Gallinas y perros vuelan en el caos y el renacimiento

Capítulo 121

Before Tang Leyan could finish her sentence, Chu Zhen handed her the lantern he was carrying: "Here, take it."

Tang Leyan had no choice but to agree and carried the lantern over.

Chu Zhen stepped forward: "I'll carry you back. Come on, get on."

Tang Leyan was taken aback and stood still.

Chu Zhen turned around and called out, "Hurry up and come up." She bent down slightly as she did so.

Tang Leyan blushed, slowly went over, stretched out her arms and hugged his neck. Chu Zhen bent down and straightened up, carrying her on his back and walking forward.

Tang Leyan wrapped her arms around his chest, the lantern flickering in front of her, illuminating half of his face. She leaned against his shoulder, feeling the gentle warmth emanating from him, intertwining with her own. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, inhaling only a faint scent, like a delicate sandalwood fragrance, or a sweet, warm aroma, emanating from his body and neck, hazy yet soothing, as if in a dream. She opened her eyes, leaning forward slightly, gazing at his neatly combed black hair highlighting his sharply defined profile. So beautiful. As he walked, he turned his head to inquire about her well-being, his eyes sparkling. With each movement, she would stare intently at him, his pale face so adorable, she longed to kiss him.

"Does your head hurt?" Chu Zhen asked.

"No, it's fine." Tang Leyan pressed her face against his back and said with a smile.

"Don't drink so much alcohol in the future."

"Yes, I know."

"Actually... I didn't want you to be the marriage envoy either, but..."

"Uncle Zhen, I understand."

"Leyan, thank you."

I don't like hearing that.

"Leyan".

"Hmm..." Tang Leyan hesitated for a moment, then said, "Actually, if you really want to thank me, then grant me one request."

"Hmm? What are the requirements?" he asked with a hint of curiosity.

"Is it heavy? Are you tired?" She suddenly changed the subject.

"Uh, it's not tiring, it's not heavy, don't worry, you haven't told us your requirements yet."

Tang Leyan thought for a moment, but couldn't say anything.

She hadn't said what he said because he had interrupted her. She had thought that since she had already agreed to be his bestowed marriage envoy, she should at least leave a mark on his heart before leaving. Although she knew that Chu Zhen would never be interested in other women, she still greedily wanted to leave something in his heart.

"Leyan?" Chu Zhen couldn't hear her voice and suspected she was asleep, so she asked softly.

"Uncle Zhen, I don't want to talk about it right now... um, wait..." She thought for a moment and finally said, "I promise you, I'll tell you after I get back from Daning, okay?"

"Okay, sure."

"So you're agreeing to my request?"

"You silly girl, you still haven't told me what your request is, haha."

"I don't care, you have to promise me first."

Tang Leyan mumbled incoherently, her voice becoming increasingly indistinct. She struggled to muster her strength and gently pressed her lips to the exposed part of his neck.

Chu Zhen felt a cool sensation on her neck, which seemed to be slightly damp, and she was filled with surprise and uncertainty.

Tang Leyan looked at the drool-stained mark on his neck with satisfaction and chuckled softly, but at the same time felt a chill on her ear.

Chu Zhen shook his head and said, "I really can't do anything with you."

"Promise me." She yawned. "If you don't object, I'll take that as a promise."

Chu Zhen smiled and said, "Okay, okay."

A warm feeling welled up inside her, and drowsiness overcame her. The alcohol took over her body, and in her final moments of drowsiness, she heard him say, "Leyan, be good. Go to sleep if you want. I'll take you home."

Her nose tingled, and she suddenly felt like crying. In her hazy state, her lips twitched, and she finally managed to utter one last sentence.

Chu Zhen heard a soft voice whisper in her ear, accompanied by her kitten-like breathing. She couldn't hear it clearly, so she turned her ear closer, but it finally fell silent. She must have fallen asleep.

Tang Leyan felt that the person carrying her seemed to pause for a moment, and then started walking forward again.

Chu Zhen felt a chill on his neck again, but this time the feeling was different. It was as if a piece of snowflake touched him and then disappeared. He seemed to be deep in thought and looked up at the sky. At that moment, snowflakes began to fall from the dark sky in a chaotic manner.

