Chu Yu and Wei Yun led the Wei family, escorted by Qin Shiyue's five thousand troops, rushing towards the nearest Wei-controlled city of Huai in Kun Province. Once inside Huai City, Wei Yun immediately ordered Qin Shiyue to mobilize troops to defend the city, then headed straight to their residence. He instructed Chu Yu to settle Liu Xueyang and Jiang Chun while summoning Shen Wushuang to his room.
Chu Yu glanced at Wei Yun's injuries but remained composed on the surface. After calmly arranging for Jiang Chun to assist Liu Xueyang to rest, she hurried to Wei Yun's quarters.
Shen Wushuang was applying medicine to Wei Yun, who no longer maintained his earlier forced composure. His face was pale as he leaned weakly against the bed, seemingly exhausted.
Chu Yu approached, taking the gauze and medicine from Shen Wushuang's hands, saying lightly, "Let me handle this."
Seeing Chu Yu arrive, Shen Wushuang quickly yielded his spot. "Don't worry, it's nothing serious—just some external wounds. He'll recover completely within a month," he assured.
Chu Yu gave a quiet "Mm" in response. Sensing the tension, Shen Wushuang awkwardly picked up his medical kit. "Well, I'll leave you two to talk. I won't disturb you any longer," he said before hastily exiting, ushering everyone else out as well.
The room was now left with only Chu Yu and Wei Yun. Chu Yu remained silent, while Wei Yun, feeling guilty, didn't dare speak either. She applied the ointment and wrapped the gauze around his wounds with gentle, practiced motions, which only made Wei Yun more uneasy.
"A Yu..." Wei Yun struggled to speak. "Scold me."
"Why should I scold you?" Chu Yu's tone was neutral, revealing neither anger nor joy.
Wei Yun lowered his gaze and admitted earnestly, "The assassins were my arrangement. This arrow wound was a calculated act of self-sacrifice. I should have told you beforehand—that was my mistake."
After tying the gauze, Chu Yu stood up to leave without a word. Wei Yun grabbed her hand, holding it tightly. "A Yu, don't be like this. It frightens me."
Hearing this, Chu Yu turned to look at him, her expression softening with helplessness. "I don't blame you. Facing someone as scheming as Zhao Yue, if he wouldn't act, you had to take matters into your own hands. I understand that."
"It's just..." Chu Yu lowered her eyes, seeming sorrowful. "Seeing you like this makes me feel both inadequate and heartbroken."
Relieved by her words, Wei Yun pulled her into an embrace. "A Yu, hearing you say that makes me happy."
"Happy about what?"
"It proves you care about me. When I'm hurt, you regret and ache for me."
"But A Yu," he chuckled softly, "when you're like this, it pains me too. I'm already injured—must you make my heart suffer as well?"
Chu Yu couldn't help but laugh. "Since when have you become so shameless?"
"I'm not shameless," Wei Yun replied gently, playing with her fingers. "I just think that if it makes you happy, I'm willing to do anything. If I don't know how to speak sweetly, I'll learn. If I don't know how to please you, I'll seek advice. We're going to spend a lifetime together—shouldn't I make sure you're happy every step of the way?"
At the mention of "a lifetime," Chu Yu's heart trembled. She reached out and carefully embraced him.
She wanted to lean on him and say something more but ended up blushing, only managing to ask, "Your birthday is coming soon—isn't it time for your capping ceremony?"
"Mm."Wei Yun responded, "I plan to hold the enfeoffment ceremony and the capping ceremony on the same day."
"Are you going to proclaim yourself king like the Wang Family?" Chu Yu chuckled. "I thought you were planning to rebel outright."
Wei Yun pondered for a moment before finally saying, "In the end, I still hope to avoid large-scale conflict. Honestly, I don’t care about becoming emperor—as long as the right person takes the throne. Let’s wait a little longer."
"Wait for what?" Chu Yu was somewhat puzzled. Wei Yun lowered his gaze to her belly, subtly placing his hand over it as he calmly said, "If we can’t find a suitable heir to the throne in due time, I’ll reconsider then."
Chu Yu nodded. The current Wei Yun no longer needed her to worry about him.
Wei Yun wrapped his arms around her and sighed. "If you could bear me a child, I wouldn’t have to fret so much."
At these words, Chu Yu’s expression changed. Noticing this, Wei Yun quickly laughed and said, "I’m just teasing you."
Leaning against her shoulder, he added softly, "It’s alright, A Yu. We won’t have children unless you’re willing. Everything should only happen when you’re ready."
Hearing this, Chu Yu relaxed slightly. Stroking Wei Yun’s hair, she finally said, "Alright, there’s still much to do in the estate. I’ll go take a look."
As she made to rise, Wei Yun held her tightly, refusing to let go. Chu Yu frowned. "What are you doing?"
"I’m injured."
"Hmm?"
"It hurts."
"Oh?"
