Chapter 49: Despicable Jealousy That He Saved Her
After Xiao Xu left the house, Cui Zhu quickly came in.
Yun Sheng had just finished putting on her inner garment when she saw Cui Zhu and immediately tried to get up from the couch: "Cui Zhu, are you alright? How are you?"
Cuizhu quickly stepped forward, lifted the bed curtains to let Yun Sheng see her, and supported her to prevent her from making any big movements: "Your Highness, I'm fine, please don't move around and don't touch your wound."
Yun Sheng looked up and saw Cui Zhu's appearance clearly.
Half of her cheek was red and swollen, and although the finger marks had faded, they were still clearly visible. The corner of her mouth was also broken and some ointment had been applied. The hand that was supporting Yun Sheng also had a noticeable abrasion on the back of its hand. Although it had been treated, it still looked somewhat shocking.
Yun Sheng's eyes stung with tears. She thought of how Cui Zhu, who had followed her, had never experienced anything like this. She reached out to touch Cui Zhu's face, but was afraid of hurting her: "You said you were fine, does it hurt?"
"I'm really fine, just a superficial injury." Cuizhu shook her head repeatedly, her eyes anxiously scanning Yun Sheng. After confirming that she was safe and sound, tears fell first. "It's all my fault. I failed to protect the Princess Consort, which caused you such a panic. If anything had happened to you, I would never be able to atone for my sins even if I died ten thousand times."
"Don't talk nonsense. Fortunately, we are all safe and sound. That's the most important thing."
"Yes, Your Highness, it's good that you're alright, it's good that you're alright..." Cuizhu wiped away her tears with her sleeve, still feeling lingering fear.
The master and servant remained silent for a moment before their emotions calmed down.
After checking on Yun Sheng's two wounds that had been treated, Cui Zhu helped her change her clothes while she couldn't help but whisper about what happened afterward.
"The servants who came from the Prince's residence all said that they had never seen His Highness so anxious and flustered."
Yun Sheng paused slightly, then looked up at her: "...What did you say?"
"They said His Highness was discussing matters with those officials when Mu Shan rushed in and whispered a few words in his ear. His Highness's expression changed, and he immediately left everyone in the room and rushed out. It was raining heavily at the time, and he was soaked to the bone when he arrived. When he saw the empty carriage and our injured bodies, his eyes..." Cui Zhu shuddered. "His Highness didn't say a word, but his aura was terrifyingly cold, as if he wanted to kill someone."
As Yun Sheng listened, the image of Xiao Xushi at the entrance of the teahouse seemed to reappear before her eyes, and her heart inexplicably tightened.
Cuizhu continued, "Later, His Highness personally led people to follow the traces for a while, and then quickly dispatched people to inquire in all directions, alarming all the local yamen runners who could be mobilized. Later, a waiter from a teahouse delivered a letter to the inn. When His Highness received the letter, he immediately rode over there. They said that His Highness's hands were shaking when he mounted the horse."
Yun Sheng lowered her eyes, looking at her intertwined fingers, and remained silent for a long time.
Cuizhu quietly observed her expression and carefully added, "Princess Consort, His Highness is really anxious and worried. Although I am not very bright, I can tell that His Highness cares about you very much."
Yun Sheng remained silent, only her eyelashes trembled slightly a few times.
She couldn't imagine how frantic Xiao Xu must have been outside, unable to find her, while she was safely rescued and quietly waiting in the cave for the rain to stop.
After he found her, what was he thinking as he remained silent on the way back to the inn?
By this time, the servants had already prepared the meal.
Yun Sheng put on her shoes and got off the bed, and Cui Zhu began to clean up the stains on the bed.
She looked around at the door and asked, "Where's Changyu?"
The maid was slightly taken aback, then lowered her head and said, "This servant does not know, this servant has not seen Your Highness."
Yun Sheng frowned. He said he was going to call someone to prepare the meal, but now that the meal has arrived, he is nowhere to be found.
Just then, Xiao Xu appeared at the top of the stairs.
Yun Sheng's eyes lit up, and she unconsciously called out, "Chang Yu."
Upon hearing the sound, Xiao Xu quickened his pace and walked over in a few steps: "What's wrong? What happened?"
