Chapter 78 Cousin, go to bed early

Chapter 78 Cousin, go to bed early

As is customary, Jiang Ru would probably say, "You're my cousin, of course I should worry about you."

However, this statement doesn't seem quite right now. Jiang Ru's worry about Pei Wu wasn't just because he was her cousin; it was a genuine concern from the bottom of her heart.

Although it had been the same before, Jiang Ru just couldn't bring herself to say those words. She opened her mouth, looking lost and confused, when Pei Wu said, "Never mind, just pretend I didn't say anything."

Given Pei Wu's personality, he would definitely ask a question and get an answer, unlike now, where he asks a question and then stops asking before getting an answer.

Jiang Ru stared at him blankly for a long time before saying, as if talking to herself, "I don't know, but I'm just very worried about you."

Pei Wu didn't hear the answer; he had impulsively asked the question and immediately regretted it.

Pei Wu knew that his words were biased and that he was leading Jiang Ru astray. To him, this was wrong, dark, and selfish. He shouldn't have deliberately made Jiang Ru think in other ways, and he certainly shouldn't have asked this question.

He could only stand in the position of Jiang Ru's cousin, not set a bad example, much less teach her bad things.

Pei Wu's heart felt instantly chilled, as if doused with cold water. He turned to leave, but Jiang Ru quickly stopped him: "You're going out without wearing any clothes."

Pei Wu looked down at his clothes and wanted to take his armor and put it back on, but Jiang Ru raised her hand to stop him and smiled, "What a coincidence, I happen to have a set of clothes here."

She had packed her bundle earlier, and there was an extra set of Pei Wu's clothes in it, which she could now wear.

Pei Wu casually threw on an outer robe. He was very dirty and needed to take a bath. After putting on his clothes, Pei Wu put on his armor and returned to Yang Zhaoyi's tent.

Unlike the other soldiers, who usually washed directly in the river, Pei Wu had to fetch water himself to wash in his tent. Yang Zhaoyi even mocked him for this, saying he was too thin-skinned.

Given the poor conditions, Pei Wu fetched water himself. Since there was no hot water, he took a cold shower to wash away the blood and stench from his body. After changing his clothes, Pei Wu went out.

Large pots had already been set up in the camp to cook meat. The water was boiling and steaming, filling the air with the aroma of meat.

After leaving the tent, Pei Wu did not go to find the main force, but went to Jiang Ru's tent. He lifted the tent flap and found the tent quiet inside, with only a small ball of flesh on the bed and the sound of breathing.

While he was taking a shower, Jiang Ru had already fallen asleep in bed.

She probably hasn't slept much these past few days; her eyes are frighteningly dark. Now that Pei Wu is back, she can finally relax and fall asleep.

Jiang Ru slept peacefully as always, her cheeks flushed, her wisps of hair sticking to her forehead in a messy manner, her hands sticking out of the blanket, her palms slightly curled.

Pei Wu noticed the red mark on her palm—a very fresh wound with an irregular opening. The purplish-red wound had a thin scab on it, unlike an accidental injury.

Pei Wu bent down slightly, his gaze falling on her palm. He could hardly help but guess that Jiang Ru had scratched it herself.

As for why he scratched himself, Pei Wu didn't want to blame himself. He felt useless, as he had not only hurt Jiang Ru, but also injured her.

He carried wound medicine with him, and although he knew that Jiang Ru's wound had already scabbed over and didn't need to be treated anymore, he still applied some to Jiang Ru's palm in vain.

The plaster was very cool, and Jiang Ru felt uncomfortable in her dream. She subconsciously tried to reach out and grab it, but in her haste, Pei Wu could only hold her hand down. Jiang Ru tried a few times but failed to grab it, so she opened her hand and gave up. Only then did Pei Wu withdraw his hand.

He didn't want to disturb Jiang Ru's sleep, so he planned to leave after applying the medicine, but as soon as he took a step, a hand grabbed his sleeve.

