Chapter 75 Warm and Fragrant Tent
Su Jingyu stopped crying and started laughing, her cheeks flushed, and she gave him a coquettish glance: "Your Highness is good at coaxing people." Her gaze fell on him, "Your Highness has lost weight and looks tired. Please go in and rest. I have prepared hot water and food."
Xiao Jingzhan then released her and carried her into the hall. As soon as they entered, a warm fragrance wafted towards them. The hall was decorated in a cozy and elegant style, exactly the same as when he left, but it seemed to have an indescribable, more relaxing atmosphere.
"Where are the children?" he asked, his gaze sweeping towards the inner room.
"They're all asleep," Su Jingyu said softly. "Yu'er was still thinking about his father before going to sleep, and Ye'er and Ning'er were also very good." She led him towards the newly decorated warm pavilion deep inside the palace. "Your Highness, would you like to take a bath to relax first?"
Xiao Jingzhan nodded and followed her into the warm pavilion. When he saw the chaise lounge covered with snow-white fox fur, the wafting incense, and the white jade bathtub steaming with heat that was faintly visible behind the curtains, he was slightly taken aback, and then a deep smile and understanding spread across his eyes.
He turned around, pulled Su Jingyu into his arms, and whispered in her ear, his warm breath brushing against her earlobe: "Did you prepare all of this for me, my darling?"
Su Jingyu's ears turned bright red, and she nodded gently: "Hmm... I hope Your Highness is more comfortable."
"More than just comfortable." Xiao Jingzhan chuckled and kissed her earlobe. "It's so comforting."
He released her and began to remove his armor. Su Jingyu stepped forward to help, untying the cold straps of his armor. The heavy black armor was removed piece by piece, revealing the dark undergarment underneath, soaked with sweat and then dried.
When the last piece of protective armor was removed, his strong and muscular physique was fully revealed. Su Jingyu's gaze involuntarily fell on a clear scratch on his left arm guard, and her heart tightened.
“Your Highness, this…” She lightly touched the nail plate next to the scratch with her fingertips.
"It's nothing, just a minor injury, it's already healed." Xiao Jingzhan held her hand, preventing her from looking closely, and said in a relaxed tone, "Thanks to Guai Guai's medicine."
Su Jingyu felt a lingering fear, but knew it was not the right time to ask too many questions. She simply said softly, "Your Highness, please go and soak in the water to relieve your fatigue. The water is from a hot spring, and I added some herbs to soothe your muscles and bones."
Xiao Jingzhan turned and walked towards the bath. Through the thin silk curtains, Su Jingyu could hear the sound of him stepping into the water, and a sigh of extreme comfort. She smiled, walked to the small table, and picked up the brocade pouch she had given him before his departure.
The brocade pouch seemed to still retain his warmth; its edges were worn, clearly from constant handling. She carefully opened it, and found the jade bottle containing the "Jade Dew Detoxification Pill" was half empty, a few "Heart-Clearing Pills" were missing, and the wound powder was almost gone. A pang of sadness welled up in her eyes, and she silently put the brocade pouch away.
Xiao Jingzhan had finished bathing and emerged wearing only a moon-white soft silk undergarment, his slightly damp black hair cascading down his back. The hot water had washed away the dust and fatigue of his journey, softening his cold and stern features and making him appear even more handsome.
He immediately noticed the sapphire hairpin in her hair, which, in the candlelight, complemented her smiling eyes and brows, creating a breathtakingly beautiful scene.
“My darling, this suits you perfectly.” He walked behind her, gazed at her in the mirror, and naturally wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, pulling her into his embrace.
Su Jingyu leaned against his warm chest, looking at their reflection in the mirror, and softly asked, "Does Your Highness like it?"
“I like it.” He lowered his head and kissed the top of her fragrant hair. “The moment I saw it, I knew it was meant to be yours.” His hand caressed her slender waist, feeling its soft curves, and his voice lowered, “Yu’er… I’ve missed you so much these past two months.” Every night he spent alone gazing at the cold moon over the border, every time he felt relieved after escaping danger, the deepest thought in his heart was of her.
Su Jingyu turned around, looked up at him, her eyes brimming with tears: "Your Majesty, I miss you very much too." Every day, every night.
Their eyes met, and their love flowed silently. He lowered his head and kissed her soft lips. The kiss was tender and deep, lingering and passionate, as if he wanted to savor every bit of sweetness in her mouth.
His clothes had slipped down without him noticing, and he scooped her up in his arms, carrying her to the chaise lounge covered with a snow-white fox fur. The warm candlelight, the fragrant aroma, and everything she had prepared for him created a sweet world, secluded from the outside world, that belonged only to them.
He yearned for her so intensely that he led her to...
She was with him... her voice soft and sweet, her eyes dreamy, so beautiful that he was captivated.
The tent was warm and fragrant. All the worries, anxieties, and longings found their most perfect solace and response in this night of tender intimacy.
He held her close, whispering her name in her ear again and again; she nestled close to him, responding with the gentlest acceptance, telling him that she would always be his.
I don't know how much time passed... then it gradually subsided.
Xiao Jingzhan held her tightly in his arms, his large hand stroking her smooth back. Su Jingyu was exhausted, but she couldn't bear to sleep, her fingertips unconsciously drawing circles on his chest.
"Your Highness..."
"Um?"
"Is everything really alright in the North?"
"Yes, everything's ready," he replied briefly.
"That's good." She sighed with relief and snuggled closer to him.
After a moment of silence, Xiao Jingzhan suddenly asked, "Do you like the little things I gave you?"
“I like it.” Su Jingyu said immediately, her voice languid with satisfaction, “Especially the hairpin, it matches my clothes perfectly today. Your Highness has excellent taste.”
Xiao Jingzhan chuckled softly, his chest heaving. "If you're happy, then I'm glad." He paused, his voice softening further. "While I was away, did you take good care of yourself? Were the children obedient?"
"I am well, and the children are well-behaved. Yu'er can write many simple characters now, and he always says he wants to be as capable as his father. Ye'er is quiet, Anning is cheerful and loves to laugh..." She recounted the children's amusing stories in a soft, gentle voice, like the most beautiful little tune.
Xiao Jingzhan listened quietly, his heart and eyes filled with warmth. The battles and court intrigues seemed to have faded into the distance. Only the person in his arms, and the everyday stories she described, felt real, and were his true home.
“Your Highness,” she suddenly remembered something, tilted her head up, and her eyes gleamed with a mischievous light, “I…have prepared another surprise for you.”
"Oh?" Xiao Jingzhan raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Anything else?"
Su Jingyu, however, kept everyone in suspense, smiling as she said, "Tomorrow... Your Highness will know." As she spoke, she deliberately winked.
Xiao Jingzhan was aroused by her little girl's charming demeanor and lowered his head to steal another kiss on her lips: "Naughty."
She giggled and snuggled into his arms.
The night is still long. But for lovers reunited after a long separation, even the longest night feels too short.
They slept in each other's arms, their breaths mingling, as if they had never been apart.
The next day, before dawn, Xiao Jingzhan woke up on time according to his biological clock.
The person in his arms was sleeping soundly, her cheek pressed against his chest, her long eyelashes like butterfly wings, completely unguarded in her sleep. He gazed at her quietly for a while, then couldn't resist kissing her for a long time. Carefully pulling his arm away from her head, he got up, casually draped a robe over his shoulders, and walked to the window.
As dawn breaks, the courtyard of Liuli Pavilion is serene and beautiful.
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