Chapter 69 First Snow "Your hands are so cold, let me warm them for you."...
The north wind howled, bringing the first snowflake of the year.
The north got cold very quickly, and Su Panyue was already wearing a woolen cloak, standing by the window looking at the snow outside.
A hand warmer was shoved into her hand, and Xie Lanzhou appeared beside her without her noticing.
"Let's go, everything's packed."
Su Panyue turned her head to look. He was wearing a dark gold outer robe, his slender waist clearly defined, looking very capable.
"Aren't you cold?" Su Panyue asked as she took his hand, surprised to find that his hand was even warmer than hers, which she had been holding in front of the heater.
"Okay, I know, you're not cold." She muttered as she put the hand warmer aside and placed both of her hands in his palms.
Xie Lanzhou readily covered it, asking, "Did you drink your tonic today?"
Su Panyue's face scrunched up. "We're leaving today, so we won't drink it?"
The tonic medicine that Physician Gao had prescribed for her had been discontinued for a while, but unexpectedly Xie Lanzhou still remembered it and coaxed her to drink it every day.
While she hesitated, Xie Lanzhou had already ordered someone to bring over the bowl of medicine.
The dark medicine emitted a healthy yet bitter smell. Knowing she couldn't escape it, Su Panyue closed her eyes and gulped it down.
Xie Lanzhou then immediately handed him a glass of warm water.
"It's so bitter!"
As they spoke, the man's soft, thin lips pressed against hers, sucking and licking, immediately distracting her.
After the kiss, Su Panyue licked her lips, still wanting more, and whispered:
"You don't mind the hardship?"
Xie Lanzhou remained silent, then took her hand again and led her outside.
"The medicine is finished, it's time to set off."
Su Panyue followed him out and saw three carriages.
Feixue accompanied them on this trip and was checking their luggage in the last carriage. Also traveling with them was Seventeen, the secret guard who had just been sent back on orders.
Because Su Panyue said that Xie Lanzhou had ordered Seventeen to kill her in her dream, Xie Lanzhou was speechless and simply assigned his most useful bodyguard to Su Panyue, letting her do as she pleased.
So Su Panyue told him to come along. The expert who could take her life with one hand was now responsible for protecting their safety on this trip, which could be considered as atonement for his sins in his previous life.
The carriage at the very front carried only Gui Bo, who knew the way and had seen the Blood Coagulation Flower before, making him the most suitable person to lead the way.
Su Panyue followed Xie Lanzhou into the middle carriage.
Inside the carriage, a heater was burning, making it warm and cozy. After everyone was seated, the carriage slowly set off.
Su Panyue lifted the curtain to look outside; the snow was falling even harder. She turned her head and asked Xie Lanzhou:
Does it snow in the capital?
"Yes, but it will be less frequent, and it will only rain closer to the end of the year."
"Does Your Majesty like snow?" Su Panyue asked him with bright, sparkling eyes.
Xie Lanzhou didn't have any particular feelings about snow, but seeing the hopeful look in her eyes, she nodded inexplicably, "I like it."
Su Panyue's smile grew even brighter. Suddenly, she reached out her wicked little hand, touched his collar, and stuffed the little snowball she had just secretly rolled up inside.
The icy touch made Xie Lanzhou gasp, and he looked up at the woman beside him who was laughing so hard she was doubled over.
"You said you liked it yourself, so don't blame me!" Su Panyue said with a smile.
Xie Lanzhou couldn't do anything about her, he could only look at her with a doting smile.
He then took off his outer robe and began to unfasten the jade buckle at his waist.
Su Panyue suddenly stopped laughing and asked him, "What, what are you doing!?"
This time it was Xie Lanzhou's turn to laugh. "My clothes are wet, I'll change them."
"You're lying! How could snow the size of a fingernail get your clothes wet?!"
"If you don't believe me, touch it."
