Chapter 90 A Kiss
He looked up and met a pair of bright, clear almond-shaped eyes that held a hint of reluctance and concern.
In her teenage years, Shen Qingci wore a sleek red riding outfit, bright and flamboyant, like a leaping flame.
She frowned slightly as she handed him a bottle of wound medicine, her voice clear and melodious, yet carrying a hint of authority beyond her years.
"Get up! A real man sheds blood, not tears! What's a little injury?!"
Although she said that, she squatted down herself, grabbed his arm without saying a word, and clumsily but carefully cleaned his wound and sprinkled medicine powder on it.
“My father said that the most despised people in the army are cowards! Since you have a leg injury, you should work a hundred times harder than others! Make them all shut up!”
In the sunlight, her slightly lowered profile and long eyelashes seemed to be coated with a layer of gold.
At that moment, all the gloom and scheming in Chu Jichen's world temporarily receded, leaving only the warm and bright sunlight before him.
He stared at her, almost mesmerized.
This was the first ray of light he saw after falling into darkness.
Chu Jichen's lips curled up slightly. And then...
Later, his gaze would always uncontrollably follow her, and he increasingly wanted to make a good impression on her.
He remembered that it was just an ordinary evening that made him decide to marry her.
At that time, he was still in the form of Atu, and by the moonlight, he was alone in front of the sand table, repeatedly simulating a battle.
He was completely focused, his fingers moving across the sand table as if he were commanding a vast army.
I heard soft footsteps behind me.
Shen Qingci, wearing a cloak, walked over carrying a bowl of steaming ginger soup.
"Still studying so late?" She put the ginger soup aside. "My father is praising you again, saying that although you have difficulty walking, you have extremely high comprehension and are a natural-born general."
He withdrew his hand somewhat awkwardly: "General, you flatter me. I just... can make up for my shortcomings with diligence."
Shen Qingci shook her head, walked to the sand table, pointed to one spot, and said with sparkling eyes:
"No, you can't make up for your lack of talent with hard work. Look here, this surprise attack you've set up coincides with my father's idea! But you're even bolder; you actually thought of launching a feint attack from here... a diversionary tactic! What a risky move!"
Her eyes shone with admiration and respect, without a trace of looking down on him because of his disability or ordinariness.
The two talked all night under the moonlight, facing the sand table.
She talked about her ideals, and he talked about his strategies.
That night, for the first time, he revealed his hidden brilliance and talent to a woman.
Looking at her radiant appearance, his admiration for her had already taken root and grown into a towering tree.
He thought that once everything calmed down, once he could regain his identity, he would definitely... marry her in a grand and glorious ceremony...
But man proposes, God disposes.
Two years later, his elder brother passed away, and the throne was passed to Emperor Yongming.
Because of his broken leg and his deliberate concealment of his talents over the past few years, his elder brother, the Emperor, completely lowered his guard against him and appointed him as regent to assist Emperor Yongming.
He regained his identity, but not long after, Emperor Yongming, who had secretly allied with the prime minister, used the pretext of quelling a rebellion to transfer him away from the capital.
He wanted to see exactly who was on Emperor Yongming's side, and he wanted to take the opportunity to lure them out completely and eliminate them one by one. So he left some spies in the capital and went to the border.
Who knew...
Emperor Yongming conspired with Prime Minister Liu to lure the tiger away from the mountain.
Then, taking advantage of his absence, they attacked the Shen family.
He was trapped in that damned war, while the girl he cherished most had become someone else's wife.
He restrained himself, ending the battle as quickly as possible and rushing back to the capital, intending to seize her and keep her by his side...
But then I saw her nestled beside Huo Yunzhan, her face beaming with happiness.
He was driven almost mad day and night, and could only stay far away, afraid that he would lose control of his desire to take her by force.
Of course, no one would know or understand the despicable smugness he felt when he heard of Huo Yunzhan's death in battle.
He was still far away at the border at that time, but he immediately issued an order to return to the capital overnight.
Only one thought occupied his mind: he had to get back to her immediately! This time, he would never let anyone take her away from him again!
Now that he has finally managed to get Shen Qingci by his side, he naturally has to hide his cruel, violent, and possessive side, which is so strong that he almost wants to keep her locked up by his side day and night.
He smirked. She could use him, pretend to seduce him, but she couldn't be afraid of him.
Just as he was thinking, Shen Qingci came out of the house again: "I've thought of a way."
Shen Qingci's eyes were filled with excitement: "I can use rumors and gossip."
"Although Madam Sheng is Sister Sheng's stepmother, she is still a lady from a prominent family in the capital. She can bully Sister Sheng in secret and make her uncomfortable, but she doesn't dare to bring these things out into the open."
"I can take advantage of that..."
“I can spread rumors that she drove Sister Sheng to her death.”
"Then she presented all the unattractive men she had arranged for Sister Sheng over the past year as evidence..."
"She also said that she was planning to arrange a ghost marriage for Sister Sheng."
"The practice of arranging a ghost marriage is something that high-ranking officials and nobles despise. No daughter of a prominent family would be arranged into a ghost marriage after death."
"I want her to be cursed behind her back!"
Chu Jichen's lips curled into a smile, and he nodded: "It is indeed a good idea, but in this way, Madam Sheng will probably know that you were the one who spread those rumors. You two will have completely torn off your masks..."
"Aren't you afraid of making another enemy?"
Shen Qingci slightly raised her chin, her eyes filled with coldness: "What am I afraid of? I have nothing to hide!"
"So what if we've broken off relations! So what if we've made enemies! She wasn't very nice to me back at the Sheng family, so that already counts as breaking off relations."
Chu Jichen raised his eyebrows slightly, but remained silent.
But Shen Qingci seemed to know what he wanted to say. She stared at Chu Jichen and said, "I know. This may also be a conspiracy of Old Madam Huo. She may want to use Sister Sheng's matter to make me make more enemies and make me be targeted by countless people outside, so that I can't live."
"But I'm not...do I still have you?"
Shen Qingci gripped Chu Jichen's hand tightly, her eyes sparkling: "Your Highness certainly won't let them bully me like this, right?"
"They'll definitely back me up, right?"
Seeing Chu Jichen nod helplessly, Shen Qingci's smile deepened: "I knew it. With the Prince backing me up, what do I have to be afraid of?"
After Shen Qingci finished speaking, she suddenly leaned down and kissed him on the cheek, then ran off quickly: "Thank you, Your Highness, I'll go make the arrangements!"
Chu Jichen's eyelashes trembled, his fingers curled slightly, but he couldn't help but raise his hand and touch the spot where Shen Qingci had just kissed him, his eyes spreading with endless joy.
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