Chapter 145 Northern Desert 5 [End of Main Text]
The candlelight flickered in the room, casting undulating shadows. The warm yellow light shone on Cui Ying's face, which was flushed red to her ears, and even the skin on the sides of her neck was tinged with a delicate blush.
Her hand gripping the gauze tightened suddenly, her almond-shaped eyes widened, and the tips of her ears turned so red they seemed about to bleed. She stammered, "Don't even think about it! Your wound hasn't healed yet. What if it comes undone... do you want to die?!"
Xiao Qiyu leaned against the soft pillow, his gaze fixed on her reddened earlobes. His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and his voice was gentle, tinged with a pitiful grievance: "I will be very gentle and careful, and I will never touch the wound, okay?"
"No!" Cui Ying bit her bright red lips, her tone resolute, "No means no, you might as well give up on that idea now!"
Seeing her expression, Xiao Qiyu knew she was truly angry. The burning light in his eyes dimmed slightly, and he could only reply with a wronged tone, "Alright then."
Cui Ying's clenched palms relaxed slightly. She lowered her eyelashes and bent down again to carefully bandage the wound. Perhaps because she was flustered, in her panic, Cui Ying's grip was much tighter than before.
"hiss--"
Xiao Qiyu frowned slightly, and a muffled groan escaped his throat. The sound was low and hoarse, and in the silent night, it inexplicably made people's hearts itch.
Cui Ying's movements suddenly stopped, and a flood of memories rushed through her mind of the countless times the two of them had been locked in a passionate embrace, during which Xiao Qiyu would always let out a muffled groan at the end...
Her ears instantly burned again, burning hot, and Cui Ying's heart skipped a beat. Suddenly, she felt her mouth and tongue dry.
She suddenly raised her head and glared at the boy's pale face, which was flushed with an unnatural redness. Her almond-shaped eyes were filled with shame and anger as she said fiercely, "Xiao Qiyu, did you do this on purpose?"
Xiao Qiyu was stunned for a moment, then looked completely innocent: "What did I do on purpose?"
Why are you trying to seduce me?
"When did I seduce you? I'm really in pain."
"I don't care! You're not allowed to cry out even if it hurts!" Cui Ying forced herself to remain calm, scolding him with a stern face.
Xiao Qiyu immediately obediently raised her hand to cover her mouth, revealing only a pair of deep, dark, narrow eyes that stared unblinkingly at Cui Ying. The surging tide in her eyes was so intense that it seemed to engulf her entirely.
Cui Ying's heart pounded faster and faster under his gaze, and her breathing became erratic. She couldn't help but scold him, "Close your eyes too!"
Xiao Qiyu obediently closed his eyes, his long, raven-feather-like eyelashes drooping down, casting a small, fine shadow under his eyes. With each breath, the shadow would sway slightly, like a small banner summoning souls. If one stared at it for too long, it seemed as if one's soul would be sucked in.
Cui Ying forced herself to look away from his hateful face, holding her breath as she picked up the small silver scissors and carefully cut off the excess gauze.
A moment later, perhaps as her emotions gradually calmed down, Cui Ying belatedly realized that her tone had indeed been a bit harsh. She pursed her lips, softened her voice, and her tone became gentler: "Whether it's possible or not, it's not up to me. You have to listen to the doctor. Only when he says your wound has healed completely and you can move around freely can you—"
Before she could finish speaking, Xiao Qiyu suddenly opened her eyes, her eyes sparkling with starlight, and her tone was urgent: "Then give me two more bowls of that tonic soup from earlier, it will help me recover faster."
Cui Ying: "..."
Who was it that pinched their nose and frowned just now to barely drink that bowl?
...
After resting peacefully for half a month, the doctor came to examine the injury again and said with relief, "Young master, the wound has begun to heal. You can get out of bed and move around a little to stretch your muscles and bones. Just remember not to overexert yourself, so as not to damage your vital energy."
Xiao Qiyu responded, but his gaze remained fixed on Cui Ying the entire time, never wavering.
After everyone had left and the door had just closed, Xiao Qiyu suddenly reached out and pulled Cui Ying into his arms.
