Chapter 39 A kiss that's anything but gentle as it's about paying off a debt.
In late autumn, fallen ginkgo leaves piled up on the bluestone steps, each with a different shape, and were swept up by the morning breeze, crashing against the door.
The bells rang repeatedly, and two days passed in the blink of an eye.
When Shi Wan was about to descend the mountain, the ginkgo leaves beside the gate had already been swept clean by the monks, leaving only the smooth stone path winding forward.
Those prophetic words seemed to possess a magical power, stirring her mind for several days in a row.
As she descended the mountain and returned to her residence, Shi Wan remained somewhat dazed from time to time.
She can still clearly recall the other person's expression, tone of voice, and even subtle gestures when they said those words.
Including the character “莳”.
She never mentioned this surname to anyone, so how did the abbot know it? Could it be that he calculated it...?
The thought flashed through my mind, along with those admonitions from the heavens that seemed to be peeking into my heart, lingering there for a long time.
The road ahead was winding, draped in a thin white veil, barely visible, completely blocking her from any prying intent.
Shi Wan nestled at the desk, pondered for a few moments, and finally found some paper to write down her thoughts. The abbot said that the Buddhist disciple Xuan Min was his junior brother and that he was entrusted with this task. Since that was the case, she might as well try to find out more indirectly. If she could return to Jichuan in the future and have a detailed conversation with the Buddhist disciple face to face, that would be the best thing ever.
The soldiers in her courtyard must have been replaced by a new batch last night, as she briefly strolled around the courtyard this morning and, sure enough, they were all unfamiliar faces. Fortunately, when it came to delivering the message to Jiang Xu, no matter who it was, they had never refused the request. This time, as before, they simply agreed and told her to wait patiently.
Thinking of this, Shi Wan sighed helplessly and wrote the letter even faster. After a moment, she handed the letter to Hua Hui and then picked up a booklet next to her and casually flipped through it.
As November approaches, a thin layer of frost quietly covers the bluestone path under the corridor.
On the window table, a few withered dogwood sprigs, their red color bordering on black, were placed in a plain white porcelain vase. A copper hand warmer emitted wisps of smoke, which mingled with the cold wind seeping in through the window lattice, drifting into the room and mingling with the fragrance of flowers, creating a rather pleasant aroma.
"Miss." Hua Lan strode closer from outside the door. "It's a letter from the King!"
Shi Wan paused slightly as she turned the pages of the book. She took the letter, unfolded it, and read it carefully. A smile unconsciously appeared on her face. "The King will be back tomorrow." But as she finished speaking, the unease in her heart grew stronger.
These days, she spends more time alone, and instead starts to ponder many things she hadn't paid attention to before. Perhaps it's because she's been reading a few random books, but her thoughts are gradually changing from what they were at the beginning.
Looking back now, Shi Wan realized how ridiculous her hasty escape had been. Not to mention the many flaws along the way, her choice of territory alone was a complete mistake.
In Jichuan, she was probably targeted the moment she made any unusual move.
Unfortunately... such an opportunity may not come again.
Shi Wan snapped out of her daze, her heart filled with tension and anxiety, completely drowning out any trace of joy she had felt upon hearing that Jiang Xu was coming back.
After a lot of fuss, I finally went to bed and slept when it was deep into the night.
Jiang Xu left in early July, and it has been more than three months since then.
Shi Wan lay on the soft pillow, her satin-like black hair covering most of her pale face. She tossed and turned for a long time before finally managing to close her eyes.
The next day, when I woke up groggily, it still felt like a dream.
She subconsciously moved her body, but as soon as she stretched out her wrist, it was as if she hit a wall and couldn't move it. When she opened her eyes, Shi Wan was suddenly stunned.
"Awake?" He suddenly looked up, his dark eyes carrying a hint of coldness.
Shi Wan awkwardly withdrew her fingers and subconsciously replied, "When did you get back? Why didn't you say anything?"
Having spent so much time together, she felt no discomfort at such close proximity. "I thought I was dreaming just now, so I reached out my hand in a daze to verify it."
"It's not a dream."
Shi Wan was taken aback, and subconsciously replied, "Yes, how could people in dreams be like that?"
Perhaps because he had just returned from the battlefield, Jiang Xu's murderous aura had not completely dissipated. If you got close, Shi Wan could even smell the faint scent of blood and herbs emanating from beneath his armor.
She made conversation, "Are you injured? Is the injury... not serious?"
"I heard that you once sent a message to me through someone." Jiang Xu avoided the question, his voice not loud, his tone still indifferent, but the invisible pressure made the atmosphere in the room drop sharply. "In the message, an assassin was mentioned."
Instead of answering, he asked a question, his gaze deep and unfathomable, "Wan'er, I'm very curious, how did you learn about this?"
really.
From the moment she uttered those words, Shi Wan regretted it. Now, after waiting and waiting, she was finally asked the question, and she actually breathed a sigh of relief.
