The Prisoner of Beauty

Xiao Qiao slowly opened her eyes, meeting Wei Shao's worried gaze fixed upon her.

He had returned at some point, and the room was now lit by lamplight.

Tears brimmed at her lashes, her cheeks streaked with wet trails. Her chest and back were drenched in cold sweat, her clothes clinging to her skin.

Even though he was already holding her tightly in his arms, her shoulders still trembled uncontrollably.

"What's wrong?" Wei Shao's voice was urgent as he pulled her closer, lifting his other hand to wipe the cold sweat from her forehead and the tears from her face with his calloused palm.

Xiao Qiao leaned weakly against his chest, closing her eyes and shaking her head.

Wei Shao studied her. "A nightmare?"

Xiao Qiao remained silent.

"What did you dream about?" he pressed. "Tell me, what was it?"

She shook her head again.

She didn’t want to cry anymore.

It was just a dream. Now that she was awake, there was no need to be afraid.

Yet tears continued to spill from her closed eyes.

The more he urged her, the harder she cried.

Until finally, she could no longer hold back. Under the strain of suppressing her sobs, her body shook like a leaf in the autumn wind, and her tears soon soaked the front of his robe.

Wei Shao’s heart twisted into a tight knot, as if drenched by her tears.

...

He had retrieved his mother from the family shrine and escorted her back to her room.

When he heard her voice her deep-seated hatred for Xiao Qiao again—something he hadn’t heard in a long time—he instinctively felt resistance and disgust.

But when he saw the woman who had raised him, fearful of his reproach, looking anxious and uneasy before him, a pang of guilt surged in his heart.

He stayed with his mother, whom he had neglected for so long, waiting until she fell asleep before returning.

By then, it was nearly dawn.

Xiao Qiao had been sleeping soundly.

Not wanting to disturb her, he had planned to rest a little longer before daybreak and then depart as scheduled.

The upcoming battle at Langya was one he was determined to win.

Liu Yan had orchestrated the events in Yanzhou, but his decision to attack Langya at this time, as he had previously explained to his grandmother, was not merely about revenge.

It was about seizing the realm.

A battle of this scale, requiring the mobilization of hundreds of thousands of troops, involved preparations so intricate and meticulous that they were beyond ordinary imagination.

Though Gongsun Yang and Wei Quan would handle most of the arrangements, he still wanted to arrive early to oversee the army personally.

They needed to strike with absolute precision.

And then, her restless murmurs in her sleep had startled him awake.

He had never seen her so unsettled in her dreams.

At first, he couldn’t even rouse her.

...

"Manman, don’t be afraid! I’m here!"

Wei Shao held her trembling body tightly again, lowering his head to kiss her sweat-drenched forehead repeatedly, murmuring reassurances.

Xiao Qiao curled into his embrace, burying her face against his chest, her suppressed sobs making her entire body shudder, her shoulders heaving.

A faint jingling sound reached them.

Fei Fei, in the small crib, had been woken by Xiao Qiao’s crying. The baby kicked its legs, struggling to turn over, only to roll back halfway, whimpering twice. When no mother came to its side, it began to cry in distress.

Xiao Qiao opened her eyes, wiping them with her sleeve. Still hiccuping, she tried to free herself from his arms to get out of bed.

Wei Shao wouldn’t let her. Holding her, he gently laid her back on the pillow, brushing the tear tracks from her face once more. "Stay here," he said.

After tucking her in, he got out of bed and picked up Fei Fei, soothing the baby with a few gentle words.Fei Fei kicked her little feet, eyes tightly shut as she whimpered for her mother.

"Give her to me—"

Xiao Qiao sat up.

Wei Shao motioned for her to stay in bed and went to open the door himself, calling out.

Chun Niang and the wet nurse arrived quickly.

"Take Fei Fei out and soothe her to sleep," he instructed.

Chun Niang glanced at Xiao Qiao on the bed but didn’t ask further, promptly picking up the still-crying Fei Fei.

The wet nurse wrapped the little one in a small cloak, and the two retreated from the room.

The sound of her daughter’s cries still seemed to linger in her ears.

Xiao Qiao sat up again, hastily pushing aside the covers.

"Let me do it—Fei Fei recognizes me..." Her voice was hoarse, thick with unshed tears.

Wei Shao closed the door and strode back to her, pressing her back down. "Chun Niang and the wet nurse will take care of Fei Fei. It’s fine."

His tone left no room for argument. Then, he took a soft cloth meant for wiping Fei Fei’s sweat and sat by the bed, gently dabbing the moisture from Xiao Qiao’s neck, chest, and back. Once finished, he leaned in and pulled her into his arms again.

"What did you dream about earlier? It frightened you so much."

