Chapter 31
Luo Yan was simple-minded, and the bed was tidy, except for the strange overlap of the soft pillow and the porcelain pillow, as if suppressing something. Zhu Yun flicked his fingers aside, pulled out three sheets of paper that smelled of ink, his eyelashes trembled, and he silently put them into his pocket.
In the kitchen, boiling water bubbled and wisps of steam rose from it.
Zhu Yun calmly brewed a pot of calming tea. When he returned to his room, the girl was already fast asleep, draped in his outer robe and slumped over the desk.
It's alright, he's the one who needs to calm down and find peace.
He stretched out his long arm, grabbed the armchair, and sat down next to Luo Yan, then slowly poured himself a cup of hot tea.
Luo Yan usually slept very soundly when she first fell asleep, and Zhu Yun chuckled for a moment when he saw that no amount of noise could disturb her. But when he took out the slightly damp letter, his jade-like face turned sharp.
Each letter contained only a few words, yet he struggled to decipher each word and line with the difficulty of learning, like a child just beginning to learn.
Luo Yan underestimated Zhu Yun's temperament.
His gentleness stemmed from years of self-cultivation, yet beneath it lay a detached and indifferent nature. Just like his appearance, though he possessed naturally smiling, almond-shaped eyes, when he was emotional, his cold, domineering aura, born of long-standing authority, involuntarily silenced those in power.
Last night, having no other choice and feeling guilty, I indulged Luo Yan a bit. But now, in broad daylight, she can't be fooled with a few soft words.
He placed the mournful-looking Luo Yan under the shade of a tree. Seeing her glaring at him, a faint smile appeared in his eyes. Then, glancing around, he had an idea and broke the silence, saying, "Would you like to come hunting with me?"
Hunting. After walking for the first quarter of an hour, he was immersed in the natural scenery; after the second quarter of an hour, his breathing became disordered; and by the third quarter of an hour, his pace had slowed significantly, and he had fallen far behind the physically weak Zhu Yun.
Zhu Yun was speechless, wondering to herself who had just made such a solemn promise to help her when she was tired.
"I can't go on, I can't walk anymore." Luo Yan stretched out her arms to support herself on the tree trunk, her chest heaving violently, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, making her look like a peach that had just been pulled out of the water, her eyes and brows covered in sweat.
Zhu Yun rarely interacted with women and didn't know how to respond, so he simply remained silent, gazing into the distance in a daze.
After a short while, Luo Yan gradually regained her strength, tugged at his sleeve, and asked in surprise, "Aren't you tired?"
Zhu Yun lowered her eyes and said in a clear voice, "It's acceptable."
His answer was actually to save face for Luo Yan.
Since she began her formal education at the age of three, she had been practicing martial arts every day at the crack of dawn, so walking a mountain path was nothing to her. However, Luo Yan had been confined to her chambers for a long time and was probably as delicate as her younger sisters, always traveling in sedan chairs and oxcarts. The fact that she was complaining now was quite remarkable.
It's a pity there are no villages in sight, otherwise I could leave her here for now and go find some horses.
Zhu Yun was never one to show his emotions, and even when pondering these matters, he only revealed his usual gentle expression. Luo Yan used her hand as a fan, bringing it close to his cheek, and suddenly asked, "When will the poison in your body be completely dispelled?"
He snapped out of his reverie, looked down, met the girl's smiling eyes, and said truthfully, "Tomorrow."
Luo Yan raised an eyebrow: "Rounding it up, you've almost fully recovered."
Zhu Yun: "...I suppose so." The rain suddenly stopped, and leaves fell to the ground with a soft rustling sound.
Luo Yan struggled to sit up and saw the dark clouds disperse, with a faint light returning to the sky. She looked at the boy's relieved expression, blinked slowly, and said in a deep voice, "Weren't we going to the stream to catch fish? I'll go with you."
Living in modern times for a long time, Luo Yan felt uncomfortable if she didn't shower for a day. Moreover, after walking for half an hour in the morning, she was covered in sweat and couldn't bear to sleep in her clothes, feeling sticky.
