Completed
early morning.
Warm sunlight shone in through the window lattice. Shen Ahheng held his head with both hands, maintaining the posture of curling up on the couch sideways, and he didn't know how long it had been.
Her long, dark hair was disheveled, with a few strands sticking to her cheeks and forehead, and the ends of her hair gave off a soft, sleepy feeling.
She dragged her fingers along her temples, her eyes fixed blankly on the tassels of the bed curtains.
For several days in a row, whenever she closed her eyes, the scene of that night in the Central Plains Palace would appear in her mind. The more she thought about it, the more she felt that she might have been tricked.
He just held his head in his hands for a long time without moving.
I could faintly hear the melodious sound of camel bells dancing in the moonlight outside.
Ever since she agreed to marry A-Yu, as soon as they returned to Yuezhi, the news spread from the palace. Colorful pavilions were set up everywhere on the streets, red silks fluttered in the air, and the laughter of people moving flower stands could be heard in front of every house. Even the wind carried the sweet fragrance of candies from the candied fruit shop. The lively sounds made her feel that her impulse that night was like a dream from which she had not woken up.
"...This guy Ayu must have done it on purpose!"
Shen Ah Heng couldn't help but slap his thigh and muttered with gritted teeth: "Knowing that I'm soft-hearted and not hard-hearted, you pretended to be lonely and deliberately let go of my hand to see me panic. The last sentence 'didn't hear clearly' is simply a trap!"
But just as she finished speaking, she remembered the grievance hidden in his long eyelashes when he lowered his eyes, and the white knuckles when he gripped the wine glass. Her heart couldn't help but soften again, and she was so entangled that she messed up the tassels on the curtain.
Just then, there was a gentle knock on the door, followed by Ah Tao's broken Central Plains dialect, which was filled with the morning's vigor: "Princess, s- ...
A Tao was the first maid she saw when she and A Yu were rescued and brought back to Yuezhi Kingdom that day. She had round eyes and was a loyal and honest person, but she always spoke the Central Plains dialect not very well.
When Shen Ah Heng heard the words “Your Highness the Crown Prince”, his whole body shuddered, the tips of his ears instantly turned red, and he quickly responded: “Put it at the door, I’ll come get it later.”
Ah Tao outside the door responded and added softly, "The Empress has instructed me that according to Central Plains customs, you and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince cannot see each other before the wedding. You can only speak after the wedding ceremony! I'll have to put the Crown Princess in a difficult position for the time being."
This is not a grievance at all, it is clearly timely relief.
Shen Aheng was somewhat thankful for this custom, as it allowed her to avoid Ayu's eyes that always made her feel confused, and she could also sort out this "muddle-headed" marriage.
So he cleared his throat and pretended to be calm and replied, "Okay, I see. You can go and get busy first."
After the footsteps faded away, Shen Ah Heng moved to the door in slippers, took out the food box and opened it.
The grape porridge was steaming hot, sprinkled with chopped almonds, and there was a plate of her favorite candied dried fruits on the side.
Shen Aheng walked back with the food box, and couldn't help but glance out the window. He saw the palace maids climbing ladders to wrap red silk on the corridor pillars. Even the old trees in the garden were hung with red lanterns. When Ah Tao passed by just now, she had a new red ribbon tied to her braid, which was swaying and very eye-catching.
"This is too lively..."
Shen Ah Heng couldn't help but sighed and scooped a spoonful of grape porridge. The porridge was cooked to the perfect temperature, the rice grains were cooked soft, the sweetness of grapes mixed with the fragrance of almonds, the consistency was dense and the taste was endless.
The smell made her heart skip a beat, as it was very similar to the way Ayu used to cook porridge slowly in a sand pot in the small kitchen in Qingxiu Mountain.
During their leisurely days in Qingxiu Mountain, he always cooked porridge like this, and she would drink two big bowls every time.
Inexplicably, the memory of him squatting by the stove, stirring the porridge with a small spoon, and the tenderness at the corner of his eyes illuminated by the firelight flashed through my mind.
