Chapter 109 Embrace

Chapter 109 Embrace

The slight sting on his face made Zhou Ye falter abruptly, his upper body stiffening for a moment before he resumed his hurried strides, no longer responding to A Shu.

Lin Shu tweaked his ears, then stroked his jaw, her slender, fever-hot fingers gliding over his Adam’s apple as she giggled softly like a little temptress. "I’ll tell you a secret—the first time I saw you, I actually glanced at you quite a few times. I’ve always liked tall, strong men with solid muscles; they make me feel incredibly safe. Your nose is quite prominent, and your hands are big. They say men like you are especially vigorous in bed, able to leave someone unable to get out of bed. Hehe, I wonder if it’s true."

Zhou Ye stumbled suddenly, his cheeks flushing hot from the warmth of her feverish skin.

"A Shu, stay put and don’t move around," Zhou Ye said hoarsely, tilting his head to avoid her pressing cheek.

"No, I won’t," Lin Shu retorted, wrapping her arms around his neck and clinging tightly with her legs, nuzzling against him again like a beautiful serpent, winding around Zhou Ye so tightly he could hardly breathe.

"You should count yourself lucky that I’ve taken a liking to you. After all, my standards are high—I’ve never fancied anyone until now. But let me tell you, it’s not just because you’re tall and muscular that I’m with you. It’s because you’re good to me..." Lin Shu’s voice wavered, and she sniffled, tears welling up. "No one has ever cared about me so much before. Those worthless men only ever liked my face or wanted my body. There was once a guy as tall and strong as you, right up my alley, and capable too. I was even considering giving him a chance, but he couldn’t even make it a month without getting impatient. One night, he sneaked two women into his room and thought I wouldn’t find out. Pah! How dare he show his face around me after sleeping with others? I sent him flying with one punch!"

Zhou Ye listened quietly, his expression darkening slightly.

Lin Shu pressed her cheek against his back and murmured, "I didn’t want to agree to be with you so quickly. They say men don’t cherish what comes too easily—you have to keep them guessing, make them suffer a bit. But A Ye, you’re so good to me, I couldn’t bear to keep you hanging. The moment you confessed, I couldn’t help but say yes. Boo hoo, I’m so weak. A Ye, you’re bad."

Hearing this, Zhou Ye’s slightly furrowed brows softened unconsciously.

"A Shu, it won’t be like that. Whether you agreed or not, I would always treat you well," Zhou Ye said, almost word by word, as if making a solemn vow.

"Of course you’d say that now—I’ve already agreed to be with you. Luckily, I kept a little trick up my sleeve and didn’t make it too easy for you to marry me. Hmph~"

That nasal hum tickled Zhou Ye’s heart, melting it completely.

"A Ye, I regret it. I shouldn’t have agreed so easily. You didn’t even chase me that much."

Zhou Ye hitched up her slightly slipping form and asked earnestly, "Then, A Shu, what would you like me to do?"

Lin Shu tilted her head thoughtfully. "Hmm, you should pick a bouquet of flowers for me every day, give me small, carefully prepared gifts from time to time, and create little surprises. When I’m in a bad mood, comfort me; when I’m happy, share my joy. When I’m bored, accompany me to town for shopping, tea, or storytelling. And... if I want to go somewhere, you should come with me instead of making excuses to stop me. Like if I want to explore the remote mountains, you should accompany me instead of saying it’s too dangerous..."

As Zhou Ye listened, the voice beside his ear gradually grew softer and weaker.

At one point, Zhou Ye’s breath hitched until he felt the warm bursts of breath against his neck and realized A Shu had simply fallen asleep.

"A Shu, sleep now. We’ll be there soon."

Carrying Lin Shu nearly thirty *li* (about 15 kilometers), Zhou Ye didn’t feel tired at all.

The clouds in the sky had parted as he predicted, revealing the moon and stars, illuminating the night path ahead...

Lin Shu slept for a long time. When she opened her eyes to an unfamiliar room and a dry, thin quilt covering her, she thought she was dreaming again.

Until a woman nearing forty heard the noise and came in. Seeing her awake, the woman turned and called outside, "Zhou, your wife’s awake—"

Lin Shu was full of questions, but before she could ask, Zhou Ye strode quickly into the room.

"A Shu, how are you feeling?"

Lin Shu opened her mouth, only then noticing a bitter taste. She vaguely remembered someone prying her mouth open and forcing bitter medicine down her throat. Seeing Zhou Ye now, her mind finally caught up.

"A Ye, is this... Old Man Liao’s house in Daoxiang Village? You really carried me all the way here?!" Lin Shu’s clear eyes widened, showing a rare glimpse of naive silliness.

Before Zhou Ye could explain, the auntie beside them laughed. "It sure is Daoxiang Village! When your man carried you here, our rooster had just crowed—it was still pitch black outside. My father is a light sleeper; he heard the noise and hurried to open the yard gate, thinking it was some village child with a high fever in the middle of the night. But when he opened the door, oh my, it was a tall, strong stranger! It gave him quite a scare. And when he said he came from Tianshui Village, we almost thought he was lying. Girl, your man treats you well! Nearly thirty *li*, he carried you the whole way. He was soaked with sweat, his legs covered in mud..."