"It's alright, the meal is ready. I didn't see you earlier, so I asked the servants."
The maid who hadn't been able to answer trembled slightly on the shoulder.
Xiao Xu waved her away, then put his arm around Yun Sheng's shoulder and led her into the house: "I had some things to take care of, let's have a meal."
A plate of steamed fish was brought to the table. It looked quite appetizing and was placed in the center, steaming hot along with several other side dishes.
Xiao Xu said, "That restaurant sells out of fish for the day after noon, so if you want to order, you'll have to wait until the next day."
Yun Sheng whispered, "Have you tried it? The one from today."
Xiao Xu glanced at her indifferently.
Yun Sheng realized that she seemed to be making conversation for the sake of it.
But Xiao Xu still answered her, "No."
Yun Sheng: "Then let's try it together tomorrow."
Xiao Xu hummed in agreement and picked up some food for her.
Yun Sheng said, "You should eat too."
For some reason, perhaps because of what Cuizhu had said earlier, she felt a little complicated when facing Xiao Xu.
The two remained silent for a while until halfway through the meal, when Yun Sheng suddenly remembered the young man who had disappeared.
"Changyu, could you send someone to find the person who saved me?"
Xiao Xu raised his eyes, his tone indifferent: "What do you want with him?"
"If it weren't for his rescue, I would have been taken to the mountain stronghold by those bandits. In any case, I still think I should repay him in some way."
"The person is gone, so don't think about it anymore."
Upon hearing this, Yun Sheng looked at Xiao Xu strangely, feeling that his tone was odd.
"He might have encountered some urgent matter that caused him to leave suddenly," she said.
Xiao Xu paused, his chopsticks moving, and a slight smile gradually appeared on his lips.
After a long pause, he asked, "What did you do after he saved you?"
This question was even stranger, but Yun Sheng couldn't quite put her finger on it.
She replied, "After shaking off those bandits, it started to rain, so he found a cave and took me inside to hide."
Xiao Xu frowned: "The two of you went to the cave."
"...Because it's raining."
He scoffed softly, "And then?"
Yun Sheng couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong, Chang Yu? Is there something wrong with that person?"
"If I tell you there's a problem, will you still reward him?"
Yun Sheng pursed her lips: "We hadn't found him yet anyway."
After she finished speaking, she asked, "What's wrong with him?"
Xiao Xu did not answer.
Yun Sheng noticed that his expression was no longer just strange; he had clearly darkened his face and looked displeased.
Xiao Xu asked, "What did you say in the cave?"
"..."
“We didn’t say anything, and I didn’t tell him my identity. We just chatted casually for a bit, mostly in silence. Later, when the rain stopped, I asked him to take me into the city, and then I waited for you at the teahouse to pick me up.”
Xiao Xu lowered his eyes to conceal his expression, and picked up his chopsticks to put a piece of fish on Yun Sheng's plate.
Yun Sheng looked at the fish in the bowl, then at him, whose eyes were covered but whose face was dark: "Chang Yu, he is just a stranger."
They are not strangers.
Yun Sheng was unaware, but Xiao Xu knew that the person who saved her was Xiao Ling.
He no longer wanted to recall how he felt when he learned that Yun Sheng had been attacked and taken away by bandits, and that her whereabouts were unknown.
It was a near-annihilation of panic and helplessness, as if the solid ground beneath my feet had suddenly collapsed. The string of reason was stretched to its limit, yet almost snapped. I couldn't stop the wild thoughts that were growing in my mind: Where was she? How was she now? Had she gotten wet in the rain? Had she been hurt? Was she scared? Was she crying?
Xiao Ling stayed by her side at that moment.
It just so happens to be Xiao Ling.
He should be grateful that he saved her, yet also despicably jealous that he saved her.
The sky was overcast, and raindrops pattered against the windowpane, blurring the street scene outside into a hazy, watery hue.
The room was dark and unlit, and Xiao Xu's gaze drifted into the distance, but he couldn't see anything.
The sound of rain became the only noise in the room, monotonous and persistent, filled with emotions that could not be expressed.
Yun Sheng slowly lay down on the bed. After everything settled down, she ate and drank her fill, and the exhaustion after the tension washed over her.
