During the three days of delay, Yun Lie was extremely anxious, wondering what changes had occurred on the other side. He quickly adjusted the defenses, strengthened vigilance, and remained on high alert to prevent a sudden attack from the other side.
He was relieved when Xiong Xiaoyi and the others were safely brought back to their camp yesterday evening, and he rushed home without stopping.
Hearing this harrowing account, Luo Cuiwei stopped crying, her beautiful eyes wide with worry. "Have the two injured people received treatment yet? Is the army doctor's supply of medicine sufficient?"
She knew that the Linchuan army was always short of money and food, and when they had a little extra money, they would prioritize their rations. The army had very few medicines on hand.
Seeing that she had finally stopped crying, Yun Lie breathed a sigh of relief, raised his hand to rub the top of her head, and smiled gently.
"Don't worry, they are just external injuries and their lives are not in danger. Someone will bring them back after dawn, and then we can ask the doctors from Jishetang to give them a thorough examination. They will recover after some rest."
After all, the two men were injured and it was not advisable for them to travel with him overnight. He could only send them back by carriage after dawn.
“If you don’t have enough money, remember to tell me. I have some extra money now, so don’t worry,” Luo Cuiwei nodded, reached out to wipe away her tears, and then turned over to give up half of the quilt. “You haven’t slept for more than ten days, so lie down and sleep. We can talk about other things tomorrow.”
Yun Lie stood up, smiled, and kissed her forehead. "You go to sleep first, I'll go wash my face first..."
Seeing her immediately glare at him with displeasure, he indulgently curled his lips and sighed, "Then, will you come with me to wash my face?"
****
Upon catching sight of the dark blue brocade robe with cloud patterns draped over the bedside table, Yun Lie pursed his lips, which were unable to suppress the upward curve of his lips, but he could not hide the continuous waves of joy in his eyes.
When he was away from home, his young wife would stand his robe by the bedside, constantly thinking of him whenever she saw it.
However, he didn't say anything, but smiled and took it off, draped it over Luo Cuiwei's shoulders, and tied the sash for her.
The hem of the robe reached her feet, making her look like a child wearing an adult's clothes—it was quite adorable.
Yun Lie's heart skipped a beat. He leaned down and pecked her lips a few times before leading her out of the bedroom.
The wind was cold outside, so she hid behind him, clutching his clothes and following him closely.
Tao Yin was meticulous in her work, and she would leave some charcoal embers in the small stove at night to keep hot water warm for later use, which was quite convenient.
Yun Lie quickly washed his face, and at Luo Cuiwei's request, he soaked his feet in hot water to dispel the chill from his body before carrying her back to the room.
"You sleep, don't worry about me," Luo Cuiwei pulled her robe tighter and sat cross-legged beside him. "I'll just watch you sleep."
Because she had been restless all day, Xiahou Ling had urged her to lie down in her room early, and she had been sleeping in a somewhat disordered manner. Now she was wide awake and full of energy.
"I didn't do anything, what's with that defensive look on your face?" Yun Lie moved closer to her, grinning mischievously.
"Why are you so wary? Go to sleep, go to sleep," Luo Cuiwei said, tucking her legs under the covers to block his side. She chuckled and muttered, "Besides, the doctor said that you shouldn't be fooling around in the early stages of pregnancy."
She had originally planned to sleep in a separate room from him.
The warm and soft blankets, filled with her sweet fragrance, relaxed Yun Lie's mind. The fatigue accumulated over the past ten days suddenly overwhelmed him, and his mind felt like it was stuffed with a ball of water-soaked cotton, making it difficult to function properly.
His eyelids felt incredibly heavy. He mumbled something, then covered her feet with his chest and closed his eyes.
About half an hour later, Yun Lie suddenly opened his eyes and sat up in surprise.
The long candle by the bedside was more than half burned, its flame glowing and flickering gently.
Sitting next to him, Luo Cuiwei was quite frightened and mumbled, "Have...have nightmares?"
"You scared me to death," Yun Lie said, scratching his messy hair as he looked down, his half-asleep gaze casually glancing at her. "I dreamt that you told me you were pregnant... What were you eating?!"
Eating while sitting on the bed in the middle of the night instead of sleeping is something very unlike Luo Cuiwei.
Luo Cuiwei looked down at the small white porcelain jar in her arms, then looked up and tapped the plum pit between his teeth. "Honey-pickled plums. I've had terrible morning sickness lately. Eating this... will help a little."
Yun Lie remained frozen for a while, then suddenly collapsed and closed his eyes.
It's fake, I'm still dreaming, I haven't woken up yet.
Tsk.
At dawn, Luo Cuiwei suddenly stepped past Yun Lie and got off the bed. She rushed out and vomited violently, which finally brought Yun Lie back to his senses.
It wasn't a dream after all; his wife really was pregnant!
****
After carrying his wife, whose legs were weak from vomiting, back to the room, Yun Lie was still unsure what to do when Tao Yin and Xiahou Ling arrived after hearing the commotion.
Yun Lie didn't know what to do with his hands and feet, his tall body standing still in front of the bed.
She stared blankly as the two men expertly helped her rinse her mouth, gave her a small bowl of soup of some unknown substance, and then helped her lie down.
From beginning to end, he seemed to be in a hazy, dreamlike state.
Only after Luo Cuiwei was settled, and Xiahou Ling respectfully bowed to him and asked him to come out for a private talk, did he feel as if he was being pulled little by little into that hazy, ethereal mist.
The morning air was slightly chilly, and a few small buds had already appeared on a wintersweet tree in the courtyard, emitting a faint, cool fragrance.
"How did you end up here?" Finally regaining his senses, Yun Lie suppressed the surging joy and shock in his chest and frowned as he looked at Xiahou Ling, who shouldn't be here.
Luo Cuiwei had mentioned Xiahou Ling's true identity to him before, so Xiahou Ling's appearance here made him have some uneasy suspicions.
Xiahou Ling lowered her head and respectfully replied, "There may be some hidden dangers in the capital, which seem to be pointing to Cuiwei; therefore, I have been ordered by the head of the family to come and protect Cuiwei."
She learned of Luo Cuiwei's pregnancy as soon as she arrived. Not wanting to disturb Luo Cuiwei, she kept her true origins to herself and waited for Yun Lie to return.
Yun Lie pressed his finger to his brow. "Who? What is it?"
The Luo family has never been involved in court affairs for generations, and now the title of "richest family in the capital" has been taken over by the Huang family. Logically speaking, there is no longer any risk of the family standing out from the crowd.