Chapter 94 A gentle kiss landed on the burning heat...

The room was brightly lit by candlelight, and three people sat around a sandalwood table.

Feng Mian carefully relayed what Madam Zhe had said: "She said that before Chairman Chen passed away, he did a lot of things for the Luo family in private, handling some shady financial transactions."

A cup of warm tea was pushed to her side. Feng Mian was a little thirsty, so she picked it up and took a couple of sips to moisten her throat before continuing, "She once accidentally opened a secret compartment in Chairman Chen's study and saw a rubbing of a letter."

Feng Mian felt the cool cup wall touch the back of her hand again. She lowered her eyes and saw a few round, peeled grapes piled in the bamboo-green teacup. A small silver fork poked into the crystal-clear flesh, and a little transparent juice seeped out.

Feng Mian shifted her gaze slightly to the side and saw Baili Xunzhou carefully peeling grapes, his brow furrowing and relaxing as if he was uncomfortable with the grape juice sticking to his fingertips. After peeling one, he held it carefully between his fingers and placed it into the teacup in front of him as if facing a formidable enemy.

Two taps on the table brought Feng Mian back to her senses. Feng Ciyan, sitting opposite her, had one hand on the table and raised an eyebrow at her. "Finished?"

Feng Mian chuckled awkwardly, picked up the grape she was holding with a small silver fork and swallowed it in one gulp, then continued her story: "She didn't have time to look closely, she only vaguely saw words like 'mine' and 'illegal minting'."

Feng Ciyan raised his eyebrows.

"She said the rubbing was hidden extremely well, and it was obviously of great importance. Over the years, she had tried to investigate it, both openly and secretly, but to no avail."

After Feng Mian finished speaking, he put down his small fork and then picked it up again. He finished the grapes in the teacup in a few bites. At that moment, a long, slender hand reached out, took the empty teacup away, and replaced it with a cup of freshly peeled grapes.

Feng Mian smiled quietly, her eyes narrowing.

Baili Xunzhou watched her bring a grape to her lips with a small fork, feeling quite regretful. He really wanted to peel the grapes himself and feed them to her, just like in the illustrations in the book, but alas…

"Cough cough."

Unfortunately, there was an uncle who shone even brighter than the candlelight in the room.

Feng Ciyan coughed twice and glanced at Baili Xunzhou. Although he always had the perspective of an old father-in-law and naturally found fault with Baili Xunzhou in every way, he couldn't really find anything wrong with him now that he was pouring water for Feng Mian and peeling grapes for her.

Did you hear what Xiaoman said just now?

Baili Xunzhou nodded: "I heard that. The Chen family and the Luo family have some shady dealings going on in private."

He multitasked, his hands never stopping, and he didn't neglect any important matters.

"The Chen family has been in Yunzhong County for so long, haven't you and your father noticed anything amiss?"

Before Baili Xunzhou could speak, Feng Mian retorted, "Uncle, Azhuo and the Prince are both military officers who are busy patrolling the borders all day. It's inevitable that they would overlook some of the petty actions that a merchant from Yunzhong County might be taking."

"I only asked one question, and you're already rushing to protect me." Feng Ciyan shook his head helplessly.

Feng Mian smiled and pushed the teacup with a single grape still in it towards him, saying, "Uncle, have some grapes."

"I'm not worthy of enjoying this," Feng Ciyan said, pushing the teacup back.

“Uncle is right, my father and I were careless,” Baili Xunzhou said frankly. “This is the first time the Luo family has appeared in the Northern Frontier. I really didn’t expect that someone would secretly join forces with them.”

“If even one member of the Luo family is so treacherous and cunning, the others must be even more secretive and unpredictable.” Feng Mian rested her chin on her hand and thought about the Luo family members she had met before. “Look at Consort Rou in the palace, isn’t she also quite wicked? I think among all the people who have Luo family blood flowing through their veins, only Chu Jinglian is a little fool.”

Feng Ciyan's expression hardened slightly: "When you were in the palace, did they ever bully you? I remember that Consort Rou and your mother were always at odds."

