PaiPai-Romane

Kapitel 131

"What is it?" he asked.

"Hmm, why didn't you go out today?" Tang Leyan turned to look at him.

Chu Gexing glanced at her: "Does this have anything to do with it? Or is it that you're feeling uncomfortable seeing me idle, Your Excellency?"

Tang Leyan smiled and said, "Hey, don't be so petty."

"Then let's get straight to the point, no beating around the bush," Chu Gexing said coldly.

Tang Leyan was taken aback, then thought for a moment and said, "Vice Envoy, do you have any old acquaintances in Fengcheng?"

Chu Gexing frowned and remained silent.

"If you don't answer, I'll take that as a yes," she asked him tentatively.

Chu Gexing seemed lost in thought, and slowly stopped walking.

Tang Leyan stopped and pondered for a moment before saying, "Since we are old acquaintances, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We should get together properly. Why... do you have to keep people at arm's length?"

Chu Gexing, who had been silent, suddenly asked, "How do you know I keep people at arm's length?"

Tang Leyan saw that his eyes, though seemingly filled with captivating charm and gentle light, actually held a chilling murderous intent. A cold shiver ran through her, and she instinctively wanted to back down. However, she had been entrusted with a task, and besides, she had only spoken halfway through her story, so she had to grit her teeth and continue: "Well… I naturally heard about it from someone else. As the saying goes…" Her eyes darted around, “As the saying goes, ‘A thousand-mile marriage is tied by a single thread.’ When you can cherish it, you must cherish it properly.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Chu Gexing looked at her and slowly said, "Oh... Your Excellency, are you reminding your subordinate?" His peach blossom eyes shifted and looked up at her neck, his gaze suddenly becoming somewhat strange.

Tang Leyan's heart skipped a beat, but she smiled and said, "More or less."

"Then, Your Excellency, do you remember what you owe me?" Chu Gexing smiled, but there was no smile in his eyes.

Tang Leyan took a step back and forced a smile, saying, "This envoy has a bad memory..."

"So, should I remind you, sir?" His smile grew even colder and more malicious.

Tang Leyan's forehead was covered in cold sweat again. She could only smile and avoid Chu Gexing's gaze. She stretched out her sleeve to wipe the sweat from her forehead. When she turned around, her neck twisted, and the red mark on her snow-white skin was very conspicuous.

Chapter 166 of Yanshui Road in Jiangnan: A Kiss

"Should I remind you, sir?" Chu Gexing asked.

Tang Leyan froze, suddenly remembering the incredibly embarrassing incident. Sometimes when she thought about it, she would hold onto a sliver of hope that Chu Gexing might not have a good memory and had gradually forgotten, or that she should do something to help him forget.

Unexpectedly, this kid was completely oblivious to the situation and kept bringing it up again.

She felt a slight panic and tugged at her clothes.

Chu Gexing's eyesight was incredibly sharp; he could always spot what he should and shouldn't see. For example, right now, the small scar on Tang Leyan's neck seemed to glow like a red light, illuminating his pair of murderous peach blossom eyes.

Tang Leyan wiped her sweat with her sleeve, and after a while she turned to look at him. When she saw his eyes, the sweat that had just subsided immediately returned.

"No need to remind me, cough cough." Seemingly noticing that his gaze kept intentionally or unintentionally looking at a certain part of her neck, Tang Leyan frowned as if she remembered something, immediately changed her posture, and casually stretched out her fingers to pull her collar up.

She added, "If you don't like it, Vice Envoy, then I won't say anything more. Hmm, I think I hear the princess calling me again." She glanced in the direction of the princess's room, pretending to be nonchalant, before making her escape.

"Wait a minute." Chu Gexing reached out and calmly grabbed her collar.

Tang Leyan was forced to stop, turned to look at him, and shouted, "Insolence!"

Chu Gexing smiled mockingly: "So what if I'm presumptuous?"

He reached out his finger and touched the snow-white patch on her neck.

Tang Leyan shrank her neck, trying to dodge.

Chu Gexing pinched the red mark on her neck with his fingers.

"How dare you!" Tang Leyan screamed, "What are you doing?"