Jiang Ru didn't wake up, but she still managed to grab him.

Pei Wu lowered his head, his gaze falling on Jiang Ru's hand that was gripping his tightly. Then he mumbled indistinctly, "Pei Wu."

Pei Wu leaned down and asked softly, "What's wrong?"

There was no response, as if it were just a murmur in Jiang Ru's dream, or perhaps it was Pei Wu's imagination, and she was still fast asleep.

Pei Wu gently tugged at his sleeve. Jiang Ru wasn't holding on very tightly, but her hand was tucked into Pei Wu's cuff, making it impossible for him to break free.

Pei Wu could only maintain a slightly bent-over posture, following Jiang Ru's force, so as not to wake Jiang Ru up.

The candlelight flickered and crackled. Outside the tent, there was a lively and bustling atmosphere, with occasional bursts of hearty laughter and patrols passing by. Inside the tent, however, there were only two breathing sounds, one steady and the other restrained. Pei Wu's figure was reflected on the curtain, as if he were holding hands with Jiang Ru intimately.

Joyful cheers could be heard from afar. Pei Wu stood for a while, then tried to struggle again. As he struggled, Jiang Ru seemed to sense something, frowned, and with a forceful pull, dragged Pei Wu to sit down on the edge of the bed.

Pei Wu didn't know how he ended up sitting next to Jiang Ru. Jiang Ru held onto him with one hand, leaned slightly towards him, and got very close to him, which was a rare occurrence.

For a moment, Pei Wu thought that Jiang Ru hadn't fallen asleep at all and was just teasing him. But Jiang Ru was hard to hold back. If she really was teasing Pei Wu, she probably wouldn't have been able to stop laughing the moment she knocked him down.

The candlelight wasn't bright enough, and Jiang Ru was somewhat blurry in Pei Wu's vision. Pei Wu glanced at her, then quickly looked away.

One was sleeping and the other was sitting. Pei Wu couldn't help but turn his head to look at her. This quiet didn't last long. Soon, several shouts came from outside the tent, calling for Pei Wu.

The sound grew closer, and fearing he would wake Jiang Ru, Pei Wu finally hardened his heart and took his sleeve from Jiang Ru's hand.

Jiang Ru held on very tightly, and he had to be very careful to pry her fingers open. Just as he finally managed to remove her fingers, the tent flap was suddenly lifted. Feeling guilty, Pei Wu stood up abruptly and blocked Jiang Ru's way.

Standing outside the tent was Gao Jing. These people were used to being rough and had no habit of knocking, so they subconsciously lifted the tent flap.

Before Pei Wu could signal him to shut up, his loud voice echoed throughout the tent: "Commander Pei, the commander is looking for you."

Pei Wu's hand was still pressed against his lips, but Gao Jing was completely unaware: "Commander Pei, why aren't you saying anything?"

His booming voice was so loud that Jiang Ru was jolted awake from her dream. She sat up abruptly, drenched in a cold sweat. She patted her chest, still shaken, and searched for the source of the sound.

The first person she saw was Pei Wu standing in front of her. Pei Wu was looking back at her and he could tell that Jiang Ru had been startled awake. He gently comforted her, "Don't be afraid, it's Gao Jing."

Jiang Ru peeked out from behind Pei Wu, looking at the rude Gao Jing at the door with resentment.

Gao Jing, however, seemed to have discovered a new continent and exclaimed in surprise, "Oh, Miss Jiang, you're here too! That's perfect. The meat is already cooking, get up quickly."

Jiang Ru: "..."

She gritted her teeth, wanting to punch Gao Jing twice, but she couldn't beat him. She had been suffering from insomnia for several days, and when she finally got a good night's sleep, he ruined it all.

She nudged Pei Wu's hand, and Pei Wu immediately said to Gao Jing, "Understood. Please go ahead, Deputy Commander. We'll be there shortly."

