98 Benwang will have her, no matter what Part I
Two bodies that were closely entwined slid underwater without them realizing themselves.
Water permeated their bodies and faces. Bai Yu’s eyes widened in surprise once again. Almost all of her breath was already stolen by him, and now that they were suddenly underwater, she felt even more suffocated.
She had kissed men both when acting and in real life more times than she could count. But this time, she was swept away by his deep, fiery kiss and unconsciously responded, not realizing that they were sinking down.
If they were on the bed instead of in a bathtub, she would have lost all her inhibition and become a licentious woman, carelessly giving herself to the general.
Ouyang Feilong might hate deceitful women, and he might be in the army for over a decade, but it did not mean that he would have never touched a woman before. And so, both of them were enthralled in each other’s taste, unable to tear themselves away.
This was too dangerous! Bai Yu used all her strength to push Ouyang Feilong away. She grabbed the edge of the tub and pulled herself out of the water.
“Cough...cough...” She opened her mouth wide, taking in air while still coughing nonstop.
“Heh” A low chuckle sounded next to her ear. It was then that she realized that though Ouyang Feilong was shoved by her, he still held her waist to help her balance. That enchanting face smiled at her reaction, golden eyes glittered with amusement.
He smiled!
.....
It was not a curve at the corner of his mouth like every time before: It was a smile that was both beautiful and terribly mischievous. Her heart beat fast.
His large hand brushed her wet hair away from her face, then he spoke with a low voice and an unusual smile on his beautiful face. “You should get out of the tub before you catch a cold.”
She was already thinking of leaving even before he said so. With that kiss that made her forget herself and the many times that she choked on water, those kinds of embarrassing things...Who would stay and let him tease her?!
This time, she firmly stood up, after making sure that she would not slip and embarrass herself again. Luckily for Bai Yu, she safely escaped from the tub, although with a low laugh at her back. As soon as she stepped past the folding screen, she held up her hand and softly touched it upon her lips. Her brows furrowed, her face still red at the thought of what had just happened.
Then, a sudden thought occurred in her brain...After all those things she did as ‘proof’, was he finally convinced?
———————
“The three-eyed seer had already taken the hare to the injured person. After the attempt at the second prince’s life last night, Da Chu’s border was in great confusion. The chance might slip away if we wait longer, so the seer took the opportunity to leave first” An agent in the black dragon unit came to report in the next day, along with four other men who were all injured.
Ouyang Feilong silently listened to him. Bai Yu, who had changed into dried clothes, was sitting calmly beside him. It was as if they had not gone through an embarrassing accident together.
“Someone attempted to assassinate the second prince, naturally, the border will be heavily patrolled.”
“It will be harder for us to cross the border, then?”
“That’s correct.” Ouyang Feilong nodded. “It’s a good thing that Yue Nan predicted the situation and went ahead with the hare without waiting to meet up with us first.”
“That might be so, but the three-eyed seer had made preparations for you to return, but the wounded must remain here for the time being,” Yue Nan’s subordinate that came with the secret unit agent spoke. He was one of the people that received Yue Nan’s trust. They revered their three-eyed seer, so they treated Ouyang Feilong and Bai Yu with respect without regard for their nationality, not even after they learned of their and Yue Nan’s identity.
“Then we’ll do as you say.” Ouyang Feilong agreed.
Bai Yu glanced at the side of his face. The condition of their return was to leave the men in his unit here. They were the people who had followed him from the capital, and they were injured from protecting her and Ouyang Feilong last night. Was he that heartless, or did he have a plan?
“Traveling with injured people would only attract attention. Furthermore, it might affect their wounds. They should rest here until they recovered. Benwang’s men are capable enough to find their way back, there’s no need for you to worry.” He turned to explain to her in a tone that was much gentler than ever before. There was a strange glimmer in his eyes when he looked at her.
“Bai He’s life is important. Benwang’s soldiers understand it well.”
Bai Yu turned away from his gaze and pretended to look at Yue Nan’s men.
