Mi primer marido después de la transmigración

Capítulo 90

"Hmm, what's wrong with you..." Shen Zexuan stared at my face, somewhat puzzled.

I casually wiped away the tears that were about to fall and laughed, "It's nothing, it's just a bit of sand and dust outside, it got in my eyes."

Shen Zexuan looked at me with a mixture of belief and doubt, but said nothing more, his eyes filled with a hint of pity and helplessness. Did he think I had cried?

I glanced at Shen Haoyu and asked, "What business does Your Highness have with us?"

Shen Haoyu shook his head and said, "It's nothing. I just didn't see any of you. I was afraid something might have happened." He paused and then said, "In the future, you should go out less unless necessary. After all, the two countries are at war now, and it's not peaceful outside. There's no guarantee that there won't be spies from the enemy country out there."

After saying this, Shen Haoyu turned and went inside. Zinuo and I wanted to follow, but Shen Zexuan gently tugged at our sleeves. Seeing that I didn't move, Zinuo glanced expressionlessly at Shen Zexuan's hand holding my sleeve, then went inside without a word. But I knew that kid was very unhappy.

"Your Highness, what brings you here?" I asked helplessly.

A hint of anger flickered in Shen Zexuan's eyes, but he pursed his lips and, without a word, pulled me toward a secluded spot. We reached a peach tree; the weather was cold in the northern frontier, and only a few blossoms had opened, their pale light gleaming coldly under the pale moonlight, lacking their usual vibrant beauty.

Shen Zexuan released my hand, his gaze fixed on my face. I couldn't help but ask, "Your Highness, may we speak now?"

Silence, and more silence, made me feel somewhat suffocated. I had hoped he would say something, so that things could be clearer for everyone. But it remained silence. We stood facing each other silently, and I refused to look away from him, using my eyes to express my resolve.

I thought he wouldn't say anything more today, but then I heard him say, "Huai'en, can't you trust me?"

Finally, they stopped asking me "why" like before.

I took a deep breath and smiled slightly, "Your Highness, even if I believe in your intentions, can I be the kind of person who betrays your promise?" You are well aware of the current predicament of the Qing Prince's Mansion. One day, won't your father and his sons all come after the Qing Prince's Mansion? In any case, the Qing Prince's Mansion has raised me and Zi Nuo for so many years, and now we are bound together by life and death. If I continue to entangle myself with you, it will only make things difficult for both of us. Besides—"Your Highness must know what I encountered on the way to Pingcheng." If you really sent people to protect me on the road, they must know that your father wanted to kill me. Rather than being caught in the middle, it's better to cut ties cleanly.

Shen Zexuan raised his hand slightly, then lowered it again, letting it hang down inside his fiery red wide sleeves, no longer visible. "I don't want to put you in a difficult position either, wait for me..." Shen Zexuan's voice was low. I shook my head: "Your Highness, there's no need for that." With that, I turned and went back to my room.

The candles were still lit in the room. Zinuo was holding a book and reading by the candlelight. She didn't even look up when she heard me come in. I sighed inwardly, took out the box that Shen Zexuan had asked Nightingale to send when I turned 18 last year from my backpack, and walked out of the room again.

I had thought about returning it to him before, but everyone was in a hurry on the road, and I didn't want to do it in front of everyone, so I kept putting it off until now. Today should be a good opportunity. When I returned to the courtyard, I saw him still there, standing motionless, seemingly lost in thought.

I walked up behind him, knowing he had heard me, but he didn't turn around. I could only cough lightly and say, "Your Highness." Seeing that he still didn't move, I had no choice but to walk in front of him and present the box to him with both hands, saying, "Your Highness."

Shen Zexuan glanced down at the box in my hand, gave a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth, but said nothing.

“I think it’s time to return it to its rightful owner.” I insisted on handing the box to him, and he finally reached out and took it, slowly opening the box.

Seeing him gently take out the jade pendant from inside and hold it in his palm, I asked, "Do you remember me telling you to bring this jade pendant with you when we meet next time?" I nodded. It was something I said in the plum garden before going to Pingcheng.

Shen Zexuan took out another jade pendant of the same color from his sleeve. When the two pendants were put together, they formed a lifelike butterfly. It turned out that one of the jade pendants was a wing of the butterfly. I was very surprised to see the jade pendant with its hidden meaning only after they were put together, and I was speechless.

"Remember the story of 'Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai' you told me? After I went back, I had a craftsman make this pair of jade pendants. I don't want us to be like them, only able to be together after death. I want us to be one in life and death, neither of us can be missing." Shen Zexuan spoke these words without much emotion, as if he were talking about something else entirely. His voice was indifferent, but in this cool moonlit night, it was like a gentle stream, seeping into every pore of my body. Compared to his sometimes wicked charm and sometimes feigned romance, it moved me even more, and the original conviction in my heart seemed to slowly waver.

What stood between Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai was the difference in social class and power. Between Shen Zexuan and me, besides these, there was political rivalry, a life-or-death struggle, and even… distant family feuds. I couldn't be sure if he truly had the courage and determination to fight for or give up anything for me, nor could I be sure I had that courage. I wanted someone to love, and someone to love me, but I didn't want the love to be too painful, and I didn't want to lose other important things because of this love.

