#139: Reunion (2)

Shen Xiling saw that Qi Ying was upset and understood his concerns, so she hastily began to explain herself. She told him that this time, she had brought Shui Pei and Liu Zi with her, along with hired escorts—men who had previously helped her transport goods during her business days. They were familiar and trustworthy, and the journey had been smooth without encountering any bandits.

After hurriedly finishing her explanation, Qi Ying’s expression still hadn’t softened. Shen Xiling grew uneasy, reaching out to tug at his sleeve. When he didn’t pull away, she mustered her courage and nestled into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his waist and murmuring, “I worked so hard to get here… Can you stop scolding me? I promise I won’t do it again next time…”

The young girl’s voice was soft and pitiful, making her look somewhat fragile. The joy of their reunion made Qi Ying reluctant to upset her further, especially since her current display of coquettishness melted his heart.

He sighed and finally pulled her into his arms, his tone softening as he said, “I’m not mad at you… I’m just worried about you.”

Feeling his attitude soften, Shen Xiling relaxed a little. But then her small temper flared up again. After all the hardships she endured—sleeping rough and traveling such a long distance—to finally see him, only to be scolded upon meeting, and also discovering that other women had entered his tent in the past—it was simply… too much!

Thinking about it over and over, Shen Xiling truly began to feel wronged, and tears started to fall one by one. Through her sobs, she accused him: “You… how could you treat me like this…”

This little girl… back when she first came to him as a child, she at least tried to act strong. Now her true nature was fully revealed, crying at the slightest provocation. Yet Qi Ying couldn’t resist her tears. Whenever she cried, his heart ached, and he couldn’t help but comfort her, setting aside all principles and rules for the moment.

He held her close, apologizing and kissing away her tears. After more than half a year apart, even the smallest intimacy ignited passion between them. As he kissed her, he gradually moved closer to her lips. By now, the young girl had stopped crying, her face flushed like she’d had too much wine, her eyes brimming with a mix of innocence and seduction—a sight that could tempt even the most devout disciple of Buddha to break their vows.

And Qi Ying—he was no monk. He loved and adored her deeply, a mere mortal unable to resist her allure.

He kissed her uncontrollably.

It was a kiss full of love and desire, unrestrained and without hesitation.

Shen Xiling quickly lost herself in the kiss. She had missed him so much, yearned for him for so long that she couldn’t bear it anymore—she ran all the way from Jiankang to Huai Prefecture to find him. Night after night, she dreamed of him; every time she thought of him, her heart felt empty. And now, she was finally back in his arms.

She adored his kisses.

Dominant, passionate, subtly wild—his left arm tightly encircled her waist while his right hand unconsciously gripped her wrist, pulling her deeper into the abyss of desire.

Her body went limp under his kisses, and she nearly lost her balance. He scooped her up and laid her gently on the bed, pressing her down as he continued to kiss her. Meanwhile, his hands began to explore her body, even untying the sash of her skirt.

Shen Xiling felt dizzy and disoriented, completely at his mercy, unable to make any decisions for herself. Yet he still asked her, his voice low and strained with restraint: “…Is this okay?”

Shen Xiling opened her eyes and looked at him. His beautiful phoenix eyes shimmered with suppressed fire, their intensity turning them almost ethereal, more captivating than ever.

At that moment, she didn’t fully understand what he was asking. But for him, there was nothing she wouldn’t allow.

She didn’t respond verbally, instead tilting her head back to continue the kiss.

Giving him everything he desired.

Qi Ying lost all restraint.

So be it… He had always wanted to marry her, to save everything for their wedding night as a sign of respect for her. Even though they had shared a bed several times before the northern campaign, he had always restrained himself from going all the way.

But now, he couldn’t hold back any longer.

They had been apart for so long, and he realized he craved her even more than he thought. Her reckless decision to come to Huai Prefecture had indeed worried and angered him, but it also deeply moved him—and secretly pleased him.

