The Ji family had never intended to marry Ji Cheng to Ling Ziyun. Both families were merchants and competitors. Ji Cheng was so capable that if she were to marry into the Ling family, she would be like water poured out – gone forever. In the future, the Ling family will surely surpass the Ji family.
Therefore, the best strategy was to find a high-ranking marriage for Ji Cheng. Otherwise, Ji Qing wouldn’t have strongly supported Ji Cheng’s journey to the capital three years ago.
As Ji Cheng’s mourning period was coming to an end and she could be betrothed, Ling Ziyun’s return was enough to put Ji Qing on high alert. Whenever Ling Ziyun came to visit, Ji Qing would forbid the two from meeting, citing the principle of propriety between men and women.
As a result, the young lovers Ji Cheng and Ling Ziyun could only communicate through messages carried by maids. They managed to arrange a meeting at Fahong Temple in northern Jin, a place with modest popularity but beautiful scenery.
Ji Cheng wore an ice-blue gown embroidered with silver. The dress was beautiful and ethereal, suitable for spring and autumn, but too thin for the depths of winter. Although Ji Cheng had eaten lightly these past few years, her regular sword practice and cultivation of breathing techniques meant she didn’t fear the cold. Over her thin dress, she wore only a gray fox fur cloak.
Ling Ziyun spotted Ji Cheng from afar, standing by the temple’s release pond. In the two years since they’d last met, she seemed to have grown much taller. No longer the young girl from two years ago, she had truly blossomed. Her figure was tall and graceful. While others looked bulky in their winter clothes, she alone appeared like a swaying bamboo.
Just looking at her made Ling Ziyun blush. As a young woman coming of age, her curves were now apparent. Ji Cheng stood sideways to him, accentuating her graceful figure, incomparably more beautiful than the courtesans who entertained in the military camps.
When men compare women, they don’t consider status, only beauty, and fullness of figure. Those courtesans were alluring, with bosoms as large as piglets’ heads, but their flesh was so soft it was almost rotten, without any firmness. They were merely playthings to relieve excess energy. Ling Ziyun had visited only once and refused to return.
But in Ling Ziyun’s eyes, Ji Cheng was like a supple bamboo, bending slightly only to spring back with strength. Her slender waist and long legs were even more captivating than in his dreams.
Ling Ziyun had matured over these years. Although discipline in the military camps was strict, the men who lived on the edge of death were even more unrestrained in their moments of indulgence. To build good relationships, Ling Ziyun often socialized with the officers, inevitably picking up some of their habits. But he had always kept Ji Cheng in his heart, so he remained clear-headed even when drunk.
However, when a boy becomes a man, his gaze upon women inevitably changes. Fortunately, whether as a boy or a man, when Ling Ziyun saw Ji Cheng, he still felt she was the most wonderful woman in the world.
“Ah Cheng,” Ling Ziyun called out as he approached Ji Cheng.
Ji Cheng had already seen Ling Ziyun. He had always been a strapping fellow, and now, probably from eating too much beef and mutton in the borderlands, he looked even more robust and tanned. These two mismatched people standing together should have looked ill-suited, yet one dark and handsome, the other fair and delicate, they seemed perfectly complementary.
“Brother Ziyun,” Ji Cheng still habitually used her childhood name for Ling Ziyun, while he no longer called her “little white rabbit.” Even if he wanted to use a pet name, he’d probably have to come up with “big white rabbit” now.
The two, not having seen each other for so long, were a bit awkward at first. But after exchanging a few words about their experiences since parting, they soon fell back into their old patterns of interaction.
Ji Cheng learned that over the past two years, there had been numerous major battles between the Central Plains and the Western Turks. The Western Turks had suddenly risen to power from an unknown source, with the entire tribe becoming skilled warriors. Every one of them seemed like a war god, incredibly valiant. Starting with just a few hundred people, they sustained themselves through war, eventually amassing an army of over ten thousand.
The Central Plains, wealthy but long unaccustomed to war, were repeatedly defeated when the Western Turks attacked, losing countless people and food supplies.
In such circumstances, it was an opportunity for men to establish their careers. Ling Ziyun, being generous and righteous, quickly put down roots in the Northwest and eventually became the supply officer for General Ning Wei.
However, although General Ning Wei was brave, he lacked strategic thinking. In the end, he was cut down on horseback by Luosa of the Western Turks, and the Great Qin suffered a major defeat. The court wanted to send the Loyal and Righteous Earl Shen Xiu to the Northwest but feared that the Western Regions might take advantage and advance eastward. Finally, they appointed Shen Yu as the Great General of the Northern Expedition, which somewhat curbed the momentum of the Western Turks.
It was said that Shen Yu was a military genius, always seeming to anticipate the enemy’s moves. He won battle after battle, forcing the Western Turks to retreat repeatedly.
Ling Ziyun, by some stroke of luck, was approached by the supply officer of the Western Expedition Army. The officer said he highly valued Ling Ziyun’s abilities, so Ling Ziyun found a position under Shen Yu. His return to Jin North this time was to procure supplies for the Northern Expedition Army in preparation for the decisive battle.
After hearing Ling Ziyun’s story, Ji Cheng thought that Shen Yu was already exceptional, and with Shen Che’s support behind the scenes, it was natural that he could anticipate the enemy’s moves. She had been wondering why there had been no news of Shen Che these past few years, but now she realized he must have secretly gone to the Northwest as well.
