After Exile, I Married the Amnesiac General [Rebirth] Chapter 30

“Why did you rush back so late? Did something happen?”

Li Chanxiu held a small oil lamp. After letting Pei Er into the room, he closed the door and turned to ask.

Because he was about to go to sleep, his black hair had been loosened. A thick cotton robe was draped over his shoulders, pushing his hair upward so it looked somewhat fluffy, making his face appear fair, delicate, and as if it were only the size of a palm.

Under the hazy lamplight, his eyes looked toward Pei Er, like ink strokes washed over yellowed rice paper, clear and elegant, yet possessing a kind of breathtaking beauty.

Pei Er stared fixedly at his face in the lamplight. His Adam’s apple unconsciously rolled. His heartbeat, quickened from the hard ride all the way here, seemed not to have calmed at all; it even thudded heavier and heavier in his ears.

He didn’t know how long he had stood there stiffly. Li Chanxiu seemed to say something again before he suddenly snapped back to his senses.

The boiling blood finally settled somewhat. After calming down, he realized that because of a sudden impulse, he had ridden back home in the middle of the night, simply like an inexperienced young lad.

Miss Shen would certainly think him unsteady.

Pei Er felt annoyed for a moment. The more impulsive he had been when returning, the more unnatural he now felt. Yet looking at the elegant figure before him, a certain sense of satisfaction filled his heart again, as though… he didn’t regret it.

Li Chanxiu, being stared at so directly by those dark eyes, unconsciously curled the fingers holding the small oil lamp, suddenly feeling a little uncomfortable.

He coughed lightly, trying to break the stiff atmosphere. “Come inside first. You came back in such a hurry, you look a little overheated. When you cool down later, you might get sick.”

As he spoke, he raised his hand and touched the armor on Pei Er’s body, tentatively giving it a push.

Though the force was not strong, Pei Er seemed like a puppet that had lost its will, being pushed step by step into the inner room.

When the heavy curtain was lifted, a wave of warmth came over, mixed with a faint smell of smoke.

Pei Er swept his gaze around and soon discovered that in front of the bed there was actually a charcoal brazier, with black-and-red coals burning inside.

Not far from the brazier, beside the table, a golden eagle was squatting. One of the eagle’s legs was tied with a rope, fastened to the table leg nearby.

Seeing Pei Er enter, the eagle immediately lifted its head, its naturally fierce eyes staring straight over.

Pei Er: “……”

After a moment, he pressed his lips together, his dark eyes turning heavy.

The golden eagle blinked its round eyes, looking somewhat innocent.

Then it ignored Pei Er and tried hard to move closer toward the brazier, but because one leg was tied, there was always a distance. After flapping several times in vain, it was clearly tied there on purpose so it wouldn’t get too close to the fire basin.

Pei Er: “……” Stupid eagle.

Li Chanxiu came in with him. Seeing him staring at the eagle, he smiled faintly and explained, “I saw that the side room was too cold. Since the main room had a charcoal brazier burning, I brought it into the main room to warm up.”

Pei Er pressed his lips together.

Even the golden eagle could come into the main room to sleep…

The golden eagle, being looked at by him, seemed a little intimidated and suddenly crouched down under the table.

Only then did Pei Er move his gaze away and look at the brazier again.

Seeing this, Li Chanxiu continued explaining, “These past few days have been too cold. Today I went to the foot of the mountain and cut back a thick piece of wood, burned it into charcoal to keep warm. But since it was my first time burning it, the result wasn’t very good. The smoke smell is a bit heavy, but fortunately…”

Before he finished speaking, his hand was suddenly caught.

Pei Er suddenly turned around. His broad palm grasped Li Chanxiu’s hand and somewhat forcefully stretched open the fingers he had subconsciously wanted to clench, lowering his head to carefully examine them. “Did you get hurt?”

After speaking, he seemed somewhat vexed and said hoarsely, “I should have thought of it. In the future, tell me about things like this, let me do them.”

Li Chanxiu’s slightly cool hand was held in the dry warmth of his palm, and he froze for a moment. Although they had held hands in the morning, that had been to put on an act in front of outsiders. But now…

Under the dim yellow lamplight, the “husband” who had returned home late at night was holding the “wife’s” hand, worriedly checking for wounds…

Li Chanxiu’s fingers curled slightly, his expression a bit unnatural.

