CH 14

Anger (3)

“They are just a few scholars who can’t even pick up a sword. They won’t be able to do much.” He decided that it was time to leave. He called Weimo and started walking towards the Palace of Divine Dragons, his temporary residence.

…

In the Palace of Eternal Spring, the doors and windows were shut, and the lovemaking had ceased.

Xiao Yu sat leaning against the head of the bed. He took a cup of tea offered by Chu Ning to take his medicine. At the same time, his gaze never left her tired face, and his hand held onto her waist firmly.

“Tired?” After a round of lovemaking, he had returned to his usual gentle demeanor. Apart from a slight haggardness to his expression, it seemed as if nothing had happened. “I’m tired too, but I always can’t resist when I see you.”

Chu Ning couldn’t help constrict her eyebrows a little.

He had spoken as if she was to be blamed for what happened.

“Your Highness must show filial piety, so I must not sleep in the same room with you.”

Xiao Yu did not reply but held her firmly to prevent her from leaving. He touched her eyebrows gently with his other hand and asked with good humor, “Are you angry with me?”

She opened her eyes and glanced at him before shaking her head. “No, I wasn’t angry with you. I’m just concerned that it would not be good for your image if people knew that we slept together tonight”

“Good.” His smile diminished slightly. “Concerning my uncle, you must stay away from him.”

“I understand.” Chu Ning did not object but looked down and answered immediately.

“Good, you can go. Have a good rest, the burial ceremony is tomorrow.” He smiled again and patted her smooth shoulder.

Upon receiving permission, Chu Ning ignored the soreness of her body, put on her clothes, and left the main house.

In the secondary house, Cui He had someone brew a concoction to prevent pregnancy. The concoction was ready and awaiting her return.

Chu Ning sat down on a couch quietly and gulped down the warm concoction. She gave a sigh of relief and leaned back slowly.

She had been taking this concoction for two years. 

In the beginning, she took it because she married Xiao Yu while she was still mourning for her father. She was still in grief at the time and made a request to Xiao Yu that she be allowed to avoid pregnancy during the mourning period. He had granted her request.

At the time, she had felt remorseful about her request. But now, when she thought of it, she was relieved to have made that request. If she had a child with her enemy, she couldn’t imagine how terrible she would feel.

“Where did the wolf come from? Have you found out about it?” She asked as she closed her eyes and supported her face on her arm.

“I have asked around. It is the Prince of Qin’s pet, named ‘Weimo’. Many people in the palace saw it in the back garden yesterday. I don’t think it was targeting you.” Cui He touched her forehead gently as she told her what she had heard.

“Why would one suddenly put a ferocious beast in the back garden?” Chu Ning still felt a lingering fear when she recalled the incident.

“The Prince of Qin had not been here for long, so not many people know why. I just heard someone say that the wolf had been by his side for ten years since it was just a cub. I heard that it even saved the Prince of Qin’s life.”

Chu Ning couldn’t help but frown as she listened.

There were a few aristocrats in Chang’an who kept various unusual beasts as pets. However, those were all completely tamed. On the other hand, Xiao Kezhi’s wolf did not seem tamed at all.

Since a wolf had to save his life, it was hard to imagine what kind of hardship he had gone through in Ganzhou.

As she recalled his touch at the pavilion, she started to have a strange feeling in her heart.

His gaze for her had evolved from the initial pity to sizing her up without restraint. It was not a gaze that an uncle should have for his nephew’s wife. Strangely, there was also none of the indifference or malice when facing a stranger and enemy. Instead, his gaze seemed to hold a deeper meaning.