Hibiscus as a Painting

Chapter 143

Zi Jin carefully examined the pheasant inside and out, then frowned in dissatisfaction: "Fine, let it be."

Seeing Zi Jin's dissatisfaction, Jun Lin secretly curled his lip and said, "I think it's fine..."

Zi Jin brushed the prepared seasonings evenly onto the pheasant, then wrapped it in two lotus leaves, covered it tightly with the mud she had prepared, and buried it in the pit over the fire.

Jun Lin looked at Zi Jin's every move with suspicion: "Is this still edible?"

Zi Jin squatted down by the pool, washed her hands, spread their fur cloaks on the ground, and lay down under the peach tree not far away: "If you won't eat, I'll eat it all myself."

"Eat! Why not eat? I even washed this pheasant." Jun Lin strode over to Zi Jin's side and sat down on the cloak indignantly. "Why do you have to lie on two cloaks by yourself?"

Zi Jin frowned and turned over: "So petty, you're still the Crown Prince of a country..." As he turned his head, a white shadow flashed past his line of sight, and Zi Jin's dark pupils shrank again and again, then a sarcastic smile appeared on his face.

Zi Jin turned her head, moved to the side, patted the empty space next to her, and said reluctantly, "If you don't mind being wronged, just lie here. The chicken won't be better anytime soon, so just lie here and wait."

Jun Lin stared blankly at Zi Jin, his face full of disbelief. His phoenix eyes were momentarily dazed, but were quickly replaced by ecstasy.

Zi Jin turned her face away somewhat awkwardly: "Fine, then don't lie down."

"Lie down, why don't you lie down?" Jun Lin smiled and immediately lay down next to Zi Jin.

Zi Jin reached out and gently shook the tree beside her, peach petals falling on the two of them like snowflakes: "Isn't this place beautiful?"

"beautiful."

Zi Jin turned her face to gaze at Jun Lin's profile, a trace of pain flashing in her eyes: "This is the best place I've found for seclusion... I want to build three bamboo houses in front of the hot spring, enclose a small courtyard with a fence, and find a man to manage this courtyard. Whether it's farming or selling calligraphy, it doesn't have to be about great wealth and status. When he paints, I'll play the zither; when he recites poetry, I'll listen. In the past six months, I've learned to cook, and I can make many, many home-style dishes. I'll cook whatever he likes to eat. If we get tired of the monotony of this mountain life every day, we'll travel the world together, wandering the rivers and lakes, and come back whenever we've had enough."

I had dreamed of spending my life with him, I treated him with all my heart, I promised him I would live in my secluded courtyard, I promised I would never be separated from him again, why... why did he leave me teetering on the brink of life and death... without even reaching out to help me? ...I've been pondering this endlessly... but when he passed away, it suddenly dawned on me... that his heart was never truly with me...

Jun Lin stared blankly at Zi Jin, his phoenix eyes glistening with tears: "Jin'er... has the male master of the courtyard been found?"

“No… no one is willing to give up wealth and status to come with me to this poor mountain village.” Zi Jin slowly closed her eyes and said self-deprecatingly.

Jun Lin pulled Zi Jin into his arms: "From now on, let me stay with you... okay?"

Zi Jin looked up at Jun Lin's face, reached out, and gently stroked his cheek. The past seemed like fleeting smoke; she had drifted through these years in a daze, relationships coming and going… Those who promised to protect her, those who promised to always take care of her, those who promised to always be by her side—none of them remained. Only this person, only this person who had always been at odds with her, remained, willing to give her new promises and a new future. She had abandoned him time and time again, schemed against him time and time again, yet he never complained or blamed her. His cautious, humble demeanor showed her what true pampering and care were.

A peach blossom gently drifted down and landed on Jun Lin's brow. Spilled water cannot be gathered up again… People say that spilled water cannot be gathered up again. Fallen petals may drift with the wind, float with the current, or be buried at the foot of a tree, but they can never return to their original branch. Those people and happiness that slipped through our fingers can never be grasped again. From now on, everyone has their own world, and no one… no one can ever enter another's world again. It's time for me to plan for the future, to plan for a future happier than anyone else's.

Zi Jin closed her eyes and slowly leaned closer, her lips gently touching his, her tongue slowly licking his lips.

Jun Lin's breathing gradually deepened, and his pupils dilated little by little. He gently held Zi Jin's hand in his own, cautiously and carefully extending his tongue in response, not daring to attack, defending little by little, breaking down little by little.

Zi Jin's eyelashes fluttered gently in the warm sunlight, her dark eyes filled with wholehearted devotion and longing. Like a desperate person struggling against the current, she clung tightly to a piece of driftwood, wrapped her arms around Jun Lin, and shamelessly sucked at him, forcefully invading his mouth, rubbing back and forth, circling back and forth, her movements rough and incredibly inexperienced.

Jun Lin's tongue responded gently, soothing Zi Jin's fear and inexplicable plundering. His tongue tip touched her softly, enduring and giving little by little.

After an unknown amount of time, the two slowly separated, their breathing extremely heavy.

Zi Jin glanced sideways and still caught a glimpse of that white hem, a hint of relief and nonchalance flashing in her eyes. She whispered in Jun Lin's ear, "Jun Lin... take me away. Leave now. Wherever we go, whatever happens, I'll follow you. I'll always be with you, I'll never leave you alone again... Take me away now... From now on, my life will only have you... forever only you... okay?"