Hearing a rustling sound, she half-opened her eyelids and saw Xiao Xu taking off his shoes.
Will you sleep with me for a while?
"Okay, go to sleep." Xiao Xu lay down next to her and pulled her into his arms.
Yun Sheng pressed her soft body against him. For some reason, her eyelids, which had been heavy with sleepiness just moments before, suddenly became wide awake again.
But my body still feels lazy and I don't want to move at all.
Yun Sheng nestled in the narrow space between Xiao Xu's outstretched arm and body, leaning against his chest, quietly listening to the sound of his heart pounding.
She lay there for a while, but because she couldn't fall asleep or talk, she started to feel bored.
Yun Sheng's fingers slowly moved towards her waist, where Xiao Xu's hand was relaxed on her side.
Her fingers touched his fingertips, then followed his knuckles to the back of his hand, finally sliding down into his open palm.
Xiao Xu tightened his grip on her fingers, but that was all; he remained silent.
Yun Sheng lifted her head from his chest: "I thought you were unhappy."
Xiao Xu lowered his eyes, his gaze falling coldly on her face.
"I am indeed unhappy."
His expression at that moment didn't seem to indicate any happiness.
But Yun Sheng looked away, her fingers hidden under the covers, and scratched his palm.
"Then why are you still holding my finger?"
"Does my unhappiness have anything to do with pulling your finger?"
Yun Sheng blinked, pulled her finger out of Xiao Xu's palm, moved it up to his arm, and poked him.
"At least like this." Yun Sheng poked him twice more after not feeling his muscles tense as before, and only continued after his muscles tensed up, "will you then be able to hold my fingers."
"Put it back," Xiao Xu said calmly.
Yun Sheng gently rubbed his muscles through his clothes with her fingertips before obediently placing her hand back into his palm.
Xiao Xu's Adam's apple bobbed; he longed to look down at their clasped hands.
But this would require lifting the covers to move his body and also to release her from his arms a little, so he remained still in his position.
Yun Sheng gradually felt sleepy, her eyelids closed and opened several times, and after that, she finally fell asleep.
She slept for a long and deep time, from before dark until nightfall.
During this time, while half-asleep, she sensed that Xiao Xu had left the bed, but she didn't know what he was doing or when he returned.
When she woke up again, it was nighttime, and he, still smelling of fresh scent from his bath, scooped her out of bed, lifted her clothes, and jolted her awake from her half-awake state.
It's the hassle of rubbing medicinal oil on the skin.
After he finished, he washed his hands, and when he came back, she was already asleep again.
*
The next morning, Yun Sheng woke up slowly, enveloped in a warm and comforting feeling.
Before my consciousness was fully clear, my body had already sensed the heat source pressed against my back and the arms wrapped around my waist.
She shifted groggily, trying to change her position, and as soon as she looked up, she was caught off guard by a pair of dark eyes that were inches away from hers.
Xiao Xu had woken up sometime earlier and was lying on his side, quietly watching her.
They were so close that his warm breath almost brushed against her forehead.
Yun Sheng was slightly startled by the silent gaze, her heart skipped a beat, and she subconsciously shrank back, but he held her tightly and she couldn't move away.
When did you wake up?
"Just woke up," Xiao Xu replied calmly.
Yun Sheng didn't believe it. His eyes were so clear, there wasn't a trace of the drowsiness of someone who had just woken up. Besides, he always had the habit of getting up at dawn, and it was already bright outside.
She whispered, "Were you watching me the whole time?"
Xiao Xu remained expressionless and calmly corrected, "Just opened your eyes, so it doesn't count as a continuous period."
Yun Sheng didn't argue with him. She shifted her body, trying to get out of his embrace, and asked, "Aren't you going to work today?"
"Let's go later." Xiao Xu didn't let go of his arm.
Yun Sheng thought he was still worried about the danger he encountered yesterday, and felt a little weak in the knees. She obediently said, "I won't go out today. I'll just wait for you to come back at the inn."
Xiao Xu's lips seemed to curve into a smile.
He didn't answer that question, but instead asked, "Get up now, or sleep a little longer?"
"I'm not going to sleep." Yun Sheng shook her head.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Xu released her hand before she could and sat up.
