Chapter 48 Skin-to-Skin Intimacy

Lin Yuan looked up from the clouds and saw a large, shimmering white blur before her eyes.

Xiao Xun had already pulled out a cloth and draped it over his body.

The gust of wind caused Lin Yuan to stumble.

She quickly picked up the medicine box that had fallen to the ground, turned around, and retreated behind the screen.

The screen shone with light, outlining the shapely figure of a person. She held her breath, not daring to turn around.

Behind me, I heard a series of loud crashes and bangs.

It was as if the bamboo swayed, bumped into the screen, touched the lamp stand with an elbow, kicked the bamboo basket with a foot, and something fell to the ground and into the water.

After an unknown amount of time, Xiao Xun's voice gently rang in my ears, "All done."

He was only wearing a middle-aged garment.

The water droplets on her body hadn't been dried off, and there were several water stains seeping through her undergarments, clinging to the curves of her waist and abdomen.

"You're not going to wear another piece of clothing?" Lin Yuan pursed her lips and turned her gaze away.

The brocade robe and belt hanging on the trellis were soaked in the puddles on the ground, leaving the place in a mess.

He smiled and said, "I was afraid you'd have to wait too long."

Once the two of them had arrived at the table, he sat down and rolled up his sleeves.

The tie at the waist of his undergarment had only been loosely wrapped once. When he raised his hand, the garment came undone. He quickly withdrew his hand, folded the garment back together, and tried to tie it again.

Due to the sudden exertion, fresh blood immediately spread around the white cloth covering the wound on his left arm.

Lin Yuan's face was as red as the fresh blood seeping from his arm.

After fastening the inner garment and smoothing the collar, she found a new outer robe, carefully avoiding the wound, and put it on. Then she rolled up the sleeves to her elbows. She smiled at Xiao Xun, who was looking down into her eyes suspiciously: "You said that now that you don't allow eunuchs to serve you closely, what kind of clothes do you usually wear?"

"..."

Xiao Xun's smile froze on his face: "Changing clothes doesn't count as physical intimacy, does it?"

He hesitated again, then asked, "Otherwise, is helping me change like this considered...?"

Lin Yuan blushed and her heart pounded. Before he could finish speaking, she quickly shook her head.

Seeing his exposed arms reminded me of the dragon's hands and legs in the pool.

She quickly finished applying the medicine and then wrapped the exposed section almost completely with cloth strips.

Just as she was about to say goodbye, she looked up slightly and saw Xiao Xun's other hand approaching the hair that was hanging down her shoulder.

Their eyes met, their gazes mingling.

His hand was suspended in mid-air.

"Oh, I..." The two spoke at the same time, their voices clashing, and then they fell silent.

"Oh, my hair is so messy. Sorry." She tilted her head and brushed her hair back.

"Oh, I mean, your hair isn't completely dry yet, be careful not to catch a cold."

A strand of black hair slipped through Xiao Xun's fingertips and drifted away.

He rubbed his fingertips, lost in thought, wondering what it would be like if he picked up a cloth and gently wiped her hair, or took a jade comb and combed her hair.

“I was thinking that your wound had reopened and that being in the water for too long would cause you to lose too much blood. So, I changed my clothes and came back without even drying my hair,” Lin Yuan hurriedly explained, her face still flushed. “I called out to you from outside the screen several times, but didn’t hear a response, so I came in. I thought you… were asleep.”

What she was really worried about was that he had fainted.

"It's good that you came back in time." He listened quietly, raised his eyebrows and smiled, "When I heard your voice just now, I really thought I was dreaming."

"You really fell asleep?"

He raised an eyebrow: "Pretty much. I woke up when I heard your voice and thought about chasing after you."

Lin Yuan was stunned.

"Then maybe you shouldn't take a shower in the middle of the night anymore. It's kind of worrying."

Xiao Xun sighed softly, her eyes revealing her worry.

A thought suddenly struck him.

