Cold War love is heartbreaking

Having relieved himself of his resentment after the disturbance, Dou Yu left feeling refreshed. After all, he was young and his emotions came in waves, showing no trace of the distraught state he had been on the night of the assassination attempt.

Dou Yu was unaffected, and Jiang Yan, who was still awake, relaxed. It would be quite a challenge for her to comfort Dou Yu and tell her not to be afraid.

Jiang Yan was exhausted from the commotion at the hot springs last night, so she didn't have Ah Chou keep watch. Jiang Yan glanced at the sky outside and frowned almost imperceptibly.

It's almost noon, why hasn't he arrived yet? Could it be that he's having health problems?

The weather is getting warmer, but it's cool in the mornings and evenings, so you might catch a chill while drying yourself off on the shore.

Thinking of Ah Chou's figure, which never seemed to gain weight no matter how much she fed him, Jiang Yan Hui felt a pang of distress.

The person she was thinking of appeared before her the next second, and Jiang Yanhui couldn't help but smile faintly. She patted the cushion beside her, gesturing for him to sit down next to her.

Her gaze shifted from Ah Chou's face to her empty hair bun. Her smile faded, replaced by a puzzled expression. As a result, she completely ignored Ah Chou's command for her to sit down.

Why don't you put the hairpin on?

Ah Chou's eyes trembled slightly, and her hand, which was hidden in her sleeve, suddenly clenched. In her palm was the white jade hairpin.

The opinion of Jiang Yanhui that Ah Chou overheard while eavesdropping on the wall mercilessly extinguished the faint hope that Ah Chou had once again ignited.

Having finally mustered the courage, Ah Chou, heartbroken, retreated to what she considered her safe zone as a form of self-protection, learning how to distance herself from Jiang Yan Hui to avoid falling deeper into the trap and suffering a tragic end of losing both her body and her heart.

He twitched his fingers, wanting to return the hairpin, just to put an end to the thought.

Jiang Yan replied, "That design is a bit too simple. If you don't like it, I'll have the craftsman make it again."

Last night I mentioned it to Uncle Ban and learned that Ah Chou's best friend, the one named Xiao Le, had redeemed himself and left the Prince's mansion.

Jiang Yan noticed that Ah Chou was acting strangely and assumed that he was still grieving the loss of his friend.

He rested his chin on his hand and pondered for a while, then tapped the table twice rhythmically with his fingertips and said, "Since you're free, I'll give you two days off. If you need to go out of the manor to get the permit from Uncle Ban, just say it's my idea."

Ah Chou slowly raised her eyes, her fingernails digging into the soft flesh of her palm to barely suppress her restless heart, and she took a deep breath to forcefully calm her racing heartbeat.

It was all just wishful thinking on his part. From beginning to end, Jiang Yanhui and he were only master and servant. The two, who were not equal in status, were destined to have no future.

Ah Chou responded and left dejectedly, carrying complicated and painful thoughts in her heart.

——

During Ah Chou's two days off, Xi Ping took over his work. Xi Ping was an old servant in the courtyard, and he was very steady and efficient in his work. Often, Jiang Yan Hui could get what he needed with just a glance.

Having such a comfortable servant should be very pleasant. Jiang Yan Hui did feel that Xi Ping was easier to serve than A Chou, but she could not deny that the emotional value that A Chou brought her was irreplaceable.

Two days later, Ah Chou returned to his post, and Jiang Yan Hui felt a strange sense of anticipation, wondering what Ah Chou would do that would interest her this time.

Jiang Yan Hui was never one to be content with a life of simplicity and few desires; with someone in front of her who suited her tastes in every way, she was even less likely to suppress her desires.

The outer room lights were turned off at night. Jiang Yanhui beckoned with her finger, and A Chou understood the meaning. She lowered her eyes and obediently followed Jiang Yanhui into the inner room.

The moon quietly climbed onto the treetops, and the occasional call of a cuckoo echoed through the courtyard.

With a whoosh, the bed curtains were flung open from the inside, carrying the owner's anger. The cold air that rushed in made Ah Chou, who was curled up on her side, shiver. She silently pulled the blanket up to cover her chin.

The experience was terrible, so terrible that Jiang Yan Hui couldn't pinpoint what Ah Chou had done to offend her, which made her even angrier.

