The carriage at the entrance was already prepared. Just as Jie’er was about to board, she noticed Ye Lüsheng and one of his deputy generals each leading a horse.
Jie’er immediately ran excitedly towards the three of them, looking at their slightly surprised eyes, and eagerly asked, “Um, can I ride a horse too? Sitting in the carriage is so boring!”
The two deputy generals exchanged glances and quickly led their horses past her, their expressions as if fleeing, making her wonder if she was that terrifying. Jie’er could only pin her hopes on the remaining person.
“Do you know how to ride a horse?” Ye Lüsheng asked her.
Jie’er honestly shook her head, then smiled ingratiatingly, “But you’re quite skilled, aren’t you?”
Ye Lüsheng reached out and lightly tapped her forehead, his expression showing a hint of indulgence. He then nimbly mounted the horse, and with a wave of his left hand, Jie’er found herself securely seated in front of him, held firmly against his chest.
Wow! That move—three words: totally awesome!
Jie’er finally got her wish to ride a horse, but the speed was hardly impressive.
Seemingly to accommodate the carriage’s pace, her horse-riding experience felt no different from riding a donkey. Any notion of galloping or looking heroic was completely absent.
Boring, so boring!
“Um, Ye Lüsheng—” Oops, why is he glaring at her? Nevermind, as they say, “know when to yield,” “Dar-darling, could you maybe ride a bit… faster… just a tiny bit…?” Jie’er delicately voiced her small, small request.
…
After she finished speaking, she noticed that Ye Lüsheng’s expression had not improved, so she wisely stopped talking. After an unknown amount of time, Ye Lüsheng finally spoke again: “I don’t want you to end up like my mother…” He only said the first half of the sentence, leaving the rest unsaid, which left Jie’er completely puzzled but afraid to ask further.
Then Ye Lüsheng continued: “Over the years, the border regions have been unstable, and war could break out at any time. I don’t know when I’ll have to leave the capital and head to the battlefield. War is too cruel, and no one can be sure if they’ll make it back next time…”
Jie’er raised her hand and covered his lips, saying with a smile: “I believe in you!” This single sentence was worth a thousand words.
Jie’er shook her head. In fact, she hadn’t really thought about where to go, just feeling suffocated in the royal residence, oppressed to the point of being unable to breathe. She wanted to wander around casually and unknowingly found herself on the main street.
Jie’er suddenly had an idea and said with a mischievous laugh: “Lu Xuyran, I’m going to visit your home—”
“Hehe, so Jie’er wants to visit my home? Why didn’t you say so earlier!” Lu Xuyran unleashed his boundless imagination, laughing ambiguously.
……
Fragrant Feelings, Silken Threads (3)
Jie’er couldn’t be bothered to engage with him, unceremoniously kicking him and placing her hands on her hips: “Then hurry up and go—”
She had originally expected to see a grand mansion similar to the royal residence, thinking that even if it wasn’t as magnificent, it wouldn’t be too different. But upon arrival, Jie’er realized how vast the gap between imagination and reality could be.
A solitary courtyard located in the suburbs, without a red lacquered gate or crowds of servants, with only a bamboo fence and a few helping hands. However, it looked quite elegant and clean, with a sense of seclusion that made Jie’er once again doubt his identity as a royal physician.
Entering the backyard, it was filled with flowers and plants she had never seen before, especially a seven-colored flower that was particularly beautiful. Jie’er squatted down, wanting to pick it.
“You’d better not—” Lu Xuyran suddenly appeared behind her, startling the girl and causing her outstretched hand to freeze midair.
“Why?” Seeing such a special and beautiful flower for the first time, Jie’er glared at him unwillingly.
Lu Xuyran smiled mysteriously, “Do you know what kind of flower this is?”
Jie’er honestly shook her head.
Lu Xuyran slowly explained: “This flower grows year-round on the peak of Jade Snow Mountain. It’s an extremely precious antidote herb, but its transplantation survival rate is quite low. I spent two entire years successfully growing these dozen or so plants.”
Oh! So he cherished the flowers!
“Hmph! What’s so great about it, not letting me pick it, you cheapskate—” Jie’er turned her face away in a huff, thoroughly despising the person before her.
“Alas—” Lu Xuyran sighed helplessly, shaking his head: “Silly girl, it’s not that I’m reluctant to part with these flowers, but don’t you know that while this flower is an excellent antidote, it itself contains deadly poison. If you rashly try to pick it, you’re very likely to be pricked and poisoned.”
Huh? The flower has thorns? How did she not notice just now?
“Hehe, sorry about that. I didn’t know. It’s just so beautiful that I couldn’t help but want to pick it!” Realizing she had misunderstood his good intentions, Jie’er lowered her head embarrassedly and apologized.
……
Fragrant Feelings, Silken Threads (4)
To him, Jie’er always harbored a vague sense of dependence, as if everything was taken for granted, perhaps because Lu Xuyuan was the first man who showed her kindness after she fell into this time and space. But she was also clear that this dependence was not love, at least not the kind of love between lovers.
The medicine lodge was small, and in less than half an hour, she had already explored everything, and could only boredly swing back and forth on the swing in the small courtyard.
“Little Jie’er, not happy?” Somehow, Lu Xuyuan had already walked behind her, and she didn’t know why this kid had recently learned to suddenly pop up from behind and scare people.
“Hahaha—” Jie’er gave a dry laugh, trying to cover her lifeless face, “Just kidding, who am I? The world is big, but Xu Jie’er is the biggest… There’s nothing that could possibly make me unhappy!”
Lu Xuyuan said nothing, just looking at her, probably hoping to see something in her expression.
Jie’er felt uncomfortable under his unrestrained gaze and pretended to be angry, shouting: “What are you staring at, you brat? Although I’m a beauty of national grace and celestial fragrance, elegant and refined, you can’t just stare like that. I’ll tell you, you have no chance now, I’m a married woman!”
“Is there a married woman in this world who still calls herself a young lady? You, you dare to say you’re a beauty of national grace and celestial fragrance, how shameless!” Lu Xuyuan withdrew his gaze, playfully tapping her nose with his right index finger, looking somewhat amused.
“Hmph—mind your own business!” Jie’er glared at him defiantly. Knowing that thick-skinned-ness was also a kind of cultivation, not everyone could reach her level.
“Yes, yes… my beautiful young lady, may I trouble you to move your honored self and take a look at the gift I specially prepared for you?” Lu Xuyuan cupped his hands and bowed along with her words.
As soon as she heard the word “gift”, Jie’er’s eyes immediately turned heart-shaped, quickly and ungracefully jumping down from the swing, pulling his sleeve and urging impatiently: “A gift? Really? Where is it? Quick, quick, take me to see…”
Seeing her childlike behavior, Lu Xuyuan smiled and led her to the table in the main room, where a white silk cloth was filled with colorful flower petals, including the ones she was planning to pick today.
“What are these?” Jie’er stared blankly at him, not understanding what trick he was playing…