"Otherwise, you can leave me a personal item. That way, I'll know I have someone with me, and I won't have nightmares."

Is this okay?

"Mm." Xiao Xun looked at her expectantly, a smile secretly appearing on his lips.

Lin Yuan glanced outside and could vaguely see the guards on duty, standing as straight as pine trees.

"But don't you have people keeping watch over you? So many people are with you."

She frowned slightly and asked suspiciously, "Are we standing too far away? Should we have them stand guard by your bedside?"

Xiao Xun was speechless at her words, but instead laughed: "Don't you think that makes it easier for people to have nightmares?"

Lin Yuan thought about it and realized it made sense.

She was also eager to get rid of this nightmare in the middle of the night, so she racked her brains trying to think of what "personal item" she should give him.

handkerchief?

That phoenix-patterned handkerchief originally belonged to him; in a way, she had kept it for herself years ago. He was very fastidious, and even though she washed the blood-stained handkerchief clean, she dared not return it. Of course, the phoenixes flying on the handkerchief were truly beautiful.

hairpin?

She came out in a hurry, and casually took a jade hairpin from the dressing table in the west wing to tie her hair up. Up to now, the affection she had for this hairpin was probably only enough for half an hour, which wouldn't be enough to fool Xiao Xun.

Sachet?

Ever since she learned that Xiao Xun disliked incense and only preferred the natural fragrance of a gentle breeze, she had stopped using sachets.

Seeing her hesitation, Xiao Xun said, "How about this, I'll exchange mine with you? That way, you won't be giving it to me for nothing."

As he spoke, he got up and went straight to the bedside.

Lin Yuan saw that he bypassed the dragon and phoenix patterned pouch and took a phoenix and luan patterned pendant directly from beside the jade pendant set.

The jade pendant adorned with phoenixes shimmered and glowed under the candlelight of the intertwined lanterns.

"You're going to trade this for me? This is far too valuable."

"You gave me a papaya, I returned a precious jade." He said with a smile.

It's not a repayment, but a promise of lasting friendship. This is one of the lines from his "I love you" poem.

However, Lin Yuan still harbored resentment towards him, so he could only swallow his next words and dared not tell her that this jade pendant was a pair with his dragon-patterned pendant. However, he had carried the dragon-patterned jade pendant with him every day before, and Lin Yuan had long been familiar with it.

She'll understand.

Fearing she wouldn't understand, he added, "It's something I always carry with me, like a talisman."

Except for the dragon-patterned pendant, Xiao Xun's jade pendants were constantly being replaced.

Lin Yuan suspected that even the dragon-patterned pendant might not have been able to win his favor over the years.

She remembered that there was a white jade pendant with a dragon head on the original pendant, and she never saw him without it. Now, after not seeing him for several months, it had been replaced with a white jade rhinoceros pendant.

The phoenix pendant in front of me is clearly new.

As for carrying it with him, it probably refers to bringing the Kingdom of Huaiyang from Chang'an.

Lin Yuan couldn't help but tease, "Since it's like a talisman, how can you give it to someone else?"

"You are my talisman," Xiao Xun murmured.

Lin Yuan was surprised, and Xiao Xun smiled and said, "If you hadn't come in just now, my injury probably wouldn't have healed."

As he spoke, he raised his injured arm, his left hand pressed against his chest.

The jade pendant landed in Lin Yuan's palm.

Lin Yuan hesitated for a moment, then turned around, took off the white jade pendant hanging from her chest, and handed it over.

This pendant is used to ward off evil spirits.

As for the evil spirit in the palace, for a very long time, she felt that it was Xiao Xun.

It would be appropriate to give it to him.

I don't know what possessed him, but one moment he would ask her for her personal belongings, and the next he would insist on giving her his personal items.

Well, it's only fair to return the favor, so I don't owe anyone a favor.

You gave me a papaya, I returned a precious jade.

Not everyone's things are like papaya, and he's not the only one with Qiong Yao and Qiong Ju.

