Chapter 88: Grapes
Yu Wanyin changed the subject, saying, "I... just wanted to get some fresh air."
"Weren't you going to deliver the soup through the main entrance?"
Rong Si's gaze passed through her, glancing at the extinguished lamps and tightly closed doors and windows in the distance. "What use would it be for me to go through the main entrance?"
He began, drawing out his words, "Someone doesn't want me to come in through the front door."
Turning off the lights and locking the door means closing the door to visitors.
Seeing her guilty look, Rong Si knew that she didn't intend to let him leave through either the front or back door.
But he deliberately misinterpreted her meaning, looking at her with great interest, "So you really want me to climb in through the window?"
A cool breeze outside ruffled her wispy hair.
Before going to sleep, Yu Wanyin's hair was not neat, and the wind made it look even more casual and languid. "Climbing out the window is not an option either. I can't come in again tonight."
Rong Si's eyebrows twitched slightly, but he did not respond.
The damp scent of autumn leaves lingered around the two of them.
“That’s all for today,” Yu Wanyin pursed her lips, reached for the food box he had placed on the windowsill, and quickly changed the subject, “Thank you for the hangover soup, you should go back and rest early.”
She tried to close the window again, but Rong Si blocked it with his large hand.
Rong Si looked at her, indicating that he did not allow her to close the window.
It means he wants to go in.
After a brief stalemate, Yu Wanyin could no longer hold on to him and gave up.
With the window wide open, Yu Wanyin had to stagger back a few steps.
Rong Si entered decisively through the back window.
It is difficult to contain.
He blocked the moonlight from the window, and the whole room became completely dark.
The powerful and imposing presence emanating from the man's broad physique is overwhelming.
He broke into her small house through the window.
Invading her private space.
Rong Si asked meaningfully, "Why are you driving me away?"
As he drew closer, Yu Wanyin felt an increasing blend of gentle and tender aggression emanating from Rong Si. "I'm not chasing you away."
Rong Si nodded seriously, his gaze roaming over her body. "I went to the pharmacy."
"The imperial physician said that spending more time with me will be good for your health."
Yu Wanyin stood in front of him, stepping back as he approached. Her heart skipped a beat when she heard him mention the imperial physician.
She remained defiant, refusing to admit it, "How did he know?"
“I don’t know either…” Rong Si looked at her meaningfully, his eyes flickering in the dim light of the room. “Perhaps it’s the one I asked about… I showed it to you this morning.”
Yu Wanyin was speechless for a moment.
The atmosphere inside the room was somewhat sticky and inexplicable.
She was clearly dressed, but the sharp gaze made her feel as if she were naked.
Rong Si was not in a hurry, and slowly maneuvered with her in the space where only the two of them were, "So, which imperial physician told you that you have qi and blood deficiency?"
Yu Wanyin didn't dare look him in the eye, her gaze drifting over his prominent Adam's apple as she continued to feign ignorance, "I don't remember who it was, that's what he said..."
Rong Si picked up where she left off, "Are you sure you don't remember who it was, or what they said?"
Yu Wanyin really couldn't explain it, so she stopped answering him.
She turned and left, the man's footsteps following closely behind.
It was faster and heavier than her.
It was as if catching her was an easy task, and a matter of time.
This forced Yu Wanyin to quicken her pace involuntarily.
For some reason, she started running, casually placing the food box aside, running out of the back room, turning around and locking the door, then hiding in the inner room.
Once she ran away, many things became obvious.
Rong Si's eyes held a faint smile.
Yu Wanyin had only been inside for a short time when she watched helplessly as Rong Si deftly pried open the door bolt.
Then he brazenly entered her inner room.
Yu Wanyin hid inside the bed, surrounding herself deep within the bed curtains, as if that would provide her with some protection.
Rong Si found it amusing.
How strange, where can't I hide? I'll hide on the bed.
Rong Si slammed the food box he was holding onto the bedside.
Then he opened it and poured her a hangover soup without a second thought.
He sat outside the bed and called to her, "Drink the hangover soup first."
Yu Wanyin huddled inside the tent, listening to his gentle tone, and hesitated whether she should go out.
After a brief standoff, she moved over.
Rong Si wasn't in a hurry. He watched as she leaned out and handed her the soup bowl.
Like a wolf that has laid out bait.
Coincidentally, Yu Wanyin's body was somewhat dehydrated from being drained, and she felt a bit thirsty.
