Years turn into wind

The mountain night grew chilly. After the battle, Ling Xiaotian, Cheng Yuwei, and their group found a relatively safe place to rest. A bonfire was lit, and the flames reflected on everyone's faces, making them appear exceptionally peaceful.

Cheng Yuwei sat aside, lowering her head to bandage Ling Xiaotian's wound. Although her movements were gentle, her expression revealed a hint of severity.

"Gentle." Ling Xiaotian frowned slightly, but deliberately said in a joking tone, "Madam, I haven't even told you I want to marry you yet, and you're already so worried about me?"

"Shut up!" Cheng Yuwei tightened the bandage fiercely, causing Ling Xiaotian to gasp in pain.

"You are murdering your husband." Ling Xiaotian gritted his teeth, but his eyes were full of smiles.

"Don't try to play tricks on me!" Cheng Yuwei glared at him. "You rushed in so hard just now, do you think you are made of iron? If it weren't for your good luck, you would be dead now."

Ling Xiaotian looked at her angry expression, but a warm feeling welled up in his heart. He reached out and held her wrist, whispering, "You care about me so much. Have you already decided that I'm yours?"

Cheng Yuwei was stunned for a moment, then blushed and shook off his hand: "Don't be so self-indulgent, I just... don't want to owe you a favor."

Ling Xiaotian disagreed. He approached her gently and lowered his voice even more: "Then can I understand that you don't want to owe me because you plan to pay it back for the rest of your life?"

"Ling Xiaotian!" Cheng Yuwei was so embarrassed that she raised her hand to hit him, but he held her firmly.

The two looked at each other, firelight flickering in their eyes, and the air was filled with an ambiguous and warm atmosphere. Ling Xiaotian exerted a little force with his hands, pulling her to his side, and whispered, "Don't move. If you do this, my wound will really not be able to withstand it."

"You..." Cheng Yuwei was speechless and could only stare at him, but she found that his eyes were full of seriousness and tenderness, and the anger in her heart slowly dissipated.

Silent approach

As the night deepened, the adjutant and the soldiers gathered around the campfire, chatting in low voices, while Ling Xiaotian and Cheng Yuwei sat alone on a rock. The mountain breeze brought a slight chill, so Ling Xiaotian took off his coat and draped it over Cheng Yuwei's shoulders.

"Don't catch a cold. It's cold in the mountains at night." He said it naturally, as if he was doing something very ordinary.

Cheng Yuwei looked down at the coat draped over her shoulders. Although she wanted to say something, she found that the warmth in her heart made it impossible for her to speak. She raised her head and glanced at him quietly, only to find that he was staring at the night sky, his eyes deep and a little tired.

"Are you tired?" Cheng Yuwei asked in a low voice.

"Yeah, it's okay. I'm used to it." Ling Xiaotian replied calmly, then turned to look at her with a teasing smile, "But now that you're here, I feel quite relaxed."

"Don't try that on me." Cheng Yuwei rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but raise the corners of her mouth slightly.

Seeing that she seemed less nervous, Ling Xiaotian lowered his voice a bit, "Weiwei, I know you're worried about me, but I'm really fine. No matter how dangerous the situation is, I will come back safely, because I know... someone is waiting for me."

Cheng Yuwei was stunned by his words, and her cheeks flushed again. She lowered her head, not daring to look into his eyes, but she felt an indescribable warmth in her heart.

"Who's waiting for you? Don't talk nonsense." She muttered in a low voice.

Ling Xiaotian couldn't help but smile even more as he looked at her. He didn't say anything else, but simply reached out and gently held her hand, interlocking their fingers.

At this moment, Cheng Yuwei did not struggle and let him hold her hand. The two of them were so close that they could hear each other's voices even when breathing.

At dawn

The night passed in silence. At daybreak, Ling Xiaotian woke everyone up and prepared to set off. Cheng Yuwei rubbed her eyes and found that Ling Xiaotian had already returned to his usual stern demeanor. Only she was still immersed in the tenderness of last night.

"Madam, get up." Ling Xiaotian's voice was tinged with teasing. "Or were you too tired last night to walk?"

"Who's tired?" Cheng Yuwei glared at him fiercely while tying her cloak. "Don't think I'll be grateful to you. I just don't want you to die here!"

"Yes, yes, I know." Ling Xiaotian agreed with a smile, but his eyes were full of pampering.

Cheng Yuwei turned and walked to the adjutant, deliberately avoiding looking at him, but she couldn't help but recall those gentle eyes and tightly clasped hands from last night. She gritted her teeth and secretly cursed in her heart: "Ling Xiaotian, you bastard!"

The journey home wasn't easy, as they encountered several small enemy attacks, but Ling Xiaotian and his men quickly dealt with them. Cheng Yuwei gradually discovered that, having initially been nervous and fearful, she was now able to calmly handle these emergencies and even offer some practical suggestions.

"It seems that it's not bad to have you around." Ling Xiaotian said in a low voice after a firefight.

Cheng Yuwei rolled her eyes at him but didn't refute him. She knew that he meant what he said, and she also felt that following him had become a habit.