However, being unfamiliar with the area, she feared it might be dangerous for her to wander off alone. She planned to go to the stream first, and then shamelessly ask Zhu Yun to keep watch.
Zhu Yun guessed Luo Yan's true intention. His long eyelashes trembled slightly, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he uttered a single, monotonous "hmm." He pushed open the wooden door, his ears burning, and silently led the way.
Half a mile away is a clear stream, its waters gurgling, and raindrops dripping from the branches, creating golden ripples.
Luo Yan glanced around discreetly, noticing the willows and twigs on both banks providing perfect cover. She hesitated before walking behind Zhu Yun, admiring his slender, pointed fingers, their distinct knuckles, long and fair, like the finest jade—truly handsome.
She stared at it for a moment, then forgot how to begin.
Zhu Yun sheathed his dagger, his face slightly embarrassed, and said, "I'll go downstream. Call me when you're better, Miss."
"You...you know what I want..." Luo Yan's heart warmed, she bit her lip and turned to the side, her black hair slid in an arc in mid-air, unexpectedly touching Zhu Yun's chin.
Light as a feather, yet it arouses a strange itch.
His calm, unwavering eyes rippled with emotion, and without further thought, he lifted his robe and walked in the opposite direction.
Only after the boy's tall figure disappeared among the lush green leaves did Luo Yan's flushed cheeks finally return to their normal color. She found a dry spot, lit a campfire, first took off her robes to wash and dry them, and then stepped barefoot into the stream.
The water was slightly cool, and Luo Yan gradually adapted. She stretched out her arms, like a fish returning to the sea, sinking and rising again and again.
The weariness from her journey vanished at this moment, and she swam happily, humming a few lines from time to time.
A hundred paces away, Zhu Yun gently stroked the jade pendant, recalling Luo Yan's words, "Thirteen years without seeing each other."
Based on this, it seems that apart from their marriage contract, she and Jiang Chen had no feelings for each other and were even strangers to each other.
In today's more open-minded society, while physical intimacy might not ruin a woman's reputation, it's ultimately disadvantageous. Perhaps, after verifying her identity, I should suggest to her—
If Jiang Chen has any complaints in the future, she can step in to break off the engagement or find another suitable partner for her.
In short, he will take responsibility.
With her thoughts cleared, the gloom that had been weighing on her heart dissipated, and Zhu Yun finally relaxed, watching the fish swim through the water plants while waiting silently.
After he finished speaking, he saw Luo Yan raise her slender arm and casually put it on his shoulder.
The force was slight, yet it made Zhu Yun freeze.
Luo Yan anticipated that he would bring up things like "the separation of men and women" and "the prohibition of physical contact between men and women," so she lowered her eyes first and said plaintively, "You won't refuse to let your savior borrow some help, will you?"
Seeing Zhu Yun struggling to resist slapping her hand away, his eyes deep and his posture full of rejection, Luo Yan took a drastic step, lifting her eyelids to look at him: "You really can't walk anymore. If it weren't for your health, it would be perfectly reasonable for your fiancé to carry you."
Her fiancé. Dressed impeccably, she called Zhu Yun over to grill the river fish. Wanting to build rapport, she propped her chin on her hand and asked, "Young Master Jiang, may I call you A-Chen from now on?"
Upon hearing this, he paused, his naturally smiling peach blossom eyes rising from below, his handsome face softened by the firelight, and his eyes, as black as lacquer, seemed to hold endless emotions.
Luo Yan's cheeks flushed slightly, and she looked away as if possessed, hurriedly pretending to straighten her clothes.
Zhu Yun's jaw muscles bulged slightly as he silently slid the four words across his tongue. His stiff back visibly relaxed, and he nodded: "Let's go."
With the human-shaped cane, Luo Yan picked up her pace slightly, but couldn't help complaining, "The last time I felt this desperate was when I was running the 800 meters at the school sports meet. I really want to go home, and I miss the sofa so much."
