Chapter 157 Melting

After bowing, Yue Hanzheng straightened up and looked down at Qiao Suluo in front of him.

She happened to be looking up at him, her eyes incredibly earnest.

This was the first time Yue Hanzheng had seriously observed Qiao Suluo’s expression and gaze. He seemed to understand the anticipation in her eyes.

Yue Hanzheng’s heartstrings trembled. For some reason, fragments of the past flashed through his mind at this moment.

It wasn’t the memories of her abusing him and selling him to Medicine King Valley, but the cold, ruthless words he had said to her after she rescued him and brought him out.

Thinking back on it now, he felt his behavior had been truly uncalled for.

Perhaps after staying in this courtyard, eating her delicious food, and hearing Young Master Gu and Dongqing frequently mention her, his attitude toward her had gradually changed. His state of mind had slowly become peaceful, shedding its hostility, allowing him to calm down and look at many things objectively.

He had seen countless doctors for his legs in the past—from the Imperial Physicians of the Imperial Hospital to countless folk Divine Doctors—but none of them had a solution.

That was why he had eventually been abandoned by Duke Dingguo Mansion.

To him, being unable to stand up and lead troops into battle, being unable to wield a spear ever again, made living no different from being a useless cripple. He felt he might as well be dead.

Yet, who could have imagined that his legs had completely recovered? He could stand again.

Even at this moment, Yue Hanzheng still felt like he was dreaming. It all felt so surreal.

With complex emotions swirling in his heart, Yue Hanzheng looked at Qiao Suluo apologetically. “I’m sorry. It was my fault in the past. I shouldn’t have treated… treated my wife like that.”

He finally said the word “wife,” though his voice was so soft it was almost inaudible if one didn’t listen carefully.

“Huh?”

Qiao Suluo jumped in surprise. Yue Hanzheng calling her “wife” felt incredibly bizarre to her.

The system spoke up, “Don’t reject him, Host! In name, he is still your Beast Husband. You two have a contractual relationship, and you haven’t given him a letter of divorce. He’s still your Beast Husband.”

It was just that they had no physical relationship.

“The past has long been written off. However, regarding the kindness my wife has shown me, I, Yue, must repay this favor.”

Yue Hanzheng suddenly speaking to her so gently caught Qiao Suluo completely off guard. She wasn’t used to it at all.

She hurriedly waved her hands and said, “No, there’s no need to repay me.

“I was terrible in the past, and I didn’t treat you well. It’s only right for you to hold a grudge.”

Putting herself in his shoes, she could understand Yue Hanzheng and truly detested everything her predecessor had done.

Therefore, after taking over this body, she genuinely wanted to make amends.

Besides, other than having a bad attitude at the very beginning, Yue Hanzheng hadn’t done anything excessive to her.

If she had been in Yue Hanzheng’s place, she would have lashed out long ago.

“You really don’t need to repay me,” she continued. “I just happen to have some Healing Ability. I’m also very happy to be able to cure your legs. Our General Yue has returned, and everyone will be thrilled.”

Putting aside all grievances, she also admired Yue Hanzheng’s abilities and everything he had accomplished.

He had gone to the battlefield as a young boy many years ago. In his very first battle, he had defeated the enemy forces despite being heavily outnumbered, protecting the officials and the common people.

This was incredibly rare.

In truth, when she was examining his body, she noticed he had many old injuries and countless scars.

However, she had already used her Wood Element Ability to heal and repair all of them.

“If you want to return to Capital City, I’ll write you a mutual divorce agreement, and you’ll be a free man.

“Rest assured, I won’t do anything to hurt you ever again.”

Saying this, Qiao Suluo turned to look for a brush and ink to write it out.

But Yue Hanzheng suddenly stepped forward and grabbed her hand.

By the time he snapped out of it, Yue Hanzheng realized what he had just done.

His brain hadn’t processed it yet, but his body had instinctively reacted ahead of his mind.

Having her hand held by Yue Hanzheng, Qiao Suluo froze. She looked up at him in confusion.

Yue Hanzheng felt a bit flustered, but he braced himself and said, “I don’t want to go back yet.

