Chapter 112: Meaning
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“Father-in-law?” Mingzhu was momentarily stunned. Looking at Yuwen Chu’s gentle expression, she couldn’t help but feel like she had walked into the wrong room, misheard, or misunderstood something. Yet Yuwen Chu continued to gaze at her with that same gentle focus, making her feel increasingly uncomfortable.
She decided to pretend she hadn’t heard what he said just now and pointed at the item in his hand, saying loudly, “That’s mine!”
Yuwen Chu didn’t mind. He handed the item to her and sincerely praised, “You did a great job.”
Does that even need to be said? Mingzhu played with the item in her hand somewhat proudly. It was a model of a giant bed crossbow. Ban Jian really did a good job. It was amazing how he managed to shrink such a large weapon down to such a small size and still make it so detailed and intricate.
“Thanks to you, our army will become the most powerful…” Yuwen Chu leaned closer to watch her manipulate the tiny bed crossbow model. His faint scent of agarwood gradually penetrated Mingzhu’s heart, making her feel uneasy.
She couldn’t help but move aside a bit and replied lightly, “It’s nothing, I’m just doing what was written.”
Yuwen Chu noticed her avoidance and leaned even closer. He smiled and asked, “Following what book?”
Mingzhu glanced back at him, unexpectedly seeing the tenderness and radiance in his eyes. Her heart skipped a beat, and she suddenly felt a suffocating sensation. She realized that the Yuwen Chu in front of her was completely different from the one who scolded her in the Jade Emperor Temple. So she forgot to answer his question and instinctively tightened her grip on the model in her hand.
Just like a child afraid of someone taking away their beloved toy, Yuwen Chu chuckled, reached out to touch her forehead, and whispered, “I won’t take it from you.”
What’s going on? Mingzhu immediately understood that he was treating her like a child. Feeling a bit annoyed, she threatened half-jokingly and half-seriously while pointing the small model at him, “Don’t underestimate it just because it’s small. Even if it doesn’t cause much pain, it’s still unbearable.”
However, Yuwen Chu just smiled and bent down to gently kiss her hand. Lighter than a feather yet incredibly hot, his kiss was more composed compared to the clumsy one that night, but it was just as scorching and intoxicating. No one had ever kissed her hand like this before, and Mingzhu was stunned for a moment, blushing as she looked at Yuwen Chu foolishly and said softly, “What do you mean by this?”
Yuwen Chu glanced at her calmly and replied, “Just what you saw.”
“I… I’m leaving.” Mingzhu grabbed the bed crossbow model, feeling flustered as she tried to leave. But Yuwen Chu grabbed her sleeve and chuckled, “Aren’t you always the bravest one? Just because of such a trivial kiss, you’re running away in fear?”
“This is my father’s study! He’s right outside the door! Do you think everyone is shameless like you?” Mingzhu dared not look back, gritting her teeth and whispering, “Let go of me, quickly! Stop pulling me.”
“What if I say I won’t let go? What will you do?” Yuwen Chu seemed to have calculated that she wouldn’t dare to make a scene. He lazily smiled and traced the vine pattern on her sleeve with his fingers, saying, “Otherwise, say something nice, and I’ll let you go.”
He was clearly just sketching the pattern on her sleeve and hadn’t touched her skin, but Mingzhu could distinctly feel his every move. She felt the pressure from his fingertips through the thin silk, pressing against her skin and weighing heavily on her heart, making her feel suffocated by the heat. This sensation was something she had never experienced before, truly terrifying.
Mingzhu felt like she would suffocate if she stayed another moment longer. Unconsciously, her voice began to tremble: “What exactly do you want?”
“Call me ‘husband’.” Yuwen Chu lowered his eyes, and his long eyelashes trembled slightly. He didn’t look at Mingzhu, even though she was blushing like the morning glow, exceptionally beautiful. He just stared at the vine pattern on her sleeve. Those vines were intricately entwined, tightly bound and inseparable.
“You’re dreaming!” Mingzhu’s face grew even redder, glaring at him angrily and threatening, “If you don’t let go, I’ll call for help. You know, I’m capable of anything.”
“That’s true. I never doubted your courage and determination.” Yuwen Chu finally let go, but Mingzhu felt like something was missing from that spot on her sleeve, leaving her somewhat lost. In the next moment, Yuwen Chu stood up, quickly hugged her, and then let go just as swiftly, smiling and saying, “Actually, I just wanted to hear you say you’re willing to marry me.”
Mingzhu’s scream hadn’t even reached her throat before it choked back down. She glared at him, furious. “You’re dreaming!”
“I knew you’d say that. But I’m not dreaming. This is all real.” Yuwen Chu smiled at her as if playing with a cat. He lightly tousled her hair and whispered, “You may not know, but I understand you better than you do yourself. I’ve guessed all your reactions.”
The sunlight reflected on the window sill, shining into Mingzhu’s eyes, adding a shimmering gold to her eyes, making them extraordinarily beautiful. She looked at him in astonishment, yet also with a hint of defiance. “I’ve never seen someone like you, rushing to find someone to argue with.”
“Who isn’t like that?” Yuwen Chu stared at her eyes without turning away, smiling, “Didn’t you rush to find someone to argue with back then?”
Mingzhu didn’t want to hear him mention anything about Yuwen You. She interrupted, “I don’t want to hear you talk about this. Why did you find me?”
Yuwen Chu smiled, “It’s nothing, just wanted to see if you’re doing well.”
“Can you see that now?” His tone and attitude were unprecedentedly good, making Mingzhu involuntarily relax her emotions. “I’m leaving.”
“Okay.” Yuwen Chu simply responded, “I’m leaving too.”
Mingzhu widened her eyes, “Don’t you have anything else to say to me?”
“What do you want to hear?” Yuwen Chu chuckled, a hint of playfulness in his usually dignified demeanor. Mingzhu sensed his lack of seriousness and felt uncomfortable.
She pouted slightly, “Isn’t it that you have something important to tell me, so my father sent me here?”
“That’s true.” Yuwen Chu gently took the bed crossbow model from her hand. “I just want to remind you to be careful at the Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet.”
Isn’t that obvious? Of course, she knew. Mingzhu resisted the urge to roll her eyes, wearing a nonchalant expression. In reality, she knew that he just wanted an excuse to see her. Maybe, he probably did have a little bit of affection for her. That’s good.
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