Chapter 5 Chapter 5 "The fingertips burn the white flowers." ...
Sheng Puzhu blinked her long eyelashes. Because of her guilty conscience, there was a layer of watery light in her eyes, which made her look hazy and moving.
"I was just joking. In this kind of weather, it's better to let my husband go riding..."
"Isn't that murderous and heartbreaking?"
Xie Zhiyan lowered his eyes to look at her, remained silent for a moment, and twitched his lips with a half-smile.
During the second half of the journey, Sheng Puju did not dare to be distracted again. Perhaps because he was so nervous, time passed much faster than in the first half.
Amidst the falling snow, the carriage stopped steadily in front of Tianchang Temple.
Xie Zhiyan lifted the curtain and jumped off the carriage first. When Sheng Puju stood on the shaft with her skirt lifted up, a jade-white hand stretched out in front of her.
"The snow is heavy, madam, please be careful with your steps." His voice was flat, low and slow.
Because Sheng Puzhu was standing high up, she was looking at him from above for the first time. It was not a condescending look, but a close and delicate observation with the unique curiosity in a woman's mind.
The wind and snow were blowing, and his figure was clear and cool, standing in the white snow. His deep and handsome facial features were like jade covered with a layer of moon gauze, which made people want to hold him in their hands.
The incomparable beauty is simply irresistible.
"Madam?" Xie Zhiyan saw that she was distracted, so he slowed down his voice and called out again.
"Ah?" Sheng Puzhu's heart skipped a beat for no reason and he quickly lowered his eyes.
"Thank you, my dear." She whispered, pretending to be calm and smiling at him. Her soft fingertips gently fell on his broad palm, and the slightly cold skin made her shiver.
But he used his strength very skillfully, and with just a little help, he helped her down from the carriage steadily.
When Xie Zhiyan saw that she had stood firmly, he let go of her hand and made room for her. The maid waiting beside her immediately came forward to help her tidy up her clothes.
In front of Tianchang Temple, a maid had been waiting there. When she saw the two people get off the car, she hurried forward and saluted respectfully.
"It's snowing heavily today. According to Princess Shoukang's wishes, there's no need to come here specially to offer her tea."
"It's my husband and my wife who are thoughtful."
"Etiquette cannot be abolished." Xie Zhiyan held an umbrella with a calm expression.
Compared to him, the expression on Sheng Puzhu's face was like the bright spring and summer: "Mother is considerate, we must not be arrogant."
"Besides, the snow scene at Tianchang Temple is the most beautiful of the four wonders of the Great Yan Kingdom. I come here so often, thanks to my mother."
Nanny Yan's face, usually stern because she never smiled, was now wrinkled with laughter after just a few words: "The princess was looking forward to seeing you yesterday after receiving the news, but it's a pity that the snow is so heavy. The princess is worried that you might get frozen on the way."
"I sent someone to deliver the message to the Duke of Jingguo's Mansion at daybreak, so there was no need to go back and forth. I didn't expect that my wife and husband would still come."
Xie Zhiyan looked at Sheng Puju with some surprise. Nanny Yan was always serious and stern with everyone except his mother. She had never been so intimate with anyone.
Sheng Puzhu pretended not to understand the surprise in his eyes, but snorted in her heart.
He didn't even think about who had taken care of his elders for him during the two years he was away from Chang'an. She was beautiful, thoughtful, and had a pretty and eloquent mouth.
To put it more deeply, she was the daughter-in-law personally chosen by Princess Shoukang. How could they not like her!
Sheng Puzhu was so proud that she put her hands on her hips in her heart. In the eyes of her loving elders, that was a priceless treasure. Otherwise, how could Linlang Pavilion's business be successful? Of course, it was because of their love.
"Bozhu."
"My child, you're finally here." Princess Shoukang took Sheng Puzhu's hand, patted it affectionately, and without hesitation handed her her hand warmer to her. "Yours is cold. Replace it with my new one. Don't let it freeze."
"Thank you, mother." Sheng Puzhu pursed her lips and smiled sweetly, then took it and held it in her hands obediently.
"Hey, whose young man is this? Why is he here with my son Puzhu?" Princess Shoukang changed her expression quickly and seized the right to speak before Xie Zhiyan opened his mouth.
"A son pays his respects to his mother." Xie Zhiyan bowed respectfully to the beautiful woman in front of him.
Princess Shoukang smiled gracefully, but her words showed no sign of letting him off the hook. "You still recognize me, your mother? You knew you were leaving, but you didn't tell us. If it weren't for the news of the great victory from Yumen Pass, we wouldn't even know where you were going."
"Mother..." Xie Zhiyan's eyes were dark.
Princess Shoukang seemed to know what he was thinking and said firmly, "You don't need to say anything more. Keep it in your heart forever. Just remember that you are your father's only bloodline, and the only surviving child in my belly."
“No one can change this fact.”
She slowly squatted down and looked straight into the eyes that were exactly the same as hers.
"Saburo."
