Looking at the Sword by Lamplight (Twenty)

Meng Shizhuang's left fingertips were still stained with blood. He touched Bian Hongqiu's back, rubbing it inch by inch, soothing the still-trembling body beneath his hands. His kiss was brief and light, but it instantly ignited Bian Hongqiu's lonely soul. The kiss wasn't meant to be an intimate touch, but more like a sign of affirmation.

After the kiss, Meng Shizhuang hooked her right wrist and wiped the tears from Bian Hongqiu's face.

He lowered his eyes and, in the quiet light from the window, described Bian Hongqiu's face more carefully than ever before.

"Bian Hongqiu, you've been crying so much."

Bian Hongqiu looked up at him in a daze.

Meng Shizhuang propped herself up on her cold, stiff knees, suppressing a grimacing expression as she hugged Bian Hongqiu. "I seem to remember you were much taller than me ten years ago. Why do you want me to look down at you now?"

Bian Hongqiu was so mesmerized by his measured kisses and the contented glances he gave her under the moonlight that he couldn't hear what Meng Shizhuang was saying, let alone the argument about who was superior. A sharp pain in his knee made him frown, his legs numb. This time, he lost his balance and fell heavily into Meng Shizhuang's arms.

Meng Shizhuang supported him, her voice steady and calm, "Stand still, Your Highness."

The last two words of the name hit his earlobe as the master bowed his head. The sticky sound spun around and went into his brain through his ear, making half of his body limp. He shivered violently.

He didn't know that Meng Shizhuang was pretending to be indifferent. He felt like a playboy who was merciful and just nodded to him with all his sincerity - after all, Meng Shizhuang had knelt in front of him for a long time and was not willing to marry him. The rare tears in her eyes were burned dry by anger the moment she heard his expression... Even this kiss seemed like a helpless compromise.

Bian Hongqiu held Meng Shizhuang's slender waist and staggered to the bed.

The bed shook a few times under the weight of two grown men. Meng Shizhuang had never held a sword on the bed in his life, never a person.

Besides, Bian Hongqiu was not as comfortable holding a sword.

After thinking for a while without success, Meng Shizhuang gently pushed Bian Hongqiu a little closer to the bed so that both of them would not have a sleepless night.

However, Bian Hongqiu was immediately panicked by this action, and rolled over on Meng Shizhuang without any instruction.

Meng Shizhuang: “…”

But the talk was done. Over the years, Meng Shizhuang had finally learned a lesson about life: don't take your anger out on those closest to you. Though he'd learned this a little late, it was perfect for dealing with Bian Hongqiu right now. So, despite feeling incredibly uncomfortable, he still lifted Bian Hongqiu's belt and helped her adjust her position while she lay on top of him.

"D-Do you like sleeping like this?"

Meng Shizhuang said hesitantly.

Bian Hongqiu had never slept like this before. He was a very good sleeper, and he probably didn't make such exaggerated movements even in the womb. But just in case Meng Shizhuang pushed him away, he just hummed a "hmm" without any surprise.

In the dim night, Meng Shizhuang rubbed Bian Hongqiu's head with some worry.

...He didn't like this position very much, thinking they were too close, and Bian Hongqiu's heart, beating louder than thunder god's snoring, was really disturbing his sleep.

But never mind.

Meng Shizhuang hadn't been too physically exhausted these past few days, but following Bian Hongqiu through the brothels, openly attending operas and secretly entertaining a multitude of random clients, had left him feeling uneasy, even if he didn't want to think. Thinking was exhausting, and tonight, his moods fluctuated dramatically, exhaustion spreading through his mind. He couldn't open his eyes the moment he sat down on the bed.

Just as I was about to fall asleep, I felt the other heart pressed against my chest floating up into the air.

He subconsciously put his arms around Bian Hongqiu's waist and lifted her up.

Then, the heart slowly dropped until it landed back on his chest.

Dongdong, Dongdong...

The heartbeat became lighter and slower with extraordinary consideration.

When he was still a little conscious, he heard Bian Hongqiu ask him, "Ah, you're never going to leave, right?"

Meng Shizhuang frowned and had no strength to speak.

He retorted in his mind: Do I look like a wild horse that has broken free from its reins? Ten years ago you asked me where I was going, and now you ask me if I am going.

He perfunctorily reached out and tapped Bian Hongqiu on the back twice, then did nothing else.

Bian Hongqiu leaned over his neck in this awkward position, listening to Meng Shizhuang's breathing. The smell of blood still lingered on his nose. Because he hadn't prepared for the fall into the bed, his eyes and mouth were full of his own long hair, making it impossible for him to even look at Meng Shizhuang.

He first deliberately tried to catch Meng Shizhuang's breath, then began to rub against her neck with ever-so-slight movements, trying to connect with the strongest beat of her heart. Then, his hand, which had been pressing on Meng Shizhuang's chest, slid under her loosened clothes, touched the patch of flesh just before her heart, and then he calmed down.

All night long, he counted Meng Shizhuang's breaths and her heartbeats.

I entertained myself until dawn, when sleepiness gradually set in.

Bian Hongqiu was indeed not the kind of person who slept restlessly. As soon as she closed her eyes, her body naturally moved away from Meng Shizhuang and returned to her peaceful position with her hands clasped on her abdomen.

