Chapter 52 [52] Yun Ran, are you crazy? ...
【52】/First release
When the two of them walked to the river in the east of the town, the setting sun was already hanging obliquely on the top of the mountain, dyeing the river surface golden red.
In the cold winter, a thick layer of ice has formed on the surface of the river. There are still a few half-grown children sliding and playing on the river, or riding bamboo horses and skateboards, and their laughter is as clear as silver bells.
Yun Ran's eyes lit up when he saw this: "Your Highness, is that ice skating?"
Winter in the south is not as cold as in the north. Heavy snow is rare, and the river surface cannot form such thick ice, so Yun Ran has never played ice skating.
In fact, she learned the word "ice skating" from Aunt Lan Gui. It was said that there was once an unfavored beauty who danced on ice and won the emperor's favor with one dance. From then on, she was favored by the emperor and soared to the sky.
She listened with great interest and asked, "And then?"
Aunt Lan Gui laughed: "It's just a story, there's no further story."
At this moment, Yun Ran told this story to Sima Jing, and then asked eagerly, "Your Highness, have you ever played ice skating?"
Sima Jing frowned and said nothing.
The winter in Rongdi was even colder than that in Chang'an. In October every year, thousands of miles of land were covered with ice and snow, and the weather did not warm up until February of the following year.
For him, the long winter that lasted for half a year was a world of red, swollen and pus-oozing chilblains, limbs frozen and blue, and painful suffering that he did not want to recall.
As for the beauty dancing on ice that Yun Ran mentioned, he seemed to have some impression of her—
That winter, my father suddenly brought back a beautiful woman from the hot spring palace.
But not long after, the beauty died.
As for how he died, he didn't know.
All he knew was that one day, the eunuch took him to play with a spinning top in the courtyard, and someone came to report to his mother that a concubine had died.
He asked his mother, "What died?"
The Queen Mother smiled at him and said, "It's okay. A cat died in the backyard."
The reason why Nanny Lan Gui didn't go any further was probably because she didn't want to scare her.
…
Seeing that Sima Jing remained silent, Yun Ran assumed that he had never played before either, and shook his arm expectantly: "How about we give it a try?"
Sima Jing: "No try."
Yun Ran: "Why? Look how happy they are playing."
Sima Jing: "I don't want to."
He hated the ice and the river.
"Well, if you don't want to play, forget it."
Yun Ran responded sullenly, but looking at the children on the ice playing excitedly and laughing continuously, envy could not help but appear in his eyes.
It looks like really fun.
Why does he always refuse to try new things?
Sima Jing saw the disappointment in her eyes and said thoughtfully, "If you are interested, let Changchun and Qingling accompany you."
There was a tea stall on the shore. He said, "I'll wait for you there. Have a cup of tea."
Yun Ran was immediately delighted when he heard this: "Really? That's great!"
She quickly stepped forward and hugged Sima Jing: "Thank you, husband!"
He turned around and called Qingling and Changchun: "Hurry up and put the things in the tea stall. We only have a cup of tea, let's play quickly."
Sima Jing: “…”
Soon, he found a spot at the tea stall facing the river, surrounded by piles of "trophies" from the market.
The tea stall owner rarely saw such a handsome man, and seeing that his aura was not that of an ordinary person, he thought he must be a young man from a noble family in Chang'an.
So he respectfully served Sima Jing a bowl of tea, followed his gaze toward the river, and said with a smile, "Is that your wife? She looks like she's only been married for a short time."
Sima Jing has never been interested in chatting with others.
Hearing what the tea stall owner said, he raised his eyebrows slightly: "Why do you say that?"
The tea stall owner had the look of a seasoned man: "Only newlyweds have the patience to stay with their young wife in the cold weather. How could a couple who have been married for many years have such patience?"
Sima Jing said nothing when he heard this, but just looked at the ice surface not far away.
The setting sun shone obliquely, and the golden-red afterglow enveloped the young lady who was spreading her arms and carefully stepping on the pulley to keep her balance. She was obviously afraid, but her courage to try made the smile on her fair face as bright as a spring flower, bright and charming.
Sima Jing felt that the tea stall owner was wrong——
This scene is not just happening this year.