As Xie Lanzhou spoke, he unbuttoned his shirt, revealing a large expanse of his chest that was whiter than snow, and then took Su Panyue's hand and placed it on his chest.
There were indeed some water stains left from the melting snow on it. Su Panyue moved her hand, pretending to wipe it for him, but actually taking advantage of him.
Xie Lanzhou didn't expose her, and leaned back, quite pleased with herself, and lazily half-reclined.
Just as Su Panyue was about to withdraw her hand after touching him enough, her wrist was grabbed again.
"Your hands are so cold, let me warm them up for you."
The man's voice was deep and seductive as he pulled her hand down to the hottest spot on his body.
Su Panyue glared at him angrily and squeezed his fist tightly.
“If you move your hands more, it won’t be cold anymore, like this.” Xie Lanzhou said seriously, but Su Panyue’s ears turned red.
However, he was right; Su Panyue's palms were getting hotter and hotter, almost burning up.
The carriage swayed and wobbled forward, leaving white tracks in the road. The fine snow was broken apart, melted, and then hung on the wheels, flowing into the dense bushes and disappearing.
After a while, Xie Lanzhou lifted the curtain and stepped out of the carriage, glancing sideways at Seventeen, who was driving the carriage behind him.
Seventeen was still wearing the black iron mask and dressed in black, just like before. But a secret guard is a secret guard. This was the first time he had appeared openly and honestly beside Xie Lanzhou in broad daylight.
"Do you know the main mission of this trip?" Xie Lanzhou asked.
Seventeen nodded respectfully and said, "Protect Your Majesty!"
"Have you forgotten whose person you are now?" Xie Lanzhou frowned.
"Your Majesty, this..." Seventeen's eyes, hidden behind the mask, were filled with shock. "Are you really going to send me to serve under the Empress?"
Xie Lanzhou nodded slightly. "You must ensure her safety on this trip, understand?"
Seventeen remained silent for a moment, then finally lowered his head and replied, "Yes."
He was among the first batch of secret guards personally trained by Xie Lanzhou, and also the one with the highest combat strength. His guiding principle from beginning to end was simply to carry out orders.
"Don't worry, she won't treat you badly, and you'll still be in charge of the team of secret guards."
Seventeen lowered her head, her eyes filled with surprise. From now on, she would be under the orders of that empress, and a team of a hundred or so skilled bodyguards would also be under her command. His Majesty's arrangement was truly audacious. If this empress intended to use her, this power would not be underestimated.
After Xie Lanzhou finished speaking, he got back into the carriage. The woman on the soft couch inside was still fast asleep, completely unaware of what was happening.
*
As evening approached, the group turned into a small town.
Smoke was already rising from the chimneys in the town, and several children were having a snowball fight, their laughter echoing throughout.
Su Panyue laughed as she watched the children chasing each other. No matter how these people in power fought, the common people only cared about their own small plot of land and wanted to live peacefully.
Xie Lanzhou had already gotten off the carriage to arrange accommodations. From afar, he saw her smiling as she looked at a group of children. His heart softened, and he felt that she seemed to like children.
Uncle Gui was buying liquor when he was suddenly pulled over.
Xie Lanzhou lowered his voice and asked, "Is it possible for her to be pregnant right now?"
Gui Bo slowly took a sip of liquor before replying, "It shouldn't be possible. Her underlying condition of being cold hasn't been cured yet, and you're in such a hurry?"
Xie Lanzhou was too lazy to explain to him that he wasn't in a hurry, so he let go of Su Panyue and went to help her get off the carriage.
“Ji Hongxi has three children,” he suddenly said.
Su Panyue blinked. "Your cousin's child? What's wrong?"
"If you like, bring one home and raise it," Xie Lanzhou replied.
These words startled Su Panyue, who quickly asked, "Why would you want to raise your cousin's child? Besides, does he even agree to it?"
Xie Lanzhou said calmly, "He will agree."
