The quilt stuffed with four jin of cotton wasn’t particularly thick, but it would be enough to get a grown man through the winter.
Arui had already decided that she’d make another two quilts in a few days. For now, this one would do.
The weather hadn’t turned truly cold yet, and there was no need for a heavy blanket just yet.
Cui Zhu spent the entire afternoon helping her stitch it together before finally heading home.
Taking advantage of the remaining sunshine, Arui carried the quilt outside to air it.
Freshly sun-dried cotton became wonderfully fluffy, carrying with it the warm, comforting scent of sunlight.
Like a child, Arui buried herself in the soft quilt and took a deep, satisfied breath.
“What are you doing?”
Qin Lie had just stepped through the gate when he saw her, his brows knitting together.
She hadn’t expected him to return so early, much less catch her behaving so childishly.
Her ears immediately turned red.
“I… it’s nothing. I was just seeing if the new quilt was soft enough.”
Keeping her head lowered, her fair cheeks flushed pink, she looked like a startled little rabbit.
Qin Lie’s gaze darkened.
He walked over and reached out to touch the quilt himself.
“It’s very soft.”
Standing opposite her, only the quilt separated them.
His hand rested on the very spot where she’d just buried her face.
Heat instantly spread to the tips of Arui’s ears.
Even the breath leaving her lips felt warm.
“R-right… Then you can use it tonight.”
The man hadn’t done anything unusual.
Yet her heart refused to slow down.
Am I getting sick? she wondered.
Watching the young woman flee in embarrassment, Qin Lie slowly rubbed his fingertips together.
It almost felt as though the warmth of her cheek still lingered there.
No rush.
If I move too quickly, I’ll only scare her away.
As a hunter, he understood better than anyone that patience was the key to catching one’s prey.
…
That evening’s dinner was a simple bowl of hand-torn dough soup served with the pickled vegetables Arui had made herself.
Qin Lie rarely spoke while eating.
But Arui had been restless all day, and there was something she desperately wanted to ask him.
Her face was practically buried inside her bowl as she secretly glanced at him every few moments.
Even a fool would have noticed.
“Is something wrong?”
Setting down his bowl, Qin Lie spoke first.
Arui nervously bit the end of her chopsticks before finally gathering her courage.
“Brother Lie… do you want to get married?”
Lihua’s words still lingered in her mind.
Would he really marry her?
Qin Lie hadn’t expected that question.
Before now, marriage had never crossed his mind.
But recently…
It had.
Looking directly into her eyes, he nodded.
“I do.”
Arui’s breathing caught.
A dull ache spread through her chest, making it difficult to breathe.
“Then… is there… someone you want to marry?”
She silently prayed he’d say no.
The bitterness in her heart grew stronger by the second.
She couldn’t even tell whether it hurt because Qin Lie already had someone in mind, or because once he married, she would no longer be able to stay in the little rundown house.
But once again…
He gave her the answer she didn’t want.
“Yes.”
There was.
The woman he wanted to marry had become his younger brother’s widow.
But nowhere did it say that a woman could only marry one man in her lifetime.
Arui felt as though her heart were sinking into an endless abyss.
The smile on her face was becoming harder and harder to maintain.
She didn’t dare ask whether that woman was Lihua.
She was afraid he’d nod again.
“I… I see.”
“When you get married… I’ll move out.”
“I wouldn’t want your wife to misunderstand.”
“Misunderstand what?”
Qin Lie lowered his gaze to her.
His dark eyes resembled those of a wolf, deep and impossible to read.
Arui’s mouth suddenly felt dry.
Her rosy lips parted, yet no words came out for a long moment.
“There’s only one bedroom here. It wouldn’t be appropriate.”
Surely, once he had a wife, he couldn’t continue sleeping in the main hall forever.
And once they were married…
They would share a bed.
The mere thought of Qin Lie holding Lihua in his arms, kissing her…
Made her chest tighten painfully.
“I heard that the county is hiring embroiderers. They provide food and lodging. Even if they don’t, I should be able to rent a room with the money I earn from embroidery.”
She had already thought it through.
With her embroidery skills, supporting herself wouldn’t be difficult.
Besides…
Qin Lie had already helped her far too much.