Gao Jing continued to instruct, "Then you'd better hurry."

The uninvited guests finally left, but Jiang Ru's resentment had not subsided. She sullenly stared at the tent door.

Until Pei Wu said, "It's my fault, I didn't tell you you were sleeping beforehand."

Jiang Ru barely managed to look at him. She was having a sweet dream when she sensed Pei Wu's presence approaching. She instinctively reached out and grabbed him, thinking it was a dream. But it turned out Pei Wu had really come.

Jiang Ru couldn't blame him, so she could only say angrily, "It's not your fault, it's all Gao Jing's fault."

Pei Wu turned to face her and asked in a low voice, "Do you still want to sleep? I'll stay with you and won't let anyone else disturb you."

He meant to guard outside the tent, since that would isolate all sources of sound. But it's cold now, why make yourself suffer?

Jiang Ru rubbed her eyes: "Never mind, I'm not sleepy anymore."

Normally, she needs a little time to adjust after waking up, but today, her heart was pounding in her chest, and she was completely wide awake.

Jiang Ru got out of bed, grabbed her outer garment and put it on: "I want to see what kind of meat they're eating, that they have to wake me up."

Jiang Ru stormed out of the tent in a huff, with Pei Wu following behind her. From afar, they could hear the bubbling sound of food. The large pot was full, and many people were gathered around it. There were also several fire pits, and everyone sat on the ground around the fire pits, eating heartily.

The food in the military camp was all about quantity, so the taste was just average. The only advantage was that it was filling. Jiang Ru could smell the delicious aroma of meat from afar, and she decided to take back her previous prejudice.

The journey to Juzhou had been incredibly arduous, and she hadn't eaten much in the past few days. Now, smelling the aroma of meat, Jiang Ru felt like crying. She moved closer to the pot, and someone immediately handed her a bowl.

The meat was eaten with the flatbread, and the aroma was so enticing that Jiang Ru couldn't wait to take a bite. Her eyes lit up, and she gave Pei Wu a thumbs up: "Delicious, really delicious."

The seasoning was just simple salt, but the taste was incredibly delicious. Jiang Ru quickly finished a pancake with meat, filling her empty stomach. She then sat by the campfire, feeling warm all over.

Pei Wu ate a little slower than her. After Jiang Ru finished eating, he gave her a questioning look: "Aren't you full? I'll get you some more."

Jiang Ru shook her head: "I'm full."

She said she was full, but her gaze was still fixed on Pei Wu's hands. Pei Wu's hands were extremely beautiful as he held the pancake. Even when he was sitting casually on the ground eating a rough pancake, he made it look like a delicacy, elegant and refined.

Jiang Ru stared at his profile, lost in thought, until Pei Wu could no longer bear it: "Why are you staring at me like that?"

Jiang Ru didn't look away, propping her chin up and casually said, "Pei Wu, you are very handsome."

Jiang Ru has mentioned it many times. At first, she would feel embarrassed to mention Pei Wu, but after it happened so many times, she can now do it without batting an eye.

After finishing his last bite, he put the bowl down and brought Jiang Ru a bowl of rice wine.

This wine is called Victory Wine. It's not very intoxicating and can even ward off the cold, making it perfect for celebrations. Jiang Ru took a small sip and found the taste acceptable, so she encouraged Pei Wu to drink some as well.

Pei Wu doesn't like drinking, and he gets drunk easily, so he only took Jiang Ru's portion. Now, Jiang Ru, holding her bowl, very casually tells him to drink from his own bowl. Pei Wu hesitates for a moment, and at Jiang Ru's strong recommendation, he takes a small sip.

This wine has a hint of rice aroma, unlike ordinary wines which are bitter and burn the throat. It has a mellow, slightly sweet taste and is indeed quite good.

Pei Wu's lips were wet with wine. He nodded to Jiang Ru and said, "It's really good."