“Could you give me some time?

“If my wife makes me leave, I have nowhere else to go right now.”

When Yue Hanzheng said this, he lowered his posture, looking utterly broken and vulnerable.

Seeing him like this, Qiao Suluo immediately softened. “Then you can take some time to adjust. Stay here for a while and see how things go, or you can write a letter back to ask about Duke Dingguo Mansion’s attitude.

“Your legs are fully recovered now. You can still fight in battles and do many things. They should want you back.”

Yue Hanzheng said in a low voice, “Things aren’t that simple.

“My legs were severed by someone who betrayed me, and my bones were crushed.”

Just hearing this made Qiao Suluo wince in sympathetic pain. “Alright, then you decide for yourself. But whenever you want the divorce agreement, just tell me, and I’ll give it to you.”

“Okay, but please don’t write it yet, wife.”

Under Yue Hanzheng’s pleading gaze, Qiao Suluo instinctively nodded and said, “Okay.”

Seeing Qiao Suluo nod, Yue Hanzheng revealed a faint, shallow smile.

Although it was faint, it carried a breathtakingly radiant beauty that was stunning. The aura around him felt like melting glaciers and thawing snow.

Qiao Suluo was mesmerized, momentarily losing herself in a daze.

“Host… Host…”

The system called out to her inside her mind.

Qiao Suluo suddenly snapped back to reality and said, “Then you guys get some rest. I should head back.”

Saying this, Qiao Suluo quickly tidied up and hurried home.

Yue Hanzheng had suddenly become normal, and his attitude toward her had normalized as well. She still wasn’t quite used to it.

After returning home, Da Bao and Second Treasure had already been coaxed to sleep by Chu Moyuan and the others.

Qiao Suluo told Bai Qianluo and Chu Moyuan about Yue Hanzheng’s legs.

“He’s fully recovered now, so I can finally breathe a sigh of relief.”

Chu Moyuan looked at Qiao Suluo with an aching heart and said, “It was clearly what she did, yet my wife has to bear the burden of it all.”

Chu Moyuan had known for a long time that his wife was not the original owner of this body. However, Qiao Suluo had already told him that such matters couldn’t be spoken aloud.

He knew she had a secret, and since it couldn’t be revealed, they couldn’t tell Yue Hanzheng either.

Yue Hanzheng could only discover it himself, but he held a deep prejudice against their wife, making it extremely difficult for him to notice.

Bai Qianluo gently stroked her hair and said, “From now on, you don’t need to feel guilty anymore, wife. You’ve already done so much.

“If I were Yue Hanzheng, I would thank my wife just as he did.

“You might not realize it, wife, but by healing our bodies, you’ve given us a new lease on life.”

Not only had they recovered physically, but they had also gained Abnormal Power.

Qiao Suluo let out a sigh of relief and said, “Now that his legs are healed, I feel completely relaxed. From now on, I can just be myself.

“The tofu workshop has earned a lot of silver. These are the silver notes the Shopkeeper of Drunken Immortal Tower gave me. I plan to look for a storefront these next few days. We can rent one and open an eatery.

“It’d be best if the storefront is on the larger side, maybe two floors. That way, we can set up more tables and chairs, and there will be plenty of space for customers to sit and eat when it gets busy.”

Running a street stall only provided a limited amount of space. If they set up too many tables and chairs out front, it would obstruct pedestrians, which was incredibly inconvenient.

“Furthermore, summer is coming, and the weather will only get hotter,” she continued. “If we run a stall outside, the midday heat will be unbearable.

“Renting a store would be much better.”

Chu Moyuan said, “If only I had the Ice Ability. I could make ice, and my wife wouldn’t have to suffer from the heat during the summer.”

Qiao Suluo’s eyes lit up. Yes! If they had ice, they could rent a storefront and open a counter out front specifically to sell cold drinks!

This was another excellent business opportunity.

It was a pity that none of them possessed the Ice Ability.

Speaking of the Ice Ability, the system chimed in, “Host, perhaps Yue Hanzheng can awaken the Ice Ability.”