Those words of admonition still echoed in her ears, and Shi Wan was troubled by them for several days. When suddenly asked about them, she couldn't help but hesitate.
In that moment of hesitation, Jiang Xu's gaze grew even colder, his lips slightly curved, revealing neither joy nor anger, his dark eyes fixed on her chest, "You seem to be feeling much better."
Now that things had come to this, Shi Wan no longer genuinely believed he was concerned for her. She was also quite frightened by his unusual behavior. She quickly prepared her words in her mind and then carefully began to speak, "I... I've been having this dream repeatedly these past few days. Such things are generally considered unlucky, but who knew that later I'd see Your Majesty really going to the front lines..."
Shi Wan didn't dare to look up at the expression on the other person's face, avoiding the key points, and continued to say in a half-truthful tone, "To be honest, maybe I read too many novels during that time and became a little obsessed, and as a result..." She gave a bitter smile, "I did something bad with good intentions."
Wan'er looked no different from the ones he had seen before.
But the more she acted this way, the more Jiang Xu felt heartbroken whenever he thought about the information he had gathered over the past few days.
He was still sad for a moment, but what about the person in front of him?
She's perfectly fine, and still has the energy to play some more tricks.
Admittedly, in recent years, he had held a high position and had always been followed by others. Therefore, he was initially somewhat intrigued by Wan'er's stubborn demeanor. However, now that he knew that she was a complete fraud, his anger returned.
His resentment was even greater than when he discovered she had escaped.
Jiang Xu suddenly spoke, "Don't you remember? Or..." His gaze was fixed on her face, the pressure intensifying slightly, "Is it inconvenient to say?"
His tone was still the calm and gentle one that Shi Wan was familiar with, but upon closer inspection, the subtle indulgence he usually showed her had disappeared, replaced by a sinister and frightening look as he stared at her with a forced smile.
"Misunderstanding?" Veins bulged on Jiang Xu's forehead. He made no attempt to conceal the murderous aura he had just come from the battlefield. Even his expression, which had been relatively calm just moments before, now clearly revealed a hint of danger.
"I... truly have misunderstood you deeply."
Shi Wan had the illusion of being targeted by a venomous snake. Her heart was pounding and cold sweat broke out, soaking her back. When Jiang Xu suddenly attacked, she instinctively curled up. But this time, his hand quickly grabbed her waist, completely imprisoning her.
The two inevitably touched each other.
Seeing that Shi Wan was unable to move, he sneered, "Next time you judge me, you'd better hide your tail."
These words sounded strange, and Shi Wan's heart skipped a beat. She frowned and looked at him, "You're investigating me again?"
The guilt and fear she felt earlier were quickly replaced by anger, gradually turning into a bit of courage. "Those are things I locked in a box. You rummaged through them as you pleased, and now you're accusing me of something?"
Seeing that she was starting to argue again, Jiang Xu said coldly, "If you are upright and honest, what is there to fear?"
"In the end, it's nothing more than him having done something wrong and covering it up over and over again for the past few months..."
His gaze fell upon her, interrupting her, "Wan'er, aren't you tired of acting?"
The name, as it lingered on the man's lips, evoked a subtle, alluring sense of ambiguity that quietly crept over the two of them.
Shi Wan broke out in a cold sweat at the strange tone of her voice. She turned her body to the side, determined not to communicate any further, and coldly retorted, "Didn't Your Majesty cooperate quite well?"
There are some things that the two of them both know.
Since everyone has something to gain, why bother with all this roundabout methods and play this game?
Is Jiang Xu's mind any more noble than hers?
Seeing her audacity, Jiang Xu's expression grew increasingly gloomy. He pinched her waist hard and pulled her out from the innermost part of the bed.
"What are you doing!" Shi Wan was startled and angrily retorted, "I asked you a question out of kindness, and not only did you belittle me, you even started hitting me?"
Shi Wan bit down hard, but only received a tighter kiss in return. After several attempts to resist, Jiang Xu blocked her even more forcefully. In the end, she could only be forced to endure the kiss in this dark corner.
A deep kiss that was anything but gentle, filled with the scent of blood and astonishing desire.
Shi Wan's body was briefly suspended in the air. She subconsciously hooked her arms around Jiang Xu's neck, but stubbornly held on, and then let go as soon as she touched him.
Jiang Xu chuckled twice, then draped her wrist over his shoulder. "It seems I treated you too well before..."
Raise it high, then lower it gently.
He thought she was just a young woman who couldn't stir up any trouble, which subtly led her to develop many inappropriate thoughts.
"Wan'er, you're much better now, aren't you?"
Shi Wan was stunned. Before she could think any further, she felt her clothes loosen. Jiang Xu picked her up, the stark difference in height accompanied by the man's suggestive words.
The implication was more intimate, blatantly directed at her, "The debt owed..."
"It's time to pay it back today."
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