He did it all.
Gu Jinghong turned to look at Xiao Chengyan, seemingly lost in thought.
He swallowed hard. "Don't look at me like that. The rumors are all false. I... am perfectly normal."
Xiao Chengyan's Adam's apple bobbed, and Gu Jinghong suddenly reached out to touch it.
The moment he touched her, Xiao Chengyan felt his heart begin to race... He instinctively reached out to grab Gu Jinghong's hand.
Gu Jinghong's eyes widened: "Your Highness, what are you doing?!"
Xiao Chengyan: "..."
It's strange. She's always the one who makes the first move, but she always manages to come up with even stranger reasons to explain her behavior, making herself seem like someone who's blinded by lust.
Xiao Chengyan forced out a weak smile: "...You're pressing down on my neck."
Gu Jinghong quickly withdrew his hand and said, "Oh, Your Highness, please forgive me. I think that if the arrows could be replaced with bullets, it would increase their flexibility and perhaps be more preferable."
Oh.
Her warm hands touched her Adam's apple. And then he said it looked like a bullet, and wanted to replace the spider with a bullet?
Xiao Chengyan felt like the sky was about to fall. It wasn't just her hands that were sensitive; his Adam's apple was also very sensitive!
He held back, silently recalling the words Xuanru had spoken to him when he left Medicine Master Valley.
“Your Highness,” she said, “you should take the initiative. Look at Xie Yan…”
Unwilling to accept this situation, Xiao Chengyan made up his mind and finally held out his ten scarred fingers in front of her.
Gu Jinghong nodded: "I saw it, the prince is injured in the hand."
"Then this king..."
Before he could finish speaking, Gu Jinghong added, "Just rest."
"Rest in peace? It seems that I cannot rest in peace right now."
He suddenly became serious. "The art of mechanisms is quite useful in battles between armies. Therefore, I have decided to study the art of mechanisms myself. Master Craftsman Gu is invited to teach me."
Gu Jinghong scanned Xiao Chengyan's face from side to side and shook her head: "Your Highness, mechanical arts require the unity of mind and hand, and even more so, talent. Judging from Your Highness's skill... I'm afraid it's not a gift from heaven. Forcing it will only bring trouble."
Xiao Chengyan: "What does this mean?"
Gu Jinghong said very sincerely, "Your Highness, you... really can't do it."
...There is no greater sorrow than a broken heart. She didn't even give him a chance, so how can you make such a judgment?
Gu Jinghong's mind was filled with thoughts of built-in projectiles, miniature mechanisms, and triggering methods... Although Xiao Chengyan's idea was naive, the underlying concept was indeed valuable.
She came to her senses and saw the once aloof prince leaning against a tree, looking utterly dejected.
Gu Jinghong, in a good-natured manner, leaned closer and said, "However, Your Highness... your 'deception to lure the enemy while concealing deadly intent' is worth studying."
Xiao Chengyan remained unmoved.
Gu Jinghong got up, dusted herself off, and left.
Xiao Chengyan watched Gu Jinghong's departing figure, hesitated for a moment, but ultimately did not say anything to stop her.
—He's a prince, he has his pride too!
A short while later, Gu Jinghong appeared in front of Xiao Chengyan carrying a medicine box.
"hand."
Xiao Chengyan was secretly overjoyed, but he still calmly extended his hand.
His hands were still fair and slender with distinct joints, but his fingertips were severely injured. Some of the deep cuts even revealed the bone. It seemed that this was his first attempt at making a mechanical object, and his technique was quite clumsy. Because he used too much force, he could not control it precisely, which is why the injury was so deep.
Gu Jinghong focused on cleaning the wound, applying medicine, and bandaging it, her movements gentle, a stark contrast to her usual deftness when handling mechanisms.
As Xiao Chengyan looked at her lowered eyelashes and felt the gentle touch from her fingertips, his heart, which had just been shattered, was gradually soothed.
