Chapter 82 [82] "After washing, I will touch you." ...
【82】/First release
Yun Rui is tall and strong with a loud voice. When he laughs, the ground seems to shake.
Beggar No. 1 Yun Ran touched his face and said, "Is it really that dark? I've been wearing a mask all the way."
Beggar No. 2, Yun Shang, let out a howl and turned around to shine the sword's light on his face. "Impossible, absolutely impossible! I haven't even married yet, how can I be darker than you?"
Yun Rui saw the two guys in such a mess. After laughing, he felt distressed.
"Alright, alright, pack up your things and come back home with me."
Yun Rui first glanced at the dark-skinned Yun Shang, then at the dirty Yun Ran. He caught a glimpse of her pointed chin and frowned, "How come you've lost so much weight since you got married last year? Doesn't King Jing give you food?"
"I'm not thinner, I just grew taller. My mother said I'm growing taller."
Yun Ran said, and then looked puzzled: "How did Second Brother know we were here?"
Yun Rui said, "Brother sent me a message as soon as you left Chang'an. I figured you'd arrive in the next few days. Hey, I didn't expect you to be so fast. Today was my first time staking out your position, and I caught you red-handed!"
Yun Ran: “…”
He was catching rabbits.
Yun Shang put away his sword and looked at Yun Rui as if he had found a lifeline. "Thank goodness you're here, second brother. Otherwise, this stinky girl who values women over brothers would have dragged me along the side roads and wouldn't have given me a break for the whole day—"
As he spoke, he raised his sleeves and pretended to wipe away tears. If it weren't for the inconvenience caused by gender differences, he would have wanted to take off his pants to show the blisters he had developed over the past few days.
It hurts, a burning pain.
Is it possible that my sister has an iron butt and doesn’t feel pain?
Yun Ran naturally felt pain too.
But she had been used to doing rough labor since she was a child, so these minor pains and injuries were no longer surprising to her. Her ability to endure hardship and pain far exceeded that of her fourth brother, who had lived a life of luxury and had never suffered any hardship.
What's more, she was thinking about rushing to Xunyang. When people are motivated, the pain becomes insignificant.
"Okay, my sister didn't even scream, why are you howling here?"
Yun Rui patted Yun Shang's shoulder vigorously and said, "Get on your horses, let's go back to the mansion and let your second sister-in-law prepare a table of delicious food."
When Yun Shang heard that there was something delicious to eat, he cheered and immediately packed up his water bag and dry food.
Yun Ran bit her lip and didn't move for a long time.
Seeing this, Yun Rui still didn't understand——
It turned out that what the eldest brother said in the letter was true. My sister had the same temper as him and was also a stubborn donkey.
Yun Rui was happy that he and his sister had something in common. He felt that she was worthy of being his sister, as she was so loyal and never left her lover.
"Ranran, come here."
Yun Rui called Yun Ran to the back of a big tree, then mysteriously took out something from his arms and handed it to her: "Here."
When Yun Ran saw clearly what his second brother handed over, he was stunned for a moment.
That is a thread of longevity.
She specially wrote it as a New Year's gift for Sima Jing.
"How did this end up in Second Brother's hands?"
Yun Ran took it in surprise and looked at it carefully twice. It was indeed the one she gave to Sima Jing.
Yun Rui looked around and lowered his voice: "It's a long story, but the person you want to see is at my house."
It is true that when you are at the end of your rope, there is always a way out!
Yun Ran's eyes suddenly shone brightly, and her clear voice trembled slightly: "Really?"
Yun Rui raised his eyebrows: "Would Second Brother lie to you again?"
Although he had the least contact with his second brother, Yun Ran instinctively trusted him.
Without wasting a moment, he put the longevity thread into his arms and ran directly to the horse: "Then let's go!"
Yun Shang, who was still tying the water bag, watched his sister jump onto the horse in a flash and asked, "......?"
Weren't you determined not to go just a moment ago? How come you changed your mind after just two sentences?
"Fourth brother, stop dawdling and hurry up."
"Yeah, Shiro, you're so slow and in a hurry to go back for dinner."
Yun Shang: “……?”
What kind of people are these?
***
An hour later, the group galloped and finally arrived at a house with two entrances and exits in the north of Yuzhou City before sunset.
Because their term of office was only three years and they would be transferred at the end of the year, Yun Rui and his wife did not purchase a mansion in Yuzhou. Instead, they signed a three-year contract to rent this quaint and elegant house.
The house was more than enough for the couple and their twenty or so servants.