Yun Sheng was about to sit up when she saw him suddenly turn around, reach out without warning, and lift the hem of her nightgown.
"Ah!" Yun Sheng was startled and exclaimed softly, instinctively reaching out to protect her clothes. "What are you doing?"
Xiao Xu was much faster than her, easily grabbing her two wrists that she was trying to protect, and holding them in front of him with one hand.
"Don't move, I see the injury on your waist."
The memory of being violently awakened from her sleep last night rushed into her mind, and Yun Sheng resisted immediately, twisting her body and saying, "It's all better now, it's nothing serious."
Xiao Xu ignored her and, with a slight exertion of force, turned her body halfway around, pulling her nightgown down to her waist, revealing a section of the girl's fair and delicate waist.
Her waist was slender and supple, with a gentle curve of her hips that was barely covered by the edge of her moon-white underpants. Above that, her skin was accentuated by the delicate ties of her lotus-colored undergarment.
In the center of her soft, smooth skin, near her lower back, was a purplish-blue bruise. Although the color was lighter than the night before, it still stood out starkly against the white background. The edges were tinged with a faint yellow, as if she had been violently bumped or bruised, making her look pitiful.
Xiao Xu's gaze fell on the bruise, and he remained silent for a long time.
The fabric of the nightgown slipped from his hands, draped half-covering Yun Sheng's waist and hips, only accentuating her alluring curves.
His gaze deepened, a dark undercurrent surged within his eyes, and his Adam's apple bobbed silently.
Yun Sheng had her back to him, and the sight of her skin so exposed made her feel a little uncomfortable. She twisted her body, trying to pull her clothes up, but her hands were still being held.
She tilted her head slightly, wanting to whisper to him to let go, but her gaze inadvertently swept downwards.
The fabric of his underpants stretched out in a certain spot, creating an obvious and undeniable curve.
Yun Sheng was stunned for a moment, then her face began to flush, and her ears and neck turned crimson.
As if burned, she turned her head sharply and slowly moved away from the area enveloped by his presence.
Xiao Xu didn't pull her back, but just glanced at her with his eyes down.
A subtle awkwardness, mixed with an indescribable ambiguity, filled the air, floating quietly in the morning light.
“…I’ll lie down for a little while longer.” Yun Sheng shrank further into the blankets, only revealing a hint of her blushing ear tips.
Xiao Xu looked at her back and thought that this wasn't a reaction to lifting her clothes; he had been holding her like this ever since he woke up in the morning.
But then again, it didn't seem like a very good explanation, and besides, it couldn't be said that it had nothing to do with lifting her clothes.
"Mm," Xiao Xu responded, his voice a little hoarse than before.
He withdrew his gaze, then briskly got off the bed and strode towards the bathing room without looking back.
The private room in the guest room was only partitioned off yesterday. The guest room itself is not particularly spacious, about ten steps away.
Within the same space, a screen can only block the view, but it cannot block the sounds behind the screen.
Yun Sheng had her back to that side, but she could clearly hear Xiao Xu's footsteps, the sound of him taking off his clothes, followed by a long breath, but there was no sound of water.
The room was so quiet that even the slightest sound was amplified.
Yun Sheng couldn't stop herself from hearing it, nor could she stop her mind from immediately understanding what he was doing.
She slowly curled up her legs, thinking that there was nothing to be alarmed about. His needs had always been very high, but they hadn't done much during their recent journey, so this situation was normal. Besides, he hadn't been bothering her; he was only bothering himself.
Even though I thought that way, the sounds inside the room were just too obvious.
One moment I heard an unidentified collision sound, the next I heard his heavy breathing.
Yun Sheng blushed deeply upon hearing this, and finally couldn't help but turn over on the bed, facing outwards for no apparent reason.
The thick screen couldn't even reveal the shadows of the people behind it, so when she turned around, she didn't actually see anything.
After a while, the sound of water was heard.
Yun Sheng faintly heard a few muffled groans that were trying to be masked by the sound of water.
She suddenly closed her eyes tightly until the sound of water stopped after a while, and Xiao Xu walked out from behind the screen.
He glanced at the bed and bluntly told her, "Get up, change your clothes, and wash up."