He buried his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling her fragrance deeply. His voice was full of joy, like a child who had just gotten candy, even with a hint of pride: "Did you hear that? I can move around now. The doctor said so himself. You can't go back on your word."
If he had a tail, it would be wagging so fast he wouldn't even know what the world was like.
Cui Ying braced her elbow against his chest, afraid that her weight would aggravate his injury, and glared at him irritably: "Just a little! Just a little activity! And the doctor said not to overexert yourself, did you forget what he said?"
Xiao Qiyu tightened his embrace, leaned close to her ear, his breath brushing against her earlobe, and said softly, "How do you know I'll get tired if you don't even try with me? What if I get stronger the more I try?"
Cui Ying's cheeks flushed red again, and she raised her hand to cover his mouth, feeling both embarrassed and annoyed.
Xiao Qiyu smiled and gently bit her palm. His gaze fell on her flushed cheeks, and the smile in his eyes deepened: "Wait, I've noticed that you get shy very easily now. What's going on?"
"nonsense!"
Cui Ying turned her face away, refusing to look at him: "After all, it's been more than two years since we last saw each other. To me now, you're only slightly more familiar than a stranger, okay? If a stranger came up to you and wanted to sleep with you, could you stand it?"
"Is that so?" Xiao Qiyu's voice lowered, as if he were seriously reflecting.
Cui Ying stiffened her neck and replied rigidly, "Of course—"
Before she could finish speaking, her lips were pressed tightly against someone's.
Xiao Qiyu grabbed the back of her neck with one hand, forcing her to look up, and with the other hand he wrapped his arms around her waist, then lowered his head and bit her lips.
The long, tender kiss carried the unique awkwardness and eagerness of youth, yet he forced himself to be patient. His thumb gently caressed the sensitive skin behind the girl's ear, and after feeling her slight tremor, he unhesitatingly probed his tongue into her slightly parted teeth, driving it deep inside.
The room seemed to instantly transform into summer, the heat making Cui Ying feel weak all over. Her hand, which had been pressed against Xiao Qiyu's chest, had somehow lost its strength and involuntarily gripped his collar.
Xiao Qiyu took her hand and gently placed it on his neck, then lowered his head and deepened the kiss.
Time seemed to stretch on endlessly. The unique, refreshing fragrance emanating from Xiao Qiyu, mixed with a faint medicinal scent, lingered around Cui Ying's nose, completely disrupting her breathing.
At this moment, all reason was forgotten, and only the longing that had gnawed at my bones for the past two years surged and undulated.
Just as I was engrossed in the moment, my lips and teeth suddenly parted.
Xiao Qiyu cupped Cui Ying's face in his hands, forehead to forehead, nose to nose, his eyes clearly swirling with an unyielding desire, yet he still mischievously asked, "How is it? Does it feel a little more familiar now?"
Gasps mingled, breaths mingled.
As Cui Ying gazed at Xiao Qiyu's face so close to hers, a surge of emotion welled up within her. She suddenly realized that she was the one who was terminally ill, unable to control her desires with just a little temptation, and the person before her was her only cure.
She didn't say anything, but raised her hand to turn his face towards hers, tilted her head back, and kissed him fiercely in return.
...
Talk is cheap, but doing it is a delicate task. You have to avoid the injury while trying your best to satisfy the couple. After two years apart, the young couple became rookies and stumbled around for a long time before finally finding a suitable position.
Half a day passed, and dusk was approaching.
Sweat soaked Cui Ying's forehead and clung to her flushed cheeks. Her breathing was rapid, like that of a drowning person, yet she sank into the abyss, unwilling to come ashore.
As the daylight completely faded, Xiao Qiyu finally let out a muffled groan, suppressed to the extreme.
The boy's taut back gradually relaxed, and the girl had already melted into a puddle of spring water.
The process was exceptionally long. Cui Ying was so tired that she could barely lift her fingertips, and even the slightest touch made her tremble. She nestled against his sweaty arm, her voice sticky like honey that was hard to melt, softly sobbing, "Why... did it take so long..."
"What do you think?" Xiao Qiyu turned his head and gently kissed her sweaty temples, his voice hoarse. "It's been saved up for two years."
