Huo Xian glanced at him, a look of disdain curling his lips, “You were the one who met Ji Yuluo at the tavern that day, right? And in the prison, the person who kept walking to my cell door was also you, wasn’t it?”
Shen Qingli paused, then fell silent.
He sighed softly, glanced at the two of them, and resumed his lazy demeanor, saying unseriously, “Such a lovely scene. I’ll leave you two to it. Don’t flirt outside; go back inside.”
His voice trailed off as he descended the stone steps.
Huo Xian finally withdrew his gaze, pushed the wine cup away, and turned to look at Ji Yuluo. His voice was soft, as if afraid of waking her, “Are you drunk?”
Ji Yuluo came to her senses and met his gaze. They held this long stare without a hint of improper or romantic intent, then she softly murmured, “Hmm.” She slowly sat on his lap, leaning against his chest with a tired sigh.
Instinctively, she rubbed her head against his neck, like a cat.
She called him with a long, drawn-out tone, “Huo Zhe’an.”
She must have been quite drunk; usually, she maintained her composure and was seldom this tender.
Huo Xian looked down at her, “Tired?”
Ji Yuluo didn’t reply, clearly too exhausted to move.
He then spoke gently, “A leader should oversee everything but doesn’t need to handle every detail personally, nor get upset with those who have ulterior motives. What you should focus on is the art of governance.”
Ji Yuluo frowned, “And what insight does Master Huo have?”
She evidently did not see anything wrong with her actions and had just been humiliated in front of others, so her tone was somewhat aggressive.
She raised her eyebrows coolly, “Tell me, I’m listening.”
Ah, hearing her tone, Huo Xian knew she was getting worked up again and couldn’t help but chuckle, “Why are you angry at me? I didn’t upset you.”
Ji Yuluo glanced away, ignoring him. Huo Xian sighed softly, leaning back, his arm resting on the carved railing of the pavilion, “Well then, let me tell you, it’s not difficult. Just treat them the way you treat me.”
Ji Yuluo was taken aback, somewhat puzzled, “What do you mean?”
Huo Xian looked at her with a faint smile, “Play hard to get, with a balance of leniency and control.”
Hearing this, her eyes widened in surprise, and she was about to retort, but Huo Xian cut her off, “Tell me, how many times have you seen me in the past two months? Don’t mention doing anything else; we’ve barely held hands. You tricked me into leaving the capital with sweet words, then neglected me. That’s not a good habit, Miss Yuluo.”
The last “Miss Yuluo” was said with a hint of lingering laughter, making his earlier reprimand sound like teasing.
Ji Yuluo stared at him for a moment, her arrogant demeanor seemingly doused like a flame.
She reached out to touch Huo Xian’s face, tracing his high nose, then, with a tipsy sway, kissed from his temple to the corner of his lips, finally lingering on his mouth. Huo Xian held her waist, supporting her, and lowered his head to meet her.
He savored the sweet, rich wine flavor from her lips.
In truth, he wasn’t truly angry; he felt more pity for her weariness. The playful complaints between lovers were simply his way of showing Ji Yuluo that he cared deeply for her.
Though she didn’t show it, her slowly rising feet swayed back and forth, revealing her delight.
Indeed, Ji Yuluo, after a moment, began to open up and speak freely.
She frowned and complained, “It’s all because of those arrogant old dogs. If the situation weren’t so unstable, I’d have killed them all and been done with it.”
In fact, she had already begun to do so, but halfway through her spree, Shen Qingli had loudly dissuaded her.
That day in the secret prison of the Nine-Pagoda Tower, her clothes were half-soaked in blood. Seeing her, Nanyue felt so nauseous that she immediately recalled the terror of being in Cuixue Tower’s dungeon.
Ji Yuluo had thought it might also make Huo Xian uncomfortable, but he said nothing, simply cleaning her hands.