"Now that you're back, don't risk your life again in the future."
Xie Zhiyan looked at the eldest princess calmly as always.
"never mind!"
"As long as I'm strong enough." The eldest princess glared at Xie Zhiyan. All the worries and fears of the past two years were stuck in her chest, but she knew her own son better than anyone else. If he could give in, he would no longer be the cold-blooded Third Son of the Xie family.
It’s better not to listen to those words that hurt her heart.
The princess took a breath and stood up first, waving her hand casually. "Get up now. You don't mind the cold ground. When the snow stops in a few days, remember to accompany Puzhu back to her parents' home and prepare the gifts according to the custom of returning home."
After saying this, she rubbed her brows with her nail-painted fingertips, as if she was still not satisfied. She raised her chin slightly and said, "Puzhu's mother is weak. Please don't be so cold and irritating."
Sheng Puzhu sat obediently by the side the whole time, holding the hand warmer in her hands. She seemed so absorbed in observing the hollow carvings that she paid no attention to the conversation between the mother and son. Her composed look was such that anyone who saw her would truly like such a sensible young lady.
She knew that the reason why the eldest princess called Xie Zhiyan "Sanlang" was because when the eldest princess was five or six months pregnant, she accidentally slipped while visiting the palace to pay her respects, resulting in a miscarriage and the birth of a pair of fully formed male fetuses.
The two children that Princess Shoukang failed to keep at the beginning became an unspeakable pain in her heart.
So Xie Zhiyan was born safely. Although he was the eldest grandson of the Duke of Jingguo, the princess still called him "Sanlang" in private.
"Puzhu, come here, come to your mother."
"It's snowing heavily today, so you can stay at Tianchang Temple for one night and go back tomorrow." The eldest princess' eyes were full of kindness.
"Well, I'll listen to mother in everything." Sheng Puzhu stopped thinking and walked forward with a soft voice.
"What do you think, Sanlang?" asked Princess Shoukang.
"Okay." Xie Zhiyan naturally wouldn't care about such a small matter.
After the couple finished offering tea, Sheng Puzhu received a heavy red envelope.
Until night falls, the moonlight is mottled.
Sheng Puzhu held the ends of her hair with one hand and used the other hand to wipe the moisture off the ends of her hair with a towel.
Tianchang Temple was not as convenient as the mansion after all, so she took a quick bath and asked all the servants to go and rest, without them having to stay in the house.
This wing room was where she slept every month when she came. The rosewood bed was not as big as the one in the mansion, and it might seem crowded for two people to sleep in it. There was a simple sky-blue tent, and the canopy was embroidered with elegant cranes and auspicious clouds.
Sheng Puzhu dried her hair, not knowing what she was thinking about. Listening to the sound of water in the compartment, her cheeks slightly flushed, she pulled down the curtain.
She still felt uncomfortable down there, and if she didn't apply the ointment her grandmother had given her, the previous application would be in vain.
But if she applied the medicine herself, she wasn't sure if it would be successful.
After hesitating for a moment, Sheng Puzhu took out a sky-blue porcelain jar with a lid, which was about the same size as her rouge box, from her purse. She listened carefully and made sure that the intermittent sound of water in the bathroom was still there. Only then did she muster up the courage to carefully open the porcelain lid.
The lights in the room were dim, and she happened to be sitting against the light. The thin curtains gave people an illusion of heaviness, and the hazy sky blue made everything seem so blurry.
Sheng Puzhu endured the discomfort, carefully lifted up her skirt, and slowly took off her underwear.
She bent one knee and raised it, picking up a piece of pink ointment from the porcelain jar with her fingertips. Her white neck lowered and her long eyelashes trembled slightly.
After groping for a long time, the ointment on her fingertips was almost melted into water by her body temperature. She felt uncomfortable, but the place was so hidden that she was a little scared and did not dare to use any force.
The trousers were made of thin silk and were rolled up in a messy manner, but they ended just below the layers of brocade quilts.
Moonlight faintly leaked out from the clouds, and the bright light that could not be contained by the curtains fell on Sheng Puzhu's slender white waist, and then went down along the smooth waistline. Her snow-white long legs swayed blatantly in the dim night.
On a lonely, cold night in early winter, the residual heat from the charcoal basin seemed to bake the air through. A graceful and elegant figure fell on the green curtain, a little hazy, more like a "long-planned" seduction.
Xie Zhiyan came out of the bathroom and suddenly stopped.
Don't look at what is inappropriate, he turned sideways without leaving any trace.
In the silence, all the subtle movements will be silently magnified, and even the restrained breathing can be clearly heard.
Xie Zhiyan frowned, walked to the table and poured himself a cup of hot tea.
I don't know how long it took, the candlelight flickered, the lamplight flickered, and he calmly picked up the cup of tea that had already gone cold and drank it all in one gulp.
The moment he raised his head, a soft and helpless sigh escaped from the curtain. His palm holding the cup seemed to pause for a moment, and there was a slight sound when he put it down.
