The Slender Waist-Chapter 45 - 37: Strategy from Tianzhuang_2

Feng Yun didn’t realize the young man’s mind had so many thoughts. Seeing his ears turn red, she stopped teasing and simply asked with a gentle smile, "Now that the misunderstanding is cleared up, can I go and talk to him?"

Ao Qi’s ears remained pointed and pink, his voice also softened, "You can talk, but I must be by your side."

Feng Yun glanced at him and did not refuse.

—

Wen Xingsu lay quietly on the wooden bed, with a thin blanket covering his waist and his eyelids heavily closed, as if he had fallen asleep.

Xing Bing put the bowl and dishes on the table, and the sound woke Wen Xingsu up. When he opened his eyes and saw Feng Yun, he was startled for a moment, then his gaze shifted to Ao Qi standing by the door...

Feng Yun said, "Are you hungry? Have something to eat before you go back to sleep."

Wen Xingsu’s lips parted, "Thank you, young lady, for the rescue."

Feng Yun lowered her eyelids and brought out the plain congee and small dishes. She carefully added them to a small bowl, and then Ao Qi noticed that Wen Xingsu’s food was not prepared in the regular kitchen.

The young lady actually cooked a separate meal for this man?

Dissatisfaction was visibly written on Ao Qi’s face, but Feng Yun ignored him as if he wasn’t there, and signaled to Xing Bing to help Wen Xingsu sit up. She then asked casually, "What did the Medical Officer who just came say to you?"

Ao Qi pricked up his ears.

Wen Xingsu, just like Feng Yun, acted as if he couldn’t see him either. Weakly, he pointed to a small porcelain bottle on the wooden cabinet.

"Medicine pills, three times a day, one at a time."

Feng Yun smiled and asked, "Didn’t he say anything else? How is the wound, and how long will it take to heal?"

Wen Xingsu shook his head and said, "It should not have hit any vital parts, otherwise I wouldn’t have been alive to wait for the young lady’s rescue..."

Ao Qi watched the two of them talking in a very normal manner but in a conversational tone that sounded off, exchanging looks as if no one else was present, feeling very sour inside.

He suddenly interjected a question.

"Where do you come from, brave man? Who injured you?"

Wen Xingsu replied calmly, "I am from Xinzhou. Caught in the conflict at Andu, with nowhere to go, I’ve been fleeing for many days. Today, I happened to encounter bandits over two flatbreads, almost losing my life..."

Ao Qi stared at him and asked, "With war and chaos abound, why don’t you stay at home instead of running around?"

Wen Xingsu gave a bitter smile, "Not to hide from the Young General, I originally served in the Qi Dynasty army."

Ao Qi’s face changed slightly.

In fact, he had known all along, but he didn’t expect this man to admit it so frankly.

"What was your position in the army?" Ao Qi asked again.

Wen Xingsu said, "I am but a lowly officer in charge of about a dozen men. When the battle broke out, I got separated from my brothers..."

Hmph!

Ao Qi raised his eyebrows but didn’t ask further.

This person was very cautious with his words, his expressions and demeanor identical to that of the Feng Family lady, as if they were cut from the same cloth—the familiarity and intimacy made Ao Qi very uncomfortable.

But since the General had not ordered his execution, he could only watch helplessly.

"Take care of your injuries. The Northern Yong Army treats its prisoners well. You are a strong and sturdy man; in the future, if you serve under our Great General in the Northern Yong Army, it will be much better than following your feeble emperor."

Wen Xingsu pursed his lips, remaining silent.

Feng Yun shoved the bowl into his hands, "Eat, talk less, it’s exhausting."

She meant that with an injury, one should talk less to conserve energy.

Ao Qi, however, heard it as talk to him less, and with a twist of his mouth, his lips curled in displeasure.

Feng Yun saw that Wen Xingsu’s hand was injured and it was inconvenient for him, so she took over the bowl and spoon-fed him. Wen Xingsu lifted his eyelids to look at her, said "Thank you," and Feng Yun smiled gently, feeding him bite by bite with meticulousness and patience. To prevent food from getting on his lips, she even pulled out an intimate handkerchief and carefully wiped his face.

Ao Qi couldn’t stand it anymore and turned his back.

"Isn’t there any menial worker in Tianzhuang? Do you really need to do it yourself?"

Feng Yun and Wen Xingsu exchanged a glance, put down the bowl, called out for Xing Bing, and then left.

Ao Qi, seeing her silent, thought about his own words just now and quickly followed her out, catching up to Feng Yun.

"I didn’t mean to scold you..."

"Girl, think about it yourself, is what you’re doing right or not?"

"If the General sees this, wouldn’t he flay my skin?"

Feng Yun suddenly turned her head and looked at Ao Qi, "Is Guard Ao upset just because of the General?"

Ao Qi’s heartstrings trembled violently, nearly snapping, his cheeks flushed red as he looked at her, unable to speak for a while. Those emotions hidden in the corners of his heart were on the verge of spilling out.

But then he heard Feng Yun’s cold laugh.

"Guard Ao clearly detests me. You loathe me, yet you use the General as an excuse."

Ao Qi was astonished.

Watching the sullen figure of Feng Yun walk away, his feet felt as if they were nailed to the ground, and it was a long while before he rubbed his forehead and went to the dining hall.

The meal had long been ready.

Feng Yun was as calm as if the previous incident had never happened. She had Alou bring the pot out to the eaves and called all the guards in the courtyard to come and eat.

Ao Qi felt a warm sensation in his heart.

The lady was sharp-tongued, but her heart was kind.

Just now she said there wasn’t enough food in the manor to keep idle people, but then she cooked so much rice. Wasn’t she just unable to bear seeing the guards go hungry?

Ao Qi sat down and took his own bowl.

Underneath the rice lay two fried eggs, cooked in lard, emitting a strong meaty fragrance. The taste was so tender and soft, it seemed to melt in his heart, making him feel involuntarily delighted. The corners of his mouth lifted uncontrollably in a frenzy of ecstatic forgetfulness...

The lady treated him differently from others.

Nobody else had eggs under their rice.

Only he did.

Just his bowl had them.

Ao Qi took a deep breath, managing with great difficulty to suppress the crazy impulse to go find her and talk to her, savoring the bowl of rice at an extremely slow pace...

As he ate, he then noticed something was wrong with the surroundings...

There was no alcohol in the food.

The guards he had brought appeared to be drunk?

Ao Qi was startled, and a flash of insight crossed his mind...

But it was just a flash, fleeting, for before his hand could grab his knife, his whole body lay sprawled across the table.

Feng Yun walked out of the kitchen, pushed him slightly, and sighed softly.

"Ao Qi is astute. Without those two eggs, he would have definitely noticed the odd taste..."

Feng Yun turned her head, called for Xing Bing, "Make your move! We need to be fast."

She didn’t notice the tears welling up in Ao Qi’s eyes, red as if they were about to drip blood.