The sweetness slowly spread on the tip of the tongue. Shen Ah Heng felt a little panicked, but there was also a hint of sweetness that he didn't even notice. As a result, his hand scooping the porridge was a little slower.
But when he thought of how Ah Yu had tricked him that night, his face immediately hardened again, and he said to himself, "No! I have to calm down! I can't let him fool me with his porridge again!"
Having said that, he still couldn't help but scoop another big spoonful. Just as he swallowed it, he realized that he had eaten too much. He quickly shook his head, trying to shake off the excitement in his heart, but his fingertips unconsciously clenched the spoon in his hand.
As the wedding date drew closer, the Yuezhi Kingdom's palace had already been decorated inside and out. The palace walls were wrapped with layer upon layer of red silk, the red lanterns in the corridors were all lit up, and even the stone lions at the palace gates were tied with red silk flowers.
The common people also set up wedding tents along the streets, looking forward to the wedding of the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess every day. The excitement was so great that it made people nervous.
The night before the wedding, Qiao Wanqing handed a jade bracelet that was entirely emerald green to Shen Aheng. Her scallion-white fingers gently stroked the lines on the bracelet, her eyes full of smiles: “This is a bracelet passed down in our family. It is only passed down to daughters-in-law. Now I give it to you.”
Shen Ah Heng looked at the bracelet, which was clear and translucent, and it was obviously priceless. Holding it in his hand, it seemed as heavy as a thousand pounds.
Qiao Wanqing held her hand and said gently, "Ah Heng, from now on you will be the Crown Princess of our Yuezhi Kingdom. His Majesty and I love you very much."
Shen Aheng's face flushed instantly, but the panic in her heart grew stronger and stronger. She thought of the impulse on the palace road that night, the festivities in the palace these days, and Ayu's eyes that seemed to seduce people. The more she thought about it, the more she felt that she was not ready.
No, no, she can't get married in such a hurry!
So that night, when everyone in the palace was asleep, Shen Aheng quietly got up, hurriedly packed a small bag with a few changes of clothes and a small amount of silver, and then used his Qinggong skills to tiptoe out of the palace.
Thanks to the experience of disguising himself and Ayu from the Central Plains to escape to the Western Regions, Shen Aheng found some stove ash on the road and smeared it on his face to cover up his original appearance. He then bought an ordinary horse, disguised himself as a merchant from the Western Regions, and slipped out of the pass under the cover of night.
As soon as he got out of the pass, Shen Aheng immediately clamped his horse's belly and galloped all the way, running more than a hundred miles in one breath. He didn't breathe a sigh of relief until the sky turned pale, and he pulled the reins to stop and rest.
She didn't have much silver with her, so it wouldn't take long for her to spend. She remembered that she had medical skills, so she earned quite a bit of money by treating patients along the way.
She wandered leisurely all the way, sometimes staying in a dilapidated temple in the mountains, sometimes staying in the homes of farmers in the nearby mountains. She didn't have to think about the identity of "Crown Princess" or face the expectations of the whole palace. She just felt that she was much happier and freer than in the palace.
She really prefers freedom.
On this day, Shen Aheng rode his horse and slowly arrived at Duxi Town.
After being away for a long time, he watched the merchants coming and going in the city. Thinking that it was still early, he made a plan and decided to stay at Shichun Inn tonight. So he got off the horse and led the horse towards Shichun Inn.
In the inn, Xiao Wu was lying behind the counter in a daze. When he saw someone coming, he looked up and was stunned for a moment. Then his eyes widened and he suddenly jumped up from the stool and waved at her excitedly: "Young Master Shen? Why are you here!"
Ever since he parted with her that day, he had been looking forward to seeing Shen Aheng every day, from sunrise to sunset. He thought Shen Aheng had long forgotten about their Duxi Town, or that something had happened on the way. He didn't expect to see her again. When he ran out, he didn't even take off his apron, his face full of joy.
Shen Ah Heng looked at his excited look, his eyes were hot, and he couldn't help laughing. He pulled the reins and turned over, his voice a little hoarse: "I passed by here and came to see you. Something happened on the road, so I'm late."
Then he rubbed his stomach and asked him, "Do you have any food? I'm starving after running all the way."