He knew he shouldn’t let his thoughts wander. Pei Er already knew their marriage was fake; they had made it clear to each other. Yet the situation right now truly did…

He couldn’t help shifting his gaze away. His face grew slightly warm, and he felt even more uncomfortable.

He should immediately pull his hand back, but would that be too sudden and seem like an overreaction? Yet if he didn’t pull it back, the patch of skin pressed against the other’s palm was gradually heating up, and an unfamiliar, strange feeling was also rising in his heart…

Finally, after repeatedly preparing himself mentally, he coughed lightly and tried to withdraw his hand as naturally as possible, pretending nothing was wrong. “No injury. It wasn’t any hard work.”

After speaking, he quickly changed the subject again. “Right, you came back so late, are you hungry? There are still two steamed buns in the kitchen. How about I go get them, slice them, and toast them over the fire? You can eat them with some hot water?”

Pei Er loosely held the hand that had suddenly become empty, then inconspicuously moved it behind his back, greedily rubbing the lingering sensation.

Hearing Li Chanxiu say he was going out, afraid he might catch a chill, he hurriedly stopped him. “No need. I ate at General Chen’s place before coming back.”

After a pause, he remembered that when he had first come in, Li Chanxiu had asked why he had returned so late.

Earlier he had rushed back on impulse and hadn’t thought of any reason. Fortunately, after so much time, he had finally come up with one.

He coughed and, regaining a serious expression, said, “I came from General Chen’s place. He said you made a contribution this time and plans to officially promote you to army physician. He also said he would report your matter to the commandery prefect, maybe there will be a chance for you to be pardoned.”

After saying this, he looked at Li Chanxiu with some expectation, thinking he would surely be happy.

But Li Chanxiu was stunned when he heard it. There was not the slightest trace of the joy Pei Er had expected.

Report it to the prefect? And help remove his criminal status?

The fingers hidden inside his sleeve suddenly clenched tightly, and his mind fell into turmoil.

If he remembered correctly, the current commandery prefect of Yongzhou was surnamed Yan, called Yan Tonghai. If the other party wanted to submit a memorial to pardon his criminal status, it was very likely he would first meet him in person.

Seven years ago, Li Chanxiu’s imperial grand-uncle, the emperor, had, in order to display his own benevolence, specially permitted him, who since birth had been confined with his father in the North Courtyard of the Crown Prince’s residence, to attend that year’s New Year’s Eve banquet in the imperial palace.

At that banquet, besides members of the imperial clan, there were also some important officials in the capital and their families. And this Prefect Yan had been serving as an official in the capital back then; it was very possible he had attended that banquet.

Of course, even if Prefect Yan had attended, he might not necessarily have noticed Li Chanxiu. After all, Li Chanxiu had been only eleven years old then, and his appearance was very different from now.

But no matter how much one’s appearance changed, there would still be similarities.

When he left the capital, he had relied on his father’s former subordinates to smooth the way and had deliberately concealed his appearance. All the way during exile to Yongfeng Town, the people he encountered were ordinary individuals or those unrelated to the capital.

But this Prefect Yan was different. Although during the eighteen years of confinement he had only been allowed to go out that one time, what if Yan Tonghai had happened to see him then, and later, upon seeing him again, felt that he looked familiar and noticed something?

Li Chanxiu’s thoughts were in a tangle for a moment, and the hand hidden in his sleeve clenched tighter and tighter.

Seeing that he was not happy as expected and had even lowered his head without speaking, looking somewhat dejected, Pei Er was also stunned.

After a long moment, he hesitantly asked, “Are you… not happy?”

Li Chanxiu suddenly came back to himself, raised his head to look at him, and quickly forced a smile. “No, how could that be? I’m very happy.”

After a pause, as if to emphasize it, he added, “Thank you for telling me. I was just too excited for a moment and forgot to react.”

Only then did Pei Er let out a breath of relief. But thinking that if the pardon did not succeed Li Chanxiu might be disappointed, he added stiffly, “General Chen said it’s possible, not certain. If… if it doesn’t happen, don’t be sad. Don’t worry, I’m still here. In the future I’ll kill enemies and earn merit, and help remove your criminal status.”

Li Chanxiu’s heart was in turmoil and he hadn’t heard clearly what he said at all, only nodding absentmindedly.

That night, the two still slept on the same bed, with two quilts.

