Qingchen glanced at Song Yue, then quickly said to the person outside the curtain, "Then please lead the way into the mountains."
The man nodded and immediately turned his horse around to the other Imperial Guards, saying, "You two, go and hold them off. The rest of you, come with me to protect the two lords."
As soon as they finished speaking, the two men immediately spurred their horses and headed back. Qingchen, peering through the window, could only see the dust kicked up by the galloping hooves. The sunlight was dazzling, and she couldn't make out how many assassins the two men were facing.
The Imperial Guard who had just ridden up said, "Sir, please sit tight. The carriage needs to go faster."
Qingchen then looked away and sat down properly.
Her heart was pounding, and her right eyelid started flashing incessantly again.
The carriage sped forward, heading out of the city. After traveling about seven or eight miles outside the city gate, the carriage turned onto a small mountain path.
The Imperial Guard who was leading the way rode closer and said through the curtain, "My lords, the road ahead will be difficult for carriages. Why don't you get out of the carriage and ride on our horses?"
"good."
Qingchen and Song Yue changed their mode of transportation, each sitting behind a member of the Imperial Guards, while the coachman drove the empty carriage in another direction.
The road up the mountain was not easy to travel, but riding on horseback was always faster than in a carriage. The sun was blazing, and Qingchen could see that the Imperial Guard who was riding for her was covered in sweat, his back soaked through.
Turning to look at Song Yue again, she saw beads of sweat on his forehead and his complexion wasn't good. He was already weak, and with such intense sun exposure, she was worried he would suffer from heatstroke; her heart was constantly in her throat.
The mountain path was narrow, and the Imperial Guards' horses were struggling to climb the slope. Because they were carrying two people, their two horses gradually slowed down. As they reached a bend in the mountain path, suddenly, an arrow whistled and shot towards them.
It barely rose above Song Yue's shoulder, then landed in the bushes beside them, passing through the leaves and embedding itself in the tree trunk.
With a "thud"!
Seeing this, Qingchen couldn't help but gasp, his lips trembling slightly. He smiled reassuringly, "It's alright."
The Imperial Guard behind him said, "We need to hurry, they're catching up."
The horses were whipped hard, their hooves straining to climb. Under the blazing sun, their bodies were glistening with sweat, and water droplets splashed from their bridles.
When they reached a place where even horses could not proceed, Qingchen and the others hurriedly abandoned their horses and continued on foot. At this moment, another Imperial Guard rode his horse off onto another path to lure the enemy.
Song Yue was too weak to walk, so she went to support him. After walking only a short distance, they were already panting heavily, their legs trembling. Fortunately, the vegetation became more lush and the fog thicker as they walked. Under the cover of mountain fog and forest, it was becoming increasingly difficult for the assassins to find them.
Half an hour later, in the woods halfway up the mountain, they finally saw a small clearing with a small bamboo house.
Looking at this place from afar, the mountains are shrouded in mist and fog.
"arrive."
Qingchen nervously looked back, but found no one chasing after her.
The Imperial Guard who led the way said, “Don’t worry, sirs, this place is very secluded. This house was originally built by my grandfather for hunting. It is surrounded by woods, and no one else has ever come here before. They won’t be able to find it. Please come in with me, gentlemen.” With that, he pushed open the bamboo fence surrounding the house and invited them in.
Qingchen nodded, helped Song Yue to sit on the stone bench in the courtyard, and wiped his sweat with her sleeve. "It's hot today. After walking for so long, do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?"
He slowly pulled her hand down and smiled, "I'm fine."
"This place is rather simple, please don't mind, gentlemen. The last time I was here was a year ago," the man explained. "There's only one room inside, and there's a thin quilt in the cupboard. The stove is outside, in that corner on the east side. There's a stream behind the house, where you can fetch water. There are also some pear trees nearby... and pheasants and rabbits, which we'll hunt for you."
Qingchen nodded, "Thank you. If it weren't for you all along the way..."
"Lord Shen, there's no need for such formalities. Both of you are men who care deeply about the country and its people. Protecting you is our duty as members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard."
