Perfect Match – CH 104

Chapter 104 [Extra WHAT IF Chapter] The Young Man (4)

In the woods, Deng Ruyun saw him carefully take out her white embroidered handkerchief from his bosom.

The handkerchief was considered a personal item, yet Teng Yue took it out of his bosom. He had forgotten about it earlier, and now his ears suddenly turned red.

But Little Yunniang did not notice his expression at all. She only saw him indeed take out her handkerchief, and her mind went blank.

He caught her secretly watching him practice archery nearby, and he even knew that the handkerchief she had thrown at him yesterday, which he had just caught, was hers.

In other words, he already knew about her!

But, but was this not terrible? Would he think that Deng Yunniang, who carelessly tossed her handkerchief in the street and secretly watched someone practice archery, was a frivolous young girl?

Thinking of this, Deng Ruyun’s head drooped.

She had always been afraid to appear before him, fearing that if she did so in the wrong way, he would dislike her. But this time, she still chose the worst possible way.

“I am sorry…” she said, head bowed and voice low. “I did not mean to disturb you. I will leave now; I will leave now.”

She stepped forward, put down his arrow, hurriedly took her handkerchief, and turned to leave.

Teng Yue had intended to take this opportunity to get to know her properly, but now he saw her eyes were red, and she was about to disappear.

He could not help but call out.

“Yunniang.”

This call startled Deng Ruyun.

He knew her name? Had he also gone to the south of the city to inquire about her and learned about her daily “obsession” with him?

Deng Ruyun wanted to disappear from his sight instantly, but she could not. She could only say,

“I am really sorry. I… I will not come again…”

I will not bother you anymore.

Even though it was not raining in the mountains, she looked soaked, her clothes glistening with water droplets from head to toe.

Teng Yue felt a sudden pang of pain in his heart.

“No, that’s not what I meant. I just wanted to…”

He wanted to say he just wanted to get to know her, but he was afraid of scaring her even more if he said it directly. A thought flashed through his mind.

“I was just wondering, would you like to practice archery with me?”

“Huh?” She hesitated.

Teng Yue had already said what he wanted to say, so he could only continue making things up.

“Practicing here alone is quite boring. If you’d like, I can take you with me.”

He was really forcing himself to smooth things over, but the girl blinked.

“Ah?”

Teng Yue: “…”

His excuse was too far-fetched, but he really did not want her to never come again, so he could only come up with such a clumsy reason.

But now, what else could he say?

But she seemed to be in a daze for a moment, then suddenly said… “Oh, right, I wanted to practice archery, but I could not find a teacher, so I came to watch you practice! Your archery skills are amazing, hitting the bullseye from a hundred paces, like Li Guang reborn! Your archery is superb, truly admirable!”

Teng Yue: “…”

She did not need to praise him like that.

But at least she was not dejected anymore and cautiously asked, “Then, if I want to learn archery from you, how much will it cost?”

“No need.” Teng Yue was already happy that she came to keep him company, even for just fifteen minutes. “Just come if you are willing.”

He did not want money, which made the girl a little flustered.

“Then how about I treat you to breakfast?”

After saying this, as if afraid he would think she was being too eager, she quickly explained, “It’s just breakfast, something like cold rice dumplings or buns.”

Seeing her clenched hands, Teng Yue inwardly sighed, thinking that if he did not accept, she would probably feel even more uncomfortable, so he nodded.

“Alright, thank you.”

…

The two descended the mountain together. This time, they were not several feet apart; they only missed each other by half a step. Sometimes he was ahead, and she would secretly glance at him from the side; sometimes he was behind, and she would ask him if he wanted something to eat or drink, as if afraid of saving money.

Teng Yue still preferred to eat cold rice dumplings with a bowl of soup, but when they sat at the same table, he noticed her back straighten up, unlike her previous relaxed demeanor, displaying a rather ladylike air.

However, despite her ladylike air, she ate the cold rice dumplings with extreme restraint, not daring to open her mouth wide to bite, eating them in small, delicate bites.

She ate very elegantly, in a way Teng Yue had never seen before, but as she ate, her tongue and teeth suddenly clashed. She immediately stopped eating, her face twitching for a moment.

She bit her tongue!

Teng Yue barely managed to avoid choking.

But he noticed she was still maintaining a ladylike demeanor in front of him. When he looked over, she smiled politely at him, as if nothing had happened.

