them be.
He lay back and stared at the ceiling, his pupils unfocused, showing no signs of being from the Wei Family Army.
Everyone knew that General Wei was swift and decisive, not allowing subordinates any slack; they had to be alert to every movent outside.
How did Wei Shen end up like this!
"I don’t know how you were selected by the Wei Family Army, I heard those chosen were all excellent at martial arts."
"Were you..."
Yu Tingwan guessed: "Maybe you were chosen for your cooking and beca a cook instead."
Wei Zhao was startled.
Last ti she scared him, Yu Tingwan dared not push him further.
She drew closer: "There’s nothing to hide."
"It’s not shaful."
"I won’t tell anyone."
"Being a cook is good, ensuring the frontline warriors have food and drink, without the need for swords and danger, and still safe."
No response.
Yu Tingwan couldn’t pry another word out of him.
"You really..."
Yu Tingwan felt helpless, "So concerned about face."
Wei Zhao, annoyed by her chatter, looked at Yu Tingwan with dark eyes.
"Cooks in the Wei Family Army are either too old to fight or severely injured soldiers. How could it be Wei Shen’s turn?"
Thinking Yu Tingwan might back off, little did he know the girl smiled at him: "Still quite serious."
Yu Tingwan felt comforted.
With that, he seed a bit more lively than being so lifeless.
Wei Zhao: ...
Talking about these things, Yu Tingwan sensed sothing off. Many questions had weighed on her mind for a long ti.
Previously, she didn’t care, thinking there’d be no interactions, so she never asked much. But their roles had now changed.
She bit her lip: "The border is far from Xilin Village. Since you were severely injured, how did you manage the journey?"
The Wei Family, imrsed in the joy of recovering a lost mber, didn’t ponder the oddities within.
Not knowing which word struck a nerve with Wei Shen, intense emotions and irritation flashed in his eyes, even tainting his tone with displeasure.
"Carried back."
Yu Tingwan fell silent.
Not knowing how long it took, she finally found her voice.
Light and easily swept away by a breeze.
"Was it the tiger you ntioned last ti?"
Wei Zhao languidly replied: "Yes."
Yu Tingwan didn’t believe.
But she couldn’t argue either.
After all, Wei Zhao’s mind was injured. If he insisted on imagining he kept a tiger, there was nothing she could do.
Yu Tingwan gave up.
Forget it; he was back, so things didn’t need to be scrutinized too much.
Wei Zhao was annoyed, already prepared for Yu Tingwan to keep asking questions.
Yu Tingwan indeed asked.
The young woman earnestly.
Recalling the things Wei Zhao once did in her visions.
She smiled with her eyes, lightly asking as if rely discussing dinner plans.
"Do you think we’ll have a boy or a girl in the future?"
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