“With my uncle protecting me, they can’t do anything too outrageous. Chu Jinglian has never gotten the better of me.” Feng Mian blinked, then suddenly thought of something. “But does Uncle know why the Empress Dowager dislikes my mother so much?”

The Empress Dowager treated all of the late Emperor's children with great kindness, but she was particularly critical of her mother.

Feng Ciyan's expression turned strange for a moment before he said, "The Empress Dowager and Princess Anle's birth mother were mortal enemies."

Feng Mian suddenly realized: "Oh, that's why he was so angry when he saw his son treating my mother like a brother."

Feng Ciyan nodded silently, then changed the subject: "Now that we know the Chen and Luo families have problems, let's start investigating."

He looked at Baili Xunzhou with piercing eyes.

For the next few days, neither Baili Xunzhou nor Feng Ciyan returned to their residence.

Just as autumn sowing was approaching, the vast fields were bustling with activity. Feng Mian rarely saw such a lively farming scene, so she excitedly lifted her skirt and ran to the edge of the field to watch.

Although she had seen the ceremony of personally plowing the fields in the palace, that perfunctory ceremony was far less impressive than the endless rows of fields and the countless people working there.

He and his colleagues from the Ministry of Agriculture were teaching the people how to plant potato and sweet potato seeds next to the wasteland.

Feng Mian walked along the narrow ridge of the field, but the soil under her feet was soft, and she stumbled, accidentally bumping into a person below the ridge. Just as she was about to hit the person, a steady hand reached out from behind and gently caught her.

Gu Chunwen stood at the foot of the field ridge, her clothes covered in mud yet still exuding elegance. "Princess, please be careful."

After helping Feng Mian to his feet, Gu Chunwen helped Lu Mingzhu, who had been knocked down by Feng Mian, to his feet. "Brother Lu, you shouldn't stand in such a dangerous place."

He was really afraid that Lu Mingzhu would be knocked down and scratched by the plow.

Lu Mingzhu got up from the ground, her robes covered in dust. Her ears turned slightly red when she heard this, and she laughed and said, "It's alright, it's alright. If I hadn't cushioned my fall here, the princess would have fallen."

"I'm sorry, Lord Lu." Feng Mian smiled rather embarrassedly.

Lu Mingzhu quickly waved his hand, "It's alright, it's alright. If I'm going to have a bad day, it's actually better this way!"

He stumbled for a moment, then explained, “I mean, it’s better than being butted by a cow in the field.”

Feng Mian couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Sunlight fell on Feng Mian, who was wearing an apricot-yellow brocade eight-panel dress, the subtle shimmer of the gold brocade pattern making her smile even brighter.

At this moment, a servant came running up behind her and reported: "Princess, someone from the capital has arrived."

"His Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince specially ordered me to deliver festival gifts to the Princess." The envoy bowed respectfully, and the attendants behind him opened the sandalwood boxes in front of him one by one.

"How has Uncle been lately?" Feng Mian glanced at the dazzling array of boxes before looking away.

The messenger respectfully reported: "His Majesty has recently caught a cold, which is not serious but he is not getting better. The imperial physician has advised him to rest well, and His Highness the Crown Prince said that he hopes you will write a few more letters back to remind His Majesty to take his medicine on time."

Her uncle, a grown man, was always very strict when urging her to take her medicine, but he couldn't seem to take it properly when it came to her own? Feng Mian frowned and made a mental note of it.

"His Highness the Crown Prince remembers that the Princess loves to eat crabs, so he specially picked out several baskets of plump crabs and sent them over." The messenger led Feng Mian a few steps forward, revealing three full baskets of plump crabs, each with a green shell and a white belly, bound with cattail reeds, their pincers still slowly moving.

The crabs, transported from afar, filled three baskets with live crabs in front of her; she wondered how many had died along the way. Feng Mian felt a pang of heartache, yet was also touched that her elder brother, the Crown Prince, had remembered to send her crabs.