“Then we should hurry back.”
She had heard of things like ‘sacrificing themselves for the commander’ only in movies or television. Now that she was experiencing it in real life, she could not quite fully understand the thinking behind it. However, it seemed that Ouyang Feilong knew her thoughts, so he explained to her, even though there was no need for him to do so at all. It was normal practice for soldiers, especially for those selected to be in the elite group like the black dragon unit. She was not sure whether he explained it to her because he valued her opinion toward him or he thought she was a fool.
“The three-eyed seer had prepared a carriage for Miss to pretend to be a pregnant wife of a merchant who was traveling back to give birth in her homeland. We and Wangye will pretend to be your guards.”
“Wangye’s appearance is too eye-catching, won’t that be a problem?” Bai Yu asked.
“Miss can rest assured. One of us is a master of disguise.”
Wonderful!
“Can you transform Wangye into the pregnant wife instead of me, then?”
——————-
In the end, Ouyang Feilong refused to be the pregnant woman. Bai Yu was disappointed that she could not see him dressed up as a woman. Still, she was worried about her brother above all else, so she did not further pursue the matter just for her own amusement.
Now Bai Yu was sitting in a small carriage, modestly decorated but not too luxurious that it would draw attention. She was traveling as a merchant’s wife this time so she could not use a carriage that was too shabby or too gaudy.
Bai Yu stroked her hand over the stomach that was stuffed with cloths and pillows until she looked heavily pregnant. She leaned against a cushion, in case that the carriage was going to be searched. She had to be prepared, especially when the road was full of patrolling Da Chu soldiers.
In the late afternoon light, her carriage slowly moved along, following another carriage that was waiting in line to be approved to cross the border. Ouyang Feilong who was disguised as a fully bearded man was riding his horse next to her, with Yue Nan’s men driving the carriage and riding in the same travel group.
“Halt!” The soldier in front of the gate ordered them. Both the carriage and the guards easily complied. “Who are you? Where are you heading to?”
“I am a merchant from Da Yang. Last year I brought my wife with me to make a living here, now she’s pregnant. She’s going to go into labor soon. She’s terrified because it’s her first, so she wants to go back to give birth in her hometown. Today I’m bringing her back to Da Yang to give birth to our first child.”
Ouyang Feilong spoke smoothly and respectfully, just as they had practiced. Apart from when he was working, this was the first time that Bai Yu saw Ouyang Feilong say something this long.
“Identification tablet,” the soldier continued in a stern voice. Ouyang Feilong compliantly handed him an identification tablet that Yue Nan had prepared.
To identify oneself, the noble would use the jade tablet, like Ouyang Feilong’s black jade tassel. Bai Yu, too, had a red jade on herself, though she rarely used it since her appearance was so memorable that everyone could notice her at a glance. For the middle class like merchants, they would have identification tablets, while normal commoners would not normally have them. These tablets were used to confirm a person’s identity when they crossed borders or contact officials. Thus, a majority of commoners did not need it.
After examining the tablet together with a list of names of border citizens, the soldier nodded. Then, the searching process started. Ouyang Feilong was the one who opened the carriage door for him.
Under the veil that covered her lower face, Bai Yu gave the soldier a friendly smile. However, it stunned him instead. He was captivated by the beauty of her dark eyes.
Whoosh... Thud!
An arrow cut through the air and struck in the middle of the soldier.
Bai Yu screamed in shock at the scene in front of her. She had to cover her mouth with her hands to suppress the voice.
“Despicable soldiers who stare at other’s wife deserve only death.”
His low voice spoke ruthless words while his face showed a smile. The soldier who was killed for the crime of looking at Bai Yu was quickly carried away. Ouyang Feilong turned to look at the man, calmly and silently. He said nothing as he closed the door and put himself between the carriage and the newcomer.
Bai Yu could not see the scene outside, but she could at least assume that this person must have high enough authority to order anyone’s death without being objected.
The second prince Chu Zhaoran!