Fifty-Six

Chapter Fifty-Six

I think to myself, even if a bald man uses the few strands of remaining hair on his head to make a guess, he too, will be able to guess what holy being has graced us.

That’s right, that person is none other than the eldest gentleman of the Yuwen Clan, Yuwen Rui.

Even if he is wearing that face that I have only seen once before, even if he is wearing the imperial army uniform that I’m not familiar with, even if, that clean fragrance on his body is no longer there.

He is still Yuwen Rui, able to look way up to heaven and down low on earth, he who doesn’t seem incapable of anything – Yuwen Rui.

By the looks of this situation, seems like the continuous fire around the palace has all been explained, the one wreaking havoc, other than Yuwen Rui, who else could it be? Forget it, forget it, forget it, either way, the fact that he likes to cause trouble for others is not something new, just that after He Lian Chen finds out, he will definitely be gritting his teeth hatefully. Past grudges plus new vengeance, the rift between these two is indeed growing bigger and bigger.

Due to having my acupoints tapped, I am unable to utter a sound, nor make a single move, only able to blink at him, whilst thinking to myself, this mask of his truly is very well made, not at all stiff nor uneasy to look at.

Yuwen Rui gives my face a squeeze, helping me release my acupoints and calmly throws a set of clothes at me. He only says one word, “Quick.”

And so, not long after, I become a weak bodied and ordinary looking little soldier.

The following course of events seems to flow on smoothly, Deputy Commander Qi and a little solider freely wanders around the palace without any obstruction, hence very quickly leaving the palace gates and onto the horses. After leaving the imperial army’s sight at the palace gates, Yuwen Rui does not hesitate at all to pick me up from the smaller horse, setting me in front of him. With the night wind becoming sharp due to the hectic speed of the horse, I am forced to squint my eyes, a few strands of hair restlessly get into my mouth. Just as I wanted to reach up to get rid of them, Yuwen Rui beat me to it, his big hand then pulls me onto his chest, such action is not at all gentle, and is even considerably an act of spite, yet it thoroughly makes me light up with happiness.

This guy is actually throwing a temper at me.

I don’t struggle against him either, just obediently resting against his chest as I close my eyes. Mm, so sleepy, really want to sleep.

And then I really fell asleep.

Only when Yuwen Rui carries me off the horse, do I hazily open my eyes, then looking around at my surroundings, I see that we’ve already reached the main road, and on the main road, there is currently a middle-aged man slowly driving a horse carriage towards us. After arriving in front of us, that person respectfully addresses: “Gentleman, Young Lady.”

Yuwen Rui says nothing, slightly nodding then carries me into the carriage. The horse carriage is so simple without any adornments inside and out, but it is still clean and comfortable. I rub my eyes, preparing to sprawl onto the soft blanket to sleep, but my head receives a poke from Yuwen Rui’s finger.

His clear and cold voice sounding lukewarm, “Truly a heartless one.”

I look at his unfamiliar face, and that familiar pair of indifferent eyes, tugging at his sleeve and shakes it, “Cousin, I’m sleepy.”

“Sleepy?” He placidly speaks, “Didn’t you just sleep?”

I yawn, lazily saying: “Don’t know, just keep wanting to sleep these days.”

“I see he spoilt you into getting a noble disease.” He slightly narrows his eyes, unable to make out his emotions in his voice.

I deeply feel powerless, muttering, “Even if spoilt, it would’ve been you who did the spoiling.”

These words may have been light, may have been blurred, but successfully makes him soften his eyes, no longer troubling me. His bony fingers does not hold back at all as he heavily flicks at my forehead, lightly saying: “Sleep then.”

After lying down, I bury my head into the soft pillow, deeply sighing, man, turns out you’re also such a petty one.

Once my head had planted down, I don’t know how long had passed before I slowly awaken, to begin with, I still paused slightly, then finally recalled that I have already smoothly reconnected with Yuwen Rui again. I take a deep deep breath, the scent of the faint fragrance from the blanket spreading into my nose, ears hearing the clear chirping of the birds, a morning like this, seems to be no different to being in the palace, yet the difference in my state of mind is miles apart.

