Chapter 128 Hunting (3) "My heart is set on you, but do you know?"...
Even with the help of ropes, it is not an easy task for someone with exceptional lightness skills to land safely with an eight-foot-tall strong man.
During the several leaps and bounds, Feng Tan lost her strength and twisted her leg, adding new injuries to her already battered body from the earlier battle. Arslan silently carried her on his back and walked slowly along the desolate path, their shadows stretched long and slanted in the setting sun.
Feng Tan slept peacefully on his back. He could hear the woman's light breathing behind him. She seemed weightless, and he wondered where her powerful explosive force came from, carving a path to survival for him in the battle.
A warm, smooth finger brushed against the corner of her eye. Feng Tan turned her head to look at Arslan and asked, "Arslan, why are you crying?"
Arslan hadn't expected her to wake up so quickly. His usually clear voice held a hint of dejection as he denied it, saying, "I didn't cry, I just got sand in my eyes."
Feng Tan withdrew her finger, let out a long "Oh," and then smiled softly, saying, "You pity me?"
Arslan's voice was somber. He didn't answer Feng Tan's question, but simply said, "Feng Tan, you must be exhausted from being protected by so many people to survive."
These words brought Feng Tan a long silence. She lay quietly on Arslan's broad back, looking up at the setting sun that was about to disappear into the mountains. The dappled sunlight pierced through the dust and reflected on Arslan's eyebrows and eyes. Beneath his wild and handsome appearance, his true nature was gentle yet strong, easily evoking the pity in Feng Tan's heart.
Feng Tan had always maintained a calm and peaceful state of mind. She didn't easily vent her inner pain, but silently walked her own path, steadfast and unwavering. At this moment, a gentle lover arrived, tearfully asking with heartache: "Are you also very tired?"
Feng Tan slowly rested his head on Arslan's back, speaking in a calm tone but with deep emotion, "It's not protection, it's support."
Arslan was puzzled. Feng Tan was born into a noble family. She was the only legitimate daughter of Emperor Chongming. Feng Youming and others dragged her down from her high position for the sake of their beliefs. She should have had a wonderful life.
How can pulling someone down from their pedestal be considered a form of support?
“She led me into a much larger world, a new world that most girls rarely see.” Feng Tan’s clothes were drab, but her eyes shone brightly. “Arslan, she made me stop living in one corner and showed me that a girl’s world can also be vast.”
The mountains ahead were shrouded in mist. Arslan was moved and spoke in a clear voice, "I have heard about the rules for girls in the Central Plains. They are expected to be good wives and mothers and to obey their husbands after marriage. Those who set these rules are indeed despicable."
Feng Tan saw a much wider world, a support from the system and the pioneers who had traveled through time. The destiny she carried was no longer an instruction or an arrangement, but a trust, a responsibility, and a shared path to innovation.
Her inner world became even more wonderful as a result.
Arslan understood what she meant, wrapped his arms around Feng Tan's legs and lifted them up a couple of times, his eyes crinkling into a bright smile, "Feng Tan, I want to carry you like this, and carry you like this forever."
Feng Tan's cheeks flushed slightly. Arslan's love was as fiery and intense as he was. As she watched the approaching night, she found a moment of peace in her heart.
When you fall in love with someone, your desires grow stronger with time. You long to be with them forever, to grow old together in love. But Feng Tan also knows very well that between her ambitions and her love for Arslan, she can only indulge in fleeting moments of warmth. The path she must take from now on has no Arslan.
She is always so lucid.
Arslan carried the expansive scent of the grasslands, which Feng Tan found very pleasant. When she looked up, she saw Qing Cang swooping down towards them and said, "Arslan, put me down."
Qingcang landed on Feng Tan's outstretched arm. Feng Tan saw that the letter between its claws had been taken away, and gently stroked its head, saying, "Thank you for your hard work."
Arslan asked, "What did you send it to do?"
“I went to deliver a message,” Feng Tan said, then with a slight wave of her arm, Qing Cang spread its half-meter-long wings and soared into the air once more. She looked in the direction Qing Cang had flown away and said with a double meaning, “Although I have tamed it, it will always belong to the sky. Arslan, you see, this way, it can live, and it can live happily.”
Arslan followed her gaze to the sky, where Qingcang spread its wings and soared into the sky, disappearing into the night in an instant.
On a chilly early spring night, Arslan and Feng Tan rested by a large rock at the foot of the cliff. The blood seeping from Arslan's arm had already scabbed over. He loosened his shirt, frowned, and hissed in pain.
Arslan's honey-colored chest was broad and thick, his abdominal muscles were clearly defined as if carved by a knife and axe, each muscle full and firm, his skin covered with bloodstains, the deepest wound being the arrow that had pierced his arm, which was covered in blood because it had not been bandaged in time.
Arslan tore off a piece of his filthy clothes, flicked it casually, and was about to bandage his arm when Feng Tan pursed her lips and stopped him, saying, "Wait a minute."
Arslan raised an eyebrow and watched as Feng Tan turned away without a word, unbuttoned her outer robe, and then fiddled with something in front of her chest.
Feng Tan quickly straightened her clothes and turned to look at him again, her cheeks slightly flushed. She divided the white breast wrap in her hand into several pieces and silently approached Arslan. The faint smell of blood then entered her nostrils. She looked up to meet Arslan's eyes, then lowered her eyelashes to wrap the clean white cloth around his wound.
Arslan's heart pounded like a drum. He held his breath, barely daring to move, his amber eyes fixed on Feng Tan's serene face. He moved closer to her uncontrollably, and the moment Feng Tan finished bandaging her wounds and looked up, he kissed her lips. His kiss was warm, innocent, and pure, as if he were touching the most precious treasure in the world.