He hopes to see her again next year, the year after, and every year thereafter.
After a while, Yun Ran's condition gradually improved. He could slide up slowly on his own without the support of Chang Chun and others.
When Sima Jing saw her gliding on the ice like a little dragonfly, a faint smile appeared in his eyes.
Looking at the tea in the bowl again, I have already drunk most of it, and it is time to go.
But she was having so much fun, maybe she'd have another bowl?
While I was thinking, a scream suddenly came from the front: "Ah——"
Sima Jing looked up.
I saw a little boy in a red jacket on the ice. Perhaps he was too anxious and slipped, and rushed straight towards the gap in the middle of the river where there was no ice.
With a "plop" sound, the child fell into the glacier.
"Oh no! A child fell into the water!"
"Help, someone come quickly!"
The people around were suddenly panicked. Some screamed and retreated, while others tried to find a bamboo pole but couldn't find one.
Sima Jing frowned.
But seeing that Yun Ran and the other three were still staying on the ice, his brows relaxed a little.
He had no intention of meddling in other people's affairs.
Seeing Yun Ran taking off his skates and looking like he was going to join in the fun, he finally put down his tea bowl and planned to call him back.
The messy scene would not be worth it if we were pushed into the river.
"Boss, let me put the things here for you first."
Sima Jing put down a piece of silver and said, "I'll come get it later."
The tea stall owner also craned his neck to watch the fun from the railing. When he saw the ingot of silver, his eyes lit up: "Okay, go ahead. I'll take good care of it for you."
He just thought that this elegant young man was going to watch the fun.
After all, who doesn't like to watch the fun?
But before Sima Jing could leave the tea stall, he heard another scream from the ice: "Madam!"
Everyone at the tea stall looked in the direction of the sound.
When he saw the familiar mauve figure diving into the icy lake without hesitation, Sima Jing's dark pupils suddenly shrank.
…
Before jumping into the river, Yun Ran guessed that the water would be cold, but he didn't expect it to be this cold.
She was so cold that her scalp numbed and her whole body stiffened.
Fortunately, I had just been ice skating, so my hands and feet were flexible. Otherwise, if I jumped down without any warm-up, I would probably get cramps.
She tried hard to ignore the pervasive dampness and coldness, waving her arms and legs vigorously, swimming towards the boy who was already sinking.
This was probably the most difficult swimming experience she had had since she learned to swim.
Fortunately, the child had lost consciousness and stopped struggling, so she was able to pull him smoothly and swim towards the ice surface with a grunt.
The icy water had soaked her clothes and stuck to her skin, making her arms numb from the cold, but she didn't dare to relax.
"My wife! My wife!"
"Princess, please be careful—"
Qingling and Changchun stood on the shore, one with red eyes and anxiously jumping up and down, while the other was so nervous that he wanted to kneel on the ground and kowtow to the river god.
"Ahem...I'm fine..."
Yun Ran was already panting heavily and pushed the boy forward with all his strength: "Help me."
The adults who were watching also came to their senses and rushed forward to help.
Everyone worked together to pull the little boy ashore, and then went to pull Yun Ran: "Madam, come here!"
Just as Yun Ran was about to grab the hand of one of the villagers, a dark shadow covered his head.
Before she could look up, her red, frozen wrist was grasped by a broad hand, and then another hand grabbed her shoulder.
Yun Ran felt like a radish, being pulled out of the freezing cold river water by those hands with a "splash".
The next moment, she, the carrot, was embraced in a solid and warm embrace.
Yun Ran was shocked.
Even though her brain was a little dulled by the ice water, her instinct told her to immediately push the person in front of her away: "Let go!"
She raised her head and saw a familiar beautiful face.
"Your Highness? It's you."
Yun Ran breathed a sigh of relief. She had thought that some daring scoundrel was taking advantage of the chaos.
But she soon realized that something was wrong. The man's face was as dark as ink, and his eyes were like fire, with sparks emitting from them.
The arms that held her tightly were so strong that they almost crushed her bones.
"My Lord...husband, please let go..."
Before she could even utter the word "I", the man stared at her intently, his hoarse voice filled with gnashing teeth and fierceness: "Yun Ran, are you crazy?"