It's just that there have been more guests in the mansion recently, and two days ago, she received a letter from Chang'an saying that Silang and her younger sister had left the capital together, so they might have to be troubled to settle them. This really kept Lu Lingzhen busy for a while.
After all, my sister-in-law is also a princess, so her food and supplies cannot be neglected. She must prepare high-quality bed sheets, quilt covers, towels, washbasins, incense and dressing boxes.
As for her brother-in-law, even though her husband said Silang could arrange it at will, Lu Lingzhen couldn't really treat him casually, so she ordered the servants to clean the guest room spotlessly and make sure everything was complete.
Just as Lu Lingzhen instructed the kitchen to prepare a pot of good wine, a maid's voice came from outside the house: "Madam, the Second Master is back."
Lu Lingzhen stood up quickly and raised her hand to adjust her hair: "Is there something wrong with my makeup?"
Yuzhu, the personal maid, said with a smile, "Everything is in perfect order. The blue brocade skirt that my lady is wearing today is bright and fresh, and she is slender and graceful. She is so elegant that I guarantee that our Second Master will be unable to take his eyes off her."
Lu Lingzhen's cheeks flushed slightly, and she hit her with her fan: "You're talking nonsense, is that what I'm asking?"
Yuzhu's eyes curved: "Yes, yes, meeting guests is also very proper, there is nothing wrong with it."
"I won't argue with a girl like you."
Lu Lingzhen calmed down a bit and put her hand on Yuzhu's arm: "Let's go, follow me to welcome the guests."
As soon as the master and servant passed through the second gate, they heard the husband's thunderous voice coming from behind the screen wall:
"Zhenniang, Zhenniang, I'm back!"
She didn’t think it was a big deal before, but today when she knew her younger brother and sister were there and her husband was still yelling at her like that, Lu Lingzhen’s thin face became hot again.
"I'm here."
She replied softly, and the next moment, she saw her tall and burly husband leading two dusty beggars behind the screen wall.
When I took a closer look at the two people dressed in dusty and tattered Taoist robes, I realized they were none other than my younger brother-in-law and sister-in-law.
Lu Lingzhen was surprised: "How...how did it become like this?"
Yun Ran and Yun Shang were also quite embarrassed.
In front of their second brother, who was dark, strong and rough, they didn't think there was anything wrong.
But now, seeing the second sister-in-law with outstanding temperament and elegant appearance, they both blushed in embarrassment, rubbed their hands together, and said shyly, "Hello, second sister-in-law."
It was already awkward enough, but then the second brother squeezed in, took hold of her with his big hands, stretched his head and smiled at Lu Lingzhen, "Mother Zhen, look, aren't they darker than me?"
Yun Ran Yun Shang: "..."
Lu Lingzhen: “…”
She covered her lips with her fan and coughed softly, "Husband, don't be like this."
As he spoke, he ordered the maidservant: "Hurry up and ask the kitchen to boil some water."
Yuzhu understood and quickly retreated.
Lu Lingzhen smiled gently and said, "You must have been tired after traveling all this time. The room has been cleaned up. You can take a shower and change clothes first. After you're done, we can eat."
She walked over to Yun Ran and looked at the gray-faced little sister, her eyes filled with heartache and worry: "You are really very brave."
Yun Ran hadn't expected to see his second sister-in-law again in such a miserable state. He smiled shyly and said, "Thank you for your concern, second brother and sister-in-law."
"We are one family and we don't talk behind each other's backs."
Lu Lingzhen raised her hand and was about to take Yun Ran's arm: "Let's go, I'll take you to your room."
Yun Ran dodged and said, "Don't touch me, sister-in-law. I haven't showered for three days. I don't want to stink you up."
Lu Lingzhen: “…”
Yun Ran blushed, but because her face was dirty, the blush was not very obvious.
Yun Rui quickly took three steps away from Yun Shang, pinching his nose again, "Alright, Fourth Brother, come with me. I'll take you to your room to take a shower."
Yun Shang: “……?”
I haven't pinched my nose all the way, but now I'm pinching my nose. Aren't you being too specific, second brother?
No matter what, Yun Shang, with a depressed look on his face, was taken to the guest room by Yun Rui.
Yun Ran followed Lu Lingzhen in another direction.
Although they didn't hold hands, they walked side by side.
Seeing that no one was following him, Yun Ran whispered, "Second sister-in-law, where is His Highness? Is he okay? I want to see him first."
Lu Lingzhen slowed down her pace, hesitated for a moment, frowned and said, "I wonder if he is awake or asleep now..."