His thumb brushed tenderly over her still-swollen eyelids as he asked softly.

Xiao Qiao shook her head. "Nothing... It’s nothing now..."

Yet a thin sheen of tears gradually welled up in her beautiful eyes.

"Tell me. Once you say it, you won’t be afraid—"

Xiao Qiao kept shaking her head.

Wei Shao gazed at her. "Was it that nightmare you told me about before?"

Xiao Qiao lifted her face, staring blankly at his features before her emotions suddenly crumbled. She could hold back no longer.

Her small hands clutched tightly at his robes as she sobbed, her voice broken. "A man in a dragon robe... He was holding a bloody sword, trying to kill me... I was so scared. I was afraid he’d stab me through the heart, but he kept coming closer and closer..."

In the dream, the man’s face was no longer Liu Yan’s—it had blurred into nothingness.

She couldn’t see him clearly, yet she could vividly sense the murderous intent twisting his features.

This dream, so familiar yet somehow different, was all the more terrifying.

She shuddered.

"Don’t be afraid. I’m here. It was just a nightmare. I’d never let anyone harm you—"

Wei Shao stroked her back, comforting her.

"...I also dreamed of Zhang Pu... The blood gushing from his neck drowned me... I couldn’t breathe..."

Xiao Qiao closed her eyes, tears spilling again.

Wei Shao stiffened, his gaze darkening with deep remorse.

He held her tightly, murmuring repeatedly into her ear, "It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have lost my temper and done such a thing that day... I frightened you... I promise I’ll never be so harsh with you again... Manman, don’t be afraid..."

Wei Shao kept soothing her.

But the more he comforted her, the harder she cried.

Gradually, he stopped speaking, simply holding her without loosening his grip, patting her back gently as if she were Fei Fei.

Exhausted from crying, Xiao Qiao finally drifted into a heavy, dreamless sleep.

When she woke, there was a moment of disorientation.

Then, the events of the previous night flooded back into her mind.The people from the east room had called Wei Shao away... He retrieved Zhu Shi from the family shrine and stayed with her for a long time without returning... She fell asleep and had that nightmare that hadn’t appeared in a long time...

Her eyelashes trembled slightly.

She suddenly opened her still-swollen eyelids to find the sky already bright.

Wei Shao hadn’t left either, still lying on the bed, holding her as they slept.

With just a slight movement from her, he opened his eyes.

His gaze was clear, but the stubble on his cheeks was a sign of his restless night.

Their eyes met.

"Weren’t you supposed to leave today? Why didn’t you wake me?"

Xiao Qiao’s voice was still thick with sleep.

Recalling how she had broken down in his arms last night, crying uncontrollably, a trace of shame flickered in her heart.

She couldn’t even bring herself to meet his gaze. Lowering her eyelids, she murmured her question.

"I was worried about you."

Wei Shao gazed at her as he spoke.

...

Wei Shao canceled his original plans to leave that day.

For the entire day, he didn’t go anywhere, staying in the room with Xiao Qiao and Fei Fei.

Another night descended at its unhurried pace.

The room was lit with bright lamps.

Wei Shao lay on his side, facing inward.

Xiao Qiao was on the inner side of the bed.

Between them lay Fei Fei, freshly bathed.

Fei Fei had already forgotten the grievance of being heartlessly sent away by her father the night before.

No matter how much she had cried, her mother hadn’t come to comfort her.

Now, lying between them, she happily shook the little silver bell on her wrist, contentedly kicking her legs. When hungry, she nuzzled toward her soft, fragrant mother to nurse.

Wei Shao silently watched the scene before him.

The swelling around her eyes had subsided by morning, her dark hair cascading like clouds over the pillow.

Though already a mother, her face—so beautiful it could halt any man in his tracks—still carried the delicate charm of a young girl.

What Wei Shao loved most were her eyes.

He still remembered the first time he saw her in the wedding hall on their marriage night, how her bright, lively eyes had left such a deep impression on him.

Perhaps that was why he later favored touching and kissing her eyelids.

Fei Fei, now full, closed her eyes and gradually fell asleep.

From nursing so vigorously, a light sheen of sweat had formed on her neck.

Xiao Qiao lifted her gaze. "Husband, pass me a handkerchief..."

Her lips slightly parted, her eyes wide, she watched as Wei Shao suddenly leaned toward her, slowly closing the distance.

Over Fei Fei between them, their lips met.

Xiao Qiao’s lashes fluttered lightly as she slowly closed her eyes, accepting his sudden yet tender kiss.

"Manman, don’t blame me..."

Their cheeks brushed as Wei Shao whispered breathlessly, "I know I’m not the best match for you... Give me a little more time, alright?"