Chapter 120 Amidst the Clouds (Part 10) Suddenly switched, Wei Yuanzhan felt a sense of separation…
When the warm breath brushed into his collar, Wei Yuanzhan's first reaction was astonishment.
He didn't know when she arrived, nor did he remember what he had been doing. All he could feel was her soft, gentle warmth in his arms. Her soft lips, like a brand, kissed him affectionately, without any pattern.
Wei Yuanzhan breathed heavily, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down restlessly.
The wind outside the window blew into the room, extinguishing the candlelight in an instant. The moonlight outlined a smooth, glossy shoulder, and he placed his slender palm on it, his fingertips slowly tracing paths.
"You..." His voice was hoarse. He wanted to ask her why she had come, but before he could finish speaking, the wet touch landed on his cheek and then began to spread, sticky and delicate, attacking his lips again.
This kiss lacked the previous shyness and carried a hint of possessiveness. Wei Yuanzhan was stunned for a moment, then pulled her even deeper into his arms.
Throughout their intimacy, he was always the one who took the initiative.
The sudden switch felt incredibly novel to Wei Yuanzhan. His hands gently caressed her back, his breath growing increasingly hot, stirring the most primal animalistic instincts within him.
His initial gentle patience slowly turned into desire, and his grip suddenly tightened, pressing her down forcefully.
The moment the offense and defense switched, he suddenly opened his eyes.
The pale blue sky seeped through the tent curtains as Wei Yuanzhan lay on his bed in the military camp.
It really was a dream.
He sat up, took a few quick breaths, and unconsciously clenched his palms, as if craving the smooth touch of his dream.
After regaining his composure, he chuckled softly, his eyelashes slightly lowered, as if mocking himself: "What on earth am I thinking..."
Is he so expectant because of a retort she made yesterday?
Wei Yuanzhan swept his legs off the bed, put on his boots, and went to wash up. Water droplets slid down his neck and into his clothes, cool and refreshing, soothing the lingering heat on his body.
My thoughts drifted back to a few days ago.
That day, Wei Yuanzhan had just returned from the military camp and went straight to the Song residence without saying a word. The sun was hidden behind the clouds, making the whole street bright, but not dazzling.
As they approached the gate of the mansion, he suddenly slowed his horse down, and under Song Congzhao's fixed gaze, he pulled on the reins, dismounted, and walked up to him.
"uncle."
Hearing him call, Song Congzhao nodded slightly, glancing at him for a moment with a mixture of scrutiny and disdain: "You've come to see Rou'er?"
Wei Yuanzhan slightly raised the corners of his mouth: "Yes, I've come to see Zhirou."
As soon as he finished speaking, Song Congzhao frowned. His voice was polite and not very angry, but his eyes, which held a wealth of meaning, reflected a bright reproach.
"Are you still a child? You're still taking her everywhere like before, don't you know the difference between boys and girls?"
Wei Yuanzhan blinked slightly, his brows furrowing slowly. He replied softly, in a tone that was argumentative, sincere, and almost pleading, "I want to marry her."
As if he had misheard, Song Congzhao raised his thick eyebrows slightly: "What did you say?"
Wei Yuanzhan was nervous, his heart pounding even harder than when he was telling Zhirou in person. He clenched his fists, revealing a pair of dark, unwavering eyes beneath his long, straight eyelashes, and solemnly said, "I want to ask Zhirou for your hand in marriage, and I want to marry her."
As soon as he heard it, Song Congzhao's expression softened slightly. Although he knew that Yuanzhan and Zhirou were close, he did not know that they were this close, nor did he know that after three years of separation, they could still develop such feelings.
The boy's innocent appearance inexplicably reminded him of his own youth, and his tone softened as he asked, "Yuanzhan, are your father and mother aware of your thoughts?"
He had confessed to his father more than once. His father had no prejudice against Zhi Rou, but for some reason, he always hesitated to speak and was not in a hurry to persuade her. His mother, as always, seemed to have been unable to control her sister's marriage before, so she held on to him tightly. Because of this, the mother and son exchanged words and had quite a few disagreements.
During the most heated argument, Xu Yueqing said that if he could ever shoulder the burden of the Marquis's mansion, then he would be in charge of everything.
From that day on, besides helping Zhi Rou unravel the mystery, Wei Yuanzhan had another desire in his heart.
His eyes, clearer in the sunlight, were completely unmasked as he said sincerely, "I will definitely resolve your concerns, Uncle. I will visit again with betrothal gifts next time."
With a mix of emotions, Wei Yuanzhan pondered for several days and decided to first resolve Zhi Rou's worries, as previously agreed.
Unexpectedly, during her trip to Yunshan, she barged straight back into his sight, forgetting all the constraints and only wanting to walk up to her and let her see him.
Thinking of yesterday, Wei Yuanzhan smiled, put on his clothes, and stepped out of the tent. It was not yet fully light.
After the midday drills were over, he made his rounds and turned to ask Chang Huai, "Where's Wu Yao? Why isn't he here?"
Wei Yuanzhan had a photographic memory for his subordinates.
Chang Huai replied, "He went home due to illness."
Wei Yuanzhan nodded slightly after hearing this and did not ask any further questions.
An hour later, someone from the palace suddenly arrived at the camp and bowed to Wei Yuanzhan, saying, "Your Highness invites you."
It turns out that the news of Changfeng Revenue accepting uninvited guests a few days ago somehow reached the Empress's ears.
There was nothing else to it, but when the Empress heard that it was a woman from the Song family who brought the person to see Wei Yuanzhan, she became somewhat suspicious.
The last time I saw Song Zhirou, she sent shadow guards to follow her. A teenager, yet she appeared and disappeared like a ghost, often right before my eyes one moment and vanished without a trace the next.