At the same time, a voice from within also came: "You've sacrificed yourself to save him, how could he dare disagree?"
Su Panyue was speechless for a moment, then simply refused, "No."
She hasn't even had a few good days yet, and she already has to raise a child to take care of? Why is she creating work for herself?
Seeing her resolute attitude, Xie Lanzhou shut up and said nothing more. The two entered the only inn in the town.
It's called an inn, but it's actually a place where a local family lives. When someone comes to stay, they clean it up and use it as an inn; when no one is there, they live there themselves.
Su Panyue and Xie Lanzhou lived in a room on the south side. The host had done a rough cleaning, and Feixue had cleaned it carefully again, so it was simple but very clean.
There was no bed in the room, only a kang (a heated brick bed), covered with a Shu embroidered quilt they had brought themselves, which seemed somewhat out of place.
After a quick wash, Su Panyue went to bed and settled down at the head of the kang (heated brick bed). Xie Lanzhou carefully sealed the doors and windows with cotton cloth to prevent drafts from coming in at night.
Su Panyue excitedly called out to him, "Come on, get on the kang (heated brick bed) and go to sleep!"
Xie Lanzhou lay down beside her as instructed, touching the earthen bed beneath him that was constantly radiating heat, seemingly with some curiosity.
"Your Majesty, have you ever slept on a kang (heated brick bed)?" Su Panyue asked curiously.
"No, the Great Qi has not."
“In the homes of people in the north, they all have these kang beds. They’re warm in winter, and the whole family can squeeze together. It’s so nice,” Su Panyue said.
Xie Lanzhou nodded and asked, "It's so hard, how can you sleep well?"
Su Panyue pouted, "In the past, kind people would take me home in winter. It was good enough if I could sleep on the floor inside the house. Winters in the north can really freeze you to death."
Xie Lanzhou hugged her tighter, his heart filled with tenderness.
Su Panyue said dismissively, "As long as a person wants to live, there will always be a way to survive. The most important thing is to live."
"Mmm," the man responded softly, "Go to sleep."
Su Panyue shifted a couple of times, finding a comfortable position. Beneath her was a warm kang (heated brick bed), and beside her was a warm man. She slept exceptionally soundly that night.
She didn't wake up until the rooster crowed three times, when the white snow outside the window illuminated the room.
A layer of frost had formed on the window. She covered her mouth with both hands and breathed on it to clear a spot so she could look out.
A thick layer of blood had already accumulated outside, covering the entire world in a new coat, while a dark figure stood in the snow, waving his sword.
It turned out to be Xie Lanzhou practicing swordsmanship. Su Panyue already knew that he had a habit of getting up early to exercise, which was why he could maintain such a good figure. She just didn't expect that he could still persist in practicing swordsmanship in such cold weather. It was terrifying.
She stayed wrapped in a thick blanket and watched for a while until the man noticed her.
Xie Lanzhou glanced at her with a smile, then flicked his sword tip to pick up a cluster of snowflakes, swirling them upwards like a flash of silver light, creating a beautiful vortex of snow in the air.
Through the window, Su Panyue clapped enthusiastically, unaware that the brocade quilt wrapped around her had slipped down a bit.
Xie Lanzhou's eyes darkened as he sheathed his sword and turned to go back into the house.
He sat by the stove by the door for a while to warm himself and get rid of the chill, then wiped his hands clean before sitting on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and pulling Su Panyue over.
"That move you just made was really impressive. Teach me sometime," Su Panyue said, leaning against his chest.
"Okay, I can teach you now." Xie Lanzhou said, taking her hand and drawing a circle in the air.
Su Panyue stared at his movements with curiosity, completely unaware that in such a short time, the thin strap of her undergarment had come undone.
"Have you learned it yet? Time to collect some tuition fees..."
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Author's Note: I started writing this in the summer and it's now winter, accompanying Yueyue and Zhouzhou until the first snow. [hugs]
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