Horseback kiss
Even traveling at full speed without stopping, it would take almost half a month to reach the capital from Lingzhou. A more comfortable caravan would take even longer.
However, Jiang Yanhui was not in a hurry; arriving in the capital before winter was enough.
Even if the interior furnishings of the carriage are made of the finest and softest materials, it is still unbearable to sit in them for a long time on a long journey. It is better on a well-maintained official road, but once you pass through a dirt road that has been neglected for many years, the bumpy and swaying of the carriage is enough to make you suffer.
Ah Chou was incredibly excited about her first time riding in a carriage to a faraway place, especially since she was spending a long time with Jiang Yan Hui, which made her even happier.
But this happiness didn't last long, as the bumpy road made her face turn pale. She went from kneeling properly on the cushion to lying on the carpet in the carriage to relieve her nausea, until Jiang Yan couldn't bear to watch anymore and let her lie down on the soft couch to rest.
Since we decided to set off early, we wouldn't waste too much time on the road. We always made sure to arrive at the post station before dusk. To ensure safety while keeping to a good time, we avoided traveling at night.
I can't remember how many days it's been since I left Lingzhou. The surrounding scenery has become lush and green. I can only admire it for a few moments before I have to lie down. To avoid feeling nauseous, I basically sleep through the day, which is much better than being awake.
The downside is that if you sleep too much during the day, you'll be wide awake at night, which not only makes you feel tired and listless, but it's also very harmful to your health.
As the sun set, the caravan arrived at the inn. Exhausted from the day's work, the group unpacked and ate a simple meal to tide them over. Except for those on night watch, everyone rubbed their eyes, yawned, and went back to their rooms to rest.
"Ah Chou, you look terrible." Dou Yu knew that Ah Chou had been feeling unwell these past few days, and her eyes showed a hint of worry as she looked at him. "We're still a long way from arriving in the capital. If you keep pushing yourself like this, your health will collapse sooner or later."
Ah Chou sat listlessly in the lobby of the post station. Her small, pale face looked pitiful. She had only managed a smile to reassure Dou Yu, but it only made her smile look weaker.
Dou Yu: "Are you really alright? Why don't we have Dr. Zhang take a look and prescribe some medicine to make you feel better?"
Ah Chou shook his head, not wanting Dou Yu to worry, and pretended to yawn, indicating that he was sleepy and wanted to rest.
"Then you should get some rest," Dou Yu reminded her again, still worried. "If you feel unwell, be sure to tell me."
Those who could rest had already gone to rest, and there weren't many people left in the inn's lobby. Dou Yu never spoke softly, so every word she uttered reached Jiang Yan Hui's ears.
"...How about this itinerary for tomorrow?"
After finishing his report, the team leader looked up and saw Jiang Yan Hui lost in thought. He tentatively called out, "Your Majesty?"
Jiang Yan finally came to her senses. "I trust you to handle things."
The team leader, with keen observation, noticed Jiang Yan looking upstairs and tactfully said, "Your Majesty must be tired after a long day's journey. I won't disturb your rest any longer."
As night falls, all you can see is darkness. The mountains that look beautiful and majestic during the day become imposing giants at night, silently overlooking everything within them.
Ah Chou glanced at it and quickly looked away, closing the window tightly before turning to make the bed for Jiang Yan.
The bedding at the post station had a faint musty smell, but it was fine to use. People who were only resting for one night weren't that particular, and Jiang Yanhui didn't say anything after a few times.
But the observant Ah Chou noticed that although Jiang Yan Hui didn't complain verbally, her actions betrayed her disdain. She often folded her blankets neatly at the foot of the bed and slept with her coat covering her body.
From then on, Ah Chou would come up early to make her bed and change the bedding to what they had brought. Sure enough, Jiang Yan was willing to sleep well under the covers.
Years later, when Ah Chou returned to the capital, accompanied by Aunt Pan and Uncle Ban, he learned that the bedding he had brought was for Jiang Yan Hui's use at the post station. Ah Chou didn't know this at the time, and Jiang Yan Hui didn't mention it either.