“Ah Cheng I came back this time for personal reasons too,” Ling Ziyun said, his face reddening. “I calculated that your mourning period should be over, and I was afraid your father might arrange a match for you with someone else. That’s why I requested my superiors to come to Jin North to procure supplies. Do you understand my intentions?” Ling Ziyun grabbed Ji Cheng’s hand.
“Please don’t go to the capital again. You don’t know how I managed to get through that year and more when you were gone. But I was useless then, so I didn’t dare to come find you. I know your inner struggles. But now, I’ll never let anyone bully you again. Trust me, can you not go to the capital again, Ah Cheng?” Ling Ziyun looked at Ji Cheng pleadingly.
When an honest man looks at you with such a plea, Ji Cheng finds it impossible to refuse. Moreover, she believed that among all the men in the world, only Ling Ziyun truly cared for her, and she had him in her heart. Ji Cheng raised her hand to touch Ling Ziyun’s cheek and lowered her eyes, saying, “But I’m afraid my father doesn’t want me to marry you.”
“Is Uncle afraid that you’ll help the Ling family instead of the Ji family in the future?” Ling Ziyun asked.
Although Ji Cheng was reluctant to admit such an embarrassing reason, she still nodded.
Ling Ziyun said, “Actually, your father doesn’t need to worry about that. Ah Cheng, you’re a girl who had to come out and face the world to support the entire Ji family. Once you marry me, I won’t let you go out to work anymore. I wish I could hide you at home forever, where no one else could see you. Just the two of us, living a good life together.”
Although these words were passionate, they somehow made Ji Cheng feel a bit unhappy. She had been in the public eye not just for the Ji family’s business, but also because she enjoyed it. Competing with those men and beating them soundly was indescribably satisfying.
However, since Ling Ziyun didn’t like women managing businesses, Ji Cheng could take a step back and only manage the household. So after a moment of silence, Ji Cheng smiled and said, “If I can marry you, I’ll just manage the Ling family’s household and raise our children.” Ji Cheng’s face reddened as she spoke.
Ling Ziyun, even more excited, put his arm around Ji Cheng’s waist. “I’ve thought it through. We can offer three-tenths of the Ling family business’s annual profit as a betrothal gift to your family. This way, your father will surely be more at ease.”
Ji Cheng was stunned. What Ling Ziyun proposed was equivalent to giving the Ji family a 30% stake, without them having to bear any risk, just collecting dividends each year. If this were the case, her father would certainly not object. Ji Cheng hadn’t expected Ling Ziyun to go to such lengths for her. Moved to the point where her eyes reddened slightly, she asked, “But what about your father…”
“In the future, the entire Ling family will depend on us anyway. Besides, my father knows that I won’t marry anyone else but you in this lifetime. If he wants grandchildren to continue the family line, he’ll have to agree whether he likes it or not,” Ling Ziyun said proudly.
Looking at the now confident and spirited Ling Ziyun, Ji Cheng couldn’t help but think of her past. Comparing the two, she felt dejected. She withdrew her hand from Ling Ziyun’s grasp and leaned back slightly. “But I’m not worthy of you doing this, Brother Ziyun.”
There were some things Ji Cheng could have concealed from Ling Ziyun for a lifetime. As a smart person, both emotionally and rationally, she should have kept it secret. But seeing how much Ling Ziyun was willing to sacrifice for her, she felt that hiding the truth from him would be a betrayal of his sincerity.
In this world, only a true heart deserves true heart in return.
“Don’t say anymore, Ah Cheng,” Ling Ziyun seemed to sense something and stopped Ji Cheng from continuing.
Ji Cheng’s tears began to fall. “But I’m no longer chaste.”
Ling Ziyun paused, closed his eyes for a moment, then reopened them and said, “I don’t care. As long as you’re my wife, that’s enough.”
Ji Cheng stared at Ling Ziyun, her usual cleverness failing her to discern the truth in his words. Perhaps she wanted to believe too much.
“Brother Ziyun…” Ji Cheng choked, unable to speak. If Ling Ziyun was still willing to love her despite this, Ji Cheng would be the world’s biggest fool not to accept.
Ling Ziyun was also emotional. Although he and Ji Cheng had grown up together, they had never openly expressed their feelings until today. For those in love, there was no room for the principle of “emotions arise but are restrained by propriety.” They only wanted to be close to each other, to embrace, preferably to become one – only then could the burning in their hearts be soothed.
So Ling Ziyun once again put his arm around Ji Cheng’s waist and pressed his forehead against hers. “Ah Cheng, I’m so happy,” he said. As he spoke, Ling Ziyun impatiently lowered his head to seek Ji Cheng’s lips.
Soft and fragrant, with a sweet taste of fresh peach, it made him never want to let go, wishing he could chew and swallow to satisfy his hunger.
Ling Ziyun’s kiss was passionate but inexperienced, his teeth occasionally hurting Ji Cheng’s lips. Yet she found it strangely touching. Although Shen Che’s kisses were more comfortable, they had never moved Ji Cheng’s heart. Shen Che’s kisses were layered and varied, sometimes light, sometimes intense and fragrant, sometimes lingering. Though he had no real feelings, his kisses could create the illusion that he liked her. Only a playboy well-versed in romance could have such skill. But the more skilled he was, the more Ji Cheng’s heart resisted.
However, Ling Ziyun’s bite was too deep this time, causing Ji Cheng to cry out in pain. Ling Ziyun quickly pulled back, embarrassed, and said, “Did it hurt? I’ll be more careful this time.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Ling Ziyun leaned in again. But in that brief moment, Ji Cheng unintentionally turned her head slightly, and from the corner of her eye, she saw another person.