Zhao Yi in the Dark Makeup Scene (Extra Chapter)

Just when spring should have arrived, Qunchao was hit by a severe snowfall for some unknown reason. Many buds were covered by the snow and are unlikely to bloom.

Some time has passed since the heavy snowfall, and now the leaves and eaves are dripping with melting snow water.

"Beep—beep—pop!"

Startled awake by the noise, Chen Zhuangmu rolled over and hugged Zhao Yi tightly. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her voice still languid from sleep: "So noisy..."

Zhao Yi could barely open his eyes. He patted her back and said, "Okay, I've already taken care of it. It won't be noisy anymore."

Although spring had arrived outside, the morning temperature was still chilly enough to make one shiver. Because of this, the two of them would always stay in bed for a long time before reluctantly getting up.

Zhao Yi was cooking in the kitchen, and because the window wasn't closed, the aroma had already wafted into the bedroom. Chen Zhuangmu turned over and sat up, wrapping herself in the blanket as she gradually regained consciousness.

Looking up, she saw a teacup on the table and suddenly remembered that when she was in Da Qun's prison, she had also drunk a cup of wine from a similar teacup.

They had spent some time in prison, and it's impossible to say they had absolutely no way to get out, but she had already given up.

Maybe I still want to live a little longer, but I'm too lazy to bother anymore.

About ten days later, a eunuch presented two cups of wine, saying they were a gift from His Majesty. He didn't say what kind of wine it was, nor whether it was poisoned.

She and Zhao Yi exchanged a glance, then picked up their teacups and downed the wine in one gulp.

After a bout of dizziness, they found themselves in a small room in the palace, where a faint candlelight was lit. A familiar-looking eunuch with a heavy makeup came to give them instructions.

They didn't explain it very clearly, but they knew it in their hearts.

The young eunuch simply said, "Princess Rongshu, Lord Zhao. The carriage is waiting outside the palace. Let's set off."

The eunuch seemed unwilling to say more, but Chen Zhuangmu stopped him and asked, "Your Majesty..."

He slowly turned around and said, "Your Majesty, there is nothing wrong at the moment. But I do not wish to come."

"Hmm." After a long while, Chen Zhuangmu finally managed to squeeze out a single word. Her father-in-law had long since disappeared, and she wasn't saying this to him anyway.

She gazed at a certain spot in the palace, paused for a moment, then turned to look at Zhao Yi, noticing that he also had the same wistful expression. She smiled faintly, and the two of them left in a carriage.

The next day, news was announced that they had been brought to justice.

The journey was remarkably peaceful.

They arrived in Jiangnan, a region with a completely different climate from Huizhou. Although the winters there weren't as cold as in Huizhou, where you could stay warm as long as you bundled up, this place was truly amazing. Despite wearing layers upon layers of clothing, they found that it was still warmer than wearing just simple winter clothes.

"Dinner's ready!" Zhao Yi's voice pulled her from her memories, and she let out a long sigh, stood up, put on a cloak, and went out.

The dishes were simple, and hot rice porridge was also cooked. Chen Zhuangmu sat on the stool, the rising steam blurring her face.

Zhao Yi sat down beside her and said, "Why don't you try it and see if it suits your taste?" He didn't touch his chopsticks, waiting for Chen Zhuangmu's reply.

She chuckled. "It certainly won't taste worse than mine, right?"

Two people who had never been in the kitchen had been thinking about how to eat lately, but in the end, they always ate out because the food was simply inedible.

Chen Zhuangmu tasted the porridge with a spoon and found it was alright. The rice was very soft and had a unique aroma. Seeing her expression, Zhao Yi knew he hadn't been mistaken this time and felt relieved.

Watching Zhao Yi curiously try each dish, Chen Zhuangmu smiled and asked, "Will you regret getting involved?"

These words momentarily stunned Zhao Yi. Seeing her serious expression, he understood her concerns. Before he could speak, she continued, "You have talent, now..."

Zhao Yi put down his chopsticks, somewhat annoyed: "If you keep saying that, let's go back inside and talk! You're the person I like, of course I'll choose you! Don't say I don't have great ambitions, even if I did, I can't do without you by my side."

Now that she was covered by a heavy veil, Zhao Yi rarely said such things to express his feelings, and she felt her heart pounding, not knowing how to answer.

She tried to brush it off and lower her head to eat, but Zhao Yi cupped her face in his hands and said, "Just keep this to yourself. Besides..."

The person stopped mid-sentence, and Chen Zhuangmu frowned, asking, "What?"

When she pressed him for an answer, he didn't immediately reply, his face becoming even more conflicted. Shen Zhuangmu, however, seemed to have a premonition, her intuition clearly sensing that what he was about to say would only make her more embarrassed.

She had been looking down, but thinking of this, she unconsciously looked into his eyes and saw a handsome face gradually enlarging. She pressed her lips against his warm, soft lips and felt them being sucked and licked. She slowly closed her eyes.

She felt Zhao Yi becoming increasingly engrossed in the kisses, his breathing becoming unsteady, which made her a little anxious, but his kisses soothed her. She opened her eyes, but Zhao Yi had already moved his kisses down to her lips, lightly biting her lower lip, then her chin, her neck…

She unconsciously returned the kiss, and then Zhao Yi suddenly opened his eyes, gave her a deep look, and then picked her up and carried her to the bedroom.

