Chapter 137 Inviting Someone to Share a Bed

Chapter 137 Inviting Someone to Share a Bed

"I......"

Jiang Yutang opened her mouth to defend herself. Although those words were shouted out in a moment of panic, they were the grievances that had been weighing on her heart for a long time, and could not be considered complete nonsense.

Her lips trembled, and she couldn't utter a complete sentence for a long time. After thinking for a while, she finally explained in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz.

"I was just... I was just making things up to buy time."

Cheng Lanzhou leaned towards her, placing her hands on her knees, a clear smile in her eyes: "Then 'I love him, I can die for him,' that's also a lie?"

These words were like a rocket launcher, exploding in Jiang Yutang's mind and shattering her last shred of reason.

She gripped the blankets tightly, even clenching her toes inside her shoes, her face flushed red, unable to utter a single word for a long time.

She cursed inwardly: That bastard Cheng Lanzhou has been infiltrating the bandits for a long time, yet he watched her act and beg for mercy!

In other words, he heard all of her boastful declarations and hysterical outbursts!

Shame and embarrassment overwhelmed her like a tidal wave; she wished she could faint immediately to escape this shameful scene.

An eerie silence fell over the tent, broken only by Jiang Yutang's rapid breathing.

Cheng Lanzhou watched as she looked like a frightened rabbit, her ears turning bright red. The smile in her eyes deepened, and the originally heavy atmosphere gradually softened.

The more composed and at ease Cheng Lanzhou appeared, the more anxious Jiang Yutang became.

I am guilty.

Jiang Yutang thought to herself, she could have left this world with dignity, so why did she have to make things difficult for herself at the last moment?

Cheng Lanzhou straightened up, crossed his arms, leaned back in his chair, and looked at her with a half-smile: "Have you thought about how to answer?"

"No, no." Jiang Yutang twisted the hem of her clothes, her cheeks still burning.

She glanced shyly at Cheng Lanzhou quickly, then hurriedly looked away, and whispered in a pleading tone, "Do I really have to answer now? Or... maybe we can talk about it next time?"

"no."

Cheng Lanzhou, however, did not comply with her wishes, and said in a straightforward and firm tone: "I want to know now."

The air inside the tent froze again, and the two remained locked in a stalemate.

Jiang Yutang lowered her head, not daring to look at him, while Cheng Lanzhou stared at her without moving, his eyes gradually softening.

After a long pause, he sighed softly again, breaking the silence.

"sorry."

These three words sounded light and airy, yet they left Jiang Yutang completely bewildered, staring at him in a daze.

Jiang Yutang never imagined that the man in front of her would apologize to her.

Cheng Lanzhou lowered her eyes, her gaze falling on her hands, her fingertips nervously rubbing them together.

"I shouldn't have harbored such deep resentment towards you before."

His voice carried a hint of barely perceptible unease: "Back then, you used some forceful methods to marry me, and I've always remembered that, never giving you a kind look. But now that I've married you, I should give you the dignity of being Mrs. Cheng. It was my immaturity that caused you to suffer so much."

Jiang Yutang's heart was already in turmoil, filled not only with surprise but also with an indescribable joy.

The original owner had so arrogantly snatched the marriage, yet two years later, Cheng Lanzhou chose to forgive and accept it with such magnanimity.

She smiled, wanting to say "It's okay," but when she opened her mouth, her voice turned into a choked sob.

She was stunned for a moment, only to find that her face was a little wet. When she raised her hand to wipe it, she realized that tears had already covered her cheeks, and her hands and body were trembling uncontrollably.

She clearly didn't feel like crying, but her body was completely out of her control.

She clenched her hands and pressed them to her chest, instantly realizing that this was the lingering consciousness of the original owner at work. It was the grievances that the original owner had suppressed for two years that finally erupted the moment she heard the apology.

A surge of grievance and helplessness welled up in Jiang Yutang's heart, and she could no longer hold back, her tears falling even more fiercely.

When Cheng Lanzhou saw her suddenly start crying, he panicked completely, quickly stood up, walked to the bedside, and squatted down in front of her.

His hand froze in mid-air. After a moment's hesitation, he gently reached out and used his fingertips to wipe away the tears on her face.

"If you are unwilling to forgive me..."

He paused, a hint of disappointment flashing in his eyes: "I can only make up for it with my actions little by little in the days to come."

Cheng Lanzhou gently cupped her face in his rough hands, turning her head towards him. His eyes were filled with unprecedented tenderness, and every word he uttered was uttered with utmost sincerity.

“I don’t want a divorce. Jiang Yutang, I want to get to know you again, not about interests or marriage, but about you as a person. I hope you can give me this chance.”

The moonlight outside the tent peeked in through the gaps when the two weren't looking, falling on their clasped hands.

Looking at his clear reflection in his eyes and feeling the warmth of his palm, Jiang Yutang's tears gradually stopped, and the empty space in her heart seemed to be quietly filled by something.

She gave a soft "hmm" in response, trying to adjust her voice, when her nose tingled and a clear snot bubble suddenly appeared.

Before she could react, the bubble burst with a "pop".

Jiang Yutang's cheeks instantly burned, feeling as if all the embarrassing things in her life had happened on this one day.

Cheng Lanzhou didn't care at all. He took out a plain handkerchief from his pocket and gently wiped away the marks on her nose.

What was supposed to be a sweet gesture turned into something else entirely when Jiang Yutang's gaze was drawn to the handkerchief.

"This is......"

Cheng Lanzhou stiffly clenched the handkerchief back and explained, "This is the one you lent me back then, and I haven't found a chance to return it to you."

This was half true and half false. The two were in the same team and would see each other all the time. There would be plenty of opportunities to return the handkerchief.

At that time, he was unwilling to repay it, finding it troublesome, but now he can face it calmly.

However, they were reluctant to part with it, fearing that if they returned it, they would never have any contact again.

Jiang Yutang gently pulled the handkerchief over and said somewhat embarrassedly, "Actually, this handkerchief belongs to my second brother."

Cheng Lanzhou's expression changed, and he remained silent for a long time.

After a long while, he calmly stood up, raised his hand to his forehead, and said in a voice with a hint of barely perceptible embarrassment, "I see."

Seeing his forced composure but slightly stiff demeanor, Jiang Yutang couldn't help but burst out laughing.

She waved the handkerchief in her hand and said with a smile, "It's okay. If you want my handkerchief, I'll bring you a new one next time and embroider your name on it, how about that?"

When Cheng Lanzhou saw her smile, his shoulders, which had been tense for a long time, finally relaxed, and the gloom in his eyes also disappeared completely.

He walked to the bedside and asked in a low voice, "You're not angry with me anymore?"

Jiang Yutang shook her head, her eyes full of laughter: "I'm not angry anymore."

"Then I'll have someone bring some hot water so you can wash your face," Cheng Lanzhou said, turning to leave.

A short while later, he returned with a basin of cold water, his face apologetic: "I'm sorry, the military camp is busy right now and there's no hot water available. Please make do with this cold water for now."

"It's alright."

After wiping her face, Jiang Yutang felt much less embarrassed than before.

Cheng Lanzhou picked up the wooden basin and was about to walk out when Jiang Yutang suddenly called out to him, "Wait!"

"Where have you been sleeping and resting these past few days?"