Teng Yue quickly stood up. “I will get the soup.”

He hurriedly got up and left, turning his back to her, before he could not help but chuckle softly—

How could she… be so clueless?!

Teng Yue returned with bowls of hot soup, one for himself and one for the “lady.”

Even Teng Yue did not dare drink the soup directly, but the “lady” had forgotten that. Her manners were impeccable, and she picked up a spoon and took a sip.

The hot soup, combined with the bite on her tongue, made her face instantly change color.

Teng Yue could not understand why, even now, she did not spit it out but instead tried to swallow it.

Teng Yue had to speak up: “This soup is too hot; spit it out!”

But she refused, only shaking her head at him.

Teng Yue knew she was determined to maintain her ladylike demeanor to the end, so he stopped arguing and slapped her on the back.

The girl finally spat out a mouthful of hot soup on the ground.

But her face flushed with embarrassment, and she blinked at him, trying to make amends.

“Actually, it was not that hot.”

Teng Yue pursed his lips, not wanting to speak.

She’d just pretend.

She seemed to vaguely realize that her ladylike demeanor was being overdone, and now she was finally a little less reserved, but she still did not dare look at him, only lowering her head to eat.

Teng Yue chuckled inwardly.

But inexplicably, there was a sense of déjà vu, as if a similar scene had happened before. It was as if she had brought him a bowl of hot tea to sober him up, which he had drunk in one gulp, burning his mouth but refusing to spit it out, saying that no one else’s wife was as good as his own…

The thought arose from nowhere, fleeting and indistinct, its origins unclear.

Teng Yue ate his meal slowly with her.

She was still somewhat dazed after finishing her meal. Teng Yue was about to pay when she finally reacted, grabbing the money and paying for him.

The stall owner, who had seen the two of them before, chuckled twice upon seeing them finally sitting at the same table.

“How rare!”

Teng Yue’s ears burned, and she hurriedly ran to the road.

Teng Yue needed to go home to wash up and change before going to the garrison. She seemed to have forgotten their current situation and followed him all the way home.

Teng Yue did not need her to see him off anymore. He turned around at the next intersection and headed south.

This time, she seemed to notice something was different. She blinked at him twice, but when Teng Yue looked back, she quickly looked away.

“Are you going to buy something in the south of the city?”

Teng Yue chuckled inwardly. “Yes.”

Her face brightened, and she walked with him towards the south of the city. Teng Yue did not need to buy anything else, so he simply took her to the intersection near the Deng Family Pharmacy.

“That’s enough for now. If you come tomorrow, do not come too early. Just come when it’s light.”

He finished speaking, glanced at her briefly, and left.

But he saw her standing there, stunned, frozen in place, like a rabbit that had bumped into a stake, not even realizing she had not turned back.

Teng Yue barely managed to suppress a laugh. Seeing her momentarily dazed, then turning to look at him, he quickly turned back, reaching the corner in a few steps.

He could no longer see her there, but he stopped and could not help glancing back at her.

He saw her mutter something under her breath, something like, “It was not me who took him home; it was he who took me home! He took me home!”

The next moment, she jumped up.

“Hooray! Hooray! He took me home!”

He heard Xiuniang’s voice: “Eh? Young Lady, what’s wrong?!”

Her response carried across the street.

“Ah! He took me home…”

Teng Yue could not hold back any longer and burst out laughing.

He had never seen such energy in anyone before, like a bamboo shoot breaking through the soil after rain, life flourishing and growing tall!

Teng Yue’s steps home became lighter.

Just as he turned a corner and passed a small stall, he noticed a clay figurine stand.

He paused briefly, and suddenly some inexplicable images flashed into his mind. He hesitated for a moment, then walked over.

“Master, would you like to make me a clay figurine sometime?”

…

When Teng Yue returned home, he saw his younger sister listlessly going to school. He took out the clay figurine he had just made from his sleeve.

It was a female general carrying a firearm. His sister’s eyes lit up when she saw the figurine, and she could not help but tug at his hand.

“Second Brother is so good! The best in the whole world!”

Teng Yue felt a little embarrassed by this. Actually, he had more than one clay figurine made.

Back in his room, he took out another clay figurine from his sleeve.

It was a little girl carrying a basket on her back. The clay sculptor’s craftsmanship was excellent; the basket even contained delicately sculpted herbs, making it seem as if a real little girl was carrying a basket up the mountain to gather herbs.