Xiao Wu nodded quickly and pulled her into the living room, his two small canine teeth showing through his smile: "Yes, yes, yes! I remember your old dishes, braised beef with soy sauce, stir-fried radish tops, and your favorite rice milk. I'll go to the kitchen and ask Brother Wang to make them!"
Just as they walked to the table and sat down, Xiao Wu suddenly remembered something. He glanced behind her and asked with his round eyes blinking, "By the way, Mr. Shen, where is that rich young man who came with you that day? The one who looked so cold."
Shen Aheng's expression paused, and a sense of guilt suddenly surged in his heart. He said vaguely: "He, he is busy with something, so I came out to look around by myself."
Xiao Wu didn't think much of it, but secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He still remembered the way that young master looked at their little Shen that day, with a possessive look that didn't allow anyone else to get close, which made him inexplicably afraid. Now that he saw little Shen coming alone, he was actually very happy. He came close to her and whispered, "It's just right that that young master isn't here! Little Shen, you don't know, last time he was here, we didn't dare say a word to you. You're alone this time, so you have to stay a few more days. My mother and Aunt Zhang miss you so much!"
Looking at his innocent appearance, Shen Ah Heng felt even more guilty, so he could only smile and nod: “Okay, then I have to stay for a few more days.”
As soon as the voice fell, Brother Wang's shouting came from the back kitchen. Xiao Wu responded and ran over quickly, leaving Shen Aheng sitting at the table, looking at the passers-by outside the window, and inexplicably thought of A Yu in his heart.
I don’t know if he is still preparing for the wedding in Yuezhi Kingdom, or... has he discovered that she has escaped?
The days spent staying at Shichun Inn were particularly lively.
Xiaowu served diligently every day. When the people in the nearby villages who had treated illnesses in her previous practice heard that she had arrived, they all rushed to see her.
Grandma Li was carrying multi-grain steamed buns, Uncle Wang was carrying freshly ground flour, and even the young hunter who had injured his leg before was carrying a few fat and tender pheasants, insisting that she take them in to replenish her body.
Shen Aheng couldn't refuse, so he had to accept them one by one, thanked them with a smile, and took their pulse and asked about their recovery.
Sometimes when there were many people around, she would move a table and sit at the door of the inn, working from early morning to sunset, with sweat on her forehead. Xiaowu would stand beside her and give her water to wipe her sweat, his eyes full of admiration.
After staying in this lively atmosphere for ten days, Shen Aheng looked at the increasing amount of food and medicinal materials piled up in the room, and knew that he could not disturb them any longer, so he said goodbye to Xiaowu.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Wu's eyes instantly turned red. He tugged at her sleeve, reluctant to let go, but knowing he couldn't keep her, he could only pout and say, "Then Young Master Shen, you must come again. I'm still waiting for you to teach me how to identify herbs!"
When the people heard that she was leaving, they all came to see her off, giving her dry food, dried fruits, and herbs, and even brought her a docile old horse for her to ride on the road.
Shen Aheng looked at everyone's eager eyes, and felt warm in his heart. He couldn't bear to hurt their feelings, so he had to accept the things one by one and filled two saddles.
Before leaving, Xiaowu hugged her and cried for a long time before reluctantly letting go.
Shen Ah Heng climbed onto the horse, turned around and waved, looking at the people standing outside the inn, feeling warm and relaxed in his heart.
Days like this, without the constraints of the identity of "Crown Princess", are filled with simple warmth, which is really nice.
Afterward, Shen Ah Heng wandered the world of Jianghu alone for a while before finally returning to Qingxiu Mountain. After so many years, the mountain temple remained the same, except that the wooden gate at the entrance was older, with moss growing where the wood had rotted. The stone table in the courtyard and the statues in the temple were covered in a thick layer of dust, and even the weeds in the yard had grown to half a man's height.
Shen Ahheng looked at the familiar courtyard, feeling nostalgic. He rolled up his sleeves, found a rag, drew a bucket of mountain spring water, and began to clean the courtyard from inside to outside.