She looked at the soup bowl, then at him, making sure he genuinely wanted her to drink the hangover soup and had no other intentions, before reaching out to take the bowl.
Rong Si saw her fair, white wrist emerge from the gauze curtain, took it, and slowly drank the hangover soup.
He handed the bowl back.
Rong Si poured her another cup, "Have some more."
This is the first time Yu Wanyin has drunk hangover soup.
She didn't know if she needed to drink two bowls, but she listened to what he said to avoid feeling unwell the next morning.
Rong Si watched as she drank two cups of hangover soup.
I poured myself another cup.
Yu Wanyin looked at him for a while and asked, "If you drink the hangover soup and sober up, will the medicine still be effective?"
Rong Si drank while looking at her, but he didn't answer her question.
His deep gaze remained fixed on her.
Yu Wanyin felt a chill run down her spine from the stare and was about to shrink back when suddenly a large hand reached out and grabbed her waist!
She was grabbed almost without warning!
Then he dragged her out of the tent!
Rong Si fed her the rest of the hangover soup.
Yu Wanyin didn't catch it, and the clear hangover soup overflowed from her lips.
It meandered past the chin and collar, gliding in a beautiful arc before disappearing deep into the bodice.
Rong Si pulled aside the nightgown that he had just dressed her in not long ago.
Holding people in the palm of your hand, you can naturally expand your horizons.
Yu Wanyin bent her knees slightly, which trapped him inside.
The military camp remained completely unaffected.
He possessed a ferocity that fueled his desire to conquer the more obstacles he faced.
Yu Wanyin's obstruction only fueled his destructive urges.
Rong Si pressed his hand against her forehead. "The medicine has long since stopped working, Yu Wanyin."
"It's for you to drink, not for me."
"I can't sober up from this." Rong Si didn't want to wake up either.
The warm red gauze tent was filled with sweet fermented rice wine, permeating every thread of the red fabric.
Pulled along by the wind, it sways and sways.
Whether it was the red gauze or the sweet wine that had the effect of warming the body, being wrapped in the warm gauze made my heart feel soothed, and every inch of my body felt melted away.
The gauze curtain brushed against the hem of her clothes.
“I just went to find the imperial physician,” he said, his voice slightly hoarse. “The imperial physician told me that you need me here.”
The white light that had previously faded from her mind surged back up in an instant.
Her eyes suddenly welled up with tears.
She desperately wanted to get down, but her feet wouldn't touch the ground.
He was the only support.
Yu Wanyin gasped, "The imperial physician would never say that."
Rong Si suddenly chuckled softly, "What did the imperial physician say?"
Yu Wanyin fell silent.
"The imperial physician is right, you need me."
"Just like I need you."
Yu Wanyin held her breath, her whole body tense.
He wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. "You thought you could get away with lying to me?"
"These kinds of things are still too few for us."
"So much that it's like eating and drinking, so much that you get used to needing me."
“It’s okay if she doesn’t admit it,” Rong Si said, his arm veins slowly bulging. “I always have a way to make Yao Yao admit it.”
Yu Wanyin's heart skipped a beat.
The royal banquet tonight is almost over.
Outside the palace gardens, waves of people passed by, bringing some untimely noise.
In a place unknown to anyone.
In an instant, that tranquil and secluded place became unpredictable and turbulent.
The wind, clouds, grass, and trees were all stirred up and turned to one side or the other.
A gust of wind picked up outside, and everyone thought it was going to rain, so they hurried back into the courtyard.
Seeing that the weather was not good, the servant in the backyard brought the autumn grapes that had been drying for the past few days back into the house.
The western capital is famous for its grape harvest in autumn.
After the grapes are harvested and dried in autumn, it is the right time to make grape wine.
This is a common fruit drink found in the inner courtyard of the royal palace.
Someone asked, "Will the grape wine still be sent to the front hall today?"
The messenger glanced at the sky outside and sighed, "No need, it'll probably be over soon."
The servant nodded, placed the prepared fruit wine into the ice room, and then continued with his work.
The peeled grapes in the man's hand were crystal clear, their sweet juice refreshing and delightful.
The moist pulp is crushed with a wooden mallet to extract the juice.
Until it crumbles at its softest point.
A rough man has plenty of brute strength; he can easily soften the fruit flesh and make the juice splatter out in just a few strokes.
The gentle autumn rain carries the sweet aroma of fruit.
Outside, streaks of white light snaked across the horizon, and the people inside the palace quickened their pace and scattered away.