It wasn't until they actually did it that the two of them realized what it felt like. Chen Zhuangmu trembled, and her dizzy, feverish head was greeted by another wave of even deeper pleasure.

Until the next time, Chen Zhuangmu couldn't help but touch Zhao Yi's face with her hand, blocking his attempt to kiss her again, and said, "...Enough."

Zhao Yi gently licked and kissed her palm, which was both itchy and hot, and a tingling sensation spread from that point to her head. She suddenly pulled her hand back, and in a fit of pique, she raised her head slightly and bit his chin, refusing to let go.

Zhao Yi let her bite him until she let go. Then, he lifted her chin with one hand, kissed her, and led her back into the throes of passion.

...

They didn't stay in the house in Jiangnan for long before setting off to swim to the next place.

Holding each other's hands, they walked through the enchanting Jiangnan region, where it rained for almost half the month; through the snow-covered Shangbei, where the wind stung their faces; through the frontier where Chen Zhuangmu was born; and through various other places that interested them.

One night, in bed, Zhao Yi hugged Shen Zhuangmu's waist, resting his head on the crook of her neck. Dissatisfied that Shen Zhuangmu didn't hug him back, he patted her arm.

As Chen Zhuangmu was thinking about where to go next, her thoughts were interrupted by him. She wanted to say something to him, but when she saw his obedient head, and especially his handsome features, her heart melted instantly.

He turned sideways, put his arms around her shoulders, and gave her a full hug.

"How about we go to Miao territory?" Chen Zhuangmu ruffled his hair. "Let's go see Miao Xin, hmm?"

"Mmm." Zhao Yi buried his head in her chest, his voice low and husky, while his hands began to wander. Chen Zhuangmu was used to this and let him be.

Soon, they arrived in Miao territory. This time, however, there was no need to burn anything; Miao Xin and his men personally greeted them at the entrance.

Zhao Yi wanted to carry the heavy makeup curtain on his back, but she refused. So he took her arm and walked with her, reminding her from time to time which patches of mud were the most stubborn and that she should avoid them.

“Although His Majesty is slowing down the suppression of the Miao people, people’s hearts don’t change so quickly. These obstacles cannot be removed no matter what.” Miao Xin led the way and explained earnestly.

Zhao Yi slapped him on the shoulder. "Do you think I'm stupid? How could I not know?" Then he slowed down his speech. "You did very well. You're twenty years old now, aren't you? You've grown up." His tone was filled with pride that he couldn't hide.

After walking through this muddy road, we slowly stepped onto the not-so-wide but clean and tidy path.

"Miao Xin, we brought you some delicious food. It's the most famous stuff from all over the country that we bought," Chen Zhuangmu said with a smile.

"So Sister Zhuangmu is quite knowledgeable about food." He was a little surprised; he had thought that people like him were fairies who couldn't resist drinking dew.

Zhao Yi's face darkened. "Call her sister-in-law."

Miao Xin stopped and stood up solemnly: "Yes, Sister Zhuangmu."

After saying that, she ran out, as if afraid that Zhao Yi would chase after her.

That night, they were having dinner together when Zhao Yi stood up, combed up Miao Xin's loose hair, and tied it up with a hair crown.

"At twenty, it's the coming-of-age ceremony in the Central Plains," he said, looking at Miao Xin.

Upon hearing this, Chen Zhuangmu couldn't help but look at him.

Zhao Yi probably didn't have time to think about that at twenty.

They didn't stay in Miao territory for long, mainly because they had just returned from the north, where the climate was dry and comfortable, and they weren't quite suited to the damp and sticky atmosphere of Miao territory. They left after about half a month.

This time, the destination is Huijing.

This time, they didn't spend as much time as they had before. As night fell, they looked at each other, and Zhao Yi said first, "Why don't we go to Huijing?"

"Okay," Chen Zhuangmu said softly.

They walked at a leisurely pace, just enough to clearly see the scenery along the way. Seeing scenes they had encountered before, memories of the past unconsciously welled up in their hearts.

They stopped near a grove of lush trees on the outskirts of Huijing.

The trees were all growing very well, with thick roots and lush, vibrant green leaves. She stopped and kowtowed a few times, burning paper money as she did so, while also wiping away the marks from the previous burning.

Although they had never been to Huijing, they would come here whenever they thought of it.

Chen Zhuangmu smiled faintly, but the words she wanted to say remained unspoken.

I hope those soldiers will live a good life in their next life.

Her mother's remains were gone. Only after killing Yu Xingbei did she learn from the Empress that even her mother's ashes were gone.

Only that one strand of hair.

They traveled light, making only slight disguises, and headed straight for the gates of Huijing. Coincidentally, the days they were there coincided with a shift change, so the two of them were surrounded by crowds and quickly walked in.

Seven years have passed.

Seven years have passed.

They stood not far from the wall, gazing at this piece of land in Huizhou, and couldn't help but feel melancholy.

Everything felt familiar, yet everything seemed distant.

Standing here, they can vividly recall all the brilliance they experienced here, as well as the sorrows that were too late to process.

"Phew." Chen Zhuangmu let out a long sigh of relief. She took Zhao Yi's hand and smiled, "Let's go."

"good."

The flowers were still fragrant, the birdsong was still shrill, and no one noticed the perfect couple, who went about their lives with smiles on their faces.

Still, still, it will not stay.