“I thought you didn’t feel pain,” he said coldly.

"What kind of tone is that, Vice Envoy!" She turned and looked at him with displeasure.

“What’s going on here?” he asked.

Tang Leyan inwardly groaned. This man was definitely the type to bring up the most sensitive topics; she absolutely couldn't afford to be complacent in front of him in the future. She had to be prepared for the worst-case scenario.

"Mosquitoes...that's it. Mosquito bites." She thought for a moment and then said with a sudden inspiration.

"Oh, in this weather, there are still mosquitoes?"

"Yes, even the flowers are blooming so beautifully, it's possible that one or two might survive." A smile returned to her face as she reached out to push his hand away.

Chu Gexing grabbed her collar with one hand and reached forward with the other, taking her hand that was being pushed towards him and gently kneading it in his palm.

"Chu Gexing!" Realizing that he was deliberately being disrespectful, Tang Leyan was furious and struggled desperately.

"Do you think I'm a fool? It was clearly Feng Feisheng who invited you to the manor, and you brought this back with you. You and I know him better than anyone. Do you really think I would believe you?" Chu Ge whispered in her ear.

“Yes, you’re smart, you can’t hide anything from anyone,” Tang Leyan stopped what she was doing. She glared at him fiercely, “Since you already know, why are you even asking!”

"I just wanted you to tell me yourself, but who knew you would be so dishonest."

"What good would it do to say it? Don't forget, I'm the envoy. You have no right to make things difficult for me." She said resentfully, considering their respective positions.

“There’s really nothing we can do,” he sighed. “At worst, when I get back, I’ll report to the Emperor… and the Grand Secretary, saying that you, the Imperial Envoy, have neglected your duties and have even been too close to the young prince of Danning… and that some strange things have happened.” Chu Gexing pondered, glancing at her neck and then at his face.

Tang Leyan had been calm and composed at first, and when he addressed her as "Your Majesty," she remained expressionless. But after the word "and" came out, her expression slowly changed, and by the time Chu Gexing described the last part in an ambiguous way, she was practically ashen-faced.

"Chu Gexing, you wouldn't be so disloyal, would you?" She asked nervously, her arrogant expression gone.

Chu Gexing's eyelids twitched: "I've never heard of the chief envoy being supposed to have any sense of loyalty with the deputy envoy. Shouldn't they be handling official business impartially?"

"That's true, but putting aside our identities, you should at least treat me better." She sighed and looked at him pitifully.

"Why?" Chu Gexing asked, puzzled.

"Because...because I've been good to you too." Really not wanting to mention Tianmiao Peak, Tang Leyan had no choice but to weakly force herself to say it. She thought to herself, if this person went back and spread rumors, she wasn't worried at all about what would happen in front of the Emperor, but if Chu Zhen heard about it...although she considered herself completely innocent, she didn't know what the other person would think, and in any case, it was something she didn't want to see. Therefore, the important thing was to appease the person in front of her first.

But how easy is it to quell the Chu Song incident?

He knew perfectly well what she meant, yet he still put on the most innocent expression, making her mind race with anger, but she still swallowed her anger and dared not lash out.

"You're also very good to me?" Chu Gexing's expression grew increasingly incredulous, as if he had heard an utterly ridiculous joke.

Tang Leyan couldn't help but blush slightly: "Sometimes... or rather, things will gradually get better in the future."

As Chu Gexing watched the faint blush gradually appear on her fair face, the anger in his heart subsided a little. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Alright, you should show some sincerity first."

"What sincerity?" Tang Leyan looked up at him.

As Chu Gexing gazed at her beautiful lips, he couldn't help but think of that night in Shundu, in the midst of a storm, under a small umbrella, when he uncontrollably kissed her, experiencing that moment of ecstasy that permeated his entire being.

Every year on that day, he would endure the bitter wind and rain, the biting cold, but that day was different. Ever since he kissed her, a strange warmth had been flowing through his heart, a warmth that lingered and wouldn't go away. And when she punched him mercilessly in the face in her rage, a punch that made Chu Ge Xun want to kill, it felt strange to Chu Ge Xing. The spot where she punched him was a purplish-red bruise, but it burned all night long, as if it were being roasted by fire. Touching it was excruciatingly painful. Sometimes the burning sensation would subside a little, and in the deep darkness, Chu Ge Xing would reach out and touch it again. Feeling the pain, he would press harder, and then he would think of her standing in the rain, looking at him with resentment. All he wanted to do was rush over and kiss her deeper and deeper.