The day after tomorrow will be Mid-Autumn Festival. I wonder if Baili Xunzhou will be able to make it back in time.

Back inside, she picked up a pen and wrote a note for Baili Xunzhou, and also drew a cute, plump crab staring pitifully at the small pond. She ordered someone to send it to Baili Xunzhou by fast horse.

Mid-Autumn Festival arrived in the blink of an eye. From morning till evening, not a single word came from Baili Xunzhou. Feng Mian suppressed his disappointment and dined with the princess.

As evening approached, the princess smiled and urged Fengmian to go to the street to see the lantern festival, saying, "The streets are very lively. Azhuo has been wanting you to see the lantern festival in the northern frontier for a long time, so go and join in the fun. I'm too old to walk that far, so I won't accompany you."

Feng Mian had no intention of admiring the lanterns, but he couldn't refuse the princess's kindness, so he had no choice but to take Liu Ying and Wu Liu and a few others out.

The long street was brightly lit and bustling with people.

Beside her, Firefly and Willow chattered and laughed, vying to point out the most beautiful lanterns on the street. Feng Mian's slightly gloomy mood was lifted, though a thought kept flashing through her mind: If only A-Zhuo were here.

"Princess, just you wait, I'll definitely be the first to catch that rabbit lantern!" Firefly and Willow raced to the front to guess the lantern riddles.

Feng Mian planned to find a place away from the crowd to wait for them. He took a few steps with that person when the crowd suddenly surged around him, scattering the maids he was protecting behind him. One of them gently bumped into his shoulder.

She turned around instinctively and saw a man wearing a fox mask standing quietly in front of her in the dim light.

The surrounding noise and chatter faded away, and the dazzling lights blurred into a dazzling and beautiful spectrum of colors in the field of vision. Only his tall and upright figure remained exceptionally clear.

He lowered his head, his slender fingers gently pushing the mask up, revealing his eyebrows, eyes, nose, and lips under the lamplight—images he had long envisioned in his mind.

It is a hundred-mile journey by boat.

Feng Mian opened his eyes wide, but before he could even exclaim, he had already put his index finger gently to his lips: "Shh."

Baili Xunzhou took out a rabbit mask from behind his back and gently put it on Feng Mian's face. Then he took her hand and led her to run against the flow of people.

The wind howled, sweeping away all the noise of people behind them.

A small boat is moored on the tranquil lakeside, far from the bustling city.

Bai Lixun led Fang onto the boat and into the cabin.

Thick, soft cushions were laid everywhere inside the boat, and yellow wine was warming on a small stove, where two bright red crabs were even steaming.

"When did you secretly prepare this? You've been back for a while now?"

Baili Xunzhou smiled but remained silent. Feng Mian feigned annoyance and lightly punched him. "Does Mother know about this too?"

"I asked my mother to steal this crab, and she gave me a good scolding," Baili Xunzhou complained, grimacing.

Feng Mian snorted lightly: "Serves you right."

"I just wanted to prepare a surprise for you." Baili Xunzhou took out the crabs and arranged them, then solemnly took out a set of crab-eating tools.

"Let me do it." Feng Mian was worried that he didn't know how to eat crab, and was about to take over when Baili Xunzhou gently pushed his hand away.

"I'll handle this troublesome stuff. You just enjoy yourself. I've been hiding away practicing how to dismantle crabs for ages."

As he spoke, he began to dismantle the crab. Although his movements were clumsy, they were very precise, clearly indicating that he had learned the technique carefully.

"Crabs are cold in nature, so we can't eat too many." He carefully arranged the peeled crab meat on a celadon plate. "I only prepared two, one for you and one for me."

Looking at the increasing amount of crab meat on the plate, Feng Mian smiled and said, "Wow, that's amazing!"

"You only realize how amazing I am today? It seems I still have a lot to learn in the future." Baili Xunzhou rambled on. "When winter comes, the northern border will be covered in snow and ice, which is very beautiful. There will also be ice skating competitions. I'll take you there to play, and you'll see me win a game for you."

"Then I'll be waiting."

