Chapter 107 Like Strong Wine (19) Anyone can like you, but you can only...
After leaving the city gate, Zhi Rou only wanted to ride freely and didn't touch the bow and arrow at all.
The wind howled past, rustling into her sleeves. Zhi Rou had always been ahead of Wei Yuanzhan, occasionally glancing back with a slight upturn of her lips, displaying a touch of youthful mischief.
She especially loved horseback riding; it was her favorite and most habitual activity in Beili. Whenever she mounted a horse, she felt the vastness of the world around her, and no worries could hold her back anymore.
Taolin is nearly twenty miles from the capital. It deviates from the official road and takes a narrow, winding path that goes uphill. The road is steep and uneven.
Wei Yuanzhan lagged behind Zhi Rou by a horse length, watching her gallop at high speed, and couldn't help but feel worried. She had been injured, but seemed to have no lingering resentment. On such a treacherous road, she did not slow down at all, and her tacit understanding with Lan Ye's horse seemed to have lasted for many years, her riding extremely skillful.
Wei Yuanzhan's eyes were fixed on her, his mind solely focused on her safety, and he no longer cared about winning or losing.
Upon reaching the foot of the slope, Zhi Rou sighed, reined in her horse, and turned to look at Wei Yuanzhan. A halo of orange-red light illuminated her eyes and brows, and she smiled teasingly, "You're so slow."
Wei Yuanzhan also laughed, a little annoyed, and said in a way that was both sarcastic and complimentary: "You're the best."
Zhi Rou curled her lips, dismounted, led the horse to a tree and tied it up, then turned to Wei Yuanzhan and said, "Let's do archery next time; there's nothing to shoot at right now."
The peach blossoms here are just beginning to bloom, the air is clear and bright, and a stream flows a little further ahead, where the shadows of butterflies can be vaguely seen, but there are no birds or beasts.
Wei Yuanzhan tied the horse to hers and strode over: "Who taught you to ride?"
Zhi Rou glanced at him: "Isn't it you?"
“I never taught you to be so radical.”
He always said, "There's no rush."
Zhi Rou walked beside Wei Yuanzhan and heard the calm tone in his voice, which was tinged with dissatisfaction. She explained, "Actually, back in Bei Li, there was someone I wanted to take revenge on."
She spoke slowly and frankly, “He lives in Longshan and only comes down once every two weeks. Because the mountain road is difficult to travel and few people go there, if I go there rashly, my whereabouts will be discovered; moreover, the mountain road is dangerous and I could lose my life if I am not careful.”
Wei Yuanzhan raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, then turned to look at her for a moment: "And then? Why did you want to take revenge on him?"
Zhi Rou's eyes dimmed slightly: "He killed my horse and smeared its blood on my blanket."
This is how people from the grasslands provoke their rivals in love.
Zhi Rou rarely wore women's clothing in Bei Li, and her identity remained unknown to the public, except to Wang Ting and his entourage. At the bonfire gathering, a woman misinterpreted her admiring gaze and invited her to dance. The next day, her horse disappeared.
The man from Beili, though of noble birth, had a more extravagant entourage than a prince, always surrounded by a retinue wherever he went. Zhirou couldn't act in broad daylight, so she waited until darkness fell before going up the mountain to his yurt, where he was alone. She planned to use cinnabar water and sticks to frighten him and teach him a lesson.
“I finally found an opportunity to go up the mountain and sneak into his tent. I saw him lying on the ground, as if he was having an epileptic seizure. I felt sorry for him, so I let him go.”
This was one of the few times Zhi Rou shared her experiences with Wei Yuanzhan. To be honest, he was very curious about her three years and selfishly wanted to be a part of her entire life.
Seizing the opportunity, he brought up the question he had asked several times before: "How are you doing in Beili?"
She paused, then added softly, "I want to hear the truth."
Zhi Rou doesn't like to complain. No matter who she talks to about the past, she always seems nonchalant, as if no one can bully her.
When Wei Yuanzhan asked her this question, she no longer gave a perfunctory answer. She thought about it sincerely for a while and judged, "Sometimes good, sometimes bad... Some people scheme against me, and I scheme against others in return."
Wei Yuanzhan gave a helpless twitch of his lips, remaining noncommittal.
Zhi Rou seemed to recall something, and lazily added, "I'm quite popular on the grasslands, many people like me."
Many nobles and young women, led by Urentuya, favored Zhirou because she was fierce and unlike people from the Central Plains, possessing an underlying ruthlessness. She didn't seem to smile much at first glance, but once you got to know her, you'd find she was an extremely lively girl.
Hearing the Northern Li language mixed in with her words, Wei Yuanzhan frowned slightly: "What is 'huhen'?"
Zhi Rou deliberately said, "Guess."
With her hands clasped behind her back, casually crossed, the mirror-like water reflected the peach blossoms, and her hem swept across the grass, as graceful as the wind.
Wei Yuanzhan gazed at Zhi Rou's profile, and as he thought about the days he wasn't by her side, wondering what demons and monsters had taken his place, he felt a pang of sadness.
He suddenly reached out, grabbed her arm and pulled her over, then took off the jade talisman from his neck and put it on her, effectively binding her with magic.
This was a talisman his mother gave him when he returned to Beijing last year to protect him from illness. He wore it close to his body and never took it off.
Zhi Rou was startled. Just as she lowered her eyes to look at the jade ornament he had hung up, a domineering and solemn voice rang out above her head.
"Anyone can like you, but you can only like me."
His fingers lingered on the side of her neck for a moment, and the skin he touched flushed slightly.