This feeling made him incredibly thirsty.

And nobody knows.

At this moment, seeing that he did not answer, Tang Leyan felt slightly uneasy.

The man's gaze was unfocused and flickering, lingering only on her face and neck. He didn't say a word, just stood there, yet he gave her a feeling that a storm was brewing.

Tang Leyan tried to back away, but Chu Gexing grabbed her arm and asked with a hint of sarcasm, "What, have you changed your mind?"

"What a joke!" Tang Leyan bit her lip and glared at him fiercely.

Chu Gexing smiled sweetly, then suddenly lowered his head and quickly swept his lips across hers.

The cool sensation swept by in an instant.

Tang Leyan's face was completely red, and she murmured, "You...you're such a scoundrel..."

Looking at her, Chu Gexing smiled and said, "Let's let it go this time, but don't let yourself get caught again next time."

Tang Leyan's face flushed with anger, but she couldn't scold him, fearing she would provoke him again. So she could only say, "Don't worry, there will definitely not be a next time." In her shame and indignation, she forcefully shook off his arm, grabbed her fan in one hand, lifted her robe with the other, and ran away quickly.

Chu Gexing stood by the railing, watching her figure fly away. He reached out and gently touched his red lips, a slight smile playing on his lips as he chuckled softly.

Chapter 167 of "The Road to Jiangnan": Guarding You

No matter what he thought about it, he did it anyway.

Chu Zhen pushed open the window and looked out at the deep night.

On a cold winter night, even the air seemed frozen, carrying a chilling atmosphere.

Chu Zhen's gaze was deep, stretching from the cold, snowy ground to the azure sky. Her eyelids twitched; that child...she didn't want to leave this place, did she?

During the final farewell, he vaguely heard that call, but his mind was a bit dazed. His first reaction was "How could this be?", followed by "What if she doesn't go?", but he didn't have any thought of "Should I stop her from leaving?".

Ultimately, he was also a selfish person who was "for the country and the people".

Fortunately, the cannon shot came at the right time. Fortunately.

Taking advantage of the tremor, he pulled her into his arms, a gesture of guilt, concealment, and unease.

Otherwise, he really wouldn't know how to face the little person in front of him who was almost crying.

Chu Zhen could only reach out and hug her, simply to offer her temporary warmth and to quiet his own racing thoughts. Although, in the end, the embrace remained ambiguous and its meaning unclear.

"Attacked?" When news of the convoy's attack came during the day, Chu Zhen felt his eyelids twitch and couldn't help but stand up from behind his desk, asking in a trembling voice, "How is Le Yan?"

He didn't even believe his own question.

Fortunately, the person who came to report was a trusted confidant; if it had been someone else, there would have been unfounded suspicion.

When the convoy carrying the princess was attacked, he didn't ask about the princess, nor about the envoy from Daning, nor about the baggage train. Instead, he only asked about her.

If Tang Leyan knew, she'd probably laugh triumphantly three times.

Chu Zhen, however, was afraid of being discovered. After realizing his unusual behavior, he slowly sat back down, regained his composure, and asked again, "Is the princess alright?"

"No problems, the investigation is ongoing."

"Investigate carefully to find out which force is behind this."

"Yes, sir."

Chu Zhen thought about it over and over again. She felt a chill run down her spine.

He suddenly realized that this marriage alliance was not as simple as he had initially thought. The attack seemed to be a harbinger, and some premonitions seemed to be slowly coming true.

Was he really wrong to make this trip?

Leyan didn't want to go, or rather, she didn't want to. He vaguely heard her call out to him from the snow. Unfortunately, he didn't dare to recognize her at the time.

It seems that if he held her hand again and listened to her say it again, or if he did it again, he would have a different reaction and make a different decision.

Chu Zhen sighed. The image of that little person flashed before her eyes.