The Slender Waist-Chapter 642 - 463 Sleepless Night

Feng Yun took the opportunity when Pei Jue went out to practice martial arts to call Xiaoman to her side.

"Zuo Zhong has agreed to the marriage proposal, what do you think?"

"Mistress..." Xiaoman suddenly looked up, her gaze falling on the seated Feng Yun, her delicate eyebrows slightly knitting together.

"Is the person Big Brother Zuo likes, by any chance, Jin Shuang?"

Feng Yun chuckled softly, her voice gentle, "Jiu You likes her."

Xiaoman hesitated for a moment, and then said hesitantly, "This servant is very confused, not knowing what to do..."

As she spoke, she bowed deeply to Feng Yun and refused to rise.

"Mistress is like a second set of parents to this servant, I will listen to whatever Mistress says."

Feng Yun silently watched Xiaoman for a long while without speaking.

The reason she was concerned about Xiaoman was not that she enjoyed it, but because Xiaoman was, after all, different from others to her...

Xiaoman was an honest person.

In her past life, it was Xiaoman who had bravely charged into Jiafu Hall with Daman, saving her in front of Li Sangruo without a moment’s hesitation.

It was also because of her own inability to protect Xiaoman that led to her being beaten to death by Li Sangruo...

Even in rebirth, there remained regrets that she wanted to make up for...

Xiaoman was one of them.

"Rise," Feng Yun said as she helped Xiaoman to her feet and motioned for her to sit beside her, then asked slowly, "Did you overhear Zuo Zhong’s words?"

With her head lowered and her face flushed with shame, Xiaoman said, "This servant has sinned, I should not have eavesdropped..."

Feng Yun’s lips pursed slightly, her clear voice tender and slow.

"I guess you must be extremely heartbroken. What sister? Who wants to be his sister, right?"

Xiaoman’s face became so red it was as if it could bleed, and she hung her head even lower.

Feng Yun looked at her from the side, "But Xiaoman, it is extremely hard to achieve perfection in the affairs of the heart. No matter whom you marry, there will be grievances. If you take it to heart, you will easily get hurt..."

Xiaoman slowly raised her head to look at her.

"Is Mistress suggesting that I should marry him?"

Feng Yun smiled faintly, "I am not making the decision for you. Whether or not you want to marry Zuo Zhong, you can consider three points. First, what kind of person he is, what his temperament is like, and whether he is a man worthy of your trust. Second, whether you want to marry him, and if marrying him would make things difficult for yourself. Third, in his presence, whether you can become a better Xiaoman."

Xiaoman was stunned.

Caught up in her emotions, she had never considered these points.

Under Feng Yun’s gaze, she thought it over carefully.

Zuo Zhong’s character and temperament were naturally good.

He might look stern and rough, but in reality, he was cautious and meticulous, and he was also responsible.

She truly did want to marry him.

As for the third point...

She hadn’t liked reading or writing before, but because of Zuo Zhong, she had earnestly started learning characters and mathematics with the teacher, following the mistress in learning embroidery...

Having practiced martial arts with the Feng Family’s troops since she was young, she had the basics. Sometimes at Changmen, she would intentionally or unintentionally seek Zuo Zhong’s advice, and he would impart his knowledge attentively, never neglecting her because she was a woman...

"He’s a good man. But..." Xiaoman looked at Feng Yun.

"If his heart belongs to another, wouldn’t I be taking advantage of Mistress’s favor to meddle in his affairs and ruin his marital prospects?"

Feng Yun thought for a moment, "He has no other in his heart. If there must be one, it is surely the Prince."

Leaning back on the cushion, she spoke carelessly, yet Xiaoman was so taken aback that she burst into giggles.

"Mistress, you must be joking, aren’t you?"

Feng Yun also laughed along with her, "It’s not exactly a joke; Zuo Zhong only has eyes for the Prince."

She added, "It’s Jiu You who likes Jin Shuang."

Xiaoman hadn’t paid much attention to Jiu You.

Jiu You was usually a warm and cheerful person; she hadn’t even noticed this point...

"Then, is Mistress planning to marry Jin Shuang to guard Jiu You?"

Feng Yun shook her head, "Jin Shuang has lost both parents and is in mourning, how could she be betrothed or wed during this time."

Xiaoman realized this too and nodded, "They are also pitiable. Every time I see them, I think of Daman and me, and the hardships we went through those years..."

Feng Yun asked, "You like Zuo Zhong so much, do you not resent her?"

Xiaoman pursed her lips.

After hesitating for a moment, she shook her head vigorously.

"It was a misunderstanding; Big Brother Zuo was only trying to save her. Jin Shuang told me so herself, she was afraid I would misunderstand, and she kept apologizing..."

She lowered her head.

"If I were to resent her for this, I’d be the narrow-minded Xiaoman, so annoying..."

Feng Yun smiled and did not say much more.

Whether Jin Shuang and Pin Shuang were good people or not, it was up to Xiaoman to come to her own understanding.

One must walk into the south wall themselves, and only after a bloody setback will they learn their lesson.

When Pei Jue returned with the Biyong Sword, the young crocodile had also stealthily slipped into the tent, lying on the ground next to Feng Yun for warmth.

Feng Yun hugged him with a smile, "Where have you been wandering off to?"

She asked Xiaoman to bring some hot water and smiled as she wiped the young crocodile’s body and mouth.

