xymnovel Chapter 85 Leisure
Chapter 85 Leisure
Morning light seeped in through the cracks in the window, a thin ray falling on the curtains, giving the hibiscus-colored gauze a hazy golden hue.
Liu Bei was the first to wake up.
Years of military service had instilled in me the habit that no matter how late I rested the night before, my mind would always clear spontaneously around the hour of Mao (5-7 AM).
But today was different—when he opened his eyes, what he saw was not the rough roof of the military tent, nor the plain beams of the government office, but a pillow of loose black hair, and a peaceful sleeping face among the black hair.
Hou Yuan was still asleep.
Her breathing was shallow, her eyelashes were lowered, and a trace of the blush from last night lingered on her cheeks, like a peach blossom that was seven-tenths open on a spring branch.
Her hand rested on his chest, her knuckles slightly curled, and the plain silver bracelet on her wrist had tilted to one side, leaving a faint red mark.
Liu Bei did not move.
He lay there, feeling the warmth of the hand on his chest and the even breathing of the woman beside him.
At this moment, the world and the Han dynasty seemed as distant as if shrouded in mist.
He felt a strange peace in his heart, a peace he had never experienced before.
The tent was extremely quiet, except for the distant chirping of birds that could be heard from the courtyard.
He lowered his gaze and looked at her face.
The morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a soft shadow on her face, clearly illuminating even the slight smile on her lips—one wonders what wonderful thing she had encountered in her dream.
Liu Bei couldn't help but reach out and gently brush away a strand of hair that had fallen onto her cheek.
When his fingertips brushed against her ear, Hou Yuan moved slightly, her brows furrowing as if she was annoyed by being disturbed, and she buried her face even more in his shoulder.
This touch softened his heart, as if he had been gently scratched by something furry.
He lowered his head and placed a kiss on the top of her head, so light it was almost weightless.
Hou Yuan woke up during that kiss.
Consciousness precedes the recovery of vision.
She felt the warmth beside her, the steady strength of the arm around her waist, and the slight warmth above her forehead.
Then the memories of last night flooded back, and before she even opened her eyes, the tips of her ears turned red.
"Awake?" Liu Bei's voice came from above, low and hoarse like a vintage wine, deep and mellow.
Hou Yuan refused to open her eyes, burying her face even deeper, and mumbled a response.
Liu Bei chuckled, his chest trembling slightly.
Hou Yuan was so shocked by his words that she could no longer pretend. She finally looked up and met his smiling gaze.
In the morning light, the deep turmoil of the previous night had faded from those eyes; they were clear and gentle, yet they still made her heart skip a beat.
"Good morning!" he said softly.
"Good morning!" she replied, her voice soft and sweet, with a slight upward inflection at the end, as if it were a phrase she had just learned and was not yet fluent in.
The two stared at each other for a moment, neither of them moving.
The morning light moved in inch by inch, shining on her folded hands, on her disheveled black hair, and on the silver bracelet on her wrist, refracting into tiny fragments of light.
Then he lowered his head and kissed the corner of her lips.
Unlike last night, this kiss was extremely light and quick, like the first dewdrop rolling off a lotus leaf in the morning, barely touching the lips before dissipating.
Hou Yuan's heart was beating even harder than last night—last night was a tidal wave, but today was a gentle, flowing warmth, the latter being more irresistible than the former.
She raised her hand, her fingertips lightly tracing the scar on his shoulder blade.
It was even clearer in the morning light; the scar ran diagonally from the shoulder to the back. Although it had healed for many years, it was still clear that the injury was quite severe.
"This wound," she asked softly.
"It was from last year when we were fighting the Xianbei," Liu Bei replied casually, as if he were talking about a trivial old story rather than a near-fatal arrow wound.
Hou Yuan didn't speak, but traced the scar again with her fingertips, her movements extremely light and slow, as if she were measuring the years she had never participated in.
He took her hand in his and held it in his palm.
"If I get any new injuries in the future," he said, half-jokingly and half-seriously, "someone will be counting them for me."
Hou Yuan glanced at him, but didn't reply. Instead, she gripped his hand even tighter.
The faint sounds of servants sweeping and cleaning in the courtyard could be heard outside, a sign that the house was gradually waking up.
Liu Bei listened intently and knew it was about time to get up—today was the first day the new bride paid her respects to her mother-in-law, and she couldn't be late.
But he looked down at the person in his arms, then looked again, and finally lingered for a moment longer.
Right now.
His hand gently stroked her back, the skin beneath his palm soft and warm, like a piece of fine silk warmed by his body heat.
Hou Yuan shrank back slightly at his touch, then reached out and pressed his wrist, blushing as she scolded, "Time to get up."
Liu Bei grunted in acknowledgment, but did not withdraw his hand.
Hou Yuan was both amused and annoyed, and pushed his chest: "Husband—it's time to pay your respects to your mother-in-law."
The word "husband" fell in the quiet tent in the early morning, carrying a more intimate meaning than the night before.
As Liu Bei listened, he felt as if warm water had been poured over his heart, bringing him indescribable comfort.
He finally withdrew his hand, but then leaned down and kissed her between the eyebrows before sitting up.
The curtain was lifted slightly, letting in the morning light.
Hou Yuan sat up, wrapped in the brocade quilt, and watched Liu Bei put on his inner robe.
The morning light fell on his shoulders and back, illuminating both the old scar and a faint new mark next to it. The new mark was so faint that it was almost invisible unless you looked closely.
Her face flushed, and she looked away.
Liu Bei turned around and saw this scene, and the corners of his mouth curved into a barely perceptible smile.
He reached out and took her clothes from the hanger, handed them to the tent, paused slightly as his fingertips brushed against the back of her hand, and then casually withdrew them.
Hou Yuan lowered her head as she took the clothes, the blush on the tips of her ears spreading all the way to her neck.
Get dressed and wash up.
Hou Yuan sat in front of the mirror, holding a comb and tidying her long hair that had been loose all night.
Liu Bei, already dressed, walked behind her and took the comb from her hand.
Hou Yuan was slightly taken aback. In the bronze mirror, she saw him with his eyes lowered, carefully combing the small knot at the end of her hair.
His movements were clumsy and even awkward.
Those hands, accustomed to holding swords and reins, handled a single strand of hair with extraordinary care, as if disassembling some intricate mechanism.
Hou Yuan looked at him in the mirror without saying a word, but leaned back and gently rested against him.
After combing the last strand, he put the comb back on the dressing table, leaned down and whispered something in her ear.
Hou Yuan was slightly taken aback, then smiled, her eyes almost overflowing with tenderness.
After getting dressed, the two walked out of the room side by side.
The courtyard was bathed in the bright morning light. Several cleaning maids greeted them with a bow and offered their congratulations.
Hou Yuan nodded, the redness on her ear tips not yet faded, but her demeanor had returned to its usual composure.
Liu Bei walked beside her, his pace much slower than usual, accommodating her steps.
Turning past the corridor, you arrive at the main courtyard where Liu's mother lives.
The courtyard gate was half-closed, and the faint sounds of maids moving about quietly could be heard inside.
Hou Yuan paused at the door, straightened her clothes and temples, and glanced at Liu Bei.
The morning light fell on her face, giving her a charm she had never had before, as if she had blossomed from a bud into a flower overnight.
Liu Bei reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, then gently pinched her earlobe with his fingers.
"Let's go," he said.
The two crossed the threshold and walked side by side into the main courtyard.
Behind them, the rising sun passed over the roof ridge, casting two long shadows onto the bluestone ground, so close together that they overlapped and were indistinguishable from one another.