A cacophony of noise and shouts erupted.
Yu Wanyin could no longer distinguish whether it was the white light outside the house or the white light that she herself had generated.
But occasionally, she still gets extremely nervous because of the voices of others outside.
But he was too much of a bully.
Whenever she curled up in his arms, escaping the unease that the noise outside made her feel.
He then tied her hands behind her back and pulled her apart, making her face him directly.
She had nothing to hold onto, and nothing to stand on.
We could only let him do as he pleased.
Suddenly, my toes began to struggle and stomp on something haphazardly.
After stepping on his boots, she missed again.
How pitiful.
Rong Si picked her up and placed her on the bed.
A drop of water rolled across her fair, porcelain-like toes, like a carefully crafted grape wine, crystal clear.
As the person was picked up, they fell onto the mattress.
The curtains concealed the hazy figures inside.
The thug continued his attack, "Didn't you say it was over?"
"There are still quite a lot left."
"Come out more."
A light drizzle began to fall outside, the sound of rain tapping against the windowpane, gradually deepening and intensifying.
The wind howled, rippling the surface of the lake and shaking the branches and leaves of the trees along the shore.
The branches and leaves brushed across the lake's surface, creating ripples.
It has a ticklish, tingling sensation that makes your heart flutter.
Fallen leaves covered the ground, crushed and torn by the fierce wind.
It made a rustling, breaking sound.
Yu Wanyin's fingers, which were gripping the mattress tightly, were pressed down by a large hand.
He pried open her palm with his fingers, then pressed it down.
Everything has to be his.
Even the one who needs to be held tight must be him.
Rong Si is a very aggressive person.
He remained determined to get the answer.
But getting the answer once isn't enough.
He wanted her to give him the answer every time.
Yu Wanyin's thoughts were a jumbled mess, and her hands, hanging limply on the soft pillow, remained tightly closed.
He could only acknowledge her need amidst the gathering and scattering of his soul and uncontrollable sobs.
But she didn't get to rest for long before she was turned on again.
Yu Wanyin had no strength and groaned in protest. Soon she heard his eyes turn bloodshot as he made excuses for himself.
"It's Yao Yao who needs me."
Yu Wanyin then truly felt it.
Just how severe is his addiction?
The wind and rain intensified, and lightning flashed across the sky, making people dizzy.
After a thunderous roar, a torrent of water gushed forth.
The sound of pouring rain filled the air.
The raindrops fell continuously down the eaves of the houses.
The faint voice inside the room was drowned out: "It's gone."
"This time it's really gone."
Yu Wanyin tried to dodge forward, but her path was quickly blocked by an arm that crossed in the air.
His voice was still frighteningly hoarse, "Yes."
“There’s still some left.”
"Give me."
The storm started and lasted all night.
The path under the eaves, through which rainwater drips, is washed clean again and again by the rain.
The air was filled with the damp, warm feeling after the rain.
But the autumn days after the summer heat are still a bit cloying.
It leaves you completely covered in that dampness, making you feel sticky and clinging to your skin.
I felt much fresher after washing twice.
A light drizzle after a grand banquet makes it a perfect time for relaxation.
The palace gardens were quiet, and everyone was enjoying their own leisure time.
The holy water of the goddess, which had been buried deep within the palace, was dug up and stolen by villains, leaving nothing behind.
Even the two cups of hangover soup I drank were completely wasted.
For a long time.
For the first time, Rong Si felt a brief respite from his addiction.
It will allow him to face her more calmly than before.
What one could see was a beautiful woman with her eyes lightly closed, looking exhausted and powerless.
She was placed in the bathhouse, where small plum-red flowers were forced to bloom on the white jade.
The pristine snow lotus was so delicate and fragile that it could hardly unfold.
It has a touch of worldly rosy glow.
Beneath her captivating gentleness lies an even greater tenderness.
Rong Si silently helped her clean up.
My restless blood boiled all night, and it's still stirring with a restless energy.
He looked at the pitiful people he had bullied and struggled between guilt and greed.
I still really want to escalate things.
Go even further than that to her.
Yu Wanyin was truly afraid of him.
She slept all day the next day, and when she woke up in the evening, Rong Si was still waiting for her outside for dinner.
After dinner, even though she watched him take his medicine, it had no effect whatsoever when it was time for him to go to sleep.
They said it would take three days to completely digest the wine from that night.
