Chapter 98 Does she have a heart?
She really didn't know how to respond.
What kind of young man would ask such a question?
Her hand, which was lightly placed on his lips, trembled slightly. Unexpectedly, the next moment she felt a biting sensation on her fingertips, and a wave of warm, moist air washed over her. His thin lips slowly took her fingertips into their mouths.
As if sensing her forced composure, his smile deepened.
He greatly enjoyed this subtle and persistent pressure until she gave in.
"Third Brother."
Yuan Chaolu tilted her head back, her red lips glistening in the light. She bit her lip, looking at him with this expression as she didn't know how to answer.
He pressed her hand onto his abdomen; that hand, used for drawing arrows and drawing bows year-round, was extremely strong, holding her captive so tightly that Yuan Chaolu could not break free.
She was embraced in his arms, her simple silk dress clinging to his body. The fabric was so thin that his figure was clearly visible.
"I have been working hard for the country these days and have become quite haggard."
Yuan Chaolu squinted and said, "I think Third Brother is doing very well; he hasn't lost any weight."
Xiao Zhuo looked at her neck, which was tense and trembling slightly, yet stubbornly tilted back, and said, "Very good, where do you mean?"
"Here?" He let her hand stroke his waist and abdomen, then asked again, "Or here?"
Yuan Chaolu was quite embarrassed and angry. He rested his chin on the crook of her neck, his Adam's apple bobbing, and called her "cousin". The sound of his breathing lingered in her ears, and with the movement of his hand pressing down on her, it felt heavier and heavier.
His usually cool and aloof voice was now tinged with ambiguous desire.
Yuan Chaolu turned his head, revealing a pair of eyes that held a mischievous smile.
He did it on purpose.
Yuan Chaolu covered his lips, silencing those unbearable sounds.
The silk garments gradually fell to the ground.
The bathing area was filled with mist, and the lamplight cast a hazy glow over the hall, making everything seem like a dream.
The water in the bath was clamorous, one splash after another. Yuan Chao leaned against the pool wall, or rather, she was driven to a dead end with no way to escape. The water behind her was icy cold, but the person in front of her was burning hot. She seemed to be drowning, tightly wrapping her arms around her neck, as if this was the only piece of driftwood that could support her.
Her eyes were red-rimmed, and tears welled up in them. Her long, dark hair floated on the water like a cloud, and the water had etched patterns onto her skin.
The sound of water was loud and clear, and Yuan Chaolu felt as if she were in a whirlpool, with the water squeezing and enveloping her, receding and surging in rhythmically.
She was turned around and made to lean against the edge of the pool, like a fish on a chopping board.
"You always bully me like this." She turned her head weakly, her lips were wet, and her neck was scattered with rouge-like red marks, like a begonia flower that had been watered.
His breathing became heavy because of her sudden turn. He raised his hand to press down on her shoulder and back, turning her back. His muscular body leaned up from behind and kissed her earlobe. "When have I ever bullied you? You always make a mountain out of a molehill."
Yuan Chaolu said, "Yes."
He sighed: "Is your dislike because you always end up clinging to someone and refusing to let go?"
"Is Aju so domineering?"
The moment that name was uttered, her rounded toes tensed, and her body suddenly went limp in his arms.
Xiao Zhuo covered the back of her hand with one palm.
Then, he saw that Yuan Chaolu stopped struggling and seemed to be letting him do as he pleased.
**
Sunlight streamed through the bed curtains, illuminating the girl lying face down in the quilt, her back adorned with red marks clearly visible in the light.
When Yuan Chaolu opened her sleepy eyes, it was already bright outside the window, the sun was high in the sky, and Xiao Zhuo was nowhere to be seen beside her, not even a trace of warmth remained on the pillow.
Thinking about the hunt that day, she propped herself up on the blankets, feeling the chill creep into her skin, and realized that she wasn't wearing any silk or satin.
Last night, the candles burned so late. She remembered that before she fell asleep, it felt as if all the marrow in her body had been drained away, leaving her with no strength at all. The palace was also a mess, with water stains spreading from the bathtub to the screen, table, and bedding... Now everything has been cleaned up.
Before long, a palace maid came to change her clothes.