He tapped his cold white knuckles on the edge of the table in restraint.
Sheng Puzhu was startled at first, then slowly turned his head, his body stiffening inch by inch.
The room was filled with bright light, and the moonlight filtered through the window paper, leaving everything outside the curtain unobstructed, appearing so direct and clear.
The palm of her hand holding the ointment tightened, and she barely maintained her remaining sanity. As she turned sideways, she reached out and pulled the brocade quilt to cover herself.
As for the porcelain jar in her palm, in her panic, she only had time to stuff it under the soft pillow.
Sheng Puzhu felt like her ears were about to bleed, and her cheeks were burning hot. Yet, she had to pretend to remain calm. She raised her hand to part the curtain, cleared her throat, and said, "My dear, I'm a little tired. I'm ready to go to bed."
"If you have nothing to do, please settle down as soon as possible."
Xie Zhiyan walked forward and looked at her for a long time: "How is your injury?"
"Hmm?" Sheng Puzhu was confused at first, until her calm eyes met his. His gaze was not concealed, but fell directly on the soft Shu brocade pillow behind her.
"hiss……"
Sheng Puzhu didn't know what he was thinking about. He took a deep breath and there was no need to hide the rejection that was reflected in his body.
She shook her head at him: "Not completely healed."
"good."
"I understand." Xie Zhiyan lowered the curtain again, turned around and went to the bathroom, washed his hands with hot water several times, and his scalded fingertips finally felt a little warm.
What does he know?
Sheng Puzhu was in a daze, and she was still a little dazed until the man came back.
"Not tonight." She pursed her lips and looked at him seriously, "and this is a Taoist temple."
"Ointment." Xie Zhiyan stretched out his hand towards her, as cold as ever.
Sheng Puzhu was stunned for a moment, and felt his head buzzing and his cheeks burning.
She trembled her lips, trying to explain, but ended up stuttering for a long time before saying, "This is a Taoist temple. Does that count as breaking the rules?"
Xie Zhiyan looked at her with a calm gaze, but his movements were without hesitation. He dipped two fingers in the ointment, applying force lightly yet firmly...
The snow kept falling, and the temperature in the side room was more tempting than the charcoal fire in the basin.
Sheng Puzhu shuddered and subconsciously straightened her body like a lazy cat. She felt as if she was about to be scalded. Her rosy and plump lips opened slightly, the air was stagnant, and even her breathing changed.
The ointment was somewhat sticky on the outside, and felt cold and slippery, and her body inexplicably felt damp.
"Are you okay?" She couldn't help but kick her legs.
Xie Zhiyan hummed, his tall figure almost covering her. He stood up and calmly put his hands behind his back.
The water stains on the fingertips glowed an alluring bright color under the candlelight. When the thumb stroked them, it felt like the skin was soaked with moisture.
"My dear." Sheng Puzhu's thick eyelashes trembled, and she suddenly called him in a very soft voice.
"Can you get me a clean towel from the bathroom?" She thought for a moment and then explained, "You might have applied too much ointment just now. I feel like it's overflowing. I need to wipe it with a towel."
Xie Zhiyan was silent for a long time, his eyes deep and complex.
After being stared at for a long time, Sheng Puzhu asked uncertainly, "Did I say something wrong?"
"No." Xie Zhiyan sighed imperceptibly, his voice surprisingly calm.
The night was as cold as water, with only the occasional sound of branches being weighed down by the snow.
Xie Zhiyan lay on the couch with his eyes closed, his brows slightly furrowed. He was not asleep. The faint fragrance in the air, after being baked by the warm charcoal fire, lingered around his nose, and even his breath was sweet and soft.
As long as he turned sideways, he could see the source of the fragrance, which belonged only to her, clean, sweet, and fragrant.
It was like being pulled from a quagmire to a transparent and spotless cloud. All the blood and tragedy on the battlefield became a thing of the past. It was so pure that it made his emotions reach another extreme, which was most directly reflected in this young body.
When his pulse reached the thousandth beat, his body's honesty still made him useless.
…
In the second half of the night, Sheng Puzhu was awakened by the sound of water. She opened her eyes sleepily and found that there was no one around her.
Xie Zhiyan is taking a bath?
It’s such a cold day?
Why?
Her mind was in a mess and she felt even colder.
Just when she was half asleep and half awake, the bed beside her sank slightly, and a breath as cold as ice approached her.
"Hmm? What is that?" She stretched out her hand with tired eyes and touched the taut and powerful body through the thin cloth.
but……
This is too cold, just like the lake behind Tianchang Temple.
Sheng Puzhu shuddered, half awake, "My dear, have you gone to take a bath?"
"It's too hot." Xie Zhiyan's voice was a little hoarse.
Is it hot?
Sheng Puzhu was dozing off and didn't notice his abnormality at all. She shrank into a corner out of cold, thinking vaguely in her heart -
Where is it hot?
He usually seems to have a cold and aloof personality, keeping people at a distance, but he is actually so afraid of heat?
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