He looked and looked, and for some reason, his eyes welled up with tears. But when he tried to pinpoint the reason, he could not remember.

Teng Yue felt something was strange, as if he were being drawn by something unseen, though he did not reject the feeling.

*

The next day.

Teng Yue arrived early, despite telling her to come at dawn. However, he waited until it was fully light, but she still had not arrived.

The boy grew uncertain. Suddenly, he heard footsteps in the woods. He immediately looked in the direction of the sound and saw someone running up the forest, panting.

She was wearing a light green dress, and her running and jumping startled all the birds in the forest. Teng Yue looked closer and saw that she was carrying a basket on her back.

He thought of the clay figurine he had sculpted yesterday; the clay sculptor had also dyed the little girl’s dress green.

Teng Yue stared, then heard her ask urgently.

“Am I late? I… I brought you tuition!”

Tuition? Teng Yue said he was just teaching her archery to help her out; did she really think this was a serious academic endeavor?

But how could he accept money from her?

He looked at her and saw her take off her basket, pulling out a piece of smoked meat and two live fish, the fish still wriggling and thrashing their tails.

Teng Yue: “…”

Thank you.

“Then should I call you ‘Master’?”

Teng Yue quickly shook his head. “Do not call me that; I do not deserve it.”

“…Teacher?”

Teng Yue waved his hand even more; he did not want to be her teacher for life.

“No, no.”

“Then what should I call you?”

She became melancholic, lowering her head, then suddenly remembered something, blinked, and looked up.

“General!”

General.

Her call resonated in Teng Yue’s ears; the address sounded all too familiar.

But he was merely a lowly captain, hardly worthy of being called a general.

However, she insisted, “There’s no other way to address you, so ‘General’ it is. There’s no one else here anyway.”

Teng Yue was persuaded and could only let her have her way.

But when she said she wanted to practice archery, she looked around, emptying the fallen leaves from her basket.

“I am so sorry, General! I… I was so focused on getting up early to buy fish and meat that I forgot to bring the bow and arrows I prepared yesterday. What am I going to do?”

She was filled with regret, but Teng Yue had not expected her to bring them anyway. He took a small bow from the other side.

“This is a short bow I used to practice with. Would you like to try it out and see if it fits?”

Her eyes widened. She quickly wiped her hands, took the bow, nocked an arrow, and pulled back with a serious air—

The bow bounced back with the slightest movement.

She froze.

Teng Yue suppressed a laugh, while she felt quite embarrassed, saying she was quite strong and would try again. This time, she put all her strength into it and actually managed to create some distance.

However, she could not draw the bow fully and dared not easily retract it; her hands, locked in a stalemate with the bow and arrow, began to tremble.

Teng Yue quickly stepped forward, reaching out to control the bow and steady the arrow for her.

Their stances suddenly drew closer. She had not yet grown tall, and he was already much taller than other boys her age. Standing behind her, he seemed to be encircling her in his arms.

Both sensed the unusual distance between them.

The birds and beasts of the forest had vanished without a trace, as if only the two of them remained in the world. He looked down, she looked up, and in that instant their eyes met, and their breaths and heartbeats mingled.

Teng Yue had never experienced anything like this before. For a moment, he did not know whether to let go or continue the stalemate. He felt his heart pounding wildly, as if it would leap out of his chest.

The little girl, however, just blinked, stunned.

Just then, footsteps sounded again in the forest.

Then, an old woodcutter passing by suddenly cried out.

“Oh, you two…?!”

At his words, Teng Yue’s grip loosened involuntarily. But the slightest loosening caused her to lose control of the arrow. The arrow flew erratically, a far cry from the intended shape, heading straight for the old woodcutter’s feet.

Fortunately, the old woodcutter had been a hunter in his youth, and seeing the arrow’s trajectory, he quickly dodged, narrowly escaping injury.

He was both angry and amused, pointing at the young girl who had been shooting.

“You silly girl, why are you shooting at me? All that looking after you all this time!”

This sudden remark startled Teng Yue, who immediately became anxious. She rushed to the old hunter’s side.

“I am so sorry, Uncle, so very sorry. It was Commander Teng who taught me archery. It was my first day, and I really did not shoot well…”

As she spoke, she suddenly lowered her voice, but the wind in the forest carried her words to Teng Yue’s ears.

Teng Yue heard her say through gritted teeth, “Please do not say anything else. I’ve never been here before, and I’ve never secretly followed anyone. I am an honest, good girl. Please, Uncle, do not tell anyone!”

