Chapter 44 The earth is my pillow, the sky my canopy, the bright moon my...
Chapter 44
Waves crashed against the rocks on the shore, the tides surged ceaselessly, and all things in the world changed naturally, seemingly without end.
He Hansheng watched as the girl on top of him pretended to be fierce and said words that had no real power, just like a little tabby cat guarding its food, slapping him with its still-closed paw.
It doesn't hurt, just a little itchy, which makes one's heart soften.
He chuckled softly, tilted his head back, and touched the corner of her lips with a tender, suggestive gesture, as if extending a silent invitation.
"So, young master, do you wish to immediately take possession of what belongs to you?" He Hansheng did not move, seemingly handing over the initiative entirely to Shen Suining, but his eyes were swirling with undercurrents, silently urging Shen Suining to try.
Shen Suining had seen this tactic in military books; it was called "inviting the enemy into the urn."
She laughed, the darkness blurring the contours of her face, but making her beautiful eyes appear even more alluring.
Shen Suining knelt on either side of his waist, her hands resting on his shoulders, her palms slightly sweaty. He truly seemed like her possession, motionless, only his eyes fixed on her, his expression constantly tempting her to move downwards.
She slowly lowered her head and tentatively touched the corner of his mouth, then his chin. His lips were much more sensitive than her fingertips, and she felt a tickle from the prickling of his stubble. Her heart began to race, and even the terrifying darkness seemed to clamor and urge her on, stirring up desires she had previously suppressed and deliberately avoided.
“Ningning, don’t be afraid,” He Hansheng raised his hand and gently rubbed her cheek with the back of his hand. “Do what you want to do, don’t be afraid.”
After he removed his hand from her cheek, he took her hand in his, intertwined their fingers, and placed it near his ear, his Adam's apple bobbing.
“He Hansheng,” Shen Suining said, her other hand restlessly touching his Adam’s apple, “The young master of Shuyu Manor can only have one person in his life. If you have any other thoughts, you will be put on the Jianghu wanted list. We will fight to the death. You should think it over.”
He Hansheng chuckled softly, closed his eyes, and said, "I will leave it to the young master to decide."
Shen Suining withdrew her hand from his Adam's apple, covered his eyes with her palm, and leaned down to kiss his lips, as reckless and clumsy as ever.
She could never learn He Hansheng's patience and gentleness, and he didn't seem to care at all, letting her kiss and nibble at him roughly and stiffly. Their clasped hands tightened secretly, and the base of their fingers turned red.
He Hansheng placed his other hand on her lower back, his fingertips moving up her spine and pressing down hard on her shoulder blades. Then he gripped the back of her neck, turning defense into offense.
He gave her enough patience and time, guiding her defenses to crumble little by little on their own, and gently inviting her to take the initiative.
Then the roles of offense and defense took turns, and he became the one in control. However, the reef was cold and hard, and he didn't want her body to be harmed in any way, so he always remained in the subordinate position, letting the strong-willed girl in his arms constantly try to take the initiative from him.
The ebb and flow of tides, the alternation of the sun and moon—these are the natural order of things.
The earth is my pillow, the sky my canopy, the bright moon my lamp, and the starlight my candle.
The campfire on the shore crackled and popped with the gusts of wind, its warm light reflecting off the cool moonlight. The tide had receded to its lowest point of the day, and in the distance, the waves surged and crashed tirelessly against the sand and rocks, creating a tremendous echo and resonance that drowned out the most desolate whispers of the world.
After a long while, the sound of the waves continued, but the whispers had subsided.
He Hansheng had gotten up and was sitting on the rocks at some point. His back was straight and his posture was upright, just like usual. However, he was leaning against the almost limp Shen Suining.
Her knees were still pressed against his sides, her arms limply draped over his shoulders, and she uttered a single word with utter despair: "Tired."
He Hansheng hugged her from behind, took water and a handkerchief from the bundle next to him, cleaned them up briefly, and then tidied up their clothes.
Hearing her say "tired", He Hansheng couldn't help but laugh out loud, "I thought the young master was so capable that he got tired so easily."
"Don't try to provoke me." Shen Suining weakly raised her arm, buried her face in his chest, and didn't want to move.
The campfire was much smaller than before, and He Hansheng bent down, picked up a handful of firewood, and threw it in.
The sound of the tide seemed much closer than before. He looked back, picked up Shen Suining, and got off the rocks.
"What's wrong?"
"The tide is coming in," He Hansheng said, supporting her with one hand to keep her from falling, and quickly gathering their clothes and food with the other. "We have to go."
"..." Shen Suining was carried to the horse's side by him, and finally spoke up with a blush: "I can't ride a horse now."
He Hansheng didn't respond. He calmly hung their luggage on the horse's back and led the horse uphill.
Feeling embarrassed, Shen Suining bit He Hansheng's shoulder, "It's all your fault!"
He Hansheng: "..."
...
The two left the shore before the tide came in, the waves crashing against the rocks and carrying away all traces of their passionate night.
He Hansheng carried Shen Suining on his back and led two white horses, taking advantage of the hazy moonlight, and walked a long way along the coastline.
Shen Suining was exhausted and lay quietly on He Hansheng's back, probably asleep, her breathing unusually steady.
Light gradually appeared on the horizon, and dawn broke behind us.
