Chapter 12: Hidden Feelings Emerge

The cotton bandage on her forehead had just been changed, appearing hazy under the moonlight, giving her entire person a sickly appearance.

The cheek under his fingertips was warm. Meng Jun gazed at her intently for a long while, making sure she was sound asleep before moving closer.

He picked up the medicine placed by the pillow and gently unscrewed the lid.

Earlier, when applying medicine to her back, Meng Jun had wanted to treat the small cuts on her hands as well. But Li Ruantang had been careless, insisting that women weren’t so delicate and those minor wounds didn’t need medication.

The young man let out a low hum, gripping her wrist and placing it on his knee, carefully applying the medicine several times.

Who said small wounds didn’t need medication? He had heard that the young man previously engaged to Wei elder sister had accidentally stepped on a rusty nail, developed a high fever for several days, and finally wasted away.

Though he didn’t understand medical principles, he knew that no wound was insignificant.

After applying the medicine, the young man held Li Ruantang’s hand, carefully examining it several times in the moonlight. She had cut her hand while picking flowers, but there wasn’t a single thorn on the flower crown she had given him.

Actually, she was quite attentive.

Meng Jun’s eyes curved in a smile, feeling indebted after all. The young man puffed out his cheeks, gently blowing on her wounds, considering it a reciprocal gesture.

Having done all this, he finally lay back on the pillow, satisfied. Before long, just like last night, he drowsily rolled into Li Ruantang’s embrace.

The small village quieted down as night fell, with occasional dog barks quickly dispersing in the cold air.

Li Ruantang, who had just been “asleep”, her long eyelashes trembling slightly, opened a small gap. Chiu Chiu, nestled in her arms and sound asleep, must have been having a sweet dream, his eyes curved in happiness.

Li Ruantang merely moved her arm slightly, and the young man immediately clung to her again, only feeling secure when nestled in her embrace.

“Silly Chiu Chiu.”

Li Ruantang’s lips curled in a light smile, finally not as stiff as last night. Her raised hand still carried a faint scent of medicine. Her ear tips slightly red, she gently placed her hand on the young man’s back, encircling him in her arms.

This bed unexpectedly became spacious. Even in her dreams, the armful of peach blossoms began to take on substance.

Li Ruantang was accustomed to waking early.

Last night, after hearing about the situation in Changshan Gou from Hu Sanniang, she had the idea of going to see for herself. However, she couldn’t tell her young husband directly, or else he would become anxious, his eyes reddening.

Li Ruantang felt sweetness in her heart as she thought about it. She first carefully tucked in the blanket for Chiu Chiu, and before leaving the room, she turned back to stroke his hair, then quietly walked out.

In the kitchen, Zhou Fulang and Hu Youning were busy. Seeing her come out, Zhou Fulang was startled for a moment, wiped his hands, and greeted her, “Lady Li, you’re injured, how come you’re up so early? Did we disturb you?”

“Not at all,” Li Ruantang smiled faintly. “I’m accustomed to rising early.”

“Then please wait a moment, Lady Li. I’ll go wake up my wife-master right away.” Zhou Fulang brought out a small stool and placed it in the courtyard, inviting Li Ruantang to sit, then turned to the stove and whispered, “Ning’er, keep an eye on the noodles in the pot.”

The morning breeze blew, and though today’s cloud cover wasn’t as thick as yesterday’s, it was still misty and heavy.

The stove fire burned brightly, reflecting a redness on the face of the person by the stove.

Hu Youning had just added water to the pot when he glanced up and met Li Ruantang’s gaze.

“La-Lady Li.” Hu Youning’s throat caught, and his hand gripping the edge of the bowl trembled slightly.

She still wore a faint smile, looking gentle yet distant.

“Good morning, Young Master Hu.”

Li Ruantang noticed Hu Youning’s nervousness, and thinking of Fu Lanxian who had come earlier, she couldn’t help but guess that this young man had been frightened and was somewhat afraid to speak with women.

She quickly turned her face away and said softly, “Today, I have an unreasonable request, which may trouble Young Master Hu again.”

“Lady Li, please just say it.” Hu Youning pursed his lips, secretly glancing outside.

Her complexion was better than yesterday; it seemed that eating more nourishing food was indeed effective.

He thought distractedly as the cool wind swirled, carrying Li Ruantang’s voice, “I haven’t told Chiu Chiu about going to Changshan Gou today.”

Hu Youning saw her upturned lips, different from her smile earlier.

Li Ruantang rubbed her still-numb arm. Her young husband was very clingy, like a little tail. He also tended to overthink and get sad. If he knew, he would probably curl up in a pitiful ball.

“I hope Young Master Hu can take extra care of Chiu Chiu today.” Her eyes curved as she smiled, pausing before adding, “Please keep this matter a secret for now.”

“Rest assured, Lady Li.” Hu Youning understood her meaning.

Gradually, there was movement in the main room. Zhou Fulang came out smiling, inviting Li Ruantang to go in and sit.

