Chapter - 59 - Late Night Chat

Yi Minghuan listened attentively as Tang Li continued to speak. He shifted his position once more, still lying on his side, but now facing outward. His posture was rigid and alert, as if he were prepared for battle at any moment.

After a day filled with noise and commotion, Tang Li felt the weariness settle deep into her bones. Her limbs ached, her mind throbbed from the incessant turmoil, and exhaustion clung to her like a heavy shroud.

She yawned tiredly, her eyelids drooping, and soon succumbed to the embrace of sleep.

However, even in the midst of her slumber, a nagging sense of forgetfulness lingered at the edges of her consciousness. She attempted to recall what it was that she had forgotten but found herself unable to grasp it. Frustrated and too weary to dwell on it, she surrendered to the embrace of sleep and pulled the quilt closer around her.

Before drifting into unconsciousness, she mumbled sleepily to Yi Minghuan, "I'm asleep. Good night."

"Before dinner, you said you have something annoying to say, what is it?" Yi minghuan asked instead. 

Yi Minghuan's question echoed in her mind and she instantly became sober!

The thing she had forgotten just now was the matter of the original owner's infidelity! 

He had asked about something that had been bothering her earlier. The matter of Uncle Wang's rescue and the family's separation had taken precedence, causing her to push aside the issue of the previous owner's secret crush.

Now, as Yi Minghuan probed for answers, Tang Li hesitated. She decided to take a indirect approach, testing the waters before revealing the truth.

"Hey, Minghuan," Tang Li began with a sly smile, "you're quite handsome. In the army, have there been any female soldiers who expressed interest in you?"

Yi Minghuan was momentarily taken aback by her question.

'Was she really asking him this? Considering her straightforward and resolute nature, perhaps it wasn't entirely surprising.'

He replied honestly, "Yes, there have been. But I declined."

Tang Li's curiosity was piqued, and she leaned closer, her eyes gleaming with interest. "Was she pretty? Is she from the city? Why did you turn her down?"

Yi Minghuan couldn't help but find her sudden enthusiasm for gossip amusing. He turned to face her, meeting her eager gaze.

'Even the darkness couldn't hide the fire of gossip inside!'

"...People say she's beautiful, and she's from the city. But I didn't want to start a family."

Every question he answered simply drove Tang Li crazy, and she even had the urge to punch him. 

'Could we have a good chat?!'

"Was she someone you liked? Did you have feelings for her?" Tang Li patted him on the shoulder, prompting him to turn and face her.

Yi Minghuan sighed, somewhat exasperated and asked helplessly "Isn't it odd for you to ask me this? We're going to be living together. Why are you asking about my past relationships with other women?"

Tang Li offered a feeble excuse, "Well, even though we're married now, we've only just met today. It's only natural for me to want to know about your past relationships. We women are naturally curious about these things!"

Inwardly, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy and insecurity.

Her feelings for him were still in a state of flux, and she was grappling with the complexities of the original owner's emotions.

Yi Minghuan's response brought a mix of relief and unease. "I didn't like her," he assured her. "The thing you want to ask me is if I have ever liked someone else right? Don't worry, I haven't."

"Since I've acknowledged you as my wife, I won't pursue other women."

Tang Li couldn't help but feel relieved, but her anxiety still lingered, thinking, 'You haven't but I have.'

'Bah! It's not me, it's the original owner!'

She decided to take a more indirect approach to broach the subject, probing the waters first.

"Do you remember Xiao Ru, the female educated youth we met when we were returning from gathering firewood? We used to be close. She's from the city, and her ideas are more progressive. She often talked to me about freedom in marriage, the freedom to love without being bound by rural customs. She urged me to leave your house..."

The words hung in the air, and Tang Li awaited Yi Minghuan's response, her heart pounding with anticipation....