At this moment, another person went to the stream to fetch water and handed it to Song Yue and Qing Chen.
"Please, gentlemen, rest for a while," the man said. "There's a small hut not far from here. We'll go there first and take turns keeping watch. If you have any orders, please just let us know."
Thank you!
After the three Imperial Guards left, only Song Yue and Qing Chen remained in the courtyard.
Although there was shade from the trees, it was still too hot outside. Qingchen was worried that Song Yue would suffer from heatstroke, so she helped him into the house.
Just as the Imperial Guard had described, the little bamboo hut was indeed very simple. Inside, there was only a bamboo bed, a small wooden cabinet, a round table, and two stools. Because no one had lived there for over a year, the furniture was covered in dust, and there were some cobwebs in the corners. However, because it was made of bamboo, the room felt quite cool.
Qingchen opened the window, and sunlight streamed in, with tiny dust particles visible in the air.
She wiped the stool, helped him sit down, and then used a handkerchief dampened with stream water to wipe the fine sweat from his face. "Are you feeling more comfortable now?"
He took the handkerchief, looked up at her, and said, "You don't need to take care of me all the time. I'm fine, I'll be alright after a while. You should rest for a bit, you've just walked such a long way."
"I'm not tired." She shook her head, then took another breath.
He smiled, not exposing her, and soaked the handkerchief again to wipe the dust off her cheeks.
“I think I should tell you,” he said, wiping carefully, “you didn’t have to go through all this. If you hadn’t been with me, you wouldn’t have had to go through such a difficult escape…”
Qingchen looked at him and said, "I know."
“I am a prisoner, you are not. You are a third-rank official, the Vice Minister of Revenue, and the most promising candidate to be added to the cabinet next year…”
"I know."
"It's not good for you to run away with me."
"I know."
He blinked and threw the handkerchief into the water. "Since we all know this, we should make the right choice."
She stared at him intently, her emotions running high. "The teacher is right. In my entire life... I've never made such a correct choice."
"...Do not act impulsively."
"I don't want to hear you tell me to get rid of me anymore."
She sniffed, turned around and went out of the house.
Once in the courtyard, she sat down on a stone bench, somewhat sullenly, gazing at the distant, misty green mountains in silence. After a while, lost in thought and with her heart churning, she felt someone approach and gently embrace her from behind.
"Okay, I won't say anymore," he whispered in her ear. "Don't be angry."
She ignored him, so Song Yue held her tightly and coaxed her, "I really won't say anything anymore, I promise. Don't ignore me."
The leaves rustled in the wind, and his tall, slender figure was cast on the ground beside him.
It was hot outside, and she was afraid he would feel uncomfortable if he stayed in there too long, so she finally spoke: "Really not going to talk anymore?"
He chuckled softly, “Hmm. It’s lonely in the mountains, it’s so nice to have you with me. But Lord Shen is a very influential figure in the court, so now I’m afraid you’ll have to make do with being a rustic mountain woman for a while.”
She pouted, "I do!"
He let go of her. "I'm going to wash myself in the stream behind the house. I've been in jail for so many days, and I only had time to wipe myself off yesterday before my execution. I'm too embarrassed to be with you."
She gave a soft "Mmm," thinking to herself, "I don't mind you..."
There was a plain dress in the cupboard of the bamboo house, which the owner had left as a spare. Song Yue took the dress, a basin, and a scented soap and went to bathe by the stream behind the house.
Qingchen stopped sitting and got up to tidy up the house.
She picked up a broom and first removed the cobwebs, then wiped away the dust, giving the room a thorough cleaning. Although she was a bit tired from climbing the mountain, she didn't feel tired while doing these things. She remembered a saying, the gist of which was that when you like someone, you're always willing to do small things for them, because with you there, life has some character.
After cleaning, sunlight streamed in, making the room clean and bright.
Qingchen wanted to fetch some water to wipe the table and bed, but she had only taken a few steps with the wooden bucket when she heard the sound of clear, cool water coming from behind the house. Only then did she realize that Song Yue was still bathing by the stream...