The auntie, surnamed Wang, was the old itinerant doctor’s daughter. Since the Wang family’s medical skills were passed down only to men, she usually helped her father by drying herbs and weighing ingredients.

The old itinerant doctor had no sons. She had brought in a husband, but the man was frail. Even with her father’s care, he didn’t live long, passing away five years ago.

In recent years, as the old itinerant doctor aged, he rarely traveled to treat patients, only seeing folks from Daoxiang Village and the two nearby villages who came to him for ailments like headaches or fevers.

With their medical skills, the family managed to make a decent living.

Now Aunt Wang’s son had almost finished his training and, with another year or two of experience, could take over the old itinerant doctor’s practice.

Hearing this, Lin Shu put on a shy, newlywed demeanor, though inwardly she was jumping for joy.

Though she’d been burning up last night, she was only delirious, not addled. She thought it was a dream, but it turned out to be real.

Aunt Wang, seeing her embarrassment, didn’t tease further. "My son has already prepared the medicine. I’ll bring it in once it cools a bit. Drink it before you leave. Zhou, stay with your wife for now."

After Aunt Wang left the room, the blushing young wife instantly looked up, her bright, dark eyes fixed intently on Zhou Ye, vivid and spirited.

Seeing her regain her energy, Zhou Ye breathed a sigh of relief.

In truth, he hadn’t been as calm as he appeared. He was scared too. Even though A Shu’s fever had broken two hours ago, he hadn’t fully relaxed until now.

"A Ye, come sit here," Lin Shu patted the space beside her.

Zhou Ye walked over and sat by the bed, his gaze resting on her, intense enough to make her cheeks warm.

"A Shu, are you feeling unwell anywhere?" he asked.

Lin Shu smiled. "I’m completely fine now, no discomfort at all. A Ye, you’re so silly. I could’ve just taken Old Man Liao’s ox cart to town to see a doctor at daybreak. You didn’t have to carry me all this way in the middle of the night."

"Your high fever scared Uncle and Auntie," Zhou Ye pressed his lips together, adding quietly, "and me."

"A Shu, you frightened me last night."

Hearing this, Lin Shu paused in surprise for a moment before throwing herself into his arms, wrapping her arms around his waist and nuzzling against his chest.

Though it was hardly the place, Zhou Ye couldn’t bring himself to pull away. As Lin Shu leaned in, he quickly glanced toward the door, then raised his stiff arms to loosely encircle her shoulders.

Lin Shu pouted dissatisfiedly. "I want a tight hug."

Flushing deeply, Zhou Ye tightened his arms, holding her firmly.

His heart filled with joy but also tension—after all, they were in someone else’s home, and he worried Aunt Wang might walk in on them embracing.

"A Ye, I’m sorry for worrying you so much. Thank you for carrying me here in the middle of the night. Though I don’t think a fever would’ve killed me, what if it turned me into an idiot?" Lin Shu’s thoughts jumped suddenly. "A Ye, if I really became an idiot, would you still like me?"

Zhou Ye replied, "Even if A Shu became an idiot, I’d still like you."

Lin Shu snorted. "Liar. You answered without a second thought—must be trying to please me."

"I don’t lie, especially not to you."

"What if I turned into an idiot and became ugly too? Would you still like me then?" If he said yes now, it’d be fake—she wouldn’t believe it.

But Zhou Ye nodded again. "I would. Looks and smarts are just extras. It’s better if A Shu has them, but even without, I’d still like you."

Lin Shu butted her head against his chest fiercely. "Ahhh, stop, stop! You honest folks really know how to deliver deadly sweet talk!"

Zhou Ye held her without another word. At first, his arms were stiff, but gradually he adjusted, unconsciously shifting to hold her with one arm around her waist and the other cradling the back of her neck.

Lin Shu’s lips curled into a smile, rising higher and higher.

"I'm keeping a mental note of everything you've said."

Zhou Ye grunted, "Go ahead."

"By the way, how could you lie to outsiders and claim I'm your wife? Back in town, you were acting all shy, but now you're not trying to clear things up? Hey, I have to say, you've changed quite quickly."

Zhou Ye paused for a moment, explaining somewhat guiltily, "When I said you were my betrothed, that wasn't exactly a lie. When Aunt Wang directly called you my wife, I did explain, but she kept using the term, so I stopped correcting her afterward."

Lin Shu’s lips curved into a smile. "I see. Even if you had said I was your wife already, I wouldn't blame you. Why are you so flustered, you fool?"

As they were talking, Zhou Ye’s ears perked up, his expression suddenly alarmed. He immediately released his hold and stood up swiftly.

Just as he steadied himself, Aunt Wang walked into the room carrying a bowl of medicinal soup.

Lin Shu: "…"

Look at how panicked you are!

Aren't we a young couple? Even if we were seen, it wouldn't be a big deal.

So dark-skinned, yet more timid than me. Well.

As soon as Aunt Wang entered, Lin Shu, who normally had thick skin, immediately lowered her head shyly and cooed, "Auntie, A Ye has told me everything about it. I'm sorry for troubling you last night."