Beauty
After returning home, Lu Yunchu opened the letter. It explained that Chu Chengchao and the Crown Prince were brothers, descendants of the previous dynasty. Years ago, Ye Jiyun had switched the Crown Prince with a cat, and the Emperor intended to use Chu Chengchao to eliminate the Crown Prince. Chu Chengchao knew about this. Consort Xiao advised Chu Chengchao not to believe her and to flee to the border as soon as possible. She said he held military power and could use this opportunity to find a way to survive in the bandit stronghold of Cangshan, making further plans later; his life was of paramount importance.
Lu Yunchu put the letter away, with no intention of giving it to Chu Chengchao. He wanted Chu Chengchao to make the decision himself. Chu Chengchao was not a child, and trying to persuade him might only invite hatred. Chu Chengchao had his own path to follow.
Chu Cheng'an is about to get married, and Chu Chengchao will also be returning to the capital. Lu Yunchu doesn't know how to face him, but Jiang Liu says that one should be more lenient towards a dying man.
Lu Yunchu recalled his cheerful smile when she first met him, and it was as if she could see his final fate. Her heart felt heavy; after all, he was a vibrant life that had not harmed anyone.
Zai Yu coldly replied, "Who knows if she has done anything wrong? There are no simple and pure people in this place. These days she has been busy reading, comparing the theories of various philosophers and pondering the way to govern a country."
Besides riding horses and shooting arrows, Lu Yunchu spent his time studying military books, thoroughly researching the situation of the world and maps, down to the troop strength at every pass, all of which was found by his aunt.
The Crown Prince's residence provided a rare period of quiet growth; once one truly enters the world, it becomes difficult to find such tranquility again.
Chu Chengchao returned to his residence immediately upon arriving in the capital, without even changing out of his military uniform. He looked no different from more than a year ago, except that he seemed to have grown taller, though perhaps his boots had thicker soles.
Upon seeing Lu Yunchu, he opened his arms and hugged her tightly, even excitedly spinning her around in his arms.
"I missed you so much! You've lost so much weight!"
He still looked as lively as ever. Lu Yunchu, who had been lost in his dream of becoming a general, was a little disoriented at being suddenly interrupted. Missing her? What was there to miss? Were they that close? Besides, he had become so much stronger; his eyes might be ruined.
She was initially worried that he might divorce her if he saw how strong she was, but since he was strong, everyone else looked weak in his eyes.
She tried to cheer herself up and say a few kind words, but the words caught in her throat. She had nothing to say because she neither wanted to think about him nor could she understand why he wanted to think about her.
She ultimately just lowered her head and chose to remain silent. Jiang Liu hurriedly explained that she had become even more silent since Chu Chengchao left, as she was too shy.
Fortunately, Chu Chengchao didn't mind. He took her hand and showed her the little trinkets he had brought back, but in doing so, the thick calluses on her hands were discovered.
Chu Chengchao was a martial artist and should have been able to tell, but she wouldn't admit it, and there was nothing he could do. Hearing his concern for her hand, she tried to blush and mumbled weakly, "I...day and night...think of you, and have made many clothes, fearing you might catch a cold at the border..."
After saying that, she wiped away non-existent tears, pointed tremblingly to the clothes that had been prepared in advance, and pretended that they were her own handiwork.
"My husband is not here... Yunchu, I miss him terribly, I can only make clothes to pass the time... I don't want to talk... I can't eat... as soon as I hear news from outside... I..."
She bit her lip and twisted her body, almost making Qingliu and Zaiyu burst out laughing.
Chu Chengchao was inexperienced and, seeing how much she missed him, he was deeply moved. He tried on all the clothes and told her to eat and drink more, saying that he had committed a terrible sin.
These clothes were too gorgeous and didn't suit Chu Chengchao; his temperament couldn't carry them off. But Lu Yunchu still kept her head down, secretly glancing at him quickly, then shyly covering her mouth, her body trembling slightly—she was actually trying to suppress a laugh. She kept praising her husband as the most handsome man in the world, and then said she didn't deserve it.
