Chapter 93
Ginger is warming and dispels cold; it's easy to cook and preserve, making it a staple in the camp, though its pungent taste isn't exactly pleasant. However, in the military, everything is done simply and quickly; sometimes even the water isn't cooked in time, something these rough men have long been accustomed to.
After a mouthful of sizzling ginger soup, Lin Yi suddenly remembered the ginger cola from the cafeteria. Back in school, she always complained that the school's ginger water was too sweet, a strange mix of sweetness and spiciness that nobody liked. Now, with the contrast, she realized how good it was. The "impure" quality she had disliked in the past was something she could never recapture.
"What are you thinking about?" Xie Chengnan found it strange; this person seemed to be lost in thought after just taking a sip of ginger soup.
He picked up the large bowl, tilted his head back, and gulped down a mouthful. The scalding heat mixed with spiciness split his throat and went straight into his lungs. At the same time, the heat surged up, and Xie Chengnan choked on the pungent ginger smell. After a while, he changed the subject as if nothing had happened, "Weren't you saying you wanted to learn to ride a horse? Are you coming or not?"
Lin Yi, who had noticed him frowning in thought, suddenly brightened up upon hearing this: "Let's go!"
She didn't want to keep sitting in front of others arranged for her by Xie Chengnan. Since she had decided to travel together, she should be able to stand on her own two feet. She told Xie Chengnan these things, and after listening, Xie Chengnan didn't object anymore, except for one thing—only he could teach her.
They are still within the borders of Anguo, and the smoke of war has not yet spread, but as the march draws ever closer to the border, the clouds of war are already gathering in everyone's hearts. The atmosphere in the military camp is no longer as relaxed as it was a few days ago. Even at night, torches burn brightly in each camp, and the sounds of soldiers training never cease.
During the day, the march continued without pause, the sound of horses' hooves and footsteps shattering the tranquility of the journey. Whether it was Xie Chengnan teaching her to ride or the soldiers' drills, these could only be scheduled after the day's intense march and the setting up of camp. Such a large force, even with the strong support of local officials, couldn't possibly have enough rations for all the horses from the local reserves alone. Fortunately, news of the personal expedition had already reached various places along the route, prompting the early dispatch of supplies from surrounding areas—dry rations, fodder, and kerosene—enough to support all their needs during their encampment. Thus, clusters of torches burned in the camp; the dense firelight, though not as bright as day, was enough to dispel the fear and unease of the night.
But since Xie Chengnan wanted to teach Lin Yi to ride a horse, he naturally needed to find a more spacious and secluded place. Xie Chengnan's usual red horse carried the weight of two people to the grassy slope. The moonlight was like a ribbon, spreading a layer of silver frost over the grassland, and in the distance, a few faint flames could be seen and the faint sounds of noise could be heard.
Xie Chengnan dismounted, leaving Lin Yi on the horse alone. "Try it?" he said, shoving the reins into her hand.
Lin Yi gripped it tightly, refusing to loosen his grip even an inch, like grasping at a lifeline. "So fast? Aren't you going to take me for a couple of laps?!"
She watched those romance dramas where the male lead would sit behind the female lead, whispering riding techniques in her ear, making the instruction sound like flirting. While they didn't need to be like that, they shouldn't be so hasty!
Xie Chengnan raised his eyebrows, his smile both smug and innocent: "Soon? I've already taken you for many laps."
The horse struggled restlessly beneath her, and Lin Yi quickly lowered her body, almost lying on the horse's back.
Seeing her like this, Xie Chengnan chuckled and said, "If I had been following behind you the whole time, you probably would never have learned it." He jokingly stroked his chin. "I thought you had already realized this... or have you regretted it? If you want to turn back, I'd be more than happy to let you."
Lin Yi tried hard to relax on horseback, even though the harder he tried, the more deliberate it felt. "Don't even think about it."
Xie Chengnan's tone softened: "This is just the beginning. No, it's not even the beginning. You have no idea how dangerous the road ahead is. It's not too late to go back now."
The night was deep and quiet, a perfect time for a deep conversation, but the timing was wrong, at least not when Lin Yi was struggling alone on horseback.
She was now completely focused on riding and had no time to ponder Xie Chengnan's words; she could only refuse with unwavering resolve. But even if the timing were right, she would not change her decision.
"I've made up my mind. No matter what lies ahead, I won't go back," Lin Yi said with difficulty.
Xie Chengnan remained silent with a blank expression for a moment before speaking again in a relaxed tone: "Try taking a few steps?"
"no!"
She was now lying on the horse's back, and whenever she tried to sit up, she could feel the horse struggling and restless, as if it would throw her off at any moment.
Xie Chengnan didn't rush her, giving her enough time to adapt.
It wasn't until the red horse couldn't stand still any longer and impatiently raised its front legs that the problem was resolved.
Lin instantly released the reins, clung desperately to the red horse's neck, and his voice mingled with neighing and scream.
Just as she was about to slip, Xie Chengnan reached out and caught her lightly. With a single effort, Lin Yi was "back on the horse".
"I'm just not sticking close to you, it's not like I'm abandoning you. What are you afraid of? I'll catch you eventually."
Lin Yi's ears turned red as soon as she heard the words "intimate".
"Almost everyone falls a few times when learning to ride a horse, but I won't let you fall to the ground, do you believe me?"
