CXD - 50

What was wrong with this man? Last time, he had been jealous about her calling those princes “Big Brother” when she was a child. Now, was he jealous of her close bond with her maid?

Jiang Zhiyi stared at Yuan Ce in confusion, watching him ponder something for a moment before suddenly standing up and saying he would go out again.

In this stormy weather, what could be more important than her being frightened and alone?

Jiang Zhiyi wanted to be angry, but then she remembered how he had carried her over the mountain today just so she could rest well. If it weren’t something urgent, he wouldn’t have left her alone in this simple post station room… But all she had done was mention Jingzhe—what epiphany had struck him?

Puzzled, Jiang Zhiyi sat on the bed, still deep in thought, when another bolt of lightning tore through the night sky. The entire room was briefly illuminated in an eerie white light, causing her heart to lurch. She immediately dove under the covers to “bury her head in the sand.”

After trembling alone for who knew how long, the door opened and closed. The familiar scent of soap approached.

“If you leave again, just come back to collect my body!” Jiang Zhiyi mumbled from under the covers.

Yuan Ce pulled down the quilt, exposing her head. “You haven’t done anything wrong. Will the thunder strike you?”

“I think it might strike you!” Jiang Zhiyi turned her head and snorted coldly.

Yuan Ce sighed. “So I haven’t done anything wrong, right?”

“What?” Jiang Zhiyi stared at him blankly.

Knowing danger was approaching, yet forcing him to sit and wait for death, Yuan Ce closed his eyes. “Jiang Zhiyi, you’re truly my karmic tribulation.”

“What do you mean, are you really going to face heavenly retribution?” Jiang Zhiyi reached out from under the covers to feel his forehead. “Why are you talking nonsense again?”

“If you don’t understand, just sleep.”

Jiang Zhiyi frowned in dissatisfaction. “You think you can get away with a few cryptic words? While you were gone, I heard two claps of thunder—two!”

“So what?” Yuan Ce glanced at her. “Do you want me to go up to heaven and settle accounts for you now?”

“That’s not necessary. Here’s some advice for you.” Jiang Zhiyi lifted her chin. “First, you can’t leave this room again tonight.”

Naturally, since her maid wasn’t here, he’d have to play the role of her attendant tonight. Yuan Ce nodded.

“Second, I want you to—officially stay with me tonight!”

“...”

Yuan Ce hesitated, leaning against the bedpost as he lowered his head. “...How official?”

“Not like before, where you sit and I lie down. We both lie down and sleep together for the whole night.”

“...That’s quite formal indeed.”

Jiang Zhiyi pushed the pillow outward to make space for him, lifted the quilt, and invited him in. “Hurry up, I’m already sleepy. Don’t dawdle!”

After a brief silence, Yuan Ce climbed onto the bed fully clothed.

As Jiang Zhiyi spread the quilt, covering them both snugly, she rested her arm on his shoulder and touched his outer robe. “Aren’t you taking off your outer garment?”

Yuan Ce glanced at her thin sleeping gown. “Should I wear as little as you?”

“Wouldn’t it be uncomfortable otherwise? We’re sleeping for the whole night.”

“It would be even more uncomfortable otherwise—for the whole night.”

Seeing that Jiang Zhiyi was about to say something else, Yuan Ce pulled her into his arms and closed his eyes. “Let’s sleep.”

Jiang Zhiyi nestled into the crook of his arm, turning her head slightly with a faint smile. “Finally, I don’t have to envy Sister Baojia and the others anymore.”

“Is that so?” Yuan Ce hummed softly with his eyes closed. “I’m still envious.”

“What are you still envious about?” Jiang Zhiyi looked up at him.

Yuan Ce lowered his gaze, seeing her slightly parted lips in the dim candlelight. He opened his mouth as if to speak, then closed it again.

Jiang Zhiyi narrowed her eyes and looked at him. “Are you thinking of kissing—”

Before she finished her sentence, another loud clap of thunder roared, extinguishing the candle flame that had been flickering in the draft from the window. The room plunged into darkness.

Startled, Jiang Zhiyi instinctively tightened her grip around Yuan Ce’s waist.