He couldn’t wait any longer.

Here and now, he wanted them to belong completely to each other.

In the depths of winter, the tent was filled with the warmth of spring.

However, in the end, Lord Qi wasn’t able to have his wish.

Because Shen Xiling… had started her monthly cycle.

This certainly wasn’t Shen Xiling’s fault. She was young and had never been taught about matters between men and women. So, she had assumed that this kind of intimacy involved nothing more than removing clothes… She hadn’t expected there to be other complications…

Sigh. She didn’t even dare to recall Qi Ying’s expression at that moment…

But after this experience, she finally understood everything thoroughly… And although they hadn’t… well, they had still…

He had…

Sigh!

Because of their earlier indulgence, the bedding was in no condition to sleep on. Qi Ying called for someone to bring water so Shen Xiling could bathe, while he personally changed the bedding.

Women weren’t allowed in the military camp, and Qi Ying was concerned about her getting into trouble, so he kept her presence hidden. Even when Qingzhu brought in fresh bedding, he didn’t see Shen Xiling. Qingzhu silently wondered why the master had already bathed earlier but was now calling for hot water again…

By the time Shen Xiling finished bathing and came out, the bed had been tidied up, but Qi Ying was nowhere to be seen.

She began to panic, looking around anxiously. After a while, she saw him returning from outside the tent, carrying a brazier.

As soon as she saw him, she ran over to hug him. Qi Ying, fearing the brazier might burn her, quickly set it down and embraced her, patting her back gently. In a soft voice, he asked, “Were you scared because you couldn’t find me?”

Shen Xiling nodded against his chest, hugging his waist. He chuckled and kissed her forehead, teasing her: “But when you ran away from home and traveled so far all by yourself, weren’t you scared then?”

This was clearly a jab at her.

Shen Xiling playfully hit him, and he laughed, scooping her up and placing her back on the bed. He wrapped her in the blanket and then went to retrieve the brazier.

There was already one brazier in the tent, but worried that she might feel cold, he went out to fetch another one, wanting to make her as comfortable as possible.

This man was always so considerate and meticulous.

Snuggled in the blanket, Shen Xiling watched him fuss over her, her heart overflowing with sweetness. Once he finished, she leaned into his arms again. He held her close and joined her on the bed.

From Jiankang to Huai Prefecture was nearly five hundred miles. She had traveled for several days, and only now did she finally feel at ease—she had found him, and they were together again.

It was wonderful.

After her bath, her skin carried a sweet fragrance, and she was full of energy. Nestled in his arms, she was eager to talk. Propping herself up, she gazed at him, remembering something from before their earlier intimacy—other women had entered his tent.

Of course, Shen Xiling trusted Qi Ying completely, but she also enjoyed teasing him. Through playful tantrums and coquetry, she reveled in being pampered by him, confirming his love through his indulgence of her whims. Pretending to be upset, she questioned him about the matter.

Qi Ying knew her so well that he immediately recognized her feigned anger for what it was—mere coyness. He was always willing to indulge her moods, and now that his little girl had traveled thousands of miles to find him, he was even more inclined to give her anything she wanted.

He explained patiently, telling her that it was the local officials’ doing, that he had refused them, and that he would be more careful in the future. He promised never to hurt her, speaking so gently that Shen Xiling couldn’t bring herself to tease him further.

She smiled and stopped dwelling on such trivial matters. Instead, she nestled closer to him, gently playing with his slender fingers. After a moment of silence, she asked, “Now that the war is over, can we leave? Will nothing ever separate us again?”

Before Qi Ying could answer, she burrowed deeper into his embrace, holding him tighter and pouting, “This is my limit. I can’t stand being apart from you any longer—I’ll die if we’re separated again. I really will!”

Hearing her say such ominous words made Qi Ying frown. He pinched her cheek lightly and scolded her, “Stop talking nonsense.”