Li Chanxiu had matters on his mind and simply couldn’t fall asleep. He had not expected that helping the army discover the salt shortage would bring him this kind of trouble.

But General Chen had meant well. Refusing directly would make him seem ungrateful. So what exactly should he do in order to appropriately decline General Chen and make him give up the idea of reporting his merit?

On the outer side of the bed, Pei Er lay stiffly on his back, listening to the irregular breathing of the person beside his pillow.

Miss Shen seemed not to have fallen asleep at all. The faint, tranquil scent from her body, along with the light fragrance of medicine, would occasionally brush past the tip of his nose.

He thought again of when he had just returned, how she had held the small oil lamp with slender fingers, wearing a cotton robe with her black hair loose, opening the door to welcome him. The slender figure under the lamplight made him unable to help recalling that single night when he had held her while sleeping.

Perhaps it was because the charcoal brazier was burning in the room, but Pei Er gradually began to feel hot, just like earlier, when he had galloped under the starry night, rushing back impatiently with that feeling of blood surging.

Beside him, Miss Shen turned over lightly, as if still not asleep.

Pei Er’s clenched hand loosened and tightened again, tightened and loosened again, as though he were holding his breath.

By the table, the charcoal brazier glowed dimly red. Not far away, the golden eagle tilted its head and preened its feathers. Its round eyes shone in the dimness, particularly conspicuous.

Even the golden eagle could stay in the bedroom…

General Chen had also said that sometimes one’s mind should be flexible.

Pei Er slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air. When he noticed Li Chanxiu turn over yet again and still not asleep, he finally spoke hoarsely, “Miss Shen, are you cold?”

Li Chanxiu was still thinking about how to refuse General Chen’s kindness, his thoughts still in disorder. He hadn’t heard clearly what Pei Er said at all and subconsciously murmured an “Mm.”

Suddenly, the quilt over him sank.

Pei Er had pulled the quilt over him, and then, just like on their wedding night, his burning-hot body entered Li Chanxiu’s quilt, gathering him into his arms and tucking the quilt in around them.

“Now you won’t be cold.” His hoarse and slightly muffled voice sounded by his ear.

Li Chanxiu froze completely. Before he could react, his hands and feet had already been caught by the other, pressed against his body to warm them, while his own body was tightly pressed against the other’s scorching chest.

Did he just say he was cold? Or did he actually say it, and forgot?

Li Chanxiu was momentarily stunned, his thoughts even more chaotic. Pushing him away didn’t seem right, but not pushing him away didn’t seem right either. The change had come suddenly; his heart began pounding thump thump, as if in sync with the other’s.

He hurriedly held his arm across his chest, blocking it, afraid something might be noticed.

This is bad. From now on, when sleeping, he should probably stuff something at his chest to prevent this kind of situation from happening again. During the day the clothes he wore were thick, so he never had to think about such things, but at night…

Wait, why would there be a next time?

Li Chanxiu’s mind was in chaos, thinking all sorts of messy things. While he was struggling over whether to push him away or not, drowsiness suddenly struck. In the end he forgot to push him away at all and, without realizing it, fell into a deep sleep.

After he fell asleep, Pei Er quietly let out a breath of relief and couldn’t help pulling him a little tighter into his arms. The feeling that had been stuck halfway up and halfway down all night was finally satisfied.

He thought to himself that General Chen was right, sometimes one really had to be flexible.

…

The next day.

Pei Er opened his eyes to the crowing of chickens from next door. Lowering his head to look at the still-sleeping Li Chanxiu in his arms, the darkness in his eyes softened. His handsome chin gently rubbed against the top of the other’s head, lazy and content.

After rubbing once, he suddenly felt a gaze behind him.

He instantly became alert and turned his head, abruptly meeting a pair of round eagle eyes.

At some unknown moment, the golden eagle had paced over to the bedside and was now tilting its head while looking at him.

Pei Er: “……”

His face expressionless, he silently mouthed one word: Scram.

The golden eagle looked displeased. It paced back to the table, slurped two mouthfuls of water from the basin, then lifted its head again. Its round eyes continued staring at the two people on the bed, as if conveying some kind of message.

Time to get up and feed the eagle.

Pei Er: “……” Stupid eagle.

Even the chickens next door knew to crow. Raising this thing only wasted food and was completely useless.