Yun Ran was stunned: "What?"
"Are you stupid or foolish!"
Seeing her still bewildered, Sima Jing couldn't suppress his anger, his breathing becoming unsteady. "Do you realize how dangerous that was? Do you know how deep and cold the river was? If you had a cramp, if that kid had pulled you back, or if you had died in the river from exhaustion, what would you have done?"
Yun Ran was already shivering from the cold, and his bones ached from being pinched by him. Now, hearing his fierce questioning, the tip of his nose suddenly felt sore, and his eyes couldn't help but turn red.
"Did I do something bad?"
Sima Jing was stunned.
"I just wanted to save people. Did I do anything wrong?"
Yun Ran sniffed, raised his face, which was red and white from the cold, and trembled in his soft voice due to the cold: "If I am not wrong, why are you so mean to me..."
Looking at the little girl in front of him with wet black hair and pale face, Sima Jing's heart suddenly tightened.
“…”
He held her head and hugged her tightly in his arms: "Ranran, I'm sorry."
He was just, too scared.
The moment he saw her jump into the river, he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.
The despair of struggling in the river and being ruthlessly abandoned sixteen years ago came back again.
He thought he had forgotten it long ago, but that horrible, cold and damp feeling was so clear, tightly wrapped around him like a nightmare, suffocating him.
"...I was wrong. I shouldn't have been so mean to you."
The man's hoarse murmur came again. Yun Ran was stunned. With his ear pressed against his chest, he could hear Sima Jing's heartbeat so clearly for the first time.
Boom, boom, boom, boom, like a summer rainstorm, and also like drumbeats.
It was so intense, so chaotic, and so loud that it made her eardrums numb.
How could his heart beat so fast...
Compared to her previous symptoms, his condition is more like an illness, right?
"My dear, the lady's dress is all wet."
Chang Chun stepped forward tremblingly and reminded: "Let's find a place to change clothes first."
Sima Jing finally came to his senses and picked up the person in his arms.
Chang Chun was very perceptive. He took the white fox fur cloak from Qing Ling's hand and quickly handed it forward: "My dear."
Sima Jing wrapped Yun Ran tightly in his cloak, but Yun Ran tugged at his collar and poked his head out, "How's the child?"
Even though he was so cold, he still had the time to ask those irrelevant people.
Suppressing the restlessness in his heart, Sima Jing looked at the secret guards mixed in the crowd and said, "Let's go and take a look."
The secret guard immediately pushed through the crowd to feel the child's pulse and breath.
"Master, he is still alive." said the secret guard.
Sima Jing hummed, then met Yun Ran's dark eyes filled with anticipation. He pursed his lips and said in a deep voice, "You stay and take care of him. Make sure he survives."
After saying that, he didn't stop and strode towards the shore.
Chang Chun, Qing Ling and three other disguised secret guards hurriedly followed.
It was not until the group walked away that the people gathered on the ice woke up from their dream and started to talk in low voices.
"Did they call His Highness and the Princess just now?"
“…It seems so.”
"Your Highness is the title for the prince, right?"
“…It seems so.”
"That servant who followed him has a pale face and no beard, and his manners are feminine. Could he be a eunuch?"
“…Uh, huh?”
"Tsk tsk, incredible! This kid from the Yang family is really lucky. He was saved by such a noble person?"
"The Yang family's ancestral tomb is really emitting green smoke..."
Yun Ran had no idea what kind of discussion her act of saving people had left in the town. She only knew that it was not easy to be a hero who bravely stood up for justice.
She felt dizzy and weak in the limbs, and was almost dying.
Even though Sima Jing carried her to the inn in the town as quickly as possible and found hot water, ginger tea, and clean clothes, it still took him quite a while.
When she got on the carriage back to the palace, she curled up in Sima Jing's arms like a baby in swaddling clothes.
Although Yun Ran was very dizzy, she was still somewhat conscious. With the dim candlelight in the car, she saw the man's frown that had been on his face since he came to the river.
"Your Highness, please stop frowning..."
She tried to reach out and smooth out those two beautifully shaped thick eyebrows.