Shen Xiling tilted her face up at him, wrinkling her nose, and said earnestly, “I’m not talking nonsense. I don’t want us to be apart ever again. From now on, I’ll stick to you like glue!”

Her childish declaration made Qi Ying chuckle.

He tucked the blanket around her again and asked, “Does your stomach still hurt?”

Every month during her period, she experienced pain. Back in Fenghe Garden, the servants would brew ginger tea with brown sugar for her, but here in the military camp, conditions were sparse—they only had hot water, and there was no hot water bottle to soothe her. He worried that she might be suffering.

Shen Xiling shook her head and replied, “It doesn’t hurt anymore. It was painful while I was traveling, but it’s almost gone now.”

Cuddled in the blanket, she looked so obedient and endearing that Qi Ying leaned down to kiss her softly, saying, “Good, that’s a relief.”

As he spoke, his hand moved to her abdomen, gently massaging it.

His palm was warm, and the gentle pressure felt soothing. She snuggled closer to him, momentarily distracted, but then remembered her earlier question and persisted: “So, can we leave? When are we leaving?”

Qi Ying fell silent for a brief moment.

Though the war was over, there were still matters to settle, such as peace negotiations between the two nations. Additionally, Xu Zhengning, a trusted subordinate, was currently held captive in Shangjing. Not only was he an important figure, but his situation also involved sensitive intelligence from the Privy Council. Qi Ying couldn’t ignore it. After reporting to the new emperor upon returning to Jiankang, he would need to arrange further actions. If all went smoothly, it might take another two or three months.

Speaking of the emperor…

He had already learned of the late Emperor’s passing, Prince Duan’s death, and Xiao Ziheng’s ascension to the throne. After being away for over half a year, the political landscape would undoubtedly have shifted. Though his father and elder brother had overseen matters in his absence, Qi Ying still felt uncertain. He needed to return and assess the situation personally.

These matters were complex and challenging, far from resolved immediately. However, he didn’t want Shen Xiling to worry. After a brief pause, he reassured her, “We’ll leave very soon. Don’t worry.”

His words comforted her, and Shen Xiling became even happier. She propped herself up to kiss him, reigniting Qi Ying’s passion within moments.

He quickly pushed her away, his voice strained as he said, “Go to sleep early. We’ll need to leave the camp early tomorrow morning.”

Tomorrow, they would resume their march. How could a radiant young girl like her remain hidden in the camp? Even disguising her as a boy wouldn’t fool anyone. It was safer for her to leave the camp early. He would escort her out tomorrow and have Bai Song accompany her back to Jiankang.

Shen Xiling understood the importance of discretion. She knew they had to rise early and depart before dawn. But she didn’t want to sleep just yet, unwilling to part from him even for a moment, craving more closeness.

Thus, she whimpered and leaned in to kiss him again, nibbling on his earlobe as she clung to his neck. This playful bite led to consequences—he flipped her over and pinned her down. His gaze turned intense, his tone sharper as he stared at her and said, “Don’t want to sleep? Fine, let’s finish what we started…”

As he spoke, he pretended to reach for her clothes, startling Shen Xiling.

Her face flushed red as she hid under the blanket, shaking her head. No way—she had just bathed and didn’t want to go through that again…

Qi Ying had only been teasing her, but seeing her become so compliant so quickly left him feeling slightly frustrated. Eventually, he sighed and decided not to press the matter further. Getting out of bed, he extinguished the lamp and returned to lie down.

As soon as he settled back in, the young girl instinctively snuggled into his arms once more. Her affectionate nature made Qi Ying unconsciously smile.

How could he not adore and cherish her?

In the darkness, Qi Ying kissed her forehead and whispered, “Sleep now. I’ll wake you up in the morning.”

Fragrant and obedient, she nodded in his arms, nestling close and closing her eyes. It wasn’t long before she drifted off to sleep.

She had traveled a thousand miles, just for this fleeting reunion.

But she still felt it was worth it.

Completely worth it.