Chapter 136

That's enough.

A cold voice, like shattered ice, rang out clearly, instantly breaking the eerie yet tender atmosphere in the inner room.

Xiao Qiyun had already stood up at some point. His face was expressionless as his gaze swept over the blush that had not yet completely faded on Su Zhelan's face, especially the particularly noticeable marks on the tip of her nose and cheeks, his eyes cold and deep.

He walked up to the two of them in a few steps, his tall figure bringing an invisible sense of oppression.

Sheng Xuan abruptly stopped, somewhat bewildered by the sudden interruption. He subconsciously glanced at Su Zhelan's nose and, sure enough, saw the unnatural blush. His heart tightened, and he felt a little embarrassed.

Xiao Qiyun completely ignored Sheng Xuan's reaction, turning his gaze directly to Su Zhelan. His tone carried an unyielding, authoritative air, yet he deliberately slowed his speech, making it sound like he was concerned.

"You've wiped your face, and you're tired. It's getting late, you should rest." His gaze fell on Su Zhelan's weary eyes, and he reached out his hand without allowing her to refuse.

Sheng Xuan was a little stunned by Xiao Qiyun's smooth and masterful combination of "concern + expulsion".

Su Zhelan was also caught off guard by Xiao Qiyun's sudden assertiveness and "consideration." His tired body really craved rest. Looking at Sheng Xuan's dejected appearance and then at Xiao Qiyun's face, which was full of "the big picture" in mind, he felt a deep sense of powerlessness.

"Alright..." Su Zhelan said wearily, his voice filled with weariness. He rubbed his temples. "Stop arguing... Let's rest." Although he said this to Sheng Xuan, it was also a tacit acceptance of Xiao Qiyun's arrangement.

Seeing Su Zhelan's exhausted state, Sheng Xuan could only swallow his resentment. He glared fiercely at Xiao Qiyun, his eyes seeming to want to devour him, but in the end, he turned away angrily, like a defeated lion, dragging his heavy steps into the inner room, his back view filled with unwillingness.

Only Xiao Qiyun and Su Zhelan remained in the inner room.

Looking at the lingering weariness on Su Zhelan's face, Xiao Qiyun's eyes flashed with a barely perceptible, dark light belonging to a victor.

He softened his voice: "Let's go, go and rest." His tone carried an air of undeniable guidance.

Su Zhelan had no strength to say anything more, and let Xiao Qiyun help her up and walk to the bed in the inner room.

When the two reached the bedside, they found that Sheng Xuan had returned sometime earlier and had already taken the lead, brazenly lying down on the inside of the bed.

He closed his eyes, his arms behind his head, looking like a rogue saying, "I'm already asleep, don't bother me," but his slightly trembling eyelids betrayed that he wasn't asleep at all.

Su Zhelan looked at Sheng Xuan, who was pretending to be asleep on the couch, and then at Xiao Qiyun, whose aura had suddenly turned cold beside her. She felt her temples throbbing.

He sighed wearily, resignedly took off his outer robe, climbed directly onto the bed, lay down in the middle with his back to Sheng Xuan, wrapped himself tightly in the quilt, and muttered, "...Go to sleep."

He was like an invisible dividing line, separating two powder kegs.

Xiao Qiyun stood there for a few seconds, looking at Su Zhelan's posture, and then at Sheng Xuan, who was pretending to be dead on the inside.

In the end, he said nothing, but his face appeared particularly cold and stern in the dim light. He silently took off his outer robe, lay down on the outer side of the bed, and moved very quietly, deliberately maintaining a distance from Su Zhelan.

He lay flat on his back, his hands folded over his abdomen, his eyes open in the darkness, staring at the top of the tent, lost in thought.

Sheng Xuan felt Su Zhelan lying in the middle and was overjoyed. He immediately opened his eyes, quietly turned to his side, and faced Su Zhelan's back.

He reached out his arm, cautiously, with a hint of probing and smugness, and gently wrapped it around Su Zhelan's waist, pulling her closer to him.

Su Zhelan's body stiffened for a moment, but she didn't push him away. Instead, she buried her face deeper into the pillow and let out a barely audible, weary sigh.

Sheng Xuan tightened his arms triumphantly, resting his chin on Su Zhelan's soft hair, feeling the warmth of her body in his arms, and closed his eyes contentedly. Although there was someone in the way, at least she was still in his arms.

