Chapter 238 Don’t Cry, I Just Want to Go Home
Zhuang Wan was awakened by the heat.
She moved and felt a furnace burning behind her. She opened her eyes, lost in thought for a moment, and then rolled over.
It happened to meet Pei Xingju's eyes which had just opened.
He seemed to have slept for a long time, and at this moment, his dark eyes were still a little sleepy.
"Awake?" He smiled slightly.
Zhuang Wan stared at him blankly without saying anything.
Pei Xingju sneered: "Don't you recognize me?"
"No," Zhuang Wan shook her head, raising her hand to slowly touch his eyebrows, feeling relieved as if she had survived a disaster. "I was just wondering if this was a dream."
Pei Xingju held her hand, a gentle smile in his eyes: "Wanwan, I swear, I will never let something like that happen again."
During the days she was kidnapped by Liang Jinxian, he was nearly driven mad. Especially during the avalanche. At that moment, it felt like a sharp knife pierced his heart, nearly stopping him. He couldn't imagine what would happen if it happened again, and he didn't even want to think about it.
In a moment, Pei Xingju pulled her into his arms, stroking her head with his chin lovingly: "It will never happen again, don't be afraid."
Zhuang Wan felt the irregular vibrations of his chest. He said, "Don't be afraid," but she knew that it was him who was afraid.
"Yeah." Zhuang Wan nodded, and put her hand around his back, stroking it gently.
She didn't want to recall the experience on the snowy mountain, so she changed the subject: "Where are we now?"
"In Shuzhou," Pei Xingju said. "The Xinchang Kingdom has been destroyed. Shuzhou has been in turmoil these days, and the people are suffering. Many things still need to be dealt with."
"When will you return to Beijing?"
"Want to go back to Beijing?"
Zhuang Wan nodded.
She didn't like Shuzhou, firstly because of her experiences during this period, and secondly... Ever since Liang Jinxian's death, a heavy sadness had always lingered in her body. She knew that this sadness was not her own, but she forced herself to feel it.
Perhaps the only way to get rid of this feeling is to leave here as soon as possible.
"Wait for me for a while, of course..." Pei Xingju stepped back and looked at her: "If you want to go back early, I'll let Xue Gang take you back to Beijing first."
"No!" Zhuang Wan leaned into his arms again and said, "I'll go with you. Once you've dealt with Shuzhou's affairs, I'll go back to the capital with you."
After he finished speaking, Pei Xingju took her face out of his arms and quickly kissed her lips.
"Okay." He said hoarsely, and then kissed her gently.
It was a long kiss, carrying with it the longing and worry of the past few days. He kissed her slowly and deeply, as if he wanted to pour out his deepest attachment to her bit by bit, the kiss was lingering and sad.
Zhuang Wan responded with her head held high, closing her eyes in ecstasy at his touch.
It was late autumn, the morning air slightly chilly, yet within the curtains, a steaming passion was bubbling. Zhuang Wan's clothes were untied, her pockets long since lost. Her long hair lay dishevelled on the emerald pillow, her slender neck raised, like a piece of freshly polished white jade.
She looked at the light silver hook on the bed curtain and gradually became distracted.
After a long time, Pei Xingju raised his head. The lust in his eyes was so intense that it almost drowned Zhuang Wan.
"Wanwan, it's time to get up." He lowered his head and kissed her, using a lot of willpower to force himself to stop.
Zhuang Wan was unwilling to do so. Having experienced life and death once, she had long since become indifferent to worldly rules. Now, nothing was more important than having fun with the one she loved!
Immediately, she hooked her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss.
"Pei Xingju, I am yours." She said passionately, "You are mine too. I want you now."
Pei Xingju's eyes were a little red, and the things he was restraining slowly turned into fire, burning everything.
In just a moment, the fire spread across the prairie. His Adam's apple slid violently and he lowered his head suddenly.
Like a long-brewing storm, a desert waiting for dew, or a long-blocked torrent, some things, once started, are out of control.
Zhuang Wan was dying in the storm, happy, crying, and wanton.
By the time it was all over, both were exhausted.
Pei Xingju closed his eyes, contentedly hugging the person and refusing to move. Zhuang Wan, however, felt terribly uncomfortable. Her body was sticky, and the air inside the curtains smelled foul.
After letting him hold her for a while, she touched her elbow and said, "I want to get up and take a shower."
"No rush." Pei Xingju suppressed her restless hands: "Rest a little longer."
"It's almost noon. Haven't we rested enough after staying in the house all morning?" Zhuang Wan turned her head and asked suspiciously, "Pei Xingju, are you suffering from kidney deficiency?"
“…”
Pei Xingju, who had been showered with rain and dew for the whole morning, had a dark face.
"I'm hungry and want to get up and take a bath." Zhuang Wan said pitifully.
Hearing this, Pei Xingju had no choice but to pick her up and carry her to the clean room.
When they packed up and went out again, they happened to meet Xue Gang who was rushing over.
He hurriedly handed Pei Xingju a letter.
"From the capital."
Pei Xingju unfolded the letter and read it at a glance, his brows tightly furrowed.
