Young Prime Minister, a Hermit

Chapter 22

My defenses suddenly crumbled, and I collapsed, unable to withstand the overwhelming pressure. Yi Han quickly supported me, asking worriedly, "Is Young Master alright?"

"No, no." I looked at the burning carriage and said, still shaken, "How could the Crown Princess of Fengyin Kingdom enter Jinyao Kingdom and brazenly attempt to assassinate me on Jinyao Kingdom's soil? This is too outrageous."

Yi Han did not answer, but then he heard Uncle Li, who had just approached, say, "Young Master, you may not know this, but Mu Shuangshuang's martial arts have reached the level of subtlety. In the world, apart from Yi Han and a handful of other grandmasters, there is probably no one who can rival her, let alone stop her. As for these men in black who followed her, they scattered and fled when I defeated them. They were probably just people she temporarily bought. According to her, she may really only be testing the waters this time and has no intention of taking your life."

I see. I sighed wearily and said, "Uncle Li, are there any more carriages? I'm so sleepy."

Uncle Li's stern face broke into a kind yet helpless smile as he scolded, "Stop ignoring Uncle Li's advice. I told you to pay more attention to your own affairs. The new carriage is ready, but it's too small, only enough for two people. Why don't you and Yihan go in?"

Suddenly, the scene in the carriage that day came to mind, and she glanced at Yi Han, whose face was indifferent.

“No…no need!” I blurted out. “What I mean is, I’ll sit with Uncle Li.”

Before he could object, I had already jumped over and taken his hand, laughing, "Uncle Li, come on, come on! You're so old, riding a horse outside must be tiring!"

“You’re such a grown man, and you still…” Uncle Li’s face flushed slightly as I dragged him into the carriage. As we passed by Yi Han, his expression remained as cold and indifferent as ever, as if he didn’t exist at all.

I couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief and closed my eyes to rest in the carriage.

Xiao Yi

2007.8.17 16:01

Chapter 14, The Goddesses End.

Chapter 15 Cherish

Chapter 15 Cherish

Xu Lie was away on a business trip these past two days. In order to get out of danger as quickly as possible, I gave up the opportunity to return to the modern world for two consecutive nights and traveled through the night, leaving me exhausted and dizzy. But seeing Chen Sheng, whose body was even weaker than mine, still persisting in traveling, I felt no resentment.

On the third day, seeing that Chen Sheng could no longer hold on, I invited him to come up and ride in the carriage with me. He declined for a while, but seeing that I insisted, he climbed in with a look of flattery.

As Zimo requested, although I wasn't particularly interested in knowing, I still put on a teacher's air and asked, "Qingkong, you're a civil official, why are you going to the border with the army?"

When Chen Sheng saw me asking, his face turned red, and he quickly and respectfully said, "This student...this student requested permission from the Emperor to come with you, teacher. This student wants to learn from you."

I nodded in realization, finding the boy's shyness and innocence somewhat amusing. But then I heard Zi Mo snort coldly. I looked up and saw his dismissive expression, and couldn't help but ask in surprise.

"Zimo, what's wrong?"

Zi Mo shrugged, a hint of sarcasm on his gentle, jade-like face: "Galan, I really don't know whether to call you naive or foolish. In any case, you must remember that not everyone in this world can be trusted."

I frowned, glancing at Chen Sheng's slightly pale face and his bright, clear black eyes. I thought to myself: People say that the eyes are the windows to the soul. This person's feelings for Lin Yu seem genuine no matter how you look at it!

Looking up, she caught a glimpse of Zi Mo's slightly cold expression and thought to herself: But since Zi Mo said to be careful, he's right. I should still be wary of him.

Whether this internal monologue was genuine or for An Zimo's sake, it left him with a wry smile.

Now I finally understand what it means to feel like three autumns have passed in a single day. Although it's only one night in modern times, it feels like three days to me. In other words, I haven't seen Xu Lie for three days.

That night, the bright moon shone high in the sky. I lay on the grass where we were camping, gazing intently at the night sky, relaxing my entire body and waiting for sleep to come. No matter what Zimo said, I had to go back to the modern world tonight.

Suddenly, a weight and warmth touched my shoulders as a dark blue cloak was draped over me. I looked up and saw Yi Han nod at me with a cold expression, saying, "Young Master, be careful not to catch a cold."

My heart warmed, and I nodded to him, saying, "Thank you, Yihan."

Yi Han's lips curved slightly, and two dimples, sometimes deep and sometimes shallow, appeared on his face, yet they did not seem out of place at all. His eyes were as black as the stars in the night sky, but occasionally a dark green luster would flash and disappear, like a touch of spring after a harsh winter, nourishing the heart.

"Bang—bang—"

My expression suddenly changed. I clutched my chest and lowered my head to hide my burning cheeks, ears, and thunderous heartbeat.

What happened? I... I was looking at Yi Han just now, and I actually felt a flutter in my heart. That feeling was different from when I was with Xu Lie. It was an impact that almost overwhelmed all my thoughts, like a warm current suddenly rushing into my blood, then flowing to every part of my body, slowly telling me about a feeling that was higher than the sky and deeper than the sea.

But I've only known Yihan for about ten days; we're not even close friends, let alone lovers. Could it be...?

I suddenly opened my eyes wide and met Yi Han's slightly worried gaze. I just stared blankly at him, unable to come back to my senses for a long time.

Could it be that the love wasn't mine, but... Lin Yu's? Could it be that Lin Yu has actually always been inside this body and hasn't left?

"Young Master, are you alright?" Yi Han's cold voice rang out in the quiet night sky.

I shook my head frantically, feeling like my head was completely muddled. I managed to sit up and said, "I...I'm going to rest."

After saying that, she ignored his disappointed or indifferent expression and fled in panic.

As soon as the servant entered the tent, a soft sigh suddenly came from the air. I was startled, then realized it was Zimo, and couldn't help but look up.

Zi Mo's gentle, watery gaze looked at me quietly, yet it seemed to pierce through me and gaze into the distance. After a long while, he sighed and said, "Galan, I will help you find your friend as soon as possible. You... leave this world quickly."

"Zimo..." I murmured his name, but I didn't know what to say, so I could only stare at him blankly.

Zi Mo smiled gently, easily concealing the sadness and longing in his eyes. He reached out his almost transparent hand and gently stroked the top of my head: "Galan, you really don't belong in this world. Besides, how can one person's spirit withstand the torment of two worlds? I can't ruin you for my own desires!"

When I opened my eyes, the room was still pitch black. Only a sliver of moonlight shone through the gaps in the curtains, letting me know that I was back in the modern world. There was a clock on the bedside table. I sat up and looked around for a long time before I realized it was already past one in the morning.

The person next to me frowned slightly at the sound I made. I quickly leaned down, holding my breath for a long time until his brows relaxed before carefully lying down. Looking at Xu Lie's sleeping face, I felt a surge of excited joy; I had finally seen him again. Then I was taken aback; I rarely seem to wake up the moment I return from another time travel!

I reached out and traced his face carefully—his eyebrows, his straight nose, his firm lips—but dared not touch him, afraid of waking him. Even though it was only a fleeting moment of separation with my eyes closed, it felt like three whole days had passed since I last saw him.

I really, really miss him!

Just as I was gazing at his sleeping face with a smile, his usually deep and piercing eyes suddenly snapped open, meeting my stunned and bewildered gaze.

"Xu Lie..." My face flushed slightly, and I looked away as I called out.

"Why aren't you asleep so late?" Xu Lie's voice was slightly hoarse and languid in his sleep, so sexy that it made me tremble.