Exile after Divorce? Empty the Scumbag Husband First!-Chapter 203 - 200: But at This Moment, She Clearly Felt Something Had Changed in Her Heart
Xie Huai’an saw this and immediately changed direction, guiding the horse towards a place with shelter.
He found a spot under a mountain rock, where they could temporarily take refuge.
The rain was getting heavier, blurring the vision, and the three little donkeys were thoroughly drenched, looking quite pitiful.
Before Ruan Mian could act, Xie Huai’an decisively took off his cloak and put it on her, then, without hesitation, unloaded the goods from the donkeys under the rock.
He didn’t care at all about getting himself soaked through.
Seeing this, Ruan Mian immediately stepped forward to help, but he held her hand down: "I’ll do it, you don’t catch a cold, sit over there and wait for me."
She wanted to say something, but Xie Huai’an didn’t give her the chance, and he unloaded everything on his own, then arranged the donkeys in a row.
Watching him busy with everything, yet not letting her get even a drop of rain, Ruan Mian’s heart felt like boiling water.
Earlier, she only thought Lord Song was a good person. In the original book, he was the undisputed male lead, fighting against Prince Huai’s faction with his own strength.
Unfortunately, she hadn’t read the later parts of the book, so she didn’t know how the story ended.
Even though they interacted after arriving in Wuheng, Ruan Mian didn’t develop any extra feelings for him.
But at this moment, she clearly felt her heart was different.
Thinking that one day he would leave here, leave her, a somewhat uncontrollable feeling of reluctance arose in her heart.
Seeing him soaked all over, she quickly took off her cloak and fetched a set of clean clothes from the basket and handed it to him.
"I’ll go start a fire, we won’t be able to leave for a while. Fortunately, this rock is big enough."
Otherwise, they would all become drenched chickens.
Xie Huai’an took the clothes, and without any hesitation, turned his back and changed into clean clothes.
Ruan Mian accidentally caught a glimpse of his strong, even lines, and her heart skipped a beat, her face flushing hot immediately.
She bowed her head, picking up branches and scrap wood under the rock, and when Xie Huai’an wasn’t paying attention, took some firewood from her space.
Once the flame rose, she placed Xie Huai’an’s wet clothes on a nearby rock to dry.
The rain curtain poured down heavily, obscuring the road ahead.
Thinking about it, Ruan Mian couldn’t help but ask him, "Sir, when... do you plan to return to Capital City?"
Xie Huai’an met her gaze and teased lightly, "Feeling eager to send me away so soon?"
"Not at all."
Ruan Mian laughed, "That’s not what I mean, I just want to be mentally prepared."
Instead of him leaving suddenly. Hearing this, Xie Huai’an teased her again, "Seems like Mianmian can’t bear to part with me."
Ruan Mian paused, unable to argue with him, "Whatever you say, sir."
Seeing her give up so quickly, Xie Huai’an stopped teasing her, saying calmly.
"Not so soon, I’ve been demoted here, once Wuheng stabilizes, I will return to Longchang Post Station to be the station master."
"Back to Longchang Post Station?"
"That’s right, it’s not far from the valley, Mianmian has your own mount, going back and forth won’t take long, we can still see each other often, but it will trouble you to make the trips, are you willing?"
Upon hearing this, Ruan Mian was stunned for a moment, evidently surprised that he knew she had a personal mount! When did he see it?
But before she could ask, Xie Huai’an seemed to guess her thoughts and laughed.
"Mianmian doesn’t like me asking too much, so I won’t ask anything more. Wait until you want to tell me, it’s not too late."
He showed an understanding smile, his well-defined features soft under the firelight.
Ruan Mian smiled sincerely, feeling grateful from the heart.
He turned to pick up the basket, inspecting the two baskets of silk cocoons collected inside, looking somewhat worried: "It seems some are still wet, will it affect them?"
Ruan Mian comforted him with a shake of her head, "No, it won’t affect them."
Even if they were completely wet, she had a way to handle it, but she felt bad seeing him wet and catching cold.
The clothes they brought weren’t thick, Ruan Mian worried he would catch a cold, so she pulled him close to the fire pit under the rock and sat next to him.
Xie Huai’an was somewhat surprised, feeling her body warmth and carefully clasped her hand. The gradually rising temperature seemed to flow through the blood all over his body.
At this moment, even the sound of her heartbeat couldn’t be masked by the pouring rain outside.
The two leaned on each other throughout the night, unaware of when the rain stopped, only waking up the next morning.
Sunlight spilled across the sky, dazzling her to the point where she couldn’t open her eyes.
"Awake?" Ruan Mian hadn’t fully woken up, when he had already led her out from under the rock.
"Waking up at the right time, take a look."
Before her lay a vast expanse of morning glow, washed by the overnight storm, the entire sky became exceedingly clear.
And the layers of morning glow, under the golden morning sun, shimmered brightly like jumping golden lights.
The sky and the earth seemed to merge into this breathtaking painting.
Ruan Mian felt her heart open up, a feeling difficult to describe emerged from the bottom of her heart.
Xie Huai’an’s tall figure stood, hands behind his back, beside her, like a steadfast Qingsong.
At this moment, the gracious gentleman with a stern sense of justice in the book materialized.
Losing herself in thought, it was the braying of the donkey that interrupted her.
Turning her head, she saw the donkey had escaped the basket and ran out from under the rock.
But instead of running away, it ran in front of them, wagging its tail while jumping in excitement, as if shrieking for the rare morning glow.
...
Returning to the familiar valley took several hours.
Having been to Tunan City for half a month, the crops in the valley seemed more lush, and the flower garden outside the house was neatly arranged by Mrs. Zhang.
Not to mention the cornfield next to it, the corn stalks had already grown taller than a person.
Mrs. Zhang was rolling up her sleeves, fertilizing the cornfield, her hair neatly wrapped in cloth strips. She was the lady who didn’t dirty her hands with spring water before the exile.
Now she had joined the ranks of the farm women, but fortunately she never complained, even feeling this lifestyle was what she had been yearning for.
Finding her value, having something to do every day, taking care of each other as a family, always together, this consequence of exile turned out to be a blessing in disguise!
At this moment, Ruan Mian called out "Mother," and Mrs. Zhang looked over, seeing the couple returning, rushing to their side, her emotions so intense that tears welled up in her eyes.
"Mianmian! Huaian, you’ve finally returned!!"
She had been worrying every day, unable to sleep soundly.
Now seeing them safe and sound, the stone weighing down her heart could finally be set aside!