Jun Lin gently rubbed Zi Jin's swollen lips: "Wait for me for a few days. After I finish my business, I will take you away. No matter where you are, no one will be able to hurt you again."

Zi Jin stared blankly at Jun Lin, her eyes slowly reddening, filled with the deepest plea and unease: "Can't we leave now?"

Jun Lin gently embraced Zi Jin and coaxed her softly, "Don't be stubborn. After I've done my job, you can go wherever you want, okay? From the past until now, my heart has only held you. You fill my heart completely. My heart aches when I think of you... From now on... no matter what, I will never let you go... I will give you the best, give you what you want... Just wait for me for a few days, just a few more days, and I can give you the whole world."

Zi Jin buried herself in Jun Lin's arms, trembling uncontrollably. A deep sense of loss and self-mockery flashed across her eyes, and her focused gaze gradually blurred: Is it still not enough? Is it still not enough? Even if I let go of everything, it still won't work? Jun Lin, do you know... I used all my strength to say these words, waiting expectantly for the answer, but you still can't let go, can't let go... you still can't let go.

"In the future... will we have a future?" Zi Jin buried her face deeply in Jun Lin's arms and asked wearily.

Jun Lin gently stroked Zi Jin's back, a doting smile on his lips: "Silly Jin'er...we have so many more years ahead of us, we'll live together for a lifetime...no, a lifetime isn't enough...it has to be forever...in the next life and the next...we'll be together...in life and death, we'll be buried together, we'll never be separated again...I want to create a world for you, an unbreakable world, a world where you can do whatever you want. You are my world, I'll give you a world, and then no one...can separate us."

Zi Jin slowly released her grip and turned her eyes away: "Jun Lin... you still don't understand."

Jun Lin gazed deeply at Zi Jin, slowly pulling her closer into his arms, and said softly, "Jin'er...you don't understand...the person you love most is taken away time and time again, leaving again and again...and you can only watch helplessly...Do you know that feeling? That feeling of hating yourself for being powerless?...It's like the sharpest knife, cutting away pieces of your heart, excruciating pain that you have to endure, no matter how painful it is...you have to endure it, because only the living have hope for the next time, you have to live and wait for the next hope..."

In Zi Jin's dark eyes, a complex ripple of emotions no one could decipher flickered. She obediently let Jun Lin hold her, saying, "Jun Lin, you're so foolish... Why don't you hate me? You should hate me... You should hate me..." Nothing's changed... Jun Lin, you haven't changed at all... Why are you still so tolerant of me...?

Jun Lin smiled indulgently at Zi Jin and gently stroked her nose: "I do want to hate you, but I just can't bring myself to do it. Every time I think of you, I'm angry at your cold-heartedness, but when I know you're suffering, I can't help but feel sorry for you."

Zi Jin glanced at Jun Lin, scrutinizing him closely. Jun Lin felt uneasy under Zi Jin's strange gaze and couldn't help but whisper, "What are you looking at?"

Zi Jin sighed: "If you hadn't said that, I would have thought you weren't Jun Lin anymore! I knew it... When did our noble Crown Prince, our rude prince, become so tender and gentle? It's not like... it's not like... Jun Lin... you're just a wild young man, why are you pretending to be a gentle gentleman?"

Jun Lin's face instantly turned green: "You mute! I'm good to you and you still complain. If it were any other woman, I wouldn't bother saying anything! It's only because I know you're insecure and naturally suspicious that I'm telling you... Look at you, you're already at the age where you should be getting married. With that flat figure and plain looks, how are you going to win over your future husband—my heart? Why don't you take advantage of the time when your husband likes you the most and say a few nice things to your husband?"

Zi Jin slapped Jun Lin on the head, quickly dodged out of his embrace, and ran away: "You pig-headed prince! You have so many wives, why would I be so stupid as to become your concubine! With your pig-headed appearance, you think you can be my husband? Dream on! ...No! I wouldn't even dream of you!"

Jun Lin suddenly stood up, feigning anger, and chased after Zi Jin: "You brat, how dare you talk back to your Crown Prince! I'll show you what I'm capable of! Don't run!"

Zi Jin ran through the peach grove, laughing loudly: "Come on, come and catch me! Come and catch me!"

Jun Lin's phoenix eyes were full of gentle smiles, but he pretended to be angry and shouted, "You mute! If I catch you, I will not let you off!"

In an instant, the small peach grove was filled with laughter and joy...

"This pheasant has been roasted for so long, yet it's still so tender?"

Zi Jin looked at Jun Lin's drooling face with smug satisfaction: "Is it delicious?"

"Hmm, not bad, not bad at all. It tastes even better than what those imperial chefs make." Jun Lin tore off another small piece and put it in his mouth.

"This is called beggar's chicken. This is how beggars eat chickens after they steal them."

Jun Lin's eyes widened: "I am the crown prince of a country, and you are feeding me food that beggars eat?"

"What's so great about the Crown Prince? Take it or leave it. If you don't want to eat it, I'll eat it all!" Zi Jin pulled the beggar's chicken in front of her and said disdainfully.