Chapter 21 Can You Kiss Me?
Before Xin Wanyou could say anything, the thing in the bushes revealed itself to be a chubby white dog carrying a basket in its mouth, running towards the pond.
Xin Wanyou said, "Don't be afraid, they brought us clothes."
The two soaked for a while longer, until it was completely dark, before getting up and getting dressed.
Xin Wanyou was taller than her, so Yang Qing's clothes were a bit too big for her. The sleeves and pant legs were rolled up twice. Fortunately, they weren't floor-length skirts, but rather tops and pants that were easy to move in.
The mountains seemed even more terrifying at night, with darkness everywhere. If a gust of wind blew, all the leaves and grasses would sway incessantly, and her heart would pound wildly.
Xin Wanyou was clearly very familiar with the situation in the mountains. Yang Qing was dragged by her hand and somehow ended up back in the courtyard.
From afar, two figures could be seen at the entrance; upon closer inspection, it became clear that they were Li Shangxuan and Huo Lu.
The lights in the courtyard shone faintly, but it was still a hazy, indistinct light, and Li Shangxuan's face blended into the night.
He stared intently at their clasped hands, his brows furrowed tightly. Yang Qing instinctively released his grip, but his expression remained unchanged, still as black as the bottom of a pot.
Huo Lu hurriedly said, "Oh my dear sister, where have you been? I came back and couldn't find you. I asked around and no one knew you either. We were all so worried."
Yang Qing felt a little guilty, but she still ignored Li Shangxuan's gaze and said goodbye to Xin Wanyou before following Li Shangxuan into her room with a tingling scalp. Huo Lu wisely did not follow.
Yang Qing didn't quite understand why he was so angry when she had only disappeared for a short while. Even now, his gaze was still fixed on her hand.
She instinctively pulled her hands into her sleeves, reminding them, "This is my room."
Li Shangxuan answered irrelevantly: "What did you go to do? You even changed your clothes?"
Yang Qing was baffled: "Why are you looking at me like that?"
That's hilarious, it's like I've cheated on him.
Come to think of it, I'm the one who got cuckolded, right?
Li Shangxuan reached for her hand, and Yang Qing tried to pull away, but failed. He held her hand tightly, coldly rebuking her, "Why are you dodging? Others can hold your hand, but I can't?"
Yang Qing immediately retorted, "She's a girl, and you're not."
Li Shangxuan's eyes widened for a moment: "Miss?"
In a flash, Yang Qing understood how he had misunderstood. Outside the courtyard, there were no lights, and the light was dim. Xin Wanyou was tall and hadn't spoken, so he probably mistook her for a man.
Once he understood the trick, he couldn't help but laugh out loud, and even mocked, "How come you can't even tell the difference between men and women?"
Li Shangxuan coughed lightly, but did not let go of her hand. Instead, he placed it to his lips and bit down from the side. He didn't use much force, so the pain was almost zero, but the moist and warm sensation was real.
Yang Qing quickly withdrew her hand and hid it behind her back. This time it went smoothly, and Li Shangxuan did not stop her.
Are you born in the Year of the Dog?
He was like this in his past life, always wanting to bite her. She didn't resent Yang Qing for always calling him a dog. He was a puppy when he was young, and he became an old dog later.
Li Shangxuan chuckled lightly, clearly showing no remorse, his eyes even crinkling into a smile. "Wasn't it your fault that you suddenly disappeared for so long this time?"
Yang Qing said, "I didn't want to either, but Miss Xin insisted on dragging me along. She's the host and I'm the guest, so I'll go along with her. Besides, she doesn't seem like a bad person to me."
Li Shangxuan said with dissatisfaction, "Do bad people wear the word 'bad' on their faces? You didn't think Li Heyun was a bad person before."
That's not right," Yang Qing immediately retorted. "Who said that? I never said he was a good person."
The room was lit by an oil lamp when they first entered. The light was not bright, but the warm yellow glow made it feel cozy. Li Shangxuan looked at her earnest arguing and his heart softened. He simply said, "You can't do this again," and changed the subject, his gaze returning to her lips.
He only kissed her once, and even got slapped for it, but Huo Lu and the others said that if you want to pursue the person you love, you have to be thick-skinned and never back down easily.
Gazing at the beautiful woman under the lamplight, he became increasingly captivated. Before he knew it, his voice had become hoarse, and it began to linger, "I've carried you on my back for so long, aren't you going to thank me?"
Yang Qing said, "You were the one who wanted to carry me!"
Li Shangxuan didn't speak, but continued to stare intently at her. Yang Qing felt a little embarrassed by his gaze, so she could only say, "Thank you, Your Highness."
Li Shangxuan chuckled, still unsatisfied, "Just a few words, nothing at all, not even a thank-you gift?"
Yang Qing stared at him with wide eyes. Li Shangxuan leaned close to her ear, his cheeks burning, his hands clenched into fists inside his sleeves, and shamelessly made a request, "Can you kiss me?"
Yang Qing certainly wouldn't kiss him, but she didn't dare slap him again either; such a thing could only happen once, not twice.
She simply pushed him away and angrily called him "shameless."
Li Shangxuan wasn't hit, but his face was still burning. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but the words were pushed out before they could even get out of his throat.
