Amidst the ongoing war in Northern Wei, Murong Qi was unlikely to leave willingly. Huaiyu shook her head, “I couldn’t persuade her to leave. I’m no match for her.”
Lujing Xing felt a sense of despair, his eyes reflecting the desolation of autumn branches swept by a chilly breeze.
Huaiyu found it somewhat amusing. Lujing Xing, who used to be so carefree, had been pushed to the brink by Murong Qi in just a few months.
“You’re too wary of her,” she remarked. “Look at the ordinary girls you flirt with and then ignore. After a few tricks, who keeps pestering you?”
“I dare use tricks on her,” Lujing Xing sighed. “The Hundred Flowers Gentleman of Eastern Jin even caused a scene when I didn’t let her disrupt my business.”
“Don’t worry,” Li Huaiyu waved her hand. “Though Murong Qi is unreasonable, she’s straightforward. If you provoke her, she’ll only have issues with you personally, not your business or property.”
“Really?”
“Absolutely.”
Feeling somewhat reassured, Lujing Xing tapped his fan against his palm. “Then I know what to do.”
A sly grin. Li Huaiyu instinctively reached for the jade carving, only to find it missing. Feeling unsettled, she sighed, “I haven’t seen it all day.”
Everyone in the carriage tensed. Chi Jin quickly interjected, “The weather is quite pleasant today.”
Huaiyu frowned as she parted the curtain. “It’s overcast.”
“It’s the wrong time of day, so it’s overcast. By evening, there’ll be crimson clouds strewn across the sky.”
She glanced at him, her eyes shifting. “You all seem rather strange today.”
“Really?” Lujing Xing casually responded. “Everyone seems normal to me.”
Huaiyu raised an eyebrow, “The usual Chi Jin wouldn’t speak so much, and you wouldn’t have time to accompany me to release the bear, and the usual Chuniang would look me in the eye when speaking.”
All three felt a jolt. Xu Chunniang murmured, “I’m feeling a bit tired today.”
Chi Jin lowered his gaze. “I thought you might be bored.”
Lujing Xing looked at the carriage roof. “I happen to have some free time.”
“Alright, good, that makes sense,” Huaiyu clapped her hands. “So, may I ask, where’s Sihai? He always follows me when I go out.”
Silence filled the carriage.
Lin Sihai, who had been securely confined in the prisoner’s cart, was suddenly pulled out by Chi Jin, the bear skin still on him. Before he could inquire what was happening, he was brought to the prince’s carriage.
“See, I told you he was following,” Lujing Xing wiped his sweat. “He’s been trailing us the whole time.”
Lin Sihai bowed blankly.
Huaiyu grinned and teased, “Maybe I’m just overly suspicious. Let’s go, continue up the mountain.”
“Yes.”
As the curtain fell, the people outside sighed in relief. The bear skin, once untied, had to be re-strapped, leaving everyone exhausted. At least they managed to restore it to its bear-like appearance before reaching the mountainside.
Throughout the journey, Li Huaiyu maintained a cheerful demeanor. Upon arrival, however, she remained standing without moving.
The “bear” was lifted off and carried into the forest on bamboo poles. Qingsi cautiously asked, “Does Your Highness wish to go and see?”
“It’s too dangerous,” Chi Jin quickly interjected. “Your Highness can watch from here.”
“Good point, Your Highness, please don’t go,” Lujing Xing also signaled Qingsi. If the prince didn’t express a desire to go, there would be no need to suggest it.
Huaiyu turned her head, her smile undiminished, her almond-shaped eyes scanning the crowd. Following Chi Jin’s lead, she remarked, “Yes, it’s too dangerous.”
The group felt relieved, but then she continued, “But what if Sihai doesn’t look enough like a bear when I don’t go? Wouldn’t that mean I’ve discovered your deception?”
A gust of wind swept through the forest. Silence fell.
Lujing Xing couldn’t believe it, casting a hesitant glance at her before awkwardly turning away. Xu Chunniang blushed, and Qingsi was at a loss for words. “Your… Your Highness?”
Huaiyu smiled, surveying the crowd. “Who will tell me the truth? Has something major happened that you’ve all gone to such lengths?”
After a pause, her throat tightened. “Is it Jiang Jie who’s in trouble?”
“No, no, it’s not that serious,” Xu Chunniang waved her hand softly. “It’s just… everyone noticed Your Highness has been unhappy lately, so we thought of ways to cheer you up.”