Yun Ran was shocked: "It's not even dark yet, and he's already asleep?"
Lu Lingzhen looked at her sister-in-law's clear eyes and sighed: "Forget it, you will know it when you see it."
The direction of travel did not change, it was still the same road, passing a winding corridor and passing through two moon-shaped doors, and finally arrived at a small courtyard hidden in the green bamboo forest.
"That's it."
Lu Lingzhen pushed the door open and walked into the courtyard. The man guarding the door with a sword suddenly looked up. After seeing who was coming, the vigilance in his eyes disappeared: "Greetings, Madam."
When his eyes fell on the ragged figure behind Lu Lingzhen, he was stunned and hesitated.
It was Yun Ran who shouted in surprise first, "Commander Geng?"
The man holding a sword standing guard at the door was none other than the captain of the guard, Geng Dong.
Geng Dong also confirmed the identity of the visitor from this familiar voice: "Princess, Princess? Is it really you?"
When he first saw the man with disheveled hair and blue clothes, he didn't dare to recognize him.
"It's me."
Seeing an acquaintance, Yun Ran couldn't hide his joy in his voice: "That's great, you're okay, then His Highness must be okay too, where are the others?"
Geng Dong bowed and said, "Your Highness just took medicine half an hour ago and is now asleep in the room."
Yun Ran: "Take medicine?"
Geng Dong hesitated for a moment, straightened his expression, and whispered a brief account of the assassination that day.
"That day, the Xunyang Governor specially prepared a boat banquet for Your Highness..."
Just as the banquet was filled with singing and dancing, and the atmosphere was harmonious, a group of elite assassins suddenly rushed out and attacked King Jing. The guards fought hard, and when the scene was in chaos, the ship was set on fire again.
At last, King Jing and his men were forced to the deck. At that moment, a stray arrow shot out from the darkness and headed straight for King Jing's heart. Fortunately, Geng Dong protected him with his body, and the arrow deflected and did not hit the vital part.
But the fire spread, the hull collapsed, and the two men fell into the river together.
"Your Highness and I followed the current all the way to the Huangshi area. We wanted to return to Xunyang, but Your Highness asked us to hire a boat and secretly come to Yuzhou."
Geng Dong said, "Although His Highness did not suffer any vital injuries, his wounds were soaked for a long time and were not treated in time. In addition, the journey was bumpy and there was a lack of medical care and medicine. When he arrived in Yuzhou, he had a high fever and was half-conscious."
Yun Ran took a deep breath and his heart tightened.
Lu Lingzhen hurriedly said, "Don't worry, sister. Your second brother and I have found the best doctor in the city and used two old mountain ginsengs. Your Highness is out of danger now, but he is still weak. The doctor has instructed him to rest and recuperate."
Geng Dong also nodded quickly: "Yes, yes, His Highness is now fine."
When Yun Ran heard that his life was not in danger, he finally felt relieved.
Looking at the tightly closed door, she said, "I'll go in and take a look."
Lu Lingzhen nodded: "Go ahead."
Geng Dong also stepped aside and opened the door for her.
The house was not very big. As soon as I stepped in, I was hit by a strong smell of medicine, which seemed to be mixed with a faint smell of blood.
Yun Ran calmly clenched his palms, lightened his steps, and slowly walked towards the dimly lit inner room.
A dark green curtain hung over the bunk bed against the wall. Only half of it was hanging down, and the other half was rolled up, so that someone could check the situation at any time.
As Yun Ran looked at the man lying quietly on the bed with his eyes closed, his throat seemed to be strangled by an invisible hand.
For a moment I forgot to breathe.
From the end of January to the reunion in mid-May, they had been apart for nearly four months...
When Yun Ran received the return letter from Sima Jing not long ago, he was still imagining many scenarios of their reunion in his mind -
She thought that she should take a carriage to Baqiao to pick him up, and he would definitely be surprised.
She also wanted to tell him that she now knew the difference between the two kinds of liking, and that her liking for him was the kind of liking that comes between a man and a woman.
He would definitely be even happier, and maybe he would hug her and kiss her in the carriage just like he did when they parted...
Forget it, I'll just wait until we get back to the palace to tell him that I like him.
…
She imagined many reunion scenes, some surprising, some sweet, but not the one in front of her.
She was disheveled and dusty, while he looked haggard and unconscious.
I felt sad and uncomfortable, but when I saw the chest of the person on the bed rising and falling slightly, I knew he was still alive, and all the emotions left was a deep sense of relief.