The night was deep and all was quiet.

Su Zhelan lay stiffly on his side in the center of the bed, his back pressed against Sheng Xuan's warm and firm chest. Sheng Xuan's arms were tightly wrapped around his waist, and his chin was resting on the top of his head. His breathing had become even and long, obviously exhausted after a whole day of playing on the training ground and had fallen into a deep sleep.

Sheng Xuan's body was warm, like a giant heater, but the inescapable feeling of confinement, and the cold, low pressure emanating from the person on the outside, made it impossible for Su Zhelan to fully relax.

He could clearly sense that Xiao Qiyun's breathing on the outside was different from Sheng Xuan's heavy and deep breathing; instead, it was unusually steady and long, with a deliberately controlled sense of regularity—this was definitely not the breathing of a sleeping person.

Su Zhelan cautiously opened her eyes, turned her face slightly to the side in the dim light, and looked outwards through the corner of her eye.

really.

Xiao Qiyun remained lying flat on his back, his hands folded over his abdomen, his posture almost rigidly upright. He wasn't asleep; his deep eyes were open in the darkness, staring blankly at the empty space above the tent.

However, the look in his eyes was not the cold anger or jealousy that Su Zhelan had expected, but a deep, almost stagnant contemplation.

His brows were furrowed almost imperceptibly, his thin lips were pressed tightly together, and the lines of his profile appeared particularly cold and austere in the dim light, as if he were immersed in an extremely complex, even dangerous, problem.

...borrowing troops?

...The three major vassal kings on the border all possessed their own armies and wielded considerable power...

...The Prince of Beijing was greedy, the Prince of Xiling was cunning, and only the Prince of Nanjing showed some respect...

...To ask the King of the Southern Realm for help? What would the price be?...

...Military power is easy to lend but hard to regain... Inviting a wolf into the house?...

...If we were to exchange this for...it might become a hindrance in the future...

...Not lend it? With only the border patrol troops under Sheng Chi's command... what are the odds of completely eradicating the Burning Heart Sect's long-held stronghold? What will the casualties be?...

Countless thoughts about power struggles, border security, and future threats clashed and weighed fiercely in Xiao Qiyun's mind.

He wasn't tormented by jealousy over personal matters, but rather racking his brains to plan for an impending war that would determine the fate of the nation and the lives of countless people. That silent solemnity was the weight of the responsibility he bore for the country.

Su Zhelan's heart sank slightly. He knew Xiao Qiyun all too well. This silent, rigid silence carried an unusual sense of heaviness.

Su Zhelan sighed silently, his weary mind flashing through the scenes of the day: his tacit approval of Sheng Xuan's closeness... these intimate contacts that happened in front of Xiao Qiyun... He naturally assumed that Xiao Qiyun's silence and aloofness at this moment must be because he was displeased that he had once again "favored" Sheng Xuan.

A strong sense of guilt and helplessness welled up in his heart. He carefully moved his body, which was being held by Sheng Xuan, trying not to disturb the sleeping Sheng Xuan.

Then, he slowly raised the arm that wasn't being held down, his movements so light it was as if he were afraid of disturbing the air. His fingertips, slightly cool and hesitant, gently poked Xiao Qiyun's tense shoulder, which he could feel stiff even through the thin nightgown.

The touch was very light, yet it was like a pebble thrown into a deep pool, instantly waking Xiao Qiyun from his reverie about important military and national affairs.

Xiao Qiyun's body trembled almost imperceptibly. He slowly, extremely slowly, turned his head, and his eyes, which had been open in the darkness, finally withdrew from their boundless calculations and weighing of options, taking on a sharp edge that had been interrupted and a trace of deep contemplation that had not yet faded, and fell directly on Su Zhelan's face.

Su Zhelan's heart skipped a beat under his gaze, and his Adam's apple bobbed. He struggled to maintain his side-lying position, trying not to disturb Sheng Xuan behind him, and could only utter a few words in a whisper, with a cautious probing and reassuring tone:

"What's wrong...?" His voice was so soft it sounded like a sigh. "...Are you angry?"

This question, with its clear target, was like a beam of light suddenly piercing through the chaos, instantly making Xiao Qiyun understand Su Zhelan's misunderstanding.