Huo Xian never interfered with her actions. He knew that the martial world could be even more treacherous than the court. Without the constraints of the law, human evil was boundless. Any sign of mercy could lead to one’s downfall.
He understood this well, and instead of advising her to be kind, he gave her many ruthless but effective suggestions.
As Shen Qingli had said, Huo Xian was full of cunning.
He could be an exceptionally good person if he chose to, but if he decided to be evil, he could be exceptionally wicked as well.
Hearing Ji Yuluo’s resentful words, Huo Xian couldn’t help but coax her, “Alright, I’ll help you kill them.”
Ji Yuluo considered his words and then shook her head. “If you have the time, do something else for me.”
Huo Xian raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue. She then said, “I brought back someone from this trip, a beggar living in an abandoned temple. He’s young, but I saw he has a vicious streak in fights and is incredibly fast. He could be a valuable asset. Take him as your apprentice. Train him for three or four years, and he might be useful to me.”
Hearing this, Huo Xian gave her a long, deep look.
He suddenly laughed, “You’ve been waiting for me with this.”
He squinted his eyes, “Ji Yuluo, are you really drunk?”
The person in his arms gave an innocent look and thought for a moment before saying, “If you really don’t want to, I can keep him by my side, foster some loyalty, and he might be more devoted in the future.”
“…..”
There wasn’t much time as it was. If he divided it further among others, how much would be left?
Huo Xian’s expression darkened as he asked, “How old is the boy?”
Ji Yuluo gestured with her fingers, twelve.
At twelve, Huo Xian didn’t consider him a child. Boys grew quickly. Well-fed, in a couple of years, he’d be a striking young man.
He lowered his eyes, looking at Ji Yuluo coldly. Without saying yes or no, he just stood up and carried her away.
As the world spun around, Ji Yuluo could see the clean line of his jaw and his tightly pressed thin lips. A hint of satisfaction appeared in her eyes, knowing this meant he had agreed.
To avoid being disturbed, the Idle Water Pavilion where they resided was at the farthest end of the estate. The walk there was not short.
As her drunkenness deepened, Ji Yuluo’s mind became a foggy mess.
She couldn’t resist reaching up to scratch Huo Xian’s chin. That wasn’t enough; she grabbed his collar, trying to pull him down, her gaze fixed intently on him.
Her eyes held everything, making it difficult for him to control his feelings.
“Hey, don’t move around.”
Huo Xian said this, but his steps quickened.
He hurriedly carried her back to their room, nearly having his belt torn off by her.
However, as soon as they hit the bed, Huo Xian pushed her away with righteous indignation, looking quite serious, “I can take on an apprentice for you, but it can’t be for free.”
Ji Yuluo, her mind already in a fog, said, “Tell me.”
Seeing her in such a state, Huo Xian deliberately teased her, “We should get married. I’ll be his master, and you’ll be his master’s wife. This way, in the future, he will be loyal to you and serve you.”
Get married?
Ji Yuluo was stunned. She had never considered marriage again. For one, although their initial union was by chance, they had formally bowed to heaven and earth as husband and wife. Secondly, Ji Yuluo didn’t care about these formalities. What difference did it make whether they married again or not?
Huo Xian saw what she was thinking, but to him, it made a big difference.
In truth, he didn’t originally intend to go through the trouble of arranging another wedding. However, their unclear status allowed those with ulterior motives to think they had a chance.
Even though Huo Xian knew Ji Yuluo didn’t mean it, he realized he didn’t have the patience to let others covet her.
He said earnestly, “I can’t continue like this, without a proper title, letting you take advantage of me for nothing.”
Ji Yuluo felt dizzy, the aftereffects of the wine hitting hard. She thought she might be so drunk that she misheard Huo Xian’s words. She tried hard to look at Huo Xian and seriously considered for a moment.
Finally, she nodded in compromise.
Sleepiness overcame her, and any wayward thoughts dissipated.
