Chapter 20
What does he mean? What nonsense is he talking about?
After the initial shock and fear, Shen Yao noticed that Wei Luo's face was flushed, his lips were dry, and a thin layer of skin had peeled off.
This is clearly due to illness and fever, which is why he lost control of his emotions!
"Your Highness, you have a fever!" Shen Yao frowned.
Wei Luo ignored her, his grip on her like an iron fist. "Why do you hate me so much? Why doesn't anyone like me?"
"Ah Yao, why?"
His voice grew softer and softer until it was just a mosquito's murmur, like a woman in her boudoir lamenting her fate, or like someone pouring out her heartache to her lover.
"Your Highness!" Shen Yao exclaimed in surprise as the man fell onto her.
The burning heat of his skin pressed against her neck made Shen Yao shiver involuntarily. She held onto Wei Luo's arm, unsure whether to move or not.
Wei Luo hadn't completely lost consciousness. In the instant he collapsed, he clearly knew what he had done. "Chen Yao, help me sit down."
She helped Wei Luo squat down.
And so, leaning against Shen Yao's soft body, he closed his eyes slightly. The woman's body was so soft, like cotton, that he lingered there, unable to control himself.
I remember when Shen Yao first entered the palace, she was so fragrant and soft, like a doll in a New Year's painting. There were no other children her age in the palace, so the two of them became playmates.
Back then, every time Shen Yao entered the palace, she would bring him new and interesting things, including food, drinks, and many more ingenious little toys. The two of them would share their preferences and have a great time playing together.
But everything changed as Consort Shen ambitiously attempted to seize the throne. The Consort no longer allowed Shen Yao to speak to her, and even instilled bullying ideas in her, making her arrogant, domineering, and disdainful of others.
Thus, Wei Luo lost a friend, and Shen Yao gained an enemy.
A tear silently slid down her cheek, wetting the woman's dress. They had once shared a sweet time together.
But you no longer remember, and now, you don't need to remember. Because we are enemies! We should not show any sentimentality towards enemies.
"Chen Yao, help me up," he commanded, raising his head.
Having just been interrogated by Wei Luo like a demon, and knowing that beneath his gentle and obedient exterior lay a sinister and terrifying heart, Shen Yao dared not refuse and quickly helped him up.
Wei Luo said, "Let's leave here before dawn."
He grabbed Shen Yao's wrist with lightning speed, and amidst her cries of pain, picked up a wooden stick and pulled her staggeringly out of the dilapidated temple.
Shen Yao inwardly groaned; at this moment, she felt utterly helpless.
Although she was cursing Wei Luo to the core in her heart, she was helplessly bound by him and could only support the half-crippled man as they painfully moved forward.
The snow had piled up several feet thick, making each step difficult. The earth was eerily quiet, as if it were a desolate, ancient place, filled with endless eeriness and desolation.
Where is this?
The two walked for half a day, panting heavily, but did not see a single person or a single live animal. Could it be that the kidnappers left them here to starve or work themselves to death?
"I can't walk anymore~" Shen Yao plopped down on the ground, rubbing her legs and complaining with a frown, ignoring Wei Luo's expression.
Seeing her rude behavior and complete lack of her usual reserve, Wei Luo was immediately displeased. "I haven't even complained yet, and you're already on strike. Get up!"
"I'm starving, I really can't get up. If you want to leave, you can leave by yourself." The tone was unfriendly.
Shen Yao shook off his hand, lay down on the snow, facing the sky, complaining about this damned time travel and denouncing her unlucky encounter.
I haven't had a hot meal since yesterday, and now I'm exhausted, my legs feel like they're walking on cotton.
Wei Luo didn't take it seriously, thinking she was being unreasonable, and immediately sneered, "You really won't get up?"
Shen Yao frowned and hummed in response.
"Alright, since you're hungry, then eat snow." The words were chilling.
Before Shen Yao could react, Wei Luo immediately squatted down, quickly grabbed a handful of snowflakes, and stuffed them into her mouth.
Shen Yao was shocked and quickly rolled away from Wei Luo, who was behaving like a madman. Seeing her try to escape, Wei Luo grabbed her clothes and then seized the woman's ankle. The two rolled around in the snow a few times, with Wei Luo pressing her tightly beneath him.
Their noses were almost touching, they could hear each other's breath, and their eyes reflected each other's disheveled state.
Shen Yao's breathing was erratic, as was Wei Luo's. The man's breath kept spraying onto their faces, making their skin itchy and numb.
"Get up, you're pressing down on me." A moment later, Shen Yao turned her head to the side, avoiding direct eye contact with Wei Luo. She blushed!
Wei Luo scoffed, putting some distance between them, and said in an almost mocking tone, "Weren't you going to get up just now? Why have you changed your mind now?"
A moment of silence followed.
Wei Luo's eyes flashed with horror, and he said, "No rush, I'll make sure you're full first."
Wei Luo tightly grasped a handful of snowflakes and placed them on Shen Yao's lips.
Shen Yao glared at Wei Luo, gritting her teeth, showing him no respect whatsoever.
She didn't cooperate, but Wei Luo wasn't in a hurry. He gently applied the white snow along her lips and neck, just like Shen Yao had done the night before.
The snow was cold, but it felt warm to the touch; my skin trembled, unsure whether it was from the cold or the heat.
"Really not going to eat?" Wei Luo chuckled. "The snow will melt, and your clothes will get wet. If you catch a cold, I'll be worried about you."
His expression was dangerous, and Shen Yao felt a chill run down her spine.
By the way, he has a fever. What he says and does is probably unconscious. If he does something outrageous, who can she complain to?