He urged again, "We can't wait to eat crab, you should try it while it's hot."

Feng Mian took a bite with his chopsticks, then eagerly leaned over and asked, "Is it good?"

It's as if whether a crab tastes good or not depends entirely on how skillfully he disassembles it.

Feng Mian suppressed a laugh and nodded: "Delicious."

Bai Lixun was finally relieved. After dissecting the crab and washing his hands, he picked up the small wine pot and poured two cups of warm yellow wine.

Feng Mian took one of the cups and was about to drink it when Baili Xunzhou gently grasped her wrist. "That's not how you drink it."

"Huh?" Feng Mian looked at him in confusion. Was there any particular etiquette involved in drinking rice wine?

Baili Xunzhou lifted her wrist, pulling her arm through the crook of his arm that held the wine glass.

The distance between the two suddenly closed with this action; their sleeves overlapped, and their breaths could be heard.

He lowered his eyes and said gently, "On our wedding day, we did not drink the nuptial wine."

Feng Mian was slightly taken aback, her eyebrows twitched slightly, and she curved her lips into a slight smile. Following his movement, she leaned closer, intertwined her arms with his, and drank a belated cup of nuptial wine.

The covered boat swayed gently on the lake with the ripples. Bai Lixun boat cleared everything out of the cabin and moved it to the bow. The night breeze entered the cabin, carrying away the lingering smell of food.

Through the lifted curtain, Feng Mian saw the rippling water. "Is this boat heading to some strange place?"

"No, I've tested it beforehand. It will get stuck in the middle of the reeds and then stop."

As soon as Baili Xunzhou finished speaking, the boat shook and came to a stop.

Feng Mian was stunned for a moment, then quickly turned over and knelt up. He crawled two steps to Baili Xun's side, leaned over him, lifted the curtain and looked out. Sure enough, he saw a dense expanse of reeds, which looked like layers of snow waves under the moonlight as the night breeze gently blew.

"It really is a reed marsh. When did you get back? How come you even have time to test the boat?" She was still bothered by the fact that Baili Xunzhou had secretly returned without telling her, which had made her worry.

As Feng Mian braced herself against the side of the boat and prepared to straighten up, she was suddenly gently scratched on the waist. The ticklish sensation made her instinctively flinch, lose her balance, and fall straight into Bai Lixun's arms.

Baili Xunzhou opened his arms, waiting for Feng Mian to "throw herself into his arms." He swiftly closed his long arms and embraced her. "Because I want..."

His voice whispered in Feng Mian's ear, slightly breathy, his breath making her earlobe feel hot, "I'll give you an unforgettable night..."

A gentle kiss landed on his burning earlobe. Feng Mian heard Baili Xunzhou chuckle softly. Feeling resentful, she propped herself up on his chest with both hands and bit down on his Adam's apple.

Hearing him let out a muffled groan, her legs, which were pinned beneath him, trembled. Worried she'd bitten too hard, she quickly kissed him, "Hold me..."

Before the syllables she uttered could even form, she felt a sudden dizziness and fell backward onto the soft cushion. The boat beneath her swayed gently, and the faint sound of flowing water seemed to brush against her head.

He cupped her face in one hand, and light kisses landed on her eyes, the bridge of her nose, and her moist lips, a tingling, itchy sensation spreading all the way to his fingertips.

The luminous pearls used for lighting inside the ship rolled off, casting a brilliant light on the boats that traveled a hundred miles.

His dry lips trembled slightly as he kissed Fengmian's ear again. "Is it okay?"

A kiss spoke for all the answers.

Outside the boat, the rain was as fine as a thin mist, enveloping the swaying awning boat. Inside, the heat gathered, turning into a few drops of sweat at the slightest touch.

-----------------------

Author's note: Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! [kissing emojis]

Great news! This novel is finally going to be available for purchase! [fireworks] I've applied for it to go live on the 10th. There won't be any subscription limit before it's finished, so just keep subscribing from where you left off. Happy Mid-Autumn Festival, enjoy reading, and have a wonderful life! [hugs]