Chu Yu and Wei Yun led the Wei family, escorted by Qin Shiyue’s five thousand troops, rushing towards Huai City, the closest stronghold under Wei family control in Kun Prefecture. After entering Huai City, Wei Yun immediately ordered Qin Shiyue to dispatch troops to guard the city. He then headed straight for their lodgings, asking Chu Yu to settle Liu Xueyang and Jiang Chun, while also requesting Shen Wushuang to come to his room.
Chu Yu glanced at Wei Yun’s wound, her face impassive. After calmly arranging for Jiang Chun to help Liu Xueyang rest, she hurried to Wei Yun’s room.
Shen Wushuang was applying medicine to Wei Yun’s wound. Wei Yun had lost his earlier composure, his face pale as he leaned against the bed, looking utterly exhausted.
Chu Yu walked over and took the bandages and medicine from Shen Wushuang’s hands, saying softly, “I’ll do it.”
Seeing Chu Yu arrive, Shen Wushuang quickly made way, telling her, “Don’t worry, it’s not serious. Just a minor external injury, it’ll heal completely in a month.”
Chu Yu responded with a simple “Mm.” Shen Wushuang rubbed his nose, sensing the tense atmosphere, and quickly picked up the medicine box. “Well, I’ll leave you two to talk. I won’t disturb you. I’m off then.”
With that, Shen Wushuang left, not forgetting to say goodbye and taking everyone else with him.
Suddenly, only Chu Yu and Wei Yun remained in the room. Chu Yu said nothing, and Wei Yun, feeling guilty, didn’t dare to speak. Chu Yu applied the ointment to Wei Yun’s wound, wrapping the bandage around it one circle at a time. Her movements were gentle and practiced, making Wei Yun feel somewhat uneasy.
“A’Yu…” Wei Yun said with difficulty, “Scold me.”
“Why would I scold you?” Chu Yu’s voice was calm, with no discernible emotion. Wei Yun lowered his eyes and said seriously, “The assassins were arranged by me. This arrow was a planned ruse. I didn’t tell you beforehand. It was wrong of me.”
Chu Yu finished tying the bandage for Wei Yun and said nothing, standing up to turn away. Wei Yun grabbed her hand, holding it tightly. “A’Yu, don’t be like this. I’m scared.”
Hearing this, Chu Yu turned to look at him, her expression somewhat helpless. “I have nothing to blame you for. With Zhao Yue scheming like that, if he didn’t make a move, you had to act yourself. I understand.”
“I just…” Chu Yu lowered her eyes, seeming a bit sad. “I just look at you and feel useless, and it hurts my heart.”
Hearing these words, Wei Yun finally felt relieved. He raised his hand and pulled her into his arms. “A’Yu, hearing you say this makes me happy.”
“What are you happy about?”
“It proves that you care about me. When I’m hurt, you feel regret and pain.”
“But A’Yu,” he chuckled softly, “seeing you like this makes me uncomfortable. I’m already wounded, do you want to make my heart ache too?”
Chu Yu was amused by him. “How can you be so shameless?”
“I’m not shameless,” Wei Yun held her hand, playing with her fingers gently. “I just feel that if I can make you happy, I’m willing to do anything. If I don’t know how to talk, I’ll learn. If I don’t know how to please you, I’ll ask others to teach me. You’re going to spend a lifetime with me, so I should make sure you spend that lifetime happily, right?”
Hearing Wei Yun talk about a lifetime, Chu Yu’s heart trembled slightly. She reached out and carefully embraced him.
She wanted to say something, leaning on him, but in the end, she felt too shy and only said, “Your birthday is coming soon. It should be your coming-of-age ceremony, right?”
“Mm.” Wei Yun responded, “I plan to combine the enfeoffment ceremony with the coming-of-age ceremony on the same day.”
“Are you going to declare yourself a king like the Wang family?” Chu Yu chuckled lightly. “I thought you were planning to rebel outright.”
Wei Yun pondered for a moment, then finally said, “I still hope we can avoid large-scale conflict. I don’t care about being emperor or not, as long as there’s a suitable person to take the throne. Let’s wait a while longer.”
“Wait for what?” Chu Yu was a bit confused. Wei Yun lowered his gaze to look at Chu Yu’s belly. He casually placed his hand on it and calmly said, “If we can’t find a suitable person to inherit the throne after some time, I’ll make plans then.”
Chu Yu nodded. The current Wei Yun no longer needed her to worry about him.
Wei Yun held her and sighed, “If you could give me a child, I wouldn’t have to worry so much.”
Hearing this, Chu Yu’s expression changed slightly. Wei Yun noticed and quickly said with a smile, “I’m just joking with you.”
He leaned on her shoulder and said, “It’s alright, A’Yu. We don’t have to have children. Everything should wait until you’re willing.”
Hearing this, Chu Yu felt a bit more relaxed. She stroked Wei Yun’s hair and finally said, “Alright, there are still many matters to attend to in the mansion. I’ll go check on them first.”
With that, Chu Yu was about to get up, but Wei Yun held her, not moving. Chu Yu frowned, “What are you doing?”
“I’m injured.”
“Hm?”
“I’m in pain.”
“Oh?”