Yun Sheng's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she thought to herself that he was really calm.
She opened her eyes, slowly got up from the bed, and was about to call for a servant to come in and serve her when she suddenly remembered something.
After hesitating for a moment, she still asked, "Are you ready?"
Xiao Xu was tying his belt in front of the shelf next to the bed when he heard the sound and turned around.
Yun Sheng held up one finger and pointed towards the bathroom: "I need to call someone in. Have you tidied up yet?"
Xiao Xu paused for a moment, then his eyebrows twitched slightly. He snapped his belt shut and said, "No, I didn't have time to pack."
Yun Sheng's face flushed again, her mind racing with thoughts of where he had put it and why he hadn't cleaned it up before coming out.
But she was too embarrassed to ask him if he had spilled it on the floor, the screen, or somewhere else. She just gave a soft "oh" and said, "Then get dressed and tidy up."
To save face for him, she had no choice but to dress and wash herself.
After Yun Sheng finished speaking, she pursed her lips and was about to make a move.
Xiao Xu suddenly strode towards her.
Yun Sheng looked up: "What are you doing?"
Xiao Xu took her coat and asked casually, "Are you wearing this today?"
Yun Sheng nodded blankly, instinctively wanting to take it and put it on herself.
Xiao Xu walked up to her and reached out to untie the ties of her nightgown.
Yun Sheng pressed his hand down: "I can do it myself..."
"Don't move." Xiao Xu brushed her hand away and quickly untied his belt.
The cool air touched his skin, and Yun Sheng shivered slightly. His nightgown had already been pulled down to his shoulders.
"It's not like I haven't seen it before." He said calmly, without any apparent emotion.
Yun Sheng glanced silently at the person in front of him, thinking to herself, "He's seen it before but can't stand it. What if he stands up again in a moment?"
Before she could say what was on her mind, her nightgown had already slipped off.
She instinctively hugged herself, but Xiao Xu grabbed her wrist and pulled her away.
His fingertips brushed against the bare skin on the side of her neck, causing her to think of some indecent things for no reason, and a slight shiver ran through her.
Yun Sheng tried to dodge, but Xiao Xu pressed her shoulders and held her in place.
He slipped her arms into the sleeves of her inner garment, then gathered the front and tied the thin strap on the side.
After putting on his inner garment, Xiao Xu picked up the long skirt beside him, squatted down, spread the skirt at her feet, and said calmly, "Lift your foot."
Yun Sheng had no choice but to lift one foot and put her calf into his palm as instructed.
Xiao Xu's movements weren't very skilled, but he was very careful, putting on one garment before changing to the other.
Then, he stood up, gently supporting her waist with one hand and smoothing the hem of her skirt behind her with the other.
They were very close, and Xiao Xu's palms, through several layers of thin clothing, were clearly warm against her waist and hips, making Yun Sheng inevitably stiffen.
Just when she thought it was over, Xiao Xu suddenly raised his hand and patted her on the side of her hip: "Lift it up a bit."
A sudden numbness shot through her buttocks, and Yun Sheng stared in astonishment, her eyes widening: "Huh?"
"Lift your hips, the skirt isn't fully lifted yet."
Yun Sheng felt that he seemed to be doing it on purpose, but she still pursed her lips and slightly raised her waist and hips.
Xiao Xu then lifted the skirt to a suitable position around her waist and carefully adjusted the pleats to ensure they were smooth and flat.
He then put on his coat, shoes, and socks one by one.
Xiao Xu pulled her to her feet and took the white jade safety buckle that she had neglected for the past two days, hanging it around her waist.
Having done all this, he straightened up and called out, "Someone come here."
Yun Sheng was startled and lowered her voice urgently, "Why are you calling for someone? You haven't finished packing yet..."
As she spoke, she looked up and met Xiao Xu's smiling eyes, and her words stopped abruptly.
"you……"
She finally realized that he hadn't left anything unattended at all.
Yun Sheng puffed out her cheeks slightly and angrily muttered, "Shameless."
Xiao Xu didn't let her stay angry for long. Just like when she was getting dressed, he raised his hand and patted her on the side of her hip lightly again: "Go wash up. After breakfast, I'll take you somewhere."
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