Chu Chengchao had never been praised like this before. The most common compliments he received were for being down-to-earth, lively, diligent, and highly skilled in martial arts. However, he was often criticized for being unlearned, rude, stupid, and mediocre. His appearance made him feel inferior. Although not all of his brothers were as handsome as the Crown Prince and Chu Cheng'an, he was still among the least handsome, only slightly better looking than the third brother. At least the third brother knew how to dress and was knowledgeable in literature.
Hearing Lu Yunchu praise him like that, he was so happy that he seemed to have grown a tail. He swayed left and right and didn't even care about eating. He was busy looking at himself in the mirror, asking himself from time to time if he was dark-skinned, short, or if his nose was ugly. Lu Yunchu always answered that he was the most handsome and tallest, and that he was the number one man in the world throughout history. Everyone who said that about him was jealous!
Lu Yunchu couldn't stop praising him, saying that she had heard of his wisdom and bravery before and wondered how she could possibly have the opportunity to meet such a heroic figure. She felt incredibly lucky.
Chu Chengchao was surprised to see that she was such a quiet person, yet she became so boastful when it came to her own merits, her braid practically sticking up to the sky, and her big mouth grinning from ear to ear.
"Hmph, Cheng'an always says I'm not good-looking, and that going out with me makes him lose face!"
He stroked his ordinary face, feeling sorry for himself, thinking that these vulgar people in the world didn't understand him.
Lu Yunchu hurriedly comforted him, saying that he was the real handsome man, unforgettable at first sight, captivating at second sight, and bringing tears to one's eyes at third sight. He was so excited that he couldn't sleep, admiring his own ethereal beauty. During the process of changing clothes, his figure was exposed. Lu Yunchu covered his mouth, buried his head in the quilt, and rolled around shyly.
"Brother's waist isn't a waist, brother's legs are higher than the sky, brother's feet... those are jade feet!"
Lu Yunchu had gone from being reserved to completely letting loose. Chu Chengchao's laughter was so infectious that she found it very enjoyable to praise him.
Chu Chengchao blushed with embarrassment, taking shy little steps towards her and even making a delicate gesture with his fingers. Lu Yunchu clapped wildly, almost fainting from his beauty.
Chu Chengchao hadn't had time to shower, and his body smelled rather unpleasant. Feeling a little embarrassed, he quickly ran away, but Lu Yunchu still exclaimed, "You smell so good! Is this body odor? So this is the smell of a hero!"
Whether it was from catching a chill while bathing or from unprecedented excitement, Chu Chengchao developed a fever that night. Lu Yunchu found it amusing because of his love of beauty and took good care of him, feeding him water every now and then.
"So cute...you're so cute..."
As she cared for him, she kept praising him. Chu Chengchao was usually lively and energetic, but now he was lying weakly in the brocade quilt, his cheeks flushed red, and he did look quite cute.
Even in his distress, Chu Chengchao couldn't resist comparing looks: "Who's prettier, me or the Crown Prince...? Everyone says he's prettier, but I don't believe it... Brother Wolf says I'm the most beautiful, and if he weren't a man, he would have fallen in love with me..."
Who is Wolf Brother? He seems to have seen little of the world…
Lu Yun Chu recalled the Crown Prince's handsome face, then looked at the ordinary little boy's face before her, and couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Holding back tears of sympathy, she firmly replied, "Of course you're beautiful! Who is that Wolf Brother?! How annoying! I hate him so much! Why does he get to be by my brother's side?! I'm not convinced!"
Chu Chengchao quickly grabbed her hand: "I don't like Brother Wolf, he's nowhere near as good as you! I like you the most!"
As he spoke, he blew a kiss, unaware that Wolf Brother Su Lang, far away at the border, sneezed loudly.
"Who's insulting me!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