“A’Yu,” Wei Yun nuzzled her face like a puppy, “I’m injured and it’s inconvenient for me to come find you. Will you come to me tonight?”
Hearing this, Chu Yu raised her hand and gently patted his face. “You little rascal, what kind of behavior is this?”
“A’Yu, please, say yes to me.”
“Lord Wei,” Chu Yu drawled, speaking seriously, “You’re not a baby anymore. Don’t act spoiled. Let go quickly.”
Wei Yun said nothing. Chu Yu laughed, “Are you trying to be difficult with me?”
Wei Yun sighed helplessly, seeming to compromise, and finally said, “Alright.”
With that, he finally let go. Chu Yu stood up and walked towards the door. As she reached the doorway, she couldn’t help but wonder, what was she still hesitating about?
Taking this step now, when he mentioned children, what was she still afraid of?
She looked at the fine drizzle outside the corridor, and for some reason, the elegant and beautiful face of Princess Qingping from her past life flashed through her mind.
She had seen Princess Qingping once before. It was during wartime, and the woman stepped down from her carriage, dressed in white with a gauze veil, her hair pinned up with a jade hairpin. She was a disciple of the Medical Sage, traveling to heal and save people, her expression calm and compassionate. Because of her beautiful appearance, many commoners almost mistook her for the reincarnation of Guanyin.
She was an unparalleled woman of her time, unforgettable after just one glance.
The Chu Yu of that time had sighed in admiration, but now…
Chu Yu raised her hand and looked at her palm. Having lost that passionate fervor, lost the youthful vigor, lost those most precious things – how could this Chu Yu compare to that fairy from the moon palace, that bodhisattva descended to earth? If her rival had been someone else, she might have had some confidence, but against Princess Qingping…
Chu Yu smiled bitterly. She really couldn’t muster any confidence.
She suddenly understood what she was afraid of.
Without children, she could come and go as she pleased, it would only be her affair.
In her past life, she had burdened others enough for the sake of love. In this life, she hoped that feelings would be her matter alone.
She was afraid of having children. She was afraid that one day after she had children, Princess Qingping would suddenly appear. If Wei Yun wanted to marry her as his wife, just like in her past life, what would she do?
Thinking of these things, Chu Yu suddenly became fearful of the future.
She closed her eyes and let out a heavy sigh.
Never mind.
She thought, let’s just enjoy the present moment. Why worry about the future?
To have even one moment with someone like Wei Yun was a blessing.
Thinking this way, Chu Yu suddenly felt somewhat comforted. She opened her eyes and turned around. The Wei family had just settled into their new mansion, and there were still many things that needed her attention.
After busying herself until late into the night, Chu Yu only returned to her room in the deep of the night. She first washed up and cleansed herself, then extinguished the lights and dismissed her servants. She rolled up the curtains herself and went to bed.
But as soon as she rolled open the curtains, she was suddenly pulled in by someone. The person seemed to have been lying in wait for a long time. They rolled her onto the bed, covered her mouth, and with a quick turn, pinned her underneath them.
A familiar scent washed over her, and Chu Yu’s muscles relaxed. Wei Yun, sensing her relaxation, chuckled softly, “You know it’s me?”
“I’m not blind,” Chu Yu glanced at him in the darkness. Wei Yun laughed quietly and lowered his head to kiss her lightly. “You didn’t come to find me, so I came to find you.”
“You…”
“I missed you,” Wei Yun reached out and held Chu Yu in his arms, speaking gently. “During the day, you don’t belong to me. If you don’t let me be by your side at night either, what am I supposed to do?”
Hearing this, Chu Yu was momentarily at a loss for words.
“Look, we have so little time together,” Wei Yun counted on his fingers for her. “Every day, for at least eight hours, you belong to others. You sleep late and rise early, and adding the time it takes for me to sneak over here, I have less than two hours each day to hold you quietly like this.”
As he spoke, Wei Yun seemed a bit aggrieved. “You won’t marry me, are you going to keep me waiting like this?”
“Alright, alright,” Chu Yu was helpless against his persistence. “I didn’t ask you to leave.”
Hearing this, Wei Yun was finally happy, feeling he had secured a legitimate position. He rolled over openly, putting his hands behind his head, and said softly, “A’Yu, have you prepared a birthday gift for me?”
“Not yet,” Chu Yu felt he was just like a child. She said somewhat helplessly, “What do you want?”
Hearing this, Wei Yun was overjoyed. He thought seriously for a while, and finally said, “A’Yu, do you know when I first thought you were especially beautiful, not in the way elders are beautiful but beautiful as a woman?”
Chu Yu was taken aback and became curious. “When?”
“That year when you danced for me, do you remember?” Wei Yun seemed a bit embarrassed. He held her hand and stammered, “Could you… dance for me again? Something different?”
“What do you mean by different?” Chu Yu didn’t quite understand. Wei Yun looked at her quietly, his clear eyes filled with a smile.
“Back then, you treated me like a child. Now, I want you to treat me like a husband.”
Hearing this, Chu Yu was slightly stunned. Wei Yun placed his hand on her face. “A’Yu, I want you to see me as a man, and more importantly, as your husband.”
“On the day of my coming-of-age ceremony, would you dance for me?”