Chen Anzhi’s army was stationed on the outskirts of Liao City. Recently, due to consecutive defeats at the front line, the atmosphere in the army was quite grim.
Chen Anzhi had just finished washing a large bucket of wooden bowls and was shaking off the water from his hands when he joined Tie Zhu and a few others to enter the city to buy some supplies for the army.
Today was the day of the local market. Even though Liao City was a small place far from the bustling capital, it was particularly lively on market days.
Just as they had bought what they needed and were about to head back, Chen Anzhi looked around for Tie Zhu but couldn’t find him. After some searching, he finally spotted Tie Zhu. He hurried over and said, “It’s time to go back. What else are you buying?”
Chen Anzhi looked at the small stall in front of him. It was selling trinkets for women, with items like crudely made hair ties and bead flowers.
Tie Zhu was picking out a shell bracelet for his wife and haggling with the vendor.
“It’s already very cheap. Why not buy one for your own wife too? If you buy two, you can save a copper coin,” the vendor said with a smile.
Tie Zhu immediately said, “You should buy one too!”
Chen Anzhi frowned and shook his head, clearly not impressed by the poor-quality trinkets.
To save half a copper coin, Tie Zhu hastily said, “It’s the thought that counts, don’t you understand? We’ve come to Liao City, so let’s buy some unique local trinkets to take back. It’s not about the price, it’s about the sentiment!”
“Exactly, exactly!” the vendor echoed.
Hearing Tie Zhu’s words, Chen Anzhi hesitated for a moment before picking a purple shell bracelet from the pile. He still frowned, unsatisfied with the rough dye job on the shell.
Chen Anzhi didn’t make Tie Zhu pay half; he directly paid for both bracelets. Before leaving, he hesitated again and chose a white one.
He carefully placed the two bracelets together and tucked them into his jacket.
Tie Zhu teased him with a smile, “The prince has so many concubines, and you’re only bringing two gifts back?”
Chen Anzhi shook his head seriously and said, “No, just one wife and one concubine, the rest don’t matter.”
Chen Anzhi touched the two bracelets tucked in his jacket, wondering if the two women would like them. After all, he still thought the two-copper-coin bracelets were too cheap.
Not long after, they carried their newly purchased items back, only to learn they had to retreat again. People in the tent were discussing, and it turned out the front line had suffered another defeat.
Chen Anzhi thought to himself that the enemy’s brute force army was truly terrifying. He wondered how they managed to train such warriors, each capable of fighting ten men.
As Chen Anzhi continued walking inside, he noticed You Jiamu was also there. Sitting with his legs crossed on a stool, many young soldiers surrounded him, asking about the enemy’s brute force army.
Chen Anzhi couldn’t help but take another look at You Jiamu. It had only been a few months since they had come out, and his brother-in-law had grown half a head taller. Standing among the crowd, he didn’t look like a twelve-year-old at all.
Chen Anzhi listened for a bit and heard You Jiamu discussing with a few others about secretly going forward to scout the enemy’s brute force army.
“Brother-in-law, are you coming?” You Jiamu looked over with a smile.
Chen Anzhi was stunned for a moment and asked in return, “Can I go?”
“Of course,” You Jiamu called him brother-in-law again. “I’d be more than happy if you want to come with me.”
Since joining the army, Chen Anzhi had been stuck in the kitchen unit, either buying groceries or cooking and washing dishes. Although he had never practiced martial arts, he really wanted to make a name for himself. Hearing You Jiamu’s invitation, he nodded vigorously in agreement.
In his heart, he thought that You Jiamu still cared about his brother-in-law.
The next day, before dawn, You Jiamu led seven or eight people out of the military camp. They quietly crossed the Wanhe Valley, climbed the steep mountain ridges, and took a shortcut forward.
You Jiamu walked at the front, and the soldiers he selected were all exceptionally skilled. Chen Anzhi couldn’t keep up at all; not only was his stamina lacking, but the injuries on his hands made climbing even more difficult. He was not only panting heavily but also turning pale.
“Second Young Master, it seems Lord Anzhi can’t keep up.”
This was the third time the soldiers behind You Jiamu had reminded him. The first two times, You Jiamu had brushed it off with a laugh. How could he not know that Chen Anzhi couldn’t keep up? If Chen Anzhi could keep up, You Jiamu wouldn’t have brought him along.
You Jiamu turned around reluctantly. His impatient expression turned into a smile as he looked at Chen Anzhi, who was bent over and catching up. He stood on a rock, smiling warmly, and called out “Brother-in-law” in a caring tone, “Brother-in-law, why don’t you rest here for a while? We’ll go ahead, and you can keep watch for us here.”
You Jiamu’s gaze swept over Chen Anzhi’s hair crown and the hand adjusting it.
Even in the military, Chen Anzhi’s hair crown was made of fine jade. Cooking and washing didn’t stop him from wearing an expensive jade thumb ring when he finished his chores.
“That… that works…” Chen Anzhi couldn’t walk any further and sat down immediately. He was completely exhausted.
You Jiamu smiled and led the others forward. The corner of his eye glanced at a nearby mountain peak.
He was very familiar with the terrain here and knew that there were several bandit camps on the nearby peaks. Brother Yuanyi had been worrying about how to recruit them.
Given Chen Anzhi’s appearance, the bandits would definitely be tempted if they saw him.
Encountering bandits would be ideal; if not, You Jiamu doubted Chen Anzhi could find his way back. He had no intention of returning the same way. He smiled slyly.
Chen Anzhi sat on the rock for a long time before recovering and began the long wait. He waited from the first light of dawn until the sun was high in the sky. The noon sun was so intense that it made him dizzy. His stomach growled, but he realized the rations were with another soldier. His only half-pouch of water was already gone.