I was busy dusting, sweeping the floor, and weeding until dusk. When the setting sun hung obliquely over the hilltop, I finally managed to tidy up the place.
Shen Ah Heng brought an old rocking chair and placed it under the eaves in front of the mountain temple.
It is summer, and the evening breeze brings the coolness of the mountains, making people feel comfortable all over.
Lying in the rocking chair, looking at the sunset in the sky, Shen Ah Heng slowly closed his eyes and fell asleep unknowingly.
I don’t know how long it took, my throat was dry and tight, Shen Ah Heng subconsciously stretched out his hand, palm facing up, and murmured: "Ayu, water..."
As soon as she finished speaking, she suddenly woke up.
A Yu is far away in the Western Regions at this moment, and she is the only one here.
Shen Ah Heng laughed in her heart. Just as she was about to open her eyes and get up to pour water, she suddenly felt someone approaching gently. A warm cup was handed to her with a familiar coarse porcelain texture.
Shen Ahheng's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately opened his eyes, bumping into a pair of familiar eyes.
Those eyes were still stunningly beautiful, with the corners of their eyes slightly upturned, and their pupils were like cold jade soaked in moonlight, tinged with a bit of warmth by the setting sun.
Ashina Yu was standing next to the rocking chair, with a little dust on his body from the journey, holding another coarse porcelain cup in his hand, looking at her gently, as if he had never left.
He was wearing the familiar light grey coarse cloth gown, which had been washed a little pale, and had lost the prince's brocade robes and finery, adding a bit of worldly air, but it could not hide his already handsome features.
Shen Ah Heng stared at him blankly, the tea in the cup swaying, and it took him a long time to find his voice. He asked in a hoarse voice: "Why... are you here?"
Ashina Yu lowered his eyes, his gaze falling on the back of her hand holding the teacup. He spoke softly, his tone calm: "I'm here to find my wife."
The word "wife" instantly fell into Shen Aheng's heart like a small stone, stirring up a thousand waves.
She recalled her departure without saying goodbye that day, the expectant look in her aunt's eyes when she handed her the jade bracelet, and the fact that she had personally disrupted the joyous celebrations in the palace. Guilt and remorse welled up in her heart, and her eyes instantly turned red. "I'm sorry, I'm a coward. I'm just... not ready to be the Crown Princess yet, and I'm afraid I can't live up to the expectations..."
"It doesn't matter."
Ashina Yu interrupted her, the coldness in his eyes had long since faded, leaving only gentleness: "Since you are unhappy in the Western Regions, I came here with you. Nothing is more important than your willingness to stay with me."
He leaned down and gently grasped her wrist. His pale fingertips carried the coolness of the mountain breeze. His beautiful eyes were now filled with her image. His tone was filled with unquestionable seriousness: "Anyway, we must be together for the rest of our lives and never separate. You promised me that day in the cave on Guixu Island."
Shen Ah Heng’s heart ached, and tears almost fell.
She ran away from the marriage on a willful basis, bringing shame to him in front of the people of Yuezhi Kingdom and making his parents worry. However, not only did he not blame her, he also followed her to Qingxiu Mountain and even changed the prince's gorgeous clothes into the coarse cloth clothes he used to wear.
He seemed to always tolerate her like this. No matter how much trouble she got into, no matter where she ran to, she could always see him when she turned around.
He was probably the only person in the world who treated her well unconditionally and could eliminate all her insecurities.
She owed him so much, it would be unacceptable if she didn't make up for it.
Shen Ah Heng looked at him, wiped his eyes, and suddenly grabbed his arm and pulled him to the backyard: "Follow me! Let's go see my master!"
She wanted to take him to see the man who raised her since she was a child, and tell him that she had found the person who was willing to accompany her for the rest of her life, and this time, she would not run away again.
Shen Aheng pulled Ashina Yu and walked quickly into his room. He squatted down and dragged out a wooden box from the corner under the bed, and carefully took out the spirit tablet inside.
After many years, the master's tablet was a little old, but it was wiped clean. Shen Aheng gently placed the tablet on the table, found two incense sticks and lit them, then knelt down respectfully and kowtowed three times.