My addiction was triggered when I went to bed at night.
They ate two more meals as instructed.
She had never tested Rong Si's true nature before. But she never expected him to be so deep.
For three consecutive days, Yu Wanyin lived in a daze, her days and nights reversed.
She simply couldn't bear it any longer, so the next night Yu Wanyin went to sleep in Shan Chenjun's palace.
Shan Chenjun hadn't seen Yu Wanyin since the night of the banquet, so he was quite surprised to hear that she had come.
Especially at such a late hour.
Shan Chenjun sat in the room and saw Yu Wanyin coming in from outside.
Yu Wanyin didn't treat herself as an outsider and went straight to Shan Chenjun's bedroom as soon as she entered.
Shan Chenjun stood up curiously. "What's wrong?"
Yu Wanyin mumbled, "I miss you, I want to sleep with you."
Shan Chenjun pondered for a moment and then said jokingly, "Yaoyao is not honest."
Yu Wanyin felt seen through, pursed her lips slightly, and sat down to watch her. "So, elder sister, should I stay or not?"
Shan Chenjun clicked his tongue lightly, drawing out his words, "Of course we have to keep you."
This wasn't the first time Yu Wanyin had slept here.
The servants quickly brought out Yu Wanyin's special bedding and spread it on the bed.
Shan Chenjun probed indirectly, "So, why do you want to sleep here?"
Yu Wanyin never told the truth, muttering, "I just want to."
How could anyone refuse someone who so enjoys sharing a bed with them?
Shan Chenjun then changed his question, "I haven't seen you for the past two days, have you been busy?"
"I wasn't busy with anything, I just drank a bit too much the night before, so I rested for two days." Yu Wanyin chose a comfortable spot for herself, and went into her bed before Shan Chenjun, then sat inside waiting for her.
Yu Wanyin made a lot of movements with her hands, creating some messy noises to cover up her guilty conscience.
She couldn't very well say that she had been secretly having sex in the house for several days.
Every day, Rong Si still came behind everyone's back.
No one in the entire royal palace knew what was happening behind the scenes in the seemingly quiet and peaceful princess's palace.
Yu Wanyin felt like she was cheating on someone.
They even stole so brazenly.
This sense of immorality intensified her physical sensations.
With that kind of frequency, Yu Wanyin really couldn't take it anymore.
Now, whenever she makes eye contact with Rong Si, her body reacts instinctively.
A layer of superficial heat rises to the surface.
But he was also extremely fierce.
I drank two cups of the hangover soup, probably because I drank too much water, and it felt like a spring had been broken open halfway through.
Once the point where the spring breaks down is found, each subsequent gushing is even more violent than the last.
Uncontrollable.
He's not the type to quit while he's ahead.
Rong Si had been a bandit for many years, which had honed his wildness and ferocity, and he was keen to escalate his actions.
He'll only become more vicious when he gets something good out of it.
Even if they struggle to escape, they will still be dragged back.
The difference between whether a drug is effective and not is enormous.
Yu Wanyin's bones felt incredibly sore and numb.
If she had known he was completely unrestrained, she wouldn't have asked him to drink that day.
No wonder she remembered that Rong Si would occasionally drink alcohol in the village before.
But I haven't seen him drink it since he came back.
She thought it was because of the strict military regulations and his example.
Yu Wanyin never wanted him to drink again.
She gently pressed her lower abdomen with her hand hidden under the covers.
It's as if I still can't suppress certain feelings.
The palm still felt that same pressing sensation.
Rong Si went to get a new prescription this morning. The military doctor said that Rong Si's condition has improved and if it stabilizes in the near future, the dosage can be reduced.
Perhaps because he wasn't hungry, and because he was about to get married, he didn't have much of a sense of gain or loss as long as Chu Yu wasn't around.
But Yu Wanyin was still afraid.
At least with her older sister, she can have a quiet and peaceful night.
Shan Chenjun was still looking at the documents placed beside him when, in a moment of leisure, he caught a glimpse of a figure in a hazy gauze curtain not far away.
It was clear that Yu Wanyin was very comfortable here. She was probably tired of sitting, so she fiddled with the pillows for a while, then lay down in the gauze curtains and picked up a book to read.
Her figure was exceptionally clear within the bright red gauze curtains.
Her waist was sunken, her shoulders and neck were rounded, and her long black hair fell down, covering half of the bed.
Yu Wanyin couldn't concentrate on her book.
Shan Chenjun couldn't concentrate on much either.
