Chapter 296: Come Sit on My Lap
The military camp was full of tough, iron-willed men. When Murong Qinjian treated such wounded patients, he generally wouldn’t use pain relief powder, so he wasn’t carrying any on him.
“Are you certain you want it?”
“Mm, having him lie in bed for a few more days would be good too.”
“Wait for me, I’ll go get it for you right away.”
Murong Qinjian returned to his own military tent, retrieved a small bottle of pain relief powder, and quickly came back.
After taking the pain relief powder and applying cold compresses for a while, Yan Xiaosi stopped crying about cold, stopped crying about heat, stopped calling for her mother, and slept peacefully.
Murong Qinjian examined her again and smiled: “Although this boy is thin and weak, his constitution is actually quite good. His fever has already broken.”
Only then did Long Yu breathe a sigh of relief.
“Long Yu, you’re so exhausted. You should still go rest for a while, lest you be unable to cope when Chunyu Hanfeng comes to challenge us again.”
Long Yu said: “Before thinking of a way to cross the river, Chunyu Hanfeng is just probing our strength. Murong Little Scoundrel, go back. Don’t worry about me.”
In the latter half of the night, he kept watch by Yan Xiaosi’s bedside the entire time, covering her with blankets several times. When dawn broke, Yan Xiaosi’s body was slightly feverish again, so he applied cold compresses to her forehead once more.
Early the next morning, when Yan Xiaosi opened her eyes, she saw the handsome, noble man in black robes leaning against the chair back, his eyes tightly closed, with some weariness and fatigue between his brows.
This man had watched over her the entire night.
Last night when she had a fever, her head was in a complete muddle, but she vaguely remembered someone had been busy caring for her at the bedside the whole time.
“Long Yu, you’re so good to me. Thank you.”
Her heart felt warm, as if morning sunlight had shone into her heart. Seeing Long Yu sleeping soundly, she lifted the covers, slowly got up, tiptoed out of bed, walked to the small couch nearby, took the blanket from the small couch, came back, and gently tried to cover Long Yu with the blanket.
Long Yu opened his eyes, just in time to see her helping him with the blanket. Their eyes met, and his gaze was full of tenderness.
“Why did you get up?”
Yan Xiaosi’s uninjured arm was gently grasped by him. With a gentle pull, Yan Xiaosi was forced to sit on his lap.
Sitting on a man’s lap for the first time, Yan Xiaosi felt awkward all over, stiffening in his embrace and not daring to move randomly.
“I slept for so long, I couldn’t sleep anymore.”
Long Yu nodded slightly and raised his right hand to touch her forehead. It wasn’t hot.
“Does the wound still hurt as much as yesterday?”
Feeling like she was being cared for like a child, Yan Xiaosi shook her head somewhat embarrassedly: “As long as I don’t make big movements, the wound doesn’t hurt. Long Yu, could you please let me down first? It’s dawn now, Long Yi and the others should be bringing you washing water soon.”
The small person felt very comfortable to hold. Long Yu really didn’t want to let go, but thinking that the little thing still had injuries, he stood up while holding her and placed her back on the bed.
“You don’t need to do anything these few days. Stay in bed and recover from your injuries properly. Until your wound heals, you’re not allowed to go anywhere.”
Yan Xiaosi’s protests were ineffective.
After Long Si brought in hot water, the two washed up and had breakfast.
Breakfast consisted of vegetable and minced meat porridge, tofu and crucian carp soup, and pancakes.
The tofu and crucian carp soup helped with wound healing. It was specially ordered by Long Yu for the kitchen to prepare for Yan Xiaosi.
After the high fever, Yan Xiaosi didn’t have much appetite. She only ate half a bowl of porridge and half a bowl of fish soup. Since she couldn’t leave the military tent, after breakfast, she went back to sleep. When she couldn’t sleep, she would lie in bed with wide eyes watching Long Yu busy as a dog.