I’m finally out.

I no longer need to face all the unfamiliarity of Yun Zhan, no longer need to guess the truth and falseness in He Lian Chen’s feelings, this, is already very good. Just that I still feel slight lamentation, He Lian Chen……towards him, how could I possibly say my emotions have never been moved for him?

A smile breaks out as I once again bury myself into the bedding, humans are indeed a type of emotional being.

“Awake?” A man’s pleasant-sounding voice is heard, not carrying the slightest of feelings

I raise my head to see the man holding up the curtain, he’s in a body of green robes, clean and elegant, black hair half held up with a jade pin, then seeing the calmness in his long eyes, thin lips lightly pursed, such a cold look is still handsome to the point it makes the sunshine behind him shamefully scatter.

I rest my chin in hand as I cannot help but sigh, “A beauty, is indeed a beauty.”

Yuwen Rui’s expression instantly stiffens, but then shallowly smiles as he says: “What is meant by beauty?”

“A beauty that is……” The latter half of my sentence that is ‘dear Cousin’ immediately changes upon seeing the snacks in his hand, “dear Imperial Sister.”

Yuwen Rui’s highly held plate is finally placed down, side glancing me as he says: “Wanting to eat before washing up, who taught you this?”

I succumb and say: “I’ll go now.”

After washing up, I finally settle my butt down in the horse carriage and start eating, after I had demolished two plates of snacks, I take a drink of tea, “So sweet, so greasy.”

Yuwen Rui raises his eyes, fine and long lashes fluttering, “All will be fine after reaching this next town.”

Only then do I care to think about other things, “Cousin, are we already not in Yun Zhan anymore?” After questioning this, I become aware of my own ignorance, isn’t this nonsense? Had we not left, would Yuwen Rui still dare to be so blatantly out and about in his ‘bare face’?

He does not answer me, raising his hand to beckon me, “Come here.”

I obediently go to him, leaving his long and slender fingers to undo my hairband and ties up my hair all over again.

“Left the city gates last night.” He slowly says, voice clear like flowing streams, “What’s with this hair of yours, do you not comb it?”

I feel a little ashamed, “Too long now, not easy to take care of.”

“So you don’t bother combing it at all?”

“Mm, it’ll be coiled up anyway.”

After saying this, I immediately feel my hair get yanked, causing a throbbing pain at my scalp. My eyes contain tears but dare not to complain, mother ah, he’s still so ruthless! I then ask: “How did we come out last night?”

He chuckles, “What do you think?”

“Disguise?” I raise my brows, “What were you disguised as?”

He pauses, “An elderly.”

“What about me then? Wasn’t I sleeping? Who did you say I was to you?”

A certain person falls silent for a long while, before throwing out a single word, “……grandchild.”

I immediately bow flat to the ground, see, Yuwen Rui is just that different from others, yet he directly hits the target ah, who will ever have thought that Deputy Commander Qi and Xiao Lan Zi had disguised as a grandfather and grandchild to flee? Impressive, impressive indeed.

I blow at my fringe, “With you away at this point in time, will it be alright?” Of course, I am referring to Yun Mi.

Yuwen Rui’s fingers runs down my hair over and over again, the black hair against his fair white fingers, black and white clearly distinguished, looking in particularly beautiful. He lightly says: “Not like I’m the emperor, what’s it got to do with me?”

That’s true, what it’s got to do with you, you’re not the emperor. But……you’re clearly even more f*cking important than the emperor ah! I turn back to glance at him, “Speaking of something that matters, Imperial Sister……how is she?”

Yet Yuwen Rui instantly clamps onto my chin, long and fine fox eyes flashing with an inexplicable sparkle, “To ask about her first thing, you sure are worried.”

I feel my heart numb, it’s far too uneasy for me to be human, me, just filled with tears ah! I say: “You’re here, what else do you want me to ask?”

