Chapter 302: Yu Chan 9

Chapter 302: Yu Chan 9

Qi Yun met Xiao Yuchan out of affection, but the things he did with her were truly against social norms. Even without his relationship with the Xiao brothers, he felt deeply guilty afterward.

If it were just meeting at a teahouse, Qi Yun dared to see her three times a month. But when it came to the rented villa, Qi Yun didn't dare.

Xiao Yuchan, who teased him with her words, was stunningly beautiful and charming. But behind the curtains, she transformed into a fox demon from folklore, one that had cultivated for thousands of years.

Qi Yun didn't believe he could restrain himself every time.

So, for the next month, "Seventh Miss" didn't send any invitations to Xiao Yuchan. Qi Yun would go to the restaurant near the teahouse, but Xiao Yuchan never came to listen to storytelling again.

By the end of April, Xiao Yuchan finally received another invitation from "Seventh Miss."

Xiao Yuchan burned the invitation directly.

Their mutual affection was supposed to be joyful, so why did he have to make it so awkward? After just one encounter in bed, he could hold back for over a month without seeing her. What, did her body disappoint him? Was it so difficult to meet again?

Regardless of what Qi Yun thought, Xiao Yuchan was unhappy and didn't feel like indulging his wishes.

The Dragon Boat Festival was approaching, and the court granted officials a one-day holiday.

Due to the late emperor's passing just two months prior, Luocheng didn't arrange dragon boat races this year. However, the Luoshui River was bustling with boats, and the people enjoyed themselves.

With her elder brother far away in Hanzhong and her father being impatient with children, Qi Yun brought his niece and nephew to Luoshui, both to let the siblings have some fun and hoping to run into Xiao Yuchan and Yao Ge Er for a chance to strike up a conversation.

However, even after the siblings had enjoyed their time on the boat, Qi Yun didn't see Xiao Yuchan.

On the eighth day of the fifth month, Xiao Yuchan received the third invitation from "Seventh Miss," with only two words: "Scared?"

Xiao Yuchan: "..."

A person who couldn't even bring himself to take off his clothes had the nerve to suspect she was scared?

What was she scared of? Scared he wouldn't measure up!

Early on the eleventh, Xiao Yuchan stormed into Qi Yun's villa. The two guards went off to wander elsewhere as usual, and Jinling followed A Yin to the small garden in the backyard.

In the oppressive summer heat, "Seventh Miss" wore a long, tightly sealed dress, while Xiao Yuchan donned a set of high-waisted ruqun, with a short, red, gold-threaded peony jacket that made the exposed skin at her neckline appear as white as snow.

As soon as she entered the room, Xiao Yuchan complained, "No ice, and the windows are shut. Are you trying to roast me alive?"

Qi Yun, now back in his male clothes, glanced at the fine sweat on her nose, opened a folding fan, and moved closer to fan her.

Xiao Yuchan's expression eased as she leaned against the couch, glancing at him and asking, "What did you mean by that invitation?"

Qi Yun shot back, "Why didn't you show up last time I invited you?"

Xiao Yuchan sneered, "If you don't call me, I won't see you. If you call me, I come. Like it's that simple?"

Qi Yun: "...I was afraid that meeting too frequently would arouse suspicion from Second Master's wife."

Xiao Yuchan: "Then let's meet again next March, just once a year. They definitely won't notice."

Qi Yun: "..."

Xiao Yuchan: "No more words? Then I'm leaving."

Qi Yun stepped in front of her, his eyes flickering to her lips before he looked away.

Xiao Yuchan had seen enough of his demeanor and said coldly, "Move aside."

Qi Yun didn’t budge.

Xiao Yuchan pushed his arm, but Qi Yun grabbed her wrist instead, pulling her into his embrace and lowering his head to kiss her.

Xiao Yuchan quickly turned her head away.

Qi Yun paused, seeing her cold expression, which was completely different from their previous flirtations. He felt that even holding her wrist like this had become an offense.

He quickly released her and looked down, murmuring, "I'm sorry."

Xiao Yuchan smiled and looked at him, saying, "I like lions, not scholars. Otherwise, I could have gone to the imperial exams and picked myself a handsome scholar husband."

"I know you're a gentleman, and I like that too. But we've come this far, and you're still acting like this. Are you trying to say it's all my fault for tempting you, that you're still a gentleman, and I'm too frivolous?"

Qi Yun looked at her and said, "I've never thought you were frivolous."

Xiao Yuchan: "Believe what you want. Honestly, I'm just bored with all this now. You don't need to look for me anymore. Move aside."

Qi Yun still didn’t move.

He remembered the endless trips between the tavern and the marquis's mansion, the hope and disappointment, and the sleepless nights without her.

Boring? Really?

"My father is a scholar exam holder from Pine Village in Wei County, much better-looking than him!"

