Liu Yushu opened her eyes and wrapped herself tightly in the quilt. She replied, "I'm up." She had forgotten to change her clothes. They were soaked by the snow. If Mama Xie saw them, it would be a disaster.
Mama Xie entered the room carrying a food tray. Seeing Liu Yushu still lying in bed, she was a bit surprised. "Is the young lady not feeling well?"
Liu Yushu gave a weak smile. "I had a nightmare last night. I just woke up and feel so tired. I'd like to rest a bit longer." She made up the lie casually.
The reason she was so tired was not because of a nightmare, but a sweet dream, a sweet dream that Wu Chunzhe had given her.
"Then that's fine. This servant won't disturb your rest." Mama Xie looked doubtful, but since she didn't find any flaws, she could only leave the soup and turn to leave.
As soon as Mama Xie left, Liu Yushu softly called Mu Chan over.
"Help me up." Liu Yushu ordered.
Mu Chan held Liu Yushu's arms with both hands, raising her arms high.
"What are you doing, miss?" Mu Chan was puzzled.
"My arms are a bit stiff. I want to move them to promote blood circulation." Liu Yushu remained calm. She couldn't let Mama Xie notice anything.
In the evening, Mu Chan fetched a bucket of hot water. Liu Yushu took a comfortable hot bath. Mu Chan took the dirty clothes away. Originally, she was going to take them to the back to burn them. Suddenly, she heard a sound outside the wall. Zui Tao suddenly rushed over and said in a hurry, "The young lady is looking for you. Hurry up!"
Mu Chan left in a hurry. After she left, Mama Xie came over, picked up Liu Yushu's dirty clothes, examined them carefully, a thoughtful look on her face, and then put the clothes back.
Mu Chan and Zui Tao came to Liu Yushu's room. Liu Yushu looked confused. "What's wrong with you two? Why are you in such a hurry?"
"Miss, didn't you call me for something?" Mu Chan asked anxiously.
Liu Yushu frowned and denied, "No. I didn't call you."
"Then Zui Tao said you were looking for me." Mu Chan and Liu Yushu exchanged a look. The two of them, very in tune, immediately sensed that something was fishy and both looked at Zui Tao.
Could it be that Zui Tao was also colluding with the Prince Yu's Mansion? Liu Yushu couldn't help clenching her fists. Anger welled up in her heart. Zui Tao had served her since childhood and had always been devoted. If Zui Tao was really colluding with the Prince Yu's Mansion, even though they had known each other since childhood, Liu Yushu would not show any mercy.
Zui Tao was also bewildered and quickly explained, "It was Mama Xie who told me that you were urgently looking for Mu Chan. I searched all over the mansion and finally found her in the back courtyard."
Liu Yushu's eyes widened. She thought it was bad. Mama Xie must have noticed something.
"Miss, the clothes haven't been burned yet..." Mu Chan said in a hurry and then turned around and ran. When she got back, she saw that the clothes were still there, but she knew in her heart that Mama Xie must have come to check. She quickly lit a fire and burned the clothes, destroying the evidence.
"You can go out first." Liu Yushu sent Zui Tao out to take care of her younger brother. She already had a plan in mind.
After Mu Chan came back, the mistress and the servant discussed countermeasures in the room.
Mu Chan said seriously, "This servant understands."
Liu Yushu took a sip of tea. She thought that it wasn't the best time to get rid of Mama Xie yet.
On the night before the appointment at the Prince Yu's Mansion, Liu Yushu and Wu Chunzhe agreed to meet in the woods.
After it got dark, with Mu Chan's help, she secretly slipped out of the window. Before she reached the woods, she saw Wu Chunzhe coming to greet her. He took her hand. "I'll take you somewhere." Her hands were cold from the wind, so he put them into his sleeve to warm them.
The two looked at each other and smiled. Except for not having the wedding ceremony, they looked just like a newly - wedded couple.
"Is it the old place?" Liu Yushu said in a low voice, blushing.
When they reached the tree, Wu Chunzhe wrapped his cloak around Liu Yushu, then crouched down. "Come on, I'll carry you up."
"Ah?" Liu Yushu was stunned for a moment. She didn't understand what he meant.
"Let's go up the tree today. This tree has a lot of leaves. It can block the wind." He also felt shy and his voice got softer. "The ground is cold. You're in poor health. I'm afraid you'll get hurt."
Up the tree...
Memories from the past flashed through her mind. Liu Yushu remembered that Wu Qing had once built a tree - house on a tall tree. She had watched the sunrise and sunset with Wu Qing in the tree - house and had many wonderful memories. However, now when she thought about it, it all became a terrifying past. Just mentioning Wu Qing filled her with hatred. She hated him so much that she didn't even want to live.
"No, I won't go." Liu Yushu looked panicked. Anything related to Wu Qing gave her a psychological shadow.
Wu Chunzhe noticed that Liu Yushu's face looked bad. He thought she disliked the simplicity of the tree and smiled a bit embarrassedly. "Then I'll take you to a warm place."
"Where?" Liu Yushu was a bit scared, afraid that it would be another place full of memories of her and Wu Qing.
"I bought a house in front. There's no one in it." Wu Chunzhe told her the truth.