Her soft body pressed tightly against his, without the cloak and outer garment, making the sensation more intense than when they had traveled through the mountains. Yuan Ce slowly took a deep breath and turned his head toward the window. At this moment, he felt as though he should settle accounts with the heavens.

“I’ll—”

“You’ll—”

One person lowered their head, the other raised theirs. In the unknowable darkness, their lips brushed past each other. Both froze instantly, holding their breath.

Outside, the wind and rain raged, and the spring thunder continued to rumble, but neither dared to move.

In the prolonged silence, someone’s breath escaped, hot and rustling, tickling and tingling, like the spring tide bringing rain into one’s heart.

Slowly, tentatively, Yuan Ce lowered his head.

Feeling her lips gently enveloped, Jiang Zhiyi shivered slightly, gripping his belt tightly but not pulling back.

As if granted permission, that slippery fish once again slid inside, just like last time.

Yuan Ce slowly explored her lips and teeth, inch by inch.

Jiang Zhiyi’s hand trembled on his belt, her head spinning with nervousness. Her whole body felt warm, like soaking in a bath, her strength slowly drained, her limbs limp.

Sensing her body sliding down due to exhaustion, Yuan Ce paused, loosening his hold slightly.

“...Hmm?” Jiang Zhiyi looked up in confusion.

With excellent vision, he could see her flushed cheeks and bewildered eyes even in the dimness. His voice hoarse, he asked, “Why aren’t you afraid this time?”

Jiang Zhiyi’s eyes flickered, and she whispered softly, “Last time I didn’t know, but this time I do...”

“You know, and yet you don’t think it’s dirty?”

Dirty? Jiang Zhiyi repeated the word in her mind. Suddenly, an image flashed of him carrying her through the pouring rain, covered in mud—but at that moment, she hadn’t thought him dirty at all.

“I think Brother A Ce is the cleanest person in the world.”

Yuan Ce’s gaze flickered slightly. After a moment of silence, he lifted her waist, pulling her up, and kissed her again.

Her lips tingled from the impact, and Jiang Zhiyi trembled, tilting her head back and closing her eyes tightly.

The sultry heat spread, like spring rain falling wave after wave. Their breathing intertwined in the darkness, echoing each other.

Jiang Zhiyi curled her toes in embarrassment, feeling like a burst firework. Even after parting from him, she still kept her eyes closed, too shy to look at him.

After a long while, Jiang Zhiyi calmed her breathing and moved her numb legs. “If you won’t take off your outer garment, at least remove your belt...”

Yuan Ce lowered his head. “Weren’t you having fun holding onto it?”

“No, there’s something hanging from your belt—it’s poking me...”

Yuan Ce’s eyes flickered. Hesitating, he lifted a corner of the quilt and glanced at his belt, which clearly had no ornaments attached.

Before Jiang Zhiyi’s hand could grope forward from behind Yuan Ce’s waist to point out the problem—

Yuan Ce shifted sideways, dodging her touch, and rolled off the bed.

Jiang Zhiyi, suddenly losing her support, fell onto the bed. She raised her head in confusion, vaguely identifying the direction he had moved. “What are you doing?”

Yuan Ce turned toward the bath chamber. “Going to take off my belt.”

________________________________________

After a night of rain, by noon the next day, the two reunited with the Xuan Ce Army that had been delayed in the wilderness and continued their journey northwest.

The weather gradually warmed, but the closer they got to the northwest, the colder the climate became. The warmth couldn’t catch up with the pace of their journey. From early February to late February, each time Jiang Zhiyi stepped out of the carriage, it felt as though she were still in the first lunar month in Chang’an. Only then did she understand why Yuan Ce had told her not to pack spring clothes when they were preparing for the trip.

At the end of February, the group finally entered the Hexi region. Along the way, mountains and grasslands became more frequent, but spring had yet to arrive in Hexi. The landscape was still bleak and desolate, devoid of life.

With no scenery to admire and after such a long journey, even with her beloved by her side, Jiang Zhiyi couldn’t help but feel a bit dispirited. Inside the carriage, she hung a plum blossom painting, imitating the “Nine-Nine Winter Countdown Chart.” Each day they traveled, she would color one petal red.