Ah Chou, who had slept the whole way, was not in good spirits. Sleeping in the swaying carriage was not a pleasant experience, but he was not sleepy either.
After serving Jiang Yan as required by custom, he took a thin blanket and aimed at the soft couch in the outer room, intending to spend the night there.
Jiang Yan sat cross-legged on the bed, coughed lightly and asked awkwardly, "Where are you going?"
Ah Chou didn't answer immediately. Instead, she put down the quilt and nervously leaned over. She looked at the bed curtains and touched the bed board, wondering if something hadn't been cleaned properly and that dust was causing Jiang Yan Hui to cough.
"Stop touching me, aren't you disgusted?" Jiang Yan pulled Ah Chou's hand away, stopping him from touching her again. "Have you washed yourself clean?"
Ah Chou blushed slightly and nodded.
"Come up and sleep." Jiang Yanhui said awkwardly with a blank face. Seeing that Ah Chou was not responding, she simply pulled him onto the bed and said dryly, "I'm sleepy."
Ah Chou quickly kicked off his shoes, pursed his lips to suppress a laugh, and obediently lay down on his side next to Jiang Yan.
The guest room had aromatherapy burning; the scent wasn't exactly pleasant or unpleasant, but it was mainly there to mask any unpleasant odors in the room.
Ah Chou felt that no fragrance could compare to the faint, sweet scent emanating from Jiang Yan Hui's body. She couldn't quite place what it was, and despite serving her for so long, she had never seen Jiang Yan Hui use perfume to scent her clothes. Yet, she possessed a scent that Ah Chou found very appealing.
Seeing Ah Chou's wide-eyed stare, Jiang Yanhui couldn't help but think of what Dou Yu had said in the inn's lobby, and said fiercely, "If you're not going to sleep, close your eyes."
Ah Chou obediently closed her eyes, vaguely realizing Jiang Yan Hui's meaning, and felt a sweet warmth in her heart.
After a while, Ah Chou took advantage of the situation and moved closer to Jiang Yan Hui. He felt even happier with his arm next to hers, and the fatigue from the long journey vanished.
The person beside him remained still. Just when Ah Chou thought Jiang Yan Hui had fallen asleep, the person next to him stirred, turned to the side, stretched out a long arm, and draped it over Ah Chou.
It looked like an unintentional movement, but Ah Chou always felt that this posture was like someone hugging him while sleeping.
After staring at Jiang Yan's sleeping face for a while without finding any flaws, Ah Chou pouted, unwilling to give up.
I thought that after sleeping on and off all day, I would just stay up all night like before. But to my surprise, not long after I lay down, I yawned and felt sleepy. I closed my eyes, smelled the unique fragrance of the person next to me, and fell asleep.
This was the most restful sleep Ah Chou had had in all the days he'd been away. His tired body and mind were greatly relieved, and he felt indescribably comfortable.
Upon opening his eyes and not seeing Jiang Yan return, A Chou paused for a moment, then immediately rolled over and got up.
Seeing that it was still early, I breathed a small sigh of relief.
If Ah Chou wasted time because of oversleeping, he would feel guilty for a whole day.
Even though it was still early, Ah Chou didn't dare to linger. Jiang Yanhui had disappeared, and he had no desire to lie down any longer.
Ah Chou cleaned his teeth, wiped his face, and that was it. He got dressed and went downstairs, where he immediately saw Jiang Yan Hui listening to the team leader's report.
On ordinary days, Ah Chou and Jiang Yan Hui are very close, and they are almost never more than three steps apart when they are together. Therefore, Ah Chou rarely looks at Jiang Yan Hui from a distance anymore.
At this moment, Ah Chou stood on the stairs of the post station, her big, dark, and bright eyes, like grapes, looking curiously at Jiang Yanhui who was talking about business. She also remembered the scene of being held and falling asleep last night, and her heart was pounding.
Whether Jiang Yanhui accidentally rolled over or genuinely wanted him to get some sleep, A Chou assumed it was the latter.
