Chapter 394: True lovers are just sweet!

Indeed, Du Shanü had previously heard through various rumors that the relationship between her cousin Yu Lve and Miss Zhao had made some progress......

But hearing is one thing; seeing it in person is quite another——

Du Shanü's gaze pierced the open courtyard and landed on the gate.

There, two figures stood silently before the gate, their posture intimate, as if they were lingering in a reluctant farewell, unwilling to part.

The man on the outside was extraordinarily tall and sturdy, with a tiger's back and bear's waist, a broad and solid frame—a hardened physique forged by years of martial training and drill.

His skin was somewhat dark, his features stern, his eyebrows and eyes sharp and defined; when not smiling, his expression was solemn and austere—the very image of a stern, heroic general, his whole bearing exuding a fierce aura that warned strangers to keep away.

Beside him stood a woman, her figure slender and graceful, her demeanor fresh and lovely.

She wore only the lightest touch of powder, almost bare-faced, yet her beautiful brows and eyes could not be concealed, her appearance dignified and pretty.

At this moment she lowered her gaze slightly, her eyes on the man beside her, her cheeks flushed with a faint shyness, her manner gentle yet uneasy, intimate yet restrained.

Du Shanü instantly recognized that the cold-faced general was none other than Yu Baobao's cousin, Yu Lve.

Previously, Yu Lve had been implicated due to Ouyang Yan's dereliction of duty; after Du Shanü dealt with the matter, he devoted himself to training and martial practice, wholeheartedly rooting himself in the camp to serve.

And that gentle woman was precisely the acquaintance Yunniang whom she had earlier rescued from the Zhoufu.

Du Shanü's first encounter with this woman actually traces back to her first meeting with Fuzouzi, who at the time declared that this woman would form a bond with a 'forty-seven-year-old' man.

At that time her family circumstances were decent; by rights her marriage should not have been troubled, yet for this reason she even caused a scene at Fuzouzi's stall.

But who could have imagined that, in just one night, her father drowned and died, and her family's fortunes were utterly overturned.

Her uncle eyed her family property, intending to sell her off, but fortunately Yunniang was again rescued by Du Shanü and brought to Cang Cheng to take shelter......

Looking back now, Fuzouzi's divination was truly astonishingly accurate.

Even though Yu Lve is clearly not forty-seven, and the 'forty-seven' merely appears on a public record he happened to find, this too fulfills the prophecy.

Seeing their demeanor, Du Shanü felt a faint teasing smile rise in her eyes; she raised her voice and spoke, her tone clearly mocking, addressing each of them in turn:

「Cousin, Yunniang。」

The two at the door were suddenly named, their bodies tensing at once; instantly they fell into nervous unease, and the earlier affectionate posture of reluctant farewell vanished completely.

Yu Lve, usually cold‑spoken and terse, now felt his ears warm, his expression flustered; he hurried forward two steps, hastily explaining to Du Shanü, his tone rushed yet earnest:

「...... Master, today is purely coincidental. Yunniang merely twisted her ankle while walking; I happened to pass by, so I escorted her part of the way, merely seeing her to the gate. 」

Hearing his somewhat clumsy explanation, Du Shanü's smile deepened, and she drew out her tone once more:

「Oh? So it's a sprained ankle...... In that case, wouldn't it be the injured Yunniang who should be seeing you home? 」

But how could someone with a sprained ankle be escorting another person home?

That single counter‑question precisely pierced the little thoughts they were trying to hide.

The two at the door were instantly speechless, both closing their mouths, no one daring to speak in defense.

Their faces flushed layer by layer, the red spreading from cheeks to ear roots; they lowered their heads and stood rooted, posture awkward and cramped, hands and feet with nowhere to go, rendered speechless by a single sentence.

Du Shanü quietly watched the pair's embarrassed, bashful looks, secretly amused in her heart.

She did not rush to speak, simply gazing silently; as she watched, the two unmarried youths grew ever more flustered, their bodies tensing, expressions stiff, almost unable to face themselves, whereupon she gradually withdrew the amusement in her eyes.

She raised her hand and gave a light wave, her tone cheerful and easy, dispelling their embarrassment:

「Never mind—whoever escorted whom, it's just a spring‑time affinity. Since you're already here, don't stand on ceremony; stay and have dinner together. 」

It was clearly still tinged with teasing, but quite obviously she did not intend to continue mocking.

Hearing this, Yu Lve and Yunniang breathed a slight sigh of relief, hastily bowed their thanks, and followed closely behind the two as they walked together toward the inner dining hall.

The four walked side by side, entering the hall in a mighty throng and taking their seats.

The household servants, hearing the commotion, promptly stepped forward in orderly fashion, serving the dishes, laying out each plate and adding soup; the meal was arranged neatly, and the dining hall was filled with warm comfort.

Yu Baobao, pure‑hearted and cheerful, noticed none of the subtle undercurrents at the table; she took it for an ordinary gathering of kin and friends, her posture relaxed, eating with especial gusto, occasionally glancing up with a smile at those nearby, her expression pure and bright.

Du Shanü sat composed at the table, eating leisurely, yet her gaze continually lingered lightly on Yu Lve and Yunniang opposite her.

Throughout, the two kept a restrained posture, deliberately maintaining distance, yet unconsciously they would glance after each other; every gesture betrayed their care and tenderness, impossible to conceal.

Numerous subtle little actions concealed feelings left unspoken; clearly their affection had long taken root, their relationship excellent.

Seeing this clearly, Du Shanü, intending to tease, simply set down her chopsticks, lifted her eyes to Yu Lve, and launched a rapid‑fire Q&A, her tone steady and crisp, giving him no room to hesitate or conceal——

「Cousin, how goes your drill training in the camp lately? 」

「Smoothly. 」

「Are there enough capable hands in the camp now to be relied upon? 」

「Plenty. 」

「Since everything is settled, when do you two plan to wed? 」

「...... Within the year. 」

The rapid‑fire Q&A allowed no room for any response.

The moment her words fell, the entire dining hall fell abruptly silent.

The servants' motions in laying out the dishes froze completely, and the air instantly grew still.

Yu Baobao had not yet swallowed the food in her mouth; she blinked up, stunned.

Yu Lve remained relatively composed, but Yunniang's face instantly flushed crimson; she lowered her head, held her breath, so embarrassed she dared not lift her gaze.

Amid the hall's warm, spring‑like atmosphere, Du Shanü smiled and took a sip of soup, then said:

「You're no longer young; since you already intended to marry within the year, why not do it this very month? 」

「I will officiate your wedding and add a dowry for Yunniang; thus, walking the bright path as husband and wife, even if death comes later, your souls will have a resting place, and on the Yellow Springs road you will not be alone. 」

If one speaks of the moment Du Shanü began her words, the faces of the unmarried couple opposite took on a hint of shyness.

But when the words 'death' were spoken, even the cheerfully eating Yu Baobao beside them halted her movements.

Yu Baobao, bewildered, asked:

「Wife Master, everyone's fine, so why suddenly speak of death? 」

Weird, weirdly scaring the cat! (a weird face)

Du Shanü's expression didn't change; she merely put down the soup bowl in her hand.

Her movement was light, yet the soup cup still fell onto the table, producing a heart‑shaking delicate clack.

Du Shanü lightly inhaled, gazed at the cold‑faced man before her, and said:

"Cousin, the principle of raising troops for a thousand days and using them for a moment—I think no one understands it better than you."

"Three months ago, in my hands it was either Qiongzhou Prefecture, or...... it was your head."

?? Right, there's a non‑spoiler spoiler: 【Shuyi】 is actually the child of Yu Lve and Yunniang!