Chapter 9: Instead of wading through water, it's better to cut away that rotten flesh.
After eating and drinking her fill, Gu Shanyue felt refreshed. She took a stroll outside, but the area was so desolate that she slowly wandered back.
Qi Baitong was all dressed and ready, waiting for her: "Miss, shall we go back?"
"I'm not going back."
Gu Shanyue randomly chose a direction and walked forward. Qi Baitong looked back at Shengjing City, stood for a while, and then caught up with Gu Shanyue and followed in her footsteps.
As the sun rises, the sunlight shines brightly, casting long shadows.
The two walked for a while, from a flat and wide area to a lush valley, before Qi Baitong asked, "Where would you like to go, young lady?"
Gu Shanyue looked around aimlessly, casually broke off a tree branch, and waved it around like a sword, saying nonchalantly, "I don't know."
As you walk deeper into the valley, the grass occasionally sways as startled small animals flee.
Gu Shanyue tapped and banged around with a tree branch, as leisurely as if she were out sightseeing. As she walked, she tilted her ear and listened intently: "There is flowing water."
As soon as she finished speaking, she flew forward quickly, and Qi Baitong followed her by channeling her inner energy.
The two quickly entered the depths of the dense forest, where a crystal-clear mountain spring flowed down the sloping mountainside, occasionally splashing up white waves at the bends.
The stream gurgles and the water vapor surges, a gentle breeze carrying moist air caresses the face, making one feel refreshed.
Gu Shanyue threw down the branch, ran over, squatted by the stream, scooped up a handful of water, and washed his face.
The cool stream water was refreshing and invigorating. Gu Shanyue shook his face like a puppy, splashing water droplets everywhere.
She spat twice, expelling a little water.
Qi Baitong walked to her side, looked at her for a while, and then took out a piece of snow-white fine silk cloth from his bosom and handed it to her: "Wipe your face."
Gu Shanyue didn't reach out, but instead buried her face in the cloth.
Qi Baitong's hand sank, and he quickly steadied his arm, letting her rub against him without moving an inch, until Gu Shanyue raised her face, then he withdrew his hand, the damp silk cloth coolly touching his palm.
Gu Shanyue tugged at his clothes: "Aren't you going to wash?"
"wash."
Qi Baitong squatted down following her lead and washed her face like her, burying her face in the cool water in her hands to wash it slowly.
It feels very comfortable.
While I was washing, there was a splash.
Qi Baitong immediately looked up and opened his eyes. Water droplets stung his eyes as they flowed in, but he still instantly caught sight of Gu Shanyue.
She casually tossed her shoes on the bank, tucked her skirt into her belt, and rolled up her trousers to reveal her two fair and shapely calves as she waded in the stream.
The stream reflected the brilliant sunlight, sparkling in the water. She smiled happily, her whole being seemed to glow, her hair shimmering.
Qi Baitong stared at her blankly. Gu Shanyue noticed his gaze and saw that his face was covered in water. She exclaimed "Oh dear!" and ran to the shore.
"I forgot you were still washing your face!"
Qi Baitong snapped out of her daze, glanced at her feet in the stream, and said without a care, "It's okay, you can keep playing, I'm done washing."
"Alright then."
Gu Shanyue happily turned back and splashed in the water where the stream was splashing. If there was a slightly larger stone in the water, the water would roll and bubble smoothly, creating crystal-like bubbles.
In the quiet mountain forest, only her occasional laughter could be heard.
Qi Baitong sat on the shore, watching Gu Shanyue play. He had forgotten how long it had been since he had spent a morning so simply and lightheartedly.
It was just a small stream, but that was enough for Gu Shanyue to tirelessly search and play in.
"There's a big fish!"
Gu Shanyue bent down and plunged in, splashing water high into the air.
Qi Baitong was startled and, without even taking off her shoes, immediately jumped into the water: "Miss!"
After taking only a few steps, Gu Shanyue straightened up, grabbed a large, lively crucian carp, and handed it forward.
"Gotcha!"
She is sharp-eyed, quick-witted, and strong, so catching a fish is a piece of cake for her.
Qi Baitong stood there, wondering what she had been so anxious about.
Meeting her bright, smiling eyes, the corners of his mouth curved into a smile as well: "You're really something, young lady. How would you like to eat it?"
"Grill it up! Grilled fish tastes best in the wilderness."
With a flick of his wrist, Gu Shanyue threw the large crucian carp onto the shore. The fish was stunned by the impact and its tail could not move.
"Then I'll go gather some firewood."
"Um."
Gu Shanyue stared intently at the flowing stream. When Qi Baitong returned with firewood, a dozen or so lively fish were seen thrashing their tails on the bank, creating a rather spectacular scene.
Gu Shanyue sat on the rock he had sat on, splashing her feet in the water. Whenever a fish jumped towards the water's edge, she would pick up a pebble and throw it back.
"You didn't gather enough firewood."
Qi Baitong: "..."
He thought there was only one, but he didn't expect there to be more than a dozen.
"I'll go look again."
"Let's start a fire and grill two fish first," Gu Shanyue said, throwing back another escaped fish. "Do you know how to grill? I always burn the fish."
"Yes, please wait a moment, young lady."
Qi Baitong neatly stacked the firewood, lit the dry branches and leaves with a tinderbox, stuffed them under the firewood pile, and blew on the fire to start it up.
A breeze blew through the woods, making the fire burn even brighter.
Gu Shanyue, feeling hot, remained seated by the stream, watching from afar as he skillfully started a fire and prepared the crucian carp, his movements swift and steady.
Before long, four skewers of grilled fish appeared on the fire.