Yuan Chaolu hastily changed into his riding attire and stepped out of the main hall when he saw several figures in front of it.
Her husband was surrounded by guards, and two warriors were dueling in the open space in front of them. He chuckled and clapped his hands as he talked to Jia Li beside him.
His eyes and brows were bright and clear, and he looked refreshed and energetic.
"The Empress gave me a gift yesterday, this jade thumb ring, which is used to draw a bow and control the string. I will try it out when we go hunting later. Did your wife give you a gift?"
Jia Li glanced at the thumb ring and, seeing the emperor's high spirits today, said, "I've given one before, but none of them compare to the Empress's thoughtfulness."
The emperor was overjoyed upon hearing this.
Just then, the Empress walked out of the palace.
Xiao Zhuo said, "I spoke of the Empress, and she came."
The remaining men stopped what they were doing and bowed upon seeing the Empress. Yuan Chaolu then realized that one of the two warriors who had just fought was Di Hu.
The hunt was scheduled for this morning, but it was postponed because the Queen got up late. Now that she has arrived, the group is all ready to go and head towards the hunting grounds.
Di Hu and Jia Li guarded the emperor and empress on either side. In addition, each had guards to clear the way and bring up the rear, and a cheetah-like golden lion accompanied them.
Yuan Chaolu rode his horse, the cold winter wind howling. He pulled his cloak tighter around himself and looked at the people in front of him. "I've heard that Lord Di once killed a tiger with his own hands. Is that true?"
Di Hu turned around with a shy smile: "It is truly an honor for me that such a story has reached Your Majesty's ears. However, I was not unarmed; I carried swords with me, which is why I did not die in the tiger's mouth. It was just a stroke of luck."
Yuan Chaolu nodded slightly, "You are too modest, sir."
Their eyes met, their gazes briefly touched, and then they tacitly parted.
Everything had been arranged in advance.
In a deserted and secluded wooden house in Hualin Garden, a brown bear is locked up. When the time is right, it will be released and follow the scent of meat to the place that their group must pass through.
After that, it was time for Di Hu to demonstrate his abilities in protecting the emperor.
It wouldn't have been easy for Yuan Chaolu to accomplish this in Hualin Garden, but winter was the time for repairing the animal sheds, and a group of craftsmen would be invited to the garden. Yuan Chaolu took advantage of this opportunity to secretly plant her own people inside.
She knew perfectly well what she was doing.
As for the rules of today's hunt—
The emperor and empress were in one group, while Jia Li and Di Hu were in another. They each went hunting and would count the number of prey later.
After the group split into two, she and Xiao Zhuo took the other side of the road and rode side by side forward.
The weather was freezing cold, and Yuan Chaolu was feeling lazy and didn't want to move at all while sitting on her horse. She pulled her hands back into her cloak and let the heavenly horse carry her slowly forward through the snow.
"Who was it that said last night that they would hunt a white fox for me today to make a fox fur coat?" His voice came from beside my ear.
Yuan Chaolu turned to look at him, "I'm cold, I can't stretch my arms and legs."
Xiao Zhuo turned his head and saw her cheeks huddled in the rabbit fur scarf, her delicate nose red from the cold, which made her look even more playful and lively. He sighed, "She's good at sweet-talking and fooling people. It seems I'll have to hunt for a cloak for you today. I'm afraid we're doomed to lose the competition if we rely on the Empress."
Yuan Chaolu said, "I didn't say I wouldn't let you hunt. Let me warm up a bit first. Besides, His Majesty suggested we team up. Didn't he know my abilities beforehand?"
She reached out from under her cloak, grasped the reins, and went forward.
Seeing that she had ridden ahead alone and was about to leave the guard, Xiao Zhuo said, "Be careful."
The accompanying cheetah, Jinni, obediently ran to its mistress's side to protect her upon hearing its master's command.
After about an hour, the group had hunted some animals and planned to return to the place where they had originally parted ways.
They hadn't gone far when a strange noise suddenly came from ahead. Everyone immediately became alert, and when they got closer, they found that it was Jia Li and Di Hu's entourage.
The two groups of people joined forces.
Jia Li squeezed the horse's belly with both legs and went forward to see Xiao Zhuo's harvest.
As the ruler and his minister conversed, the golden lion beside them lay prone on the ground, its sharp ears alert to the surrounding sounds.
