After I traveled through the book, I fought back in the Hou Mansion

Chapter 196 Love

Chapter 196

She closed her eyes, her thoughts swirling freely like willow catkins in spring. At this moment, the door creaked open, breaking the silence in the room.

Ye Yunzhou walked into the house steadily, carrying a basin of boiled hot water. He gently placed the basin in front of the bed, and then closed the door with his backhand. His movements were quick and almost silent.

He glanced up at the bed and saw her eyes were closed, her thick lashes casting a small shadow on her eyelids. He was startled for a moment, then sighed softly. He assumed she was extremely sleepy and had fallen asleep, so he didn't say anything to disturb her. He leaned over, his slender fingers expertly dipping the cloth into the hot water. Once the cloth was soaked and softened, he slowly lifted it out and carefully wrung it out, his movements so gentle he wouldn't disturb her.

Leaning closer to the bed, Ye Yunzhou carefully wiped her face with a warm cloth, wiping away the light sweat and fatigue from her cheeks. Then, he took her hand and meticulously wiped each finger. When he was done, he returned the handkerchief to the basin. Finally, his gaze rested on the woman on the bed, seemingly asleep but actually pretending. He paused for a moment, a faint, almost imperceptible smile playing at the corner of his mouth. If someone he knew saw him at this moment, they would surely think he was an imposter, for that smile was too gentle, a stark contrast to his usual demeanor.

Then he picked up the basin and turned to leave the room.

"and many more."

Luo Shuiyao had her eyes tightly shut, but when she heard someone enter, she panicked. Unable to decide how to respond, she decided not to open her eyes and look at him. But his gentle, caring gestures, like the warm spring sun, seeped into her heart. How could she truly remain indifferent? After much deliberation, she finally couldn't contain herself and called out to him as he was about to leave.

"you're awake."

Ye Yunzhou didn't look surprised at all. When he heard her call, he paused and placed the wooden basin steadily aside. Then he strode to the bedside, his eyes full of tenderness as he stared at her quietly.

Luo Shuiyao stared at him for a long moment, but ultimately, her composure was less than his, and she was the first to give in. She braced herself on the bed, trying to move and sit up. Seeing this, Ye Yunzhou quickly reached out to support her. Once she was seated, Ye Yunzhou even tugged at the corners of the quilt, carefully tucking them behind her to make her more comfortable.

"You sit here."

After Luo Shuiyao sat down, she gestured with her chin. Ye Yunzhou obediently sat on the edge of the bed, his tone still gentle: "But is there something you want to tell me?"

Luo Shuiyao looked at him and said bluntly, "I have something to tell you."

Then, without beating around the bush, he asked directly, "You said you like me, how much do you like me?"

Ye Yunzhou stared at her for a long moment with his dark eyes, then spoke slowly, "I don't know how to express this to you, but I do know that I want to share life and death with you. I hope to be with you for the rest of my life, and I only wish to have children with you. I will share your worries and joys. I wonder if this truly means I like you."

Luo Shuiyao looked into his eyes and naturally saw the sincerity in them. She suddenly smiled and said frankly, "I like you, too."

As soon as she said this, looking at the man in front of her who had been looking at her tenderly, she seemed to feel a little uneasy again.

Ye Yunzhou was stunned for a moment, but that momentary daze lasted only a split second. Then, a smile suddenly appeared in his eyes, so strong that it seemed to overflow, and the curve of his mouth became wider and wider, as if he could not suppress the overflowing joy.

Seeing him like this, the uneasiness that had just risen in Luo Shuiyao's heart slowly subsided.

Ye Yunzhou leaned forward and gently grasped her hand, which was lying outside. He then leaned even closer, meeting her gaze with a restrained yet incredibly gentle gaze. "I'm glad you like me. I don't know what you're worried about, but you have to trust me. I believe I will never let you down."

The man's pressure was so strong that Luo Shuiyao unconsciously leaned back slightly, but he mistook this for an invitation. The feeling of their previous lovemaking was still lingering in his mind, and he barely hesitated before suddenly kissing her.

"No...don't..." Luo Shuiyao supported his chest with her hands and turned her head slightly to avoid him. His breath, so hot that it seemed to burn her, sprayed on her cheek. "I haven't finished what I said yet."

Ye Yunzhou rested his forehead against her shoulder, one hand tightly around her waist, and the other holding her hand, preventing her from retreating. His voice came muffled: "You talk, I listen."

Luo Shuiyao felt the burning heat of the person beside her, gritted her teeth and said, "I can spend some time with you, but you have to promise me not to tell your parents, not to tell anyone else, and not to force me to marry you. Can you do that?"

She felt the person next to her pause slightly after she finished speaking, but did not stand up. Instead, he continued to ask, "Anything else?"

Luo Shuiyao couldn't understand why he was so calm, so she tilted her head slightly to look at the man buried in her neck, but she couldn't see the expression on his face clearly. She had no choice but to continue, "Let's spend some time together. I need to see how you perform. If you are qualified to be my husband, I will consider staying with you forever. But as I said before, your request to marry my father still counts. If you can't do it, there's no need to force it."

She admitted that she did have some intentions of making things difficult for him, but this was also something she really wanted to clarify. Although the Marquis's wife treated her well now, once her status changed and she became her daughter-in-law, what would the situation be like then? Who could say for sure?

Having read the original novel, she knew the Marquis' wife had never been a kind and compassionate person. If she truly had, she wouldn't have allowed the original owner to act so recklessly and ignorantly, nor would she have let the original owner encounter so many obstacles in Kyoto and ultimately end up in such a miserable state. If she truly cared, she would have taught the original owner with care. The original owner wasn't born without shame. She came from a humble background, suddenly rich, and before she had time to adapt to her new identity and life, she was constantly oppressed by others. This double dilemma overwhelmed the original owner, her mind gradually twisted, and she ultimately fell into such a dire situation.

She didn't dare to easily gamble on whether a man was truly kind. The battlefield for women in ancient times was the inner courtyard; the slightest misstep would land them in a quagmire. Look at that late concubine. If she hadn't been involved in a private struggle in the inner courtyard, how could she have committed such an affair in the heavily guarded Marquis's mansion?

If someone said that this matter had nothing to do with the Marquis's wife, she would not believe it at all.