Chapter Twelve: Heart Flutter

—

She put down the stone blade and grabbed his hand, then—

Then lowered her head and gently sucked the wound.

“You—” Pei Zhouwu tried to stop her, but it was too late.

She sucked in, then spat out the blood.

At first, the wound stung. But that sharp pain slowly turned into a strange tingling, almost itchy and hot.

Pei Zhouwu’s eyelids fluttered, syncing with his heartbeat.

“Su… Miss Su…”

Liu Fuying paused, but her lips remained pressed to his skin.

That odd warmth spread rapidly from the base of his thumb, into his palm, following the lines of his skin—eventually crawling up to the tips of his burning red ears.

His heart thudded faster and faster, so loud it seemed to echo inside his chest.

This was the first time anyone had touched him like this.

Even his own mother, who was always strict with him from childhood, had never done such a thing. The maids in the residence were forbidden to get too close.

So, to him, this level of intimacy felt entirely foreign.

Perhaps realizing what she’d done, Liu Fuying suddenly lifted her head and backed away several steps. Fear and shame pooled in her eyes, tears welling, ready to fall.

“I’m sorry, I… I didn’t mean to offend.”

As if apologizing wasn’t enough, she turned away, her voice choked.

“When I was little, whenever I got hurt like this, my mother would always suck out the blood right away. She said it would heal faster…”

Pei Zhouwu opened his mouth, but couldn’t say a single word.

His hand hovered awkwardly in the air, frozen like stone.

“I… judging by the time, I should head back now. Please take care, Your Grace. I’ll visit again next time.”

She didn’t finish the sentence before beginning to walk away.

Then, overcome with humiliation, she lifted her skirts and ran.

That flowing green dress glowed brilliantly under the sunlight. Her skirt and hair ribbons fluttered behind her as she dashed, looking from afar like a spirit of the mountains given human form.

Before Pei Zhouwu could recover, she was gone.

It was a long while before his fingers finally trembled and moved again. He looked down—the wound had indeed stopped bleeding. But the lingering warmth in that spot still burned. One glance at his bright red ears confirmed it.

“She left so suddenly again…”

He was dazed, slipping once more into self-doubt.

“Su Yueying… you weren’t just a dream, were you?”

But the table full of food proved otherwise.

Su Yueying was real—a woman who’d stirred ripples across the still waters of his heart.

He stepped to the table, reaching for the pastry she’d asked him to try—then froze.

There, tucked inside the bundle, was something else.

Opening it, he found a wooden hairpin, freshly lacquered, its sheen indicating it had been recently crafted.

He picked it up. Two fireflies were carved into the top in exquisite detail—one at rest, the other mid-flight, wings spread.

“Su Yueying…”

She must have made this herself too.

He drew a deep breath, followed by a long sigh.

She had left so quickly that he hadn’t had time to tell her not to bring anything next time. All this effort, all these things—it must’ve cost her dearly.

Thinking of her background, Pei Zhouwu unconsciously furrowed his brows again.

•  

Liu Fuying leaned against a courtyard wall at Changming Temple, while Jinli brushed her hair behind her.

“Madam, how did it go today?”

Liu Fuying curved her lips into a smile. That single glimpse earlier had been enough—she saw clearly how red Pei Zhouwu’s ears were. Her confidence grew stronger. For all his cold-faced commands and battlefield reputation, the man was painfully pure-hearted and easily teased.

“Judging from that expression, things went quite well,” Jinli said with a laugh.

Liu Fuying raised her brows, her smile blooming brighter.

“Good skills, good looks, considerate, gentle, kind, and knows how to think for others. She also has a spine and isn’t weak when she should speak up. And that soft-hearted man gets all red in the ears from just a little flirting… If only he were Shen Xiunian, I’d be thrilled.”

As she spoke, her eyes chilled and she sat up straight.

Bringing up Shen Xiunian always soured her mood.

“Let’s have the vegetarian meal, then head down the mountain.”

“Yes, Madam. The food should be ready soon.”

After drying her hair and tidying her clothes, Jinli returned with the meal. They ate unhurriedly, then left the courtyard.

At the temple gates, they were stopped by the temple’s abbot.

“Abbot Xu, is something the matter?”

“No need for alarm, Benefactor Liu. I only heard you made a generous incense donation this morning, so I came to personally thank you.”

“You’re too kind, Master. The donation is also for my own sake—without sincerity, how can the gods be moved to bless me?”

“Has the illness in your household not improved?”

The abbot’s brows furrowed. He remembered Liu Fuying from her last visit, when she came on behalf of her mother-in-law and even asked him to divine her fate. She had seemed deeply concerned then.

“Thank you for your concern. My mother-in-law has recovered. This time, I’ve come for another matter.”

The abbot nodded, his face full of solemn compassion.

“Then it must be something more difficult than her illness.”

“Indeed… in my family…” Liu Fuying lowered her head, tears clouding her expression.

“In the coming days, I may need to stay at the temple for two or three more days to quietly pray for blessings. I may need your help preparing a room where I can serve the deities.”

“You needn’t worry. When the time comes, I will make all the arrangements personally.”

Liu Fuying had donated such a large sum. Forget one room—she could’ve bought the entire temple if she wished. Naturally, the abbot would accommodate her.

“Thank you, Abbot.”

“With true sincerity, even stone can be moved. Whatever you seek, Benefactor Liu, I believe you’ll receive it.”

“I’ll borrow your good omen, then.”

…

Down the mountain, the carriage slowly entered the city.

On the roadside, some passersby recognized the Shen General’s carriage and began whispering.

The streets were busy, so the carriage moved slowly.

“Lady Shen’s gone up the mountain again to pray for a child—poor thing.”

“Indeed. That second branch of the Shen family is awful. All for money, they’ve driven her to such extremes. I heard she cried her eyes red when she went out to buy fertility medicine.”

“Really? How pitiful.”

“I also heard that General Shen was brought home gravely injured and hasn’t been seen outside since. Maybe he’s crippled now.”

Inside the carriage, Liu Fuying faintly heard the rumors. When she heard someone say Shen Xiunian was crippled, she couldn’t help but laugh.

They were exaggerating, of course.

For example, she had never personally gone out to buy any fertility medicine, and Shen Xiunian had been seen out now and then. But that’s how rumors were—the more they spread, the wilder they got.

Still, that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

“The second branch of the Shen family is truly heartless. Arguing over inheritance already—it’s like they’re praying for the General to die faster. And he’s their second brother, their elder at that. What a disgrace.”