Shao Mingyuan was completely stunned.

The girl’s lips were soft and fragrant, both familiar to him yet completely strange.

Familiar because he had tasted them before; strange because this was the first time she had actively kissed him, making him so happy he felt his heart might burst.

That kiss was like a dragonfly touching water, fleeting amid the thunderous beating of his heart, yet it left him unable to recover for a long time.

“Shao Mingyuan, do you understand now?” Qiao Zhao asked with a flushed face.

If Grandmother knew she was treating a man this way before marriage, she would probably roll her eyes at her countless times.

As for Grandfather… well, Grandfather would probably say: Don’t let your grandmother know!

“I don’t understand.” Shao Mingyuan replied in bewilderment.

He truly didn’t understand how Zhaozhao could treat him this way.

His eyes couldn’t see, but his other senses were fine. Zhaozhao had just kissed him, hadn’t she? And she had kissed his lips…

Even knowing the other person couldn’t see, Qiao Zhao still felt somewhat embarrassed saying these words, so she lowered her eyelids: “I won’t deny that it was because of your eye condition that I made this decision.”

Shao Mingyuan’s face paled.

It was because of his eyes.

Zhaozhao was a girl who valued loyalty and righteousness. She felt his eye problem was related to her, so she wanted to make amends.

“Miss Li, you don’t need to make such a decision because of my eyes. This isn’t fair to you.”

“Why isn’t it fair?” Qiao Zhao asked back.

“Because my blindness, at its core, is due to my head injury and has nothing to do with you. Why burden yourself with responsibility? Moreover, if you’re with me for this reason, I won’t be happy.”

Qiao Zhao looked up at the man before her.

His expression was very calm when he said this, showing that deep in his heart, this was truly what he thought.

Could it be that her previous words had been too heartless, making him completely unaware of her feelings?

“Shao Mingyuan, what relationship do you think there is between responsibility and liking someone?”

“Responsibility and liking?” Shao Mingyuan murmured, then smiled: “There’s no absolute relationship between the two.”

There were many things he didn’t like but had responsibility for.

Qiao Zhao shook her head: “No, for me it’s not like that at all.”

She looked deeply at the man before her, her eyes sparkling brilliantly: “Because I like you, I’m willing to take responsibility.”

Shao Mingyuan was completely dazed.

Ignoring the shock her words brought to the man before her, Qiao Zhao continued: “There are countless men in this world. Would I choose to spend my life with any man because of my accidental mistake? If Grandfather Li knew I had such a spirit of dedication after learning medicine from him, he would scold me to death.”

Because that man is you, because you’re the one my heart favors, that’s why I’m willing to shoulder this responsibility.

Responsibility has always been a part of love.

Shao Mingyuan felt tumultuous waves surging in his heart, more intense than the ocean waves outside the window, crashing against his heart one after another, nearly overwhelming him completely.

Was Zhaozhao telling him that she wasn’t willing to be with him out of pity and sympathy?

Did she also have feelings for him?

This thought made him feel dizzy, unable to utter a single word for a long time.

Qiao Zhao waited for a long while. Seeing he had no response, she sighed heavily and said reproachfully: “Shao Mingyuan, I am a girl after all. How much more do you want me to say before you’re satisfied?”

The girl’s tone seemed both reproachful and resentful, like a net that caught Shao Mingyuan’s heart within it, leaving his worries and unease with nowhere to go.

“I—” Shao Mingyuan was somewhat panicked.

Rationally, he knew he shouldn’t waver. His wavering would drag his beloved girl into the mire, but emotionally, he simply couldn’t refuse.

Zhaozhao was his wife, whom he had lost and found again. If not for that arrow, they would have originally been as one.

So, could he be selfish this once, if she also had feelings for him…

“Shao Mingyuan, do you insist on making me angry?”

“Miss Li, I—”

Qiao Zhao smiled: “I understand now. I’ve made things difficult for you, and I sincerely apologize. From now on, you can keep me at a distance, then feel sorry for yourself, and just don’t regret it when I marry someone else in the future!”

This fool—it seemed she needed to use strong medicine before he would be honest.

Qiao Zhao stood up and turned to leave.

Shao Mingyuan instinctively grabbed her sleeve.

With his hands wrapped in gauze, he could only clumsily grasp a corner of her sleeve with his fingertips, saying involuntarily: “I would regret it!”

Qiao Zhao stopped and turned to look at him.

He couldn’t see her, but he tried hard to open his eyes wide, saying resignedly: “I would regret it so much I couldn’t sleep every day. I would have to restrain myself daily from the urge to take a knife and hack that man to pieces.”

Qiao Zhao’s lips curved upward.

This guy was finally being honest.

She pried his fingers apart and sat down: “Since your hands are injured, don’t move them around.”

Shao Mingyuan lowered his hands and sighed quietly to himself.

Now that the words were spoken, if he retreated further, he wouldn’t count as a man.

But some issues still needed to be resolved.

“My eyes are blind.”

“If they’re blind, then treat them properly.”

“What if they can’t be cured?”

“Didn’t I say? If they can’t be cured, I’ll be your eyes.”

“But in that case, I couldn’t return to the battlefield. At my age, wanting to retire would probably be beyond my control, and I don’t know how many difficulties I’d face—”

“I’ve never lacked difficulties to face.”

“Even if I successfully retire, to avoid discovery, I might have to leave the capital—”

“My home was never in the capital.”

“But then I’d be a blind man with nothing—nothing-no power, no status, nothing. Following me would bring you many grievances—”

Miss Qiao couldn’t stand it anymore and rolled her eyes: “Shao Mingyuan, your eyes can’t see now, but you’re not mentally disabled. What are you babbling about?”

Shao Mingyuan: “…” Why were Zhaozhao’s reactions always different from what he expected?

But somehow, hearing her scolding, his heavy mood since losing his sight inexplicably lightened considerably.

With Zhaozhao here, even if his eyes never recovered, it didn’t seem like such a terrible thing.

“Shao Mingyuan.” Qiao Zhao called out.

“Mm?”

“Don’t you have anything normal to say to me?” Qiao Zhao asked seriously.

“I—” Shao Mingyuan quietly took a breath and reached out to touch Qiao Zhao’s hand, but because he couldn’t see, he couldn’t find it after a long while.

Qiao Zhao sighed helplessly and placed her hand in his.

The young general gently grasped the girl’s hand with his fingertips and asked with utmost seriousness: “Zhaozhao, when we return to the capital, would you be willing to get engaged to me?”

Having asked this question, his heart unconsciously rose to his throat, nervousness making his palms sweat.

Qiao Zhao looked deeply at the man before her. All her past struggles and hesitations were quietly swept into the deepest corners of her heart as she said softly, “I’m willing.”

After she spoke, she saw joy spreading across every feature of the man’s face as he pulled her into his embrace.

“Zhaozhao.”

“Mm?”

“‘Feeling sorry for oneself’ is used to describe women.”

“Shut up!”

This idiot!