She glanced down at Ah Chou, whose eyes were red at the corners, and her anger subsided considerably. She sighed and said, "If you haven't recovered from the sadness of Xiao Le's departure, I don't mind giving you a few more days off."

Ah Chou looked away, never daring to stare directly at Jiang Yan Hui for too long, clutching the brocade quilt and enduring the pain.

Jiang Yanhui's silence reignited her anger. The angrier she got, the calmer she appeared on the surface. She said coldly, "I don't need boring people in my bed."

A sharp pain shot through Ah Chou's heart, and tears instantly welled up in her eyes.

Jiang Yanhui's patience was indeed worn off by the intentional dullness and rigidity. If this continued, she would get tired of him in no time.

Ah Chou thought the worst outcome would be to return to Da Zhuang's dormitory and become a lowly household slave again.

That's good enough. Ah Chou never cared about the harsh words of others. Exhausted work only made him think about rest and eating, not feel as bad as he does now.

Jiang Yanhui gave A Chou another two days off and allowed him to leave the palace to relax and have some fun. Jiang Yanhui didn't know whether A Chou went or not.

When summoned again, Ah Chou remained motionless, like a block of wood, biting her lower lip and swallowing the unbearable moans in her throat. The whole encounter ended in an eerie silence.

How could the extremely intelligent Jiang Yan Hui not notice A Chou's deliberate actions? An extremely proud person would never lower their head to ask the reason, so they secretly competed with each other, trying every means to force A Chou to speak.

The two stubborn and obstinate individuals engage in a psychological battle, turning every intimate encounter into a fight rather than a pleasurable experience; instead, they find themselves locked in a silent struggle.

The bed curtains blocked out the fresh air, making the room stuffy and humid. Jiang Yan brushed aside the stray hairs on her forehead, revealing deep eyebrows and eyes beneath her full, smooth forehead. Her lowered eyes quietly looked at A Chou, who was lying flat on the brocade quilt, her chest heaving as she panted heavily.

Beneath her rosy, full lips were red teeth marks, the marks Ah Chou had made while enduring the pain.

A faint purple finger mark remained under his slightly raised chin. It was a mark left by Jiang Yanhui when he forced him to stretch out his body. Against Ah Chou's pale skin, it looked terrifying at first glance.

Jiang Yan Hui was unwilling to admit that she had lost her patience, but the truth was that A Chou's silent resistance made her very angry. She couldn't even find any faults to punish him, so she could only make him suffer in bed time and time again.

Jiang Yanhui had had enough of the torturous game, but the fire burning in her heart showed no signs of extinguishing. No one knew Jiang Yanhui better than herself; she understood that continuing like this could very well lead to her losing control and truly hurting someone someday.

Jiang Yanhui lifted the curtain, slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, unwilling to look at A Chou's flushed face any longer, put on her clothes without a word and left, unilaterally ending this meaningless match.

As the door slammed shut, Ah Chou blinked, and tears she had been holding back for so long slid down her cheeks. It was all over.

Once his limbs regained sensation from the numbness, Ah Chou struggled to get up and put on his clothes. The bronze mirror reflected the man's slender and graceful figure, with red marks crisscrossing his snow-white skin, like blooming plum blossoms.

Despite his exhaustion, he diligently tidied up the bed before leaving.

He didn't know where Jiang Yan had gone back to, but he knew he didn't want her to be unable to get a good night's sleep after she returned.

Ah Chou dared not investigate the reasons behind it; keeping things in the dark would save him a lot of trouble, at least for him at the moment.

Having been plagued by nightmares all night, Ah Chou woke up feeling extremely tired. Still half-asleep, she pushed open the window and looked at the hazy white sky in the distance. She slowly got ready and went to her shift.

Xi Ping, who was sweeping the yard, called out to the dazed Ah Chou, "Hey, Ah Chou, why are you here so early?"

Ah Chou forced a smile and tried to cheer himself up.

"Didn't you know that Wang Zun left last night?" Xi Ping said with a laugh. "Look at the dark circles under your eyes. Go back and catch up on your sleep."