The mountain wind carried a sense of desolation. He thought to himself, "Huo Lu's words are indeed not to be trusted. He has no wife or lover, so how can I believe his nonsense?"
Today, the renowned physician, Ms. Xin, was adamant. No matter how much she was offered high-ranking positions or treated with courtesy, she refused to go to the capital. It is said that this is a family rule. During a famine, the local people kindly took her in, and she made a vow to treat the local people for generations to come. Now, she is in her fifth generation.
Empress Ming and the Ming family highly praised this divine physician, so Li Shangxuan could not say anything and could only return empty-handed. He thought he would take his leave the next day, stay in Luonan for a few days, and then set off back.
The next day, the sky was clear and the air was fresh. When Li Shangxuan went to say goodbye, he happened to meet the daughter of the divine physician Xin in the courtyard.
He paused slightly, then recognized the girl as the one who had led Yang Qing astray last night.
Although the misunderstanding was cleared up and I learned that she was a woman, I was still somewhat unhappy. I only gestured with my eyes and did not intend to start a conversation.
The girl was quite outgoing; upon seeing him, she took the initiative to strike up a conversation, "Are you distinguished guests from the capital? What is your relationship with Huo Xi?"
Huo Lu was still eating breakfast like a starving ghost. Only Li Shangxuan came to say goodbye. Hearing Xin Wanyou's question, he couldn't pretend not to hear it, so he could only answer, "She is my sister."
Xin Wanyou looked him up and down and then up and down again with her eyes, which was quite straightforward: "You two don't look alike, but you are quite good-looking too."
Li Shangxuan remained silent, unsure of what to say. He had never encountered such a situation before, being so bluntly evaluated by a young woman.
Xin Wanyou went in on her own without waiting for the medicine boy to relay the message. A moment later, the medicine boy came over to call Li Shangxuan in.
She came today to say goodbye, but Doctor Xin's attitude was not as firm as yesterday. He became ambiguous and then directly said that as long as he was willing to marry his daughter, she could go to the capital with Xin Wanyou, even though she couldn't leave him.
Although Xin Wanyou is not very old, she has already learned seven or eight parts of her skills.
Li Shangxuan did not reveal his true identity on this trip, only claiming that he was a son of a marquis in the capital.
In his panic, he firmly refused. Doctor Shen was not giving up and, disregarding the presence of Shen Wanyou, continued to persuade him, "I know that you high-ranking officials and nobles value filial piety above all else. My daughter is not particularly ugly. Although her background is not as prestigious as that of a noblewoman, marrying her would definitely be a worthwhile deal for you."
Li Shangxuan said, "You are joking. I already have a fiancée at home."
Xin Wanyou thought he was just making excuses: "I don't believe it. Whether you didn't have one earlier or later, if I want to marry you, you'll already have a fiancée?"
Li Shangxuan: "If you don't believe me, all my companions can testify."
Xin Wanyou said, "Don't think we're all easy to fool. Those people are your subordinates, so naturally they wouldn't dare to do anything against your will."
This young girl was quite different from all the women of noble and poor people that Li Shangxuan usually encountered. Her unrestrained manner surprised him, and he couldn't think of anything to say for a moment, resulting in a tense standoff.
The renowned physician, Shen, scolded his daughter, saying, "This is a matter of mutual consent. Since our honored guest is unwilling, there is no reason to force him."
Li Shangxuan breathed a sigh of relief, then heard Doctor Xin say, "However, honored guest, there is no need to rush down the mountain. The sky outside is overcast, and it is likely to rain. Although Tongtang Mountain is not steep, the road is slippery in the rain, which is no joke. Anyway, I have a few humble rooms here, so why not stay here for another day or two and set off when the weather clears up?"
These words were reasonable and extremely polite, so Li Shangxuan could only thank her for her kindness and do as she said.
After saying goodbye, he returned and happened to see Huo Lu, who had just finished breakfast. Seeing Li Shangxuan's expression, Huo Lu raised an eyebrow and asked, "What happened?"
Li Shangxuan didn't say anything. He couldn't very well publicize what had just happened, as it wouldn't do for the reputation of Doctor Xin's family. It would also feel strange to say it out loud.
He only mentioned that it was difficult to descend the mountain due to the rain, and then asked, "Where is Yangqing?"
Huo Lu looked helpless: "You know perfectly well that Miss Chi hides from me the moment she sees me, running faster than a rabbit. How could I possibly know where she is? She's probably still in her room."
Li Shangxuan couldn't help but smile. She was indeed very afraid of Huo Lu, but she didn't know why.
Perhaps it's because Huo Lu is tall and strong?
She turned and went out of the room. Her house was not far away; it was only a few steps away.
After knocking, Yang Qing's voice came from inside, tinged with wariness, "Who is it?"
Li Shangxuan replied, "It is I."
Chi Yangqing opened the door, revealing her face, and asked, "Are we going down the mountain now?"
Li Shangxuan shook his head and said as he walked into the house, "No, the sky outside is overcast. Let's leave in a few days."
Chi Yangqing felt relieved and couldn't help but look at her calves, which were still very sore.
Li Shangxuan noticed this and followed her gaze, asking, "You walked a lot yesterday, do your feet hurt?"
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