Shen Yao blinked, slightly parted her lips, and accepted his service.
The snow was a bit cold, but it melted into sweet water the moment it entered my mouth, and went down my throat smoothly.
She became as docile as a cat, sheathing her sharp claws. Wei Luo's lips curled slightly as he gently brushed the snowflakes from her hair and said, "If only you had been this obedient earlier."
He grabbed another handful from the side and slowly fed it to her. The woman's cherry-like lips and nimble tongue flicked out, and with a lick, the snow in his hand slowly disappeared.
"Is it tasty?"
"It's...it's alright," Shen Yao said, almost trembling.
Wei Luo looked down at her arrogantly, like a king surveying his kingdom, subduing his defeated adversary.
She lay on the ground, her face as white as a full moon, her eyes as clear as autumn water, snowflakes scattered between her eyebrows and cheeks, her lips full and bright, the red and white contrasting, like red plum blossoms reflected in the snow, her beauty perfectly natural.
She swallowed all the snow, but Wei Luo didn't pull his hand back. Instead, he stroked her soft lips, gently tracing and kneading them, whispering in her ear, "The way you eat snow is really... alluring!"
Even if she were slow to notice, Shen Yao would understand when she saw his burning gaze.
This man had just reacted to Shen Yao—no, to this body—and had been teasing and testing her repeatedly.
Perhaps because the words were too explicit and the passion and desire too intense, after Shen Yao blushed uncontrollably, Wei Luo's cheeks also gradually turned red.
Sensing the changes in his body, he hurriedly got up, and Shen Yao also took the opportunity to sit up. The two of them adjusted their clothes at the same time.
"Let's go." Wei Luo stopped pinching her wrist and hurriedly left, as if fleeing.
Shen Yao bit her lip and followed behind him, stepping in his footprints as they walked along.
The snow was no longer smooth, and soon a cluster of houses came into view: thatched cottages, fences, and a small black dog squatting at the gate.
As they approached, the black dog's round eyes darted around, and it barked mercilessly at the two of them, startling Wei Luo so much that he shuddered and retreated repeatedly.
Shen Yao squatted down and called out softly a few times. The dog stopped barking when it heard her voice and turned around. A white-haired old woman with a wrinkled face and a cane walked out.
"Who goes there?" The old woman coughed slightly, her weathered eyes narrowing as she looked at the two of them.
Wei Luo frowned and looked at Shen Yao. Oh, His Highness the Crown Prince, he's making her his lackey again, running errands.
Shen Yao stepped forward and asked, "Grandma, we're lost. Could you tell me where we are?"
"This is Li Village."
Is it close to the capital?
“It takes four or five hours to walk and two hours to travel by car. However, the heavy snow last night blocked the main road at the entrance of the village, so we can’t take a car.”
The two exchanged a glance, and Wei Luo said to Shen Yao, "I can't walk. Ask her if there's any other way to get to the capital."
Shen Yao walked in, took out a purse from her bosom, put some money in her hand, and said, "We want to leave by car. Is there any other way around here?"
The old woman looked at the silver, shook her head, and confiscated it, saying, "That's all."
After she finished speaking, she prepared to turn around and go back into the house.
Seeing this, Shen Yao quickly grabbed her, "Grandma, the roads are blocked by heavy snow. We've been hungry for a long time while passing through this area. Do you have any leftover food? We'd like to pay for it."
Shen Yao spoke earnestly and stuffed the silver into her hand, hoping that the other party would show some kindness and help her out.
Upon hearing this, the old woman looked at the two of them, hesitated for a few moments, and finally sighed before letting them into the house.
The thatched hut was small, with a mottled threshold and worn-out tables and chairs inside. She asked the two to sit down, picked up the teapot from the charcoal fire, poured two cups of hot water, and then went to the inner room to get a few black steamed buns, which she placed on the charcoal grill to roast.
Shen Yao glanced at the food, feeling silently sad, but dared not show it on her face.
Having hot water to drink and food to eat is already quite good; what more could one ask for at this point?
After the old woman finished her work, she came up to the two of them and asked, "You two don't look very old, so you must have just gotten married recently."
After she finished speaking, Shen Yao, who was sitting there drinking tea, almost spat it out—
"No, no~" She glanced at Wei Luo, who also looked embarrassed, and shook her head like a rattle drum. "We are, uh, cousins. He is my cousin."
Shen Yao explained to her mother-in-law.
Wei Luo, who had been looking down, quickly glanced at Chen Yao upon hearing this. As if remembering something, he explained, "Who said we're siblings? We're clearly brother and sister. Right, cousin?"
As he spoke, he raised his bright eyes a few inches, a faint smile playing on his lips, and met her gaze defiantly.
This guy is nitpicking!
Shen Yao didn't argue with him, and asked her mother-in-law, "Are there any doctors in the village?"
Wei Luo is still sick. Whether it's an infected wound or a cold, she's almost delirious with fever. If she doesn't take medicine to bring down her fever soon, she probably won't be able to keep her head for long.
"Yes, it's on the west side of the village."
Shen Yao thought she should leave Wei Luo here while she went to find a doctor, but Wei Luo disagreed and insisted on going with her.
After the two women argued for a while, the mother-in-law finally couldn't stand it anymore and said, "You two stay here, I'll go and invite them. It's not far anyway."
After she left, the room fell silent instantly.
Wei Luo's face was flushed, his gaze unfocused. He tried to hold on for a while, but couldn't, and finally slumped onto the table, slowly closing his eyes.
In a daze, he felt someone gently stroking his hair, so tenderly, so warmly, like ripples spreading across a calm surface of water, gently enveloping him...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
