Arriving in Lingzhou, I felt an itch—
Springtime in Lingzhou still carries a damp chill from winter. No one dares to take off their cotton-padded coat in early spring, as a slight lapse in attention could lead to a fatal cold. Therefore, pedestrians on the streets are dressed no differently than in winter, with at most a few scarves and gloves.
The carriage entered the city without hindrance. The guards at the gate of the Prince's mansion looked on incredulously when they saw the carriage coming from this direction. They rubbed their eyes hard and finally saw the badge hanging on the carriage. They scrambled into the mansion to report the news of the Prince's return.
Once the carriage came to a stop, Jiang Yan stepped down the last step of the ladder in her boots, and the important administrators of the Prince's Mansion had already gathered at the gate at lightning speed to welcome her back.
Aunt Pan, who was in the lead, stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, the hot spring pool has been prepared." Her gaze swept from Jiang Yan Hui to Ah Chou, who was standing to the side with a rosy and healthy complexion. Ah Chou's timidity was gone, and her clear eyes were filled with sweet happiness. A faint smile played on her lips, and she was wearing a thin cloak, standing very close to Jiang Yan Hui.
Jiang Yan turned her head and lowered her eyes to look at A Chou, who was greeting Uncle Ban. Noticing her gaze, A Chou looked back at her, a smile appearing before her confusion.
The woman's profile was stunning, exquisitely crafted like a meticulously sculpted masterpiece. Her pale lips were slightly upturned, and her once unruly demeanor softened into gentle warmth. "Having traveled a long way, let's wash away the dust from our bodies first."
They would stop at post stations along the way to rest. In winter, the charcoal fires at the post stations were certainly not as warm as those at the Prince's mansion. To avoid catching a cold, they would simply wash their bodies with hot water. Others might not have felt much of a difference, being able to wash their bodies was already a blessing, but for Jiang Yan Hui, it was an ordeal she had endured the entire journey. The moment she stepped through the gates of Lingzhou City, she felt she had reached the peak of her stench.
The servant who had prepared the bathing supplies quickly withdrew. The servants of the Prince's mansion knew perfectly well that with Ah Chou by the Prince's side, there was no need for anyone else to serve him.
Many bamboo plants have been transplanted around the hot spring pool. They are evergreen and suitable as ornamental plants. In addition, the beautiful qualities attributed to them by literati and poets have made many people have a unique love and longing for the Three Friends of Winter.
The servants retreated from the vicinity of the hot spring pool, and the environment instantly became tranquil and comfortable. Ah Chou helped Jiang Yan Hui remove her outer garments one by one, neatly folding them and placing them on the bamboo rack, looking as focused as if she were doing something important.
After waiting a moment, I heard the sound of water flowing into the water. I breathed a small sigh of relief, rubbed my ears which were red and burning, and then dared to turn around and look.
The weather was exceptionally good today, and the bright sunlight made everything clearly visible. We had seen and touched each other's bodies countless times, but we had never observed each other closely under such bright light.
Ah Chou knew that although Jiang Yan Hui was a general and the King of Jiangbei, she still couldn't avoid being injured in war. In his daily life, he couldn't spare the attention to carefully examine how many scars she had. Often, a single kiss was enough to make the inexperienced Ah Chou retreat step by step, completely defeated and at the mercy of the woman.
Now with a clear mind and bright vision, Ah Chou stared blankly at Jiang Yan Hui's back, which was turned away from him. Terrifying scars covered his back, with two places that looked like they were about to kill him. As he looked, Ah Chou's eyes welled up with tears, and he bit his lower lip, trying to suppress his surging emotions.
At this moment, Jiang Yanhui becomes even more vivid and lifelike. He is not only the high and mighty King of Jiangbei, nor just an unruly young general of Lingzhou, but a true warrior who is willing to go through fire and water for the country and the people.
Ah Chou sniffed, her nose stinging, and lowered her head to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes, her heartache and sadness amplified infinitely.
"Why aren't you getting down? Do you want me to help you take it off?" Jiang Yan turned around and noticed Ah Chou's evasive gaze. She frowned immediately. "Why are you crying?"
Ah Chou squatted down by the hot spring pool, doodled with her fingers on the water, her lips, red from holding back tears, opened and closed repeatedly, unsure how to express her complex emotions through gestures, and even more frustrated that she couldn't speak.
Even though the conditions on the road were harsh, Ah Chou drank the medicine prescribed by the white-haired old man on time without fail, hoping that one day he could wake up and say good morning to Jiang Yan.
Perhaps the more anxious you are about something, the less likely you are to get it; months on the road have passed without any results. A great sadness enveloped Ah Chou, who helplessly withdrew her hand, hugged her knees, and slumped down with her eyes lowered.
With her curled eyelashes, reddish eyes, rosy nose, and full, moist lips, Ah Chou's appearance was undergoing subtle changes under careful grooming, and her every move attracted considerable attention.
