Chapter 67 (Bonus)

Chapter 67 (Bonus)

Xie Qingya wasn’t the only one nervous—Xu Duanyi was too.

Although Xie Qingya had already left the room, Xu Duanyi, now alone inside, felt her heartbeat gradually quicken, though it took her a moment to notice.

Especially when she thought about how soon she and Xie Qingya would be sleeping together.

Not like their wedding night, when they slept apart, but truly together, side by side, close enough to feel each other’s warmth.

Although the blankets were separate, Xu Duanyi's face still began to burn.

Her heart was racing so fast it felt unbearable.

Xu Duanyi stood up and took a deep breath.

She tried to calm her racing heart this way.

It didn’t work.

Her heart didn’t slow down—it only beat faster.

With Xie Qingya out of the room, Xu Duanyi started pacing the room, fanning her face to cool off.

But then, something unexpected happened.

As Xu Duanyi walked, she happened to reach the window.

She hoped the evening breeze might calm her down.

But when she turned, she saw Xie Qingya showering in the courtyard.

Xie Qingya hadn’t expected her to appear just then.

He hadn’t even noticed her.

But Xu Duanyi saw it all.

Beneath the crescent moon.

She saw Xie Qingya, shirtless by the well, wiping himself down under the cool moonlight.

Water trickled down his body, trailing over his firm muscles before vanishing below his abs.

Moonlight bathed Xie Qingya.

Xu Duanyi could clearly see his lean, firm muscles and the elegant lines of his body, gleaming silver in the moonlight.

Xie Qingya’s face had darkened from the sun lately.

But his body, shielded by clothes, remained as fair as ever.

To Xu Duanyi.

Xie Qingya wasn’t burly, lacking the bulky muscles of a typical martial artist.

But his sharp, well-defined muscles still spoke of his strength.

Xu Duanyi was spellbound. She couldn’t look away.

She lingered, forgetting to step away or look elsewhere.

As she watched him bend to dip the cloth into the water, the sleek, graceful lines of his back and his tall, elegant frame reminded her of a nimble wild leopard.

Though Xu Duanyi hadn’t regained her composure, her heartbeat grew increasingly intense.

It was deafening.

Xu Duanyi could clearly hear a loud buzzing in her ears.

She wasn’t unaccustomed to such sights.

What hadn’t she witnessed in the palace? Once, she’d gone with her aunt to watch the imperial guards spar, where dozens of handsome young men flaunted their physiques before her and her aunt, a far bolder display than what Xie Qingya was revealing now.

But in the past, Xu Duanyi had stayed composed and unfazed.

Now, just this sight made her heart race even faster.

She’d meant to steady her breathing.

Instead, it only left her feeling more flushed.

A burning heat from deep inside.

Her face burned, and her heart raced.

Luckily, she kept her wits about her. Noticing Xie Qingya seemed to sense something and turned, Xu Duanyi’s expression shifted, and she ducked down before he could spot her.

Xie Qingya had indeed noticed something, prompting him to turn.

But now, seeing the empty window, he smirked to himself.

What had he been thinking?

Why would he think Xu Duanyi was peeking at him?

He shook his head and continued to wipe his body.

Knowing he’d be sharing a bed with Xu Duanyi that night, Xie Qingya washed himself thoroughly, a level of care far beyond his usual half-hearted efforts.

He didn’t know.

The Xu Duanyi he’d assumed would never peek at him was now crouching under the window, her hands pressed to her flushed face, trying to steady her breathing.

After what seemed like forever.

Xu Duanyi finally stood up and walked back to the table to sit down.

After another unknown amount of time.

Xie Qingya finished washing, changed his clothes, and hung the dirty laundry outside before coming back in with the basin.

Seeing Xu Duanyi still sitting at the table, still holding the sweet potato, he noticed she’d only nibbled the very tip, like a rabbit grazing on grass.

"Is it not good?"

He raised an eyebrow, questioning Xu Duanyi.

Hearing his voice, Xu Duanyi was reminded of the earlier scene, stirring her emotions again. Her heart, just calmed, began to race once more.

Afraid of being caught, she kept her head down.

"It's tasty."

She noticed she was eating too slowly.

But her mind was a mess, and she wasn’t hungry.

Plus, she wasn’t really hungry.

She explained, "I ate too much tonight, so I’m not hungry now."

"I’ll have it for breakfast tomorrow."

She knew supplies were tight and didn’t want to waste food.

Xu Duanyi thought her idea was smart.

Sweet potatoes are fine cold, after all.

In this weather, it wouldn’t go bad overnight.

Suddenly, as she finished speaking, the sweet potato was snatched from her hand.

Xu Duanyi was caught off guard.

Unsure of Xie Qingya’s intentions, she instinctively looked up.

Xie Qingya, avoiding her eyes, mumbled, "I’m hungry." As he spoke, he carried the basin inside, peeling and eating the sweet potato.