Yao Ge Er's words from the day Xiao Ye got married echoed in his ears, and Qi Yun suddenly felt like laughing.

He, Qi Yun, was never a scholar, nor did he believe he was less interesting to her than a scholar.

She liked lions, but did she really know what a lion was like?

Qi Yun moved aside from the doorway.

Xiao Yuchan walked out, but just as she touched the fallen door latch, a strong force suddenly pulled her back, throwing her onto the nearby couch and pressing her upper body down.

Following closely were the lips and teeth of a lion landing on the side of her neck.

Xiao Yuchan thought he wanted to do the same as last time and sneered, "Is this what a lion is? Go home and play with a ball!"

Qi Yun ignored her harsh words, one hand gripping her wrist and the other lifting her skirt.

Xiao Yuchan: "..."

Feeling her stiffness, Qi Yun said in a deep voice, "This is what a lion does. If you regret it, I’ll stop."

Xiao Yuchan: "...What do you mean by 'like this'?"

Qi Yun's breath quickened as he pressed her even closer.

Xiao Yuchan laughed, "Who are you trying to impress? They say, 'all bark and no bite.' Big doesn’t mean you’ve got what it takes."

Qi Yun closed his eyes, and just as she was about to speak, he covered her mouth with his hand.

If Ah Jin, Ah Yin, and Jinling had been under the eaves, even if they couldn’t hear Xiao Yuchan’s muffled sounds, they would’ve heard something else. But Ah Jin and Ah Yin valued their easy jobs and respected the mistress, who remained unseen, so they’d never snoop. Jinling was even more loyal to Xiao Yuchan. Since she was told not to come and serve, Jinling didn’t come near.

Half an hour later, Xiao Yuchan was still teasing the lion behind her, mocking him for being useless. Qi Yun remained calm and carried Xiao Yuchan, who could hardly stand, into the inner chamber.

He tied Xiao Yuchan's hands with his belt and then gagged her with a cloth, continuing for another half hour, as relentless as a storm shaking the trees.

When he wanted to go again, Xiao Yuchan finally broke free from the loosely tied belt and clung to his shoulders, pleading: "Alright, lion, I get it, you're strong. I won't tease you anymore."

Qi Yun looked down and saw her flushed face and a pair of moist, soft, and alluring eyes.

She had never looked at him with such soft eyes before.

Qi Yun couldn't help but kiss her.

As he kissed from her eyes to the corner of her mouth, he heard her soft voice: "You can kiss, but no more. You really wear me out. If I go back like this, I’ll definitely give myself away."

Qi Yun didn't respond but moved to her ear and whispered, "Did you enjoy it?"

Xiao Yuchan nodded repeatedly.

Qi Yun paused, then asked, "How do I compare to Yao Ge Er's dad?"

Xiao Yuchan: "...You're worth four of him."

Yao Ge Er's father was very handsome and not bad at night, but compared to this lion, even if Yao Ge Er's father turned into a ghost to find her, she would dare to tell the truth.

Qi Yun laughed.

But just as Qi Yun was hesitating whether to meet her again in ten days or twenty days, Huang Qilin from Qingzhou colluded with the Ling Kingdom to attack Hezhou from both sides, and Lv Sheng from Liangzhou also declared himself emperor, openly betraying the court.

Qi Yun didn't even have the chance to say goodbye to Xiao Yuchan in person and had to follow Xiao Zhen to Liangzhou with 50,000 Southern Camp cavalry.

Qi Yun hastily wrote a letter to Xiao Yuchan under the guise of Seventh Miss. Fearing interception, he kept it brief: "This trip will take a long time, and my return date is uncertain. Please take care. I look forward to our next reunion."

Xiao Yuchan received the letter and sighed helplessly. The lion she had only tasted once just up and left.

——

Because Lv Sheng did not have the support of the troops, the Southern Camp's campaign in Liangzhou was unstoppable, and reports of victory were sent back to the capital one after another. The families of the generals sent letters and clothes back home.

Every time this happened, Qi Yun would still find himself gravitating towards Xiao Yan and Xiao She.

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, all the generals received mooncakes sent from home. The Xiao family sent the most, and Xiao She even received a bag of roasted sunflower seeds from his sister.

Xiao She: "She's something else. When did I ever like to eat this?"

Xiao Ye: "Just right, I like it. Give it to me."

Xiao She directly threw the whole bag of sunflower seeds to his fourth brother.

Qiao Changan came over, and Sun Dian came over. Xiao Ye grabbed a handful for each of them and then asked the others, "Who else wants some?"

Qi Yun didn't move. Only after Xiao Zhen went back to the central military tent to work did he walk over and sit down next to Xiao Ye: "Seeing you eat so happily, give me some too."