"What's wrong?" Zhuang Wan asked. "What happened?"
"Something happened to Shen Yi." He said.
.
Six days ago.
A triumphant troop returning from the State of Lu stopped to rest fifty miles outside the capital.
"Sir Shen," General Cao said, putting his arm around his shoulders. "The successful completion of this mission is invaluable to you. Let's have a couple of drinks when we reach the capital tomorrow."
Someone immediately pulled him away and walked aside, whispering, "Are you deliberately trying to make Lord Shen unhappy? Can't you see he's in a bad mood? This trip to Lu wasn't his original intention, and who knows what might happen when he returns to the capital."
"What could possibly happen?" General Cao looked at the dejected figure of Shen Yi in front of him, puzzled. "I know what you mean. Isn't it just that he married Princess Wu Jing? So what? She's just a princess, and a princess of a ruined kingdom. If you want to make a fuss, just divorce her with a letter of divorce. Lord Shen is so young and has made great contributions. He has a bright future ahead of him. There are plenty of noble ladies in the capital for him to choose from."
"Hey—are you pretending to be confused or are you really confused? If it's really like what you said, why would Lord Shen have to look like this?"
"But what can we do now that it has happened? The destruction of Lu is a foregone conclusion. There are so many unsatisfactory things in this world, we can only let him think more positively."
At this time, a fast horse came running from a distance, and the person on the horse asked all the way: "Excuse me, where is Lord Shen Yi?"
The others pointed in a direction, and the man saw Shen Yi and immediately rushed over.
When he got closer, he dismounted and said, "Sir Shen, there is an urgent letter for you from the capital."
Chen Yi took it and looked at it, his face changed drastically. Without caring about anything else, he grabbed the man's horse and ran away quickly.
"Huh?" General Cao was puzzled. "What is he in such a hurry to do?"
Everyone looked at Shen Yi's hurriedly leaving back, all confused.
Here, Shen Yi galloped along on his horse, his heart heavy and worried.
Before leaving, he clearly sent someone to escort Princess Wu Jing to Anzhou, but a letter from the palace said that Princess Wu Jing had returned halfway and was now in the capital.
The fall of the State of Lu was no small matter, and the news must have spread throughout the city. He could hardly imagine how Wu Jing would react when he heard it.
The horses' hooves galloped along the rugged road, raising clouds of dust wherever they passed. Chen Yi gripped the reins tightly, nearly tearing them apart. He stared anxiously ahead, praying that everything was still in time.
However, things did not go as planned. When he arrived in the capital at dusk, he rushed to the princess's residence without stopping. When he reached the gate of the residence, he reined in his horse too hastily and fell off unexpectedly.
The servant who opened the door was very surprised to see him: "My son-in-law is back?"
Chen Yi asked, "Where's the princess?"
"The princess is not at home."
"Where did you go?"
At this time, Princess Wujing's personal maid Haisha came over anxiously, and when she saw him, she stopped and seemed to want to say something.
"Where is your princess?" Shen Yi asked.
"Sir, you..." Haisha paused, her voice tinged with tears. "I don't know where the princess has gone. She said she was taking a walk in the garden, but she disappeared not long after I left."
"I remember now..." At this time, the servant scratched his head and said, "I heard the princess say something when she left."
"What? Say it quickly!" Shen Yi shouted anxiously.
The servant was startled and said quickly, "The princess said she hasn't seen the lanterns in the capital for a long time and wants to go see them, but where exactly... I don't know."
Watching the lanterns...
Chen Yi's heart tightened, and a bad premonition suddenly arose.
Immediately, he turned around and ran out the door.
He searched along the streets, looking for all the places that Wu Jing liked to visit the most. As the sky got darker, the panic in his heart grew stronger.
"Wu Jing?" He shouted through the crowded crowd, "Wu Jing, where are you?"
The passersby around turned around to look at him, not knowing what was going on. A man carrying a load walked by and accidentally bumped into him, causing Shen Yi to stumble.
When I looked up again, I saw a lot of people gathered under Mingyue Tower not far away.
He caught someone and asked, "What are they looking at?"
"Oh, there's a girl on the top floor of Mingyue Tower. She's been standing there for a long time. She looks like she's about to jump off the building."
With a bang, all the blood in his body rushed to the top of his head. For a moment, Shen Yi's eyes went black and his mind went blank.
After recovering, he immediately ran towards Mingyue Tower.
Mingyue Tower is the tallest building in the capital. It was a drum tower designed by the previous dynasty and later changed into a tower in this dynasty. It is specially used for viewing lanterns. Even on weekdays, if it is not a festival, lights will be lit for pedestrians to enjoy at night.
The tower is tall and magnificent, with its spire pointing straight to the sky. Standing on the top of the tower, you can overlook the entire capital city at night.
At this moment, a woman in purple stood by the railing on the top floor, leaning against it with her head tilted upwards, as if looking at the lanterns under the eaves, or perhaps gazing at the sky.
When Shen Yi ran downstairs, he was horrified when he saw this scene.
"Wu Jing!" he shouted.