Neither of them moved, and they remained huddled together, sweating, listening to each other's heartbeats as they gradually calmed down, and feeling the warmth of their beloved's body.
It's good to be alive.
Xiao Qiyu repeated the thought to himself once again.
He rubbed his chin against Cui Ying's soft hair and said in a low voice, "Tuan Tuan, repeat what you said in the cave that day."
Cui Ying's eyelids were heavy with exhaustion. In her drowsy state, she knew perfectly well what he meant, but she pretended not to understand and asked in a muffled voice in his arms, "What did you say?"
"You said you like me." Xiao Qiyu didn't give her a chance to play dumb. "Say it again, I want to hear it."
Cui Ying's face flushed, and she buried her face even deeper, pretending to be dead and refusing to make a sound.
Xiao Qiyu, however, was relentless. He cupped the face of the person in his arms in his large hands and stared intently into her eyes in the dim light, his gaze filled with a serious and stubborn light: "Playing dead won't work. Cui Ying, let me tell you, I'm actually a very clingy person. Once I'm clingy, I won't be able to shake you off. I've decided on you for life. I want to share a bed with you while I'm alive, and I want to be buried with you in the same coffin when I die. For the rest of my life, you can hit me, scold me, or do whatever you want to me. If I, Xiao Qiyu, even blink an eye, I'll be struck by lightning. But if you ever go back on your word and want a divorce, let me tell you, I will never agree to it, even if it kills me."
After speaking, she seemed to realize that her tone was a bit harsh, and afraid of scaring Cui Ying, she lowered her head and buried it in her neck again, pleading softly, "Tell me what's wrong with me, and I'll change. But there's no room for discussion about breaking up. Tuantuan, promise me now that you'll never break up with me in this life. Tuantuan... please, don't leave me."
As night fell, the room was filled with a quiet and peaceful tranquility.
Cui Ying listened quietly, her heart like a turbulent spring, gradually rippling with warm waves.
She didn't answer immediately, but instead reached out and gently traced her fingertips across Xiao Qiyu's thin cheeks and straight nose, finally landing on his delicate, rosy lips.
"You don't think that I traveled thousands of miles, risking my life to come find you, just to play with you until I'm tired of you and then throw you away, do you?" Cui Ying raised her hand and gently slapped that face. "You're so clever when you're fighting, how come you become a fool as soon as you get into bed?"
Xiao Qiyu grabbed her hand and kissed it: "I don't care, you promise me."
Cui Ying laughed out loud: "Okay, I promise I won't divorce you."
"Bring your name with you."
“I, Cui Ying, guarantee that I will not divorce Xiao Qiyu,” Cui Ying paused, then added, “I guarantee that I will spend my whole life with him and never abandon him.”
She tilted her head and gave him a sidelong glance: "Are you satisfied now?"
Xiao Qiyu's heart had already been warmed by this promise, but this soft eye roll made the blood in his body, which had just calmed down, burn up again.
He reached out and swayed Cui Ying's waist.
Sensing danger, Cui Ying shuddered and hurriedly pushed him away, saying, "What are you going to do now? Are you satisfied if you tear open my wound?"
Xiao Qiyu suppressed the burning sensation in his dantian and pretended to be calm, saying, "Don't overthink it. I just came up with a way to ensure that the wound won't keep tearing open."
Cui Ying's attention was instantly drawn. She blinked her two watery, red eyes and asked innocently, "What method?"
Taking advantage of her distraction, Xiao Qiyu used his large hands to separate her knees and forcefully lowered his weight to her narrow waist:
"Let me eat my fill."
...
Starting the next day, Xiao Qiyu, under the pretext of "resting quietly," moved with Cui Ying to the most secluded villa in the northwest corner of the Protectorate.
The courtyard gate was closed and remained closed for ten days.
Three months later.
As spring returns to the earth, a jujube tree in the Duke of Wei's mansion, which had long since withered, sprouts new buds, its tender green leaves covering the tips of the branches, full of vitality.
Upon returning from the northern desert, Xiao Heng visited Cui Yan and his wife on the very first day and relayed Cui Ying's situation.
