Chapter 175
The group had been traveling along the official road for about ten days. Every day they would break camp before dawn and choose a place to rest when the sun began to set, a routine that was rather monotonous.
Sometimes Su Zhelan rode Gu Linzhao's docile mare, and sometimes she returned to the carriage to rest, traveling with Mr. Su Yan.
Gu Linzhao didn't come to "steal" a seat every day. About half the time, he would ride a horse to guard him, and the other half he would find an excuse to sneak into the carriage, which would usually draw a scolding from Mr. Su Yan, whether real or fake. Then he would comfortably occupy a corner, leaving Su Zhelan to ride a horse outside.
Su Zhelan was already used to this and was quite happy to be at ease. She looked much better while riding a horse than when she was cooped up in the car.
That afternoon, the sun shone brightly as the group traversed a flat river valley. Su Zhelan rode his horse, with Sheng Xuan naturally following closely behind, his mouth never stopping as he talked about everything from the wildflowers by the roadside to the clouds in the sky, and then about amusing anecdotes from the army. Although Su Zhelan still often responded with only brief "hmm" or "oh," the weariness between his brows had faded. Occasionally, he would be amused by Sheng Xuan's exaggerated words, his lips curving into a slight smile, which he would quickly suppress, only to be caught by the sharp-eyed Sheng Xuan, who then became even more enthusiastic.
As evening fell, the group set up camp in an open area nestled against the mountains and beside the water. Campfires flickered, and wisps of smoke rose from the chimneys.
Just as Su Zhelan had helped Gu Linzhao settle his horses and was about to return to her assigned tent to rest, a solemn-looking eunuch dressed in the attire of a close attendant of the Eastern Palace walked through the camp and found him directly.
“Young Master Su,” the eunuch’s voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable air, “His Highness requests your presence.”
When Su Zhelan heard the words "His Highness requests your presence," a thought rose silently to her mind like a bubble at the bottom of water: It's only been a few days? ...She can't hold back anymore?
The thought came quickly and went just as fast, leaving only a faint, almost imperceptible understanding and a subtle hint of mockery flashing across his eyes. His expression remained calm, even carrying a perfectly appropriate degree of respect and obedience.
The eunuch bowed slightly, conveying the instructions and deliberately raising his voice: "His Highness is very concerned upon hearing that the young master still needs to recuperate. Considering the complexity and importance of the military medical records during this border inspection, His Highness wishes to review them before arriving in the capital. Remembering that the young master once assisted Mr. Su Yan in handling related documents, His Highness specially requests that the young master come to His Highness's tent to assist in verifying a few things."
Hearing this high-sounding reason, Su Zhelan felt a growing sense of amusement. She remained outwardly calm, simply nodding obediently, "Thank you for leading the way, Eunuch."
He glanced subconsciously at Sheng Xuan not far away. Sheng Xuan had also heard the eunuch's words, his brows furrowing even more, his eyes showing clear disapproval and a hint of barely perceptible displeasure. He unconsciously tightened the reins, and the horse stamped its hooves restlessly.
Su Zhelan gave Sheng Xuan a reassuring look, then followed the eunuch towards the most prominent and heavily guarded Crown Prince's tent in the center of the camp, under Sheng Xuan's somewhat complicated gaze.
Inside the tent, Xiao Qiyun had already changed out of his travel clothes and was now wearing a dark-patterned brocade robe. He was sitting under the lamp with several scrolls of documents spread out in front of him.
When Su Zhelan entered, he raised his head, a faint smile appearing on his lips, his gaze deep and calm, as if he were truly just handling official business.
When Xiao Qiyun saw Su Zhelan enter, he did not remain seated but stood up to greet him. He naturally took Su Zhelan's hand, gently stroking the back of his hand with his fingertips. His gaze fell on Su Zhelan's face, and his tone was gentle but carried a hint of barely perceptible reproach: "It's been several days since I last saw you. You've been quite patient. Why didn't you come looking for me?"
Su Zhelan was slightly taken aback by his sudden intimate gesture and straightforward question. She subconsciously tried to pull her hand away, but he gently held it.
He then looked around the tent carefully and found that apart from the two of them, there was no one else. Even the attendants and guards who usually stood by his side had all left.
The tent was brightly lit, yet so quiet that only the sound of each other's breathing could be heard.
The thought of "I knew it" became clear in Su Zhelan's mind, and his tense shoulders relaxed slightly. He lowered his eyelashes, his voice lowered, and he spoke with a hint of helpless honesty: "Your Highness is joking... Your carriage is heavily guarded, and there are many people around here... How could I come here so casually?"
Hearing his slightly complaining yet truthful reply, Xiao Qiyun chuckled softly. Instead of being annoyed, he squeezed his hand tighter, led him back to the table, and sat down together on the cushion, but did not let go of his hand.
"There's no one else here now," he softened his voice, his fingertips still tracing Su Zhelan's knuckles intentionally or unintentionally. "How are you feeling after the bumpy and arduous journey? Can you still hold on?"
Su Zhelan felt the warmth and undeniable presence emanating from his fingertips, her ears burning slightly, but she remained calm and replied, "It's inevitably a bit tiring, but... with my master taking care of me, everything is fine. Thank you for your concern, Your Highness."
Upon hearing this, a fleeting, almost imperceptible pity flashed in Xiao Qiyun's eyes, but more so a selfish consideration. He followed up, his tone earnest, as if entirely for Su Zhelan's sake: "Since the carriage ride is bumpy and stifling, and riding a horse is too arduous..."
He leaned slightly closer, his voice laced with seduction, "Why don't you ride with me tomorrow? My carriage is much more stable and spacious, and you won't have to suffer from that bumpy, stuffy ride anymore."