Jiang Ru sensed that he hadn't really drunk any water and asked doubtfully, "You really drank it?"

Pei Wu nodded: "I drank it."

"I don't believe you." Jiang Ru handed the bowl over again. "Take another sip."

The wine was delicious, but Pei Wu was afraid of getting drunk and didn't want to drink too much. However, he couldn't resist Jiang Ru's strong recommendation, so he had to take another sip. This time he drank much more than before. After taking a sip, Pei Wu finally frowned. It was indeed very bitter.

His usually indifferent eyes were lowered, unlike his usual composure; his gaze was slightly dark. He would agree to whatever Jiang Ru said. After finishing his drink, he pursed his lips and said, "I drank it."

He's much cuter than usual at times like this. When he's embarrassed, he can't maintain his usual composure at all. Even though he's reluctant to drink when Jiang Ru forces him to, he'll still drink to make Jiang Ru happy.

Jiang Ru knew when to stop: "I saw it, is it good?"

Pei Wu shook his head, not wanting to offend Jiang Ru, but nodded again: "It's alright."

Jiang Ru's eyes were brimming with laughter. The campfire illuminated Pei Wu's face with a blazing light. In the dim light of the night, she could only vaguely make out Pei Wu's features. There seemed to be flames dancing in Pei Wu's eyes as well. He was bathed in the firelight, as if his whole body was enveloped in light, making people hesitate to approach, yet unable to resist wanting to get closer.

Just as Jiang Ru was about to speak to him, Yang Zhaoyi finally found Pei Wu and slapped him hard on the shoulder.

With a loud "smack," anyone else would probably have been knocked to the ground by his palm strike. Jiang Ru even suspected that Yang Zhaoyi had a grudge against Pei Wu, otherwise why would he use such force?

Before Pei Wu could react, Jiang Ru looked up, her tone calm yet tinged with slight displeasure: "Commander Yang, you're settling a personal score."

Yang Zhaoyi then looked at his hand and smiled awkwardly, "I couldn't control my strength for a moment."

Jiang Ru glared at him irritably. Yang Zhaoyi, all smiles, held two cups of wine and handed one to Pei Wu: "Commander Pei, we were able to drive the Northern Yan bandits back this time thanks to your battle formation diagram. Here, let me toast you."

Pei Wu politely complimented Yang: "Commander Yang's command is still the best; I am ashamed to admit my inferiority."

Yang Zhaoyi, who is a bit dim-witted, can be pleased by just a few words. After Pei Wu said those words, Yang Zhaoyi's smile became even wider.

Since Yang Zhaoyi had already offered a toast, it would be unreasonable not to drink. Pei Wu accepted the wine and drank it all in one gulp. Yang Zhaoyi was extremely satisfied and also drank his wine in one gulp.

After finishing his drink, Yang Zhaoyi picked up the jar and was about to pour another when Pei Wu suddenly said, "I remember that the Great Xia military order states that even for victory wine, one can only drink a maximum of two bowls. If I remember correctly, Commander Yang has already drunk two bowls."

Yang Zhaoyi's smile froze on his face, and he lied through his teeth: "Really? I remember I only drank one bowl tonight."

Pei Wu raised his eyes, his gaze clearly looking up at Yang Zhaoyi, who felt as if he had been seen through, and immediately gave a guilty smile.

Pei Wu continued, "Commanders should also set an example."

Yang Zhaoyi wiped away non-existent sweat: "Of course, that's natural." Then, pretending nothing had happened, he secretly escaped.

Before Pei Wu could even offer Gao Jing a toast, Gao Jing, who was standing behind him, took a small sip of the wine and continued, "Deputy Commander Gao, I remember you've already had two bowls."

Gao Jing didn't dare finish his drink, only taking a sip before continuing to flee. Others who wanted to offer a toast were also scared away by Pei Wu, giving them a rare moment of peace.