As the plum blossoms on the painting grew vivid, only two petals remained uncolored—hope was within sight, but her body and spirit were nearly at their limit.

On this evening after entering Liangzhou, at the second-to-last post station before reaching Gucheng, Jiang Zhiyi, feeling utterly drained, let Yuan Ce lift her out of the carriage. She clung to him, unwilling to set foot on the ground. “…Just carry me inside like this. I don’t want to walk anymore.”

The soldiers of the Xuan Ce Army politely averted their eyes.

Yuan Ce handed his sword to Li Dafeng and carried her into the post station.

As soon as they entered the courtyard, a tearful, heart-wrenching cry rang out: “Your Highness—!”

Yuan Ce paused mid-step.

Recognizing the familiar voice, Jiang Zhiyi, clinging to Yuan Ce’s neck, turned her head in disbelief, blinking hard at the equally familiar face emerging from the twilight—

“Jingzhe?!”

Dressed in plain men’s clothing, Jingzhe wiped her tears and hurried forward. “Your Highness, it’s me… I’ve finally caught up to you!”

Jiang Zhiyi, mouth half-open, pointed vaguely southeast. “You… shouldn’t you be in Zheng County, in Chang’an?”

“Your Highness, my wounds healed by the end of the first month. After returning to the Marquis’s residence and hearing you came to Hexi, I chased after you!”

“You just recovered from your injuries and chased me for an entire month?” Jiang Zhiyi exclaimed. “I have Guyu with me, and Brother A Ce to take care of me. Why are you exhausting yourself like this?”

The person whose name was mentioned coughed lightly.

Jiang Zhiyi looked down and realized she was still being held like a child in Yuan Ce’s arms.

Jingzhe, too, seemed to snap out of the emotional reunion and slowly shifted her gaze. She looked at Yuan Ce’s face, then moved downward to Jiang Zhiyi’s arms wrapped around his neck, then to his hand resting on her waist, and finally back to their expressions—intimate, natural, and utterly oblivious to anyone else.

In the midst of her pupils quivering, Yuan Ce suddenly spoke: “May I first carry my fiancée inside?”

Jingzhe hesitated, stepping aside to make way.

Yuan Ce strode forward with large steps, carrying her inside.

Jingzhe stood rooted to the spot, watching as Jiang Zhiyi, perched on Yuan Ce’s shoulder, turned her head and called out: “Jingzhe, you must be exhausted from the journey. Don’t stand there—come in and have a bowl of mutton soup to warm up!”

Behind them, Guyu approached, tears brimming in her eyes. “Sister Jingzhe, I’ve missed you so much! Lately, at the post stations, there haven’t been many rooms, so the Young Mistress and Master have let us dine together. Let’s go in quickly!”

Fiancée… Master…

Jingzhe repeated these words silently in her mind, her legs feeling as if they were walking on cotton. Stumbling slightly, she followed Guyu inside.

Once inside, seeing how travel-worn Jingzhe was, Guyu led her to the washbasin stand to clean her hands and face.

Forgetting all formalities, Jingzhe let Guyu tend to her while turning her head to stare fixedly at the eight-sided table—

Despite the table having four benches, Jiang Zhiyi was sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with Yuan Ce on one bench, with only a single bowl of mutton soup in front of them.

Jiang Zhiyi took a sip from the bowl, furrowing her brows as she shook her head at Yuan Ce. “I think it’s not as good as yesterday’s.”

“It’s not about taste—it’s to warm you up.”

“If it doesn’t taste good, I can’t drink it.”

“Three sips.”

Jiang Zhiyi sighed, lowering her head to take three small sips. She wrinkled her nose and pushed the bowl toward Yuan Ce.

Yuan Ce accepted the bowl and finished the remaining soup in one gulp.

Suddenly, a loud clatter echoed through the room.

Jiang Zhiyi flinched, raising her head.

Yuan Ce lifted his eyelids, glancing at the horrified Jingzhe. He reached out to pat Jiang Zhiyi’s head. “It’s fine. Your maid just knocked over the basin.”

Seeing those dark, penetrating eyes, Jingzhe’s face flashed with panic as she hastily bent down to pick up the basin.

“It’s fine—don’t bother cleaning it up. Come sit over here!” Jiang Zhiyi patted the empty bench beside her.