“Jinghong,” he said, “I am not just acting on a whim; I am genuinely interested in the art of mechanisms. In my understanding, this art of mechanisms can not only play a huge role in wartime, but if designed properly, it can also bring benefits to the people.”
His expression was quite serious.
Gu Jinghong looked up and met his bright gaze.
"Think of the Nanfeng Kingdom back then. It was just a small country sandwiched between Dayong and Nanzhao, yet it still flourished for a time. This must be inseparable from the Nanfeng mechanical arts of that time. It's just a pity for the people and artisans of Nanfeng. When the country was destroyed, they perished. Even when they were scattered abroad, they dared not reveal their abilities."
"Alright." Gu Jinghong neatly tied the knot and released his hand. "If Your Highness is really interested in mechanical arts, Jinghong can share some experience."
Xiao Chengyan then added, "Then I will come to see you when I have time to rest in the future."
...
For the rest of the journey, Xiao Chengyan spent his days handling official documents in the carriage, and his evenings invariably spent learning mechanical arts from Gu Jinghong.
Gu Jinghong explained the basics of mechanical arts to him in a very clear and logical manner.
She initially thought it was just a sudden interest of his, but day after day, he actually began to discover the wonder and fun of mechanical arts through her explanations and demonstrations.
It turns out that there are so many things in this world that can be leveraged, and people don't necessarily have to use every bit of brute force... This is truly amazing!
Gu Jinghong also discovered that this pampered prince had an unexpectedly high level of theoretical comprehension.
While pondering the structure, Xiao Chengyan glanced in the direction of Gu Jinghong.
The candlelight outlined Gu Jinghong's silhouette.
Her profile was lowered, her nose was straight and delicate, her eyes were focused, her long eyelashes cast a faint shadow under her eyes, and her lips were occasionally pursed as she pondered a difficult problem...
That look in my eyes—it's so familiar!
Yes!
When she first entered the Prince's mansion, she would look at his eyes, then his lips, and then back at his eyes again, using that same gaze!
Focused, mechanical, devoid of emotion.
With a "click," he placed the half-finished mechanism on the long table, then reached out and grabbed Gu Jinghong's two small hands, binding them behind her back.
The sudden closeness startled Gu Jinghong: "Your Highness, what is the meaning of this?"
“Look at me.”
Gu Jinghong nodded and looked up at him: "I'm watching you."
Their eyes met, and her heart suddenly raced. So did his.
Xiao Chengyan remained calm and looked at Gu Jinghong with a serious expression, feeling guilty but also stubbornly wanting to confirm once again.
"Back then..."
"When you first came to the palace, you looked at me in front of the secret chamber, professing your love for me. But in your eyes, am I... just a plaything for Nanfeng Lock?"
Before he could say it, Xiao Chengyan could see something different in her eyes.
She saw him no longer as cold and wooden as before, but as radiant with starlight, and seemingly carrying tenderness and affection.
A woman like Gu Jinghong wouldn't show that kind of look if she didn't have genuine feelings for someone.
At such a young age, she was already a key figure in the Qianyuan Pavilion, commanding people all over the Dayong Dynasty, and she was also... so beautiful. If he weren't emotionally detached, Xiao Chengyan would be worried about becoming her prey.
His Adam's apple bobbed, and a strange, inexplicable pang of heartache suddenly welled up inside him. He then pulled her into his arms and said, "Ah Hong."
Gu Jinghong felt his warm and passionate aura, yet also one of restraint, and her heart suddenly softened.
For the first time in her life, she instinctively hugged him back.
Xiao Chengyan continued, "This king and you..."
"Can we, like this art of mechanism, complement each other perfectly, fitting together seamlessly?"
“Your Highness,” Gu Jinghong interrupted, “if it is a private matter, we can discuss it at another time after the Southwest affairs are settled.”
Xiao Chengyan straightened up, his brows slightly furrowed.