Someone called out to Xiping, and Xiping responded, "Even if you're young, you have to take care of your health. Wang Zun hasn't said when he'll be back, so you should take this time to rest. I'll take care of things in the courtyard."

Ah Chou couldn't remember how he reacted when he left the courtyard. He only vaguely remembered that Xi Ping looked at him with surprise and kept asking him if he was in a bad mood.

I wiped my face; it was covered in water.

Jiang Yanhui left without a word, undoubtedly because he had lost interest after enduring so many times. Even though he had achieved the desired result, A Chou was in more pain than before.

I finally understand why love can break one's heart.

——

Jiang Yanhui was gone for two months. Everyone in the manor except for A Chou seemed to have gotten used to it, and no one thought about when Jiang Yanhui would return.

"Young Master Dou has summoned you." Xi Ping raised his arm to shield his face from the blazing sun, jogged under the eaves, and exhaled, "It's only the beginning of summer, and it's already so hot."

The damaged furniture from the main house was brought in from various places. Ah Chou had just finished cleaning up the house when beads of sweat appeared on her small nose.

Chong Xiping smiled, indicating that he understood.

He scooped up some water to wash his face, not even wiping the water droplets off, and hurriedly went to Dou Yu's courtyard.

The day after Jiang Yan left the Prince's Mansion, Lang Rong, having learned the news, also left. With no one to keep her company, Dou Yu sought out A Chou to relieve her boredom.

Ah Chou was willing to listen to Dou Yu talk. He always talked about things that Ah Chou didn't know, which always gave Ah Chou a great ear-opening experience. And... occasionally, Ah Chou could also hear a few words about Jiang Yan Hui's past, which made Ah Chou's heart pound and he pricked up his ears to remember them carefully.

As soon as I stepped into the house, I heard Dou Yu's mournful voice, "You've finally arrived. I was so bored I almost peeled a whole plate of sunflower seeds."

A small handful of melon seeds were placed in a white porcelain dish, with broken melon seed shells on the side.

Ah Chou cleaned up the food scraps on the table before sitting down on a stool.

"Is summer always this hot in Lingzhou? Winter and summer are such extremes! It's like being steamed alive! Why don't they offer some ice to cool us down?"

There was no one else in the courtyard. Dou Yu was only wearing a vest, with her arms exposed, offering no relief from the heat. "I really admire them; they can stay in Lingzhou for ten years."

The peeled sunflower seeds returned to Dou Yu's stomach, leaving a lingering fragrance in her mouth as she chewed them.

Dou Yu leaned back, fanning himself, and sighed, "My cousin is coming back to the capital for the New Year this year. You're her personal attendant, so you'll definitely be going with her. I'll show you the sights of the capital; I guarantee it'll be much more interesting than Lingzhou."

Last year I sneaked into Lingzhou and saw the streets completely deserted. I thought I'd wandered into some ghost town. What place is so quiet during the Spring Festival? It's truly baffling.

Ah Chou smiled faintly. Two months ago, he might have been able to dream of following Jiang Yan back to the capital, but now... once Jiang Yan returns, he will probably have to leave the main courtyard and take up a post elsewhere.

I thought the two months apart would allow me to calm down, but it turns out that my longing only intensifies. I've been wanting to give up and wallow in self-pity for so long, regardless of the consequences.

"Do you know why my cousin would give up a perfectly good life as a prince and come to such a remote and harsh place as Lingzhou?" Dou Yu waved her fan, looking like a knowledgeable and unfathomable person.

Upon hearing about Jiang Yanhui, A Chou immediately perked up.

"Outsiders say that His Majesty is wary of the Prince of Jiangbei, but that's not the case. As far as I know, it was my cousin who volunteered to come to Lingzhou. But I don't know why she came here. Perhaps, perhaps my mother is here?"

Dou Yu wasn't sure either, and waved her hand, returning the topic to the prosperity and fun of the capital.

However, compared to Jiang Yanhui's affair, the splendor and prosperity of the capital city no longer aroused A Chou's interest.

——

In the military camp far outside the city, soldiers were doing their morning drills in an orderly fashion, their shouts echoing across the parade ground.

Jiang Yanhui, who was leading the group, was dressed in a black training uniform. Her rolled-up sleeves revealed a section of her slender and powerful arm. The long spear she held created afterimages in her hands, and the powerful sound of the spearhead made of black iron cutting through the air was enough to make one's teeth ache.

