“Uh… ah…” Liu Buqun hesitated. He remembered how he fiercely protected her in his moments of passion, yet his cold demeanor wounded her heart like an iceberg. If not Liu Buqun, then who? He was majestic, valiant, and imposing, handling affairs with composure, every gesture exuding the air of a great general.
Xu Caitong stood up from the riverbank, suddenly feeling dizzy, “Ah,” she cried out as she fell backward. Liu Buqun quickly stepped forward to catch her.
“What’s wrong?”
“My head is spinning,” Xu Caitong said, clinging to Liu Buqun with her eyes closed. Liu Buqun carried her to a nearby bamboo shed, thinking she was exhausted from not resting well all night. Inside the shed, sparse straw covered the ground; Liu Buqun arranged it to make a bed for her. Xu Caitong felt a warmth in her heart, lying in his arms. Here were two people from entirely different eras, yet she felt an instant affection for him. Was this fate?
Inside the bamboo shed, the straw provided some cover. Xu Caitong lay there, her heart filled with gratitude and tenderness, staring at Liu Buqun with her beautiful eyes. “If you were him, would you hate me? If he is you, would you forgive me?” Xu Caitong asked softly. Since fate had brought her back to the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, and since it destined her to meet and marry this man, why couldn’t he be Liu Buqun? With such an outstanding son-in-law in the Xu family, who else would she seek help from if not him?
“Forgive me, will you?” Xu Caitong rested her head on Buqun’s shoulder, looking through the straw at the serene sky outside, then closed her eyes. After a night of exhaustion, she was truly very tired.
“Why speak of forgiveness?” Liu Buqun finally responded after a long silence. Seeing no response from Xu Caitong, he turned to find her asleep against his arm. Liu Buqun watched her sleep, sighing inwardly. She was so timid yet beautiful, sleeping so peacefully in his embrace. Her fair, rosy cheeks, smooth skin, and delicate lips tempted him to steal a kiss.
