Chapter 126

"Isn't it still sweet?" Is there really any difference?

Xuanyuan Xi's lips curved into a smile. "When you have someone dear to your heart, you'll understand."

After finishing half of the roasted sweet potato, Feng Qingyi stared absentmindedly at her hands, which had turned black from peeling the skin.

"Qin Yuchuan, I need to wash my hands. Where's the water?"

"What did you call me?"

Feng Qingyi replied casually, "I called you Qin Yuchuan. What else should I call you?"

"Qingqing's memory seems to be failing her. It's only been a few days, have you forgotten already?"

Recalling the events of the past few days, Feng Qingyi's face immediately flushed red. "A... A-Yu?"

"Don't forget next time. I'll take you to wash your hands."

Feng Qingyi followed slowly behind Qin Yuchuan as he led her to the side hall.

In the side hall, there was a small stove with hot water boiling on top.

Qin Yuchuan scanned the room, preparing to leave.

"Wait here for a moment."

"Alright."

Feng Qingyi obediently sat on the soft couch in the side hall, looking around.

It had to be said that the General's Mansion was truly enormous. Just this side hall alone was about 50 to 60 square meters, not to mention the other areas.

The various decorations and ornaments in the room looked quite valuable.

Especially those large vases, which seemed to be quite ancient.

Soon after, Qin Yuchuan came in carrying a bucket of water. Feng Qingyi quickly stood up.

After mixing the hot water from the stove with the cold water from the bucket in a wooden basin, Qin Yuchuan beckoned to Feng Qingyi.

She hurried over to where he was. "Thank you!"

The basin was placed on a wooden rack, and Feng Qingyi put her hands in. The water temperature was just right.

As she was washing her hands, Feng Qingyi noticed that Qin Yuchuan had also put his hands in the basin.

The wooden basin wasn't large to begin with, and their hands touched.

It was the first time Feng Qingyi had closely observed Qin Yuchuan's hands. His fingers were long and slender, with distinct knuckles.

They looked exactly like those enviable "manga hands" from the internet, not at all like hands that wielded swords.

After quickly washing her hands, Feng Qingyi looked around for a towel but couldn't find one.

So she gently grabbed Qin Yuchuan's sleeve. The sleeve was so wide, it would work well as a towel.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing, let's quickly return to the main hall."

Feng Qingyi looked at him. "But you were staring at them in a daze!"

"Although fireworks are brief, they're really beautiful."

"Mm."

She still liked beautiful things as always.

It's just that while his eyes were on the fireworks, his heart was thinking of the person before him.

As the fireworks ended, so did the night's festivities.

Feng Qingyi followed Qin Yuchuan towards his courtyard. The path was lined with lanterns.

In the corridor, all was quiet except for the sound of their footsteps.

The cold wind blew against their faces, chilling them. Feng Qingyi unconsciously quickened her pace.

"Qingqing, I won't have time to accompany you this year. You must take good care of yourself..."

Halfway through his sentence, Qin Yuchuan didn't know how to continue.

He had told her to take good care of herself so many times, when it should have been his responsibility.

"I know you have your own affairs to attend to. You don't need to worry about me. Compared to me, I think you're the one who should take good care of yourself."

"Qingqing, you don't need to be so well-behaved and understanding in front of me."

Qin Yuchuan held Feng Qingyi tightly.

He had been selfish in wanting to possess her, without considering how she would fare in the days he wasn't around.

He couldn't stay by her side for long, yet he made her worry about him.

Since she agreed to be with him, he had been overjoyed, but he had overlooked the distance she deliberately maintained.

She had hardly ever asked anything of him, never interfered in any of his affairs, and even her occasional acts of coquetry were measured.

She didn't fully trust him yet. He could only glimpse her most authentic self in her occasional childish moments.

He had thought they had plenty of time, that they could take things slowly between them.

He had the time and patience to let her be her truest self in front of him, to trust him wholeheartedly.

But once the war began, how could he, as the commander-in-chief, have time to think about these matters of the heart?

"You're hugging me too tightly. Can you loosen your grip a bit?"

Feng Qingyi felt as if she could barely breathe, unsure of what had come over him to suddenly act this way.

Qin Yuchuan didn't loosen his grip, only easing the pressure slightly so as not to make Feng Qingyi uncomfortable.

"Qingyi, I must leave for battle in three days. Let me hold you," he said softly.

"Three days? Why so soon?" she asked.

He had only mentioned it would be after the New Year, never specifying an exact date. She hadn't expected it to be so urgent.

"Recent reports from the border have been unfavorable, so the departure date was moved up," he explained.