Chapter 59: Redemption and Temptation "According to etiquette," he said word by word...
On the Ferghana horse, Liu Yeshu leaned in Qi Yu's arms. The effect of the Hehuan wine gradually spread, and her body became hotter and hotter, as if there was a fire burning inside her body, and her consciousness became increasingly blurred.
“It’s so hot.”
Liu Yeshu threw off the wolfskin cloak she was wearing. The cold wind blew in, but it still couldn't suppress the strange heat.
Qi Yuyuan was still fuming over the leader of the stronghold, wondering how he should kill him, when he saw Liu Yeshu's cloak half-pulled down to her waist, revealing her dazzling red wedding gown. He grasped the reins with one hand and tried to wrap the cloak around Liu Yeshu again with the other, but Liu Yeshu's burning fingertips held him down.
Qi Yu held it back and realized that the temperature was frighteningly hot.
"Miss Liu, are you okay?"
Liu Yeshu looked up at him, her misty eyes were a little blurry, and her usual calmness and rationality were almost gone.
"Whoa!" Qi Yu called to himself, halting his horse and dismounting, Liu Yeshu in his arms. He found a clearing in the woods. The surrounding forest was as dark as ink, its tall pines and cypresses like a natural barrier, slightly blocking the chilly night wind.
"General Qi..." Her voice was as low as a sigh, her fingers gently grasping the front of his shirt, her eyes vague, as if carrying a hint of dependence and helplessness, completely different from her usual self.
"I... feel very uncomfortable..."
Qi Yu took a deep breath and looked away. He raised his hand and gently pried open her fingers, trying to wake her up: "Miss Liu, what did they feed you?"
Liu Yeshu's fingertips were tightly hooked on his clothes. Under the effect of the drug, her mind was already blurred and she was unable to think. She just held on to Qi Yu by instinct.
"Hehuan wine..." Liu Yeshu's voice was filled with pleading, as if she was completely unaware of her actions. Her hands unconsciously climbed onto his shoulders, and her body gradually moved closer to him.
Qi Yu looked down at her. Although his expression remained stern, a subtle emotion gradually emerged in his eyes. He had experienced the temptation of beauty before, but Liu Yeshu at this moment was different from any woman he had ever seen.
He raised his hand, trying to steady her, but accidentally touched her cheek. The touch of smooth tenderness made his heart tremble slightly. In the moment he hesitated, Liu Yeshu leaned forward a little more, her breath lingering on his ear, the breath as light as a feather.
He gently pressed her shoulders with both hands, trying to distance himself from her. "Miss Liu, I'll take you back home now. A doctor will treat you."
Liu Yeshu's eyes widened slightly, and there seemed to be a hint of pain in her hazy eyes. She could not understand the strangeness of her body. She only felt that she was being pulled by a strange force and could only act on instinct.
Hearing his distant tone, Liu Yeshu suddenly felt a surge of grievance in her heart.
"General Qi..." Her voice was choked with sobs. Her fingers climbed up his arm, and her tone was filled with pleading. "Don't go... okay?"
Qi Yu frowned, looking at the fragility and helplessness in her eyes, and sighed slowly: "I won't leave." His voice was low and firm, "I will stay here with you."
Qi Yu reached out and held Liu Yeshu's hands, letting her lean on his shoulders and gently patting her back to soothe her emotions. Liu Yeshu was comforted a little by his gentle gesture, leaning on him, feeling the warmth from his palms, and her body gradually relaxed.
However, the drug was still taking effect in her body. She felt unbearable and wanted to be closer to him, to feel more warmth. She raised her head, her misty eyes fell on his face, and she leaned closer with a sweet and intoxicated smile: "General Qi, you are so kind..."
Qi Yu's eyes became deeper, and his brows furrowed slightly. He knew that she was no longer conscious, and getting closer would only make her emotions more chaotic. However, at this moment, he couldn't bear to push her away, so he could only say softly, "When you wake up, we'll talk again."
Liu Yeshu continued to shake her head, her fingers involuntarily climbing onto his shoulders. She tilted her head back, looking at him with a hint of longing and dependence. Qi Yu was speechless for a moment. He supported her shoulders and pushed her back slightly, but she stubbornly leaned forward, getting closer.
"Liu Yeshu," he called her name softly, with an irresistible firmness in his voice, "Do you know what you are doing?"
Liu Yeshu stared at him blankly. After a few seconds, she slowly revealed a faint smile and nodded, "I know, I know... I'm just... enduring..." Her words gently overflowed from her lips, but there was no follow-up. She just looked at him with her misty eyes.
Qi Yu raised his hand and gently stroked her forehead. His usually cold eyes now showed a hint of tenderness. He said softly, "Okay, then listen to me. Just be patient."
"Huh..." Liu Yeshu nodded and was helped to mount the horse again. As soon as Qi Yu let go of her hand, her body went limp and she fell down.
The two rolled on the grass where there was still some snow. Under the moonlight, Liu Yeshu put her arms around Qi Yu's neck.
Qi Yu looked down at Liu Yeshu. There was pleading in her eyes, her cheeks flushed from the effects of the medicine, and her warm breath gently brushed against Qi Yu's neck.