Shen Suining mumbled something, slowly opened her eyes, and turned her head to find that it was almost dawn.
She cried out, wrapped her arms around He Hansheng's neck, and scolded him with a laugh, "Are you stupid? You have a horse but you insist on carrying me on your back. Aren't you tired?"
"The horse is jolting so much, you won't be able to sleep well."
"Why don't you just ride slower?"
Shen Suining exerted force with her arm, forcing He Hansheng to tilt his head back and stop in his tracks to explain, "I'm not tired, I'm fine."
"You're really amazing," Shen Suining said, releasing him with genuine admiration. "You didn't sleep a wink all day, and then you were up for so long last night, yet you can still carry me this far right now."
“It was alright,” He Hansheng paused, then suddenly added, “I didn’t move much at night; you were the one who worked harder.”
Shen Suining: "..."
Seeing that Shen Suining had woken up, He Hansheng picked her up and placed her sideways on the horse's back. He then mounted another horse and led it away, pulling it from the front and back.
It's a small matter for people to be tired, after all, they have food and drink and can stop and rest anywhere. But the horse has been running all day and didn't eat grass last night, so it probably won't run very far.
Fortunately, the two encountered a village not far from the coastline. He Hansheng dismounted and negotiated for a while. The villagers agreed to let them feed their horses and rest, and even thoughtfully prepared a simple meal for them.
The two ate a simple meal, borrowed a stove from someone's house to boil water and clean themselves up. After the horses rested for a while, He Hansheng left a few pieces of silver with the villagers as a token of his gratitude, and then set off for Cangzhou to meet Jiang Yuchu at the agreed-upon location.
Jiang Yuchu waited for three whole days at an inn in Cangzhou City, and finally the young marquis and his wife arrived. Her heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down.
After the two of them had rested and tidied up, half a day had passed.
Jiang Yuchu found He Hansheng and said, "Feng Yu sent a message saying that they arrived at Cangzhou Wharf five days ago, but they haven't received any news from the Marquis and his wife. They were almost ready to take up arms and go back to fight them."
Before He Hansheng could speak, Shen Suining beside him said softly, "She should take up her gun and go back to fight, but not now. When she returns to Huadu from Yangzhou, she should lead the people of Bifengtang, Zhuquege, Baihushan, Xuanwuya and Qinglonggu back to fight together."
"..." Jiang Yuchu glanced at He Hansheng, a chill running down her spine. "What kind of deep-seated grudge has Madam made..."
He Hansheng explained, "What Madam means is that if Feng Yu knew that she was surrounded and chased by more than thirty assassins on the way, she would probably really be able to lead her brothers back to fight their way back."
Jiang Yuchu suddenly realized, "This is indeed something Feng Yu would do."
“So keep your mouth shut and don’t tell Feng Yu everything,” Shen Suining warned him. “Of course, when we get to Shuyu Manor, it’ll be the same as with everyone else. I don’t want to be running all over the mountain just to talk a little bit and get all tired out.”
Jiang Yuchu nodded immediately, like a chick pecking at rice.
He Hansheng coughed lightly and asked Jiang Yuchu, "What are the arrangements with your father-in-law? Are they still going to continue by water?"
"That should be the plan, but I heard that Shuyu Manor has some connections in Cangzhou. They will probably give up on taking the official boat and wait for the Marquis and his wife to take a passenger boat directly to Yangzhou."
"That's good. Waterways are safer than land routes. Once I pass Cangzhou, those who are chasing me should give up."
Jiang Yuchu: "Then I will make the arrangements. Marquis Pinghuai means to set off as soon as possible. Judging from the early hour, we should be able to board the ship tonight. If the Marquis and his wife wish to rest on shore for another half day, I will make other plans."
“It’s alright, let’s go together tonight,” He Hansheng paused for a moment, “After we board the ship this time, we probably won’t be going back to shore. Buy some more wine and snacks to prepare, and also some of the Junshan Yinzhen tea that Madam likes. The journey is long, so you remember to prepare some things to pass the time.”
Jiang Yuchu: "Understood."
After Jiang Yuchu left, Shen Suining no longer had to sit upright.
She lay back on the small couch and sighed, "I knew Father was eager to go back to see Mother, but he couldn't even get through one night."
He Hansheng knew she was tired, and gently comforted her, "You can rest on the passenger ship too, it's the same."
"Don't try to fool me. How can the rooms on a passenger ship be compared to those in an inn?" Shen Suining said, utterly dejected. "He doesn't even care about his daughter's life or death just to see his wife sooner."
He Hansheng chuckled softly, unable to resist reaching out to gently rub her cheek, his touch tender and affectionate.
"My father-in-law and mother-in-law have a very good relationship."
"Of course, after all, my father once stormed up Shuyu Manor all by himself to marry my mother. At that time, there was no Bifeng Hall yet, and the strongest force was Baihu Mountain, which was under the control of my maternal grandfather. He alone, with just a spear, subdued half of Baihu Mountain. He almost challenged my maternal grandfather to a duel in one fell swoop. Fortunately, my mother stopped him in time. Otherwise, even if he had turned the manor upside down, my maternal grandmother would not have allowed him to marry my mother."
Mentioning her parents' past, Shen Suining immediately became excited. She stood up and knelt down in front of He Hansheng, "By the way, you can ask my father for advice on this matter. He has experience."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com