When Xiao Xun saw the jade pendant shaped like a dragon and tiger, he was indeed slightly taken aback: "This jade pendant is quite similar to the craftsmanship in the palace."

Lin Yuan then suddenly remembered the origin of the jade pendant.

Fearing he would discover Lin Yu's childhood experience as a tomb raider, especially since she had robbed his father's imperial tomb, she quickly laughed it off, saying, "I bought it at the market. People in those jade shops always boast that their items were used by some princess, some noblewoman, or some empress dowager, and that's how they inflate their prices several times over. Does it really look that convincing?"

Seeing Xiao Xun carefully stroking the warm and smooth jade pendant and nodding, she chuckled, "We country folk are so unsophisticated, we don't believe it. It seems they should sell it to you."

"This shows that we are indeed destined to be together."

Xiao Xun smiled and looked up, taking the dragon-tiger pendant in his palm. "I'll take it."

I felt dizzy and lightheaded all night.

After that, Xiao Xun did indeed quiet down in the middle of the night.

Sometimes, however mischievous, he would stand by the window and pull on a copper bell.

Lin Yuan, her hair half-wet, rushed through the corridor: "Your wound has reopened?"

What she saw was Xiao Xun's smiling face: "No. I just wanted to ask if you've eaten yet."

Lin Yuan put down the book she was reading halfway through and leaned out the window: "Didn't you just change the dressing?"

Xiao Xun stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes beaming with delight: "I noticed that Altair is particularly bright. Would you like to see it? I'll point it out to you."

Lin Yuan was about to take a nap when she suddenly heard the bell ringing. She got up and closed the door.

The bell rang incessantly, and she stuffed another thick layer of silk floss into the crack of the window.

Finally, the ringing turned into a knocking sound, and Xiao Xun's voice came through: "Ah Yuan, I rang the bell for a long time, but you didn't respond. What's wrong? Are you alright?"

Lin Yuan gave a perfunctory smile: "Sorry, I heard the doorbell ringing non-stop and I thought it was windy outside, so I had to close the doors and windows."

However, after he left, Lin Yuan returned to her desk.

As the door opened and closed, the gentle breeze that entered ruffled the pages of the silk book, settling on a poem.

"The Milky Way is clear and shallow, how far apart are we? Separated by a mere stream, we gaze at each other silently."

The books in this room were probably also prepared by the princess; they were all popular poems and songs.

In poetry and songs, the themes are invariably about men longing for women, seeking them in vain, and tossing and turning in bed in vain.

Or perhaps it is a woman who longs for a man, but cannot see him, and cannot sleep at night.

When she had nothing to do, she would casually flip through the books to pass the time. Xiao Xun even asked her once or twice, subtly suggesting that she send over a few volumes of poems about owls, rats, and magpies that she "liked".

Lin Yuan took a deep breath and quickly shook her head.

Actually, reading these before lunch break is quite good; although the men and women in the poems are always sleepless, she gets sleepy in no time.

However, the weariness did not come for a long time that day.

As the words gradually blurred on the silk, she suddenly remembered the passageway and Xiao Xun's enthusiastic gesture of pointing to the Milky Way in the west.

The night breeze was gentle on my face, so it wasn't too cold.

Lin Yuan leaned forward and looked in the direction he was pointing. What she saw was a flying eave shaped like a bull.

When they heard another knock on the door, Lin Yu was standing outside.

Shengyun followed behind him.

"Come on, I'll take you horseback riding."

Immediately afterwards, the neighing of horses and the sound of dismounting followed. He Ji's smiling face peeked out from the doorway: "A Yuan, the sun is shining brightly today. You should go out for a walk and soak up some sunshine. It's so warm."

At such times, Xiao Xun always arrives, albeit late.

Seeing him approaching, Lin Yu leaned against the door and raised her voice, "Master He is right. The sky is clear and bright, there is no wind or cloud, the sun is warm, and the snow has all melted today. It is a perfect time to ride a horse."

