small mole
Zhao Youyi subconsciously wanted to pull her hand back, but then thought that it would be too deliberate. After thinking it over, she said directly, "I noticed that my cousin has ring marks on his ears. I want to see if he has pierced his ears."
Chu Chan belatedly realized that she was leaning on her shoulder, and straightened up a little embarrassedly, her ear tips turning slightly red. Hearing her words, she subconsciously touched her earlobe, "Cousin wants to see me wear earrings?"
Zhao Youyi thought to herself, "How could I dare? They're just a fake couple. I can only think about it in my mind."
"No, I was just curious," Zhao Youyi explained, a barely perceptible regret crossing her mind as she saw him already off her shoulder.
"It's just a mole. You touched it when you were little." Chu Chanyin smiled slightly and approached her. His submissive manner made her feel timid. She thought to herself that she had offended him, and then reached out her finger to gently stroke his earlobe.
The warm touch startled both of them.
Chu Chanyin was taken aback when she touched him directly. He stared at her blankly, unsure of how to react.
As their eyes met, Zhao Youyi suddenly snapped out of her daze and quickly withdrew her hand. "Sorry! My cousin is so handsome, I couldn't control myself!"
Upon hearing this, the carriage fell into complete silence; you could hear a pin drop.
Zhao Youyi wished she could jump off the carriage and run away. How could she have blurted out what was on her mind!
It's true... beauty can be a trap!
Chu Chanyin smiled, looking quite pleased: "If I can win my cousin's favor with my beauty, then this face will have some use."
"However, in my humble opinion, my cousin is the true beauty, captivating all who see her." Chu Chanyin said this with great sincerity, their eyes meeting, the two staring intently at each other.
“Cousin…” Zhao Youyi hesitated before speaking.
"Young master, madam, we've arrived at the inn!" Ying Jiu called out from outside.
Zhao Youyi quickly got out of the car and ran towards the inn without looking back.
Chu Chanyin held the sachet she had dropped in her panic, and couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle: "She's still as funny as when she was a child."
Back in her room, Zhao Youyi buried herself under the covers, the scene from earlier involuntarily replaying in her mind. What happened to the plan to use each other? What happened to the fake marriage? No! She couldn't let herself be seduced by beauty!
Zhao Youyi suddenly sat up. Xiao Qing, who had just entered the room, was surprised to see her like this and asked, "Miss, what's wrong?"
Zhao Youyi beckoned to her, "Xiao Qing, come here, I have something to ask you."
Xiao Qing quickly put down her things and hurried over. "What is it, miss?"
"What do you think of the King of Chu?" Zhao Youyi asked cautiously.
Xiao Qing was somewhat surprised that she would bring up the King of Chu, after all, the girl had sworn back then that it was just a business relationship, how could she have fallen for him so quickly?
Facing her daughter's expectant gaze, Xiao Qing searched her mind for the evaluations of the Prince of Chu in the capital over the past few years: "His Highness the Prince of Chu is skilled in both literature and martial arts, highly respected, and incomparably handsome with a gentle temperament. He is the dream man of many noble ladies, but no noble lady wants to marry him."
After all, Chu Chanyin was a vassal king, and the emperor was incompetent and foolish. Who knew when he might rebel? No one knew what would happen along the way. If the rebellion succeeded, that would be fine, but if it failed, wouldn't his life be in danger?
Between beauty and life, the latter is more important.
Hearing Xiao Qing's evaluation, Zhao Youyi didn't say much. After all, she was different from the noble ladies of Shenjing. She was an orphan, and her greatest wish now was to kill the dog emperor and Min Guo. Romantic feelings were just a burden.
After calming down, Zhao Youyi got up to fix her hair and took a deep breath while looking at herself in the mirror.
With their business settled, the group packed their belongings and boarded a boat before nightfall to travel by water to the border region.
To avoid arousing suspicion, they disguised the items as cargo and claimed they were a caravan heading to Youzhou.
