Chapter 102: Budding Affection

Chapter 102 First Flutters of Love

Lin Qingshuang couldn’t sit still for another moment after learning the truth. Her face flushed scarlet as she lowered her head and stood up.

"Please act like I never came today. I don’t know Young General Xie."

This is so embarrassing!

It was all her fault for not figuring things out first, leading to such a humiliating mix-up.

"Brother."

But before she could turn to leave, A Yuan’s voice stopped her in her tracks.

The sound of a man’s footsteps approached from behind. After six months of constant companionship with Xie Zheng, she recognized him instantly.

Lin Qingshuang's heart pounded nervously, her hands clenched tightly at her sides.

Had Xie Zheng heard what she said? Would he… expose her?

Her thoughts raced, but Xie Zheng simply brushed right past her without even a glance.

"A Man is having lunch at the military camp today. No need to wait for her."

The child had been absolutely thrilled these past couple of days. Marquis Wei had broken in two young mares for her to ride alternately, which made A Man's day.

A Yuan understood her daughter’s temperament—keeping her pent up in the general’s residence would only stifle her.

"Alright, I understand. It’s cold now, and playing too hard might lead to a chill. Brother, could you bring her a cloak this afternoon?"

A Yuan was philosophical. Though she had carried her daughter for ten months, she didn’t stop the marquis’s family from getting close to her.

The more love A Man received, the better.

"Right. I’m leaving now. Go fetch the cloak."

"Got it."

A Yuan stepped into the inner chamber, leaving only Xie Zheng, Lin Qingshuang, and her maid in the room.

Lin Qingshuang kept her head down, edging toward the doorway, desperate to avoid Xie Zheng's notice.

Just as she was about to step over the threshold, his challenging voice called out.

"Lady Lin doesn’t know me?"

"Whoops!"

Lin Qingshuang stumbled, almost catching her foot on the threshold, only steadying herself when an arm suddenly wrapped around her waist.

"I… I…"

His familiar smell surrounded her as his arm supported her waist, leaving her tongue-tied with nerves.

"What does Lady Lin wish to say? That you don’t know me, or that you weren’t here today?"

Xie Zheng gazed down at her, taking in her shy, flustered expression.

The Lin Qingshuang he knew was spoiled and headstrong—a far cry from this charming creature.

Xie Zheng's lashes flickered, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Figured out what to say yet, Lady Lin?"

"Xie Yansheng!"

Lin Qingshuang, flushed with rage, pushed him away, her cheeks puffed up like a blowfish.

"You’re just messing with me on purpose!"

Whether it was hiding his identity from her or teasing her now, he was doing it deliberately.

Her eyes welled up angrily, fighting back tears.

Xie Zheng curled his fingers, realizing his teasing had gone too far.

He bit his lip awkwardly, muttering a half-hearted apology, "I was just joking with you..."

"That wasn’t even a little funny!"

Lin Qingshuang whipped her head away.

"But you said before that you liked everything Young General Xie did..."

"Xie Yansheng!"

Lin Qingshuang's face flamed scarlet. She'd crushed on the fictional heroes in those romance novels—never expecting the real Young General Xie would be such a jerk.

She stomped her foot, fuming. "I don't like him anymore!"

She was going back to burn all those novels... yes, burn them!

Some clueless fool had recently bought up all the romance novels in the capital, leaving only Xie Zheng’s stories gathering dust in the shops.

In the past, Lin Qingshuang would have had her maid snap up every copy, but now just seeing Xie Zheng’s name made her seethe.

"Don't like him anymore?"

Xie Zheng repeated her words softly, his chest clenched.

"Brother, what are you talking about?"

A Yuan emerged from the inner chamber with the cloak, only to see Xie Zheng staring blankly at the door like he’d been zoned out.

Lin Qingshuang and her maid had already vanished, blowing in and out like a storm. A Yuan was still clueless why she’d come.

"It's nothing."

Xie Zheng clenched his jaw, avoiding the topic as he took A Man's cloak.

"I have official duties to attend to this afternoon. Tell Marquis Wei to bring A Man home."

"...Alright."

A Yuan hesitated, then nodded.

Now that she thought about it, she had never met Marquis Wei before.

But compared to the others in the marquis’s household, she had a good impression of this grizzled war hero.

"By the way, I have a friend who's been having frequent heartaches but can't figure out why."

Xie Zheng coughed lightly and said awkwardly.

"Then do you know what triggers his heartache?"

A Yuan wasn’t a doctor and knew nothing about medicine, but if her brother was asking, there must be a reason.

"Ahem! There’s this woman who annoys him. She didn’t know his identity before but was a big fan of his. Now that she knows, she says she’s over him."

"So... your friend’s heartache is because of this?" A Yuan inquired.

Xie Zheng put on a serious face, trying to act serious, though his fingers were nearly digging into his palms behind his back.

“Yeah.”

“So he’s got a thing for her?”

“As if I would—”

"Brother?"

“Ahem! I just meant my friend hates spoiled, bratty girls—how could he ever like her!”

He absolutely would not like Lin Qingshuang.

Xie Zheng looked completely against the idea, and suddenly, it hit A Yuan.

"Brother, is this woman... Lin Qingshuang?"

Earlier, Lin Qingshuang had acted strangely upon seeing him, as if they'd known each other for a long time.

After hearing her brother’s words, A Yuan became even more convinced they were familiar.

"Yikes!"

Xie Zheng bit his tongue in shock. Under his sister’s knowing look, he shook his head repeatedly. "No way!"

"Gotta go—later!"

He bolted so fast that A Yuan didn’t get another word in.

But if Lin Qingshuang could really become her sister-in-law, that would be wonderful.

She liked Lin Qingshuang very much.

...

Little A Man was fearless for her age. The little girl, not yet three, sat on the horse without a care.

Chun Yu held her steady, but the little girl even dared to sit up tall and wave to both sides of the field.

"Marquis Wei, your granddaughter is something else!"

In the military camp, the onlookers were all Marquis Wei’s old comrades. Seeing A Man like this, they were green with envy.

Who wouldn’t want such a beautiful, well-behaved granddaughter? Especially one so little but so gutsy.

Listening to his colleagues’ admiring words, Marquis Wei grinned from ear to ear. "Of course! A tiger’s cub is no dog—my little granddaughter... takes after me!"

"That's the apple not falling far from the tree! But he just kicked his son out directly."

"However, the heir, Wei Crown Prince, is smart and capable, yet he lacks the boldness of Marquis Wei."

"He’s still figuring out how to make up with his wife—meanwhile, Marquis Wei has already built a good relationship with his little granddaughter."

"Grandpa, I'm hungry."

A Man had ridden two laps and was now starving after all that playing.

Marquis Wei took out a handkerchief to wipe her sweat—this big man carried one just for his granddaughter.

Marquis Wei cooed, "A Man, wanna come home with Grandpa? I’ll have the cook whip up something yummy for you."

"Go to Grandpa’s house?" The little girl tilted her head. "Will your family like me, Grandpa?"