But the wind was so strong and the building was so high that the woman at the railing didn't hear anything. She continued to hold her head high, with almost half of her body leaning over the railing.
The crowd sighed, everyone worried that she would fall. To the west of the tower was the Wei River, and falling into the river would surely kill her.
Shen Yi pushed his way through the crowd and hurriedly ran into Mingyue Tower. He stepped on the corner of his robe several times while climbing the stairs, and he didn't even notice that his official hat had fallen off. It was clearly just a few flights of stairs, but it felt so long that it seemed like he had run for a lifetime.
When I finally reached the top of the building, I heard a faint singing voice:
"Gelsang flower, Gesang flower, my lover has crossed the mountains and ridges, and I saw him..."
"I picked one and put it on my head. Gesang flower, Gesang flower, my lover is back..."
This was a ballad from the State of Lu, and Shen Yi had once heard Princess Wu Jing sing it drunkenly. He approached with great caution, fearing she would fall.
However, just as he was about to get close, Wu Jing turned around and looked at him, as if she knew he was coming.
She stopped singing and smiled: "Chen Yi, you're here!"
"Wu Jing, what are you doing?" Shen Yi was horrified when he saw that she was already sitting on the railing.
"I'm enjoying the lanterns." Wu Jing said, "I haven't seen the lanterns in Beijing for a long time. Actually...it's nothing special."
What made her think the lanterns in the capital were beautiful in the first place?
Wu Jing blankly glanced at the lights downstairs, her gaze darting through the crowd before returning to Chen Yi's handsome face. Suddenly, she realized it wasn't the lights in the capital that were so beautiful, it was the people there who had captivated her heart.
"Wu Jing," Shen Yi couldn't help but tremble with fear for the first time. He cautiously extended his hand: "Come down first. If you want to see the lights, I'll go with you, okay? Let's go home first."
Wu Jing suddenly pouted sadly: "I can't go back."
"I can't go back!" She shook her head dejectedly.
"Wu Jing..." Chen Yi's eyes were red. "It's okay. I'll accompany you, okay? Come down first, don't sit there. Let's go back to our hometown in Anzhou together and live there from now on, okay?"
"I don't want to!" Wu Jing continued to shake her head: "I don't like unfamiliar places. In fact, I don't like the capital either..."
She lowered her head and muttered to herself, "When I first came here, I couldn't sleep all night long. I had to hug the pillow I brought with me to sleep. If I go somewhere else, I won't be able to get used to it."
Chen Yi's throat was dry as if someone had stuffed a handful of sand in it, and something was gathering in his chest, causing a dull pain.
"Okay, we're not going to Anzhou, we're not going anywhere." Shen Yi said with difficulty: "Wu Jing, come down..."
He tried to walk over quietly, but was frightened by Wu Jing's next move and his heart jumped into his throat.
Wu Jing suddenly turned over and landed lightly outside the railing. However, there was only a narrow eaves outside the railing. She only needed to take a step back to...
"Chen Yi, don't come over here," Wu Jinglian smiled, "I won't go back with you."
"Wu Jing, don't..." Chen Yi burst into tears, his voice hoarse and choked: "Can you please come back? I was wrong! I was really wrong!"
If he had known that the outcome would be like this today, he would rather have committed suicide.
"Wu Jing...I beg you...can you please come back?"
Seeing him crying, Wu Jing also started crying.
She pouted and cried like a child: "I can't go back with you. Where else can I go? My country is gone, my home is gone, there is no place for me in the world."
"No, you still have me, Wu Jing..." Chen Yi knelt down and crawled forward: "I beg you, please come back..."
Wu Jing ignored her. She suddenly let go of the railing and sang barefoot on the eaves.
"Gelsang flower, Gesang flower, my lover has crossed the mountains and ridges, and I saw him..."
"I picked one and put it on my head. Gesang flower, Gesang flower, my lover is back..."
"Listen!" she paused. "This is the wind blowing towards Lu. I'm going to follow it today."
"Wu Jing, please don't..." Chen Yi burst into tears and desperately shook his head to beg her: "...I beg you not to..."
"Look, he has climbed over Mount Aman, and is about to go home with me..." Wu Jing continued to sing, tears on her face falling in the wind: "Gesang flower, Gesang flower, my heart is filled with joy, and I am about to go home..."
"Chen Yi," after singing, she turned to look at Chen Yi and smiled to comfort him: "Don't cry, I just want to go home."
After saying that, she jumped up.
The purple figure streaked across the sky like a fleeting and brilliant firework. At the end of her life, she recalled the scene of dragging Shen Yi to see the lanterns on the day of the Queen Mother's birthday banquet.
"Chen Yi, so you're here. It took me so long to find you."
"What does Princess Wu Jing want me to do?"
"Come on, accompany me to see the lanterns. There are many lights on the bridge, it's so beautiful."
"Chen Yi, I'm so happy! This is the happiest day of my life!"
"Have you, a princess, always had a hard life?"
"No, I was happy before, but today is different."
"What's the difference?"
"Because you accompany me."
When the memories ended, she closed her eyes and let her body sink into the cold river water.
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