Shan Chenjun simply put down the documents, looked at the beautiful figure in the gauze curtain for a while, and then walked directly towards the bed with the book in his hand.
When Yu Wanyin heard her coming over, she casually brushed aside her long hair that was lying on the side to make room for Shan Chenjun.
Then he slightly raised his head to see her coming.
The dim candlelight cast its glow on Yu Wanyin's eyes and brows, adding a touch of gentle warmth.
Shan Chenjun thought of some leisurely things, "Since you've rested well these past few days, when the caravan passes by tomorrow, I'll take you sightseeing and help you choose some things you'll need for your wedding."
"Otherwise, by the time this batch comes through, it might be Chinese New Year before we can come again."
"Okay," Yu Wanyin agreed, finding a suitable spot to lie down next to Shan Chenjun.
Yu Wanyin seemed to remember something, "When I go out tomorrow, should I still call you 'brother'?"
Even now, Shan Chenjun still presents himself to the public as a man.
Shan Chenjun nodded.
Yu Wanyin understood, "Okay."
Yu Wanyin understood perfectly.
Currently, there are many Northern Chi soldiers in the court who surrendered because of Shan Chenjun. We must wait until these people's minds are settled before we can reveal to the public that Shan Chenjun is a woman.
Although it was something I had to say sooner or later.
However, during this stable period, major changes are not advisable.
Especially regarding changes in leadership.
Otherwise, if someone harbors rebellious intentions, it will destroy the hard-won stability.
At the earliest, we'll have to wait until Chu Yu has settled the other half of the country and returned before we can talk about it.
Yu Wanyin suddenly thought of Chu Yu, and her hand, which had been turning the pages of the book, gently rubbed against the pages.
By now, once Chu Yu returns, she and Rong Si will most likely get married.
I wonder if he'll be angry.
Yu Wanyin began to drift into thought, pondering how she should persuade Chu Yu.
She thought that perhaps Chu Yu would understand their situation once he returned from the south.
Yu Wanyin quickly abandoned the idea.
Based on her understanding of Chu Yu, she knew he couldn't possibly come to this conclusion easily.
Yu Wanyin closed the book with a helpless expression, leaned against the side and fell asleep without realizing it.
Even as she drifted off to sleep, Yu Wanyin couldn't think of a way to comfort her.
If we don't try to persuade them, what should we do? We can't just share a wife.
Shan Chenjun was still leaning against the side. He glanced at Yu Wanyin out of the corner of his eye and saw that she had a book in her hand and was breathing evenly and calmly. He knew that she was asleep.
Shan Chenjun carefully put the book away and turned to extinguish the lamp.
It was dark all around, and she slowly moved down to tuck the quilt around Yu Wanyin.
It's generally true that what you think about during the day, you dream about at night.
In her hazy state, Yu Wanyin dreamt that she had stumbled into a forest where it was pitch black.
The lush forest stood quietly before her, surrounding her.
A breeze began to blow, bringing with it the rustling sound of branches and leaves shaking.
It intensified as she ventured deeper into the dense forest.
Yu Wanyin walked and walked, and got lost in the woods.
She quickened her pace unconsciously, as if sensing her desire to escape. In an instant, the dense forest sprawled and grew, as if it had come alive.
Yu Wanyin felt that the surroundings were getting darker and darker. In addition to the sound of the trees growing, there were also some footsteps and strange noises.
She ran faster and faster, and the already dense forest foliage enveloped her completely.
It gradually tightened as she tried to escape.
She seemed to be imprisoned in a crystal forest made of leaves.
Soon, Yu Wanyin's path was completely blocked, and a fierce tiger appeared deep in the forest.
It stared intently at her, approaching her step by step until it was right in front of her, then pounced on her, biting and entangled her.
And from the hidden place, a rustling sound followed.
As her clothes tore, a cold yet equally forceful force wrapped around her ankles, and icy venomous snakes crawled up her calves, encircling her legs in circles.
He slowly approached her, gradually taking her over.
Until one day, the ferocious beasts that had been entangled with her, one cold and one hot, one ice and one fire, all turned into human beings!
One arm was wrapped around her body, and the other around her legs.
And what imprisoned her transformed into powerful, large hands.
They teased her with a particularly dangerous undertone, "Is Yao Yao trying to avoid us...?"
Yu Wanyin instantly regained her senses.
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Chu Yu, come back soon! [dog head with rose in mouth]
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