After returning, Wei Hong still did not leave. Instead, he asked Yao Youqing to change into clothes for going out, saying that he wanted to take her out for a walk.
Yao Youqing frowned: "Does Your Highness have nothing else to do today?"
Normally, even if Wei Hong would come to see her in the afternoon, he would leave after a while and not return until the evening. But today, he said he wanted to take her out.
She hasn't been feeling well lately, and with Wei Hong busy with other matters, she hasn't left the house since moving in.
Wei Hong watched as Zhou's mother changed her clothes and took the cloak to tie it for her herself, saying, "You've finished everything for today. It's not easy to have some free time. It's so boring to stay at home all the time."
"But it's raining outside..."
"What's the big deal about such a light drizzle? Besides, you won't get wet while riding in the car."
He then pulled her up and walked outside.
The most famous landmark in Yan Gui City is the seven-story Guiyan Pagoda on the outskirts of the city. It is usually crowded with tourists, but recently, due to fears of being affected by the war launched by the imperial court, people are less likely to come. With the rain today, it has become even quieter.
Wei Hong led Yao Youqing along a secluded path to the top of the tower, where they had a panoramic view of the entire city.
Yao Youqing's forced smile finally became more genuine as she stood atop the tower and exclaimed, "This is the first time I've ever been to such a high place!"
She was raised in seclusion since childhood and had rarely been to any places. The tallest building she had ever seen before was a three-story pagoda in a Buddhist temple on the outskirts of Beijing, but compared to this pagoda, it was still much shorter.
Such tall towers are rare even in Hucheng Cangcheng, so she naturally had no chance to climb them.
Although you can climb mountains to a high place, it's very different from being able to see the surrounding scenery with just a turn.
The view here is expansive and unobstructed, which makes one feel open-minded and carefree.
Seeing her smiling happily, Wei Hong walked over and put his arm around her shoulder, saying, "What's this? There are towers even taller than this."
“In the past, I couldn’t take you around because of my status. Now that I’m free, I can take you around Shuozhou properly.”
Once he conquers the capital, he will tour the country every few years, taking Ning'er with him to see the whole of Liang.
But he didn't say the last part aloud, because he didn't want her to think he was making empty promises.
He wanted to give her everything he could, everything that was truly in his own hands and that he could present to her.
As for the oaths related to the capital and the entire Liang Dynasty, he will naturally give them to her after he has dealt with the Southern Yan and Great Jin.
He still remembers what Cui Hao said to him when he left the Shangchuan border: she said she didn't like this kind of Daliang.
If she doesn't like it, he'll give her something she likes.
...
The two stayed on the tower for a long time until the rain stopped before they went down.
Summer days are long and it gets dark late. Seeing that there was still some time, Wei Hong suggested taking her to the river to catch fish, which they could then grill on the spot for dinner.
Yao Youqing thought that when he said "catching fish", he meant fishing. But when they arrived at the river, she realized that he had actually taken off his shoes and socks and gone into the river to catch fish by himself!
She stood by the river and laughed, "Your Highness, will we be able to catch them like this? Will we go hungry tonight?"
In the short time it took to speak, Wei Hong suddenly tightened his grip on the water and pulled a large fish out of the water.
He walked over, threw the fish into the bucket, and deliberately leaned close to Yao Youqing's ear.
What did you just say?
Yao Youqing giggled and praised, "Your Highness is so amazing!"
Wei Hong nodded in satisfaction, kissed her on the cheek, and then went down into the river to catch fish.
Just as he was about to catch the second fish, he suddenly heard a cry of surprise from the shore.
Wei Hong loosened his grip and looked up abruptly, only to see Yao Youqing jumping up and down in terror, throwing something off the back of her foot.
He strode over and pulled her into his arms, only breathing a sigh of relief after seeing what it was.
"Don't be afraid, it's just a toad."
Yao Youqing's little face scrunched up, and she pouted, saying, "I hate this slippery, sticky stuff the most! I hate it so much!"
Wei Hong patted her shoulder and back gently: "It's okay, it's okay, I'll kick it away."
As he walked over, intending to stomp on the ground to scare the toad away, he paused, remembering Yao Youqing's earlier words.
Something slippery and sticky...
He looked at the toad, then at himself.
Wei Hong: "..."
He seemed to understand something...
Chapter 114 is a lie (79%)
After the toad was chased away, the two ate fish by the river before returning home. It was already dark when they entered the mansion, so Wei Hong decided not to go to the front yard and went directly to the back yard with Yao Youqing to rest.
The coolness brought by the drizzle lingered, and Wei Hong felt refreshed after taking a shower; the oppressive heat of the past few days was completely gone.
He lay down next to Yao Youqing and said, "It's so cool here, I'm sure I can get a good night's sleep."
He pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead. "Go to sleep. I'll take you out to play another day if I have time. If you find the manor boring, you can go out for a walk by yourself. Just bring more people with you. Yan Gui City is still very safe."
Yao Youqing responded softly, snuggling closer to him like a cat.
He thought that with the cool weather, she would surely fall asleep soon, but after a long time, he found that the person in his arms was still awake and had not fallen asleep.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Wei Hong touched her forehead and asked.
Yao Youqing shook her head and removed his hand.