He didn’t eat as leisurely as Xu Duanyi.

In just a few mouthfuls.

The palm-sized sweet potato was gone in no time.

Xie Qingya grimaced.

Feeling stuffed.

Looking back, he saw Xu Duanyi still staring at him in shock.

He cleared his throat, acting like nothing was wrong.

"What are you staring at? With supplies tight, we all eat like this."

Hearing this, Xu Duanyi thought she might have been too sensitive.

But didn’t he just say he was stuffed?

Confused by Xie Qingya, Xu Duanyi just nodded and stayed quiet.

Seeing her expression return to normal, Xie Qingya continued, "Mr. Wang, the county clerk, is from Guanzhong. His saozi noodles are quite good. I’ll have someone make you a bowl tomorrow morning."

Xu Duanyi was intrigued by his suggestion. She used to often follow Xie Qingya around, looking for good food.

Xie Qingya had grown up navigating the capital and always knew where to find the best food. After they got to know each other, he often took her out to eat.

If he recommended something, it was always worth trying.

But Xu Duanyi didn’t want to inconvenience anyone, so she first asked, "Is it too much trouble?"

Xie Qingya knew what she meant and said it wasn’t a problem: "Mr. Wang usually takes care of our breakfast."

It wasn’t a lie.

But they were usually too tired to sit down for breakfast. They’d rather grab some naan and eat it on the go than have Mr. Wang’s breakfast.

Xu Duanyi didn’t press further.

"Alright."

She replied gently.

Her eyes and brows, softened by the warm candlelight, curved gently.

Xie Qingya felt a flutter in his chest, captivated by her.

"I’ll head out to freshen up first. You should get ready too." After saying this, he turned away and took his things to brush his teeth and wash up outside.

Xu Duanyi also got up to wash up.

After they’d both freshened up, Xie Qingya suggested she get into bed first, while he planned to extinguish the candle before joining her.

"Xie Qingya."

After a rustling sound, Xu Duanyi’s voice suddenly came from behind the screen.

Already uneasy about sharing a bed, Xie Qingya grew even more flustered hearing her voice and glimpsing her silhouette sitting on the canopy bed behind the thin gauze.

He started to reply.

His voice came out unexpectedly hoarse.

He cleared his throat hastily.

"What is it?"

Xu Duanyi, oblivious to Xie Qingya’s thoughts, asked him, "Do you prefer the inside or the outside of the bed?"

"What?"

Xie Qingya’s mind was elsewhere, and he didn’t catch on right away.

After a pause, he finally got it and replied casually, "Oh, either way."

After saying this, Xie Qingya thought, in the dark, wouldn’t he end up climbing over her?

What if he tripped...

The thought made Xie Qingya’s face flush even more.

His body felt increasingly restless.

His face flushed, and he hastily changed his decision: "...You sleep on the inside."

While he spoke.

Xie Qingya felt grateful more than once that they were speaking through the screen.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t know how to explain the intense flush on his face to Xu Duanyi.

"Alright."

Xu Duanyi still didn't know his thoughts.

After hearing him, she naturally moved to the inner side, followed by the sound of rustling. When Xie Qingya looked again, Xu Duanyi was no longer visible from behind the screen.

Instead, a familiar voice continued to echo in the room.

This time, her voice sounded more subdued than before.

"Xie Qingya, I'm ready."

"Mm."

Xie Qingya acknowledged, paused for a moment, and then turned to extinguish the candles in the room.

He left one candle burning on the table, in case Xu Duanyi needed to get up during the night.

But with only one candle remaining, the room grew noticeably dimmer.

Silence fell.

The room was eerily quiet for a moment.

Xu Duanyi on the bed was silent, as if asleep. But Xie Qingya knew she couldn’t have drifted off so quickly.

The silence was merely to avoid mutual awkwardness.

After hesitating for what felt like an eternity.

Xie Qingya took a deep breath, finally closed the door behind him, and exhaled slowly as he walked step by step toward the canopy bed.

As he neared the canopy bed.

The quicker Xie Qingya’s heart raced.

He moved slowly.

But no matter how slowly he moved, the distance from the door to the bed, even at a snail’s pace, should have been covered by now.

The bed curtains remained open.

Despite the distance of the candle, Xie Qingya could still make out Xu Duanyi’s features in the faint light.

She lay inside, still dressed.

She lay on her side, her back to him, her eyes closed and breathing silent, appearing as though she were truly asleep.

But it was merely an illusion.

Those details couldn’t be fabricated.

Her tense cheeks and trembling eyelashes showed she wasn’t really asleep.

Xie Qingya didn’t call her out.

He understood her behavior because he felt just as awkward, restless, and nervous.

Moving and breathing as softly as possible, Xie Qingya hesitated over whether to lower the bed curtain. Finally, after noticing the light on Xu Duanyi’s face, he decided to lower it.