Su Zhelan thought to himself, "Just as I expected." He knew that no matter how he went around in circles, he would eventually end up here. Riding in the same carriage as Xiao Qiyun? It sounded comfortable, but the price might be being constantly under the other's focused and aggressive gaze. Who knew what this prince might do on a whim? In comparison, although Sheng Xuan would occasionally "bother" him, at least with Su Yan and Gu Linzhao by his side, Sheng Xuan didn't dare to go too far, and was actually more at ease.
He barely hesitated before looking up at Xiao Qiyun, a faint, slightly weary smile still on his lips, and politely declining in a relaxed yet firm tone: "I appreciate Your Highness's kindness. However, there is really no need to trouble yourself."
He cleverly avoided directly refusing the suggestion to "ride together," instead emphasizing his own choice: "It's quite interesting to ride horses occasionally and enjoy the scenery. Thank you for your concern, Your Highness."
Looking at Su Zhelan's relaxed yet firm refusal, Xiao Qiyun felt no annoyance, but instead chuckled softly. The laughter was exceptionally clear in the quiet tent, carrying a hint of expected amusement and a touch of barely perceptible indulgence.
He leaned back comfortably into the cushions, finally releasing Su Zhelan's hand with his fingertips. Instead, he gently stroked the smooth edge of the table, his gaze still fixed on Su Zhelan, as if admiring an interesting treasure.
"Is that so?" He drawled, his tone tinged with a hint of sudden realization and a teasing smile. Then, a deeper smile curved his lips, and a mischievous glint flashed in his deep eyes. "Riding a horse to see the scenery...that does sound interesting."
He paused, his gaze lingering on Su Zhelan's face for a moment, as if he were seriously considering it, before slowly and with an air of unquestionable authority adding, "Then... how about I ride with you another day? Staying cooped up in the carriage all the time is really quite boring." He even nodded seriously, as if it were a brilliant idea.
Having already refused to ride in the same carriage, refusing to "travel together" would seem rather ungrateful. He sighed inwardly, lowered his eyelashes, and spoke in a voice so low it was almost a mosquito's hum: "...If Your Highness wishes to ride a horse to relax, that would be wonderful...if there's an opportunity...I certainly will..."
The phrase "if there's a chance, definitely" was vague, full of uncertainty and evasion, practically screaming "perfunctory." But Xiao Qiyun didn't seem to care. Instead, as if he had received some kind of permission, the corners of his lips curved upwards with pleasure, and the smile in his eyes almost overflowed.
He nodded in satisfaction, then changed the subject, his gaze sweeping over the large, comfortable couch inside the tent. His voice softened, carrying a hint of barely perceptible seduction: "It's getting late, and you must be tired today. Why don't you... rest here? It's certainly more comfortable here than the tents outside."
Alarm bells rang in Su Zhelan's mind! Stay? Spend the night in the Crown Prince's tent, where only the two of them were? Wouldn't that be like lambs to the slaughter?
He shook his head almost immediately, his tone carrying a barely perceptible urgency: "...If I don't return home tonight, Master Su Yan will definitely ask, and that might not be appropriate..."
Sure enough, upon hearing the words "Master Su Yan," the fervent light in Xiao Qiyun's eyes dimmed slightly. He glanced thoughtfully at Su Zhelan, tapping his fingertips lightly on the table, seemingly weighing his options.
After a moment, he sighed softly, his tone tinged with regret, yet he regained his composure: "Very well. Mr. Su Yan has always cared about you, and it's really not good to let him worry."
He stood up, walked to the tent flap, lifted the curtain, and ordered, "Someone, escort Young Master Su back."
A servant immediately responded and entered.
Su Zhelan felt as if she had been granted a pardon. She quickly stood up and bowed to Xiao Qiyun, saying, "Thank you for your consideration, Your Highness. I will take my leave now." After saying that, she almost fled with her attendant as she quickly left the tent, fearing that Xiao Qiyun might come up with some new tricks.
Xiao Qiyun stood there, watching Su Zhelan's somewhat hurried figure disappear outside the curtain, but the smile on his lips deepened. He slowly strolled back to the table, picked up the cup of tea that had long since gone cold, and gently swirled it.
He muttered to himself, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes, "No rush... there will be plenty of opportunities."
Su Zhelan followed his attendant back to the area where his tent was located. In the distance, he saw a familiar figure pacing anxiously outside his tent. It was none other than Sheng Xuan.
When Sheng Xuan looked up and saw Su Zhelan return, his eyes lit up. He immediately rushed over, grabbed Su Zhelan's arm, looked him up and down, and asked quickly and urgently, "What's wrong? Why did he call you over?"
Su Zhelan was somewhat amused and exasperated by his barrage of questions. She gently pulled her hand away, shook her head, and explained in a calm tone, "It's nothing. His Highness just... asked about the road conditions, and then said... he also wanted to ride a horse for some fresh air."
"Riding a horse for fresh air?!" Sheng Xuan was speechless. "Doesn't he have his own horse? He has so many fine horses in his entourage to choose from! Why does he have to come to you with this?!"
He suddenly reached out and pulled Su Zhelan into his arms without a word, holding her tightly. He rested his chin on the top of her head and complained in a muffled voice, his tone filled with jealousy and dissatisfaction: "If he wants to ride, he should go ride by himself! Don't come looking for you! You're just causing trouble..."
Su Zhelan was taken aback by his sudden hug and childish complaints, and then couldn't help but chuckle softly.
He raised his hand and gently patted Sheng Xuan's back, his tone carrying a hint of helpless amusement: "Alright, alright... what are you saying? His Highness was just mentioning it casually."
"Not even a casual mention is acceptable!" Sheng Xuan hugged her tighter, her voice still sullen. "What good intentions could he possibly have?"
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