The sun was setting, the clouds thickening, casting Li Huaiyu’s face in shadow. She remained silent, her lips pressed together, her figure seeming somewhat frail.
Unable to bear it, Lujing Xing thrust his fan into his belt and handed her the box from Qingsi. “Since we can’t keep it secret any longer, see for yourself.”
The box, which should have felt weighty, seemed oddly light in her hand. Huaiyu looked puzzled as she opened it. “Where’s the jade carving?”
“You broke it while sleeping,” Lujing Xing retorted, annoyed. “We were afraid you’d overthink it, so we all conspired to keep it from you. It’s not Jiang Xuanjin in trouble; it’s just a jade carving.”
With a blink, then another, Huaiyu let out a long sigh, somewhat exasperated. “Couldn’t you just tell me straightforwardly? Do you need to keep things from me like this?”
The others were momentarily stunned.
Nonchalantly closing the box, Huaiyu smiled and said, “You scared me, making me think there was bad news ahead. Turns out, it’s just a broken jade carving, and I broke it myself… Making Sihai wrap himself in such thick fur, isn’t he hot?”
Seeing her expression and realizing she wasn’t genuinely upset, Chi Jin breathed a sigh of relief and couldn’t help but ask, “How did you figure it out?”
“When you brought him here, he still had the bear skin on his legs. Besides, even if I’ve never seen a bear, I’ve seen what Sihai looks like, haven’t I?”
Unable to hold back, Xu Chunniang burst into laughter, and the others followed suit, instantly lightening the mood.
“I told you it wouldn’t work,” Lujing Xing shook his head. “Sihai might be big, but he’s not big enough.”
“Even if he were as thick as a bamboo pole, we wouldn’t be able to carry him.”
“That’s right. Didn’t you see how much we struggled to carry him earlier?”
Laughter filled the air as Li Huaiyu hugged the box to her chest, joining in their merriment.
“Your Highness, there seems to be some unusual activity in the mountains,” the scout returned with a grave expression. “We should hurry down.”
Without knowing who, someone traversed the forest below the mountain, causing a rustling sound.
“Alright,” Lin Sihai said, “I’ll go ahead and scout, and once it’s safe, Your Highness can join me in the carriage.”
Chi Jin nodded.
Huaiyu smiled and said, “You go ahead; I’ll go and check out the cliff.”
Qingsi was taken aback, instinctively about to question why she would want to go to the cliff. It was high and dangerous, but Lujing Xing stopped her.
“Go on,” he said. “If you see anything unusual, remember to come back and tell us.”
“Okay.” Huaiyu nodded with a smile, bouncing through a few large trees and sitting on a big rock at the edge of the cliff.
As the voices behind her faded into the distance, and she estimated they couldn’t see her anymore, Li Huaiyu pursed her lips. The smile on her face began to fade like patchy paint, gradually slipping away.
Below the cliff was a dense canopy of trees, nothing visible. Lujing Xing knew she needed some space to vent her emotions, so he let her come here for some fresh air.
Everyone worried about her. She couldn’t be sad in front of them, but after holding onto the jade carving for over a month, suddenly losing it was heartbreaking. Even if it was an illusion, she could have awaited an outcome in two more days, but now there was no outcome.
She still couldn’t see him.
Her nose tingled, and Huaiyu tightly hugged the empty box, her vision gradually clouded by tears. Everything became blurred.
Lujing Xing was a liar, the jade carving couldn’t turn into Jiang Jie. Jiang Jie was also a liar, saying he loved her, and promising to protect her, yet he wouldn’t even give her a single message. She had been so good, taking care of the child, and managing Danyang and the frontline. She even took the time to practice calligraphy with his handwriting. Couldn’t he see how neat his handwriting was? She didn’t know how sore her hands were from practice, and he didn’t even give her a word of praise.
The more she thought, the sadder she became. She opened the box and buried her face inside, sobbing softly.
Footsteps behind her, getting closer step by step.
Huaiyu heard it but couldn’t contain her emotions. She broke down completely, hoarsely saying, “Let me be alone for a while.”
The footsteps halted, standing still.
The person who understood her so well could only be Lujing Xing. This realization made Li Huaiyu feel even worse. She continued to sob into the box, “Forty-seven days… Just two days left… Can’t we make it forty-seven instead of forty-nine?”
“Alright,” the person behind her spoke softly.