As soon as he entered the kitchen, Zhou Fulang noticed something unusual about his son. He reached out and patted Hu Youning’s shoulder, “Ning’er?”

“Father?” Hu Youning came to his senses and quickly asked, “Is Mother up?”

“Mm.” Zhou Fulang stepped forward to scoop the cooked noodles into a bowl. He looked at his son, who was concentrating on washing vegetables, a few times. “Ning’er, tell Father, are you—”

Hu Youning’s hand trembled, “Father, what do you want to say?”

Zhou Fulang sighed, “Were you frightened by yesterday’s events?”

“Don’t be afraid. Your mother has already spoken with Lady Li yesterday, asking her to arrange a good marriage for you after returning to the capital.”

“Then…” Hu Youning lowered his brows, “What did she say?”

Zhou Fulang smiled, “Lady Li is kind-hearted. She said that since you and Young Master Li are acquainted, she’ll take care of this matter.”

“Is that so.”

“Yes, as long as it doesn’t rain these few days, leaving Changshan Gou shouldn’t be a problem.” Zhou Fulang’s eyes were filled with relief. “Once we leave Hu Village, you won’t have to hide from Fu Lanxian anymore, and your mother and I won’t have to worry constantly.”

“Lady Li is truly a benefactor to our Hu family.”

“Father.” Hu Youning bit his lip. “Yesterday, the river in the mountains was rushing rapidly. I’m afraid—”

“Tut, tut, tut, don’t say such inauspicious things.” Zhou Fulang shook his head. “Today your mother will accompany Lady Li to take a look at Changshan Gou. They’ll probably return to the capital in the next couple of days.”

As soon as the hot noodle soup was placed on the table, Hu Sanniang’s face lit up with joy.

Zhou Fulang also prepared some steamed buns and side dishes for the two. By the time they left, the young man was still sleeping sweetly in bed.

Li Ruantang glanced at the tightly closed doors and windows, her gaze immediately softening.

Hu Sanniang, being an experienced person, could easily discern her feelings. Along the way, she shared all the tricks she had used when courting Zhou Fulang.

“But,” Li Ruantang remembered how the young man refused to let her see him wearing the flower crown last night, and said with pursed lips, “My husband doesn’t seem to like flower crowns very much.”

“How is that possible? Everyone loves beautiful things.” Hu Sanniang scratched her head in confusion. “I saw Ning’er giving Young Master Li a bronze mirror yesterday.”

Li Ruantang let out a light sigh. She had indeed seen the bronze mirror.

Hu Sanniang pondered for a moment, then lowered her voice, “Then when Lady Li gave the flower crown to Young Master Li yesterday, what did he do?”

“He put the flower crown back in the room.”

“…” Hu Sanniang’s eye twitched, feeling like something was missing. “And before that?”

“Before?” Li Ruantang frowned. “I apologized.”

“Wait, Lady Li, are you saying you only gave Young Master Li the flower crown?” Seeing her nod, Hu Sanniang sighed in understanding. “Oh, Lady Li, generally speaking, when giving a flower crown to a husband, you’re supposed to help him wear it for it to be considered formal.”

“You have to put it on?” Li Ruantang’s steps faltered slightly as she recalled the young man’s silence during that period yesterday. Could it be that he was waiting for this?

“Of course.” Hu Sanniang nodded somewhat exasperatedly. As they talked, they were nearing the Changshan Gou area.

“Lady Li, you must stay close in a moment. This mountain was blasted a few times in earlier years. Some places only look solid, but if you’re not careful, you might fall into stone crevices hidden by grass.”

She then handed over a long tree branch. “Take this as a walking stick.”

Li Ruantang didn’t refuse and followed behind Hu Sanniang, carefully stepping into Changshan Gou. But in her heart, she was still thinking about the flower crown placed on her pillow last night.

So it was supposed to be worn.

As she was lost in thought, the young man sleeping in bed gradually furrowed his brows.

He dreamed again of the day he fell off the cliff, but this time the dream was extremely bizarre.

He became a spectator squeezed outside the crowd, unable to make a sound as he watched helplessly as the bull charged towards the cliff.

However, without him, Li Ruantang should have been able to avoid it with her skills. Just as the young man breathed a sigh of relief, he clearly saw the usually gentle Wei elder sister take advantage of the chaos to push Li Ruantang.

Her movement was quick and vicious, shocking Meng Jun to the core. He wanted to rush over and question her, but was firmly blocked by the crowd.

He was anxious and panicked, yet his nose and mouth seemed to be stuffed with cotton, unable to make a sound.

“Mmm mmm mmm.”

The young man struggled desperately, finally breaking through the crowd. But before he could run close, he suddenly fell with a thud, bed and all, onto the earthen kang.

A dull pain spread from his back. Meng Jun opened his eyes groggily, lay on the ground for a moment before remembering where he was.

So it was a dream. He knew Wei elder sister wouldn’t harm someone.

The young man rubbed his eyes, still shaken. But where had Li Ruantang gone?