As soon as he stretched it out, Sima Jing grabbed it and stuffed it back into the quilt without saying anything: "Don't move."
Although he tried his best to restrain himself, his tone still revealed a hint of coldness and hardness.
Yun Ran bit her lip and said, "Your Highness, please don't be angry."
Sima Jing: "Not angry."
Yun Ran: "You said you weren't angry, but your face is as black as the bottom of a pot."
Sima Jing's jaw tightened slightly, and he lowered his eyes, looking at the little girl wrapped in a blue quilt with only her head exposed. "You did a good thing, why should I be angry? I should be happy for you."
Yun Ran: “…”
Is this a compliment to her? Why does she feel it is a bit sarcastic?
"Your Highness, I know I've made you worried, but the situation is urgent..."
Before he could finish his words, his throat started to itch: "Ahem!"
He kept coughing until his little white face turned red.
Seeing her pitiful appearance, Sima Jing raised his hand and patted her on the back.
He picked up the water bag beside him and fed her warm ginger tea.
Yun Ran held his hand, lowered her thick eyelashes, and drank tea in small sips. Sima Jing looked into her eyes, but felt an indescribable pain in his chest.
How could there be someone like her in the world?
The world is bustling with people, all for the sake of profit; the world is in turmoil, all for the sake of profit.
There were a lot of people gathered on the ice, but no one else went down, so she dived in.
What does other people's lives have to do with her? Hasn't she always cherished her life and insisted on living to be a hundred years old?
Has he really become stupid from chanting so much?
"Okay, I won't drink anymore."
Yun Ran shook his head weakly.
Sima Jing put the water bag aside, looked at her sick and red face under the candlelight, reached out and touched it, and his face suddenly became even gloomier.
Yun Ran came forward and rubbed his palm with her soft and hot cheek: "Your Highness, please don't be angry."
She had a fever, her eyes were blurry, and she kept muttering, "I don't like the way you frown and look so stern."
"...I don't like you being mean to me even more."
"I know you're worried about me, but please don't be mean to me, okay..."
"I would feel bad too, I almost cried..."
He murmured again and again, but his breath became weaker and weaker.
Sima Jing felt as if a huge rock was pressing on his chest, so heavy that he could hardly breathe.
After a while, he lowered his head, rested his hand against the girl's hot forehead, and said in a hoarse voice, "Okay, I won't frown, nor will I look stern."
"I won't be cruel to you anymore."
Patting her back with his big hands, he coaxed her in a softer and gentler tone than ever before: "Don't talk anymore now, close your eyes, and have a good sleep. When you open your eyes tomorrow morning, everything will be fine, okay?"
Yun Ran gradually relaxed in this voice as gentle as a spring breeze, but a trace of rationality still struggled: "Really? Don't lie to me."
"real."
Sima Jing kissed her eyes and said, "My husband will not lie to you."
After hearing these words of affirmation, Yun Ran finally closed his eyes and let his consciousness fall into a deep sleep.
Sima Jing continued to press his forehead against hers until he heard her breathing become slow and even, then he stood up.
Although the person in his arms had red cheeks, he was sleeping soundly.
He stared at the well-behaved and peaceful sleeping face, his eyes filled with an unfathomable complexity and obscurity.
***
"Are you crazy?"
"Are you a fool, a fool?"
"Yunwu, I don't want to see you again. Go as far away as you can..."
In the darkness, Yun Ran was ruthlessly pushed away by the man.
The next moment, she fell into a freezing cold pool and fell straight down.
"No, don't!"
Yun Ran shouted and suddenly opened his eyes. His smooth forehead was covered with fine, dense sweat.
What came into view was the familiar apricot-yellow curtain with twined branches, not the dark and cold deep pool.
"Ranran, are you awake?"
A familiar voice called out from behind the curtain. Yun Ran just turned her head and saw Zheng, dressed in a dark blue jacket and skirt, walking quickly towards her. Her kind and gentle face was filled with worry. "You're finally awake! I scared you to death."
Yun Ran was surprised and spoke hoarsely, "Mother?"
"It's me."
