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墨書 Inktalez
Qin Yaru was moved; how could she not be?
She remembered the mayor's daughter from years ago, who devoted all her affection to him, treating him with tenderness and care, showering him with countless favors, even willing to give up her pampered life at home to enlist in the army, competing fiercely in everything. Such a beauty would make even women feel pity for her, yet he wouldn't give her even a glimmer of hope.
A man like Gao Feng, so heroic and outstanding, was steadfast in his intentions, always knowing exactly what he wanted, completely indifferent to romantic entanglements.
For such a man to develop feelings for you, to fall in love with you—how could Qin Yaru, who was somewhat numb to emotions, not feel secretly delighted?
Qin Yaru's boudoir was located in the attic. It was made of bamboo and exuded a fragrant aroma. The previous room had been altered, and now that it was known to be the daughter's boudoir, it had naturally been renovated and was the most exquisite bedroom in the Qin Family.
The dressing table looked ancient, but the copper mirror was polished beautifully. Although it didn't reflect every detail as clearly as a glass mirror would, it was still quite clear.
The winter morning was extremely cold. Qin Yaru lingered in bed for a while until dawn broke. With a sigh, she reluctantly got up; there was no choice—today was the day for ancestor worship. Although women were not allowed into the ancestral hall, they still had to pay their respects outside. There was no escaping this duty.
The north wind howled, and the windows were not tightly sealed, mainly out of fear of carbon monoxide poisoning. Nowadays, no household would keep their doors and windows tightly shut during winter. The cold wind seeped through the gaps in the window, biting fiercely. The charcoal basin in the corner still burned; the old woman keeping vigil outside had clearly been diligent, maintaining the fire throughout the night while also keeping an eye on her masters to be ready to serve them at any moment.
Qin Yaru felt dazed and somewhat stiff from the cold. She thought about giving the servants their wages; working in winter was too difficult. Just getting up before dawn to boil water for the Lady-in-Waiting was no small hardship. Moreover, Taizhou was not as prosperous as the capital; if they needed water, no one would deliver it to their homes—they had to fetch it from the courtyard.
Lost in thought as she got up, Wancui entered with a basin of water to help Qin Yaru wash up. Afterward, she changed into festive clothing—a bright red outfit that looked strikingly vibrant. While many people appeared aged in red clothing, Qin Yaru was different; dressed in red with her overly beautiful features, she truly looked several years younger and exceptionally lovely.
Once dressed, she sat down at the dressing table. Wancui helped her open the jewelry box inside which were heirlooms left by her mother. Although these pieces were nice, they were old-fashioned and lacked vibrancy; their muted colors were not suitable for wearing during the New Year.
As Wancui sifted through them without finding anything appealing and feeling troubled about it, suddenly the door curtain lifted and Gao Feng entered with a smile, holding a gold-inlaid jewelry box.
The other two Lady-in-Waiting, besides Wancui, were startled and nearly splashed water on Gao Feng. Fortunately, he was so strikingly handsome that the household's Lady-in-Waiting could not possibly forget his appearance.
Entering gracefully, Gao Feng placed the jewelry box on the dressing table and said with a smile, "No need for you to trouble yourself, Wancui, I’ll take care of it."
Wancui blushed, thought for a moment, and then went down with the ladies-in-waiting. However, she still kept a bit of caution, leaving the door half-open and standing guard at the entrance, not willing to go far.
Qin Yaru was at a loss whether to laugh or cry and sighed, "Brother, you should at least know what it means to follow local customs. You can't just barge into my room as you please; if Daddy and your elder brother see you, they'll definitely break your legs."
Even in the Song Dynasty, where the requirements for women were not so strict, it was still inappropriate for a man to run into a girl's room early in the morning; it was quite improper.
However, Qin Yaru wasn't too angry. Mainly, she was familiar with him. This guy had barged into her room before, even late at night when they shared the same space. Back then, they were both soldiers, so there wasn't much fuss about such things. After being awkward for a few years, she had grown accustomed to his presence. Whether it was during night raids or various teasing moments, she could face it all with calmness.
Qin Yaru helplessly turned her head to look at her. The bright expression on her face carried a hint of drowsiness that seemed half-awake. This look was so charming, especially on someone like Qin Yaru who had absolute high standards for her appearance; it was simply adorable enough to soften anyone's heart.
Gao Feng smiled and leaned over, first picking up a horn comb to tidy up Qin Yaru's hair, carefully styling it into flowing sideburns.
Qin Yaru was somewhat surprised. "When did you learn how to style hair?"
After all, he was a proper man from the twenty-first century and also a soldier; how could he possibly learn such things to please girls?
"Last night, Wancui taught me. How does it look?"
Qin Yaru froze for a moment and looked at the man behind her in the mirror. His eyes were filled with pride—the kind she was familiar with and often saw.
In the past, she always thought that this side of Gao Feng looked cute but somewhat childish, which could be frustrating at times. But today, she suddenly felt touched—this feeling came so abruptly and mysteriously. Clearly, they had known each other for over ten years; if he hadn't returned, they might have been married by now and perhaps even past the seven-year itch stage. Yet at this moment, she found herself feeling maternal affection.
Gao Feng lowered his head close to Qin Yaru's face, measuring her features in the mirror before picking up an eyebrow pencil to draw her eyebrows.
His hands were steady and skillful; the eyebrows he drew were neither too thick nor too thin but very delicate. He casually opened the jewelry box and took out a snow-white hairpin to insert into her hair. Looking left and right, he couldn't help but smile in satisfaction: "Qin Yaru is beautiful; without makeup, she is still stunning."
Qin Yaru chuckled: "You really can sweet-talk without hesitation. They always said you were charming; I never believed it until now."
"Even if I am charming, I have only ever been attracted to you."
Gao Feng sighed, wrapped his arm around Qin Yaru's shoulders, and whispered in a low voice, "When we go back, we will get married. In our last life, we didn't have a grand wedding, so we must make up for that regret in this life."
Qin Yaru remained silent for a long time before finally breaking into a gentle smile and nodding lightly, "Okay."
After waiting all these years, she truly felt that marrying him would be the completion of her life.
"Ahem, Wife, it's time to eat. Are you ready?" Wancui stood outside, feeling quite helpless. Today was the ancestral worship ceremony, and although she wanted her master to enjoy some romantic time indoors, it wasn't appropriate. Moreover, letting a man into her master's room was risky; even if her master was willing, if they took too long and others noticed, she would be the one facing the consequences.
They busily paid their respects to their ancestors and visited the Qin family's ancestral grave. The Qin family stayed for a few days and then returned to the capital after the New Year.
Although their hometown was nice, they really couldn't bear to leave Kaifeng.
However, once they returned to the capital, Qin Yaru became famous again; it was hard not to be known—Kaifeng City’s wealthiest Golden Tortoise Son-in-Law had given a fortune as a bride price for a woman. Although he wasn't a son-in-law by marriage, it stirred up more commotion than any son-in-law would.
If Gao Feng were a fallen nobleman, considering Qin Yaru's status and beauty, it wouldn't matter much even if he became a son-in-law. But he was Gao Feng—the Gao Feng who captivated countless young women in Kaifeng City, the general whom even princesses wished to marry. Now he held high power and was young and accomplished.
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