Chapter 63 "Ningning, so good."...
Cui Yao slowly got into the car.
Ji Chengning had his back to Cui Yao, his ten fingers resting on his armor, but for some reason, he couldn't untie it no matter how hard he tried. He clicked his tongue in frustration, then tightened his fingers, and the straps instantly became taut.
The next moment, a pale hand pressed down on the back of his hand.
when……? !
Ji Chengnin suddenly turned his head.
Cui Yao tilted her head slightly, looking at him innocently and helplessly.
A slightly cold, rusty smell, like a blade, mingled with a subtle fragrance.
Ji Chengning subconsciously held his breath.
My heart started pounding wildly because of the sudden feeling of suffocation.
“Your Highness,” Cui Yao’s icy fingers lightly tapped Ji Chengning’s hand, “Your belt is about to break. Do you need my help?”
A soft voice brushed against her earlobe.
Cui Yao's face was so close that Ji Chengning could even catch a glimpse of his lips out of the corner of his eye.
The distance between the two was so improper that Ji Chengnin could clearly see that the few strands of black hair stuck to his lips were clearly his own.
The cool, fishy, and dark aroma intertwines with the warm scent of ambergris, creating an ambiguous and lingering fragrance.
Before he could finish speaking, a sharp tearing sound was heard, and Ji Chengning expressionlessly snapped the ribbon.
"Clang!"
The breastplate fell to the ground.
Ji Chengnin rubbed his sore and numb shoulders as he stepped over his breastplate. He tilted his head and said, "Chu River," raising his chin slightly, "Han Border."
Cui Yao stood still.
The cold moonlight fell on his face, making it look like it was carved from jade.
He stared intently at Ji Chengnin.
The young general had removed his armor from his upper body, wearing only an ordinary white robe underneath. His waist was bound by an iron belt, which tightened his beautiful and powerful lines all the way down to his waist. As he raised his hand, Cui Yao's gaze followed.
Ji Chengnin took the dagger from his waist, held the scabbard, and handed it over.
Cui Yao: "Hmm? What does the Crown Prince mean by this?"
Ji Chengnin shoved the dagger into his hand. "If I do anything improper or disrespectful tonight," he tapped his chest, "cousin, don't be polite."
Seeing the small dent he had poked in that spot, Cui Yao felt inexplicably thirsty.
He took the dagger with both hands.
It seemed not to be a gleaming weapon, but an imperial edict.
He lowered his eyes. "What if I was the one who was rude?"
Ji Chengning looked at him suspiciously, as if to say, "You can't beat me anyway."
With a tender touch, Cui Yao ran her fingers over the undulating patterns on the scabbard and said softly, "Thank you, Your Highness."
Ji Chengnin waved his hand.
He took off the entire suit of armor and then arranged it in the same way as the human body.
At first glance, it looked as if there was a charred corpse between them.
Cui Yao stared at him silently the whole time.
Ji Chengning was surprised to find that his cousin was so clingy, as if she wanted to gouge out her eyes and stick them to him.
No matter what he did, he could feel a faint gaze fixed on him.
Just as Ji Chengning was hesitating whether to extinguish the candle, he suddenly heard Cui Yao say, "Young Master, aren't you going to change your clothes?"
Change clothes, what clothes?
Ji Chengning regretted that he understood Cui Yao's meaning in an instant; his hand trembled, and he almost poked a hole in the candle shade.
Cui Yao smiled.
Ji Chengning said with a straight face, "When you're out and about, there's no need for so many formalities."
Cui Yao nodded. "Your Highness is so devoted to the affairs of the country that I feel ashamed of myself." The first sentence was quite serious, but then he changed the subject. "If you want to change, your undergarments are in the ebony box," he added slowly. "I put them in there."
"puff."
My finger still went into the candle holder.
Ji Chengnin gritted his teeth, feeling his ears burning hot. "Shut up."
If Cui Yao weren't his cousin, Young Master Ji would have teased her back rather gently long ago. However, since she was from a respectable family and was a young woman, he held back for a moment before suddenly reaching out his hand.
He extinguished the candle flame with his bare hands.
The carriage suddenly darkened.
Ji Chengning slowly, as if his legs were clumsy, moved to his place, took several deep breaths, and then stiffly lay down.
The two of them each wore a light blanket and stood on either side.