"Master, I have something to tell you today."
Shen Aheng raised his face, his eyes shining, and his voice was a little proud: "Disciple found the one...who can accompany me for the rest of my life. I brought him back. His name is Ayu, and he is a very beautiful young man named Tianluo."
Ashina Yu stood aside and listened to her compare herself to a "snail". Not only was she not annoyed, but she curved the corners of her eyes. The curve of her lips was more dazzling than the sunset outside the window.
Without the slightest hesitation, he followed her movements and knelt respectfully, kowtowed deeply before the spirit tablet, and said in a serious tone, "I, the junior Ah Yu, am accompanying Ah Heng to pay my respects to Master today. I will take good care of her from now on and will not let her suffer any injustice. Please rest assured, Master."
Shen Ah Heng turned his head to look at him. The light of the setting sun fell just on the top of his head. The light grey coarse cloth made his neck look even thinner. He lowered his eyes, and his long eyelashes cast a light shadow under his eyes. He knelt upright, looking even more moving than when he was wearing the prince's brocade robe.
As Shen Ah Heng watched, his heart felt like it was soaked in warm water, full of satisfaction.
It turns out that being cared about and taken seriously by others is such a solid and warm feeling.
After Ashina Yu finished bowing, she quietly moved her knees to his elbow, gently hooked her fingertips on his sleeve, and whispered, "You're smart enough not to contradict me in front of Master." Ashina Yu tilted her head, the red at the corners of her eyes gleaming in the light. She spoke in a low voice with a hint of a smile, "As long as you say it, whether you call me Mr. Snail or Mr. Stone, I accept you."
-
That night, the moonlight on Qingxiu Mountain was particularly gentle, and Shen Aheng tasted the greatest joy of life for the first time in his life.
The next morning, she sat up from the couch, holding her waist, her brows furrowed, rubbing her aching waist with a grimace, and secretly regretting it in her heart.
Who would have thought that Ashina Yu, who looked cold and weak, was actually so "turbulent" in her bones. She should have rejected him harshly last night. It really cost her her life.
Just as she was trying to get out of bed by holding onto the wall, a bony hand suddenly reached out from behind her. A beautiful arm gently wrapped around her waist, with a familiar warm touch. With a little force, he dragged her onto the couch. Shen Ah Heng was startled and quickly waved his hands and shouted, "No more! My waist is about to break. Don't even think about it for a month!"
The man didn't say anything, just laughed softly. The laugh was a little hoarse from just waking up, but it was particularly alluring.
Shen Ah Heng was pulled back onto the couch by him, and when she looked up, she ran into his eyes.
The morning light shone through the window lattice onto his face, making his already handsome face even more beautiful. The corners of his eyes were slightly raised, and there was still a flush of lust, making him look extremely gorgeous.
Shen Ah Heng instantly remembered last night, when he leaned close to her ear and panted softly, his beautiful eyes fixed on her, and her mind began to become confused again.
"A month?"
Ashina Yu leaned closer to her, rubbing her cheek with the tip of his nose, and said in a soft voice, as if he was acting coquettishly: "Ah Heng, that's not what you said last night."
His fingertips gently caressed the soft flesh on her waist, his movements so gentle that it made her heart tremble: "Just this once, huh?"
Shen Ah Heng was dazed. Looking at the soft light in his eyes and listening to his aggrieved words, he nodded as if possessed by a ghost: "Then... then just once."
As soon as she finished speaking, Ashina Yu turned her over and pressed her under him. It was not until her lips were gently bitten that she suddenly reacted.
I was fooled by him again!
Shen Aheng was so angry that he punched him, but he had no strength. He was helpless because his body was pressed down, so he could only stare angrily: "You tricked me again!"
Ashina Yu chuckled softly and kissed the corner of her eye. Her voice was gentle yet sly with a hint of triumph: "It's because Ah Heng is the one who falls for my tricks the most."
Shen Ah Heng looked at the smile in his eyes, feeling angry and sweet in his heart, and in the end he could only accept his fate and let him do it.
Never mind, being fooled by this pretty little snail for a lifetime doesn’t seem to be a bad thing.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
