Confessing your love under the sunset
All her money is gone! She's starting to suspect he's a miser, demanding it all back from her. A young general like him, short of money? Wouldn't that make him a laughingstock in the capital?
Time passed slowly, and before they knew it, the scorching sun of June arrived, and the two spent more time together. From mid-March to early May, there was still about a month until Peng Feizhe's wedding.
On a whim, the two went to a high mountain to watch the sunset. Two young men sat on the edge of a cliff.
Clouds drifted lazily, a gentle breeze rustled the leaves, and the sound of falling leaves danced in the wind. A beautiful sunset painted the clouds, its afterglow illuminating the faces of the two young people, making them look exceptionally beautiful. Her almond-shaped eyes reflected the golden-orange sunset, while his gaze, turned to the right, revealed a profile bathed in the fading light of the setting sun.
Below the cliffs, the setting sun cast its golden light, turning the forest golden and orange, and the river reflected the shimmering afterglow. In the distance, one could see the city.
One was dressed in a light blue, the other in a light blue, plain-looking outfit. The two were on a cliff bathed in the setting sun.
He didn't know what his feelings for her were now. Was he a friend? Or did he like her?
"Big brother, the sunset is so beautiful!" She leaned back slightly, supporting herself with her hands, looking very relaxed.
"Hmm, not bad." He was in a good mood today, with a faint smile on his lips.
"Big brother."
"Hmm?" He looked at her.
"Do you like Pang Zhichun?" she asked softly, her bright eyes fixed on him.
The afterglow fell on the boy's face, outlining his delicate features, making him exceptionally handsome.
“I don’t like it, what’s wrong?” he answered without hesitation.
“You…” She paused, then adjusted her posture, the two of them very close. He supported himself with his hands on the ground, leaning slightly towards her.
She continued, tentatively asking in a low voice, "Could you not marry her?"
He frowned, puzzled, but more curious about why she said that. "Why?"
She pursed her lips, pondered for a moment, and said, "If you marry someone you don't like, won't your life be very difficult? Especially since that person is her..."
He noticed all her movements; she was very reserved, and her gaze avoided his directness, revealing obvious tension and unease.
"She can't do anything to me."
"Do you want to marry her?" She nervously clasped her hands together, her whole body covered in cold sweat. She didn't want to do it.
If I follow the instructions in the book, I shouldn't go wrong.
He seemed to have figured something out. Was she trying to prevent him from marrying Pang Zhichun? Or was she jealous?
"I don't want to, so what?" A relieved smile unconsciously appeared on his face.
"I..." She bit her lip, her dark oval face slowly turning red, and her ears also turning as red as if they were dripping blood.
"I..." She was too embarrassed to say it!
"What?" He asked, puzzled yet seemingly understanding something. He turned his head and looked down at her, his face unconsciously drawing closer to hers.
"I...I love you, Feizhe! I like you!" After saying that, she quickly covered her face. Oh no! Forcing herself to say these insincere words only made her feel awkward!
He paused for a moment, then looked at her reaction of covering her face, and chuckled, "What do you like about me?" His voice was light and flirtatious, as if he were showing some affection.
"I..." She lowered her hands from her face, stood up, wrapped her arms around her calves, and then buried her face in her knees, looking very shy.
Seeing that she remained silent and buried her face in her knees, I found her inexplicably adorable.
"Is this why you don't want me to marry her?" he said.
She pursed her lips and nodded. "Mm."
"What would you do if I didn't marry her?" He kept a close eye on the expression on her face.
She looked sad and said in a low voice, "I know I am of lowly status and not worthy of the general, but my heart is true... It is nothing but... it is..." She paused and did not continue.
This piqued his interest, but he said with a helpless expression, "I don't want to marry her either, but the imperial decree has been issued, and I have no choice but to comply. Whether I marry her or not is irrelevant. If one day I meet someone I truly love, I will divorce her."
She was taken aback and stared at him blankly. "General, do you...like me?" she asked shyly.
He paused for a moment, then hesitated, "What if I say I don't like it?"
She said dejectedly, "General, I have overstepped my bounds. Please forget what I said. I have troubled you these past few days..."