Fortunately, Cui Yao's sleeping posture was quite proper, with her hands flat on her abdomen and her breathing so light that it was almost invisible.
Ji Chengning stared at him for a long time, and only after confirming that Cui Yao was really asleep did he cover his head with the blanket and turn his back to Cui Yao.
In the shadows where he couldn't see, Cui Yao, who should have been fast asleep, suddenly opened her eyes.
There was no sign of sleepiness in his dark eyes.
His gaze fell on the back of Ji Chengnin's neck.
Like a demon that has caught the scent of incense, it greedily and contentedly slid down Ji Chengning's spine.
The next morning.
Since entering officialdom, Ji Chengning's habit of oversleeping has been largely worn away, and he and Cui Yao both get up before dawn.
Ji Chengning got out of the car and washed up.
After hearing the officers' report on the number of men in each battalion, they had breakfast and continued their march.
To Ji Chengning's surprise, Zhou Yan did not come to bother him today. Instead, he stayed quietly in the carriage, only letting out a short scream when Ji Chengning ordered the troops to march.
Ji Chengning was afraid he would die on the way, so he sent Li Bi to ask him.
Soon Li Bi returned happily, "General, His Highness Prince Rui's guards said that His Highness has developed a fever from the long journey and will not come out until His Highness is better."
Ji Chengnin looked puzzled.
He was full of energy yesterday, but he has a fever this morning?
With Zhou Yan's frail physique, what right does he have to laugh at him for not being able to draw a bow!
He blinked. "In that case, tell His Highness to take good care of himself. If there is anything I can do to help, I will not refuse."
Li Bi relayed this polite expression of concern to Zhou Yan.
Inside the carriage, the Third Prince's knuckles were clenched so tightly they turned blue.
He took a deep breath, his voice trembling, and forced a smile through gritted teeth. "Thank you for your concern, General Ji. I will definitely," he said, almost grinding his teeth to powder, "take good care of myself."
Zhou Yan's voice was muffled and indistinct through the car wall.
Li Bi: "Yes."
He then turned and left.
The carriage curtains were all drawn, making the interior extremely dark.
Zhou Yan sat in the shadows, staring intently at a tuft of black hair on the ground.
His hair.
Last night, someone cut off a small part of it without me knowing when.
The person who did it was clearly very meticulous and extremely confident. His hair was neatly tied up with white satin and placed beside his pillow.
When Zhou Yan opened his eyes and saw the strand of hair, he felt a chill run up his spine and he couldn't help but scream.
Since that person was able to sneak into his carriage silently, the hair that was cut off this time was obviously just a warning. So what will happen next time?
His clothes, his fingers, or his life?
Zhou Yan gritted his teeth, but couldn't stop trembling, his teeth chattering and making a series of cracking sounds.
Who did it? Was it Ji Chengnin? Or was it that the Crown Prince had been keeping an eye on them all along?!
A mind gripped by extreme terror cannot conceive an answer.
"Come, someone come!"
The guard carefully lifted the carriage curtain.
The blinding sunlight flooded into the car, and Zhou Yan's shoulders trembled violently. He grabbed his hair and threw it in front of his guards.
"Go, burn this." Zhou Yan's voice trembled, then suddenly sharpened, "Go now!"
The guard hurriedly picked up the hair; the cold, smooth touch made his scalp tingle. He tucked the long hair into his sleeve, lowered the curtain, and quickly left.
He found a secluded spot, took out a tinderbox, and lit his hair from below.
The firelight flickered, and specks of dark red light scattered outwards.
"Whoosh—"
A spark flew.
As soon as Ji Chengning pulled back the carriage curtain, he saw Cui Yao burning something. It looked like a letter.
The letter was quickly swallowed up.
When the tea was almost cooked, Cui Yao methodically picked up the teapot and sealed the small tea stove.
The flames were instantly extinguished.
Cui Yao seemed to only then notice Ji Chengnin, turned around, and said with a smile, "Your Highness."
Ji Chengnin grunted in response, "Is there any tea?"
He didn't ask anything.
Cui Yao couldn't tell whether he was more pleased that Ji Chengnin trusted him so much, or more disappointed that General Ji didn't care about his behavior at all.
The two feelings intertwined, creating a strange sensation that made Cui Yao want to frown.
But he remained expressionless and handed the tea to Ji Chengning.