Fortunately, no one is hurt.
This is enough to soothe all sorrow, fatigue and sadness.
Yun Ran stood quietly beside the bed, his eyes fixed on the familiar handsome face.
Her face was cold and pale, and her jaw was thin, but she was beautiful. Even though she was sick, she had a kind of morbid beauty that was thin, green, and pale, lonely and fragile.
"well……"
Yun Ran couldn't help but sigh in her heart. She finally understood why there was the saying "Xi Shi holds her heart" and "Dong Shi imitates her".
Looking at Sima Jing's sickly and quiet appearance, she couldn't help but feel a sense of pity for him.
It’s a pity that she is dirty at the moment, otherwise she would touch his face up and down.
"I'm glad you're okay."
She murmured something and didn't stay any longer. She planned to take a shower first and come see him later.
I didn't expect that as soon as I turned around, my sleeve was suddenly grabbed.
Yun Ran was slightly startled. She turned around and saw the man who was still drowsy just now with his dark eyes half open. He tilted his head to look at her, his brows slightly furrowed. "Yun Ran?"
There was a hint of doubt in the deep and hoarse voice.
Yun Ran didn't expect that he would wake up.
What was even more unexpected was that even though she looked like a ghost, he could still recognize her?
"Are you awake?"
But she was still happy, looking at him with sparkling eyes: "It's me, you are not dreaming, nor are you sick and confused, it's really me."
The man's eyes were fully open, but his brows were still furrowed. "Why are you..."
"Why am I here?"
Yun Ran quickly replied, "I received an urgent report from Xunyang, knowing that you had been assassinated and drowned. I was worried, so I went out with my fourth brother to look for you. Unexpectedly, as soon as we reached the border of Yuzhou, my second brother intercepted us, and then we ended up here."
Sima Jing: "You..."
"Don't talk yet."
Yun Ran interrupted him. Seeing that he seemed to want to get up, she pushed him down again: "You are still weak, so just lie down. I... I stink right now, so I won't get close to you. Wait until I'm clean, then I'll touch you again."
As she spoke, she stepped back, fearing that the dust and dirt on her body would stain his clothes and bed. "I'll be right back when I'm done. It won't be long."
"Wait for me."
Seeing the room was dark, Sima Jing, whose head was still dizzy due to the drug's effects, stared at the dark blue curtains with his eyes slightly shaking.
Was everything that just happened really not just his illusion?
**
Yun Ran's residence is not far from Zhuyuan.
But even though she showered as quickly as possible, she couldn't take a shower for three days due to the long journey in the summer, and the dirt and mud rubbed off her body required her to change three large buckets of water in a row.
Seeing the servants in her second brother's house carrying water back and forth, Yun Ran felt embarrassed and whispered to the maid assigned to serve her, "I'm sorry for causing trouble to the kitchen."
The maid hurriedly said, "My lady, please don't say that. You are an honored guest in our house. This is what we should do."
By the time the bath was over, it was already completely dark outside, and lanterns in various parts of the mansion were lit up one after another.
Yun Ran thought that her brothers and sisters-in-law were still waiting for her to eat, so she quickly tied her hair into a bun with a hairpin without waiting for it to dry completely, and went straight to the dining room.
As luck would have it, I happened to meet Yunshang, which was also brand new and full of fragrance, on the road.
When their eyes met, the brother and sister asked in unison: "How many buckets of water did you use?"
Yun Ran: "Ahem, three buckets."
Yun Shang immediately showed a look of disgust: "So many."
Yun Ran: "What about you?"
Yunshang: “…Five barrels.”
Yun Ran: “……?”
Then how could he have the nerve to despise her!
"What are you two doing standing outside? Come in and have your meal."
Yun Rui was extremely hungry. Just as he was about to leave the dining room to look for someone, he saw his younger brother and sister standing at the door. They waved at him hurriedly, "Hurry up, the food is getting cold."
The brother and sister then entered and took their seats.
The dinner was very sumptuous, with all the dishes Yun Ran liked and the wine Yun Shang liked, which showed the care of his brother and sister-in-law.
But Yun Ran was thinking about her frail husband, the prince, so she picked up the bowl and stuffed the food into her mouth.
Yun Shang was stunned. Is he that hungry?
Yun Rui and his wife were deeply distressed and kept picking up food for Yun Ran: "Don't worry, don't worry, eat slowly, there is still a lot."
