My wife, Wei Gui, was 1.9 meters tall and fought against the Tang dynasty for the throne.

She stood naked before him, tall and voluptuous, every curve of her body like the most exquisite sculpture by the Creator.

The candlelight bathed her, giving her a honey-colored sheen.

Li Ju's breathing became heavier, and he reached out to pull her into his arms.

Her body pressed against mine, warm and soft, with a reassuring weight.

She was taller than him, and he had to tilt his head slightly to reach her lips.

"Huai Run," she whispered, her voice hoarse.

"Um."

"Aren't you...tired?"

He smiled and hugged her tighter: "I'm not tired."

She looked up at him. The candlelight illuminated his face, revealing a gentle expression, unlike his usual calm and serene demeanor, which resembled a pond rippling in the spring breeze.

"From now on," she whispered, "will it be like this every day?"

Li Ju chuckled: "As long as you want."

Wei Gui buried her face in his chest, and the corners of her mouth curved into a smile.

The red candle burned out, and the sky outside the window was just beginning to lighten.

The morning light shone in, filtering through the gauze curtains on the window and falling on the bedside, fine and dense, like a layer of scattered gold.

Li Ju was awakened by the light, squinted slightly, and subconsciously hugged the person closer.

He held a soft, warm body in his arms, carrying a faint fragrance. He looked up and met a pair of affectionate eyes.

Wei Gui had woken up at some point and was resting her head on his shoulder, staring at him intently.

"What are you looking at?" Li Ju's voice was still sleepy.

Wei Gui chuckled and gently stroked his eyebrows. "Look at you. You're so cute when you're asleep."

Li Ju raised an eyebrow: "Cute?"

"Hmm, not as cold as usual, like a child."

Li Ju pulled her closer to him and stroked her hair. "Why don't you sleep a little longer? You were busy so late last night, aren't you tired?"

Wei Gui's face flushed slightly, and she gently punched him.

"Today we're going to the main house to pay respects to my maternal grandparents, so I have to get up early no matter how busy I am."

"Don't worry too much about those formalities. It's okay to go later."

Wei Gui shook her head, gently pulled away from his embrace, and sat up.

Her long hair cascaded over her shoulders, obscuring half of her snow-white back.

"Liulang," she called to him, her voice soft yet earnest.

Li Ju was taken aback—"Sixth Brother." This was the first time she had called him that, but it sounded especially affectionate coming from her mouth.

"Even though you've separated from the family, you can't neglect etiquette." Wei Gui looked at him with clear eyes. "Otherwise, outsiders will say you don't know manners, that the Li family's daughter-in-law doesn't know the rules. I don't want people gossiping about you behind your back."

Li Ju was silent for a moment, then reached out and pulled her back into his arms.

"Okay. I'll do as you say."

Wei Gui smiled and nudged him, "Get up. If you stay in there any longer, it'll be late."

The two got up. Wei Gui got out of bed first, picked up the undergarment hanging on the clothes rack, and turned around to help Li Ju put it on.

Li Ju held her hand down, took a plain-colored undergarment from the clothes rack, and put it on her to cover her full breasts.

"Wear yours first."

Wei Gui was taken aback, then smiled and did not refuse.

He helped her put on her ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), kukun (a type of traditional Chinese trousers), neishan (an inner shirt), zhongyi (a type of inner garment), banbi (a type of short-sleeved garment), waiqu (an outer skirt), pibo (a shawl)... from the inside out, one piece at a time, slowly and deliberately.

His fingers were clumsy as he tied the ribbon, and it took him several tries to get it right. Wei Gui looked down at his hands, two small dimples appearing on his cheeks, and remained silent.

When it was his turn, Wei Gui picked up his robes and dressed him piece by piece. She was taller than him, so she could easily straighten his collar.

Her fingers were long and slender, and her movements were gentle, smoothing out every wrinkle.

A maidservant brought in a copper basin, towels, salt, and other toiletries, placed them on the shelf, and then quietly withdrew.

Wei Gui washed her face and rinsed her mouth, then sat in front of the bronze mirror and began to do her makeup.

She picked up a comb, and her long hair cascaded down like a waterfall, flowing from her shoulders to her waist.

Li Ju stood behind her and took the comb: "I'll do it."

Wei Gui glanced at him in the mirror, said nothing, and handed him the comb.

He combed her hair slowly, strand by strand, from root to tip, afraid of hurting her.

Wei Gui closed his eyes, feeling his fingertips pass through his hair, gently and softly, like a spring breeze.