After more than half a year of worry, Kong finally felt relieved. Tears streamed down her face as she anxiously asked, "Now that we've found Qilang, why haven't the other two returned yet?"
Xiao Heng said, "There are other hidden reasons for this matter. First, because Qi Lang's injuries are too severe, he cannot travel long distances in the short term. Second, San Niang—"
Xiao Heng, a smile spreading across his face, said, "Alright, Third Sister told me to keep it a secret. You two will know when she returns."
Kong and Cui Yan looked at each other, neither of them understanding what their daughter was up to this time.
Spring comes and autumn goes, time flies like an arrow, and two years have passed in the blink of an eye among the countless letters exchanged between the northern desert and the capital.
With the war over, the past two years have been exceptionally peaceful.
The old lady of the Marquis's mansion gradually emerged from the grief of losing her son, and with great-grandchildren around her, she lived a happy and comfortable life, often holding banquets with the Princess to reminisce.
Although Xiao Wan was in Qi and could not return home to visit her family, she had a deep affection for the King of Qi. The King of Qi intended to move away from his fiefdom and relocate to the capital, and had already consulted the Emperor before the new year.
Xiao Shu still had no intention of getting married. In order to get rid of her parents' nagging, the girl who used to cry whenever she was told to go to school took the initiative to volunteer as a horse riding apprentice at Luming Academy, teaching female students to ride horses and play ball every day, living a free and unrestrained life.
Cui Jin returned to the Duke of Wei's mansion and served by Kong's side. She also took the plump and healthy Crab Roe with her. Missing her young lady, Cui Jin would pat Crab Roe's head. Over time, the little cat was starting to go bald.
On Lunar New Year's Eve, a snowfall blanketed the capital, turning the city into a pristine white wonderland.
Early in the morning, Madam Kong ordered her maids to put up peach wood charms in the courtyard. The bright peach wood charms were reflected in the snow, and the whole place was filled with joy.
Looking at the peach wood charms, Kong's eyes welled up with tears: "If Tuantuan were here, she would definitely insist on putting up the peach wood charms herself."
Cui Yan sat in the rose chair, holding a miscellaneous book in his hands, and was about to reach for a piece of milk-flavored rice cake on a plate.
Mrs. Kong held up the pastries, her eyes brimming with tears: "These are also things that Tuantuan loves to eat."
Cui Yan's outstretched hand fell to nothing. He awkwardly withdrew it and coughed, "Soon. Didn't the letter say that he would be back after the New Year? He even brought us a gift."
Mrs. Kong put down the pastries, wiped away her tears with her handkerchief, and said, "It's strange, this girl has been acting mysteriously for the past two years. She keeps her words secret in her letters. I always feel that she has done something big and is hiding it from us."
Xiao Yan finally picked up the pastry and sighed, "That's just your nature. You worry about the smallest things and can't eat or sleep. It's precisely because my daughter understands you that she keeps things from you. Besides, she's already done something as important as going to the northern desert to save her husband. What important things does Cui Ying have left to do?"
Just then, a clear and steady voice came from outside the door:
"Father, Mother—"
The couple were taken aback and looked up to see a tall, handsome young man standing outside the door, wearing a black fox fur cloak with a thin layer of snow on his shoulders, phoenix eyes, a high nose, and a smiling thin mouth.
It was Xiao Qiyu.
Kong Shi and Cui Yan stood there dumbfounded, not yet reacting, when a smiling face appeared from behind Xiao Qiyu.
Cui Ying, with a rosy complexion, arched eyebrows, and a bright winter plum blossom adorning her hair, addressed her long-separated parents: "We—"
Another small, round face peeked out from behind Cui Ying's legs. Its features were exactly the same as Cui Ying's, but its eyes were bright black, just like Xiao Qiyu's.
The little girl tugged at her mother's clothes, blinked her big, bright eyes, and spoke in a sweet, childish voice, full of excitement:
"You're back!"
-----------------------
Author's Note: The main story is complete. See you in the epilogue, friends! Some foreshadowing elements not mentioned in the main story will be explained in the epilogue, including those involving the side couples.
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