After finishing her morning exercise, Jiang Yan picked up her sheepskin water bag and gulped down cold water. The overflowing water slid down her sweaty neck and soaked her collar.

Many of the departing soldiers secretly glanced at her.

Jiang Yanhui rarely stayed in the military camp for more than two months, let alone led the soldiers in morning exercises every day during that time, as if he was holding his breath and competing with someone.

Jiang Yanhui wiped the water from her chin and glanced at Deng Jiajin, who was standing not far away with a look of satisfaction in her eyes. She had been like this for the past three days while Jiang Yanhui had been leading the soldiers in morning exercises.

"I heard from Colonel Lang that you are returning to the capital for the New Year this year. Could you give me a ride?" Deng Jiajin stepped forward and asked.

After their conversation, the relationship between the two eased considerably, at least maintaining a semblance of harmony. Jiang Yan's change in attitude also improved the attitude of Deng Jiajin's subordinates, who stopped chattering and finding fault.

Jiang Yan tossed the water bag to the soldier beside her. "Okay, have someone let you know when we leave."

"Actually, I came here not mainly for this matter. General Dou intends for you to go back and rest for a while, and adjust your condition before returning to the military camp."

Deng Jiajin had her hands tucked into her sleeves; despite the sweating weather where one would sweat even standing still, she remained clean.

Jiang Yan frowned, and then Deng Jiajin took another half step forward, lowered her voice, and said very quickly, "According to reliable sources, the new leader of the You tribe has sent a lot of people to infiltrate Lingzhou, seemingly to investigate something. Someone needs to be left in Lingzhou to keep watch."

Jiang Yanhui's mind first conjured up Ah Chou's face, then the situation Deng Jiajin had described. She looked away in annoyance, not knowing who she was angry with, and said coldly, "I know."

Deng Jiajin was left looking completely bewildered. She looked left and right, wondering why she was angry when no one had said anything hurtful.

A tall, strong black horse galloped out of the camp, its hooves kicking up dust and creating a cloud of mist.

Jiang Yanhui lowered his bamboo hat with one hand, his face covered by a black cloth, revealing only a pair of captivating eyes that concealed an unfathomable and complex inner turmoil.

Around noon, Jiang Yan arrived in Lingzhou.

The golden sun hung high overhead, at the hottest time of the day.

The tall, magnificent horse strolled along the street at its master's command, walking unhurriedly towards the Prince's Palace.

Jiang Yanhui's eyes, hidden beneath a straw hat, swept over the stalls lining both sides of the road, scrutinizing the passersby. His fingertips rubbed the leather reins as he casually withdrew his gaze.

Jiang Yan dismounted in front of the Jiangbei Prince's Mansion, took off his straw hat to cover his face, and strode inside while instructing Aunt Pan, "Send someone to investigate the newly opened rouge shop on the main road, the wonton stall downstairs in the east, the woman in blue clothes and black pants turning into the west alley, and the woman with a mole on the corner of her mouth wearing a brown headscarf..."

Aunt Pan agreed to each of them, saying, "Your Majesty, during the days you were away from Lingzhou, your men found quite a few people from the You tribe. However, since the two sides have always had trade relations, we had people secretly observe and monitor them, not daring to alert them."

"Well done." Jiang Yan didn't even look at the list Aunt Pan had compiled. "Keep a close eye on these people and figure out what they're up to before you deal with them."

"Yes," Aunt Pan said.

Jiang Yan glanced out of the corner of her eye, saw something, and her pupils contracted rapidly. Almost instinctively, she shouted, "You dare to go down!"

Aunt Pan, who was standing nearby, was startled and quickly looked in the direction of the gaze.

Under the blinding blazing sun, a servant was seen clinging to a stone by the pond, repeatedly trying to slide down, but hesitant to step to the bottom out of fear.

Jiang Yan shouted at him, and he immediately pulled his foot back from testing the water. He only managed to stay in the water by clinging to a large rock on the shore.

Aunt Pan squinted and examined it carefully, murmuring, "Ah Chou."

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Author's Note: Next chapter's synopsis/plot [starry-eyed]