Chapter 24 Chapter 24 "Just wait for me at home. ...
The moon is at its zenith.
Yun Wu checked her luggage for the third time before leaving.
The servants were very efficient. As soon as Xie Yi said he was going to travel during the day, they had already packed up the boxes and valuables at night. Everything was ready, just waiting for Xie Yi to set off.
Yun Wu closed the lid of the box and thought to herself: How could it be so fast?
He just said today that he would leave tomorrow, so she had no preparation at all and started packing in a hurry.
She didn't need to worry about food, clothing, or other expenses. Yun Wu went to see Doctor Hua before nightfall and asked for a bag of medicine to last him the next two weeks. She packed it all into his luggage, not forgetting to ask the servants to bring the pot for boiling the medicine. After doing all this, she didn't know what else to do.
She went to the small kitchen to boil the last bowl of medicine and brought it to Xie Yi in the study.
The study door was closed. Yun Wu knocked on it, carrying a tray. She was about to push it open as usual, but when she reached out, the door didn't budge. Confused, she pushed again, only to find someone had bolted it from the inside.
Puzzled, she knocked on the door again: "Husband?"
After a moment, Xie Yi's voice came from inside: "What's the matter?"
"I made some medicine for you," Yun Wu said.
Xie Yi: "Put it aside for now. I'll drink it later."
Yun Wu obediently complied, peering through the carved wooden door. The study was brightly lit, casting a hazy shadow on the scene within. Two figures were faintly reflected on the door and windows. Yun Wu blinked, and the candlelight flickered, then vanished in a flash.
Did she see it wrong?
Yun Wu went back with the tray. Seeing nothing to do, she thought for a while and then checked his luggage for the fourth time and stuffed a few more sets of clothes in it.
Xie Yi would go to Jinyun Temple to live every year. The eminent monk Master Huizhen in Jinyun Temple became his close friend. At this time every year, he would set off to Jinyun Temple to stay for a few months, and this year was no exception.
According to Xie Yi, he would not stay in Jinyun Temple for too long, at least half a month and at most a month.
Jinyun Temple wasn't too far away, nestled in the mountains outside Beijing. It was bustling with pilgrims, and even Yun Wu had gone there several times, easily making the round trip in a single day. It was just a short stay, and since she went there every year, she was used to it. If anything went wrong, she could always return. For some reason, Yun Wu felt a sense of emptiness.
She couldn't explain the source of this melancholy, she just subconsciously looked for things to do to occupy herself and ended up running around the house in vain.
When I went to bed late at night, I still couldn't sleep, which was rare.
She had always slept well, except for the period before she got married, when she could fall asleep as soon as she touched the pillow. But tonight, she tossed and turned several times while hugging the quilt and was actually suffering from insomnia.
When she turned the fifth page, Xie Yi opened his eyes and reached out to hold her down.
"Aren't you going to sleep yet?"
Yun Wu called him "husband" in a low voice, and Xie Yi responded faintly. Seeing that he did not refuse, Yun Wu rubbed against him, moved a little, and gradually moved into his arms.
Normally when she was sober, she rarely took the initiative to get close to others. She didn't have the courage to do so, and she also felt that it was too hot in the summer and his body was too hot.
Xie Yi reached out and embraced her, not pushing her away.
Yun Wu leaned head to head with him and said, "When are you leaving tomorrow?"
"We'll set off tomorrow morning after breakfast," said Xie Yi.
Yun Wu was surprised: "So early? Jinyun Temple isn't far away, we can still make it in the afternoon. Why rush?"
Xie Yi just said, "I have something to do."
Is there something wrong?
Yun Wu thought: He doesn't work in the court like his two brothers, and he doesn't need to worry about family matters. The only thing he needs to do is to recuperate. Besides, what else can he do in Jinyun Temple?
It's impossible to be in a hurry to become a monk.
She didn't say these words out loud. After thinking for a moment, she reminded him, "Don't forget to take your medicine when you get to Jinyun Temple. I've packed your medicine for the next half month in that lotus-patterned box. Take it three times a day for half a month. If you haven't returned yet, I'll have someone bring you the medicine."
Xie Yi: “…”
Yun Wu became worried again: "Is Doctor Hua traveling with you? If anything goes wrong in the temple, is there a doctor there?"
When I think about it, there are a lot of things that come to mind.
Sometimes I was worried that I wouldn’t be used to the quietness of the mountain, and sometimes I was worried that the vegetarian food wouldn’t suit my taste.
Xie Yi listened to her whispering in his ear, the faint scent of gardenia after the bath lingering on his nose. The more he listened, the more awake he became. He simply turned over and lowered his head to block her chattering mouth.
Maybe because he was tired of hearing it, but his actions today were particularly rough. Yun Wu was kissed so hard that she almost couldn't breathe. After finally escaping, she felt the tip of her tongue numb, and it seemed like he had bitten her.
Her eyes were filled with tears and she said aggrievedly, "It hurts..."
"You talk too much." Xie Yi's hot breath fell on her neck: "Since you don't want to sleep, then just bear it."
He reached for the secret compartment at the head of the bed and pulled out a small box of ointment. He wiped some on his fingers and then reached down. Yun Wu bit her lip but didn't refuse. She climbed up his shoulders and arms with both hands, letting him lift her legs. After a while, her breathing became rapid and a thin layer of sweat formed on her neck.
Remembering that she had to get up early tomorrow, she made a fuss and then reached out to push Xie Yi.
After a passionate lovemaking, no amount of worry could overcome the drowsiness that followed. She drooped her eyes sleepily, and before falling asleep, she clutched the corner of his clothes tightly and muttered, "Don't be angry..."
What are you angry about?
Xie Yi lowered his head and looked at the person who had fallen asleep in his arms.