Jiang Yanhui is tall and well-proportioned, and she is eye-catching just by standing there. With her broad shoulders and narrow waist, any clothes look better on her.
Having held a high position for so long, the air of nobility she exudes is incredibly rare. She looks at people with a nonchalant air, yet it doesn't make people dislike her. On the contrary, people become more cautious in her presence.
With a heart full of longing, Ah Chou gazed longingly at the outline of her beloved, finding Jiang Yan Hui perfect in every way and liking her no matter how she looked at him.
Staring intently without any attempt to conceal his gaze, completely unaware of how intense the gaze was, Ah Chou only looked away timidly when Jiang Yan turned to look at him, then lowered his head and went downstairs.
Jiang Yan pointed to the egg pancakes that had been made on the table, "Have some to fill your stomach."
Ah Chou, who had slept well all night, was quite hungry. Seeing that everyone around her was packing up to leave, she thought she could bring food with her in the carriage. But then she remembered that Jiang Yan Hui was a germaphobe and would definitely not be able to stand the smell of food in the carriage.
So Ah Chou obediently sat down, wrapped the egg pancake in oil paper and ate it in big bites, chewing until his cheeks were bulging, and then poured a bowl of warm water down his throat.
The convoy members gradually returned to their assigned positions, waiting for the leader's order to depart.
Ah Chou stared at the luxurious carriage, which felt like a prison to him. He subtly tensed his back and moved towards the carriage with a look of self-sacrifice.
Upon entering the carriage, Ah Chou was puzzled to find Jiang Yan Hui missing. He stepped back and instinctively looked for her.
The clatter of hooves came from behind. The guards on horseback were following the caravan on both sides, so Ah Chou didn't notice and thought it was just someone passing by.
He didn't dare to move and wanted to wait until the horse left, but after waiting for a while, he didn't hear the sound of departing hooves, so he turned around in confusion.
The horse's large nostrils were staring straight at him; if he turned around and took even half a step back, the horse's nose would poke into his face.
Ah Chou felt that the horse looked familiar. He looked up and met Jiang Yan Hui's smiling eyes.
At this moment, the sun had fully risen, and the sunlight shone on Jiang Yan Hui from behind, making every strand of her hair sparkle.
Jiang Yanhui, sitting languidly and noblely on the black horse, had a slight smile on her pale lips that made Ah Chou dizzy. It took her a while to recover.
Ah Chou wanted to ask if she had chosen to ride a horse instead of a carriage today. She opened her mouth but then closed it again, as going back to the carriage to get paper and pen would take too much time.
Suddenly, Ah Chou felt a strong resistance to the fact that she couldn't speak.
Having eaten and drunk her fill, Dou Yu strolled over to digest her food, patted the gentle-tempered Hei Yun, and asked curiously, "Cousin, did you ride a horse today?"
"Um."
Dou Yu frowned and sighed deeply, "Could you ride your Black Cloud for me? My back aches from sitting in the carriage all day."
"No, I won't bring it."
Jiang Yanhui refused directly. Dou Yu, who was rejected, already knew her cousin's temperament and personality, so she just complained and didn't really expect to be able to ride on her horse.
The group was about to depart. Dou Yu boarded the carriage without idly chatting, while A Chou glanced at Jiang Yan Hui and then turned to walk towards the carriage.
"Would you like to ride in a carriage?" Jiang Yan asked back.
Ah Chou didn't understand what Jiang Yan Hui meant, but Uncle Ban said that the most important thing for a master was loyalty, so he honestly shook his head.
"Come up."
Stunned, Ah Chou looked at the hand reaching out to him with some confusion. After his brain worked quickly and he realized what Jiang Yan Hui meant, he looked at her in disbelief.
The blinding sunlight couldn't make Ah Chou hide; he stared straight at Jiang Yan, trying to catch something he himself didn't understand.
"hurry up."
Jiang Yan urged him on, but her actions directly grasped A Chou's hand. The warmth of their palms mingled, and in the blink of an eye, A Chou was pulled onto the horse's back by a strong force.