Feng Tan was taken aback, feeling the young man's cautious touch that seemed to pull away just as quickly. He then moved closer to Arslan, turned his fingers around Arslan's chin, and leaned in to kiss him.
A kiss between young lovers is like a prelude in the snow, starting lonely and turning into passionate love at any moment. The affection that is entangled in the turmoil is tender and poignant, growing stronger and stronger as it is played in the snow.
When he withdrew, Arslan's eyes were bloodshot and filled with tears. Feng Tan looked down into his eyes quietly, her heart heavy, but she still smiled and said, "My heart is set on you, do you know?"
Feng Tan's flirting skills were impressive, and Arslan's handsome face slowly flushed red again. He tilted his head and coughed lightly, stammering, "I...I understand."
......
Anlingpo is very close to Suotaha; if we can gain two more hours of hiding time, that will be enough.
Feng Tan had already made his calculations. Looking at Arslan's clueless expression, he slowly said to him, "Arslan, Anlingpo is Dahuang's territory. His people must be monitoring and setting up surveillance around here. We've finally come to part ways after seeing you off for a thousand miles. It's time for us to say goodbye."
The faint sweetness that welled up in Arslan's heart vanished with Feng Tan's words. His youthful spirit surged, and he said resolutely, "Let me see you off on this journey."
“And…” Arslan said with difficulty, “I will come to find you once everything in Sotaha is settled.”
In fact, even now, Feng Tan wouldn't feel at ease letting Arslan leave alone. Xiao Yinshi's elite troops have formidable reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance capabilities, and if she weren't there, Xiao Yinshi would definitely kill him.
She had to see him off herself; she only needed to delay him for two more hours.
Arslan was walking beside Feng Tan when he suddenly stumbled. Feng Tan quickly caught him. Arslan's hot breath landed on Feng Tan's cheek, and Feng Tan then noticed that Arslan's wound was infected and he had developed a high fever.
Feng Tan asked, "You have a fever?"
Arslan touched his forehead and belatedly realized, "It seems a little hot."
He was very weak. Looking at the winding mountain road ahead, he said to Feng Tan, "Feng Tan, I've thought about it. You should go first. I'll rest here for a while..."
“What nonsense are you spouting?” Feng Tan scolded him lightly. “You rescued me from Sotaha when I was in trouble, and now you want me to abandon you? Arslan, since we are comrades-in-arms, we should never abandon each other.”
Arslan was somewhat annoyed. Looking at Feng Tan's solemn expression, he didn't know what to say. Feng Tan stepped forward and took his arm, saying, "If I'm not mistaken, there should be an inn ahead. Let's go and rest for a while."
Arslan was curious about why she was so certain. Feng Tan glanced at him and said, "Because I am exceptionally intelligent and a peerless talent."
Seeing that she could still joke with such seriousness, Arslan also became amused and said, "Yes, Lord Feng is an unparalleled talent and will surely create a great and glorious future."
As night falls, countless stars twinkle over the small inn at the foot of the winding mountain road. The inn is unassuming in appearance, with several wooden cabins arranged in a pleasing, staggered pattern. The thatched roofs sway gently in the night breeze, making a soft rustling sound. Two red lanterns hang at the entrance, their soft light casting a warm glow on the ground. The lanterns are decorated with simple floral and bird patterns.
Feng Tan and Arslan entered the inn, and as they passed through the courtyard, a waiter greeted them, "Sir, would you like a meal or a room?"
Feng Tan said, "I'll stay at an inn."
The servant smiled and said, "Alright, please come in, you two!"
Arslan asked, "Aren't we going to continue our journey?"
"There's no need," Feng Tan sighed inwardly, raised an eyebrow, smiled at Arslan, and said, "There's no need to rush."
Arslan frowned slightly, a vague sense of unease creeping into his heart. Then he heard Feng Tan instruct the servant, "Bring some good wine and food, and brew a bowl of fever-reducing medicine."
Several neat wooden tables and chairs were placed in the lobby of the inn, and a roaring fire burned in the stove, making the early spring night less gloomy.
Feng Tan found a seat by the window, poured Arslan a cup of hot water, and then reached out to touch his forehead with her finger. She frowned slightly and said, "Why does it feel even hotter?"
Arslan drank the hot water that Feng Tan handed him, finishing it in one gulp, and said, "It's nothing. When I was a child, I often got injured while training with a bow and horse. The worst time was when my second brother ambushed me and stabbed me through the shoulder. That time, the burn was much hotter than it is now."
Feng Tan held her teacup, feeling a little uneasy. Seeing her absent-mindedness, Arslan waved his hand in front of her and said, "What's wrong? Are you feeling sorry for me again?"
Feng Tan said, "Yes, I feel sorry for your suffering."
Arslan slowly tightened his grip on the teacup, staring intently at Feng Tan's face in the candlelight, and said, "Feng Tan, why do you love to say sweet nothings so much?"
His features were particularly clear and clean in the warm light. Feng Tan couldn't help but chuckle and said, "Back when I was working at the Six Departments, I had a good brother named Jin An. He said I had a sharp tongue. Now I realize that my sharp tongue can also utter sweet words."
Arslan chuckled. Just then, a servant brought over the food and the prepared medicine. The steaming food smelled delicious. Arslan said to Feng Tan, "After eating wild fruits for two days, I can finally have a proper meal."
The candlelight flickered overhead as the two chatted about the past during their meal. Feng Tan recounted stories of the palace and the officialdom, while Arslan spoke of everything from the lush grasslands to the desolate and uninhabited desert.
As the candle wax dripped down, the candle burned shorter and shorter. Feng Tan watched the increasingly dim candlelight, her face expressionless, but her heart tightened more and more.
Until Xiao Yinshi's voice came down from the wooden stairs on the second floor, "Have you eaten?"
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