Jingzhe, her steps unsteady, came over and sat on the bench next to Jiang Zhiyi.

Jiang Zhiyi gestured to the bowl of mutton soup in front of her, signaling for her to drink. “Tell me about your journey. Did you ride a horse the whole way? Did you strain your old injuries?”

Jingzhe, as if in a dream, held the soup bowl and shook her head. “I’m fine…” She hesitated, glancing at Yuan Ce. “Your Highness, there are some things I’d like to discuss with you privately…”

Jiang Zhiyi froze, thinking that Jingzhe must have come all this way for a reason. Perhaps she brought news from the Marquis’s residence. She glanced at Yuan Ce. “Then I’ll go with Jingzhe to the main room.”

Yuan Ce, his eyes fixed on Jingzhe, asked Jiang Zhiyi, “Do you still want me to stay with you tonight?”

Jingzhe silently gasped.

Jiang Zhiyi blinked in confusion.

He staying with her? That had only happened once by accident. Why did he phrase it as if it were a regular occurrence?

“No need. Now that Jingzhe is here, we have so much catching up to do.”

Yuan Ce nodded. “Then go ahead.”

Jiang Zhiyi rose with Jingzhe and headed to the main room.

Jingzhe followed her inside, closing the door behind her. Facing the closed partition, she hesitated to speak.

Jiang Zhiyi, looking at her tense back, anxiously asked, “What’s wrong? Did something happen at the Marquis’s residence? Are Uncle and Aunt considering separation?”

Jingzhe turned around, shaking her head. “Your Highness, there are some things I don’t understand—I want to ask you—”

“What is it?”

“Why… why did you become engaged to Young General Shen?”

Jiang Zhiyi froze. “What do you mean, ‘why’? Haven’t I always wanted to be engaged to him? If I didn’t seize this chance while he was back in the capital, should I wait another three years?”

“Three years…” Jingzhe murmured absentmindedly.

At the end of the first month, she had returned to the Marquis’s residence and heard about the engagement between the Young Mistress and Young General Shen. She had been so shocked she nearly dropped her jaw.

On the first day, she was merely astonished that the Young Mistress and Young General Shen, who had once been bitter enemies, had reconciled and become close.

But on the second day, while tidying up in Yaoguang Pavilion, she heard Xiaoman sighing about how much she had missed regarding the Young Mistress and Young General Shen. Xiaoman said it was truly remarkable that after three years, they had finally ended up together. That was when Jingzhe began to sense something was amiss.

Listening to Xiaoman recount recent events, Jingzhe grew increasingly restless. She immediately rushed over.

“…When exactly did you become close with Young General Shen three years ago?” Jingzhe stared at her blankly. “How could I not know anything about it?”

Jiang Zhiyi was even more stunned.

“How could you not know? Three years ago, when Brother A Ce and I secretly met, wasn’t it you who helped us arrange everything?”

“I never did such a thing… Three years ago, weren’t you and Young General Shen sworn enemies who refused to even see each other?”

In the heavy silence, a knock suddenly sounded at the door.

“Yiyi.” Yuan Ce’s voice came from outside.

Jiang Zhiyi, distracted and unable to process why Yuan Ce suddenly sounded so affectionate, blankly said, “Come in.”

Yuan Ce pushed open the door and stepped in, glancing at the tense mistress and maid. “What’s going on?”

Jingzhe stiffly turned her head.

Jiang Zhiyi grabbed Yuan Ce’s wrist. “You’re just in time. Jingzhe says she doesn’t remember our secret meetings from over three years ago. What’s going on…?”

Yuan Ce thoughtfully glanced at Jingzhe and asked Jiang Zhiyi, “Did this maid sustain any memory loss after being injured by bandits?”

“No, I haven’t—” Jingzhe firmly shook her head halfway through but, seeing Jiang Zhiyi and Yuan Ce’s intimate display of affection, began to doubt herself. She covered her forehead and blinked. “Right?”

“Look at you—if you really lost your memory, how would you even know?” Jiang Zhiyi frowned, urgently turning to Yuan Ce. “Quick, call Physician Li over to check Jingzhe’s pulse!”