Chapter 11: A Massive Misunderstanding

Wen Wan was never a magnanimous person; she had kept a tally of the time the young captain insulted her, and she hadn't forgotten it.

Taking advantage of the moment the young captain was too stunned to react, she cupped his face in her hands and slowly leaned in once more.

The distance between their lips was but a hair's breadth.

With breath as fragrant as orchids, Wen Wan whispered a bewitching threat, "Now, do you still dare to call me shameless?"

She struck a pose that suggested if Shen Yu dared to say another word, she would dare to kiss him again.

In all his years, whether facing the deceit and treachery of the imperial court or the blood-soaked slaughter of the battlefield, Shen Yu had never once been at a loss.

But at this moment, he was beyond shocked.

"You..."

How could you?

That was what he wanted to say, but the moment he uttered a single syllable, those soft, warm red lips pressed against his again!

He finally understood: this girl was doing it on purpose!

She was clearly trying to take advantage of him.

Shen Yu finally regained his senses. He shoved Wen Wan away and leaped off the bed as if avoiding a venomous snake.

"I have never seen such an unchaste woman!"

Wen Wan slumped on the bed, touching her lips with a lingering sense of satisfaction. "Big brother, don't act like you've suffered when you've clearly benefited. Go out and ask around—other men would kill for such a treat."

That wasn't entirely untrue, but the problem was that the man in question was Shen Yu.

Perhaps he was truly angered; his dark pupils constricted. He stepped forward, gripped Wen Wan’s chin, and forced a pill into her mouth.

Shen Yu sighed, "Though you are a woman of loose morals, you are, after all, a subject of my Duan Dynasty. So, even if I intend to use you, I have never truly harmed you. But now..."

The pill melted the moment it touched her tongue, and Wen Wan felt a wave of bitterness flood her mouth.

She had been afraid of bitter things since she was a child. Her eyes welled up with tears, and she demanded, "What did you feed me?"

Shen Yu replied, "A slow-acting poison. Behave yourself, and I will give you the antidote once the task is complete. Otherwise... bear the consequences yourself."

Wen Wan wasn't heartless, and though she didn't say it aloud, she understood the situation clearly.

The young captain led troops to wipe out bandits, yet treated the kidnapped civilians with kindness. When breaking out of the Northern Desert encirclement, he had risked his life time and again to protect his men.

A man like that could never be a villain.

She was certain that as long as she didn't break the law, he wouldn't truly do anything to her, which was why she grew bolder in defying him.

These past few days, although he wouldn't let her leave the courtyard, he provided her with good food and drink. Just as he said, from beginning to end, he hadn't actually done anything to truly harm her.

Shen Yu’s gaze darkened. "Don't blame me; I don't have the time to play games with you."

With that, Shen Yu pulled open the door and gave a few instructions to Jin Mu.

Before leaving, he glanced back. Wen Wan was staring at him with a pitiful expression, as if using her eyes to accuse him of treachery.

Shen Yu frowned slightly and left only one sentence.

"Take care of yourself."

After Shen Yu left, Jin Mu prepared to escort Wen Wan back to the side courtyard.

Wen Wan sat slumped on the bed, her cheeks puffed out in anger.

Jin Mu hesitated for a long time, unsure if he should even enter the room.

He hadn't taken a wife yet and truly didn't know how to speak to a young lady who was in the middle of a temper tantrum.

Fortunately, Wen Wan didn't wait for him to invite her; she climbed off the bed on her own.

"Let's go, back we go."

Wen Wan walked past Jin Mu as if nothing had happened, taking the lead.

Jin Mu was startled, then quickly followed.

As for what had happened between the General and Wen Wan, Jin Mu didn't dare to ask.

*

Unfortunately, even if he didn't ask, someone else couldn't help but bring it up.

It was an hour later by the time Jin Mu returned to the General's mansion after dropping Wen Wan off.

He was exhausted after a busy day. He yawned, preparing to return to his room to rest.

Before he could even push his door open, a figure appeared abruptly at the end of the corridor.

Jin Mu was genuinely startled and instinctively reached for his sword.

"It's me."

Shen Yu slowly emerged from the shadows. He wore only a moon-white robe. His face was expressionless, but his eyes were bright; in the middle of the night, he showed no signs of sleepiness.

"General..." Why were you out here scaring people in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?

Jin Mu was angry but dared not speak.

Shen Yu’s voice was flat. "Did you get her back?"

Jin Mu nodded. "I did. I watched her enter her room with my own eyes."

Shen Yu was silent for a moment before asking, as if nonchalantly, "Did she say anything on the way?"

"Say anything?" Jin Mu thought carefully. "Miss Wan didn't say a word. She was the same as when we went; she slept the whole way back. Sometimes I really envy Miss Wan, she doesn't have trouble sleeping in new places at all..."

Before he could finish, Jin Mu felt a chilling gaze from Shen Yu and shivered, his sleepiness instantly vanishing.

"General, is there anything else you wish to ask?"

Jin Mu braced himself and asked tentatively.

Shen Yu seemed to be struggling with something. After a long while, he said, "If—I mean, if a girl suddenly kissed you, what would you do?"

Jin Mu was stunned, then suddenly exclaimed.

"Miss Wan kissed you again?"

The word "again" was very insightful.

It was as if he were reminding Shen Yu that this wasn't the first time such a thing had happened.

Shen Yu’s face darkened. "I am asking you!"

"Oh," Jin Mu stifled a laugh. "If Miss Wan kissed me... what could I do? She's a young lady, I can't hit her or scold her. If that's what she wants to do, I'd just let her, right?"

Shen Yu: "..."

Clearly, Jin Mu’s answer did not satisfy Shen Yu at all.

Shen Yu snorted coldly, shot Jin Mu a glare, and turned to walk away without another word.

Once Shen Yu was far away, Jin Mu couldn't hold back his laughter.

Just as he started to smile, Shen Yu returned, catching him in the act.

Shen Yu frowned and ordered, "Send her a hundred taels of silver tomorrow, and remove the guards at the gate."

He paused, then added, "By the way, for mocking the General behind his back, your salary is docked for one month."

Upon hearing this, Jin Mu no longer wanted to laugh; he only wanted to cry.

*

Early the next morning, Wen Wan received the hundred taels of silver from Jin Mu.

With the money in hand, she immediately took Shen Zhou out for a stroll.

Since she was already poisoned, she had to cherish every day. Enjoying life to the fullest was the only way to make this trip worthwhile.

Although Shen Zhou wasn't very old, he had grown up in the border town and knew it well.

Under his recommendation, Wen Wan ate her way from the East Street to the West Street. Her mouth barely stopped moving all day.

She didn't know what she had eaten that didn't agree with her, but by evening, her stomach was churning, and she was overcome by waves of dry heaving.

The mute old woman lived next door to Wen Wan. Hearing the commotion, she brought a candle over to check on her.

When she saw Wen Wan clutching a spittoon and dry heaving, the old woman’s eyes lit up, and she suddenly burst into tears of joy.

Wen Wan looked up, dazed, and suddenly realized what the old woman had misunderstood.

"Hey, no, it's not what you think..."

Unfortunately, the old woman couldn't understand her.

The woman, who was over fifty, moved with surprising agility as she ran next door to wake Shen Zhou.

It was unclear how she gestured to him, but Shen Zhou ran out while still putting on his clothes.

Wen Wan: "..."

In the middle of the night, surely Shen Zhou wasn't going to tell the young captain that she was pregnant, right?