She had been muttering softly, unaware that those who practice martial arts have sharp ears and eyes. Zhu Yun heard everything, though he only vaguely understood, but he could clearly sense her exhaustion and felt inexplicably ashamed of his earlier arguing.
Having not yet completely escaped death, he rigidly adhered to etiquette and was somewhat pedantic.
Zhu Yun lowered his eyes, glanced at the girl's pitiful face filled with sorrow, and softened slightly, saying gently, "How about I carry you on my back?"
Upon hearing this, Luo Yan's eyes widened, her dark eyes sparkling with undisguised astonishment.
I don't know whether to be surprised that he finally gave up "girl" for "you" or that his attitude softened.
The sun was high in the sky, its rays filtering through the leaves. Even though it wasn't scorching, half an hour of walking had left Zhu Yun's temples damp with sweat. Yet, his expression remained calm, and his breathing was light, giving Luo Yan the illusion that he was completely at ease.
But lips with a beautiful shape, turning from pale to light purple, are by no means a healthy color.
Luo Yan barely suppressed her excitement at the suggestion and said weakly, "No need. If I exhaust you, it would be a loss."
Hearing the girl's insincere words, Zhu Yun couldn't help but smile, then quickly looked away and continued to walk through the lush bushes.
Luo Yan's interest was piqued, and she immediately turned the page, laughing as she asked, "Is it to be given to the villagers?" She was afraid that if they looked at each other for a few more breaths, she would be overwhelmed by his beauty and lose her reason.
After Zhu Yun came to her senses, although she couldn't completely let go of her grudges, she softened her prickly demeanor and said in a clear, warm voice, "You may call me A-Yun, young lady."
"Ah Yun," Luo Yan repeated blankly.
“Yes.” Zhu Yun nodded, gesturing for her to look into the distance. “This place is remote, probably quite a distance from the town. We might need to stay the night here, and it wouldn’t be right to arrive empty-handed.”
Along the way, there weren't many fruit trees or farmlands, but the mountains stretched endlessly, suggesting that the villages were mostly inhabited by hunters. Catering to their preferences would make it easier to gather information.
She glanced at the dagger at Zhu Yun's waist: "Firstly, we don't have a bow and arrows, and secondly, we can't make a trap. How are we going to hunt?"
Zhu Yun crouched down, picked up a pebble with her jade-like fingers, walked to the green grass, and without looking back, shot it out with a "whoosh." The pebble's afterimage swept past, knocking the plump wild rabbit to the ground.
The hare moved as fast as the wind, and he could even locate it by sound.
Luo Yan was stunned.
Meanwhile, Zhu Yun, holding the prey by the scruff of its neck, vaguely remembered that his younger sister quite liked fluffy little animals, so he handed it to Luo Yan and smiled gently, "You like it?"
"No, no, I don't like it." She hurriedly took two steps back and put her hands behind her back.
Seeing her resistance, Zhu Yun twisted the weeds into thin ropes and tied them to the rabbit's limbs. Then, using the same trick, he leisurely shot down a pheasant and a wild pigeon.
He seemed to live a life of luxury, yet his actions were decisive and efficient. Luo Yan couldn't help but wonder, "My nanny told me that you trained at the border for several years when you were young. Did you learn those skills back then?"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yun lifted her eyelids slightly but did not reply.
Luo Yan was getting used to his taciturn nature, but her interest remained undiminished. Her eyes sparkled as if they held countless stars. She shook her head and said, "With your skills, we could live comfortably even if we stayed in these deep mountains."
sit back and relax?
Zhu Yun smiled knowingly, a knowing smile playing on her lips. "Is that so?"
After Cui Wuyang went to the outer room to give instructions to his subordinates, she quietly asked Xuebao, "Do you know where those two guards went?"
Olaf couldn't help but recall that dark and windy night when, immersed in the icy river, it witnessed the slender, tall boy easily tossing aside two adult male corpses...
It trembled and said firmly, "I don't know, I'm just a little dog."
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