The Huang family was in high spirits and, in a moment of impulsiveness, placed all their hopes for the year on Songyuan, hoping to take over the Luo family's previous substantial profits on the northern front.
Unexpectedly, man proposes, God disposes. As the saying goes, fortune and misfortune are intertwined. The Luo family was thus spared the tragedy of continuing to lose money on the northern front this year, while the Huang family lost most of their fortune.
Luo Cuiwei met Yun Lie's gloating gaze and knew that he didn't want to talk about her injury and make her feel bad, so she smiled at him and picked up the thread.
"So, even His Highness Prince Zhao would secretly laugh at others?"
“Not only will he laugh at us, but His Highness Prince Zhao will also kick us when we’re down,” Yun Lie said smugly, raising his chin with an air of righteousness. “This war was an accident, so it doesn’t count as revenge. If they still take the northern route next year, hmph.”
He would send Xiong Xiaoyi personally to lead a group to "rob the rich and help the poor".
After all, he remembered every single thing the Huang family had done to bully Luo Cuiwei.
The Huang family will soon find out just how simple, brutal, and ruthless His Highness Prince Zhao can be when he's protecting his own.
****
For the entire morning, the joy of reunion seemed to give Yun Lie a "last burst of energy," but as someone who had not yet recovered from serious injuries, his spirits were noticeably weak after lunch.
Because news of his injury could not be known to outsiders for the time being, and to prevent the news from leaking out, no doctor could be found to treat him and prescribe medicine. Luo Cuiwei had no other choice but to urge him to go to his bedchamber to rest.
Yun Lie nodded listlessly and dragged Luo Cuiwei back to his bedchamber.
As if afraid she would refuse, Yun Lie continued with his twisted logic, "The little pills also have a sleeping effect. Try them if you don't believe me."
Seeing that his face was becoming increasingly pale, Luo Cuiwei felt a pang of pain in her heart, so she stopped arguing with him and took his arm to go to the bedroom together.
As she walked along the winding corridor, Luo Cuiwei inadvertently caught a glimpse of the path in the central garden through the archway.
The two rows of crabapple trees along the path had long passed their peak bloom, with only a few scattered buds remaining on the branches, making them appear desolate and forlorn.
She gave a silent, bitter smile, a hint of regret and slight grievance in her heart.
She carefully selected and arranged the flowers in a riot of color, but her husband was not meant to witness this first bloom. And who knows if he will have the chance to see her feelings when the flowers bloom again next year.
Spoiled by her father since childhood, she was impulsive and willful. When making a decision, she would not hesitate to do so as long as she was willing and liked it at the moment.
Now she no longer regrets her rash acceptance of Yun Lie's marriage proposal. However, after three months of bewildered waiting and anxious torment, she has come to realize that since she has fallen in love with a young man who puts the defense of the country first, there will likely be many separations like this in the coming decades.
The ordinary things that couples usually cherish—watching each other grow up together, holding hands to see flowers bloom and snow fall, and basking in the morning sun and moonlight side by side—will probably be the most luxurious thoughts for her and Yun Lie for the rest of their lives.
She is like a wild strawberry, who can live a fulfilling life as long as she stands tall and grounded, without needing anyone to take care of her.
But--
But it's not without regrets.
Yun Lie seemed to notice her sudden downcast mood and immediately looked at her with a blank yet concerned expression. "What's wrong?"
Knowing that the gentleness and lightness of his voice at this moment was not intentional, but rather due to insufficient blood and qi after his injury, Luo Cuiwei couldn't bear to make him feel guilty. She quickly suppressed the slightly affected bitterness in her heart and gently pushed his arm with a smile.
"It's alright, let's go."
Yun Lie didn't say anything more, but secretly followed the direction of her gaze, but couldn't see anything unusual for a long time.
By this time, he was no longer as energetic as he had been when he first woke up in the morning, and his mind was a mess. He could only frown and walk dejectedly with her to the bedroom.
****
Because Yun Lie's injury was along the line from his chest to his shoulder blade, Luo Cuiwei was afraid of pressing on his wound, so she consciously moved further away from the bed after getting on.
But Yun Lie wouldn't let it go, sticking close to her and pulling her into his arms before finally closing his eyes in peace.
Luo Cuiwei nestled in his arms, too afraid to move, and couldn't help but remind him, "If I accidentally touch your injury while I'm asleep, you'll be in big trouble."
She sometimes seems restless when she sleeps too soundly.
Back when she was still living in the Luo family, one morning she woke up to find herself inexplicably lying across the middle of the bed, half her head dangling over the edge—
This incident made her wonder if her true form when she was asleep might be a spinning top.
Yun Lie's eyelids were so heavy they were almost sticking together. Hearing this, he only slightly opened his eyes and chuckled softly, "I can't sleep soundly without you in my arms, that would be really terrible."
After saying that, he closed his eyes completely, but his arms tightened around her.
After a while, listening to his breathing gradually become steady, Luo Cuiwei smiled helplessly and muttered softly, "In this hot weather, don't you feel hot holding me like this?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the large hand that was wrapped around her waist slowly moved to her back and gently patted her a few times, as if to comfort her or to respond.
Luo Cuiwei looked up and saw that Yun Lie's eyes were closed, clearly indicating that he was in a deep sleep.
Is it asleep or awake?
When she felt playful, she raised her finger and lightly tapped his chin, tentatively calling out in a soft voice, "Yun Lie."
"Mmm." The sleeping man responded in a slurred voice, clearly not fully awake, yet responding to her perfectly.
Luo Cuiwei found it quite amusing and tilted her head to examine his sleeping face.
I wonder if this is a habit he developed from years of being on the frontier, always ready to fight. Does he respond whenever someone calls him when he's drowsy?
"Do you know who's talking to you?" She secretly made a face and lightly poked his cheek with her fingertip.
Before she could pull her finger back, the drowsy person turned their head, opened their mouth, and put her finger in their mouth.
"Weiwei, stop making a fuss."
His eyes remained closed, his pale lips, devoid of color, were faintly white as he sucked on her fingertip, responding weakly and indistinctly, clearly distressed by his disturbed sleep.