Ji Yuluo, rare in her drunken state, had a good sleep. The next morning, she woke up with a headache from her hangover. The sunlight danced on the window lattice, indicating it was already mid-morning.
Calling for Pingxi to bring hangover soup, she saw shadows moving outside the screen and found it unusual. Both she and Huo Xian were not the type to have many servants around, and most of the maids in the courtyard had been dismissed.
When she asked, Pingxi, puzzled, replied, “Miss doesn’t know? Master Huo said today is the day for the wedding ceremony. Everything needed was prepared by Nanyue last night, and the matchmaker has already arrived.”
Ji Yuluo paused, recalling the conversation she had with Huo Xian before passing out. But…
She hesitated, “Today?”
Pingxi, observing her every reaction, said, “He also said that given the urgency, we’ll keep it simple. There’s no need to carry the sedan chair around the city. We’ll hold the ceremony in the garden with Cuixue Tower members as witnesses. After the rites, you’ll enter the bridal chamber.”
Although he said it so casually, Huo Xian had, in fact, hired a group of people to play music and make noise around the Nine-tiered Tower from dawn. The deafening sound of the suona made those still in the tower poke their heads out of the windows.
Even Chaolu was tasked with delivering invitations.
But all of this wasn’t important now. Pingxi hurriedly pulled Ji Yuluo up, “Miss, you must get ready quickly. This room still needs to be decorated. Please, Miss, move to another room.”
An hour later, Ji Yuluo, still feeling the effects of the wine, was pushed into the side room, dressed in a phoenix coronet and ceremonial robes.
The maids brought in some food and then hurriedly left.
After calming herself for a moment, Ji Yuluo opened the door and called, “Chaolu.”
Chaolu dropped down from the eaves, looking sleepy.
Ji Yuluo asked, “Where’s Huo Xian?”
“How would I know?” Chaolu frowned, “Who knows who he’s bullying now, such a nuisance.”
Giving up, Ji Yuluo returned inside. She had been so busy these days that she hadn’t paid much attention to Huo Xian and was puzzled by his sudden whim to remarry.
Pondering, she slowly paced and happened to stop in front of a large bronze mirror.
The person in the mirror wore a new wedding gown, her hair styled in a woman’s bun, her face painted with bridal makeup. Although this wasn’t the first time she was dressed like this, perhaps because of her different state of mind, she found it refreshing. Last time, she hadn’t had the time to care about what she was wearing. Now, she leaned in closer to study herself, unable to resist a smile.
Actually, she had never imagined herself getting married…
Not bowing to heaven and earth, not bowing to her parents, only bowing to each other as husband and wife.
The nuptial wine they hadn’t drunk before was consumed that night. The wedding bed she hadn’t lain in alone was no longer lonely tonight. The large red wedding quilt was full of peanuts, red dates, and lotus seeds that poked uncomfortably. Huo Xian swept them all onto the floor with a flick of his hand.
The crown on Ji Yuluo’s head was not removed, and the hanging jade beads clinked and swayed as they embraced. The more she leaned back, the more they swayed. The heavy weight tugged at her until, with a “plop,” the crown fell to the ground, unable to bear the strain.
Her wedding robe still clung to her body, now wrinkled and rumpled.
His kisses were never gentle, more like a storm, as if he wanted to devour her whole. Only when she was gasping for breath would he stop to let her catch her breath.
Then he would kiss her gently, one peck at a time.
Perhaps it was those captivating peach blossom eyes of his. When he looked down at her, his gaze was deep and tender, with a hint of playful teasing. It always made her willing, even eager, to be ravished by him, as if it wouldn’t matter if she broke apart in the process.
With teary eyes, Ji Yuluo turned her head to look at the two quietly burning candles on the table. The candle flames blurred into a halo through her tears, making everything feel like a dream. She touched the man’s face and called out randomly in that hazy glow, “Zhe’an…”
Someone answered her.