Zheng walked to the bedside and grasped her daughter's hands. Seeing her haggard and pale face, her eyes couldn't help but redden: "You, child, how could you be so impulsive! It's good to be brave and righteous, but it's so cold, and the river is so icy, how could you just jump in? If anything happens to you, what do you want me to do..."
Seeing her eyes turn red, Yun Ran felt very uncomfortable and whispered, "Mother, I'm sorry for making you worry."
As she said this, she was about to sit up.
Zheng quickly pushed her down and said, "Your fever has just subsided and you're still weak. Don't move around."
Yun Ran blinked: "I...I want to drink some water."
"Then don't move, I'll pour it for you."
Zheng quickly poured a glass of water, and then took a pillow to support Yun Ran behind her back, helping her drink the water: "Slowly, slowly, don't choke."
Yun Ran originally wanted to say that she could drink it herself, but it felt good to be taken care of by her mother, and she was reluctant to refuse.
After drinking two cups of warm water from Zheng's hand, Yun Ran's throat felt much better, but his body was still weak and powerless. "Mother, why are you here? Where is His Highness?"
"I heard you were ill, so I came to see how you were doing. As for Your Highness..."
Zheng reached out and pinched Yun Ran's nose. "You troublesome little thing! You had a fever all night yesterday, and you kept calling out 'His Highness, His Highness'. His Highness stayed by your bed all night. If I hadn't rushed over and persuaded him to rest, he would have stayed by your bed until you woke up."
Prince Jing is the Queen Mother's favorite, and Zheng dare not let Prince Jing continue to wait.
If this got to the ears of the Empress Dowager, she might blame her own Ranran for being arrogant because of her favor.
However, Zheng also realized this time that King Jing obviously valued his daughter a lot, and her own dull daughter also knew that she was thinking about King Jing.
"Just now I heard you call him Your Highness."
Zheng deliberately put on an angry look: "Why, you haven't been married for long, and you don't want to see your mother anymore, you only want to see your husband?"
Yun Ran was stunned for a moment, and then his face suddenly became hot: "No!"
She held onto Zheng and said seriously, "I'm so happy to see you, mother. I was just curious about where your highness went, so I asked."
Zheng chuckled, "It's better this way. Otherwise, if he forgets me because he has a husband, I'll be heartbroken."
The mother and daughter talked affectionately for a while.
After learning the whole story of yesterday, Zheng was proud of her daughter's kindness and courage, but also felt heartbroken and worried.
Fortunately, the imperial physician examined her and said that she had a good foundation and drank ginger soup in time. She just caught a cold and had a high fever, and her condition was not seriously damaged. As long as she rested well for a while, she would be fine.
"Just don't be so impulsive in the future!"
Zheng sighed, "Things are different now. You have your mother, your father, your brother and his wife, and His Royal Highness Prince Jing. So many people care about you and are concerned about you. If anything happens to you, we will all be sad, understand?"
Yun Ran naturally knew this truth. He just thought that he saw a child fall into the water and no one came to rescue him. In the moment of desperation, he didn't care about anything else.
Now that I think about it, I was indeed a bit impulsive.
"I understand, mother."
Seeing that she was obedient, Zheng didn't say anything more. She just looked outside and said, "Lie down first. I'll have someone bring some food over."
Yun Ran: "Thank you, mother."
Zheng rubbed her head and said, "Silly child, you are so polite."
She quickly got up and went out.
After lying down for a day and a night, Yun Ran was indeed a little hungry.
While she was lazily lying on the pillow waiting for food, she was thinking about how she got back yesterday.
After thinking for a long time, she could only recall her being held in Sima Jing's arms. He seemed to be coaxing her very gently, saying that he would never be mean to her again, nor would he lie to her...
Is this true, or is she just imagining it because she was delirious with fever?
Before she woke up, she dreamed that he pushed her away fiercely and said he never wanted to see her again.
Suddenly, footsteps were heard outside the screen.
Are you back so soon?
Yun Ran also came back to his senses from his messy thoughts and looked outside the bed.
However, the person who was walking slowly from behind the screen with food in his hands was not Zheng, but Sima Jing, who was dressed in a black robe and had no emotion on his face.
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The author has something to say: The rescue plot is just a prelude, so I won’t spoil it for now.
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