The temperature dropped at night, and the two slept on straw mats. Ren Yingying still felt the chill creeping up from under her body, seeping into her bones.
"Are you cold?" Qu Nian was also awake.
"I'm not cold," Ren Yingying said, shivering, completely wide awake.
She hasn't been sleeping well at night these past few days.
Although I was extremely tired, I was always half asleep and half awake, sometimes thinking about the Dog Meat from before, and sometimes fantasizing about reuniting with the Dog Meat.
Qu Nian was a light sleeper, and he would wake up as soon as she turned over, leaving Ren Yingying lying there too afraid to move.
--Qu Nian has already worked extremely hard during the day; he deserves a good rest.
"Why are you shivering if you're not cold?" Qu Nian sat up irritably. "Get up."
What are you doing?
"Anyway, it wasn't that I was being indecent towards you."
Ren Yingying felt a little embarrassed after he said that.
Qu Nian wasn't like this before; he was unreliable in every way and liked to take advantage of others.
But now, he's incredibly serious.
Ren Yingying sat up, still wrapped in the blanket.
"Get out of the way," Qu Nian said irritably.
Ren Yingying had no choice but to put on her shoes and stand to the side.
Qu Nian brought his quilt and spread it on Ren Yingying's straw mat. "Go to sleep."
"That won't do..."
Each person received one blanket; there were no extras.
In such frigid weather, being frozen for a night can be fatal.
"I'm not sleeping," Qu Nian said. "I just took a nap, and I'm going out to look around now. You go to sleep first, and I'll ask you for a blanket when I get back."
After saying that, he turned to leave.
Then, the sleeve was pulled.
Qu Nian said gruffly, "What are you still arguing about? What are you arguing about when you're trembling like that! Lie down! Get a good night's sleep so you can continue looking for Dog Meat tomorrow."
"Don't go," Ren Yingying said. "Drag your straw mat over here, let's sleep together, there'll be more room."
Qu Nian: "..."
In all honesty, he never thought of that.
He just couldn't bear to see her shivering from the cold.
"No need," Qu Nian refused with difficulty.
If he agrees, what kind of person would he be? Would he be doing justice to his own pure heart?
Damn, it's so hard!
Two little devils are fighting inside my head.
One person said, "You're husband and wife, what's wrong with sleeping together?"
Another person said, "What's the difference between you and an animal doing this?"
"Come here and sleep!" This time, it was Ren Yingying who was forceful.
Qu Nian: This is what you need from me!
So Qu Nian quickly pulled his straw mat over and put it next to hers, then spread out the quilt and crawled into Ren Yingying's bed.
The series of movements were so fluid and graceful that Ren Yingying was dumbfounded.
Especially the last action of getting into bed, it felt like he had done it countless times...
This strange, eerie sense of familiarity is really something I shouldn't be feeling.
Ren Yingying blushed slightly and shook her head, forcing herself to dismiss this strange thought.
They need to conserve their energy so they can continue their search for Dog Meat tomorrow.
But after Qu Nian crawled into bed, he burrowed under the covers, resting his head on Ren Yingying's shoulder and placing his hand on her body.
Ren Yingying: "..."
So, Qu Nian likes this kind of petite, dependent behavior?
She had expected him to hug her like he did during the day, but she was wrong...
So this is the kind of man you are.
OK.
But Qu Nian herself felt something was wrong.
He's made an empiricist mistake!
He's treating himself like a dog!
That won't do.
So Qu Nian cleared his throat, pretended nothing had happened, and slowly rubbed himself up from below.
He slid up to her, then put his arm around Ren Yingying shoulder. "Sleep."
The two slept facing each other, able to feel the warmth of each other's breath.
Actually, everyone's heart was pounding like a drum.
To calm Ren Yingying down, Qu Nian gently patted her back, "Sleep, go to sleep."
He may not have eaten pork, but he's seen pigs run!
Didn't the Prince of Jin hold his child like this before?
He studied it very carefully.
Ren Yingying closed her eyes.
But after a while, she couldn't help but say, "Why don't you stop taking pictures?"
She's not used to it...
Although the warmth emanating from him made her feel comfortable, she really couldn't fall asleep.
But she didn't dare turn around.
If they turned around, their posture would be even more awkward, with their bodies pressed together.
Qu Nian: "..."
He stopped awkwardly, but still held her, saying, "Go to sleep!"
Ren Yingying adjusted her position in his arms and unknowingly fell into a deep sleep.
Qu Nian, however, felt that it was both sweet and agonizing.
The reasons for the torment are self-evident; everyone understands.
Oh, Dog Meat, Dog Meat, can you please come back soon?
Dog Meat returned safely, the family was reunited, and the distance between him and Ren Yingying, who had already grown closer, would not widen any further.
Wouldn't it be a natural progression to consummate the marriage and have a son?
Dog Meat, you better take good care of your father!
When Ren Yingying woke up, Qu Nian was no longer in the tent.
This was the only night she had slept well in a long time.
She rubbed her eyes, slowly sat up, and called out, "Qu Nian?"
The voice that answered her was that of a guard.
"Your Highness, you're awake. I'll go get you some water to wash up right away."
"Wait," Ren Yingying suddenly sensed something was wrong and asked in a low voice, "Where is the young master?"
"The young master went to find Dog Meat, saying that you should rest today and wait for him to return."
Ren Yingying hugged her knees and didn't say anything.
The guard added, "The young master said he ordered a few of us to keep an eye on you today. If you're allowed to leave the tent, you'll be dealt with according to military law!"
This tyrant.
Although she harbored resentment, Ren Yingying did not make things difficult for the guard.
She didn't go out; instead, she stood by the tent, gazing at the snow-covered mountains, silently clasping her hands together.
At the last minute, I desperately hope that all the gods in heaven will have mercy on me.
She didn't seek wealth or fame, only that the Dog Meat would return; what did it matter if she had to eat coarse food and wild vegetables?
"Your Highness, Your Highness... you're injured."
When Ren Yingying heard the guards panting heavily, her heart felt like it had fallen into an ice cave.
"How badly are you injured? Where were you injured?"
"No, no, it's not that the young master is injured." The guard stumbled over, falling several times and looking quite disheveled.
It's good that Qu Nian wasn't injured.
Ren Yingying had just breathed a sigh of relief when she heard the guard say, "Yes, it's Dog Meat who's injured. The young master has found Dog Meat..."
The Dog Meat has been found?
Even though she was injured, Ren Yingying felt as if all the dark clouds in the sky had dissipated upon hearing the news.
"Where is the young master? Where is the Dog Meat?" she exclaimed excitedly, jumping up and down.
After so many days of hardship and perseverance, the clouds have finally parted Jianyue is shining.
Why haven't you come back yet?
Could it be that the Dog Meat was seriously injured?
Ren Yingying suddenly lost her joy.
"The Dog Meat refuses to come back." The guard finally caught his breath. "The prince wants you to go and bring it back."
Ren Yingying:???
Although she was very puzzled, she still followed the guards to find Qu Nian and Dog Meat.