The spring chill lingered in the air as Zhao Youyi stood on the deck, gazing at the boundless sea with an unreadable expression.
"It's chilly at night, why are you dressed so lightly?" A cloak was gently draped over her shoulders, and Zhao Youyi knew it was him without even looking.
"Why aren't you asleep yet, cousin?" Zhao Youyi looked up at the bright moon hanging high in the sky. "The moonlight is beautiful tonight."
"Yes, today is the sixteenth." Chu Chanyin also looked at the moonlight. "What are your plans for the future, cousin?"
Zhao Youyi didn't answer him, but instead asked, "So what are you planning to do next, cousin?"
Hearing this, he chuckled twice, "Of course I'll follow my cousin to the ends of the earth."
Unreliable.
Zhao Youyi secretly thought of him: "What a flirtatious butterfly!"
"Why did my cousin return the general's token to me?" Zhao Youyi felt uneasy as he recalled the general's token.
They initially said it was an exchange of benefits, but as time went on, it seemed more like Chu Chanyin was accompanying her to do what she wanted. She couldn't see through him, and she didn't know what he really wanted.
But he knew her inside and out.
She was even captivated by his good looks.
"It originally belonged to the Zhao family, and besides, I have no intention of getting my hands on the Zhao family army." Chu Chan looked at her with a hidden smile, his gaze as calm as water.
Zhao Youyi did not believe that there was any union in this world that was unrelated to interests. The King of Chu was too far away from her, too perfect, without desires or flaws, and impossible to control.
Was the King of Chu her pawn, or was she part of the King of Chu's plan?
What is it about her that made him willing to give up Virginia and follow her?
It wasn't because of the Zhao family's prestige in the army, nor because of his affection for her, but was it really just because of his elder brother's last wish and their childhood friendship?
Zhao Youyi raised this question very directly.
Upon hearing this, Chu Chanyin was taken aback for a moment, then said, "Isn't this enough?"
Zhao Youyi was unable to answer.
She wanted to take advantage of the King of Chu's power and was also attracted to his good looks; his answer made her seem especially greedy.
"As long as my cousin isn't trapped in hatred forever, and can live a peaceful life after this matter is resolved," Chu Chanyin said sincerely, "that's enough."
Her childhood memories were vague and distant; she couldn't recall them all. She wasn't one to reminisce about the past, but now she was eager to know just how deep their bond must have been for him to willingly be used.
"I'm not the Zhao Youyi I used to be." She sighed unconsciously at the end, "I can hardly remember what I was like as a child."
Chu Chanyin replied almost without hesitation, "Just as lovely as you are now."
“Cousin, you’re really lying through your teeth,” Zhao Youyi couldn’t help but laugh. “You actually think I was cute when I was little, all those cat-and-dog antics?”
“Of course,” he said sincerely, his eyes shining with particular sincerity in the moonlight.
After several days of rocking and swaying, Zhao Youyi, suffering from acclimatization issues, had little appetite. Chu Chanyin's handy kitchen knife was finally going to come in handy. He told the boatman to moor at the nearest ferry, and knowing that the group was well-off, the boatman agreed to pay up.
“This place is by the sea, and the people make their living by fishing. I’ll go buy a mandarin fish and some other ingredients to make you fish soup, okay?” Chu Chanyin saw her pale face and couldn’t help but feel pity in his eyes.
Zhao Youyi nodded listlessly, "I'm with my cousin."
“My cousin doesn’t seem to be feeling well; it would be best if she stayed in her room.” Chu Chanyin couldn’t help but frown.
Zhao Youyi shook her head firmly: "I get dizzy as soon as I smell the sea. Please, cousin, let me go down for some fresh air."
Hearing her say that, how could Chu Chanyin refuse? He ordered several guards to prepare to disembark.
As soon as Zhao Youyi stepped off the boat, he keenly noticed that the surroundings were unusually quiet. This was a ferry crossing, yet there wasn't a single person in sight.
Chu Chanyin naturally noticed it as well. The two exchanged a glance, their hands unconsciously resting on their sword hilts.
