Chapter 157 -

Chapter 157: Chapter

Liu Feng and Qinqin both froze right by the bath screen, exchanging a quick, wide-eyed look.

Before Liu Feng could even open his mouth, Zhengyu lifted his head, his face turning red with embarrassment. "No," Zhengyu said quickly, his voice tight. "Liu Feng will be the one to wash me."

Yimei tilted her head slightly, her dark eyes looking at her husband with a calm, amused expression. She slowly folded her arms across her chest.

"Zhengyu, look at him," Yimei said smoothly, pointing a finger toward the tired guard. "Liu Feng dragged a heavy wooden wagon filled with thick quilts and pillows through deep snow all the way across the village. His shoulders are stiff, and his back is aching right now. Is it not, Liu Feng?"

Liu Feng looked back and forth between his young master and Yimei, completely caught off guard. His mouth opened to say something, he hadn’t carried any heavy sacks or wood today, but pulling that wagon through the thick snow had still made his arms feel completely dead!

Before Liu Feng could speak, Qinqin marched right up beside him, reached out, and gave his leg a hard, secret pinch.

"Ouch!" Liu Feng hissed under his breath, wincing sharply as he glared down at her.

"See?" Yimei said with a small, confident smile. "I told you his body is aching. Both of you should go rest. I will take things from here."

Yimei then looked over at Qinqin. "Qinqin, I leave you in charge of dinner and the herbal medicine. Boil the herbs exactly the way I taught you."

"Right away, Young Madame!" Qinqin nodded happily. Without giving Liu Feng another second to argue, she grabbed his sleeve and began dragging the tall guard out of the room.

"Wait—Liu Feng!" Zhengyu called out in a panic, watching his bodyguard get pulled away. "Liu Feng, stay!"

"Forgive me, Young Master!" Liu Feng called back stiffly as Qinqin hauled him into the hallway. The heavy wooden door shut with a soft click, leaving the room completely quiet.

Zhengyu’s face burned hot with embarrassment, the red color spreading all the way to his ears.

He stared down at his lap, his hands gripping his robes tightly. He was a proud man, and the thought of Yimei seeing him weak, naked, and unable to move his own legs made his heart beat fast. He simply did not want her to see him like this.

Yimei did not rush him. She walked over to the wooden tub, tested the warm water with her hand, and laid a clean cloth over the side.

Then, she walked back and stood right beside his chair.

"Zhengyu," she said softly, bending down so she could look straight into his eyes.

"Yimei... please, no," Zhengyu said in a low, quiet voice, refusing to look up at her. "Call Liu Feng back. I can just wait. You do not need to do this for me."

"I am your wife, Zhengyu," Yimei said gently, her sharp eyes turning very soft. "You do not have to feel ashamed in front of me. There is nothing about you that I cannot take care of."

She reached out and rested her warm hands over his cold, trembling fingers.

"You worked so hard all day just to take one step," she whispered softly. "Let me help you tonight."

.....

Zhengyu tried his absolute best to act nonchalant, keeping his jaw set and staring straight ahead as if none of this bothered him at all. But the moment her warm fingers brushed against his waist to loosen his outer belt, his entire body grew completely stiff. A bright crimson rush spread straight to the tips of his ears.

Yimei reached for his upper inner robe, ready to pull it down over his shoulders.

Zhengyu’s hand shot out, catching her wrist in mid-air. "Wait," he rasped, his voice tight with embarrassment. "My legs are the ones crippled, Yimei, not my hands."

Yimei didn’t argue. She stepped back smoothly, folding her arms across her chest with a calm, patient smile. "Very well."

Under her watchful eye, Zhengyu untied the front ties himself, awkwardly sliding the heavy fabric off his chest and shoulders. When he finished, Yimei stepped forward, took the robe from his hands, and neatly draped it over a wooden rack near his outer clothes.

Now he sat half-naked in the warm room, wearing only his thin white garment trousers.

Yimei walked back over and bent down to scoop him up into the big bath basin properly.

Zhengyu braced himself, fully expecting her to struggle. He was a tall, broad man, and despite his weak legs, he was still heavy. He secretly thought that once she tried to lift his weight, she would quickly give up, admit defeat, and call Liu Feng back in to help.