I looked at Shen Zexuan: "Your Highness, if we truly love each other that much, let's talk about it after we've both done it. I can't make you a promise, and you shouldn't make me one either." Then, I saw the light in his eyes slowly fade away.

If our love for each other is strong enough, perhaps one day we will get what we want without losing what we don't want to lose.

I took off the bamboo flute that Song Zhixuan had made for me and smiled at Chen Zexuan, saying, "Your Highness, someone has composed a piece of music for the story of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai. Why don't I play it for you? However, it wasn't originally played on a flute."

Without waiting for Shen Zexuan's reply, he brought the flute to his lips to test its sound.

The gentle sound of the flute flowed in the moonlight, carrying a faint joy. It was in this bright and sunny March that the two met and fell in love. In the cold night beyond the Great Wall, they seemed to see the green hills and clear waters of Jiangnan, hear the melodious warbling of orioles, and see the willows along the river in Pingcheng, and the catkins drifting in the wind.

The sound of the flute gradually deepened, each note filled with sorrow, like a lament. The music softened, becoming tangled and lingering, as if whispering secrets. Then it gradually rose again, as if trying to break free from its cage, pointing to the heavens and questioning the earth, finally ending with a series of mournful cries of utter destruction. All things returned to silence, and the gentle sound of the flute once again softly lingered in the ears...

I know that using the xiao (vertical bamboo flute) to perform this famous piece loses much of its original charm, and my skills are not very good. However, while playing, I vaguely felt that it was somewhat similar to my current situation, so I couldn't help but put some emotion into it. If only I had a recorder, I could review my performance later...

Looking up at Chen Zexuan, I saw a sorrowful expression on his face. Was he remembering something? I also thought of how we walked through the streets and alleys of the capital, and I remembered the fireworks that lit up the sky above the villa… I remembered all the beautiful things we had, and I hid the unpleasant ones behind me. If we can't be together in the end, let's keep the sweetness for ourselves.

I bowed to Shen Zexuan, then turned and walked towards my room. I saw Shen Haoyu standing in the shadows in the corner, his expression unreadable. A sense of disappointment mixed with relief washed over me. I smiled slightly at Shen Haoyu and said, "Young Prince, it's late." Then I returned to my room.

Inside, the candles were almost burned out. Zinuo, wrapped in a blanket, lay on the low couch under the bed, glanced at me, and then closed her eyes again. I blew out the candles, groped my way into bed, my heart still unable to truly find peace.

Despite repeated attempts, they still couldn't create a Cinderella and Prince Charming fairytale.

Do not lean against the west railing to lock in the clear autumn. Chapter 75

Chapter word count: 3640 Update time: 09-08-22 17:03

Just as dawn was breaking, I was jolted awake by a series of deafening roars. I scrambled to my feet and anxiously looked out the window, but there was nothing there. Zinuo rolled over on the low couch and fell back into a deep sleep.

Didn't they say the enemy had only reached Bozhou? Didn't they say there was Yuqiu Pass in between? What's with all this noise outside? Don't tell me the enemy has sneaked in!

I got up and went outside, only to find Song Zhixuan and Lin Zhao practicing swordsmanship with Shen Haoyu. I greeted them with a smile, "Good morning, everyone." Seeing that they seemed oblivious to the shouts outside, I couldn't help but wonder, "Didn't you hear anything?" Was I just too nervous and hallucinating?

Shen Haoyu sheathed his sword and said calmly, "I urge General to train the troops outside the city."

I said "Oh," and then realized what was happening, letting out a sigh of relief. Lin Zhao glanced at me amusedly: "Otherwise, what did you think it was..."

His tone was rising, full of teasing.

I waved my hands repeatedly, saying, "It's nothing, it's nothing." But, training, when was the last time I watched a military parade?

I looked at Shen Haoyu with curiosity and anticipation, but he said, "Let's go for a walk on the city wall together."

I beamed and said obsequiously, "Young Prince, such a grand occasion! Let me go and fetch Zinuo." After waking Zinuo, the two of us hastily wiped our faces and followed Shen Haoyu out of the city garrison and headed towards the south gate tower.

Early risers were already selling breakfast in the market. The aroma of fried dough sticks reminded me of the snacks that Boss Fan had mentioned. I couldn't help but swallow hard and glanced at Zinuo. I leaned close to Zinuo's ear and whispered, "Remember the snacks the vendor mentioned when we ate noodles yesterday?"

Zinuo twitched the corner of his mouth and snorted, which was his response.

"Shall we go eat after we finish watching the training?" I asked. Zinuo hummed in agreement, then quickened her pace to catch up with Shen Haoyu. I stood behind her and sighed helplessly. This guy hadn't been paying much attention to me since yesterday.

Climbing the city wall, in the distance lay the camps of an army of 100,000, while on the nearby open ground stood soldiers in neat rows. On the command platform, a young general in white robes waved a command flag, issuing orders, the large black banner behind him billowing in the wind. With each wave of the flag, the soldiers below swiftly changed formation, their movements perfectly synchronized, their shouts deafening, their imposing presence a testament to their exceptional training, which stirred my own blood.