Xiao Ye didn't think much and gave him some.

Qi Yun looked at what was in his hand, then at the paper bag in front of Xiao Ye.

Xiao Ye: "Not enough? Then have another handful."

He figured Qi Yun wasn't much of a snacker, so he didn't give him too much—not that he was being stingy.

Qi Yun smiled and said, "That's sufficient."

But he thought to himself that perhaps Yu Chan had sent him the entire bag.

——

After Lv Sheng was captured, Yuan Loushan also arrived in Liangzhou. Xiao Zhen immediately led the Southern Camp Troops back.

On the seventh day of the tenth month, they arrived in Chang'an. After bidding farewell to Luo Xiao, the new garrison commander of Chang'an, Xiao Zhen called Qi Yun into the Main Tent alone.

Before this, Qi Yun had also received letters from his mother, filled with everyday matters and words of caution. His father, Qi Heng, was far away in Hezhou leading troops, and the distance was too great. Both were too busy with their own affairs to communicate directly, relying instead on their mother's updates.

However, news of the Wang family poisoning the Xianqing Emperor, causing him to fall seriously ill and be unable to attend court, had spread to Liangzhou and the army.

Qi Yun did not believe that the Wang family would be foolish enough to poison their greatest supporter, the Xianqing Emperor. There must be more to this story.

Xiao Zhen surely knew more than he did, but when it came to royal mysteries, given Xiao Zhen's temperament, he would not reveal anything to his brothers unless absolutely necessary, lest one of them inadvertently leak the information, which could either disrupt morale or give political enemies leverage.

As Yu Chan had advised, Qi Yun simply waited patiently. With Xiao Zhen and Tong Sui in charge, the Xiao Family and their friends and relatives could either rest easy or simply follow the couple's instructions.

Guards stood watch outside the Main Tent. After Qi Yun entered, he saw Xiao Zhen in the inner tent.

Xiao Zhen motioned for him to sit and said in a low voice, "Fan Zhao aims to usurp the throne. The capital is already under his control. The only obstacles to his ascension now are me and the Southern Camp Troops, as well as the Marquis and his Western Camp Troops."

Qi Yun's heart clenched: "And our families?"

Xiao Zhen: "Fan Zhao will use them as hostages. He won't harm them until my troops and the Marquis's troops arrive."

Qi Yun thought for a moment, then looked at Xiao Zhen and said, "Second Master, whatever you need, just say the word."

Though he could have called him Marquis or General, the old title "Second Master" carried a deeper meaning, indicating that his loyalty was to Xiao Zhen, not the court.

Xiao Zhen: "First, let me make this clear. I only know that Fan Zhao will definitely target the Xiao Family. As for the Qi Family, he might prefer to recruit them."

Qi Yun smiled: "He is not worthy of the loyalty of the Qi Family, father and son."

Xiao Zhen also smiled: "Good. I need you to ride quickly to intercept the Marquis's troops. Once you meet them, inform the Marquis and Zhao Jin of the crisis in the capital. Then, you and one of Zhao Jin's generals will each lead 20,000 troops to Hanzhou and Jiangzhou to prevent Pan Yong and Pan Dai from rebelling."

Qi Yun: "Second Master, are you confident that Zhao Jin will support us?"

Xiao Zhen: "He is a smart man."

Qi Yun: "Good, I will set off immediately."

Xiao Zhen watched his retreating figure and said softly, "In the capital, I trust my wife."

Qi Yun paused, then turned his head and said, "I trust both Second Master and your wife."

——

In late October, Qi Yun, leading troops to Hanzhou, learned that Pan Yong had likely fled.

In early November, Qi Yun received official documents from the capital in Hanzhou. Xiao Zhen had been proclaimed emperor by the civil and military officials, border generals, and the people of Luocheng, establishing the Great Wei Dynasty, marking the first year of Yong'an. Qi Yun himself was also ennobled as a Marquis by the new emperor, and Yu Chan was granted the title of Princess Baofu.

In mid-November, Qi Yun learned from his father's letter that Her Majesty the Empress had safely given birth to a prince, and that evening, the sunset had displayed an auspicious "dragon" sign.

Qi Yun was happy for the Emperor and the Empress.

Not long after, the new garrison commander of Hanzhou arrived, and Qi Yun led 20,000 Western Camp Troops back to the capital.

On the fifth day of the twelfth month, after over seven months, Qi Yun once again entered the capital through Dingding Gate.

In the past two days, Qi Yun first reunited with his family and brothers. On the seventh day of the twelfth month, the palace celebrated the little prince’s full moon, and the Qi family was among the invited guests.

The newly granted mansions for the imperial relatives were still under renovation. Apart from the emperor and empress’s immediate family, the other two branches of the Xiao family remained in Qinghua Lane.