As the sun began to set in the west, Chen Anzhi started to panic, worried that something might have happened to You Jiamu. He stood up and looked around, but the surrounding mountains seemed to swallow him whole, and he began to worry about his own safety.
There was no village or inn in sight, only the cold wind biting at him.
No, he couldn’t wait here any longer. He tried to retrace his steps, but he couldn’t find the way back. He had been too focused on keeping up with You Jiamu to remember the route.
Chen Anzhi touched the two bracelets in his jacket for courage, thinking of the two women waiting for him. He had to make it back safely!
Stumbling and struggling, he didn’t know how long he had been walking in circles in the mountains. When he heard the sound of footsteps, he thought You Jiamu had come back for him. He smiled, but then saw a group of bandits emerge from the dense forest.
Chen Anzhi remembered hearing rumors about many ruthless bandits in these mountains, who committed all sorts of crimes. His face turned pale as he stepped back, accidentally tripping over a rock, making the bandits burst into laughter.
“Look at this strange fellow. Is he a soldier or a rich kid? That jade crown must be worth a lot!”
A man squeezed through the bandits from the back.
“Wangjiang?” Chen Anzhi froze when he recognized the man’s face.
Wangjiang did not expect to encounter Chen Anzhi here again.
—
On April 24th, You Yuji woke up early.
She sat up, not even bothering to close her robe, and lifted one side of the bed curtain, letting the sunlight filter through the paper window. Then she turned around, adjusting her robe as she reached out to wake up Si Que, who was sleeping on the inner side of the bed.
“Wake up.”
Si Que’s long eyelashes fluttered slightly, indicating he was awake, but he didn’t open his eyes or respond to You Yuji.
You Yuji leaned in, gently pinching Si Que’s ear and lifting it slightly. She whispered softly into his ear, “Didn’t you promise me yesterday that you would wake up early with me today?”
The gentle and fragrant breath blew away the slight displeasure in Si Que’s heart.
However, he still didn’t want to respond to You Yuji and said coolly, “You’re not much older than me, yet you keep calling yourself my elder sister. Don’t you feel embarrassed?”
Immediately, he heard You Yuji chuckle softly in his ear.
You Yuji gently shook him and switched to a softer address, “Big brother, it’s time to get up.”
Si Que felt a tingling sensation in some parts of his body and an erection in another.
He opened one eye slightly, glancing at her radiant, smiling face. His gaze slowly traveled down from her eyebrows and eyes, along her slender, fair neck, past her collarbone, and finally rested on her loosely closed robe, half-concealing her snowy peaks.
Both of Si Que’s eyes were now wide open, his gaze settling in a suitable place.
But the next moment, You Yuji noticed his gaze and readjusted her robe, even covering the collarbone he loved to nuzzle.
Si Que immediately felt a little displeased again.
—Recently, his “sister” wouldn’t let him touch her.
You Yuji had already gotten out of bed, her back to Si Que as she tidied her messy hair. She said softly, “I’ll allow you to lie down for another half-hour, but then you must get up.”
With that, she headed outside, calling for her maids, Zhenxu and Baohe, to assist her with her morning routine.
Si Que decided he wasn’t getting up. He pulled the bed curtain down with a dispirited look, ignoring the sounds outside. He lay back with his arms behind his head, one leg bent and the other draped over his knee, lazily swinging.
When the half-hour was up, Si Que sat up with a sullen face. He grabbed the clothes on the inner side of the bed and put them on. With a cold expression, he walked out of the bed, seeing several maids carrying hot water into the bathing room.
Si Que frowned and asked You Yuji, who was sitting at the dressing table doing her makeup, “Sister, are you going to bathe so early?”
His voice still carried the lazy tone of someone who had just woken up. As he spoke, he walked over to You Yuji, leaned down behind her, and lazily rested his chin on her shoulder, yawning indifferently.
You Yuji didn’t turn around. She raised her hand to touch his face and said softly, “It’s for you. Go, have a good bath.”
Si Que remained in his position, his chin resting in the hollow of her shoulder. He stayed still for a long moment after hearing her words.
You Yuji turned her head and planted a kiss on Si Que’s slightly cool cheek, urging him again, “Hurry up and go.”
Only then did Si Que straighten up, looking down at You Yuji as she picked out rouge for quite a while.
What’s the deal with urging him to bathe so early in the morning? For some reason, Si Que couldn’t help but think about how You Yuji hadn’t allowed him to touch her lately.
As Si Que turned, he raised his arm and sniffed.
Could it be that he smelled?
How could that be? He had bathed just last night, and he had bathed with this enchanting fox. The first bath was a milk bath, and the second was a clear water petal bath with a rose fragrance.
Thinking about last night’s enchanting atmosphere, with more than an hour of intimate entanglement and kissing, and yet this bothersome fox still didn’t let him touch her…
Maybe his sister didn’t like the smell of the medicine on him?
By the time he walked into the bathing room, Si Que’s face was already quite displeased.
Si Que stayed in the bathing room for a long time without coming out, so long that You Yuji feared he might have fallen asleep in the bath. She walked to the door and knocked gently, asking softly, “Ah Que, why haven’t you come out yet?”
“None of your business,” Si Que muttered to himself but didn’t say it out loud.
He stood up from the water, looking disheartened as he picked up a towel to wipe off the water.
You Yuji pushed the door open from outside and entered, holding his clothes in her hands.
Si Que glanced at her, then lowered his head to continue drying himself.
“Wear this,” You Yuji said, handing the clothes to Si Que.
Si Que glanced at it—it was a set of men’s clothing.
“You think I’ll wear whatever you tell me to? What if I want to wear a dress? Can you stop me?”—This, Si Que muttered internally.
He reached out and took the men’s clothing from You Yuji’s hand and put it on.