She stopped a little embarrassed, standing quietly in the setting sun, feeling a strange surge of emotion welling up inside her. Wiping the sweat from her brow, she quickly turned back; she should chop wood and start a fire first.
Beside the stream, hidden by dense bushes, Song Yue took off her clothes and thoroughly washed herself. The stream was clear, meandering down the mountain at a leisurely pace, shimmering in the sunlight.
The soap left by the master was unused; it was damp and quickly released a sweet osmanthus fragrance. The stream water felt cool and refreshing on his body, and he scooped up some water and took a sip; the water was very sweet.
...
After Song Yue finished bathing, he returned to the courtyard and saw that Qing Chen had already brought some firewood and was starting a fire in front of the stove.
She turned to look at him. "Are you done washing?"
He replied refreshedly, "I'm all washed up, I'm not afraid to get close to you anymore."
She was a little embarrassed. "The Imperial Guards just came and brought some wild mushrooms and a pheasant. I also found some pears and a jar of wine."
"liquor?"
“Hmm. That Imperial Guard just told me to dig under the tree.” Qingchen remembered something and added, “The mountain roads are difficult to travel, and a thick fog is about to roll in. They said those people didn’t catch up, but it seems they’re just guarding the foot of the mountain.”
He nodded, hung the laundry to dry, and then came back. "I'll cook. Would you like mushroom stewed with pheasant, or pheasant stewed with mushrooms?"
Qingchen looked at him and smiled, "I want them all!"
Song Yue smiled and said, "I'll definitely grant your wish."
While he was cooking, she went to fetch water and quickly washed herself by the stream. By the time he finished cooking, she had wiped the table and spread the bedding on the bed.
Song Yue divided the food and took some to the three Imperial Guards, while Qing Chen took the food to the round table in the room. However, the round table was a bit unstable and seemed to be broken.
When he returned, it was almost dark. They turned on the lights and ate together.
Qingchen was really hungry and ate quite a bit. Seeing that she had a good appetite, Song Yue teased her, "Which is better, mushroom stewed with pheasant or pheasant stewed with mushrooms?"
She laughed as she ate a pear, then stuffed another pear into his hand, saying, "We're about the same weight."
After finishing their meal, they sat in the courtyard, enjoying the cool summer night breeze and gazing at the sparse stars.
She looked up at the night sky, while he gazed at her profile and her curled eyelashes. "Are you tired?"
"Not tired."
He didn't know that this was the most relaxed moment she had felt in the past six months.
"What are you thinking about?" he asked again.
She turned to look at him, blinked, and said, "You."
He stared back at her intently, his dark eyes reflecting starlight. "You really missed me?"
She suddenly felt a little embarrassed and lowered her head, "...Mm."
“Come here.” He held out his hand to her.
She hesitated for a moment, then placed her hand in his.
The next moment, she was pulled into his arms, her head resting on his shoulder, and she sat sideways on his lap. She looked up at him, and before she could even finish counting the stars in his dark, deep eyes, he had already leaned down and sealed her lips with his.
In the dark sky above, stars twinkled, and the occasional chirping of a cicada drifted from the nearby woods. The night wind rustled through the dark branches.
Her heart pounded, her hands clutching his clothes tightly. His scent overwhelmed her, a lingering yet tender fragrance. The scent of his soap mingled with the scent of grass in the night breeze—a captivating allure that went straight to the heart.
She nestled into his arms, finding a position that couldn't be more comfortable. Every kiss and caress he gave her was so familiar, so tender. He seemed tailor-made for her; everything about him was perfect.
That feeling can only be understood by those closest to you.
Later, when the kiss ended, Qingchen's body was hot and weak.
As the night wind blew, she trembled all over, feeling as if she had tasted opium, experiencing a kind of unrestrained indulgence, an addiction that was driving her mad.
At night, they slept in the only bed. She nestled close to him, smelling the scent of his soap, and rubbed her head against his chest for a long time before gradually falling asleep.