Yun Ran quickly finished a bowl of rice, put down his bowl and chopsticks, and wiped his mouth with a handkerchief: "Second brother and sister-in-law, you guys eat slowly. His Highness is still waiting for me. I'll go keep him company first and come back to talk to you tomorrow."
After saying that, he left in a hurry holding a lantern.
The three remaining people in the dining room looked at each other in bewilderment. Finally, Yun Shang snorted, "Second brother and sister-in-law, you saw it, didn't you? I told you she was a husband-controlled woman who valued her love over her brother. Following her all the way here almost exhausted me to death."
"What do you know, sister, this is called loyalty and righteousness."
Yun Rui glanced at him and said, "Besides, you're still a brother. Your sister didn't even cry or say she was tired, but you kept complaining. Where's your manliness? Which young lady would dare to marry you like this?"
Yun Shang choked and muttered for a long while, dissatisfied, "Who's been nagging me non-stop? Besides, why are you bringing me into this again?"
Seeing this, Lu Lingzhen hurried to smooth things over: "Okay, Silang has been traveling all day and has been tired. Husband, please stop talking and let him eat well."
Although Yun Rui wanted to teach this lawless and unlearned fourth brother a lesson, he had to suppress his emotions since his wife had spoken. He said, "For the sake of your second sister-in-law, I won't scold you today."
With a stern face, he picked up a chicken drumstick and put it into Yun Shang's bowl. Facing his surprised look, he snorted, "Didn't you say your legs are about to break from running? Like replenishes like, so eat."
Yunshang: “…”
Is this a sign of concern or a scolding of him?
People were eating in the dining room quite lively. In the bamboo garden, when Yun Ran arrived with a lantern, Geng Dong was already waiting at the door.
Seeing the princess in her elegant dress and with her black hair tied up, Geng Dong felt as if she were a fairy from the Jade Pool. He quickly bowed his head and greeted her, not daring to look at her any longer. "Your Highness, you are finally here. His Highness has been asking about you since he woke up."
Yun Ran was too embarrassed to say that she had been showering for most of the hour, so she just asked, "Have you had dinner yet?"
Geng Dong: "Thank you for your inquiry, Princess. I have already had dinner. Your Highness also had a bowl of medicinal food and two cakes half an hour ago."
"That's good."
Yun Ran nodded, without further ado, and pushed the door open and walked in.
With candles lit in the house, it was no longer as dim as it was in the evening.
The windows on both sides were also opened, and the early summer evening breeze blew past, dispersing some of the bitter smell of medicine. There seemed to be a faint fragrance of bamboo leaves in the air, which made people feel relaxed and happy.
Yun Ran locked the door from the inside and walked towards the inner room again, but his heart was beating inexplicably irregularly.
Throbbing, jumping non-stop...
It's strange. I had seen this before, but I wasn't nervous then. Why am I nervous now?
Before she could figure it out, the tall figure as pure as jade beside the bed came into her sight.
The pale yellow candlelight fell on a man in ivory-white pajamas. He sat leaning against the pillow, his black hair loose, and slowly turned his head to look outside.
Her skin is cold and white, and her eyebrows and eyes are beautiful.
She was obviously so haggard and pale, yet she looked so pale and beautiful, like a ghost in the mountains, which was frightening.
Yun Ran stared blankly for a moment.
She finally understood why the scholars in the novels did not run away when they saw the beautiful female ghost, and only stopped when she was hooked and her yang energy was sucked away.
If Sima Jing tried to seduce her like this, she would probably not be able to resist.
She stood there in a daze, her mind wandering.
Sima Jing waited for a long time beside the bed, and saw that she was still standing there like a piece of wood, motionless, with her black eyes slightly narrowed.
How come after several months of separation, this piece of wood not only didn't bloom, but became even more dull and wooden?
"Why are you still standing there like an idiot?"
He spoke in a hoarse voice, his dark eyes looking at her: "Come here."
The familiar voice and tone brought Yun Ran back to her senses, and she walked over.
But with every step she took, the man's gaze on her seemed to grow hotter.
When she was five steps away from the bed, Yun Ran's heart became more and more panicked. She felt that the scorching gaze was about to melt her from head to toe.
She was too familiar with that look.
But he, he is still injured...
"Why so far away?"
The calm voice sounded again, Yun Ran's heart was excited, and she looked up to meet the man's burning eyes: "Didn't you say you would touch me after you washed yourself?"
He raised his hands towards her: "Come on."
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The author has something to say: [Didi, your husband Sima Jiu is sending a post invitation]
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Sorry for the long wait, the red envelope has dropped~[Food]
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