Chapter 745 Don’t be a coward

Is that alright?

Xie Zheng has been asking her this question a lot these past few days.

Song Chunxue smiled and said, "Of course it's good. We'll set off when the time is right, so we don't get too old to walk or even climb stairs."

"It won't be that long, trust me." Xie Zheng held her fingers. "I will resign from my post soon, retire from military service, travel around, and accompany you to Jiangnan."

“That won’t do. Being an official is so good. If you leave, what if the next person to climb up is like Wang Can? It will be too late for you to come back.” Song Chunxue disagreed with his idea. “You are a good official. If you really resign, do you believe that the Emperor will think that I stole you away and break us up again?”

Just as Xie Zheng was about to say something, someone knocked on the door.

"Who goes there? Don't you dare act recklessly!"

Liu Chunshu's voice came from outside the door, "Who are you looking for? State your name."

"Sir, please don't be angry. I'm here to see Master Song Chunxue. I just saw her enter this room..."

"Go away, you've got the wrong idea. Go somewhere cool and stay there. If you disturb my husband, you'll be in big trouble," Liu Chunshu said rudely. "If you don't leave, I'll have someone throw you down."

Song Chunxue took a sip of tea and realized that the person outside was Yao Man's maid.

She had just seen her in the corridor and knew that Yao Man had also come to Jincheng these past few days, trying to find her to explain what had happened before.

Song Chunxue knew that Yao Man was never a simple person; she not only wanted to apologize, but also wanted to take care of her own business.

There's no sincerity at all.

According to Lao Si, Yao Man has already gotten close to Tang Yuxiu.

Speaking of Tang Yuxiu, the Taoist priest suddenly became strange a few months ago, which happened after he met her.

Therefore, Song Chunxue didn't want to get involved with Tang Yuxiu; it was too troublesome.

"Liu Chunshu is quite perceptive; he knows I don't want to see her. I'll give him some extra dishes and a pot of wine later."

Xie Zheng nodded, "That's right. I trust him to do things. He's smart, capable, and loyal. I hope he can stay with me for a long time."

"Did people in the past not follow for long?"

Speaking of the past, Xie Zheng said with a hint of helplessness, "Since I was demoted, my attendants have changed wave after wave. The longest they stayed was three years. Some betrayed me, some couldn't endure hardship, some got married and couldn't come along, and some were clumsy and hard to manage. Liu Chunshu is an exception. He has been with me for five years now, and he follows me wherever I go."

Song Chunxue nodded, "Then you should treat him well and encourage him to go home and spend more time with his wife and children. Otherwise, if he leaves you one day, you'll probably be crying."

"Knock knock knock".

A short while later, Liu Chunshu knocked on the door and pushed it open a crack.

"Sir, is it convenient to serve the food?"

"Come in," Xie Zheng said with a laugh, "I was just praising you. You have more cunning ideas than either of us."

Liu Chunshu brought in the waiter and said, "Your Honor is wronged. I'm just not that stupid. I'm not clever enough and need more experience."

Xie Zheng smiled but remained silent.

"Add another table outside, and order more good wine and food. The adults said you handled things well, so they'll reward you with wine."

Liu Chunshu smiled broadly, "Thank you, sir, thank you, Taoist priest."

After leaving the room, he ordered an extra bowl of rice and two side dishes, intending to have a hearty meal.

He's heard the rice here is especially fragrant, and today he finally has the chance to try it.

They leisurely ate lunch, then walked uphill for a long time. By the time they came down the mountain, the sun was almost setting.

"How about we stay here on this mountain? I heard it's nice to enjoy the moon here tonight."

When Xie Zheng said this, his voice was very soft, as if carried away by the wind, and not very clear.

Song Chunxue smiled wryly, "Okay."

They went to another inn and asked for a superior room.

The food and drinks were simple; Song Chunxue ordered a bowl of clear soup noodles.

Xie Zheng felt a little embarrassed by the obvious purpose and remained silent while drinking.

He seemed to be trying to figure out what to say to avoid awkwardness, sweating profusely but unsure of what to say.

Two lamps sat on the table by the window, their lampshades adorned with hazy, dreamlike ink paintings, the candlelight flickering within, much like Lord Xie's heart.

"Want to have a couple of drinks? Shall we play chess?"

He eventually found a not-so-original excuse to pass the time.

"I don't know how to play, but I do know a little bit of Gomoku. I haven't played it in a long time and I've forgotten how." That's something I played when I was a kid. We'd pick up tree branches on the mountain, break them, and each person would have five pieces.

"Okay, I'll teach you."

Song Chunxue learned very quickly, and he didn't know if it was because Lord Xie was deliberately letting him win, but as the game progressed, he started losing one after another.

"Don't give in to me, it's no fun."

Xie Zheng retorted, "I didn't let you win; you just placed your piece too quickly."

"Let's play another round, I'll go slower."

But Xie Zheng still lost this round.

Song Chunxue grasped his hand. "Are you drunk?"

"No, I'm just not feeling well, probably because I haven't been out for too long," he stood up. "Would you like to take a shower?"

He turned his face away and pointed behind the screen, "The water's getting cold."

Looking at his bright red ears, Song Chunxue realized that he was just nervous and his attention wasn't on them.

"Okay, you go first."

Song Chunxue drank a couple more cups and, watching Lord Xie's retreating figure, thought to herself, "How amusing he is."

The Mid-Autumn Festival is just around the corner. The moon has already climbed over the mountaintop, illuminating the world with a frosty glow.

After so much time has passed, she seems less anxious, afraid, and doubtful of herself.

Life is short, so enjoy it while you can. She should just be happy to have met someone like Xie Zheng.

You couldn't find it even with a lantern.

Let's have a couple more drinks. Don't be a coward tonight.

If either of them chickens out, tonight's show is off.

Whether it was the alluring moonlight or the strong alcohol, she felt feverish all over.

The window was closed, and the flickering candlelight quieted down.

She arrived at the door of the cubicle and heard someone outside carrying water back in.

Behind his ear, Xie Zheng went to the bedside, found a book from somewhere, and couldn't help but glance in this direction.

The upper room was spacious and clean, with a pleasant, subtle fragrance.

Without any hesitation, Song Chunxue went straight behind the screen to take a quick bath.

When she came out, she had changed into a dark red undergarment.

Reaching the bedside, Xie Zheng sat up, glanced at her quickly, and put the book in his hand aside.

The candlelight in the distance was dim, casting long shadows of the two people.

Song Chunxue lifted the blanket and came to him.

"Is your injury healed?" She looked directly into his eyes and asked softly with a smile.

"Hmm." Xie Zheng coughed lightly, his voice hoarse, "If you..."

Song Chunxue moved closer to him, forehead to forehead, and placed her hands on his shoulders.

"There are no 'what ifs,' I've made up my mind."

His eyes were filled with a glint of light, which quickly turned into lust.

His breath caught in his throat, and he placed his hands on her waist, gently kissing her lips.

"You're not going to back out?"

"Mmm." Song Chunxue reached out and stroked his chest. "Don't be a coward."

The next moment, he pulled the blanket over the two of them.

A barrage of kisses rained down upon him.

The room was filled with the intoxicating aroma of wine, and the two hearts pounded like thunder, burning with fervor.

"Sizzle~"

"Um?"

"I'm sorry... it was an accident."

"Hmm... Ugh!"

P.S.: *covers face* This chapter will be a bit more subtle~