Xiao Yuchan and others had gone to the palace ahead of time, so Qi Yun didn’t run into them on the way, nor did he have a chance to see the female relatives at the banquet. However, he sat at the same table as Xiao Yan, Xiao Ye, Xiao She, and others. After a few drinks, they all naturally said their goodbyes to the emperor and then waited outside the hall for the female relatives from the inner chambers.

Even in the afternoon, the winter wind was biting cold. Qi Yun stood behind the Xiao brothers, yet he felt a burning warmth throughout his body.

Finally, the female relatives arrived, and Qi Yun immediately spotted Xiao Yuchan walking in the front row.

Princess Baofu, newly honored, wore a striking red cloak, her hair glittering with jewels, her radiant face as stunning as ever.

Qi Yun was partially hidden behind the broad shoulders of Xiao Yan and Xiao Ye, but his gaze just happened to pass through the gap between the two brothers.

Surrounded by relatives and friends, Xiao Yuchan had no idea Qi Yun was back in the capital. After all, apart from Tong Sui and Mrs. Qi inquiring about this, the other female guests at the little prince’s full moon celebration were all praising the little prince. Who would remember the young Marquis of the Qi family?

Xiao Yuchan was immersed in the flattery of those around her and did not think of Qi Yun.

But just as she looked up and saw her father, brothers, and younger brother, she suddenly met those deep black eyes.

Memories of their summer closeness suddenly overwhelmed her, and Xiao Yuchan felt her whole body go weak.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, she quickly avoided Qi Yun’s gaze.

Qi Yun could only restrain himself and watch her leave first, accompanied by her parents and relatives.

——

In mid-twelfth month, Xiao Yuchan moved into her Princess Baofu residence with Qi Yao.

Three days later, the gatekeeper delivered a visiting card, stating that "Seventh Miss" would visit the next day.

After reading the card, Xiao Yuchan called Qi Yao: "Tomorrow, mother will entertain an old friend. Let your uncle take you out to play, okay?"

Qi Yao readily agreed but curiously asked, "Which old friend?"

Xiao Yuchan: "She’s a remarkable woman from the martial world, also a widow. She usually travels around, and last time she came to the capital, she and I hit it off."

Qi Yao: "A martial woman? The kind who can perform light-footed skills?"

Xiao Yuchan: "...Not that magical, just good at swordsmanship."

Qi Yao immediately lost interest and obediently got into the carriage the next morning to go to his uncle’s Prince of Wu Commandery residence.

Xiao Yuchan specifically sent Jinling to wait at the gate for Seventh Miss.

Seventh Miss arrived by carriage, with Ah Jin driving.

After getting out of the carriage, Jinling led Seventh Miss to the princess’s courtyard.

Xiao Yuchan and Seventh Miss sat face to face in the main hall. Once the maids had served tea, Xiao Yuchan said, "Seventh Miss enjoys peace and quiet, so why don’t you all head to the garden?"

Jinling, who knew Seventh Miss best, smiled and led the sisters away.

Xiao Yuchan then invited Seventh Miss to the side room.

As soon as he entered, Qi Yun closed the door behind him and pulled the princess into his arms.

Xiao Yuchan pulled off his veil, met the dark fire in his eyes, and laughed, "Your self-control is slipping more and more."

Qi Yun: "I'm overwhelmed with joy; it's hard to hold back."

Xiao Yuchan: "...You dare to say that?"

Qi Yun: "...I mean, with the Second Master becoming emperor and peace in the northern regions, can you finally agree to marry me now?"

Xiao Yuchan: "...Let's not rush into that; first, let me check if you're hurt."

She bent her head and began to tug at his outer clothes.

Qi Yun pursed his lips slightly, but after such a long separation, he didn't want to upset her right away.

Once they were inside the bed with curtains, and she was tightly clinging to his shoulders, Qi Yun asked again, "Will you be my wife?"

Xiao Yuchan pretended not to hear.

Qi Yun then stopped moving.

Xiao Yuchan, anxious, grabbed at him, and Qi Yun turned her face towards him, "Will you marry me?"

Xiao Yuchan glared at him, "I've just become a princess; you should let me enjoy myself for a few years, don't you think?"

Qi Yun let her go, and as she showed a satisfied expression, he said, "Marry me, and you can be this happy every day."

Xiao Yuchan's heart stirred, and she pressed against his handsome face, "It's easy for me, but you have to act as if we only just met this year, otherwise, proposing marriage right away would be like admitting guilt without being accused. And there's Yao Ge Er; I'm not sure he'd be thrilled about me finding him a new father. If you insist on getting married, then it's up to you to coax him into agreeing, don't make it hard for me."

Qi Yun: "Hmm, I'll take care of it."

Xiao Yuchan was about to laugh when suddenly the world spun around, and Qi Yun flipped her over.