She did not know that Teng Yue had heard her every word. Teng Yue just chuckled inwardly, pretending not to hear.

The old hunter also lowered his voice, mimicking her mannerisms, which Teng Yue also overheard.

“You and he are already like this; why will you not let me tell? He knows you and even taught you archery. Is that all he did?”

The old hunter’s words were directed at her.

Before she could react, Teng Yue tensed up, his ears burning.

She listened carefully for a moment, and then she came up with an answer.

“Oh, Uncle, you mean… he wanted someone to practice with, and he just happened to choose me?! I am actually the sparring partner, right?!”

Teng Yue paused, while the old hunter immediately retorted.

He pointed at the girl’s head.

“You, you really are a fool.”

The old hunter could not reason with her, so he shook his head, sighed, and left.

She scratched her head. “Is that not how it is? Being a sparring partner is fine; it’s better than hiding away.”

Seeing that she seemed quite satisfied, Teng Yue did not know what else to say and could only sigh inwardly with amusement.

…

In the days that followed, she came every day. He always told her to come later, but she came even earlier.

Originally, Teng Yue said he wanted to teach her archery just to give her an excuse not to hide behind the old cypress tree, but now she was actually practicing, and he taught her diligently.

She was a novice, with no prior experience, and learned slowly. She spent most of her time practicing alone on the other side, neither making a sound nor causing a disturbance. But when Teng Yue heard someone moving nearby, the quiet forest seemed to come alive.

Her daily solitary practice before dawn became an essential part of his routine, something he could not help but do every morning.

Even the gatekeeper could not help but ask him, “Second Young Master, you are going earlier and coming back later and later. Are you not working too hard?”

Teng Yue felt somewhat ashamed.

Another half-month passed, and the weather turned cooler.

The two became increasingly familiar with each other, and she finally became less “reserved,” whispering to him during breakfast:

“General, I have something to report today.”

Her eyes blinked, filled with the bright sunlight of the day.

Teng Yue’s heart skipped a beat under her gaze. “There are people here; do not call me ‘General.’ What’s the matter?”

She giggled. “The Mid-Autumn Festival is in a few days, and a restaurant has invited a famous actor to perform. I managed to get a tea table… I wonder if General has the time to attend?”

She wanted to invite him to the opera.

Teng Yue could not even say how long it had been since he’d been to an opera. He’d gone a few times with his father and brother before, but he had not had the time since.

He’d considered giving up and focusing solely on rigorous practice until he succeeded, but today she had invited him.

He hesitated, somewhat reluctant to go, yet unsure how to politely decline.

But then she suddenly said, “Actually, I do not really want to go either. Maybe we should just forget it!”

The young girl’s anxious expression clearly showed she understood his dilemma, and Teng Yue’s heart softened.

He said, “My family has a horse ranch outside the city. Would you… like to go riding?”

She practically jumped up from the table.

“I will go! I definitely will!”

Her sudden movement drew the attention of everyone around.

Teng Yue quickly pulled her back down to sit, but looking at the girl, he could not help but wonder why she was so agreeable to him.

Unfortunately, she was oblivious and did not understand his meaning at all.

*

A few days later, Teng Yue had a day off. He and she agreed to go to the horse ranch outside the city. He arrived early, and after a while, her servant brought her over.

She was wearing a bright green riding outfit, her long hair neatly tied back. As she ran towards him, she looked like a dragonfly riding the wind.

Teng Yue was momentarily stunned, but as she drew closer, he hesitated to look directly at her.

He led a small pony to her. “Want to try riding this?”

She smiled and nodded, the light green ribbon in her hair swirling in the wind. He helped her onto the horse, and seeing that she seemed familiar with it and not too afraid, he patted the horse and rode off.

Teng Yue, seeing that she looked alright, assumed she could ride to some extent and also mounted his steed.

The two walked along the edge of the carriage for a while without incident. Horses started running alongside, and both of them, their horses eager to gallop, seemed restless.

She asked him, “Want to ride a bit?”

Teng Yue was naturally unfazed, accustomed to riding. But he could not help asking her, “Have you ever ridden a horse before?”

She said yes, “My father and brother took me riding.”

As soon as she finished speaking, her horse started running.

Teng Yue’s heart skipped a beat.

So she had no experience riding alone?!