"What is this?" she suddenly paused, grabbing the crocodile’s mouth.

Xiaoman leaned over to look.

Gently, Feng Yun plucked a broken thread from the space between the young crocodile’s teeth...

She paused, taken aback.

This matches what Jiu You and Zuo Zhong said...

Could she have really misunderstood Jin Shuang?

Jin Shuang, with her clothing disheveled, fainted in the grass—was it because she was attacked by an aoyu?

Everything made sense.

But an aoyu would never attack someone without cause.

"Little one..." Feng Yun cradled the aoyu’s face, "Why did you pounce on that pretty lady?"

The aoyu stared with its round, glistening eyes, tilting its head as if pondering the meaning of Feng Yun’s words.

Then, it raised its fuzzy paw, placing it on the back of Feng Yun’s hand, and nuzzled her head against her, docile like a child seeking affection.

Feng Yun stroked its back fur, then slowly picked up a few wisps of hair on its ear, "You’ve stumped your sister."

-

Who knows how many people couldn’t sleep in the camp that night.

While Feng Yun and Pei Jue went to bed, Zuo Zhong was still standing guard in the outer tent.

As always, he was diligent in his duty, neither too little nor too much, but rarely made mistakes.

Yet that day, he stood behind the large tent with a sword, gazing at the distant moon in the sky, until the aroma of wine brought him back to his senses.

"What are you thinking about?" It was Jiu You, looking at him with a smirk and lifting a wine jug, "I called you twice and you didn’t respond."

Zuo Zhong frowned and brushed away the wine jug, "Wasn’t thinking about anything."

Jiu You let out a low chuckle, "Is it about the Princess wanting to arrange a marriage for you?" 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Jiu You sat down beside him, pulled the cork from the jug, took a sip, "Xiaoman is such a lovely girl, what is there not to be satisfied with?"

Zuo Zhong glanced at him, uninterested.

Jiu You played with the wine jug, watching him for a moment, "If it’s not Xiaoman, and it’s not Jin Shuang or Pin Shuang, then who is in your heart?"

Zuo Zhong’s eyelid twitched slightly as he deepened his voice, "There’s no one in my heart."

"Tsk, still lying." Jiu You glanced at him, "You can deceive others, but not me. If you didn’t have something on your mind, why would you hesitate over the marriage... It makes no sense, everyone should get married. Xiaoman is so nice..."

Zuo Zhong pursed his lips, suddenly snatched the wine jug from his hand, tilted his head back, and gulped down fiercely.

Not till the jug was empty did he toss it back to him.

"Get lost."

Jiu You got up, turned to fix his gaze into his eyes.

"You couldn’t really be a cut sleeve, could you?"

Zuo Zhong’s eyes turned icy as he stared him down, "Are you leaving or not?"

Jiu You raised his hands in surrender. Seeing that Zuo Zhong was pacified, he turned his head away.

Unexpectedly, Jiu You suddenly moved close to Zuo Zhong’s ear and in a voice so faint it could hardly be lighter, he whispered three words.

"It’s the Princess..."

Zuo Zhong jerked around, a momentary panic in his eyes; he then covered Jiu You’s mouth, pushing him a few steps back until he could barely steady himself.

"Jiu You." Zuo Zhong’s eyes were wolf-like, intense and cold, "I warn you, do not speak nonsense. Otherwise, I may regard you as a brother, but my sword will not."

Jiu You was shocked by his gaze, nodding hard.

Zuo Zhong released his mouth, lowering his gaze.

"Some jokes shouldn’t be made."

Of course, Jiu You knew the gravity of the matter; such words he would never repeat in front of others.

His action just now was simply to test Zuo Zhong...

But he hadn’t expected such an extreme reaction from him...

An overreaction far beyond the fear of being overheard.

"Do as you please." Jiu You sighed languidly, being quite frank in front of Zuo Zhong, "As long as you don’t snatch Jin Shuang, marry whoever you want. I couldn’t care less."

Only then did Zuo Zhong seriously consider him.

"Our marriages depend on the will of the Princess."

"I know," Jiu You said, "Once her mourning period is over, I will naturally ask the Princess for her gracious permission."

Zuo Zhong’s face became stern, "Since you have such intentions, you should restrain yourself and keep your distance from Pin Shuang."

Upon hearing this, Jiu You cried foul, "I have no ulterior motives toward Pin Shuang. Taking care of her a bit is only because she’s Jin Shuang’s sister..."

Seeing Zuo Zhong’s staring, he awkwardly grinned.

"The sisters look so alike, and Pin Shuang’s smile is too similar to Jin Shuang’s. I might get distracted occasionally, but my heart knows the difference..."

Zuo Zhong said no more, straightening his back and adjusting his light armor.

"Go back and rest."

"I’ll sit with you for a while longer," said Jiu You.

Under the night sky, two tall figures were cast in a shallow halo by the moonlight.

Xiaoman sat inside the carriage, watching, and gradually pulled the curtain down.

She couldn’t hear what they were saying...

But as she looked at Zuo Zhong, she suddenly felt that the Princess was right.

If he had no one else in his heart, better to be a sister than an outsider.

A sister is always closer than a stranger...

As long as he is a good man, feelings can always develop...

Xiaoman didn’t sleep well all night, tossing and turning. When Feng Yun woke up, she kneeled down in front of her and gave a bow.

"My lady, I have made up my mind. I am willing."