An arrow pierced the silence, heading straight for Zhao Youyi. She drew her sword and swiftly cut the arrow in half, her eyes scanning her surroundings warily. The guards behind her also drew their swords.
A group of ragged but fierce-looking bandits swarmed forward, shouting that the group was dressed in fine clothes and that there must be food on board.
The two sides quickly became entangled in a fight. Chu Chanyin realized that these people were civilians, so he frowned and shouted that they should be captured.
Compared to the highly skilled guards, the bandits were quickly captured. One of them glared fiercely at Chu Chanyin: "You bunch of corrupt officials who only know how to enjoy wealth and luxury! Let us go!"
Chu Chanyin was puzzled as to why he had been mistaken for a member of the imperial court twice. However, since the man's arrow had been aimed at Zhao Youyi, Chu Chanyin was not going to let him off easily.
He pressed his sword against the bandit's chest. "You attacked first, trying to kill my sister for no reason. Why should I let you go?"
"If you've got the guts, kill me with one sword! I thought I didn't know you lackeys of the imperial court, dragging your families to Jiangzhou after Wanzhou fell! Bah! You dog thieves who only know how to live in a corner of the world!" the bandit said angrily.
"Wanzhou has fallen?" Zhao Youyi frowned. Wanzhou and Youzhou were the defensive line against the Southern Barbarians. Now that Wanzhou has fallen, isn't that an invasion by the Southern Barbarians?
"That's right! Just three days ago, that scoundrel Min Guo actually opened the city gates wide to welcome the southern barbarians into the city, spouting nonsense about friendly relations between the two countries!"
Everyone was shocked by these words.
Zhao Youyi was almost dizzy from the news. She bit her lower lip hard. When Chu Chanyin saw that her expression was not right, he quickly walked over to her and let her lean on him.
“We are not officials of the imperial court; we are merely merchants traveling to Youzhou. Our ship carries only cargo.” Chu Chanyin said coldly, “Tell us more information, and we can give you some food. We will let bygones be bygones for today’s events.”
Chu Chanyin could tell from their ragged clothes that they had initially planned to rob the rich to help the poor, and that the corrupt officials in the imperial court were just a fig leaf.
The bandit pondered for a moment and said, "Why should I trust you?"
"In that case, Shadow Six, tie them up and let's go," Chu Chanyin said coldly.
"Wait!" The bandit said hastily when he saw him like this. "I don't know much either. After Min Guo arrived at the border, he announced that General Zhao had been killed for treason. The Great Jin and the Southern Barbarians signed a treaty, and the two countries would trade and live in peace from then on."
Chu Chanyin gestured to Ying Yi with his eyes to bring over a few bags of grain, and then ordered his men to release the bandits.
In chaotic times, only those with enough hatred can survive, so he wouldn't criticize the bandits' actions, but...
Chu Chanyin's sword grazed the bandit's arm without missing a beat. The wound wasn't deep, but it was enough to teach him a lesson. "It's best not to hurt people for no reason again."
After saying this, he helped Zhao Youyi board the ship. Bandits roamed this place, and there was probably no food to buy. Even the common people had become outlaws. The fate of the Great Jin Dynasty was also nearing its end.
“Wanzhou… Min Guo, that idiot.” Zhao Youyi sneered, “I was worried that letting him die would make his death more legitimate, but it seems he’s quite sensible.”
"Cousin, are you alright?" Chu Chanyin asked with concern, noticing her still pale face.
"The thought of meeting the person who killed my brother makes me feel incredibly good," Zhao Youyi said, patting his hand reassuringly.
Chu Chanyin knew that this matter was a knot in her heart, so he said no more. After sending her back to her room, he used the remaining ingredients to make a Bijian Soup.
Zhao Youyi was surprised that Chu Chanyin could actually cook, and his skills were quite good. After eating the Bijian Soup, he felt much more energetic. Perhaps it was because of the incident in Wanzhou that he was angry, so it was hard not to feel energetic.
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