Seeing her gallop off, he knew something was wrong. He spurred his horse after her while calling to her, “Yunniang, stop!”

She did not hear him clearly and turned to look at him, confused.

But then, her horse seemed uneasy and suddenly reared up.

The horse reared up abruptly, startling Teng Yue, who nearly fell off with a scream.

He swiftly reached out and grabbed her arm just as the horse was about to collide with her.

In a dizzying spin, Deng Ruyun was pulled up by him. Before she could even see what was happening, she was sitting on his horse, nestled in his lap.

Deng Ruyun, still shaken, found herself encircled in his strong arms.

“Are you alright? Are you hurt?!”

She looked up and saw the anxiety in his eyes.

He seemed even more worried than she was, asking again.

“Yunniang, speak! Are you hurt?!”

The girl stammered, “No, I did not fall to the ground before you pulled me up, General.”

“Really? You were not kicked or bumped?”

He asked again, and Deng Ruyun shook her head repeatedly. Only then did he let out a long sigh of relief.

He did not let her ride alone again, and like her father and brother, he carried her back on his horse.

Deng Ruyun’s back was pressed against his chest. Even though they had known each other more recently and spent more time together, they had never been this intimate before.

Her heart was beating a little fast, but amidst the swaying of the horse, she vaguely felt his warm chest, as if he still felt lingering fear, his heart beating even faster than hers.

Deng Ruyun thought to herself that he was like this; if something went wrong, he would blame himself. She guessed that he was blaming himself for her almost falling off the horse.

However, even though she was now firmly seated on his horse, why had he not loosened his grip on her?

Deng Ruyun did not dare move at all, but he did not notice her stiffness until they reached the tea break area, where he finally released her and jumped off the horse.

Deng Ruyun also wanted to dismount; there was a horse bench nearby.

But as soon as she moved slightly, he said…

“Do not move; I will help you down.”

The girl blinked.

Huh?

Help?

Before she could react, he had already tied up the horse and lifted her down from its back.

The moment she landed in his arms, she was much closer than before on horseback.

Just now, Deng Ruyun had only been pressed against his back, but now she was close to his face, especially when he turned his head to look at her, their breaths seemingly exchanging.

Deng Ruyun felt dizzy, as if she had drunk too much.

But this time, she noticed his ears were turning red, and then the blush spread, as if it was not she who had drunk too much, but he; his whole face was red!

For the rest of the ride, the redness on his face hardly faded, and he never dared to look directly at her. Deng Ruyun was still somewhat dazed even after leaving the riding arena.

Why was his face so red today? It seemed to have started from the moment he helped her down from the horse. Could it be that he was frightened or startled by her, causing his face to flush and his heart to race?

But the girl inexplicably felt that perhaps that was not the reason.

Then what other reason could there be?

He certainly had not drunk heavily, so could it be… that he too had begun to like her, Madam Deng’s Little Yunniang?!

No way?

No way!

Teng Yue remained at the horse ranch, while the shop assistants at the pharmacy took her to the city in a carriage.

Little Yunniang practically jumped up in the carriage.

She wanted to verify this, but how could she verify it? Could it be that she was just imagining things?

Then she should ask Xiuniang? If all else failed, she should ask her mother and see what her mother would say.

As she was thinking this, she saw Sister Xiuniang at the shop entrance.

She was about to invite Sister Xiuniang to her room in the backyard to talk when Xiuniang said…

“Young Lady is finally back! Master is quite unhappy that you went out again.”

Deng Ruyun was not afraid. She had already spoken to her mother, and her mother had agreed. What did it matter if her father was unhappy?

But Xiuniang added, “Master is waiting for Young Lady to return because he wants you to go out of town with Madam to pick someone up.”

Deng Ruyun paused. “Pick someone up? Pick someone up?”

She had not heard of anyone coming to her house.

Xiuniang replied, “It’s Aunt Juan and the eldest mistress with little Linglang. They’ve returned from their hometown. It was a sudden return; they only sent a message this morning through a courier. They estimate they will arrive soon, and Madam is going to pick them up.”

Deng Ruyun was taken aback.

Three months ago, her brother left Jinzhou to purchase medicinal herbs beyond the Great Wall. Her sister-in-law, whose health had been poor since giving birth to Linglang, went back to her hometown with Aunt Juan to recuperate. They were originally planning to return to Jinzhou before her brother returned before the New Year, so why did they turn back now?

And in such a hurry?