Gu Shanyue was dazzled by the sights and asked curiously, "You really like eating fish?"
Qi Baitong shook her head: "It's not a matter of liking or disliking."
Gu Shanyue: "Then how come you're so skilled?"
Qi Baitong's expression remained unchanged as he processed the fifth gutted fish.
"When I was a child, I was sent into the mountains with a group of secret guards from the Inner Guard. We couldn't compete with the larger prey, so we could only find a lean river and fill our stomachs with fish every day. Over time, we became skilled at it."
He casually tossed the entrails into the downstream stream. The blood spread, and a dense school of small fish instantly gathered in the water, their mouths wide open, gnawing at the flesh and blood. In no time, they had devoured everything.
The same was true of the Inner Guard in its youth; the fish fought each other to grow stronger, and the result of their struggle was nothing more than being gutted and served on another table.
“Then it seems you have a talent,” Gu Shanyue sighed, thinking of herself. “I used to take Yu’er to catch fish and eat fish, but no matter how many we caught, we couldn’t cook them well; they tasted terrible.”
The topic inexplicably shifted to another direction, and the slightly stagnant atmosphere dissipated like smoke.
Qi Baitong threaded two more fish onto a skewer, slowly turning them over as if casually: "Yu'er is...?"
“Li Yuheng, I call him Yu’er,” Gu Shanyue replied naturally.
As expected, the Crown Prince was kind on the outside but cold on the inside, and ruthless in his methods. The fact that he could tolerate a girl calling him Yu'er could only mean that Gu Shanyue and the Crown Prince were closer than he imagined.
Moreover, for someone like Gu Shanyue to keep someone in his heart is enough to prove that person's importance.
Qi Baitong slowly turned the grilled fish over, and the fish belly gradually turned golden brown in the smoke and fire, releasing a fragrant aroma.
Gu Shanyue sniffed the air, her eyes lit up, and she sat down, lifting her wet skirt. Her white feet stepped on the sand and stones, getting her insteps dirty.
"Is it done?" she asked.
"We'll have to wait a bit longer."
Qi Baitong glanced at her feet, got up and went to the stream to wash the fine silk cloth she had used to wipe her face, then brought back the shoes she had carelessly tossed on the bank.
Gu Shanyue was still watching the fish when Qi Baitong squatted down in front of her, his eyes calm as he looked up.
"Girl, lift your foot."
Gu Shanyue lifted her foot, confused. Qi Baitong wrapped her ankle with a damp cloth and led her to step onto his knee.
The watermarks spread out, instantly soaking the fabric on his knees.
He was completely unaware, his eyelashes lowered, as he gently wiped Gu Shanyue's feet with excessively tender movements.
Gu Shanyue curled up her toes and stomped on his knee: "It tickles."
Qi Baitong's hand trembled, and after a pause, he said in a hoarse voice, "It's my fault for being clumsy."
Gu Shanyue said it itched, but did not pull her leg back, letting Qi Baitong continue to rub it.
Qi Baitong quickened her pace, wiped Gu Shanyue's feet, placed the shoes in front of her, and helped her put them on.
"Is it not ready yet?" she asked again.
Qi Baitong's heart skipped a beat, thinking that he had offended her.
He looked up, but Gu Shanyue didn't look at him; instead, she stared longingly at the fish on the flames.
She was talking about fish.
"We'll have to wait a bit longer."
Qi Baitong quickly got up and went to the stream. After taking two deep breaths, she washed her hands and returned, calmly continuing to grill the fish.
Gu Shanyue sat with his knees drawn up, bored out of his mind. He tilted his face to one side and looked at Qi Baitong.
His profile was undulating like misty mountains, cold yet sharp.
He always kept his head down and followed behind her quietly, but upon closer inspection, he was quite handsome.
Gu Shanyue stared at him in a daze, not noticing that Qi Baitong's neck was slowly turning red and his back was stiffening. He had been flipping the grilled fish with only one hand, but now he was flipping it with both hands, and he still looked flustered.
Sudden.
Qi Baitong abruptly pulled his hand away, glanced at the back of his hand expressionlessly, and then continued to flip the grilled fish.
Gu Shanyue glanced at him and noticed that his wrist was bright red, with the edges turning white from the fire.
"Are you injured?"
She pulled his hand away from the grilled fish and stared at his wrist.
Qi Baitong didn't break free, but just looked at her focused expression and said softly, "It's alright."
"Doesn't it hurt?"
Gu Shanyue looked up at him, her gaze clear and bright like a stream.
"It hurts," Qi Baitong replied, subconsciously explaining, "but it won't affect the grilled fish."
"Huh?" Gu Shanyue's eyes showed a hint of confusion. "Aren't you going to treat your wound? It'll leave a scar."
Qi Baitong shook her head: "It's alright."
He had dozens of scars of all sizes on his body, so what did it matter if he had one more? It was more important to grill fish for Gu Shanyue.
Gu Shanyue frowned and said, "Scars are ugly."
Qi Baitong paused for a moment, then said, "Miss, please watch the fire for me while I go and treat my injuries."
Gu Shanyue: "Oh."
Qi Baitong immediately got up and rushed to the stream to carefully clean the wound. Since there was no medicine at hand, he could only bandage the wound properly for the time being.
He only breathed a sigh of relief when his wrist was completely wrapped up, took two steps back, and then stopped.
The words "very ugly" from Gu Shanyue kept echoing in his ears, causing his usually calm and quiet heart to ripple and his emotions to overflow.
Looking at the tightly wrapped wrist, a strange thought arose: why not just cut away that rotten flesh?
A note from the author:
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