Hearing her steady breathing, Song Yue half-opened his eyes, gazing at her in the moonlight, his dark eyes locked with her silhouette. Their gaze lingered for a very long time.
...
The next morning, they woke up very early, but didn't get up. They lay in bed together, each lost in their own thoughts, without revealing them to each other.
In the afternoon, a different Imperial Guard came to deliver the food: a sparrow and some wild vegetables.
After Song Yue finished preparing these, Qing Chen delivered some of them over. But as soon as she reached the door, she noticed a bloodstained arrowhead lying outside.
The Imperial Guard who brought them here was injured.
She asked somewhat nervously, and the man only said that they had encountered pursuers while hunting and had been shot in the shoulder with an arrow. Fortunately, they had a habit of carrying medicine with them, and they had applied a wound-healing ointment, so it wouldn't be fatal.
Looking at the man's pale face, she felt a pang of sadness. She silently tore off a clean piece from her undergarment and used it to bandage his wound.
When Qingchen returned to the bamboo house, she didn't mention the matter to Song Yue, afraid that he would worry and that he would send her away again.
Song Yue rolled up his sleeves and was kneeling on the ground, using the simple tools in the room to repair the round table that was about to break.
Seeing that she looked a little off when she came in, and that there was blood on her sleeve, he already guessed what had happened. "What happened?"
Qingchen instinctively shook her head, hiding the bloodstains on her sleeve behind her back. "N-no, it's nothing." After lying, she didn't dare to look him in the eye and turned around to pretend to tidy up the bed.
Song Yue also withdrew his gaze, then tapped the table leg a few more times. "The Embroidered Uniform Guard is injured?"
She paused for a moment, hesitated, and then said, "...I was just caught by them when I went hunting down the mountain. I was shot in the shoulder with an arrow, but I've already applied medicine, so I should be fine."
He fixed the table, stood up, put all the tools in the cupboard, and then looked at her. "Go down the mountain tonight while it's still dark."
If she stays with him, Xu Yan's men will find her sooner or later. They want to kill him, so naturally they won't leave her, a witness, alive.
"I'm not leaving."
He said he wouldn't send her away, and only one day has passed.
"This can't go on forever."
She turned her head away and refused to speak to him again.
Let's take it one step at a time. In any case, she won't leave.
That night, things didn't go very well between the two, so they all fell silent.
...
On the evening of the fourth day, the Imperial Guards came again, but this time they came empty-handed, having hunted nothing.
Everyone shared the pears and drank some wine from the jar.
As night fell, a rustling sound gradually rose from the misty woods; it was raining.
Qingchen sat inside, staring at the half-burnt wick of the lamp, saying nothing. Seeing that it was raining, she immediately got up and went to the yard to collect the clothes that were drying in the sun.
When Song Yue saw her leaving, he quickly called out to her, "I'll take care of it, you go back inside quickly."
She glanced at him, but continued walking towards the door. In the afternoon, facing the empty stove, she realized he wanted her to leave again, so she simply shut him up by saying, "Don't say anything, I'm not leaving."
Song Yue didn't speak at the time, but then he kept talking until just now. Thunder rumbled, and raindrops fell.
He ducked into the rain, quickly gathered his clothes with one hand, and pulled her inside with the other. "Come inside."
But she stood in the rain and refused to move.
The rain poured down harder and harder, quickly soaking them both. She looked at him, her heart heavy, and said, "Can you please stop thinking about sending me away? I'm afraid to hear news from the Imperial Guards, afraid to see the food they send, for fear that the situation will worsen and you'll want to get rid of me even more. I want to be with you, no matter how difficult things are here. Can you please stop saying those things? Can you let me stay by your side in peace, instead of worrying every night and waking up in the morning to find you gone again?"
Seeing her determined to get soaked in the rain, he became somewhat agitated and bluntly said, "I don't want you to stay by my side. Go back!"
"I'm not leaving!"
"You want me to watch you die?" he said again. "Is that so? You want me, as a man, to be unable to protect the woman I love and just watch her die?"