Ji Chengnin was about to drink his tea when he suddenly stopped and said, "Prince Rui is ill."
Cui Yao looked completely bewildered. "Huh?"
His eyes were clear and honest, showing no sign of hiding or feeling guilty.
Ji Chengning covered his lips with his teacup. "I want to tell my cousin that unless absolutely necessary, she should not go near Prince Rui's carriage, lest he pass on his illness to her."
His tone rose slightly, carrying a hint of sullen dissatisfaction. It didn't sound like a harmless probe, but rather like jealousy.
Cui Yao smiled and said, "Yes."
His eyes were smiling, which made Ji Chengnin pause for a moment.
What is he so happy about?
Ji Chengnin was puzzled. After drinking his tea, he went out as usual.
...
The days of marching passed quickly; it seemed like only a moment had passed before ten days had gone by.
These ten days were unusually quiet, with nothing happening along the way. Since his "illness," His Highness Prince Shan Rui had only made one public appearance.
Ji Chengning was puzzled, but was happy to have some peace and quiet.
The only slight variable was Cui Yao. His cousin, Cui, seemed to be under some kind of spell; last night she stared at him intently for a long time before reaching out her hand—
Ji Chengnin grabbed his hand tightly. "What are you doing?"
The skin under my fingers was unusually cold.
He was the one who reached out first, and it was Cui Yao who was frightened.
Cui Yao lowered her eyes and spoke softly, "I'm scared. I want to see if the Crown Prince is asleep."
Ji Chengnin sat up. "I'll light the candles."
“No need,” Cui Yao said decisively.
A chilling aura brushed against my face for a moment, as if Cui Yao had moved closer and said softly, "With the Crown Prince speaking to me, I have nothing to fear."
Ji Chengnin coughed lightly, "Nonsense."
He harbored doubts, but he still lay down.
Nothing was said that night.
Today, all is well, but rather than saying all is well, it would be more accurate to say that Ji Chengning didn't even see Cui Yao.
After breakfast, the two had their own things to do, but although his cousin usually liked to hang around him, he hadn't seen her for several hours today.
Just after noon, Ji Chengnin made a special trip back to the carriage.
As soon as I lifted the car curtain, I bumped into a furry face.
Yes, a hairy face.
Ji Chengnin was greatly surprised.
Is my cousin a fox spirit?
That shouldn't be the case. He always felt that his cousin should be a snake in human form, otherwise... That hairy face came close to Ji Chengning and rubbed his face with its wet nose.
Ji Chengnin's thoughts suddenly stopped.
He stretched out two fingers and pushed his little nose away in disgust, "So dirty." The puppy thought Ji Chengning was playing with him and wanted to lick him, but he was held in Cui Yao's palm and couldn't move. He frantically pawed at the ground with his short, chubby legs.
Ji Chengnin found it amusing and used his finger to stroke the puppy's soft, curly fur. "Where did you come from?"
Cui Yao lowered her eyes and said meekly, "I found it on the road."
"Ah, so you've been playing with this little thing all day," Ji Chengnin said, squeezing the puppy's paw again. "Does it have a name yet?"
Cui Yao looked up and met his smile. "Yes."
"What's your name?" Ji Chengnin asked, teasing the puppy as he spoke.
For some reason, the puppy was unusually affectionate towards him and tried to rub its nose against his fingers, but Ji Chengning pushed it away.
He only allowed the puppy to play with him, but forbade the puppy to approach him.
Before Cui Yao could speak, she smiled and said, "Ningning."
Ji Chengnin was taken aback and subconsciously said, "Huh?"
Cui Yao smiled and said, "I said, this little dog is named Ningning."
The young general's smile froze.
What?
He subconsciously looked at "Ningning" and saw a round little puppy, so fat it was almost a ball, with black fur, looking like it had just been dug out of the ground.
Even if he were to abandon humanity, he should be a ferocious beast like a tiger, leopard, or jackal, not some tiny creature that could be flipped over with a single finger.
Ji Chengnin firmly objected, "Why don't you call it Yaoyao?"
Cui Yao's reaction was very calm: "Fine."
What's so good about it!
Ji Chengnin laughed in exasperation, “Lord Cui, you are now an official of the court, it is unbecoming of an official to have such a little thing share your name.”
After all, this little thing is going to be kept in the military, so it's a bit inappropriate to keep calling it "Yaoyao".
