Chapter 52: Farewell, Pei Zhouwu

“You’ve slept for so long. Are you hungry?”

Pei Zhouwu set down the cloth he had been using to hold the teapot handle and stood up, making as if to head toward the kitchen.

“Mm, a little.”

“The food is still warm in the pot. Wait for me here.” As soon as he finished speaking, he walked forward, but after a few steps, he turned back uneasily to remind her, “The tea still needs a little longer. It’s very hot—don’t touch it.”

“I know, I’m not a child.”

She pretended to be displeased, which earned her Pei Zhouwu’s doting smile.

Once he turned away again, the displeasure on Liu Fuying’s face suddenly became genuine. She tilted her head to look at the teapot on the small stove. Steam rose urgently from its spout, and it seemed the water was about to boil. Yet all she could think of was that she would never again sit in the courtyard with Pei Zhouwu like this, brewing tea and chatting.

…

Enough, enough.

Better to think of something else.

She turned her head and leaned in another direction.

Think of Shen Xiunian. She wondered how he would react if he knew she was pregnant.

Shen Xiunian had never liked her to begin with—would her future child suffer his harshness?

But it didn’t matter much. He rarely stayed at home, spending only a few months there each year at most. Besides, he wouldn’t always narrowly escape death on the battlefield as he had last time.

She would often pray to the heavens for Shen Xiunian to reunite with his Jiang Susu sooner rather than later.

That ill-fated pair had been separated by life and death for so long; it was time they were together again.

Once he died, the Shen Family would be hers.

Such a vast estate, such immense wealth—the very thought brought her joy.

Pei Zhouwu soon brought dinner. After they ate, he carried a chair outside and had Liu Fuying sit on the sandy shore outside the bedroom to enjoy the cool evening breeze.

She had never noticed it before, but today Liu Fuying suddenly felt that the scenery in this courtyard was quite beautiful.

The pond was lovely too, its clear water shimmering with ripples under the moonlight, utterly charming.

How had she never noticed it until now?

Late into the night, Pei Zhouwu carried her back inside.

Even though she had slept so much during the day, nestled in Pei Zhouwu’s arms, she couldn’t help but grow drowsy again.

Pei Zhouwu pulled the quilt over her, tucking her in tightly, yet he couldn’t shake a sense of puzzlement.

“Why have you been so sleepy these past few days?”

He felt her forehead but detected nothing unusual.

“Are you feeling unwell anywhere else?”

“Husband…” Liu Fuying opened her mouth slightly but couldn’t find the words, only wanting to sleep.

“Where do you feel unwell?” Pei Zhouwu tucked the quilt around her again, thinking that once they left this place in a few days, he would need to find a physician for her as soon as possible.

“Husband.”

“What is it? Tell me.”

“Husband…”

“I’m here.”

“Sleepy.”

“…” Pei Zhouwu sighed and patted her head. “Go to sleep, then.”

“Husband…”

“What is it now, little ancestor? If you’re sleepy, just sleep, alright? Your husband is here. I’ll hold you while you sleep.”

“Husband…” Farewell.

Pei Zhouwu, farewell.

No—never again.

On the day of her departure, Pei Zhouwu woke even earlier than Liu Fuying.

He had prepared food and water pouches the night before, checking each one carefully before packing them into a bundle for her to take on the journey.

He remembered her saying that her family had once lived as hunters in the mountains, three ridges east of here. Walking the whole way, she could arrive by afternoon if she hurried, but if she took her time, it might be dark by the time she reached home. That was why she needed to carry plenty of provisions.

After breakfast, Pei Zhouwu accompanied her to the edge of the pond.

He insisted on seeing Liu Fuying off.

“Let’s go. The earlier we set out, the sooner we’ll arrive. The mountain paths are treacherous at night.”

He urged Liu Fuying to depart early.

But once she left…

Liu Fuying couldn’t describe what she felt upon hearing his words; she didn’t know what emotion stirred within her.

“Mm, let’s go.”

Entering the water, Pei Zhouwu wrapped his arm around her waist and dove downward.

It felt as though a long time had passed, yet also as if it were only yesterday. The memory of the first time Pei Zhouwu had taken her underwater overlapped with the scene before her, intertwining until she could no longer distinguish reality from illusion.

In the end, she simply closed her eyes and refused to look.

Halfway through the swim, she suddenly choked on water—just like the first time.

That time, she had been pretending.

This time, she didn’t know what happened; she simply couldn’t hold her breath any longer.

Pei Zhouwu swiftly turned back, held her close, and pressed his lips to hers to share his air.

After pulling away, Pei Zhouwu cupped her face, his eyes asking if she could endure. But she was mesmerized by his hair floating and dancing in the water.

It was too similar—too much like the first time they had gone underwater together.

Was she dreaming?

Perhaps she had never woken up after falling off the cliff and losing consciousness that day. Maybe everything that followed had been nothing but an elaborate dream.

Pei Zhouwu gently patted her cheek, snapping her abruptly back to reality.

She nearly lost her breath again and quickly nodded at Pei Zhouwu. Then, with his arm around her, he swam faster, pulling her along.

Finally breaking the surface, she gasped for air.

This time, it wasn’t an act either.

“You were bragging to me earlier about how much your swimming and breath-holding had improved. I’m not so sure about that,” Pei Zhouwu said, rubbing her back to help her catch her breath.

Liu Fuying forced a relaxed smile.

One last time.

She would pretend one last time in front of Pei Zhouwu, feigning a coquettish tone as she said, “Then I’ll have to trouble my husband to teach me properly next time.”

“Alright, I’ll teach you.”

Pei Zhouwu helped her ashore but immediately stepped away. Following his gaze, Liu Fuying noticed two sets of clothes hanging from a tree branch in the nearby woods.

They were her clothes.

He retrieved the garments and picked up a cloth bundle that had been weighed down with a stone beneath the tree.

Returning to Liu Fuying, he knelt and unwrapped the wet bundle he had placed on the ground earlier.

“After you fell asleep last night, I brought these two outfits out here. I thought hanging them overnight would dry them. Change into this one—it’s not good to travel in wet clothes. Keep the other set with you; it should be enough for the next few days. I’ll take the wet one back to dry.”

As he spoke, he also took out the food from the wet bundle.

The food had been freshly delivered that morning, wrapped in leftover oiled paper to keep it dry.

After carefully checking everything, he packed it all into the dry cloth bundle.

Looking up, he noticed Liu Fuying’s dazed expression and frowned.

“A Ying, are you feeling unwell again?” he asked, quickly standing up.

“No, not at all,” Liu Fuying shook her head, overwhelmed with emotion. “I was just thinking… how could you be so thoughtful and considerate?”

He had planned everything so meticulously.

He had quietly done so much, and she hadn’t noticed any of it.

Pei Zhouwu took her hand, noticing it was cold, and gently rubbed it to warm her up.

“You are my Madam, the one I cherish most. Of course, I must make careful and thorough arrangements for you.”

He led Liu Fuying behind a large rock by the shore.

“Change your clothes here. There’s no one in the woods, but I’ll keep watch for you anyway.”

He turned around, but Liu Fuying lingered for a long time, holding the clothes.

Finally, after she changed, Pei Zhouwu hung the wrapped bundle over her shoulder and couldn’t help but start to fuss.

“Be careful on the road. Don’t take shortcuts through steep or difficult paths just to save time. If you get tired along the way, make sure to rest properly before continuing. Try to walk in shaded areas—the sun is still strong, so be careful not to get heatstroke.”

“Your swimming skills seem to have regressed again. On the day you return, I’ll wait for you right here, so you don’t run out of breath underwater.”

“And… come back soon.”