Her tears streamed down her face, mingling with the rain. "I'm not afraid of death, not at all. What I fear most is that after I'm gone, I won't see you again! Don't you understand!"
He looked at her without saying a word, then reached for her hand, but she struggled fiercely.
A clap of thunder sounded in the sky, and rain poured down from the endless night.
He sighed softly, "Let's go inside and talk, be good."
She shook her head, staring at him stubbornly.
After a moment of silence, he suddenly dropped the clothes he was holding, stepped forward, and picked her up in his arms.
"Let go! Let go! Song Yue! Let me go!"
Qingchen struggled desperately, hitting his shoulder, but he was afraid she would fall, so he had to put her down again. But after putting her down, he grabbed her hands, supported the back of her head with one hand, and forcefully silenced her with his mouth.
She was stunned for a moment, and tried to struggle, but she couldn't overcome his strength.
"You like being in the rain? Okay!" He paused for a moment before saying this, and then immediately sealed her lips with his.
The torrential rain poured down relentlessly, pelting the two of them. Qingchen simply stopped struggling, closed her eyes, and returned his kiss.
Her kisses grew more passionate and frenzied, her wet tongue teasing him relentlessly, her hands stroking his back. They were entangled in a fervent embrace, making it impossible to discern who was seducing whom or who was more enamored with whom.
A soft, orange-yellow light shone through the small windows of the bamboo house.
Amidst their entangled kisses, Song Yue carried Qingchen to the eaves, and later, the two kissed again on the bed.
Autumn winds blow often, accompanied by rain. Outside the curtain, a few banana trees stand; the night is long, and one can hardly bear it.
The Ming Dynasty was beset by internal and external troubles, and its country was in turmoil. They themselves could not see the road ahead.
The unspoken silence, confrontation, and arguments of the past few days, along with all the pent-up feelings, finally erupted in a sudden downpour. At the same time, their longing and affection for each other also burst forth.
The two kissed passionately, and he half-pressed her down, kissing her eyes, the tip of her nose, her cheeks, and her lips. Long-held desires poured out in an instant, like a torrential downpour.
Qingchen had also drunk some wine tonight, and his head was a little dizzy. He could only feel that his breathing was rapid and heavy, with a slight smell of alcohol, which, mixed with his body odor, smelled particularly, particularly good.
Her body was soft and warm, and his hands were pressed against her skin through her damp clothes. He kissed her for a long time, finally unable to resist the urge to remove all those constraints.
"Is it okay?" he asked.
She nodded, her smooth, bright red lips slightly parted, her eyes filled with glistening tears.
He squinted at her for a moment and couldn't resist, so he took off both her and his clothes.
They wrapped themselves in the blankets, embracing and rubbing against each other, his body pressed tightly against hers, strong and hot, more intimate than ever before.
Later, his hand slid up her thigh, making her tremble. After a long, lingering kiss, his hand moved elsewhere. Qingchen's breath caught in her throat; waves of shivering washed over her from below, a strange yet incredibly pleasurable sensation.
She was too embarrassed to look at him, so she turned her head away, her fingers clinging helplessly to his shoulders. She tried to escape, but his lips moved to her ear, kissing her earlobe and gently blowing air into it.
Qingchen felt both itchy and tingly from his touch, completely lost in her own world, unaware of her surroundings. Later, when Song Yue's hand left her and the kissing stopped, she finally opened her eyes slightly to look at him.
He was breathing heavily, his voice a little hoarse, "Save that last one."
She looked at him shyly, her voice soft and gentle, "Why?"
That's enough.
Under these circumstances, he was already content with just being able to look at plums to quench his thirst.
She didn't hear her clearly and asked again, "What?"
He squinted at her, his gaze filled with lust. "Have I said enough... or are you not enough?"
She was too embarrassed to speak, turning her head away to avoid his persistent gaze.
He chuckled softly, kissed her again, and caressed her gently to make her feel comfortable.
But he held back, not going all the way to the last step.
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