Cui Yao looked at Ji Chengning with a smile, "Please enlighten me, Your Highness."
Ji Chengning didn't stand on ceremony and pinched the puppy's soft, wet muzzle, but he still looked disgusted. He wiped his hands as soon as he finished pinching it, and then pinched it again, saying, "Yaoyao."
As he pondered, his voice became softer and gentler than usual.
Even though Cui Yao knew that Ji Chengning wasn't calling her, she was still stunned for a moment.
“The distant, distant tolling of the bell fades into the evening… Alone I return to the distant green hills,” Ji Chengnin’s eyes lit up. “How about we call it Guiyuan (Returning to the Distance)?”
Cui Yao smiled at Ji Chengning, "It is an honor to have the Crown Prince name me."
Ji Chengnin grimaced at the flattery.
Seeing that he was staring intently at Gui Yuan, Cui Yao said, "If Your Highness likes it..."
“I don’t like it,” Ji Chengnin refused decisively. “There’s no need to send me off.”
“I can have the Crown Prince look after it for half a day,” Cui Yao said.
After saying this, the two looked at each other for two seconds before Ji Chengnin looked away first. “I’ve never liked cats and dogs since I was a child. They’ve rolled around on the ground and are covered in dust, and then they want to crawl into someone’s arms,” he said with a look of disgust. “They’re so dirty.”
The puppy whimpered.
This day, in the afternoon.
Anyone with eyes could see that General Ji was very different today.
Although it was only the beginning of summer, it got hotter and hotter as they headed towards Luanyang. When they left the capital, they could still wear full armor with casual short robes underneath, but now they had all changed into thin armor.
Ji Chengning is afraid of heat but not cold. A few days ago, when he took off his helmet, his long hair inside was so wet that it looked like it had been soaked. But now, however, Li Bi looked at Ji Chengning in surprise, wearing a cloak.
The scarlet cloak paired with the black iron armor was imposing and exuded a fierce aura, but Li Bi couldn't help but feel that something was wrong.
The cloak was too short in the back and too long in the front, barely reaching below the lower abdomen.
Instead of being neatly placed down, it was gathered into a small pouch, and there seemed to be something moving inside.
Li Bi's expression changed drastically.
He spurred his horse and galloped over, almost reaching Ji Chengnin.
Just as he stopped Ji Chengnin, he saw the bulge on the general's chest move, assuming an overwhelming posture, and then, with difficulty, it poked its head out.
Dog's head.
Li Bi: "..."
General Ji exuded a chilling aura, his breastplate adorned with ferocious and ornate Qiongqi patterns, his brows and eyes sharp and stern, and though a slight smile played on his lips, he possessed an intimidating presence that sent shivers down one's spine.
Yet this fierce-looking general had a puppy in his arms that wasn't weaned and was constantly scratching at him.
Li Bi almost bit his tongue off, and inexplicably felt a tickle in his ears. "General, where did you find such a majestic and powerful beast?"
Ji Chengning pushed the puppy back with one finger.
The little thing was still quite far along, but it had a good temper. It lay down sprawled out on its back and simply stopped moving, lazily resting against Ji Chengning's chest and basking in the sun.
Upon hearing this, the young marquis raised an eyebrow and said, "What ferocious beast? This is my nephew."
Li Bi: "Huh?"
Ji Chengnin gave him a mysterious smile.
Li Bi said dryly, "Your nephew is truly a man of appearances, but a dog of talent."
Ji Chengnin rubbed the puppy's head and said, "You flatter me."
After nightfall, Ji Chengnin made a point of taking a shower before getting into the car.
But the cool steam was quickly evaporated completely.
The carriage floor was covered with a woolen rug, and even the little dog couldn't stay still, whimpering as it climbed onto Ji Chengning.
The young marquis did not sleep well. In his dream, he seemed to be fish in an iron pot, steamed by the heat and unable to sit or stand still.
However, something gently brushed against his face, cool and refreshing, with a faint fragrance.
He pressed his burning cheek against the not-so-hard "ice," and the cool sensation made him groan softly.
He vaguely heard a smiling voice praising him, "Ningning, you're such a good boy."
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Author's Note: The poem is from "Sending Off the Venerable Lingche".
Thanks for the birthday wishes, my wife! Hehehehehehehe.
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