This was an ambiguous signal—she seemed to understand what he wanted to say, but wouldn't allow him to say it.
She neither agreed nor refused, so she must be waiting for something.
The southwest is in turmoil, and he, the prince who is at the forefront of the conflict, has not said anything. Why is she more concerned than him?
—Could it be that she came to the southwest because she has something she must accomplish?
After a moment's thought, Xiao Chengyan said, "Okay."
...
The weather was getting warmer, and the team was only ten days' journey from the southwest.
After finishing his military duties, Xiao Chengyan raised his hand and pinched the bridge of his son Junting's nose.
"In my opinion, the crux of the matter still lies with Prince Zhao Qian. Nanzhao has not yet broken through the border of my Dayong, yet there is already unrest in the southwest. Ordinary people did not react so quickly, so someone must have instigated it."
Changfeng nodded, "It's just that Zhao Qian is cunning. He has the appearance of a useless young nobleman, and no one would believe that Zhao Qian, who is compassionate and obsessed with romance, is a hungry wolf."
Xiao Chengyan sighed: "He's unwilling to be a peaceful prince, so it seems we have no choice but to take action."
"yes."
...
Exhausted from marching, Gu Jinghong, though a high-ranking official, was still a woman, and her daily work often involved calm and controlled movements. Therefore, more than a month of continuous travel had indeed left her somewhat weary.
When the only maid in the group came out of Gu Jinghong's tent again, she happened to run into Xiao Chengyan, who was standing outside the tent.
"Your Highness..."
Xiao Chengyan nodded slightly, but his gaze unconsciously fell on the untouched food.
His brows furrowed slightly.
She hadn't had much of an appetite for three days in a row, clearly the food on the march wasn't to her liking... But despite this, she remained silent when the two discussed mechanical arts that evening.
He suddenly remembered that she liked to eat meat, so he called Changfeng over and gave him a few instructions.
Gu Jinghong was a martial artist, and he would feel hungry if he didn't eat well.
However, she was different from other women. She was skilled in martial arts, and she could easily take care of food whenever she wanted.
That evening, Gu Jinghong quietly left the tent alone and went to the nearest mountain.
The moonlight was cool and clear. Gu Jinghong only searched the mountain for a short while before finding a little rabbit that had gone out to forage for food.
A smirk played on her lips. Just as she raised her wrist to aim at the little rabbit, a short arrow whizzed past her ear and pierced the white rabbit with a soft thud, killing it instantly.
Gu Jinghong turned around curiously to look.
Suddenly, Xiao Chengyan, dressed in a light blue casual robe, appeared behind her. He was holding the two of their newly made wrist arrows, but Xiao Chengyan's arms were relatively thick, and his wrist arrows were more sturdy than Gu Jinghong's.
Gu Jinghong blurted out instinctively, "Your Highness?"
Xiao Chengyan walked over and reached out to touch the hair on her head: "If you want to eat something else, just tell Changfeng. Why do you have to run out alone in the middle of the night?"
Gu Jinghong walked over and picked up the rabbit, saying as she walked, "This is a team going to war. I'm not used to holding the team back. Besides, food is a small matter; I can take care of it myself."
She picked up the rabbit, pulled a dagger from her boot, and walked towards a nearby lake to begin processing it.
Xiao Chengyan squatted down an arm's length away from her.
The moonlight shone on the water, creating shimmering ripples that made Gu Jinghong's features appear even more lively.
Watching her deftly handle the rabbit, Xiao Chengyan couldn't help but exclaim, "You're a girl, and you can do these things?"
Gu Jinghong didn't stop what she was doing, and didn't even look up at him. The voice that came out of her mouth was colder than the moonlight.
“You are a prince, and someone will take care of everything for you. Such a small matter will naturally be taken care of for you. It’s different for us. For ordinary people, eating is the most important thing, and we have to do it ourselves.”
Xiao Chengyan suddenly asked, "So, Xie Yan did all that for you in the past?"
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