Lin Yuan changed into a sky-blue Hu-style robe and came out to greet them, her eyes and eyebrows sparkling with pride, radiant with the bright sunlight.

Xiao Xun saw it from afar and said, "What a coincidence."

Coincidentally, his clothes were also a bluish-green color after the rain.

He turned his gaze back, smiled gently, and said, "I was just about to go horseback riding too. Why don't we go together?"

"Is that so?" He Ji looked Xiao Xun up and down, dressed in wide sleeves and a long belt. "It seems that Young Master Xiao's injuries are no longer a concern?"

Xiao Xun smiled and nodded, his gaze lingering on Lin Yuan's face: "Thanks to A Yuan's meticulous care."

"That's wonderful!"

Xiao Xun was surprised by He Ji's excessive joy, and heard him say happily, "It seems that A Yuan can move back today."

Xiao Xun felt a pang of bitterness upon hearing this. Just as he was about to argue that his injury had healed but not completely and he still needed care, He Ji chuckled and said, "Aunt Wang, Aunt Li misses you terribly too. Aunt Wang even said she'd make more honey bait for you to eat when you get back." A wave of melancholy washed over him, and he felt embarrassed. The words that were about to slip out remained unspoken in his mind—"So you know Lin Yuan likes honey bait?"

Lin Yuan nodded and excitedly walked towards Lin Yu's horse.

"Are you riding this horse?" Xiao Xun asked.

This horse is clearly a fine Ferghana horse, majestic and very tall.

Lin Yuan stood on the ground, stretching out her arms, but she couldn't even reach the saddle.

Lin Yuan nodded: "Yes, I'll ride with Lin Yu."

As she spoke, she grabbed the only reins she could get her hands on and stepped onto the stirrups.

Behind her, Lin Yu said, "Wait, be careful not to fall, I'll help you," and quickly stepped forward.

Xiao Xun was a step ahead of him, raising his hand to hold the reins.

What's the point of sharing a ride?

Their eyes met, and a smile spread across Xiao Xun's face.

Riding together on one horse is certainly very interesting, even more interesting than riding together in a palanquin, right?

When he took Lin Yuan horseback riding in Shanglin Garden, he specifically chose Grey Wind for her.

Greywind was a petite and agile mare who, at some point, took a liking to Tayun, a fact known to everyone in the Imperial Garden.

It ran happily behind Ta Yun, and he and Lin Yuan were very close, one on the left and one on the right.

Several times, Gray Wind bumped into Ta Cloud's neck, while Lin Yuan's body almost touched his knee.

Lin Yuan's riding skills were mediocre, and he was so nervous that his face turned bright red. He had originally planned that if Grey Wind rode too fast and she screamed in fright, he would spur his horse around and pull her onto his own horse.

With the image of riding together in his mind, the warmth of Lin Yuan's touch on his knee rushed to the top of his head, and he unconsciously increased the speed of his horse.

The person in his imagination had already curled up in his arms, and even the way the horse's mane brushed against his hands was tender and affectionate.

But the screams and cries for help did not come.

As they approached the end of the grassland, they turned around and saw Lin Yuan silently climbing down from Gray Wind, her face ashen, holding a riding whip in her hand.

...

Xiao Xun snapped out of his reverie, ordered someone to bring the horse over, and, still holding the reins, patted the horse's neck as if to say, "I was thinking of racing against Master Lin. Master Lin's horse looks like it's one in a hundred."

"I'm afraid it can't compare to Young Master Xiao's exceptional horse, which he has selected from thousands of others," Lin Yu said with a faint smile.

"Yes, ever since we talked about horse racing over drinks that day, I can't wait to watch it. They're all rare and excellent horses; the race is sure to be incredibly exciting." He Ji clapped his hands and exclaimed in approval.

Lin Yu and Xiao Xun couldn't help but look at each other in surprise.