The atmosphere fell silent again. Pei Wu had just drunk more than a bowl of wine. He wasn't drunk, but his mind was a little sluggish. He just stared blankly at the fire in front of him.

Jiang Ru waved her hand in front of his eyes, and Pei Wu's gaze followed her hand. Jiang Ru leaned forward and asked, "Pei Wu, are you drunk?"

Pei Wu shook his head, then continued to stare at Jiang Ru.

His gaze was direct, unlike usual. He would never stare at someone so directly before. Jiang Ru felt uncomfortable being stared at by him for a long time and couldn't help but ask, "Why are you looking at me?"

After saying this, Pei Wu looked away, but soon he would look at Jiang Ru again, looking at her face and observing her very carefully.

Jiang Ru had been stared at for a long time, so she raised her hand and covered Pei Wu's eyes, forbidding him from looking.

Pei Wu wasn't annoyed that his eyes were covered; he just stood there motionless as Jiang Ru covered them. Jiang Ru, with a mischievous thought, moved her hand up and touched Pei Wu's head.

Pei Wu had his hair tied up, so Jiang Ru could only touch the top of his head. When she raised her hand, Pei Wu would lower his head to cooperate, looking very obedient.

Jiang Ru's playful mood returned, and she wanted to touch it again. At this moment, Pei Wu reached out and grabbed her wrist.

His palms were warm and had rough calluses, completely blocking Jiang Ru's hand. After just one touch, Jiang Ru was forced to withdraw her hand.

"Then let's not touch it anymore." Jiang Ru waved to Pei Wu as everyone gradually headed back, "Let's go, we need to go back to sleep too."

Pei Wu stared at her for a while, then got up and followed behind her.

After escorting Pei Wu to Yang Zhaoyi's tent, Jiang Ru watched him go inside before turning around.

However, not long after, the tent door was lifted, and Pei Wu appeared outside the door carrying a quilt, standing straight, his figure alone showing his stubbornness.

When Jiang Ru looked over, Pei Wu was standing outside the tent, with the heavy darkness behind him. The torchlight illuminated his face, making his features much clearer. Jiang Ru was surprised by his sudden visit: "Why are you here?"

Pei Wu didn't speak, but instead carried his quilt and walked to the next room. Jiang Ru followed him in confusion. When they arrived outside the tent, they only lifted a crack in the door. Jiang Ru saw Yang Zhaoyi lying on the bed in a spread-eagle position, snoring loudly. In short, Pei Wu had nowhere to sleep.

Jiang Ru raised an eyebrow at Pei Wu: "I told you you should have come."

Then, she pulled Pei Wu away from where he was, dragged him back to her tent, took Pei Wu's blanket, and threw it on the bed.

However, Pei Wu snatched the blanket back, spread out his own bedding on the floor, got into bed, and covered himself with the blanket in one go. Then he sat on the floor and said to Jiang Ru, "Cousin, go to sleep early."

It's rare to see someone so gentlemanly even when drunk. Lying on the bed, Jiang Ru reached out to Pei Wu: "Are you really not coming up?"

The bed here wasn't very soft either, but it was much better than the floor. Unfortunately, when Jiang Ru reached out, Pei Wu just shook his head. He didn't have a pillow, so he used his outer robe as one. He firmly shook his head at Jiang Ru and said, "No."

"Fine, then," Jiang Ru lay down as well. She turned to face Pei Wu, who was lying flat on his back with his eyes open, completely oblivious to Jiang Ru watching him.

In fact, even though it had only been a few days since they last met, Jiang Ru felt that Pei Wu was a novel sight to behold, and she couldn't get enough of looking at him.

Jiang Ru was mesmerized when, quite suddenly, Pei Wu also turned his head, his gaze sharp as he stared directly at her.

Jiang Ru was startled and hastily stepped aside. It took her a long time before she dared to look up again, only to find that Pei Wu was still looking at her, focused and burning, so intense that she had nowhere to hide.