The water gurgled as Jiang Yan approached the shore, reaching out to stroke A Chou's cheek. The dampness from his palm soaked half of A Chou's face. A single, crystal-clear tear clung to his raised eyelashes, and his brows and eyes drooped with sorrow, making him both pitiful and irresistibly endearing.
Jiang Yanhui suppressed the wicked thoughts that were rising in her mind, sighed helplessly, and gently and lightly kissed Ah Chou's wet eyelids one kiss after another until the man was surprised and forgot his sadness before she stopped, still wanting more.
The two kissed as often as they ate and drank, sometimes tender, sometimes passionate, sometimes affectionate. For the first time, Ah Chou felt the care and tenderness in Jiang Yan's return kiss, and her eyes welled up with tears again.
"You were happy to be back in Lingzhou on the way, how come you started crying after only a short while?" Jiang Yanhui's voice was low and hoarse with a unique huskiness from exhaustion, penetrating into A Chou's ears and making her earlobes even redder.
Ah Chou's gaze swept over Jiang Yan Hui's skin inch by inch, his fingers lingering on a dagger-length scar on her shoulder. His soft, delicate fingertips gently caressed the raised scar, and recalling the tense situation at the time, his heart trembled.
Her wrist was grasped, and a hot palm slid down to hold his hand. Jiang Yan smiled and said, "Are you being affectionate towards me now?"
Ah Chou turned his face away from the woman's burning gaze and nodded honestly. He felt not only heartache for the dangers Jiang Yan Hui had faced in the past, but also fear for the endless war to come. As long as the situation between Youbu and Lingzhou remained precarious, Jiang Yan Hui, stationed in Lingzhou, would never have a day to relax.
A Chou deeply loves Jiang Yan Hui, yet he is also well aware of his identity as a prince of the You tribe. The tug-of-war between these two feelings always leaves him mentally and physically exhausted.
Jiang Yan Hui, her face etched with worry, glanced at it impassively, her thumb kneading the protruding knuckles of Ah Chou's wrist, and said in a light tone, "Take off your clothes, and I will allow you to bathe in the pool with me."
Just when Ah Chou was feeling most down, Jiang Yanhui pulled Ah Chou back from her increasingly obsessive thoughts. In an instant, a blush spread from her cheeks to her neck, and in a split second, Ah Chou agreed to Jiang Yanhui's suggestion, pulling her hand away after a couple of tugs, her face flushing even more.
Slowly, he took off his cloak, turning to the side to at least cover himself up a bit. He quickly pulled off his outer clothes and took off his pants. Despite the many intimate contacts and caresses, Ah Chou's body still flushed pink with shame. The large expanse of delicate skin from his neck to his chest was like a beautiful flower blooming in spring, bright and charming.
The weather was still cold. After a few gusts of wind, Ah Chou suddenly shivered, rubbing his arms and slowly bending down to step into the water on the stone steps.
The warm water enveloped her slightly cool skin, and Ah Chou shivered comfortably. Holding onto the bank, she walked towards deeper water. When the water reached below her nipples, Ah Chou dared not go any further. The feeling of weightlessness and the stinging pain of suffocation that she couldn't control after falling into the water lingered in her mind, and she cowered, clutching something in her hands.
Jiang Yanhui kept two steps away from him, deliberately teasing Ah Chou by not letting him touch her. Tears welled up in her clear black and white eyes, and her grievances were clearly written on her face. Ah Chou didn't ask for anything, but silently lowered her head and gripped the handrail tightly.
The gentle sound of flowing water arose, and Ah Chou, who had been pretending to be depressed with his head down, secretly raised the corners of his mouth. He couldn't hide the smile in his eyes. He immediately let go of the handrail and rushed towards Jiang Yan Hui, squeezing into the woman's arms and clinging to her like an octopus.
Her beautiful eyes curved into crescent moons, her soft arms wrapped around Jiang Yan Hui's shoulders, and her warm face rubbed against Jiang Yan Hui's cheek.
This was the first time Ah Chou had tried to outsmart Jiang Yan Hui. Although Jiang Yan Hui most likely saw through his feigned sadness, Ah Chou felt incredibly happy because she was willing to cooperate.
"Are you kidding me?" Jiang Yanhui grabbed Ah Chou, who was clinging to her, and held his waist to make sure he wouldn't fall into the water with the slightest sway. Looking down at the person who kept laughing, she couldn't help but smile as well.
The hot water swayed against his lower back, sending a tingling, itchy sensation through his skin. Ah Chou couldn't help but arch his back to avoid it.
"itch--"
A strange and abrupt voice suddenly appeared, and A Chou's smile vanished abruptly. Her eyes widened as she stared at Jiang Yan Hui in disbelief. Whenever she encountered something frightening or uncertain, A Chou would instinctively seek help from Jiang Yan Hui.
