Chapter 46: I Know Why You Married Me

Her body half-reclined, fixed to the head of the bed, Lin Qingyan tried to wiggle her wrists; the old iron frame creaked, but breaking free of the handcuffs was impossible.

Lu Cheng stood at the bedside, wearing a teasing expression.

She looked at Lu Cheng, a hint of confusion flashing in her beautiful eyes: "Do you like playing like this?"

Lu Cheng leaned forward, provocatively saying: "Don't you like it? As a young lady raised in the Grand Courtyard, with strict upbringing, you surely enjoy stimulating things."

Lin Qingyan's lips curled slightly, she gave a small nod: "Mm, it is quite stimulating."

"Right, if you want something more stimulating, I can put on the Train Police uniform—but I think you'd look even more stimulating in it."

Lin Qingyan laughed: "You really never grow up! I heard from your sister that you used to hang out with girls all the time."

"Gee, my sister tells you everything." Lu Cheng began to take off his clothes, his peripheral vision fixed on Lin Qingyan lying half-reclined on the bed.

"Forget it, that's all in the past. A moment of spring night is worth a thousand gold—let's begin; try to endure a bit later."

He very much wanted to see Lin Qingyan like a little lamb—nervous, shy, fearful—but to his surprise, Lin Qingyan was actually quite calm.

"You'd better struggle a bit later; I'll find it more stimulating."

Lin Qingyan met his gaze: "I know you won't touch me."

Hearing that, Lu Cheng leaned his face close: "Are you lacking confidence in yourself, or overestimating me? I'm no paragon of virtue."

Being so close, his exhaled warm air sprayed onto Lin Qingyan's face.

"Because I know why you married me."

Lu Cheng showed doubt: "You know? Know what?"

"When I was mending your socks late last night, I heard you talking in your sleep."

Lu Cheng sat up straight and sucked in a breath of cold air.

"I hope I didn't blurt out something about my rebirth? Even if I did, nobody would believe it."

"What… what did I say?"

"You didn't say much; you just kept shouting that you were cold, asking me to hold you. Do you often have dreams like this?"

"No wonder he keeps saying he wants to protect her—he's projecting his dream onto reality. If that's the case, this younger brother is still quite pure."

"Turns out Lin Qingyan took it for a dream—good, since he didn't know how to explain it anyway."

Looking at this tall young man, if he didn't have a sharp tongue, he would seem quite mature.

Lin Qingyan felt something indescribable inside, her eyes fixed on the ceiling.

"That day you asked me, if I knew I would freeze to death, would I still save you? Back then I didn't know how to answer; now I think I have an answer.

I will save you! Even if my life is worthless, I'd rescue even a tiny kitten or puppy."

Lu Cheng's memory was pulled back to that freezing winter in his previous life when the White-Furred Wind blew; on the brink of death, he muttered deliriously, while Lin Qingyan untied her clothes and pressed her scorching body against him, whispering softly, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, everything will pass."

Lu Cheng's eyes rimmed with moisture: "So boring, so boring, truly boring—I've already taken off my pants, why are you stirring up emotions here? Just go to sleep, go to sleep."

Lin Qingyan indicated the handcuff on her wrist; Lu Cheng had no choice but to unlock it, after which he lay spread-eagled on the bed.

Lin Qingyan had him shift inward, then fetched another blanket and split it into two sleeping layers.

Lu Cheng just watched, asking: "How? Are we going to sleep like this from now on?"

Lin Qingyan nodded: "Mm, later you'll pull a curtain in the middle; when we get up in the morning, I'll fold the blankets neatly, so Aunt Lan won't notice."

Lu Cheng smiled helplessly: "No wonder you dared move in—you're quite clever. This way we avoid actual marital relations and don't have to worry about my parents being gossiped about."

Lin Qingyan lowered her head: "Even so, I still feel sorry for Aunt Lan."

Lu Cheng, however, didn't care: "You don't need any psychological burden; it's all my idea, and I have conditions—later I'll tell your father to give me your family's Siheyuan."

Lin Qingyan glanced: "Do you like that courtyard?"