"Mukuro."

"Um."

Have you ever combed someone else's hair before?

"no."

"How come you're so skilled?"

Li Ju thought for a moment and said, "It's probably because...your hair is easy to comb."

Wei Gui opened her eyes and looked at him in the mirror with a soft gaze.

After combing her hair, it was time to draw her eyebrows. Li Ju picked up the eyebrow pencil, brought it close to her face, his hand hovering in mid-air, hesitant to lower it.

"What's wrong?" Wei Gui asked.

"I'm afraid I won't draw it well."

"If you don't draw it well, erase it and start over."

Li Ju took a deep breath and gently began to write. His fingers were usually steady, never trembling when he was reviewing documents, but now they were trembling slightly. He drew a stroke from the inner corner of his eyebrow to the outer corner, very slowly, as if afraid of adding even a fraction too much.

Wei Gui looked at the eyebrows in the mirror; they were thicker and darker than she had drawn herself. But she didn't say anything, only whispering, "Fill this part in a little more."

She took his hand and helped him complete the transaction.

Li Ju examined it for a moment and nodded: "It's alright."

Wei Gui suppressed a laugh: "Hmm, it's alright."

He then put a hairpin in her hair. There were several hairpins in the dressing case. He spent a long time choosing one, and finally picked up the white magnolia hairpin—the one he had given her.

"This one."

Wei Gui nodded.

He inserted the hairpin into his hair bun, but the angle was a little off, so Wei Gui adjusted it slightly.

The woman in the mirror has exquisite features, and a white magnolia hairpin quietly blooms among her black hair.

"It looks good," Li Ju said.

Wei Gui looked at him in the mirror and smiled with satisfaction.

It was Wei Gui's turn to do Li Ju's hair and makeup. She picked up a comb, styled his hair, tied it into a bun, and placed a jinxian crown on his head. Then she took out face cream, dissolved it in her palm, and gently applied it to his face.

Li Ju frowned: "Men should keep things simple; they don't need these things."

Wei Gui persisted, firmly pressing his hand against his face: "When you're out in the world, you need to pay attention to your image. Your reputation is something you give yourself."

Li Ju had no choice but to let her handle it. She straightened his collar, smoothed out the wrinkles in his robe, took two steps back, looked him up and down, and then nodded in satisfaction.

A maid brought breakfast: millet porridge, boiled eggs, pickled vegetables, and osmanthus cake. The food was simple, but exquisite, with each item arranged neatly.

The two sat facing each other and ate.

Li Ju picked up an egg, tapped it gently on the table, and peeled off the shell. The egg white was smooth and white, and he placed it in Wei Gui's bowl.

"eat."

Wei Gui looked at the egg, then at him, and then picked up a piece of osmanthus cake and placed it on his plate.

"Liu Lang eats too."

The two ate with great relish. The porridge warmed their stomachs, the cakes were sweet, and the pickled vegetables were refreshing.

The morning light shone through the window, falling on the two of them and bathing the scene in a warm golden hue.

Wei Gui lowered his head to drink his porridge, his eyelashes drooping, his profile as soft and beautiful as jade in the morning light.

Looking at her, Li Ju suddenly thought how wonderful it would be if this kind of life could continue forever.

But he knew it wouldn't happen.

The three campaigns are imminent, and parting is not far off.

He snapped out of his daze and finished the porridge in his bowl.

After the meal, Li Ju instructed the steward to prepare gifts. The gift list, prepared by Wei Gui the day before, included several bolts of fine silk, a packet of tea, a tea set, and two jars of aged wine. It was neither too generous nor too stingy, in accordance with etiquette, and understated.

The butler agreed and went to prepare the carriage.

Li Ju walked into the courtyard and helped Wei Gui into the carriage. Today she was wearing a lotus-root-colored dress with a plain white half-sleeved outer garment, and her hair was adorned with the white magnolia hairpin, making her look dignified and elegant.

He got into the car and sat next to her.

The carriage slowly drove out of the alley and headed towards the Li family's main residence.

The wheels clattered over the cobblestones. Wei Gui leaned on Li Ju's shoulder, her fingers gently gripping his sleeve.

Li Ju looked down at her and took her hand in his palm. Her hand was slightly cool, and her fingertips trembled slightly.

"I'm here," he said. "Nothing will happen."

Wei Gui raised her head and looked into his eyes. Those eyes were as calm as deep water, yet they gave her a strange sense of peace.

She gave a soft "hmm" and leaned her head even closer to his shoulder.