So she could sleep better.

Plus, the darkness would help hide their expressions.

The bed curtain blocked the light, plunging the room into darkness.

Xie Qingya noticed Xu Duanyi’s eyelids flutter, but her eyes stayed shut.

In this situation,

Xie Qingya’s mind began to wander.

If he lifted her quilt, he’d likely see her hands clenched in nervousness.

For some reason,

The thought made Xie Qingya smile, feeling oddly pleased.

He wasn’t worried about being caught.

Still, it wasn’t right to keep staring.

She was struggling to sleep, and his staring wouldn’t help.

Xie Qingya looked away.

He lay down in the unfolded quilt, still dressed.

A separate quilt.

Sharing a bed.

Something he’d never imagined, not even on their wedding night, was happening here, in this strange place.

Incredible.

Xie Qingya lay awake, eyes open.

He couldn’t sleep.

He should’ve been exhausted—after a long day, he’d normally fall asleep instantly.

But today, he was fully alert.

Maybe he hadn’t worked enough today, or maybe it was Xu Duanyi lying beside him.

He knew Xu Duanyi wasn’t asleep either.

Xie Qingya simply closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep, and gradually evened out his breathing.

Just as expected—

The moment he did this, he felt the person who had been lying with their back to him carefully turn over.

Xie Qingya noticed Xu Duanyi glance his way.

But it was just a fleeting look before she quickly looked away.

Maybe she had finally relaxed.

After a long day, Xu Duanyi finally drifted off to sleep.

Unbeknownst to her, the person beside her opened their eyes once she was asleep.

Xie Qingya cautiously turned toward her, propping himself up to gaze at her.

This was something he’d never dare to do if she were awake.

Only in the quiet of the night, with her asleep, did Xie Qingya dare to do this.

His fingers instinctively reached out to her.

But he hesitated mid-reach and pulled back.

Xie Qingya watched in silence, his elbow growing sore from propping himself up, unsure how long he’d been there.

As he was about to lie back down, he heard her mumbling and shifting beside him.

It was then Xie Qingya remembered how restless she was in her sleep.

He figured no one had ever told Xu Duanyi about her restless sleep; otherwise, she’d never have suggested this setup.

His thoughts were still drifting.

Until Xu Duanyi slowly inched closer, her head finding its way onto his pillow.

Xie Qingya froze in place.

Now, he didn’t dare budge.

He glanced down.

She remained fast asleep, showing no signs of stirring.

Instead, she seemed to sleep even more soundly, drawn to his warmth.

Xie Qingya watched, helpless, as her brows softened, her head resting against him, and he suddenly felt a pang of frustration.

He didn’t dare risk waking her.

To spare her the embarrassment when she woke.

Xie Qingya moved as carefully as he could, easing himself down beside her.

But Xu Duanyi, in her sleep, was just as clingy as when she was drunk.

Xie Qingya tried his best to stay away from her, but Xu Duanyi kept seeking the warmth beside her, moving closer to him, until eventually, her entire body was in Xie Qingya’s blanket, and she turned over, resting her face on Xie Qingya’s shoulder.

Now, Xie Qingya didn’t dare move a muscle.

He couldn’t budge either.

His hand was nearly hanging off the bed.

If he moved any more, he might just tumble off.

Gazing down at Xu Duanyi, peacefully asleep beside him, Xie Qingya felt a dull ache in his jaw.

He couldn’t tell if it was frustration or sheer helplessness.

He longed to pinch her cheek, but fearing he’d wake her, he held himself back.

Yet, she seemed to think she hadn’t pushed him enough.

Suddenly, Xie Qingya felt something soft press against his neck, accompanied by the warmth of her breath.

Already restless, Xie Qingya nearly bolted upright when he realized what the soft touch was.

But the moment he shifted, Xu Duanyi, sensing the disturbance, frowned and let out a soft whimper.

Hearing that, Xie Qingya froze, not daring to move a muscle.

Terrified of actually waking her.

As expected, the moment he stilled, her whimpers stopped, and her face softened again.

Xie Qingya, a born troublemaker, had rarely found himself at a loss.

Even now, he’d rarely been outmaneuvered, but here he was, utterly immobilized.

Xie Qingya clenched his jaw, glaring at Xu Duanyi.

He was tempted to pinch her cheek hard enough to wake her.

But he just couldn’t do it.

Suddenly, the memory of that day at the Liu residence flashed through his mind.

When he’d seen Xu Duanyi drunk, the words had slipped out before he could stop them—

“Xu Duanyi, you’ve got me beat.”

Xie Qingya felt that same surrender now.

His body was on fire, and a part of him that had lain dormant for so long was now stirring uncontrollably.

Yet, all he could do was grit his teeth and bear it.

In that moment, Xie Qingya had one clear thought: he should’ve stuck to sleeping on the floor.

Xu Duanyi, asleep, was simply too much to bear.