He covers my eyes with one hand, speaking with slight helplessness: “Wanting you to ask this and that like other people would, really is unhopeful.”

My heart gives rise to long absent peacefulness, he wanted me to trust him, I trusted him, then he came, this, is enough.

Yuwen Rui’s pair of hands that had been hidden amongst my hair makes a move to my waist, with a slight use of force, I was tightly presses against his chest, he lowers his head to rub against my cheek, slowly saying: “Ke Zi and I have made an agreement, I’ll aid her in bringing stability to the kingdom, and she will not use that imperial decree to talk.”

I naturally know that this simple statement of his represents a huge meaning, I furrow my brows, “Your reason for coming out this time is……”

“Find you, settle matters.” His words are simple and concise.

I deliberately show no concern towards that subtle feeling, ridiculing: “Cousin, you’ve fallen behind, taking so long to find me.”

“Taking so long……?” Yuwen Rui deepens his voice, “An Ke Lan.”

I vaguely sense that type of dangerous air spreading from him, moving forward to avoid it, “En?”

He singlehandedly turns my face to meet his eyes, long and fine eyes brimming with fury, “Do you perhaps know that my people have practically went up to the western regions, and still couldn’t find any traces of you? Do you perhaps know that I rather have them finding the wrong person, than to let go of any figure that looks like you? Do you perhaps know that whilst secretly sending people to investigate your whereabouts, time and time again, the results were all of disappointment? Do you perhaps know how I felt when I came to know that the most favoured ‘male pet’ within Yun Zhan Palace, is actually you?”

I am speechless, turns out He Lian Chen had arranged such a move, abducted a monk and let out the entire Shaolin Temple, to confuse one’s sight like this……truly effective! Just as I wanted to open my mouth, Yuwen Rui instead answers his own questions, saying: “No, you don’t know.”

He lowers his lashes and conceals his eyes, “An Ke Lan, what do you know?”

I know he is really angry this time.

In fact, I have always been very spineless.

I tug at his sleeve, then shake his black hair that is much smoother than mine, praisingly saying: “Cousin, having not seen you in so long, you actually gotten prettier……”

The shine in his eyes turns cold, gritting his teeth as he says, “You……”

“Also gotten slimmer.” I further add.

Even his face turns cold, “An Ke Lan……”

I fearlessly continue to say: “Skin has gotten smoother.”

His pair of fox eyes were already shooting frosty shines at me, feeling much more impressive than lasers.

I overturn my hands and hug his waist, using my forehead to knock against his chest, then naturally rest against the crook of his neck as I hazily say: “Cousin’s scent……en, has also gotten nicer smelling than before.”

Yuwen Rui finally stops being angry, quietly sighing before hugging me back.

In fact, we both know, his body doesn’t have the fresh and clean fragrance from before.

I deeply breathe in, but this scent, also smells very nice.

After going through a day and night of travelling, we have finally arrived at Qing Yun Town, located at the border of Yun Ze. Yuwen Rui of course rushes to find the cleanest inn to arrange a place to stay at. This body of mine, having bumped around in the horse carriage for two days, is already experiencing sore bones, coming in touch with the soft bed after bathing, I was thus rendered unmovable, lying there and only after sleeping through the dark night until even my bones have softened, did I finally feel comfortable.

When I wake up, I do not see Yuwen Rui’s figure, Chen Liang says he went out to handle some matters, and I too, did not ask too much about it, only after finishing my evening meal, and was prepared to lie down again, did Yuwen Rui come knocking on the door.

I suspiciously look at the colourful thing in his hands, “This is……?”

Yuwen Rui lightly hooks up his lips, “Ah-Lan, what are you trying to do right now?”

I show no hesitation at all, “Sleep.”

The shine in his eyes makes a sudden turn, “Do you perhaps know what day it is today?”

“Sleeping day.”

Yuwen Rui’s lips slightly twitches, instantly sitting me on the stool.

With a seeming smile, he elegantly says: “Today……is the Qi Qiao Festival (aka Chinese valentines).”