Soon, a layer of white snow appeared on the ground in front of them. Chu Zhen stood there with Tang Leyan on her back. Snowflakes fell from the sky. In front of her, the sleeping woman flicked her wrist, and the lantern bounced and fell to the ground. It immediately caught fire. The flames danced and the tongues of fire rolled out. The red light stung Chu Zhen's eyes.

Chapter 147 of "The Road to Jiangnan: The Bitterness of Parting"

On the day Shun's delegation set off to bestow a marriage, small snowflakes were falling from the sky.

Tang Leyan, draped in a thick cloak, felt a mix of sorrow and sweetness in her heart. She would occasionally reach out to grasp the warm edges of the cloak, which Chu Zhen had specially sent for her. It was said to be his everyday garment, showing how much he cared for her.

Once outside, he instructed Shishu Mohua to take good care of the house, then patted Xiao Di on the shoulder before laughing, "Why are you all glaring at me like that? Where hasn't your young master been? In any case, he'll overcome any obstacle, fight his way through mountains and fight off tigers and dragons. He won't embarrass you. You all, take good care of the house. Xiao Di, I'm entrusting the Emperor's affairs to you."

Xiao Di, who was usually quiet, looked up at her after hearing her instructions and said softly, "Don't worry."

Tang Leyan was touched, but she didn't like the heavy atmosphere, so she opened her arms and gave him a big hug: "Good boy, let me hug you for a bit, and I'll hug you again when we get back, let's see if you've gotten thinner again."

Xiao Di's fair face instantly turned rosy, and she blushed as she broke free from her grasp, whispering, "There are many people watching."

"What's there to be afraid of?" Tang Leyan reached out and brushed the snowflakes off his shoulder. She then looked at Shi Shumo's painting: "He'll be back in a month at most..."

As he spoke, he turned his head and looked behind him.

A thin layer of snow had already fallen on the ground, and the delegation's attendants led their horses over to wait. Then another person ran over: "Your Excellency, everything is ready. We are just waiting for the auspicious hour when the cannon fires, and then we can leave the city."

"Okay!" Tang Leyan replied with a smile.

The maidservant called out, "Young Master..."

"My dear girl, I'm leaving." Tang Leyan reached out and touched her hand, shrugged, and turned around. She leaped onto her horse.

Snowflakes flew up as the horse's hooves trod the ground.

Tang Leyan rode her horse all the way to the Imperial Palace Avenue and saw many people waiting in an orderly line in the distance.

The central, airtight, and very imposing imperial carriage is for Her Majesty the Princess to ride in.

A procession led the way, accompanied by guards. Behind the princess's carriage were her dowry and other items, while many palace maids dispatched from outside the palace followed around the carriage.

Everyone perked up when they saw Tang Leyan arrive.

Tang Leyan rode forward, laughing loudly before even uttering a word: "Going out in this weather is truly interesting."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a loud burst of firecrackers rang out from ahead, presumably to signal that the auspicious hour was approaching.

Amidst the crackling sounds, the dignified marriage envoy rode forward, his hands still covering his ears, staring at the sparks flying on the ground like a child. In no time, red fragments scattered everywhere.

The sound of horses' hooves echoed from behind.

He was dressed in dark black robes and wore a matching cloak. The heavy black made his face even more stunning and captivating. His complexion was fair, and his eyes were pink. Even though he was on horseback, he still maintained a dashing demeanor. When Tang Leyan turned around, she was so shocked that she almost fell off her horse.

Chu Gexing rode up to her side: "What's wrong? Are you surprised to see me?"

Tang Leyan's mind raced. She asked blankly, "How did you get here?"

Chu Gexing found her dazed expression amusing. He said, "I'm the deputy envoy, where else would I be?"

Tang Leyan was shocked: "What did you say? You're the deputy envoy? Why didn't I know that?"

"That's because you didn't do your preparation work properly."

Seeing his arrogant demeanor, Tang Leyan felt a surge of anger; given her temperament, she would have left immediately. She didn't want to get involved in this matter. Her expression changed instantly.

Chu Gexing watched coldly as her face slowly turned red. It was because of anger; her eyes would stare at him blankly for a moment, then turn fierce, as if she were plotting something in her heart.

As the two sides were facing off, someone called out from behind, "Leyan, Gexing, are you both ready?"