Instead, Yimei slid one arm around his back and the other beneath his thighs, lifting him effortlessly off his seat in one smooth, steady motion.

Thanks to the strength upgrades she had bought using the favorability points she earned from Zhengyu, her physical strength was far greater than any normal woman’s.

Zhengyu’s eyes widened in total shock. His head snapped toward her as she carried him without even breathing hard. He stared at her calm face, completely speechless, wondering how she possessed such surprising strength. This woman was truly not giving up.

Yimei carefully lowered him into the warm water, letting the soothing heat wash over his aching, exhausted legs.

"See?" Yimei whispered smoothly, wringing out a soft cloth over the basin. "No Liu Feng needed."

Yimei walked over to the corner shelf and gathered the small wooden soap dish, a soft washing cloth, and a small jar of scented herbal oil.

Zhengyu sat still in the warm water, his chest rising and falling as he watched her every move. Feeling her care for him so carefully made him feel like a helpless child being looked after by his mother. His heart swelled with a strange mix of comfort and deep embarrassment.

Yimei walked back to the big basin, rolled up her long sleeves past her elbows, and pinned them neatly out of the way.

The wooden basin was quite big. Even with Zhengyu’s broad frame sitting inside, there was still plenty of extra space around his legs.

Yimei dipped the cloth into the steaming water, rubbed the soap over it until it formed soft bubbles, and gently began washing his shoulders. Her hands were surprisingly soft as she moved the cloth smoothly across his broad back, wiping away the grey dust and sweat from his long day of practice.

Zhengyu’s breath hitched slightly as her fingers brushed against his skin. Every time her soft touch passed over his chest and abs, his stomach muscles tightened, and the tips of his ears turned a bright, hot red.

"The water feels good, doesn’t it?" Yimei asked quietly, her voice smooth and sweet in the quiet room.

"Yes," Zhengyu muttered, keeping his eyes firmly fixed on the floating soap bubbles in front of him. "It is... very warm."

Yimei let out a light, melodious laugh, catching the way he refused to look at her. She poured a few drops of the sweet herbal oil into the water, rinsing his broad shoulders with fresh water from a small wooden ladle.

"You don’t need to hold your breath, Zhengyu," she whispered teasingly, leaning in a little closer to wipe a drop of water off his cheek. "I won’t bite you."

Zhengyu finally turned his head to look at her, his dark eyes burning with a mix of helplessness and quiet affection. "You are enjoying this too much, Yimei."

"Of course I am," Yimei smiled softly, wringing out the cloth one last time. "Taking care of my husband is a very important duty."

Yimei rinsed the cloth and leaned closer, a playful smile on her face. "Since your shoulders are clean, let us wash your legs."

She slid her soapy hands down past his stomach toward his legs.

Zhengyu panicked. "Yimei, wait—!"

He reached out and grabbed her wrist. His wet hand slipped, pulling her down as he tried to balance himself.

SPLASH!

Warm water spilled over the tub, soaking the floor.

Yimei ended up inside the big basin, completely drenched. Her wet hair stuck to her face, her robes floated in the water, and she was pressed right against Zhengyu.

Silence filled the room.

Zhengyu froze, his jaw dropping in shock. "Yimei... I didn’t mean to do that," he stammered, his face turning bright red.

Yimei wiped the water from her eyes and looked down at her soaked clothes. She looked up at his blushing face, a sweet smile spreading across her lips.

"So," Yimei said softly, "you wanted to share the bath with me all along?"

Yimei smirked, a scary, mischievous smile that made Zhengyu’s heart skip a beat.

She let out a soft sigh and shook her head. "Well, if that’s what you want, I am quite dirty too. A warm bath will be helpful."

Keeping her sharp eyes fixed on Zhengyu, she slowly reached for her belt and began loosening her robes.

Zhengyu stared at her in pure horror. In that moment, he wished with all his heart that his legs worked so he could get up and run out of the room before he exploded.

"What do you think you are doing, you crazy woman?!" he blurted out, his voice cracking slightly.

Yimei kept smiling smoothly. "What else? I want to take a warm bath. Is it a crime?"