After Hengbo left the wing, she crouched and listened for a moment in the corner. The noise inside was incredibly intense. Besides the bed, there were also the sounds of tables, chairs, soft couches, oil lamps, and even the ripping of silk. Even the deliberately hushed voices seemed insignificant. Although she had never married since she was with Song Jingyan, she knew everything she needed to know.

Therefore, it was confirmed that Her Highness would not leave the room too early today.

She ordered the kitchen to heat up some light porridge in the pot, and asked someone to get some medicine for internal and external use. She moved an embroidered stool and sat at the door of Bian Hongqiu's room, leaning on the railing and listening to the music.

At noon, there was a slight sound from the door. Hengbo immediately turned around and found Meng Shizhuang limping out with her clothes half-tied up.

He was awakened by pain in his knee.

Ever since Huang Quezhou's serious injury, any inappropriate movement or diet would manifest itself in a more severe form the next day. While he felt he should cherish his body, he also tended to slack off, thinking a day or two of relaxation wouldn't hurt. Consequently, he took his medicine without fail and never missed the chance to commit suicide.

The situation in Chunxiangzhou was tense and ever-changing. Even Bian Hongqiu, a legitimate prince, had to fend for himself from time to time, and Meng Shizhuang was even more unwilling to rely on others for anything. He trudged downstairs to the backyard, clutching one knee. He fetched a bucket of water and sat by the well, waiting for it to boil. Then he wrung out some warm water from a handkerchief and applied it to his knee.

After the discomfort subsided, he went upstairs with warm water.

Hengbo, who was sitting in front of the door of the compartment, was filled with doubts that were about to soar to the sky.

She didn't know the origins of Bian Hongqiu's feelings for Meng Shizhuang, nor did she know Meng Shizhuang herself. But from their brief time together, she knew clearly that she was a sword that refused to yield. Her whole being was characterized by both hardness and stubbornness, and she possessed courage, daring to unleash her razor-sharp edge upon anyone.

Her Highness may have become a sword with a hidden edge but an unstoppable sword over the years, but perhaps he was too deeply influenced by his childhood personality, and many times he unconsciously showed a hint of gentleness in his actions - even if this was not true, Hengbo really couldn't imagine how the Highness could tame a sword that would rather break than bend, except by throwing off the shackles and forcing himself on her for once.

She could not have imagined that the prince who dared to force himself on her would have any other fate except being stabbed to death by Meng Shizhuang.

Is it really possible to fly away with your loved one with just two tears?

ha.

Hengbo was amused by his own thoughts.

She looked at Meng Shizhuang who was working hard to carry hot water into the wing room, and felt that Meng Shizhuang must have had evil intentions for a long time, otherwise, with such a noisy scene that made the entire theater noisy, Meng Shizhuang would at least leave in shame and anger.

Hengbo sat quietly at the door for a while longer, then heard Bian Hongqiu call for her to find two clean, unremarkable sets of clothes. He was going out with someone to do some errands. She agreed, but as she entered the room, holding the clothes, she couldn't help but glance at him. "After a night of intense battle, how could His Highness still have the energy to do something important?"

Looking at it this way, I actually saw a slight scratch on the side of Her Highness's beautiful face, and several scratches on the palm and back of her left hand.

Hengbo lifted Bian Hongqiu's coat and began to help him change. As she undressed him, she noticed the bruised fingerprints on the back of his neck. She was horrified, wishing she could grow wings and fly back to Song Jingyan. She glared at Meng Shizhuang with resentment and resentment, thinking: What a beast playing hard to get! He had always acted like he was provoked by His Highness, all a facade to fool outsiders.

Meng Shizhuang, who was wiping the sword with the remaining warm water, did not notice Hengbo's gaze.

Bian Hongqiu called out to Hengbo twice but got no response. So, he snatched the belt from Hengbo's hand and tied it himself, asking, "What are you daydreaming about? Pick two people to go with me to the west camp of Chunxiang Island."

Hengbo finally came back to her senses. She glared at the back of Meng Shizhuang's head again, then took the order and left in a hurry.

Bian Hongqiu, leaving her women's clothing behind and tying her hair up, was about to go to work. She glanced in the mirror to see if she was looking untidy when she saw the marks on her face and neck. Meng Shizhuang, standing up with her sword in hand, noticed the large bruise on the back of his neck and, feeling very embarrassed, reached out to scratch it.

Bian Hongqiu climbed up the pole and turned back to give him a look of grievance.

Meng Shizhuang was still conscious despite her beauty: "...You asked for it. Next time, if you have something to say, talk to me nicely and don't pounce on me."

Having failed to extort what he wanted, Bian Hongqiu nodded. He strapped the sword to Meng Shizhuang's right arm, skillfully tying the ribbon into a knot at the wrist. When the sword was ready, it could be easily drawn from the sleeve and then tightened around the slightly wider hilt. He thought for a moment, then raised an eyebrow. "I don't think I'll need to use the sword much."

Meng Shizhuang saw on his face an eagerness to do something bad.

Bian Hongqiu: "Chunxiang Island is already in turmoil with soldiers and horses gathered inside and outside. King Jingxi has also used explosives to completely scorch the island. Let's cool down Chunxiang Island."