Chapter 445: Chapter 444: Jealousy Without End, Isn’t It?
After boarding the carriage, Shen Hua leaned against the wall, with her right leg resting on Cui Yun’s knee.
The girl gazed at his profile.
It seemed that he had become thinner than before. His jawline had also grown much harsher. It must have been a difficult time.
No wonder brother once said.
——Troubles in Hengzhou, with ministers shirking responsibility from one another, no one was willing to go. No one wanted to wade into these muddy waters. It was only at the end that Little General Jin was appointed.
This time, Cui Yun must have offended many.
After returning to Shengjing, Ji Wang would likely scheme even more in the shadows.
"Is everything settled there?"
Cui Yun glanced at her and gently removed her embroidered shoes.
"How can it be considered settled?"
The popular resentment was temporarily suppressed, waiting for the next complete outbreak after the calm.
He then removed the white socks from her feet to reveal her jade-like feet. Her toes were like tender lotus roots, with her nails soft and pink.
He stood up for a moment and when he returned, he brought back a jar of ointment.
"It’s not a sprain, merely slight swelling. Even without applying medicine, it would probably heal in three days."
As he spoke, he scooped some ointment, spread it forcefully, and then applied it to Shen Hua’s toes.
Shen Hua’s fingertips turned red, holding a handkerchief. Her small feet held in his palm, she felt awkward even though he was applying medicine.
Save me!
It was a stirring and numb sensation in her ears.
That calling of "my dear" caused her heart to pound fiercely without shame. She placed her hand over her heart, feeling the odd sensation then nonchalantly moved it away.
"Why didn’t you return to Shengjing to report back?"
"Little General Jin won’t be departing until the day after tomorrow."
Cui Yun’s expression cooled: "I need to make time to go to Hui State."
Rushing there or taking it slowly, as long as he joined up with Jin Zhong before he entered Shengjing City, that was enough.
Seeing him like this, Shen Hua felt uneasy.
"Why are you going to Hui State? Could there be danger to your life?"
He paused in his actions.
"My grandmother has an adopted son there. I need to find him in Hui State."
He did not elaborate further.
This person, Shen Hua had heard of from Cui Xuan. Last New Year’s Eve, he did not make it back due to busy official duties, leaving Old Mrs. Cui deeply upset, saying that each year was lonelier than the last.
"Must you go?"
Cui Yun smiled: "I must."
The girl hesitated for a while but did not ask any further.
"How can it be like this, just go if you must. And yet you deliberately came to summon me."
Her words were vague, and Cui Yun, preoccupied with his thoughts, did not catch them clearly. After he finished applying medicine, he washed off the pungent, greasy ointment from his hands.
In his movements, he was slow and deliberate, but in dealing with affairs, he was always decisive and resolute.
Shen Hua, listless, in the next instant felt someone draw close, with a crisp scent delivered between her lips and teeth.
"I am injured," she said urgently.
"With you looking at me like that, who could restrain themselves?"
Cui Yun said softly: "I have to leave as soon as I have seen you."
Shen Hua was startled: "Is it that urgent?"
"Cannot afford to delay."
Her slender waist was drawn closer to him against her will.
She missed him as well, and obligingly tilted her head back.
Being kissed by him.
A fervent stirring.
But Cui Yun withdrew quickly. He pressed his forehead against Shen Hua’s.
"At nine years old, you were already spending money on men?"
"When I was nine, he was only seven, what did I know back then!"
The memory was clear.
Shen Hua said: "If you were there at that time, I would not have given him a second glance."
Having said so, she paused slightly.
As for Cui Yun’s temperament as a child, she feared they might have fought. Neither of them were the types to get along well with others.
If it wasn’t for the bracelet beforehand, during Xue Tuan, Cui Yun wouldn’t have cared whether he lived or died.
Pondering over this, she reminisced about being nine years old, if she had complained to the young man: "I still can’t recite a single article. The teacher told me my foolishness knows no bounds!"
