Chapter 202: Chapter 202: Still Waters

His palm was no longer as soft as it used to be. It had grown somewhat rough, and its light touch tickled.

Her drowsiness disturbed, a flicker of irritation arose within her. Liang Wan irritably pulled his hand over, pinning it under her arm to stop him from moving it again.

But the man above her let out a low, mischievous laugh and, through the thin fabric of her clothes, took the chance to grasp a soft mound.

Liang Wan’s entire body trembled, and a soft moan escaped her lips.

That delicate, trembling sound made her blush to the roots of her hair, her cheeks burning hot.

’This wasn’t controlling him at all. This was an open invitation, eagerly delivering myself into the palm of his hand for him to do with as he pleased.’

’How could she possibly feel sleepy now?’

Liang Wan’s eyes flew open and she glared at him, anxiously reaching for the hand that held her captive. "That’s not what I meant—"

"Oh—"

His smile vanished. His dark eyes met hers as he drew out the sound. Then, his hand truly did release her, moving instead to her back to gently pull her closer to him.

Suddenly freed from his grasp, she felt a pang of emptiness.

He lowered his head and gave her a quick kiss. "As you wish. Get some proper rest."

With that, he lay back down, behaving himself completely. He simply gathered her into his arms, his chin resting lightly on her head, holding her as they slept just as they had on so many nights before.

’Was he really giving up just like that?’

Liang Wan lay in his embrace, wanting to tilt her head up to look at him. His obedience was so complete it made her suspicious. She certainly hadn’t forgotten the explosive desire she’d felt from him on the long street.

Lu Xiu didn’t try to stop her, easily letting her pull away.

Liang Wan peeked at him but saw no signs that he was up to no good. This was a rare sight indeed.

A smile surfaced in Lu Xiu’s eyes. "Don’t believe me?"

Caught, she flushed and quickly lowered her head. "Don’t you want to?"

Liang Wan didn’t dare to look at him. She buried her face in the crook of his neck, the tips of her ears turning red, and mumbled, "Actually... what I meant was... I’m not against it."

His hand stroked her back again and again. He said nothing, but through her tunic, she could clearly feel the searing heat of his palm.

’That was the best answer she could ask for.’

’He wanted her.’

They knew each other so intimately that they could perceive every look, every subtle change.

And yet, he remained silent, offering no response.

To confirm her suspicions, her hand ventured downwards. But just as she was about to touch him, he suddenly grabbed her audacious hand, clamping down on it firmly.

Liang Wan didn’t understand. She looked up at him.

His jet-black eyes were fixed on her, his breathing heavy. He was clearly using all his strength to restrain himself.

’His body was honest, its reaction intense.’

’But he would rather endure the torment than have her.’

Liang Wan frowned, searching his eyes for an answer.

Lu Xiu gazed at her, his throat terribly hoarse.

Her fair face, illuminated by the firelight, was bewitchingly alluring. Her ink-black eyes shimmered with moisture, captivating him with a single glance.

He gritted his teeth, pulled her roughly into his embrace, and closed his eyes. His voice was laced with unbearable strain. "Go to sleep."

’Go to sleep?’

Liang Wan frowned, lying motionless in his arms. He was so fever-hot, and his heat was making her burn, yet he told her to sleep.

"Why?"

’It wasn’t as if they’d never been intimate before...’

’He wanted her, and she was willing.’

’So why was he holding back? She didn’t understand.’

Lu Xiu gave no response other than to hold her in silence, until his scalding body heat gradually cooled.

"Wanwan."

She hadn’t moved from her previous position, but Lu Xiu’s voice was now as calm as still water.

"Hm?" Liang Wan answered softly.

Lu Xiu stroked her hair. "I just wanted to hold you like this and sleep."

Liang Wan nodded. "Okay."

’He had so much on his mind; his thoughts must be in turmoil.’

’It wasn’t necessary for them to do anything more.’

Liang Wan wrapped her arms around him, pressing her cheek against his chest. Despite the tenderness of the embrace, a faint sorrow began to bloom in her heart.

After a moment’s thought, she said, "The wild vegetable soup doesn’t bother me, you know."

Lu Xiu’s dark eyes narrowed slightly. "It’s one thing for me to eat and live alongside them. You don’t have to."

Liang Wan knew that in the eyes of the world, no matter how far she had fallen, she was still from a scholarly family and could never have eaten such crude food.

A long, long time ago, she would never have imagined that she would one day be reduced to eating chaff and wild greens, or even living in a rundown, leaky hovel.

Back then, for the sake of Cui Hao—a man worse than any dog—she had endured it all. She could only blame herself for being so blind, for trusting the wrong person and being made a fool of. But things were completely different now. She was willing to eat the same meals as these soldiers.

’It’s not that a person can’t endure hardship. What matters is the reason for the hardship, and whether it’s worth it!’

Without looking up at him, Liang Wan asked softly, "If the wives and children of the other soldiers were here, would they be treated as well as I am?"

Lu Xiu froze, then slowly lowered his head to look at her.

Liang Wan smiled. "I’m no different from them."

Looking at the gentle yet resilient woman before him, his heart filled with a profound sweetness.

"Alright." Lu Xiu kissed her forehead, holding her even tighter.

Even if it was only for a fleeting moment, at least for tonight, her enchanting fragrance was his alone.

The night passed in a deep, dreamless sleep.

When she woke again, the space beside her was empty.

Liang Wan got up and dressed, and Gu Yu had already prepared a basin of water for her to wash with.

While combing her hair, Liang Wan asked her, "Where is Xiao Wu?"

Gu Yu said, "Don’t worry, My Lady. He’s with Guan Song, so there won’t be any trouble."

Liang Wan fell silent. She had no reason to worry about Xiao Wu’s martial skills.

She lowered her gaze and thought for a moment. "After breakfast, have Xiao Wu come see me. I have something to say to him."

Breakfast was simple: steamed taro.

Liang Wan was no stranger to taro. During the year of the famine, she had, by a stroke of luck, prepared a large supply in advance. After the rice ran out, she survived almost entirely on taro. Later, even eating taro became a luxury.

But to be honest, in her previous life, she had truly eaten more than her fill of taro.

Liang Wan took a piece from the plate.

She could tell that these had been specially selected for their quality before being sent to her.

After her meal, Liang Wan didn’t rush out of the tent for fresh air. Instead, she sat at the low table, first leafing through the book she had read the previous night, then spreading out a sheet of paper, picking up a brush, and beginning to write and sketch.

She had just finished filling a page when Xiao Wu entered.

Xiao Wu was a man of few words with a simple disposition, and he blushed easily.

Liang Wan asked him a couple of trivial questions before getting straight to the point.

Last night, she had overheard soldiers around the camp discussing how the Beizhou Army’s recent movements had been highly unusual, suggesting an important figure might have arrived in their barracks.

Spies had been sent to investigate, but they hadn’t come back with any definitive answers.

However, rumors circulating among the common folk in Beizhou claimed that their army would soon concentrate its forces to take Pingzhou City. If they pressed their advantage and their advance went smoothly, it was feared they might even strike directly at Jinye City.

However, there was another theory. The Supreme Emperor of Beizhou was gravely ill, causing conflict within the Imperial Family. The new emperor was overwhelmed and spread too thin. To consolidate his power, he was desperate to end the war quickly. To that end, he had secretly sent an envoy to Lin Yi. If Pingzhou could be taken, they would press the attack. If not, they would use Pingzhou as a bargaining chip in negotiations between the two nations.

Liang Wan didn’t know which version was the truth.

But this was, without a doubt, an excellent opportunity.

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