She was sleeping soundly, having fallen into a deep dream, as if she didn't know what she said.
Xie Yi half-hugged her, his eyes clear, without a trace of sleep. He looked out into the dark night. It had been sunny during the day, but just now, with the movement, there was a rumble of thunder. It really wasn't good weather for a trip tomorrow.
Just like the recent turmoil in the capital, a storm is about to come.
I beg you to misunderstand me, young lady. Although he lives in the inner court, he is not completely ignorant of the outside world. For example, he is fully aware of the major events that have occurred in the capital recently.
An old case from more than 20 years ago was brought to light, which surprised many people, but was part of his plan.
Because of his rebirth, he had more evidence, sent people to look for the orphan of the Zhang family earlier, made more adequate preparations, and the drum of redress was sounded several years earlier than in his previous life.
These matters could not be revealed to outsiders. Within the Zhenguo Mansion, only Duke Xie knew the inside story. Father and son had a tacit understanding. Since the drum of grievance was sounded, they had not spoken a word, feigning indifference. One investigated the case while the other continued to feign illness.
This is the second time Xie Yi has overturned the former crown prince's case, and he's a master at it, with everything under control. However, thinking of his own father's unjust suicide, even the prospect of overturning the verdict is difficult for him to rejoice. The intrigues and struggles of past and present lives are vivid and disturbing.
Yun Wu was naive and didn't know what was going on, but she was keenly aware that he was in a depressed mood and tried to please him all night.
At this moment, with the warm and soft beauty in his arms, Xie Yi suddenly felt tired and wanted to sleep until he woke up naturally and cancel his trip to Jinyun Temple.
But no.
The backyard was inconvenient to navigate. It had been fine before, but with the arrival of another person, Zhou Qing would still be bumped into when he came looking for him, no matter how careful he was. He didn't know if Yun Wu had become suspicious, but the matter wasn't settled yet. For convenience, and for the sake of the nameless, eternally burning lamp enshrined in the temple, he had to go to Jinyun Temple.
soon.
He'll be back soon once he's dealt with those things.
Thinking of Yun Wu's dejected look when she asked him when he would be back today, Xie Yi had an idea and hugged her tightly.
Thunderclouds rolled outside the house, accompanied by a thunder that resounded through the sky. Outside the window, lightning flashed, and suddenly it was as bright as day, and then heavy rain fell in an instant.
The sound of raindrops hitting the roof was so loud that it was ear-piercing. Yun Wu moved restlessly, as if she was about to be woken up by the sound of thunder and rain outside the window. Xie Yi gently stroked the back of her neck, as if to comfort her. After a moment, Yun Wu relaxed her frown and continued to fall into a sweet sleep.
He looked out the window and suddenly became annoyed by the sound of rain.
…
By the next morning, the rain was still pouring.
When Yun Wu woke up, she heard the sound of heavy rain outside. She opened the window and looked out, and was drenched by the rain and fog.
Looking at Xie Yi again, he had gotten up early and was now dressed, ready to set off. The servants had already loaded the luggage onto the carriage and covered it with a tarpaulin.
Yun Wu was worried. Even while she was having breakfast with him, she was still worried: "It's not convenient to go out in such heavy rain, right? Should we wait a little longer until the rain stops?"
Xie Yi ate his breakfast leisurely: "No problem."
"But, it's raining so hard, and the road is not convenient. It's easy to..." Yun Wu swallowed the rest of the sentence and continued to persuade: "Jinyun Temple is not far away. We can still make it in the afternoon."
Xie Yi glanced at the sky outside and said, "It's okay, the rain will stop soon."
"Really?"
Yun Wu also looked at the sky.
Dark clouds covered the sky, and the rain was so heavy that even the trees in the yard were invisible. From the late night until morning, a deep pool of water had accumulated on the ground. Walking on the road, the water was almost up to the soles of the shoes. How could the rain, with such a heavy downpour, show any sign of abating?
She was half-believing and half-doubting, and accompanied Xie Yi to finish breakfast, then went into the small kitchen and made him the medicine for this morning.
As a result, while she was watching Xie Yi drink the medicine, the rain outside actually subsided.
When she was sending Xie Yi out with an umbrella, before she even reached the gate of the Duke's Mansion, the dark clouds in the sky dispersed and the sun was shining. In the blink of an eye, it became a sunny day.
At this point, Yun Wu couldn't even utter a word of dissuasion.
The servants had already harnessed the horses and the carriage was waiting at the door. She watched Xie Yi get on the carriage and reminded him along the way: "Be careful on the way. It just rained heavily and the ground is wet and muddy. It's hard for the carriage to move. Don't worry."
"knew."
Xie Yi glanced at her and saw that she was looking at him eagerly, so he leaned half of his body out of the car window and reached out to gently pinch the soft flesh on her cheek: "Just wait for me at home."
Yun Wu nodded obediently.
"A month at most. I won't be gone for too long."
Yun Wu hesitated to speak, then said, "Then, then you should come back soon."
Xie Yi looked at her again, and seeing that it was really late, he lowered the curtain and said to the driver, "Let's go."
The driver whipped his whip, and the wheels began to turn, passing through the puddles on the ground that had not yet dried up, and heading towards the city gate.
It was not until they turned the corner and could no longer see the carriage that Yun Wu withdrew her gaze and turned back angrily.
Since they got married, the two have been together every day, and this is the first time they are separated.
In the carriage, Xie Yi looked down at his empty palms, and there seemed to be a soft and delicate warm touch on his fingertips.
He closed his palms and raised his eyes again. His eyes were cold and sharp, without any warmth. He said to the driver indifferently, "Go faster."
-----------------------
The author has something to say: Happy Valentine's Day!!
Speaking of Valentine's Day, am I being a little cruel to separate the couple for a while? Hahaha
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