Lu Cheng suddenly perked up his ears and hissed: "Listen! Someone farted—do you know who did it?"

Lin Qingyan shook her head.

"It was the second son of Zhao Daye's family who let it out, and it even smelled like eggs—this guy often steals eggs to eat; once his older brother finds out, they're sure to fight."

Just then, another burst of machine‑gun‑like putter‑putter farting sounded.

"Do you know who let that one out?"

Lin Qingyan still shook her head.

"It was Pang Ya who farted; her farts are always like machine‑gun fire—back then it was a shame she never got to go to the battlefield."

Lin Qingyan was amused by the teasing: "You're just talking nonsense; you weren't even there, how could you know who it was?"

"Hey, you'd better not disbelieve it."

Lu Cheng secured the curtain, then lay in the blanket: "Whether you say it or not, living in a Separate Courtyard is quiet; here, if your sleep is even slightly poor, you'll wake up several times a night……"

Lu Cheng's snoring soon started, and Lin Qingyan shook her head: "This sleep isn't very good, is it?"

Behind the curtain, a rustling sound rose; Lin Qingyan took off her clothes and changed into loose autumn pajamas for sleeping.

After lying on her side, she couldn't see the opposite side; she opened a corner of the curtain, placed her palms together beneath her face, and just quietly gazed.

She could no longer recall how long it had been since she felt this at ease.

It seemed that as long as Lu Cheng was by her side, she had nothing to fear.

At night the temperature plunged, the blanket felt a bit icy; I wonder if he'll have that dream again tonight.

After a dreamless night, as dawn just began to break, Lu Cheng was awakened by the sound of the Da Za Yuan's furnace being stoked.

Lifting the curtain, he saw Lin Qingyan already up; the space beside her was empty, the blankets neatly folded.

While putting on her clothes and walking into the courtyard, seeing him rise, Lin Qingyan brought over a hot water bottle and poured out water for washing his face.

Lu Cheng walked over, rolled up his sleeves: "As for you, apart from wanting to cry whenever I touch you, everything else is fine—you're really good at taking care of people."

"Hurry up and wash; breakfast is ready, you eat first—I'll go check if Ying Ying is up."

In front of the Xi Er Fang, Lin Qingyan knocked twice on the door: "Ying Ying, are you up?"

Lu Ying rolled over, dazed, and mumbled: "I'm up; I just went to the public toilet and didn't lock the door."

Siheyuan are all public toilets, usually at the end of the lane; every morning there is a Platoon Leader queue, the men's toilet is somewhat better, basically it's the women's toilet.

Generally when it gets cold, they put a chamber pot inside the house, then in the morning pour it into the public toilet.

Last night Lu Ying forgot to take the chamber pot, went to the public toilet and came back, still half-asleep, and with her clothes on she flopped onto the bed.

After Lin Qingyan entered the room, she put her cold hand inside Lu Ying's clothing.

"Ah, it's freezing!" Lu Ying exclaimed, unwilling, she pressed Lin Qingyan onto the bed and started scratching.

Lin Qingyan, ticklish, said: "I was wrong, Ying Ying, don't tickle me…"

"Do you know you were wrong?"

"I was wrong, I was wrong, please let me go."

Hearing the giggling from the indoor roughhousing, Lu Cheng outside, having washed his face, shook his head: "They keep saying I haven't grown up, but I don't know who hasn't grown up."

However, Lin Qingyan appears dignified and gentle outside, but only in front of Lu Ying does she like to roughhouse.

I don't know which side is her true personality; perhaps she has both, maybe that's the contrast.

Chen Xianglan, woken by the noise, glanced at the time, hastily put on her clothes: "Oh, I got up late today, haven't made breakfast yet, it's all your fault, staying up half the night doing pointless things."

Lu Beitang turned over: "It's fine, I'll go buy something at the breakfast shop later."

"Then you'd better get up quickly; I'll go cook some congee first."

Chen Xianglan didn't even have time to wash her face, rushing to the kitchen, just about to open the pot lid to add water, she discovered the breakfast was already made.

"Qing Yan, how did you get up so early?"