Zhi Rou's ears burned; she was a little taken aback by Wei Yuanzhan's sudden frankness. He had never been like this before; his words were startling, catching her completely off guard.
She touched the jade talisman on her chest, which was probably for protection. It was very exquisite and rectangular.
After pausing for a moment, Zhi Rou explained the meaning of "huhen" to Wei Yuanzhan, and then replied in a very low voice, "I don't like anyone else either..." After saying that, she turned around and walked forward with a calm demeanor.
Upon hearing her words, Wei Yuanzhan's eyelashes fluttered slightly, and he immediately tasted a hint of sweetness. He smiled, seemingly very happy, unable to suppress the smile at the corners of his mouth.
He casually walked behind Zhi Rou, his eyes fixed on her. After revealing his feelings, their relationship grew closer. He suddenly regretted not having confessed to her sooner. He should have said it on the very first day they reunited.
Not far along, Zhi Rou slowed her pace to wait for Wei Yuanzhan. After walking side by side with him, she glanced at him for a moment and, as if mimicking his mannerisms, asked, "And you, how have you been in the army? I've never heard you mention it before."
They were so alike. In Lancheng, neither of them wanted to reveal their true circumstances, as if as long as they didn't talk about it, there would be no difference between them, and everything could continue as before.
Looking back on his life in the Northwest, besides the monotony, what he found unforgettable was the year and a half he spent fighting against Bei Li.
Wei Yuanzhan's relaxed brows gradually furrowed, his eyelashes lowered: "The battlefield is cruel, and there are many things we are powerless to change. I..."
He paused for a moment, then gently shook his head, "I don't know either..."
The first person he killed was probably around his age. His horrified eyes stared at him intently, and the image of that face was etched into his mind. He still can't forget it.
“In the past, I always thought that going to war was a glorious thing, that it could sweep away the enemy and protect the people. Generals, on the other hand, were even more heroic figures, like my grandfather. Even if they died on the battlefield, it would be a worthy death. But later I realized that I was wrong. War is neither glorious nor enjoyable... There are too many things buried under the mountains and rivers. I really don’t know how my grandfather persisted for so many years.”
Zhi Rou sensed his dejection and replied, "Perhaps it's just because some things always have to be done by someone. Maybe the general often sighs, 'Ah, it's so tiring.'"
Wei Yuanzhan looked at her for a moment, then chuckled softly, "You're right."
At this point, Zhi Rou suddenly didn't want to bring up the things that upset him anymore. Seeing that the grass in front of her was flat, she lifted her robe and sat down on the ground, bending her legs slightly and resting her arms on her knees. She called to Wei Yuanzhan, "I don't want to walk anymore."
Wei Yuanzhan naturally obeyed her.
Years of military service had worn away some of his fastidious habits. He sat down with her and they chatted about this and that.
Zhi Rou smiled broadly, laughing heartily at his antics several times. Finally, she turned her gaze back to the scenery and sighed softly.
"It's so good to be back."
With her family by her side, and Wei Yuanzhan, she was always bickering with him, and lately he had become a bit too much for her to handle. But there was no denying that she was always carefree when she was with him.
Zhi Rou let go and lay down, looking at the sky. The clouds gradually turned into a fiery color. The spring breeze ruffled her black hair, and a few strands clung to her face, making her feel a little itchy.
Wei Yuanzhan turned to look at her, and after a short while, he leaned back, supporting himself with one arm on his side and his waist, while gently kneading her face with the other hand. He was simply too arrogant.
Zhi Rou warily slapped his hand away, frowned, but her voice held no authority whatsoever: "What are you doing?"
Wei Yuanzhan dismissively withdrew his hand, still acting like a rogue, and said, "I just want to see you, is that not allowed?"
Zhi Rou was furious and snorted, "That's not how you see it."
Wei Yuanzhan neither refuted nor explained, but stared intently at Zhi Rou.
She was originally shy, but being stared at by him so provocatively made her feel a little overwhelmed. She suddenly sat up, pushed his body away from his side, and pressed her hands firmly on his shoulders, looking down at him in return.
Wei Yuanzhan was taken aback by her actions and paused for a moment. His fingers curled slightly, then he slowly relaxed them, a smile playing on his lips, appearing completely accepting without the slightest resistance.
He looked at her and smiled, his expression conveying a sense of "come on if you dare."
Zhi Rou suddenly felt uneasy, her breathing became a little erratic, she quickly stood up straight, patted the grass off her body, and then reminded, "If we don't go back now, the city gates may close."
Wei Yuanzhan casually replied, "If the city gates are closed, we'll stay here, using the saddle as a pillow, and you can have all my robes."
My intention was just a joke, meant to tease her a little, but she took it as a serious threat, her tone full of disdain: "Who wants to sleep here with you?" After saying that, she stood a little further away.
Wei Yuanzhan frowned, stood up, and questioned, "If you're not with me, who else are you with, them?"
He glanced at the horses a little further away and hummed softly, "They don't care if you're cold or not."
Three or four years ago, Zhi Rou would have already attacked him. He should be glad that she has matured a bit. She just turned her back, turned towards where the horse was tied, and then called back to him: "Wei Yuanzhan, hurry up and come back with me!"
Wei Yuanzhan smiled slightly, patted the weeds off his body, and followed Zhi Rou.
As the afterglow faded, the peach grove grew somewhat darker. Wei Yuanzhan glanced at the sky and thought regretfully, "I really hope that dusk will never come."
Author's note: Xiao Wei: I'm gradually bringing good things to Zhi Rou.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