Chu Gexing turned around and respectfully replied, "Yes, sir."

Upon seeing the newcomer, Tang Leyan seemed to find her anchor in her confusion. She immediately dismounted and rushed to his side. Only after stopping did she hurriedly ask, "Uncle Zhen, why is Chu Gexing here?"

Chu Zhen was slightly surprised to see her face flushed, but said, "Didn't you say that he is good at martial arts, good-looking, and good-natured, and is more than capable of handling the task?" He smiled and glanced at Chu Gexing before saying, "I only ordered him to travel with you because I saw how much you recommended him, so that he can look after you along the way."

Chu Zhen's voice wasn't loud, but it wasn't quiet either. Tang Leyan heard it clearly, but Chu Gexing was even more perceptive, and his gaze towards Tang Leyan immediately became quite subtle.

Tang Leyan wished she could just bang her head against a snowdrift and die, and said angrily, "That's not what I meant, Uncle Zhen..."

Chu Zhen, however, assumed that she was capable of repairing it, so he reached out and patted her shoulder affectionately, saying, "It's alright, it's okay, I know what you're thinking."

Tang Leyan turned her head and saw Chu Gexing's ambiguous smile. Instantly, anger flared up in her heart. She frowned and wanted to shout, "I don't want him with me! It's either him or me!"

Just as he opened his mouth, someone in front shouted, "The auspicious time has arrived!"

In an instant, a deafening cannon blast shook the snow off the roof of the adjacent hall.

Tang Leyan was startled, her voice completely silenced by the sound of the cannon fire.

After the cannon shot subsided, Chu Zhen asked, "Hmm? What did you just say?" As if noticing that her expression was off, she frowned slightly and looked at him with some concern.

Tang Leyan blinked and looked back at Chu Zhen.

Light snowflakes fell from the sky, and a thin layer settled on his forehead, glistening and sparkling.

She reached out her hand, wanting to brush it off for him.

Just then, the second cannon shot rang out.

Tang Leyan's hand stopped, her mind in turmoil, and in her anxiety, tears streamed down her face. Seeing this, Chu Zhen panicked and reached out to wipe her tears, asking anxiously, "What's wrong? What happened?"

Tang Leyan really wanted to burst into tears, but there were so many people around. Just then, the second shot rang out, and she couldn't help but shudder. Chu Zhen felt a pain in his head and reached out to hug her tightly, covering her ears and saying repeatedly, "It's okay, it's okay, Leyan, don't be afraid, I'm here."

Seeing his actions, Tang Leyan felt comforted, but she also understood more clearly that he thought she was frightened by the sound of the cannons. Although she was happy to lean against him, she didn't feel that way.

When the third cannon shot rang out, Tang Leyan rested her face against his chest. Underneath her cloak, his embrace was warm, making her reluctant to leave and wanting to stay there forever. Unfortunately, he didn't know this and was only trying his best to comfort her.

But at that moment, all the impatience and anger in her heart vanished. Tang Leyan thought, "Yes, I promised to be the marriage envoy, to complete this task for him and stop him from worrying. If I go back on my word now, Chu Zhen will be the one to bear the responsibility. Since I've promised, I'll see it through to the end, even if... a terrifying figure like Chu Ge Xingzhe accompanies me."

At this moment, in such tranquility, even if it was just a facade, she was willing to stretch out her arms and hold him tightly around the waist, waiting for the third cannon shot, thinking how wonderful it would be if she could stay with him like this forever.

A thought suddenly occurred to me, and I couldn't help but recall a poem, which I silently recited:

"What is love in this world that makes people willing to die for it? We are strangers, separated by vast distances, our wings weathered by countless seasons. The joy of reunion, the sorrow of parting, and among us, the foolish lovers. You should have words to say, across ten thousand miles of layered clouds. The snow at dusk on the Tianshan Mountains, a solitary figure, to whom does it turn?"

Le Yan looked up at him and said with a faint smile, "It's nothing."

"Okay," he replied.

Three cannon shots had already been fired, and the surrounding troops were ready to go, under the watchful eyes of everyone.

Chu Zhen withdrew his hand.

Chapter 148 of Yanshui Road in Jiangnan: A Little Secret

As the delegation left the city, Tang Leyan saw a familiar figure standing by the city gate. The figure glanced at her briefly before walking away.