When Chu Chu returned with the tea, she had already washed herself clean. The moisture from her bath hadn't fully dried yet, and her bathwater had been sprinkled with fragrant powder, leaving her whole body glowing and sweetly scented. Her hair was tied up in an exquisite bun, and her slightly swollen eyes were concealed beneath a light layer of cosmetics. Except for their wedding night, Xiao Jin Yu had never seen her dressed so beautifully.
As Chu Chu set down the tea tray, she stood so close to Xiao Jin Yu that he could not only clearly smell the intoxicating sweetness but also feel the warmth radiating from her delicate skin.
"Chu Chu..."
Just as Xiao Jin Yu was about to pull her into his embrace, Chu Chu nimbly slipped out of his reach. "You're busy. I'm going out to play."
"Where to?"
Chu Chu smoothed her clothes. "To learn horseback riding."
Horseback riding? Dressed like this... Xiao Jin Yu couldn't help but press further, "With whom?"
"I'm not telling you."
Watching Xiao Jin Yu's face turn pale and ashen, Chu Chu skipped cheerfully out of the room.
Xiao Jin Yu consoled himself—learning something new wasn't a bad thing. If she wanted to learn, he should let her...
But within half an hour, this self-consolation proved ineffective.
No matter which official document he read, all he could envision was the beautifully adorned Chu Chu on horseback, nestled in the arms of a tall, robust man, her hands held by him, listening intently to his words as they galloped across the desert, leaving behind a trail of silver-bell-like laughter, her face blooming like a flower.
He had never been a petty person, so why now...
Forcing himself to finish the last few documents, Xiao Jin Yu finally couldn't take it anymore. "Someone, come in!"
A guard stationed outside immediately entered.
"Is the Imperial Concubine... still riding?"
"Yes."
Xiao Jin Yu clenched a document in his hand, his face pale and lips pressed tightly together. After a moment of hesitation, he said, "Go inform General Leng... that I agree to meet Ashina Suwu. Only tonight—no extensions."
"Yes."
"And... ask the Imperial Concubine to return. Tell her to freshen up and prepare to meet the Turkic envoy."
"Yes."
"Wait... if she's enjoying herself and doesn't want to come, then forget it."
"Yes."
After the guard withdrew, Xiao Jin Yu lowered his hand and gently touched his numb legs. Through his clothes, he pinched them hard, as if gripping a piece of aged, rotten wood—no matter how much force he used, he felt nothing at all.
When he could exert no more strength, Xiao Jin Yu slowly leaned back in his chair, a faint, bitter smile on his lips. If he couldn't give her what she needed, what right did he have to forbid others from giving it to her...
When Chu Chu slipped back into the tent, her clothes and hair were tousled by the wind, her flushed little face covered in a layer of dust, yet unable to conceal her overwhelming joy.
Chu Chu's happiness had always been pure—so pure it could infect those around her and make them happy too. Her joy at this moment was just as pure and fervent, yet Xiao Jin Yu couldn't bring himself to share in it... instead, his heart ached sharply.
Chu Chu gulped down a cup of water in one go, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, and declared triumphantly, "I've learned how to ride a horse!"
"Good..."
"It's just that the wind and sand were too strong—they messed me up... Luckily, my master held me tight, or I would've fallen and bruised my bottom badly!"
Xiao Jin Yu's face turned faintly pale. "Is that so...""Yes! Wait a moment, I need to take another bath and change clothes..." Chu Chu laughed as she shook out her skirt, "I'm practically made of sand!"
"Alright... no rush."
☆、72 Fragrant Roasted Whole Lamb (Eight)
It took Chu Chu quite some time to finish getting ready. When she emerged, freshly groomed, Xiao Jin Yu's heart trembled again.
This girl was even more exquisitely dressed than before. Her eyebrows and eyes were carefully defined, her lips painted red with a light dusting of rouge. Her hair was styled in an elaborate yet not overly heavy updo, and she wore a goose-yellow dress he had never seen before. Her good mood was written all over her fair, rosy-cheeked face, so radiant she seemed to brighten the entire dim tent.
Chu Chu ran up to Xiao Jin Yu, twirling in place while holding out her skirt. "Wang Ye, look! Isn't it pretty?"
Xiao Jin Yu gazed intently at her. "Very beautiful."
Chu Chu's eyes curved into happy crescents. "My shifu gave it to me!"
The faint smile on Xiao Jin Yu's face froze.
He had to admit the dress was truly lovely, and it fit her perfectly—as if tailor-made specifically for her.
Her shifu not only had better taste than him, but seemed to understand her better too...
To produce such a perfectly fitted and undoubtedly expensive dress in just a few hours—he must have admired her for a long time and prepared this long in advance...
What did it matter that he was a prince? What did it matter that he held judicial power over the entire realm? He couldn't accompany her riding horses, and now even his ability to choose clothes fell short compared to another...
Xiao Jin Yu pressed his pale lips slightly. "Your shifu... is very good."
Chu Chu blinked her bright eyes at him. "Wang Ye, are you unwilling to let me be with shifu?"
Xiao Jin Yu's spine stiffened. "No, not at all... It's almost time, we should go... The banquet is set in the center of the battlefield between the two armies' camps. The Turkic prince requested only you and I attend. If you're afraid, you can stay in the camp."
"How many people are they bringing?"
"Also two—the Turkic prince Ashina Suwu, and the Miao shaman Du Li."
"I'll go with you! I've never seen what Turkic or Miao people look like anyway!"
Xiao Jin Yu's expression darkened slightly. Earlier she said she wanted to go to accompany him, but now it was just out of curiosity...
"Alright..."
The carriage traveled through the night, black as lacquer and cold as ice, before finally stopping outside a temporarily erected tent. The surrounding wilderness was so empty it didn't even have a blade of grass—just this single tent, with one black and one white horse tied to posts beside it. No guards were visible outside the tent entrance.
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