Angry? Because of jealousy? ...He thought I was upset about what happened earlier?

This realization was like an extremely unexpected turn of events, with a touch of absurd humor, instantly dispelling the heavy political concerns weighing heavily on Xiao Qiyun's mind.

The heavy, calculating look deep in Xiao Qiyun's eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a strange mix of absurdity and indescribable ease.

He looked at Su Zhelan's face, which was tired, uneasy, and obviously "guilty" even in the dim light, and at his lips that were slightly pursed due to nervousness... The icy sharpness in his deep eyes melted instantly, and a very shallow but real smile rippled out.

He parted his thin lips slightly, making no sound, but silently and clearly uttering two words to Su Zhelan:

"No."

This silent denial is not a cold rejection, but rather carries a mischievous playfulness, as if one has seen through the other's thoughts.

He even shook his head almost imperceptibly, a faint smile curving his lips—a smile far more vivid than when he was deep in thought.

The smile, though faint, was like a spring breeze blowing across ice, instantly dispelling the heavy, oppressive atmosphere that enveloped him.

Seeing Su Zhelan's obviously stunned expression, as if she hadn't reacted yet, Xiao Qiyun's smile deepened.

But he didn't stop there. His interrupted thoughts reconnected, and an idea that had just surfaced during his deliberations clearly emerged in his mind thanks to this unexpected conversation.

...The King of the Southern Border...seems quite interested in the legend of the Holy Son...If Su Zelan were to accompany him...perhaps...it could become an unexpected bargaining chip?...

Xiao Qiyun's gaze deepened once more, a subtle calculation and decisiveness lurking beneath his smile. He opened his mouth slightly again, silently and clearly adding with his lips:

"but……"

Su Zhelan's heart jumped instantly as she nervously watched Xiao Qiyun's lips.

Xiao Qiyun's gaze lingered on Su Zhelan's face for a moment, his eyes carrying an undeniable meaning:

"Come with me on a trip in a few days." This silent command came suddenly, carrying an undeniable force.

Su Zhelan was completely stunned, and subconsciously asked in a breathy voice, "...Where to?"

Xiao Qiyun did not answer immediately, but instead gave Su Zhelan a deep look, his gaze complex and unreadable, carrying a hint of inquiry and an undeniable sense of control:

"We'll know when the time comes."

He uttered those four words silently, then said nothing more, slowly turned his head, lay back down, and looked up at the top of the tent again.

This time, however, his furrowed brows seemed to relax slightly, and the lingering, suffocating heaviness quietly faded away. Although the problems in governance still existed, Su Zhelan's sudden, somewhat foolish misunderstanding acted like a balm, briefly dispelling the gloom in his heart and allowing him to finalize his next course of action.

He closed his eyes, and the faint smile on his lips now carried a hint of cold, calculating cunning.

Su Zhelan's cheeks flushed rapidly in the darkness, almost burning with embarrassment. A wave of immense awkwardness and a hint of shame at being seen through overwhelmed him.

So... so the other person wasn't angry at all! In Xiao Qiyun's eyes, all my careful probing and comforting just now must have made me look like a fool who was deluding himself.

Frustrated, he buried his face deeper into the pillow. Overwhelmed by his chaotic emotions, he felt his cheeks burning and his breathing becoming labored.

The warm embrace behind him now only made him feel more embarrassed. He just wanted to hide himself completely, or better yet, disappear on the spot.

Just as Su Zhelan was overwhelmed by immense embarrassment and wished he could burrow into the blankets, a hand with a slightly cool temperature gently and soothingly landed on his back, which was wrapped in the blankets.

It was Xiao Qiyun's hand.

The hand made no further move, but gently patted and stroked lightly, with a steady and gentle rhythm, one pat after another.

The patting force was very light, yet it carried a strange magic. It didn't speak, but it clearly conveyed a silent comfort: "Okay, stop thinking about it." "It's alright, go to sleep."

The embarrassment of being seen through didn't disappear, but under Xiao Qiyun's silent comfort, it strangely softened and settled. The tense body involuntarily relaxed little by little under the steady, hypnotic rhythm of the gentle pats.

Soon, Su Zhelan's breathing became long and steady, and her body completely relaxed, falling into a deep sleep.