For the next five days, Yan Xiaosi spent her time eating well, drinking well, and sleeping well, being raised like a pig by Long Yu.
During these five days, Yan Xiaosi lived well, but Long Yu and Deputy Generals like Zhao Ben were busy.
Since that night’s battle began, every day or two, the Rongdi King Chunyu Hanfeng would lead his army to the Yunluo River to make provocations, shoot a volley of arrows, then retreat. Over five days, Great Chu had faced such small skirmishes four times, angering Zhao Ben and others to the point where they wanted to cross the Yunluo River and dig up Chunyu Hanfeng’s ancestral graves.
During the first two times, Long Yu personally went to battle to meet the enemy, but for the later times, he simply didn’t go.
This day, in the evening, Long Yu was in the main tent having dinner with Yan Xiaosi when Long Yi came in to report: “Master, the Rongdi army is attacking. General Zhao Ben has gone to meet the enemy.”
“Mm.”
Long Yu’s expression didn’t change as he served Yan Xiaosi her favorite dishes.
“General Zhao Ben can handle it. You may withdraw.”
Long Yi hesitated for a moment and said: “Master, aren’t you worried that after several probing attempts, Chunyu Hanfeng might actually cross the river this time?”
Yan Xiaosi nodded in agreement with Long Yi’s words.
“There is indeed such a possibility. After several probing attempts, Chunyu Hanfeng has figured out our situation here. He really might cross the river. I can eat by myself. You go take care of business, you don’t need to keep me company.”
“Chunyu Hanfeng has led troops to probe our strength several times because he wants to know whether we’ve successfully developed gunpowder.”
Long Yu’s face showed no trace of worry as he continued picking up Yan Xiaosi’s favorite dishes and placing them in her bowl.
“Even if he’s now certain we haven’t successfully developed gunpowder, he still wouldn’t dare boldly lead troops across the Yunluo River. The Yunluo River’s surface is turbulent, and most Rongdi people don’t know how to swim. Their repeated challenges serve two purposes: first, to probe our strength, and second, to familiarize themselves with the Yunluo River’s surface.”
Yan Xiaosi understood and smiled with narrowed eyes: “With only five attempts, they’re definitely still unfamiliar with the Yunluo River’s surface conditions, so tonight they’re still studying the Yunluo River’s surface situation.”
“Smart.”
Long Yu raised an eyebrow and looked at her with a smile: “It seems these days of tofu and crucian carp soup haven’t been wasted. They’ve not only nourished your body but also your brain.”
“…”
“Long Yu, are you saying I was stupid before?”
Seeing Yan Xiaosi grinning and showing her white teeth with a look that said she wasn’t to be trifled with, Long Yu said: “You have a grain of rice at the corner of your mouth.”
Yan Xiaosi believed him and reached up to touch the corner of her mouth. There was no grain of rice.
“Alright, don’t be angry anymore. You’re very smart, you’ve always been very smart.”
“…”
The crisis was thus resolved.
After Yan Xiaosi finished eating and put down her chopsticks, she said: “Are we just going to let Chunyu Hanfeng lead his army to familiarize themselves with the Yunluo River’s surface? Once they figure out where the current isn’t turbulent and suitable for crossing, we’ll be at a disadvantage.”
Long Yu had a confident expression.
“How could that be possible?”
“You have an idea?”
“Do you want to know?”
Yan Xiaosi rolled her eyes: “Obviously.”
Seeing how adorably she rolled her eyes, Long Yu beckoned to her with his finger.
“Come sit on my lap, and I’ll tell you.”
Yan Xiaosi glanced toward the entrance and saw that Long Yi had withdrawn at some point. She got up, walked to Long Yu’s side, and quite readily sat on his lap.
It was just sitting on a lap, nothing to be fussy about.
Long Yu reached out to encircle her waist, which he could encompass with one grip.
He frowned and thought: How could a man’s waist be so slender? It seemed he needed to continue supplementing his nutrition.