“I understand,” Gu Qingtong nodded, “But Liang Luoxi has always treated me as an enemy, and I’m completely in the dark about these matters. Sometimes, I wonder how my Gu family wronged her.”
“The grudge between the Liang and Gu families is long-standing, but after Lord Gu and Lord Liang became officials, they coexisted peacefully. She probably hates you because of how the Gu family implicated the Liang family.”
“Our Gu family was struggling ourselves. Even if we implicated the Liang family, it’s not my fault, right?”
“Indeed, it’s not your fault, but she believes it’s all because of Consort Xin.”
“Consort Xin?”
“Yes, Liang Luoxi’s mother and Consort Xin are close sisters. When the incident occurred, your mother went to beg her mother and asked Lord Liang to speak up for your father. Although Lord Liang and your father were not on good terms, he was still principled and fair. So, before your mother could finish speaking, Lord Liang went to the palace to plead. Unexpectedly, the Emperor was so angry that he threw Lord Liang into the dungeon.”
Gu Qingtong took a deep breath: “So, we did harm her?”
“Not exactly. Lord Liang was implicated mainly because the Emperor’s men found evidence of treason in the Liang family – a privately carved national seal.”
“Was someone trying to frame the Liang family?”
“Yes, your father was indeed harmed by Lord Ji, and the Liang family’s misfortune had nothing to do with your family.”
Liang Luoxi hating you is completely unjustified.”
“Hmm.” Gu Qingtong felt relieved that her family hadn’t harmed Liang Luoxi, otherwise she would have felt guilty. They had already walked two-thirds of the mountain wall, and the air was beginning to cool with the approaching evening.
Seeing her face flushed with exhaustion, Jiang Shangheng said: “Qingqing, it’s getting dark. There’s a cave ahead where we’ll rest tonight.”
“Hmm.” Gu Qingtong followed him into the cave. Although somewhat dark, she could still make out the interior by the faint light. She discovered the cave was full of signs of human intervention, even featuring a stone bed large enough for five people.
Jiang Shangheng used a fire stone to light the pre-prepared firewood and spread an old robe on the stone bed: “Sit and rest for a while.”
“Hmm.” Gu Qingtong took a water flask and drank deeply, feeling quite exhausted.
Jiang Shangheng took out a paper package, removed some steamed buns and braised meat, warmed them by the fire, and handed them to Gu Qingtong: “Qingqing, this is all we have tonight.”
“Hmm.”
After the meal, Gu Qingtong stood at the cave entrance looking down. The stars in the sky were bright as lamps, and the mountain’s misty atmosphere was serene.
Suddenly, the mist on the other side turned from white to black, densely converging from top to bottom, and a fierce wind began to blow outside the cave.
“Qingqing, come in quickly.” Jiang Shangheng took off his outer robe and draped it over her.
“How could this be? The weather was fine just moments ago, but now it’s changed completely?”
“Someone has forcefully broken through the formation.”
“Broken through?”
“That’s Floating Cloud Mountain over there. It nurtures divine soldiers, so it’s not easy to enter. There are at least thirty formations at the mountain’s base alone. They’re quite skilled to have broken through to the mountain’s waist. However, if they proceed further, they will only perish in the mountain.”
“Is it the people of the Rui Prince?”
“Most likely.”
“Didn’t you say that you laid many formations on the path? They won’t come up the mountain if they realize it’s not me, so why would the Rui Prince’s people still chase to the mountain’s waist?”
“Indeed. I’m also puzzled. Could it be that Young Master Yu Qing is interfering?”
“Let’s hope not.” Jiang Shangheng saw the wind and fog outside growing larger, almost filling the mountain cave, with a faint bloody smell in the air. He quickly pulled her to the inner side, “If your master is not on the same side as us, then your adoptive father will be in trouble.”
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“My master and my adoptive father?” Gu Qingxiu also furrowed her brow, pondering their relationship, when suddenly she heard screams from the opposite mountain, frightening her into burying herself in Jiang Shangheng’s embrace.
The screams continued for a quarter of an hour before stopping. Gu Qingxiu glanced outside; the black mist had returned to white, and the bloody smell had dissipated. She blinked and went out; the stars in the sky were brighter than before, hanging across the entire sky.
In just a quarter of an hour, everything had returned to normal, as if nothing had happened.
“Were you scared?” Jiang Shangheng wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
“I was a bit scared earlier. That smell was nauseating.” Gu Qingxiu covered her nose and mouth.
“It’s okay now.” Jiang Shangheng fetched water for her to drink and carried her to the stone bed, holding her tightly against himself, “Sleep. We’ll wake up at the hour of the Mao, and we’ll reach the top of Floating Cloud Mountain by the hour of Chen.”
“Mm.” Gu Qingxiu tugged at his lapel, her head buried in his embrace.
“Qingqing, what are you doing?” Jiang Shangheng felt her burrowing deeper and pulled back to ask.
Gu Qingxiu slightly raised her eyes: “You have a smell.”
“A smell?”
Jiang Shangheng was surprised, raising his hand to sniff his sleeve, “What smell? I can’t smell anything.”
“I don’t know what it is. It’s a bit like the smell of grass, and a bit like the smell of sunshine. I can’t describe it.”
“Qingqing, are you teasing me?” Jiang Shangheng watched her head dive back to his neck to sniff. Their intimate proximity seemed like a hint.
It seemed that the book Xie Yan gave him had mentioned something like this. If a woman deliberately approaches you, it’s a strong hint. Moreover, Xie Yan said that many of his wife’s techniques were learned from Qingqing.
Qingqing was hinting at him…
Gu Qingxiu felt Jiang Shangheng’s body stiffen. In the next moment, he pressed her down on the stone bed and rolled twice. His lips pressed against hers, slightly cool.
However, his movements were extremely fast and intense. She tried to push him away, but his kisses left her breathless.
“Shangheng…” Gu Qingxiu managed to dodge, reaching out to stop him, “What… what’s wrong with you?”
Jiang Shangheng let out a low laugh, bypassing her hand, his warm lips biting her delicate ear.
“Ouch.” Gu Qingxiu cried out.
Jiang Shangheng quickly let go, mumbling: “I, I can’t…”
“You can’t what?” Gu Qingxiu stared at him.
“I can’t please you.”
“You call that pleasing?” Gu Qingxiu raised her voice, looking at him speechlessly.
“I thought it was.”
Gu Qingxiu laughed helplessly, then flipped over, pressing him down, and took his ear into her mouth, gently licking his earlobe, then slowly biting, watching his face turn red, and laughed: “This is pleasing.”
Jiang Shangheng was stunned for a moment, then rolled again, with Gu Qingxiu lying beneath him. Jiang Shangheng was an excellent student; with just a brief demonstration, he had already grasped the essence.
Gu Qingxiu’s ear grew hot under his nibbling, a tingling sensation spreading from there to other parts.
Jiang Shangheng heard her seemingly uttering monosyllabic sounds, hesitated, then placed his large hand on her chest, rubbing, forcing a sound from her throat.
“Mm…” Gu Qingxiu moaned, pulling his head down for a deep kiss.
Jiang Shangheng’s movements instantly became gentle, the corners of his mouth spreading wider.
Gu Qingxiu finally released him: “Shangheng, what… are you doing?”
Jiang Shangheng supported his forehead: “I, just feel very happy.”
“Tell the truth!” Gu Qingxiu poked his chest.
“Qingqing, isn’t my kissing technique much better now?”