After saying this, He Ji led his horse toward Lin Yuan, smiling gently as he went. "Let them race, A Yuan. Why don't you ride my horse? My horse isn't tall, and it's not as fierce as those Ferghana horses. It's more like me. Come on, let me lead it for you."

Xiao Xun coughed lightly, interrupting, "It's quite a coincidence. The Grand Master of the Imperial Stud is a horse enthusiast. A while ago, when I went to buy a horse, I asked him to pick one out for me. It's a good horse, but it's still a foal, not even two years old. It's small and has short legs. The Grand Master of the Imperial Stud was overjoyed and personally trained it before sending it over. It was a painful decision for him to give it up. I think it's very suitable for A-Yuan to ride."

Lin Yuan felt embarrassed and still wanted to politely decline, so she asked Lin Yu first, "Brother, would you also like to race horses?"

Just as Lin Yu was about to speak, Xiao Xun suddenly remembered something and asked with a smile, "By the way, what's the name of your horse?"

“Shengyun”.

Lin Yu replied, casually stroking the horse's mane, "It was named by A Yuan, isn't it nice?"

Xiao Xun narrowed his eyes and looked at Lin Yuan.

Lin Yuan touched the tip of her nose and changed the subject: "Since you want to race horses and happen to have horses suitable for me to ride, then I will gladly accept your offer. Thank you, Young Master Xiao."

Xiao Xun sneered and curled his lips into a smile: "No need for thanks. How about we name that horse later?"

When Ta Yun came into view, his smile gradually froze on his face.

Leading behind it was a gray-blue foal.

Just as he instructed, it was beautiful, with bright fur, docile, and had a submissive appearance.

However, it resembles the gray wind by about 70-80%.

Even that was the case with Danglu.

Both are inlaid with gold and silver, and both feature peacock patterns.

He was in a daze.

Needless to say, Lin Yuan was also in a daze.

An eerie silence fell over the surroundings.

Only He Ji, upon hearing that Xiao Xun's beloved horse was named "Treading Clouds," burst into laughter that pierced through the clouds.

He praised Lin Yuan for her foresight in choosing the name, saying that she had foreseen the future, and therefore, "Shengyun is superior to Tayun in terms of name."

Xiao Xun ignored him and stared intently at Lin Yuan.

"Ah Yuan, let's choose another name. This name will surely be impressive too," He Ji's cheerful voice rang out.

Lin Yuan bit her lip, and after a long while, she finally uttered a few words: "Is this horse also called Grey Wind?"

She answered her own question, her voice chilling, "No. How about 'Ni Feng'? Or perhaps 'Nian Feng,' 'Yi Feng,' 'Zhui Feng,' or 'Si Feng'? What do you think, does that suit Young Master Xiao's taste? Or perhaps we should ask Ta Yun which name he prefers?"

Xiao Xun put his hand to his forehead, closed his eyes briefly, and forced a smile: "Qing Cong, they all look pretty much the same."

Fortunately, Ta Yun came over, snorted at the gray wind's substitute, and then walked towards its master.

He breathed a sigh of relief: "You see, Ta Yun isn't interested."

Lin Yuan scoffed, "That's because Ta Yun can distinguish who's who. In that case, humans are even less capable than horses."

He Ji, standing nearby, was completely bewildered, but the smile on his lips hadn't faded: "The horses may look alike, but you can't be unable to tell them apart. Otherwise, wouldn't you have a pair of eyes for nothing?"

Xiao Xun didn't say a word, mounted his horse, almost forgetting that Lin Yu and He Ji were present, and said to the servant who brought the horse, "Go back and tell the Grand Master of the Palace that he did a good job."

He took the whip, the tip of which swept across the horse's rump. Ta Yun raised its head and neighed, its hooves pounding heavily on the ground.

"—From now on, continue feeding the horses."

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Author's Note: Xiao Xun: What a disaster. Both of them are terrible teammates.