He first looked around the room, not finding the person he was looking for, then quickly put on his clothes and walked out.

“Chiu Chiu, you’re awake?”

Hu Youning, sitting on a small stool picking vegetables, smiled at him and turned to enter the kitchen. “We’re having noodle soup this morning. Go wash up first, I’ll call you when it’s ready.”

The young man nodded. Those beautiful phoenix eyes glanced at the main room and asked curiously, “Ah Ning, didn’t Third Aunt say she wasn’t going to the fields today?”

She wasn’t there, and Li Ruantang was nowhere to be seen. Meng Jun was puzzled but didn’t ask Hu Youning directly.

“My mother accompanied Lady Li out,” Hu Youning said naturally. “They said they were going to look for some medicinal herbs in the small valley behind.”

“Small valley?” Meng Jun’s eyes lit up. “Are there many medicinal herbs there?”

“This…” Hu Youning hesitated. “I’m not sure, no one in the family recognizes medicinal herbs. But that place is full of greenery and flowers all year round, so Lady Li said she wanted to take a look.”

“You said there are flowers there?”

The young man was clearly interested. The flower crown Li Ruantang gave him yesterday had wilted quite a bit after just one night.

He hadn’t worn it enough yet.

“Mm, you could say it’s a sea of flowers there.” Hu Youning’s lips curved. “If you want to see, I can take you there later.”

After all, Fu Lanxian had fled in such a sorry state, it would be difficult for her to cause trouble again anytime soon.

The two young men hit it off immediately.

The small valley behind the Hu family’s house was, as Hu Youning had said, in full bloom with a myriad of colorful flowers. The young man happily chased butterflies for a while, and was just sitting on a large rock catching his breath when he saw Ah Ning coming over with a bunch of flowers.

He sat down beside the young man, his fingers moving swiftly, and in no time he had woven a flower crown. “Here, for you.”

Meng Jun accepted it with a beaming smile, examining it carefully before enthusiastically praising, “Ah Ning, you’re so skillful. This flower crown is beautifully made!”

“It’s nothing special.” Hu Youning felt a bit embarrassed by the praise. “Yesterday I saw you wearing a flower crown, I suppose it was given by Lady Li?”

“Mm.”

“In our area, if a young man receives a flower crown from a woman, he should give one in return to receive the blessing of the Mountain Goddess, so that they can stay together forever.”

Hu Youning smiled shyly, his gaze falling on the flower crown in Chiu Chiu’s hand. “If you don’t know how to make one, you can use this—”

His unfinished words were interrupted by the young man’s exclamation.

“Oh? There’s such a saying?” Meng Jun was stunned, the tips of his ears turning slightly red. What’s this about staying together forever? They weren’t really wife and husband.

However, learning to weave flower crowns wouldn’t be bad.

At least when he returns to the capital in the future and meets Wei elder sister, he could give her a flower crown too!

The more Meng Jun thought about it, the happier he became. His eyes curved in a smile, “Ah Ning, teach me!”

***

My Clingy Little Husband (Female-dominant)

One-line summary: The male lead is initially an arrogant, noble, love-deprived brat, later a cute, clingy, scheming little jealous one.

Introduction:

One day, Lu Yuner’s soul transmigrates into a female-dominant world. She enters the Imperial Academy and takes up the position of a doctoral instructor, teaching classes and grading schoolwork.

One day, she encounters the young prince Su Qingwan secretly skipping class from the male academy.

As a result, Su Qingwan is punished.

From then on, Su Qingwan sees Lu Yuner as a “thorn in his side”.

But before long, this “thorn” becomes the person he cherishes most, and he goes to great lengths to win Lu Yuner’s affection.

Mini scene 1:

One day, the sun is high in the sky but Su Qingwan still hasn’t gotten up for class.

Servant Xiaoyuan: “Young prince, it’s time for class. You’ll be late otherwise.”

Su Qingwan says arrogantly: “I’m not going. I am the esteemed prince, my status is so noble, why should I suffer this hardship? Besides, isn’t learning all this just to please women? Hmph, they’re not worthy!”

Mini scene 2:

After Su Qingwan falls for someone, he completely changes. He no longer skips class and diligently learns how to be a good husband and father. But he discovers that Sister Yuner is always surrounded by admirers.

Drunk and overcome with jealousy one day, he clings to Lu Yuner, crying beautifully like a pear blossom in the rain.

Su Qingwan: “Qingwan likes Sister Yuner.”

Lu Yuner: “Young prince, you’re drunk.”

Su Qingwan: “Qingwan isn’t drunk. Qingwan likes Sister Yuner, likes you so much, likes you to bits…” Before he can finish, Lu Yuner’s eyes flash with emotion and she leans in closer.

[Reading Guide]

1. The female lead is gentle, gracious, humble and polite but not weak. The male lead is initially an arrogant, noble, love-deprived brat, later a cute, clingy, scheming little jealous one.

2. 1v1, a bit torturous in the beginning but definitely sweet later on.

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