Riding on the tall and strong horse, the rider was much taller, and Ah Chou, who was rather short, could see farther. He opened his eyes wide with curiosity and looked around.
This was his first time riding a horse, and he sat in the saddle, too afraid to move.
Feeling his back pressed against his chest, and Jiang Yanhui's hand holding the reins beside him, Ah Chou was truly encircled in his arms this time, and his ears turned red involuntarily.
Under Jiang Yanhui's command, the dark cloud advanced steadily.
The scenery seen while riding a horse is completely different from that seen while walking on the road or sitting in a carriage. Feeling the mountain breeze brush against your cheeks, with a variety of scents rushing into your nostrils, is both novel and fun.
Perhaps it was because of the close proximity, but Ah Chou could always smell that familiar fragrance, which soothed his fear and anxiety about riding a horse for the first time.
Knowing that Jiang Yan Hui was right behind her, she always had a good way to deal with whatever happened.
Dou Yu, who was peeking out to breathe some fresh air, saw the two riding horses intimately and felt a sense of déjà vu, as if she had known this would happen. Speechless at Jiang Yan's differential treatment, she deliberately said in front of everyone, "Cousin, you're really biased."
Jiang Yanhui would always ignore these words, but A Chou was different.
Ah Chou thought Dou Yu was a very nice person. He never acted like a master in front of her and told her many interesting stories.
Unable to tell if Dou Yu was truly angry, he nervously turned to look at Jiang Yanhui. He thought to himself that if Dou Yu was unhappy because of this, he could still go back and take the carriage.
Jiang Yan looked away from Ah Chou's face, which had become even thinner. "Ignore her."
He steered the horse forward quickly, preventing Dou Yu from seeing it.
Ah Chou was still a little worried. She softly placed her hand on Jiang Yan Hui's hand, pursed her lips, and looked back in the direction of Dou Yu's carriage.
Jiang Yan thought to herself that she should warn Dou Yu when they reached the next post station not to keep scaring Ah Chou.
Jiang Yanhui turned the person's face around and brought her cheek closer to her. She was afraid that if she kissed her, Ah Chou would be so embarrassed that she would want to crawl back into the carriage.
Helplessly, he explained, "Dou Yu was just teasing you. If he dares to get on my horse, his uncles will nag him about the strict separation of men and women."
Ah Chou knew that men and women shouldn't be too intimate, so her unease disappeared, and she was able to continue appreciating the passing scenery.
Riding a horse for too long can be tiring, but it's still better than feeling pale and uncomfortable in a carriage.
Jiang Yan observed Ah Chou's excited state all the way. Even a rabbit darting through the grass or a bird flying overhead seemed novel to him. He was no longer listless. Jiang Yan thought he would be able to get a good night's sleep.
As noon approached and the sun grew scorching, Jiang Yan retrieved a bamboo hat and placed it on A Chou's head. A Chou's already small face appeared even more delicate and adorable under the large hat, her round, dark eyes sparkling as she carefully tied the rope around her neck.
I want to kiss you.
Jiang Yanhui thought this way, and that's what she did.
Since they were outside, and considering the gazes of others and Ah Chou's thoughts, Jiang Yanhui raised her bamboo hat to cover their faces and quickly kissed Ah Chou on the lips.
From an outsider's perspective, it was just that Jiang Wangzun was a little slow in taking out his bamboo hat; no one would pay attention to such a trivial matter.
Jiang Yan retreated quickly; apart from her pale lips darkening slightly from the friction, her expression remained unchanged, revealing nothing of what she had just done.
On the contrary, Ah Chou blushed and her heart pounded. Her big, bright eyes blinked rapidly, as if she still couldn't believe what had just happened.
She wanted to touch her mouth, but was afraid that others would notice something was wrong, so she stopped herself.
To hide his blushing face, Ah Chou pulled his straw hat down low. He didn't know if others could still see his red face, but since he couldn't see others, his sense of shame lessened considerably.
A cool mountain breeze blew by, and the heat subsided considerably. Ah Chou suddenly missed that gentle kiss.
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