I will certainly console her: "This humble one would never. Miss Shen is already wise enough."
If she were speaking to Cui Yun.
What would Cui Yun do at that time?
Probably just look at her coldly: "Did you grow a brain just to make yourself taller?"
Just the thought of it is irritating.
Certainly, Cui Yun seemed to have thought of this as well. He buried his face in the nape of Shen Hua’s neck like jade, and laughed softly.
Cui Yun escorted her back to the residence. He smoothed out the girl’s wrinkled skirt.
"Go back."
Shen Hua’s lips tense, she primly wanted to hear Cui Yun call her ’sweetheart’ once more, but didn’t know how to ask.
The girl stubbornly sat there, not budging an inch; in Cui Yun’s eyes, however, it became reluctance.
He sighed softly and lifted the curtain. Reluctantly, he gave a gentle order.
"Prepare a few changes of clothes for Miss Shen."
Upon hearing this, Shen Hua couldn’t help being delighted: "Are you taking me with you?"
"Going?"
"As long as it doesn’t interfere with your matters, then let’s go!"
Cui Yun reminded her: "We’ll have to ride horses, it’s not as comfortable as sitting in a carriage."
"I’m not a girl who cannot bear hardship."
That statement’s credibility is quite minuscule.
Fortunately, the embroidery workshop has completely stabilized, with Aunt Sun taking care of it, Shen Hua is relieved.
After hastily taking dinner to aid digestion, when setting off again, Cui Yun lifted Shen Hua onto the horse. He tightened the reins, holding the girl close in his arms.
"Go!"
The horse raised its front hooves high, neighing loudly, and galloped away.
The journey is urgent; even during the night, the ride does not pause.
During the first half of the trip, Shen Hua was chatty and looked around; during the second half, she became listless. After all, being pampered and nurtured, the place between her legs was chafed and sore.
Yet she could bear it, without a single complaint.
One reason was fear of delaying the journey, and secondly, she was embarrassed to mention it.
If she injured her foot, she could still remove her sock; but if it was that place, could she really lift up her skirt?
But in the end, it was inconvenient; this time she didn’t bring a maid, even Yingwu did not come along.
The problem was, she had drunk too much tea in the morning and now rested her head limply against Cui Yun’s chest.
Cui Yun freed a hand to touch her forehead: "Cold?"
Shen Hua bit her lip and shook her head.
Another 15 minutes passed, and she awkwardly tugged at Cui Yun’s clothes.
Mixed with the sound of horses hooves and the night wind, she spoke very softly, with an unwitting whimper: "I can’t hold it anymore."
As she said this, the girl tried to squeeze her legs together tightly.
Cui Yun was taken aback, then took another path to separate from Ying Yi and the others.
Soon, the horse stopped.
In the moonlight, it was hard to see just how flushed the girl’s face was at the moment.
Cui Yun’s voice was especially tender and lingering: "This place is secluded, I’ll guard for you, why don’t you go into the woods, how does that sound?"
Her feet were still swollen, and her legs hurt terribly, as if the skin was broken. She limped when she walked, and worried that Cui Yun would hear the sound of urine; wishing she could go far away. She hopped quickly on one leg. Unable to see the path clearly, she nearly stumbled.
Soon, she was picked up by someone.
The person comfortingly patted her waist.
"I’ll take you over."
Under the hazy night, her sash was untied by someone.
She trembled, hastily grasping the sliding hem of her skirt: "Cover your ears!"
"My ears are good; even covered I would still be able to hear."
"Then you... go further away."
Cui Yun barely walked ten steps away: "There might be snakes in the mountains, better to be cautious."
Shen Hua bit her finger: "With you here, I’m nervous, I can’t..."
Cui Yun chuckled: "How about I sing a little tune Miss Shen enjoys to ease the situation?"
This jealousy, it’s endless, isn’t it?
Yangyang went dark before her eyes.
She miserably wished for death.
Given the current situation, she felt that there are others who are more deserving of death.
(Visit Xiao Xiang Academy to see updates)