"Stop talking nonsense. Why don't you want me to marry her?" he interrupted.
She said worriedly, "She's so fierce, life will definitely be tough for her in the future. She bullies the servants and has a bad temper. I'm only saying this because I'm afraid the General will suffer. Besides, you can't do anything about her. Now her family's power is almost equal to the General's. If you want to take a concubine... I'm afraid it will be difficult..."
"Besides...she already has someone she loves. Why should the general marry a woman who already has someone she loves? Who knows, she might cheat on him one day?"
He was helpless and sighed, "The imperial decree has been issued; there's nothing I can do. You don't like her?"
Speaking of this, she feigned anger: "I dislike it terribly! During the time I served her, I was often subjected to her verbal abuse and beatings! How is she any different from treating livestock? We servants are human beings too!"
"Hmm, you're right." He slightly bent his index finger and pondered for a moment.
"General, promise me one thing, okay?" She lifted her face from her lap and looked at him with deep affection.
"Promise what?" He met her almond-shaped eyes.
"Promise me, even if you marry her, you won't touch her on your wedding day, okay? Since you don't like her, then don't touch her body. Chastity is a woman's most precious thing. If she loses it, she won't be cherished and she won't find a good husband. Promise me, okay?" She spoke each word with utmost seriousness, her almond-shaped eyes swirling with complex emotions.
His deep eyes were filled with her face and those eyes, which seemed to be beckon him to come closer, and their souls seemed to have intertwined.
He paused for a moment, his long eyelashes fluttering slightly, his eyes filled with deep affection: "Okay, I promise you I won't touch her."
Zhi Qiu smiled sweetly, her eyes crinkling and her lower eyelids slightly visible: "Thank you, General."
She then quickly moved closer to his face and planted a tiny, bird-like kiss on his right cheek before quickly sitting back down to adjust herself.
Silence fell over the scene...
He looked at her with surprise, a blush creeping onto his face. Slowly regaining his composure, he turned his head to face the setting sun. Neither of them knew what to say; only the sound of the breeze and the rustling leaves filled the air.
He felt uncomfortable sitting, so he bent his right leg and placed it on the edge of the cliff, dangling his other foot over the edge, and supporting himself with one hand behind him.
She decided to take the initiative, freeing one hand and placing it behind her as she slowly approached his hand. Peng Xuan'an's face flushed even more, though it wasn't very noticeable in the setting sun. She asked worriedly, "General, are you... alright?"
His ears were getting redder and redder, and the blush on his cheeks deepened.
He quickly withdrew his hand, hurriedly stood up, leaving her alone sitting on the edge of the cliff.
"?" She turned her head to look at his standing back, puzzled.
"General, what is this?" she asked, tilting her head slightly in confusion.
"It's getting late, let's go back." He coughed a few times.
She glanced at the sky; it was indeed getting late. "Okay." She stood up and was about to walk closer to Peng Feizhe. But he quickened his pace, only slowing down after creating some distance between them.
How could she not understand? It's probably about avoiding suspicion or feeling embarrassed. She never imagined this tactic would be so effective, but the prerequisite for using it is how long you've known each other; the longer you know each other, the easier it is to make a move, the shorter the time, and you're basically doomed.
A carriage was waiting for them at the foot of the mountain. Just going up the mountain had nearly killed her, and coming down would have been half-dead too. After all, the road was too difficult. If it weren't for the need to dissolve the engagement, who would want to play along with him?
That night, the rustling sounds seemed lively in the darkness.
That night, Peng Feizhe tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. He didn't know what was wrong with him. He kept thinking about that kiss under the setting sun, a soft, fragrant kiss.
This left him at a loss for words, unable to describe the complex emotions he felt. Having lived in the capital for many years, he knew very little about women, only that they were all quiet and reserved. Unlike her, who was outgoing and seemingly like a man, or rather, lively and playful.
When he returned to the capital victorious after each battle, most of the women looked at him with admiration and joy. He didn't know whether they liked him or were relieved.
His heart was in turmoil. Did he think he liked her? Was that it? He didn't dare to be sure.
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