He
"Slap!"
The crisp sound startled not only Tang Qiyue but also Zhan Zeyi—the instigator.
It had been a subconscious action. He had forgotten the person in his arms wasn't one of his comrades. Only when the clothes were half-open did he realize what had happened—the slap landed squarely on Tang Qiyue's bottom.
The sound jolted them both awake. Zhan Zeyi immediately released Tang Qiyue.
Tang Qiyue rolled out of his embrace, tightly wrapped in the blanket, cheeks burning. "You went too far!" she accused, a mix of shame and indignation..
She had never been treated this way before—not even by her parents.
Zhan Zeyi, though aware of the mishap, stubbornly maintained his innocence. "Where did I go too far? Didn't you insist on marrying me? We even slept in the same bed—it was just a little touch. Isn't your reaction a bit extreme?"
The more he spoke, the more convinced he was of his righteousness. He even reached out to pull her back into his arms.
"What? Regretting it now?"
Tang Qiyue's face flushed; her whole body felt hot. She dared not struggle, afraid he might touch her again.
"If you hadn't touched me first, would I have reacted so strongly?"
Zhan Zeyi, a soldier, was trained to react instinctively to any unfamiliar touch. In his mind, he had done nothing wrong—Tang Qiyue was the one at fault.
Tang Qiyue, equally aggrieved, had no way to voice her bitterness.
"I just wanted to remind you not to pull the blanket so tight. Otherwise, the draft will get in!".
When sleeping alone, one can wrap a blanket around themselves. But when two people sleep together, far apart, the gaps let in a cold draft. How could anyone sleep in such weather?
Little did he know, her only intention had been practical—but his hand had moved first, causing her extreme embarrassment.
Luckily, the lights were off. If they had been on, Tang Qiyue would have wished to disappear into the floor.
Zhan Zeyi gradually realized he had misunderstood her. But he had already hit her and was holding her in his arms. And the little woman was so warm and soft—it felt incredibly comfortable.
He didn't want to let go.
He was reckless; once he felt comfort, he didn't want to release it.
"Worried about drafts? Don't worry. There aren't any now!"
To make himself more comfortable, he adjusted his position, pressing Tang Qiyue's head against his shoulder.
"Sleep now. I promise there won't be any more drafts."
He spoke matter-of-factly, but Tang Qiyue was far from pleased. How could she sleep while being held like that?
Worse, Zhan Zeyi's muscles were incredibly hard; being pressed against him was uncomfortable.
"I can't sleep like this!" she protested.
Zhan Zeyi, displeased, shot back: "Then why aren't you sleepy? How about we finish what we were supposed to do last night?"
Tang Qiyue, not afraid of intimacy, thought of his injury. She couldn't bring herself to be cruel. Instead, she hugged his waist, resting her head on his neck.
"You're injured. I'm not afraid of touching you, so let's just sleep."
Her sudden compliance left Zhan Zeyi dumbfounded.
He was indeed in an awkward position.
Sleeping together wasn't impossible, but the stitches might reopen, and he really didn't want the army doctor nagging him again.
He gritted his teeth and pinched the woman's cheek. Her skin was like porcelain, soft and supple.
Holding a woman while sleeping could be enjoyable—but if he couldn't have her fully, it was painful.
Tang Qiyue, exhausted by the events of the day and the tense negotiations with Zhan Zeyi, gradually felt her eyelids grow heavy. The warmth of his body was irresistible..
Her slow, even breathing reminded Zhan Zeyi that she had fallen asleep in his arms.
Holding a strange man and falling asleep so easily—how could she be so carefree?
Zhan Zeyi stared at the dark ceiling, questioning his life choices. Did Tang Qiyue really believe Tang Chunlan's lie that he had become a eunuch? Only then would she dare to hold him so openly while asleep.
As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, moonlight streamed through the window. He could see her slightly parted lips. She was a deep sleeper and wasn't snoring.
Eventually, Zhan Zeyi closed his eyes and resigned himself to sleep.
The rooster's crowing was far too loud, forcing him awake. He saw Tang Qiyue carefully moving out of his arms.
His lips curled into a smile at her tentative escape. Just as she was about to completely move away, he lifted a finger, hooked her slender waist, and pulled her back into his embrace.
He bit her earlobe lightly. "Weren't you enjoying the embrace last night? Now that it's dawn, you want to run away?"
Tang Qiyue's earlobe instantly flushed, burning with blood and heat. She couldn't move and could only plead:
"I'm the new bride! I have to get up and cook today!"
Zhan Zeyi refused to let go. "I don't need your cooking. First, tell me about the trouble you caused me losing sleep!"
Biting the soft cartilage of her earlobe, Tang Qiyue felt her body betray her, struggling to remain composed.
Just then, voices rang from the courtyard—Zhan's sister-in-law calling.
Taking advantage of Zhan Zeyi's brief distraction, Tang Qiyue pushed him away, hurriedly got out of bed, and dressed.
"I'll help my sister-in-law cook. If you didn't sleep well, sleep a little longer!"
She dashed off without finishing dressing, leaving Zhan Zeyi no chance to stop her.
He leaned back, hands behind his head, eyes vacant, trying to clear his mind and calm his body. After a moment, he glanced toward the door, listening to the voices, and sneered.
After just one night, he realized that marrying a wife might not be so bad.
But that woman—Tang Qiyue—was truly poisonous.
That was yet another label he had silently given her. He didn't believe she had fallen in love with him at first sight.
By the time Zhan Zeyi got up, breakfast was ready. The family sat at the table. Zhan Chunying's gaze darted constantly between Tang Qiyue and Zhan Zeyi.
"You're not eating properly. Are your eyes twitching?" she asked.
Zhan Zeyi tapped her head impatiently with a bowl of porridge..
Zhan Chunying covered her head and glared at him. "Brother, you're the one whose eyes are twitching! I was just checking if you're really incapable. The day after your wedding, sister-in-law had to lean against the wall to cook. But today, she's so quick and efficient!"
She turned to her mother. "Mother, is brother really unable to have children?"