She couldn’t keep standing in the way of his future.
Qin Lie almost laughed from sheer frustration.
A dangerous whirlpool seemed to gather within his dark eyes.
“You don’t have to move.”
“It’ll be a long time before I get married.”
She was still afraid of him.
If he proposed now, he’d only frighten her away.
Worse…
She was already thinking about leaving.
Pressing the tip of his tongue against the inside of his cheek, Qin Lie forcefully suppressed the emotions surging inside him.
“Stay here without worrying.”
“When the day comes that I’m getting married, I’ll tell you.”
“…All right.”
Arui nodded absentmindedly.
But the heavy weight pressing against her heart never disappeared.
He had only said it wouldn’t happen anytime soon.
He hadn’t said it would never happen.
That night, she tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
One moment she imagined Qin Lie marrying Lihua.
The next…
She found herself reliving that night in the ruined temple.
In her dream, she lay naked in Qin Lie’s embrace.
His arm circled her waist while his warm palm slowly wandered upward.
She forced herself to close her eyes, desperately trying to forget.
Instead, every memory became even clearer.
Listening to the faint sounds of the man sleeping in the outer room, she couldn’t help wondering…
Would he hold his future wife the same way?
Or would he be even gentler with her?
For some reason…
Her heart ached with quiet bitterness.
…
The next morning, Qin Lie unusually stayed home.
The rabbits he’d caught the day before weren’t going to be sold.
Winter was approaching, and he planned to skin them and make a warm fur scarf for the young woman.
Winters in Qinghe Town were bitterly cold.
They would also need to start gathering firewood soon.
When Arui caught sight of his broad back, her eyes flickered before she hurried around him and slipped into the kitchen.
After finally falling asleep the night before, she’d been plagued by dreams she couldn’t bring herself to speak of.
In every one of them…
They were back inside the ruined temple.
Qin Lie held her hand and slowly guided her farther and farther…
The memory alone made her face burn.
Even the hand holding the kitchen knife trembled.
Just then, Qin Lie stepped inside.
“Arui.”
The moment he called her name, her hand jerked.
The knife slipped from her grasp.
With a sharp clang, it dropped.
Qin Lie reacted instantly, catching it before it could strike the ground.
His rough, calloused hand wrapped around hers.
Just like in her dream.
Only this time, instead of holding something else, her fingers gripped the knife handle.
“What are you thinking about?”
“You’re being awfully careless.”
His brows drew tightly together.
Ever since she woke up that morning, she’d been distracted.
Had she really not let go of last night’s conversation?
Standing close behind her, his body nearly touched hers.
Although their autumn clothes were thick, she could still feel the warmth radiating from his chest.
His large hand remained wrapped around hers.
Arui wished she could bury her face in her own chest.
“N-nothing…”
Her voice came out muffled.
How could she possibly admit what she’d dreamed about?
Just remembering it made her heart race.
From Qin Lie’s angle, he could clearly see her long lashes, her rosy lips, and the faint tremble that accompanied each breath.
She must have been frightened.
The hand enclosed within his felt icy cold and completely limp.
His eyes darkened.
Carefully prying her fingers open, he removed the knife from her grasp.
“Be careful.”
“You’ll hurt yourself.”
She was so delicate.
If she even suffered a small cut, she’d probably end up crying again.
Trapped between Qin Lie and the kitchen stove, Arui instinctively turned, hoping to slip past him.
Instead, her lips brushed lightly against his jaw.
His jaw was firm and sharply defined.
The accidental touch only emphasized how soft and delicate her own lips were.
The place where they had grazed him seemed to ignite like fire.
Before he could stop himself, Qin Lie wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her tightly against him.
A soft gasp escaped Arui’s lips.
Panicking, she reached up and grabbed his arm for support.
“B-Brother Lie?”
His reason hadn’t completely slipped away.
Not yet.
But after that fleeting touch, an overwhelming desire to kiss her surged through him.
Those rosy lips…
How soft would they be?
How sweet?
The longing rose in an instant.
The look in his eyes gradually became the same one she had seen in her dream.
Every part of Arui’s body trembled where he held her.
“Brother Lie…”
“You’re hurting me.”