"Okay."
When they got to the house, Wu Chunzhe started a fire in the copper stove in the room. Soon the room was filled with warmth.
The two nestled together. He put his arm around her. Feeling that her palms were still a bit cold, he hugged her and said tenderly, "Let me warm you up, okay?"
Liu Yushu blushed. "Okay." She obediently hid in his warm and broad embrace.
He laughed softly. "Xiaoshu, you're so short. You're only up to my chest. You should have eaten more when you were a kid. You must have eaten too little to grow tall."
"Humph, what's so good about being tall? I'm not going to be a scarecrow in the vegetable field." She turned around, pretending to be angry. "If you like tall women, go find them. I'm too short to accompany you."
His words scared him. He quickly apologized. "I don't like tall women. They're like men. I just like you, small and cute. You're not short. It's just that I'm too tall." This was the truth. Wu Chunzhe was indeed taller than ordinary men. Now that he had returned from the army, his body had become even leaner.
No matter how powerful and imposing Wu Chunzhe was outside, in front of Liu Yushu, he was always a simple little boy. Sometimes he was even a bit childish. For example, he always liked to play jokes on her. The flowers he gave her were always the small snow plum blossoms he picked from the treetops himself. He put them in a bottle to collect their fragrance.
Alas, maybe men will always be kids? Liu Yushu didn't know about others, but at least Wu Chunzhe would still be like this little boy even when he was old. Childishness was not necessarily a flaw. Anyway, he wasn't childish with everyone. Occasionally being childish with her, she could still accept it.
Maybe this was the way to prove that she loved him. Only when being lectured by her did Wu Chunzhe feel loved by her. This masochistic tendency was really beyond Liu Yushu's understanding.
The red candles in the room were bright. Warmth and love were intertwined.
He pulled her to sit down and then gave her a mysterious smile. "Xiaoshu, wait for me for a while. I'll be back soon."
"What are you going to do?" Liu Yushu asked with a straight face.
"I've already said you'll know later. I'll keep it a secret for now." Wu Chunzhe pouted. This coquettish expression was really unbearable for Liu Yushu. She sighed. "Okay, okay, okay. I won't ask."
Wu Chunzhe beamed. "Xiaoshu is so good." Then he turned around and went out.
When he came back, he put a big wooden bucket beside her feet. He crouched down and took off her shoes and socks, then put her delicate feet into the warm foot - soaking bucket. Then he sat down beside her, put his own feet in as well, turned his head, and gave a silly smile. "Is it comfortable? Isn't it very warm?"
Liu Yushu didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but it was really warm. So, she rolled her eyes, hooked his foot with hers. He immediately blushed. "Xiaoshu, you're so naughty."
"You just realized that? I'm a bad woman." Liu Yushu raised her head and said arrogantly.
"I like you being bad." Wu Chunzhe smiled shyly and purely. Then he started to fight back. Their feet "fought" in the bucket, splashing water everywhere. The two laughed together.
With Wu Chunzhe, Liu Yushu could always forget her troubles and be carefree. She began to appreciate the good things about Wu Chunzhe and discovered his advantages.
It was really a blessing for her three lifetimes to meet someone like Wu Chunzhe, someone who was carefree, optimistic, and loved her deeply.
After a while, she suddenly opened her eyes and asked him, "Have you ever soaked your feet with anyone else before?" Her eyes were very sharp.
He quickly told the truth. "Of course not." He added in a low voice, "I think other people's feet are dirty."
Liu Yushu pretended to be angry. "Then you don't think my feet are dirty?"
"Of course not." Wu Chunzhe said seriously and loudly, "You're pure and flawless. You always will be."
His words stabbed at Liu Yushu's heart. Her expression became desolate. She smiled self - deprecatingly. "Pure and flawless. I don't deserve these four words." She had once married Wu Qing and had almost had a child. How could she be pure and flawless?
Only then did Wu Chunzhe realize that he had touched on her sad past. He gently hugged her and comforted her. "Xiaoshu, I was wrong. But I'm serious. Please believe me. In my heart, you'll always be innocent, flawless, pure, and beautiful." He had never disliked her.
She pinched his ear. He immediately leaned his head over. "Next time when we soak our feet, I'll wash my feet clean first. I don't want to pass my athlete's foot to you." He smiled a bit melancholy. "As long as you believe me, I'm satisfied."
He answered very obediently, "Okay. Next time I'll definitely wash my feet clean. I won't pass my athlete's foot to you."
"You have athlete's foot?" Liu Yushu was shocked. She quickly took her feet out, jumping up as if standing on a hot iron. She didn't know what to do. She thought it was over. She had athlete's foot. Woo, she didn't want to get athlete's foot.
She was almost driven to tears. "Wu Chunzhe, how could you do this!"
But she heard him laughing so hard that he was almost out of breath. "Xiaoshu, you're so innocent. You're so easy to deceive."
He had deliberately lied to her just to play a trick on her.
"Good for you, Wu Chunzhe. You wait for me." Liu Yushu angrily picked up a soft pillow and threw it at Wu Chunzhe's head. The two started a pillow fight.
The room was filled with non - stop laughter.