Jiang Yan Hui is no better than A Chou. The voice just now definitely wasn't hers. There were only Jiang Yan Hui and A Chou in the entire hot spring pool. Since it wasn't Jiang Yan Hui, it could only be A Chou.
"You just now..."
As soon as Ah Chou confirmed that he wasn't hallucinating, he quickly covered his mouth. The voice he had just heard was hoarse and deep, like rough sandpaper rubbing against smooth porcelain. It wasn't exactly unpleasant to hear, but it certainly wasn't pleasant either.
Ever since the white-haired old man said that he might regain his ability to speak, Ah Chou had imagined countless times what it would be like to speak again, what Jiang Yan Hui's reaction would be, and what he should say as his first words after so long.
The result was that he couldn't stand the itching and cried out that he was itchy.
Under Jiang Yanhui's expectant gaze, A Chou opened her mouth with difficulty, as if a wad of cotton was firmly blocking her throat from making a sound. A Chou frowned anxiously.
Just as Ah Chou was struggling with his throat, a hand stroked his smooth back, soothing his anxious emotions again and again.
"Being able to speak is a good sign. Don't rush, take your time, and don't hurt your voice." Jiang Yanhui's tone was gentle, easily calming Ah Chou's impatient and anxious mood. As she was patted on the back, Ah Chou gradually calmed down.
Jiang Yanhui had originally thought that while inviting him to soak in the pool to relax and cleanse himself, he would also do something exciting. After all, in Jiang Yanhui's eyes, the rest stops along the way were all unclean, and she was unwilling to have intimate contact in that kind of environment.
After hearing herself speak, Jiang Yanhui appeared to be acting normally, but A Chou still sensed the difference in her behavior. For example, she stopped fooling around and quickly washed herself clean and went ashore; another example was that A Chou dried her hair and waited for Doctor Zhang outside the house.
Knowing that the conversation was about him speaking, Ah Chou stood obediently beside Jiang Yan Hui. His indigo clothes made Ah Chou, who had just taken a bath, look even more radiant and fair. His long, dried hair was tied up with a ribbon and hung down in front of him, making him look just like a married man.
"I have reviewed the prescription given by the King, and it is indeed a good prescription for treating the throat and regulating the body. Otherwise, Ah Chou would not have been able to speak in such a short time. You can continue to take this prescription." Doctor Zhang glanced at Ah Chou and continued without changing his expression, "According to the King, Ah Chou will speak when stimulated. Perhaps you can try some external stimulation, which will help speed up the process."
Ah Chou blushed slightly, knowing that there was no shame between patients, but when she learned that Jiang Yan had told Dr. Zhang about what happened at the hot spring, her face couldn't help but feel hot.
"Need some stimulation?" Jiang Yanhui looked thoughtfully at A Chou, whose thoughts had drifted far away, smiled, and said to Doctor Zhang, "I understand."
The prospect of speaking again was no longer a distant hope, and Ah Chou's mood improved. He wished he could wake up one day and be able to converse freely with people. He had so much he wanted to say to Jiang Yan in person, but written expression was always too superficial.
Everyone was working hard to help Ah Chou speak again, and Ah Chou himself naturally couldn't slack off either. After Dr. Zhang left, he took the initiative to dig out his long-unused literacy book, held it and tried to pronounce the words, even if he couldn't make a sound, it would be good to get familiar with the mouth shape.
Just as Ah Chou was immersed in the positive joy of her efforts, the poor little rabbit Ah Chou, who was completely unaware of what Jiang Yan was thinking about that night, was picked up around the waist and thrown onto the bed. From her initial expected obedience to realizing something was wrong and wanting to run away after two times, Ah Chou had already missed the best opportunity.
The constant tossing and turning, like making a pancake, stimulated my fingertips until they trembled and went numb. My unfocused eyes were vacant, and my brain was so excited that I couldn't tell time was passing.
Jiang Yanhui, who had been starving all the way, finally ate her fill tonight. A Chou felt that she was filled with the unique fragrance of Jiang Yanhui, as if she were melting into a puddle of water, only knowing to rise and fall with the movement.
Too much pleasure can become unbearable. Ah Chou vaguely saw the white light shining outside the window, and it took his sluggish brain a long time to realize that it was dawn.
After a night of passion, Ah Chou's mind and body were revitalized, and he realized more deeply how kind and gentle Jiang Yanhui had been to him in the past.
Besides the physical pleasure, Ah Chou also uttered a single word in despair several times when he was on the verge of losing control—"No."
The people in the manor were delighted by Ah Chou's rapid progress, saying that he would definitely be able to speak normally in a few months. Only Ah Chou knew how Jiang Yan Hui had forced him to make such progress. Whenever he met someone who praised him, his face would turn as red as a peach blossom in March.
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