The voice sounded a bit off. Huaiyu lifted her head from the box, suspecting her tears had clouded her judgment. After a moment of hesitation, she turned around to look.
However, as she turned her face, someone was waiting behind her. Leaning down, he tilted his head and accurately caught her lips as she offered them.
Her pupils constricted, and Li Huaiyu widened her eyes.
It felt like the whole world froze at that moment.
The person before her was handsome, his expression charming, dressed in a robe of deep green, adorned with peculiar and intricate patterns. His dark eyes blinked slowly, his long eyelashes brushing against her forehead, sending a tingling sensation through her body. Familiar incense gradually filled her nostrils, and his cool lips met hers for a moment, then grew warm.
He supported her waist, turning her body to face him, holding her tightly in his embrace.
It was a solid, warm embrace, not a dream.
Realizing what had just happened, Huaiyu swallowed hard, reaching out to hug him, tears streaming down her face.
“How could it be you…” she murmured.
Jiang Xuanjin curled his lips, lightly touching his forehead to hers, and whispered, “I heard you missed me.”
His deep voice, still carrying the faint breathlessness from his run, softened her heart like nothing else. Bursting into tears, she cried, “Waaah!”
Her cry was so loud that it alarmed the group of people behind the trees, who hurried over to the cliff.
“Your Highness?!”
Jiang Xuanjin comforted her softly, “Don’t cry. Look, they’re all coming over now. I don’t think I can do anything else.”
Continuing to hold onto his clothes to wipe away her tears and mucus, Huaiyu exclaimed, “How dare you say that? How dare you come back!”
“I…”
“Why didn’t you write to me? Why didn’t you let anyone send me a message?”
“Because…”
“You bastard!” Before he could finish, Huaiyu viciously bit into his shoulder.
So, when Qingsi and the others rushed over, what they saw was Lord Ziyang smiling indulgently, sitting on a large rock. Their Highness was kneeling in his embrace, gnawing at Lord Ziyang’s shoulder like a little beast.
It seemed like their Highness was biting without mercy, but for some reason, the more ferociously she bit, the happier Lord Ziyang looked.
“What’s going on?” Lujing Xing was dumbfounded.
Lin Sihai ran over with them, scratching the back of his head. “I was just about to tell you that the returning army of Lord Ziyang was spotted at the foot of the mountain. It seems they sensed our presence and took action…”
So, while they were on the mountain, setting up this “bear” situation, they coincidentally encountered the returning Jiang Xuanjin. Lujing Xing rolled his eyes. “Why was there no news before?”
“It must have been a secret return,” Chi Jin said. “If even we didn’t receive any news, the enemy must be unaware too. The capital should be safe now.”
Hearing their discussion, Huaiyu became even angrier, her eyes red like a rabbit’s. She let go of him but couldn’t help punching him. “Did you think this would surprise me? I’m not surprised at all; I’m furious!”
Grabbing the strand of hair that she had bitten off and putting it in her mouth, Jiang Xuanjin held her waist firmly and said softly, “When we return to the mansion, you can decide how to deal with me.”
Huaiyu grabbed his clothes, roaring, “Fine! I’ll decide! I’m going to lock you up and give you a beating to make you realize how painful longing can be!”
Looking fierce like a lioness from the east.
But Jiang Xuanjin didn’t get angry; instead, he chuckled lightly, his eyes shimmering as he looked at her intently.
Finally realizing something, Huaiyu blinked, then blinked again. “What did you just call me?”
“Hmm?”
“Don’t play dumb!” Her momentum weakened instantly. She grabbed his clothes, blushing. “Did you call me… that?”
“What?”
Huaiyu bared her teeth, revealing her white canine teeth. “Are you going to tell me or not?!”
He chuckled softly. Jiang Xuanjin pressed her against him, leaning down to her ear, and said, “After months apart, why is the madam blushing?”
Her face, which wasn’t even red before, turned half-red instantly under his warm breath.
Lujing Xing shook his fan, watching the mother lioness turn into a helpless little kitten, and rolled his eyes, muttering two words, “Grow up.”
He thought he’d witness an exciting fight, but instead, it was over in just a few words.
However, Jiang Xuanjin seemed different now. He used to dislike being affectionate in public, but now he held onto her, unwilling to let go.
As time passed and as Chi Jin had said, the weather was good, the clouds dispersed, and the sky was filled with red clouds. The two of them stood on the cliff, bathed in the crimson light, looking warm and intimate.