Xie Chengnan's voice was soft yet solemn. This man was usually carefree, but once he got serious, he possessed an irresistible charm. Lin Yi looked into his star-like eyes and nodded as if possessed. "I believe you."
"Alright, hold the reins and try again." His words carried a seductive power, leading Lin Yi to try countless times, again and again.
Until she was able to sit comfortably on the horse on her own, and hold the reins, riding slowly. Lin Yi pulled on the reins, bringing the horse to a slow stop, her face full of excitement and surprise.
"Xie Chengnan! Have I learned it?"
She lowered her head, her eyes shining brightly in the darkness. Xie Chengnan stared at the shimmering light within them and suddenly found himself unable to look away.
She was very clever, yet she tried many times under her own "deception," becoming obedient unlike a pampered young lady or the domineering and arrogant Qiu Qingye.
Xie Chengnan always felt that she had a kind of tenacity, as if nothing in this world could defeat her. And he liked her for that.
Xie Chengnan had once wondered what could possibly defeat her, but now he only hoped that she would have smooth sailing in the future, be happy every moment, and never experience setbacks.
"Why aren't you saying anything?" Seeing that he didn't answer, Lin Yi said with some dissatisfaction, "Does this count as having learned it?"
"Of course." Xie Chengnan reached out to smooth the messy hair behind her ear, but seeing her bend down in his direction to cooperate, he suddenly changed his mind.
The kiss came without warning, at least in Lin's eyes it was completely unexpected.
So when Xie Chengnan's kiss landed on the corner of her lips, Lin Yi froze, as if her body had crashed, maintaining that difficult and awkward posture.
Lin Yi's first thought was that she had been kissed, kissed by Xie Chengnan. Then she saw Xie Chengnan's flushed neck, not very noticeable in the dim light, and Lin Yi wasn't sure if she was seeing things. But then, Xie Chengnan coughed lightly, pretending to cover up, confirming Lin Yi's suspicions.
He's not that good at it either.
Realizing this, Lin Yi suddenly relaxed and even had a mischievous thought.
Although Young Master Xie frequented places of entertainment, he was surprisingly innocent. Lin Yi, on the other hand, had been influenced by modern, open-minded ideas for over twenty years and considered himself more sophisticated than Xie Chengnan.
She chuckled and beckoned to Xie Chengnan with her finger, despite his angry glare.
?
Xie Chengnan took a step forward, bewildered, and then watched in horror as she completely lost her strength and crashed down on him.
!! Xie Chengnan reached out and pulled her into a tight embrace. Before he could scold her, he felt the pleasant herbal scent wafting towards him and filling his nostrils.
It has a light, medicinal fragrance, but it's more pungent than spicy ginger soup.
Caught completely off guard, Xie Chengnan took a step back after embracing her, and that was all. Once he realized what was happening, he stood firm like a fortress, fully accepting Lin Yifu's breath and trembling on his face.
The wind was stronger on the slope, making their clothes flutter, and the horse seemed to sense it and snorted behind them.
Their breathing and heartbeats were chaotic and disordered. After a long while, the two stopped at the same time and stepped back a little.
After that brief kiss, they could have pretended nothing had happened, but she had the urge to tease them. But after actually taking the initiative, she felt embarrassed. Lin Yi felt her face burning, but she stubbornly refused to back down.
They were about to face the relentless hardships and bloody battles of the battlefield; there would be no better opportunity than this moment.
Her breath was so hot it made her uneasy; the hem of her clothes was clenched so tightly it became wrinkled; and finally, the courage to speak out welled up from her thin body.
"Xie Chengnan, I like you." Lin Yi asked resolutely, "Do you like me?"
"I like it." Xie Chengnan answered quickly without much hesitation.
There wasn't the panic she'd imagined. They'd already done something even more intimate than a confession—this was the expected answer. But one question had been troubling her for a long time. Lin Yi asked, "Last time, did you hear me?"
This wasn't Lin Yi's first confession. Back then, they hadn't even left Mingzhou. Lin Yi escaped from Zhao Binglin's clutches and rushed back to the Xie residence, where she bumped into Xie Chengnan, who had come looking for her. The unexpected reunion was both joyful and thrilling. Overwhelmed with emotion, Lin Yi confessed her feelings to him for the first time. However, her heart was pounding too loudly, and her voice was too soft; Lin Yi wasn't sure if he had heard her.
If you heard it, why didn't you respond to yourself...?
After a brief silence, Xie Chengnan embraced her and whispered, "I heard you. I'm sorry."
"At that time... I hadn't made up my mind yet."
"Haven't you thought about something?" Lin Yi pressed.
"I haven't decided whether my concern for you stems from liking you."
His voice was soft and low. Lin looked up and, sure enough, saw a regretful expression on his face. She couldn't help but laugh out loud, "If it's not because you like him, what else could it be?"
"Because of responsibility, because of identity, because of... and some other unrelated reasons."
"So how come you've made up your mind now? How come you're so sure you like me?" Lin Yi stubbornly wanted to find an answer, a result that could prove his feelings for her.
“I don’t know for sure either. But I think maybe liking someone just arises out of nowhere, without any reason.” Xie Chengnan lowered his head, looking at her with a helpless yet doting gaze. “The feeling of being moved is never fake, so why deceive yourself and look for a definite reason?”
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