At that moment, it suddenly pricked up its ears, stared at the dense forest to its right, and let out a low growl.
As soon as the sound was uttered, a giant shadow emerged from the depths of the dense forest. It was a wild bear standing at about one and a half times the height of a person, covered in iron-like fur, and exhaling white breath. Because it looked so much like a human, just standing there was terrifying. Clearly, the bloody smell here had attracted it.
Jia Li instinctively stepped in front of the emperor, while Di Hu suddenly drew his sword from his waist. "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, don't panic."
Yuan Chaolu had heard the description of this brown bear: a huge creature, with a ferocious appearance, cruel and bloodthirsty.
She was focused on the situation when a hand reached out from the side and grasped her hand. "Get behind me."
Yuan Chaolu was taken aback and looked up to meet his eyes.
Xiao Zhuo said, "Don't act rashly, and don't ride your horse, as you might become his target."
Xiao Zhuo walked up to her, picked up the carved bow hanging from the side of the horse, and raised the arrow to aim at the enormous creature.
The brown bear pounced straight at the group, its stench mingling with the cold wind, making their mouths and noses sting. The pounce was fierce and ruthless, its form obscuring the sky.
But a long arrow, as sharp as a steel knife, pierced through the bear's eye, sinking deep into its socket.
The brown bear roared in pain and crashed into the tree trunk with a loud "boom," snapping the withered tree in two.
Xiao Zhuo, his face cold, drew back the arrow with his fingertips and nocked a second arrow.
At this critical moment, Jia Li's horse, startled, reared up and threw him heavily to the ground, letting out a long neigh. This sound stirred up the herd, causing several horses to begin to stir in fear and agitation.
There won't be any problems.
Yuan Chaolu watched all this. This ferocious wild bear would collapse in no time. It had been drugged beforehand, and it wouldn't last long. Now, its legs were weak, and it was already showing signs of exhaustion. Everyone would just assume that it had been hit by an arrow and was unsteady on its feet.
Di Hu leaped out from the closest point to the wild bear, holding a sharp spear in his hand, and thrust it towards the bear's most vulnerable spot.
The brown bear raised its forepaw, as big as a human head, and slapped at his shoulder. Di Hu dodged the attack with a nimble movement.
Suddenly, Yuan Chaolu saw Xiao Zhuo, who had been sitting high on his horse at a very safe distance, spur his horse forward a few steps and throw the bow and arrow in his hand to Jia Li on the ground.
He tossed the self-defense item to Jia Li.
How can we not have our own weapons?
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the brown bear being pierced by Di Hu's spear and almost falling down. Just then, it suddenly staggered towards the restless horse behind Jia Li and beside Xiao Zhuo.
Yuan Chaolu felt a chill run through her body and opened her eyes wide.
Everything fell silent, and her eyes reflected that figure.
She came to Luoyang to eliminate the Helan family and seek justice for herself; she would stop at nothing to achieve her goal.
She will use whoever can protect her as a springboard.
She had no heart; her chest was empty. Her heart had been ripped out to numb the pain and prevent herself from being swayed by external affairs.
But at that moment, her chest clenched violently, and blood rushed to her head.
With the whistling wind in her ears, Yuan Chaolu rushed towards him without thinking.
She and he both fell off their horses and rolled several feet together, taking him away from the spot. She shielded him with her body, and almost simultaneously, she sensed the huge shadow cast by the brown bear behind them.
Just a few steps away from the two, the bear collapsed with a thud.
The sound of hurried footsteps rang out, and Di Hu and the others came forward. Together they plunged several spears into the wild bear's body, and warm blood gushed out, splattering all over her.
Yuan Chaolu embraced his waist.
Xiao Zhuo protected the back of her neck with one hand while ordering everyone to deal with the wild bear. He looked down and saw her buried in his arms. When she raised her face, her eyes were glistening with tears.
He saw her lunge at him, and his blood boiled. He raised his hands and wrapped his burning body tightly around her trembling shoulders, pulling her close to his chest. His hands were so strong they almost turned white.
After a long silence.
His chest was still heaving, and after a slight movement of his Adam's apple, a sound escaped his lips.
"Thank you, Aju."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