"It's nothing, I just... slept late at noon and I'm not sleepy now. Your Highness, please go to sleep first, I'll fall asleep soon."
Wei Hong couldn't believe it, so he held her shoulders and looked at her in the darkness.
"Ning'er, can't you still forget... what happened in the capital?"
“Those are all in the past. We are in Shuozhou now. You don’t need to be afraid. I will not let anyone take you away from me again.”
He was worried about her health because her mental state was sometimes good and sometimes bad, so he even set up his office at his own residence and rarely went out, so that he could easily go back to the backyard to see her at any time.
Yao Youqing lowered her eyelashes and clenched her hands slightly on his chest.
"I know, I'm just... a little scared."
"Sometimes when I close my eyes, I think about things in the palace, I think about..."
I recall the sea of red, and the despair of being unable to die.
Although she knew she was safe now, the glaring red seemed to be etched into her eyes, lingering there and occasionally popping out to scare her, making her afraid to close her eyes. Even when she did close them, she couldn't sleep, as if the whole world was red, like right now.
She shook her head vigorously, trying to erase the images that flooded her mind because of her memories.
Wei Hong noticed her discomfort, reached out to smooth her furrowed brows, and hugged her even tighter.
"Don't think about it anymore, don't think about it anymore. It's my fault, I shouldn't have brought it up."
His voice broke the scene before Yao Youqing's eyes, and she felt a little relieved, letting out a sigh of relief as she leaned against his chest.
Wei Hong gently kissed the top of her head and patted her back lightly to soothe her.
Yao Youqing calmed down with his intermittent pats, her tense body gradually relaxed, and her fingers unconsciously fiddled with his clothes. She played like this for a long time, neither speaking nor sleeping.
Wei Hong was afraid of disturbing her, so he didn't say anything, thinking he would wait for her to get tired of playing and fall asleep on her own.
But the girl seemed to have a particular fondness for his lapel, fiddling with it back and forth for a long time without stopping.
Just as he was about to take her hand and coax her to sleep, he heard her say, "Your Highness, that day... that day you arrived just in time, His Majesty and I didn't... didn't..."
Wei Hong realized what she was talking about and chuckled softly, "I know."
After saying that, he realized something was wrong and looked down at her.
Why did you suddenly bring this up?
Yao Youqing was taken aback, feeling guilty under his gaze, and quickly shook her head: "No, nothing, just... I just said it offhand."
"Just something offhand?"
Wei Hong sneered and flipped her over, pinning her beneath him.
"You brat, I've been refraining from touching you because I feel sorry for you, and yet you're here having all sorts of wild thoughts?"
That day in the palace, he saw her locked in a room that resembled a wedding chamber, dressed in a bright red wedding gown. He nearly went mad with fear and anger, filled with jealousy. On his way back, he couldn't resist touching her several times, but seeing that she was not in good spirits and had lost a lot of weight, he couldn't bear it and wanted her to rest and recuperate first.
Who knew that this forbearance would only cause all sorts of nonsense to pop into her head? If she had known, why would she have put up with it!
Wei Hong didn't give her a chance to reply. He lowered his head and kissed her lips, then hurriedly undressed her.
Smelling the faint fragrance emanating from her smooth skin, his long-suppressed desire surged up instantly, and his kisses deepened. After a long while, he gave Yao Youqing a chance to catch her breath and whispered in her ear, "You were the one who teased me first, so don't come crying and begging for mercy later."
Yao Youqing wanted to say something, but he cut her off again.
Even though the night was cool, the temperature inside the tent was still unbearably hot.
Wei Hong had already been separated from her for a long time when he was in Cangcheng. After she left Shangchuan for the capital, he could no longer see her. He couldn't even remember how long it had been since he had last touched her.
The man, who had been a vegetarian for too long, finally tasted meat, and his whole body was like a ball of fire, making Yao Youqing's mouth dry.
She also missed his kisses and hugs. At first, she put aside her shyness and tried to respond, but later she gradually couldn't keep up and, as he said, began to sob and begged him to stop.
Wei Hong looked at her disheveled hair lying on the bed, his hand lingering on her slender waist, his voice low and husky.
"Alright, Ning'er, it'll be almost over, just bear with it a little longer."
Yao Youqing clutched the blankets beneath her, her eyes reddening: "You're lying, you just said..."
The soft sound was shattered, turning into a delicate moan.
The soft moan made Wei Hong's eyes burn even more. He bent down and embraced her, only stopping after a long while with a muffled groan. But he didn't let go, just lying on her back, sometimes nibbling and sometimes gently licking her smooth and delicate shoulders.
The long process caused the little girl in his arms to break out in a light sweat, and her fragrance seemed to intensify. He kissed and inhaled her tenderly until she began to grumble and struggle in dissatisfaction. Only then did he laugh and release her, turning over to lie down beside her.
Yao Youqing was too lazy to move at all. Her face was flushed, and her eyes looked as if they were stained with rouge, adding to her charm.
Wei Hong was so fond of her that he hugged her and kissed her again before getting up to fetch water. He first cleaned her body before cleaning himself.
The girl, who had been unable to sleep, was already fast asleep before he could lie down again, her breathing long and even.