After following him for over a month, the shadow guard reported that the person he met most frequently was Prince Wei. Upon hearing this, the Empress became suspicious and, after some thought, sent someone to invite Wei Yuanzhan.
As a court official, he should not have been invited to the palace for a meeting, but for some reason, His Majesty was quite lenient with the Empress's actions.
Wei Yuanzhan was led into the pavilion. He did not change his clothes but was dressed in military attire. At this time, he had removed his sword and looked like a scholar-general, which reminded people of his grandfather when he was young.
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects." He knelt on one knee a few feet above him.
The Empress told him to rise, her face smiling: "The last time I saw you in this pavilion was in March, four years ago. That year, your feud with the eldest son of the He Jinshan family was known throughout the court and the country. You were asked to apologize, and you almost 'harmed' the He family. Now... you have quite the same style as your elder brother back then."
When the name of Lord Wei was mentioned, the young man lowered his eyes and remained silent.
The Empress invited him to sit down and ordered someone to serve tea. Then she looked at him and smiled, saying, "I still remember when you were little, you often came to the palace to keep the Crown Prince company. The two of you... were so young, yet so amusing."
The Crown Prince was four years older than Wei Yuanzhan. There weren't many children his age in the palace, and they were generally obedient, except for Wei Yuanzhan.
The two clearly didn't get along, but they managed to get along by sheer force of their relationship. However, the Crown Prince just liked his energetic and lively personality. Sometimes, when he climbed on top of him, the Crown Prince would verbally reprimand him, but in practice, he would never actually do anything about it.
When the Empress suddenly brought up the topic of age, Wei Yuanzhan looked up in surprise. In the blurry light, her dignified yet gentle gaze shone directly at him, and the combination of these two qualities made it seem unreal.
A moment later, she smiled and asked, "I noticed that Mingying is currently choosing a gift for your coming-of-age ceremony. It made me realize that you've reached the age for marriage. I wonder if your mother has found someone she likes?"
After speaking, she took a sip of tea. Seeing that he remained silent, she added, "What I mean is, if you have a girl you like, you should settle down with her as soon as possible."
Wei Yuanzhan then spoke: "I do have someone in mind, and preparations are underway."
"Oh, which family's daughter is she?"
Her words seemed to imply a probing intent, but Wei Yuanzhan, unaware of the reason, simply lowered his eyes and said, "Your subject... has not yet received a reply, and dares not speak rashly."
Upon hearing this, the Empress slowly smiled, her tone slightly raised: "You've grown up, huh? You now realize you used to be a reckless young man."
Wei Yuanzhan pursed his lips slightly, appearing as if he were shy.
As the sun began to set, its flowing rays baked the floor tiles until they shone brightly, gradually dimming the smile in the Empress's eyes.
She asked Wei Yuanzhan, "The Crown Prince forced you to stay in the capital. You don't resent him, do you?"
If it weren't for the Crown Prince's intervention, leaving the Changfeng Camp to him, he would most likely have already returned to Lancheng with Gao Hongyu.
Wei Yuanzhan said, "Your Highness's order is my duty to obey, and I dare not complain."
"You child..." The Empress shook her head gently, feigning helplessness and favoritism. After a pause, she said affectionately, "If you encounter any difficult situations in the army, you can speak to me. Consider it my way of looking after you on behalf of your grandfather."
The empress's voice was like a piece of silk, so light that it felt as if it were actually scraping past the ear, sending shivers down one's spine.
Wei Yuanzhan was taken aback by her words, but he did not show it on his face. He got up and walked into the room: "Your Highness's kindness is too much for me to bear. Everything is stable in the army, and I have no worries. I also ask Your Majesty and the Empress to rest assured."
He invoked His Majesty's name, and the Empress quietly fell silent, ceasing all discussion of the military.
After finishing two cups of tea, Wei Yuanzhan said that he had duties to perform and asked to resign.
The eunuch who was standing by the Empress's side saw him out, then returned and said softly with his eyes lowered, "This servant thinks that Prince Wei doesn't seem to be hiding anything. Perhaps that person was mistaken."
The Empress glanced at him for a moment and laughed, "My brother's good grandson... is still too young after all."
After leaving the palace, Wei Yuanzhan reflected on the past and inexplicably sensed something strange.
Changhuai had brought two horses and waited for him by the roadside. The two of them, one in front and one behind, slowly turned into the street.
As lunchtime approached, the streets were filled with enticing aromas, food stalls and taverns stood side by side, and pedestrians bustled about, passing by like falling petals. Wei Yuanzhan frowned slightly and suddenly asked, "Do you know where Wu Yao's house is?"
This was the second time he had mentioned this person today. Changhuai was puzzled and shook his head: "What did he do wrong?"
Wei Yuanzhan remained silent for a moment, then spurred his horse's flanks: "Back to camp."
Having ascertained Wu Yao's residence, Wei Yuanzhan, along with Chang Huailanye, personally went to the Wu family home.
In the quiet of the evening, a black bird flew lamentingly over the bamboo forest.
Changhuai sat on horseback, looking at the thatched hut ahead. He subconsciously tightened his grip on the reins and glanced at Wei Yuanzhan: "Master, something's not right."
Soldiers have a keen sense of danger. Wei Yuanzhan also sensed it, further confirming that the Empress's meeting with him today was not unintentional.
With his feet dangling in the stirrups and his back perfectly straight, he spurred his horse around the north gate after a moment: "Let's go take a look."
The dull thud of hooves echoed through the mud. Before they even got close, Wei Yuanzhan reined in his horse and gave Lan Ye a meaningful look.
There were people lying in ambush nearby.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