Liu Yeshu raised her head slightly, only inches away from Qi Yu's face. Her eyes were half-closed, filled with confusion and uneasiness, and her breathing became increasingly rapid.
My sanity was eroded bit by bit by the drug.
Liu Yeshu's hand involuntarily climbed onto Qi Yu's shoulder, as if trying to seek more dependence. Her soft breath was close to Qi Yu's ear, and she whispered softly: "General Qi..." Her voice was trembling, as if tempting him.
Qi Yu looked at her, his Adam's apple moving slightly, a flicker of struggle in his eyes. He grabbed Liu Yeshu's two trembling hands with one hand, pressed them to the grass above her head, and watched the moonlight shatter into her confused eyes.
But this action was too similar to that of the previous leader of the cottage, and Liu Yeshu's mind suddenly became clearer.
"I can't... I can't do this..." Her fingers trembled slightly as she tried to maintain the last bit of her sanity.
As soon as Liu Yeshu gritted her teeth and said "no", Qi Yu withdrew the strength in his hand and helped her sit up.
Liu Yeshu continued to unconsciously move closer to him, her eyes slightly closed, as if giving herself to him. Seeing her slightly red lips tremble slightly in the moonlight, Qi Yu's breathing gradually became heavy. However, at this critical moment, he saw Liu Yeshu's hand slowly slip out from her sleeve, holding a small packet of fragrant powder between her fingers.
Before he could react, Liu Yeshu suddenly lifted the packet of powder and sprinkled it towards him, and the aroma of sleeping powder filled the air. She swayed slightly, finally collapsing into Qi Yu's arms, her breathing steady and peaceful. Qi Yu sighed softly, looking at her pale face with a hint of red. A faint smile of resignation rose at the corner of his mouth, but a sigh of relief settled in his heart.
"You..." Qi Yu looked at her sleeping appearance with a wry smile on his face, his eyes full of doting and helplessness. He patted her back gently and hugged her tightly.
"If I hadn't been reluctant, I would have knocked you out long ago."
Qi Yu shook his head helplessly, steadied the reins, and continued on his way, galloping towards the general's mansion.
*
The next morning, sunlight slanted into the room through the window lattice. A gentle breeze blew the half-open curtains, bringing a breath of fresh air. Liu Yeshu gradually woke up from her drowsiness, her eyelashes trembling slightly, and consciousness began to return.
Her head was slightly dizzy, the effect of the medicine had not yet completely dissipated, her body was hot and a little heavy, but the silence around her made her feel a familiar warmth.
She slowly opened her eyes, and what she saw was the wooden beams of the general's bedroom. Everything in the room seemed so peaceful and familiar.
The bed was soft, covered in a layer of elegant silk bedding. The tables, chairs, and books placed in the room all revealed the unique simplicity and solemnity of the general's residence. The air was filled with a faint medicinal aroma, as if someone had specially brewed medicine while she was unconscious.
She tried to sit up and found herself lying on an exquisitely carved bed in the general's mansion, covered with a thick coat. She touched the coat and felt a sense of warmth in her heart. It was obvious that Qi Yu was afraid that she would catch a cold last night and had put it on her specially.
There was a bowl of cooled medicinal soup on the small table beside the bed, and Qi Yu's cloak was still on the chair next to it.
Did he stay here last night?
When Liu Yeshu saw all this, a complex emotion inexplicably surged in her heart.
"I... have returned to the general's mansion..." She murmured softly to herself, recalling everything that happened last night, her heart still a little dazed.
Liu Yeshu leaned on the edge of the bed, slowly sat up, looked out the window, the sunlight poured in, the trees in the yard swayed, and the sound of shoveling snow could be heard faintly.
Everything was in perfect order, as if the danger of last night had never happened.
Just as she was lost in thought, the door suddenly opened gently. Qi Yu walked in, dressed in military uniform. His expression was normal, yet with a hint of concern. Seeing that Liu Yeshu had sat up, he smiled slightly and slowly walked over.
"Awake?" Qi Yu's voice was low and gentle.
Liu Yeshu looked up at him, a hint of confusion in her eyes, as if she couldn't believe she had actually returned safely to the General's Mansion. She nodded slightly, then whispered, "Last night... I didn't cause you any trouble, did I?"
Qi Yu nodded without hesitation: "Yes."
Liu Yeshu was slightly startled after hearing this and lowered her head: "Then I apologized to General Qi." Then she asked, "I don't know what I did, I can't remember now."
He planned to get away with it again.
Qi Yu casually dragged over a huanghuali wood chair and sat down beside Liu Yeshu's bed, his face serious: "You severely molested your savior last night."
Liu Yeshu was stunned and speechless. She had thought that Qi Yu would avoid the topic as usual, but she had never expected him to be so blunt today.
For a moment, she didn't know how to respond.
"Miss Liu," Qi Yu suddenly called her.
"Hmm?" Liu Yeshu's heart beat faster when he called her, and she responded subconsciously while holding the medicine bowl.
Qi Yu slowly leaned down, casting a shadow above Liu Yeshu.
"According to etiquette," he said word by word, "I have to pledge my love to you."
"I'll give you three days to think about it."
After saying that, Qi Yu stood up, straightened his sleeves, turned around and strode away.
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