"A Yu," Wei Yun nuzzled her cheek like a puppy. "I’m injured and can’t come to you easily. Will you come to me tonight?"
Chu Yu lightly patted his face. "You little rascal, what kind of behavior is this?"
"A Yu, please? Promise me?"
"Lord Wei," Chu Yu drawled, speaking seriously, "you’re not a child anymore. Stop acting spoiled and let go."
Wei Yun remained silent. Chu Yu laughed. "Are you really throwing a tantrum now?"
With a resigned sigh, as if conceding, Wei Yun finally said, "Fine."
He released her, and Chu Yu stood up to leave. As she reached the doorway, she couldn’t help but wonder—what exactly was she hesitating about?
Now that they had come this far, why was she still afraid when the topic of children came up?
Gazing at the drizzling rain outside the corridor, the image of Princess Qingping from her past life inexplicably flashed through her mind—her elegant, ethereal beauty.
She had seen Princess Qingping once during the chaos of war. The woman had stepped down from her carriage, draped in white gauze, her hair pinned up with a jade hairpin. A disciple of the Medical Sage, she traveled far and wide to heal the sick, her expression serene and compassionate. Her striking beauty had led many common folk to mistake her for the reincarnation of Guanyin.
She was a rare woman of their time—one glance was enough to leave an indelible mark.
Back then, Chu Yu had felt utterly outmatched. And now...
Chu Yu looked down at her palm. Having lost her fiery passion, her youthful vigor, and all those precious things that once defined her, how could she possibly compare to that moonlit fairy, that bodhisattva descended to earth? If her rival had been anyone else, she might have mustered some confidence. But against Princess Qingping...
Chu Yu smiled bitterly. She truly couldn’t summon any self-assurance.
Suddenly, she understood what she feared.
Without a child, whatever came or went would concern only her.
In her past life, she had dragged others down for the sake of love. In this life, she wanted her emotions to remain her own affair.She feared having children. She feared that one day, if she had a child and Princess Qingping suddenly reappeared, what would she do if Wei Yun, like in her past life, decided to marry her as his wife?
Just the thought of these possibilities made Chu Yu suddenly terrified of the future.
She closed her eyes and exhaled heavily.
Enough of this.
She thought, why worry about the future when today's wine is for today's joy? To have had even one moment with someone like Wei Yun was already a blessing.
With that thought, Chu Yu suddenly felt a bit comforted. She opened her eyes and turned around. The Wei family had just settled into their new residence, and there were still many matters requiring her attention.
She was busy until late at night, only returning to her room in the deep hours. After washing up, she extinguished the lamp, dismissed the servants, and rolled up the curtains to sleep.
But as soon as she lifted the curtain, someone abruptly pulled her in. It seemed the person had been lying in wait—rolling her onto the bed, covering her lips, and flipping her over to pin her beneath him.
The familiar scent washed over her, and Chu Yu's muscles relaxed. Sensing her ease, Wei Yun chuckled softly, "You knew it was me?"
"I'm not blind."
Chu Yu glanced at him in the dark. Wei Yun laughed quietly and kissed her. "If you won't come to me, then I'll come to you."
"You—"
"I missed you."
Wei Yun reached out and pulled Chu Yu into his arms, speaking tenderly, "During the day, you don't belong to me. If you won't let me stay with you at night either, what am I supposed to do?"
Chu Yu was momentarily speechless at his words.
"See, we have so little time together." Wei Yun counted on his fingers for her. "At least eight hours of the day, you're someone else's. You sleep late and wake early, and with the time I spend sneaking over, I barely get two hours a day to just hold you like this."
As he spoke, Wei Yun sounded aggrieved. "You won't marry me, and now you're keeping me at arm's length like this?"
"Alright, alright."
Chu Yu was helpless against his persistence. "I didn't tell you to leave."
Hearing this, Wei Yun finally brightened, feeling he had secured his rightful place. He rolled away freely, resting his hands behind his head, and whispered, "A Yu, have you prepared my birthday gift yet?"
"Not yet."
Chu Yu found him utterly childish and sighed. "What do you want?"
Wei Yun was overjoyed at the question. After a moment of serious thought, he finally said, "A Yu, do you know when I first thought you were especially beautiful—not in the way an elder is, but as a woman?"
Chu Yu was taken aback and couldn't help but feel curious. "When?"
"That year when you danced for me. Do you remember?" Wei Yun seemed a little shy as he took her hand and stammered, "Could you... dance for me again? But a different kind?"
"What kind of different?"
Chu Yu was puzzled. Wei Yun gazed at her quietly, his clear black-and-white eyes filled with warmth.
"Back then, you treated me like a child. Now, I want you to treat me like your husband."
Chu Yu was momentarily stunned. Wei Yun raised his hand to cup her face. "A Yu, I want you to see me as a man—more than that, as your husband."
"On the day of my coming-of-age ceremony, will you dance for me?"
OpenNovel