Un joven errante

Capítulo 80

He cupped her face in his hands, looked at her trembling eyelashes, leaned down, and gently, tenderly, kissed her.

The night was enchanting. The shy moon quietly hid behind the floating clouds. The cool moonlight gently bathed the lovers who were leaning on each other.

"My head hurts so much..." I clutched my forehead, which felt like it was about to explode. Sure enough, the consequences of a hangover are painful.

Just as I was groaning in pain with my brows furrowed, a slightly hoarse but still very magnetic voice suddenly chuckled, "Awake? Did you sleep well last night?"

Hearing someone else's voice next to me, I was slightly taken aback, somewhat confused about the current situation.

I opened my eyes in surprise, but was so shocked by what I saw that I blushed.

He was sitting on the edge of my bed, shirtless and wearing only a pair of silk trousers. He was even trying to help me up with one arm, while holding a bowl of steaming soup in the other.

I snapped out of my daze, and the next second, I lifted the covers to look inside. Sure enough, it was just as I'd imagined: completely naked, with scattered purple marks—clearly intentional. My face flushed slightly. But then, I forced a bitter smile, a strained upward curve to my lips. Drinking really does make things worse. I shouldn't have drunk it. Didn't I understand that drowning your sorrows in alcohol only makes them worse? Why did I even try?

Seeing my strange expression, his eyes darkened slightly, but he still smiled and said, "Your head must be hurting a lot. This is a hangover soup that I had the imperial kitchen prepare. You'll feel much better after drinking it."

I looked at him as if everything was normal, and shamefully noticed a few faint red marks on his strong, fair back. Could it be that I did that? My face instantly turned as red as a rose that had suddenly climbed up, and I didn't even spare a single ear piercing.

Embarrassed, I averted my gaze, lowered my head in shame, and focused intently on drinking my soup, my eyes no longer wandering. He seemed to notice my embarrassment and gave a rare, secretly pleased smile.

"Forget it, what am I being shy about? I'm not some unmarried virgin. Even Yi Jun is there. Why am I pretending to be innocent? It's not like I've never slept with anyone before. I'm a woman from the modern era. My thoughts aren't the same as people from thousands of years ago. What's there to be awkward about?" I silently comforted myself.

After thinking for a moment, I calmly raised my head and said indifferently, "Thank you for letting me have a wonderful night."

Upon hearing my words, his hand, which had been holding the glass bowl, suddenly slipped, and the bowl shattered on the ground. He stared at me in astonishment, his eyes filled with heartache. "Does that mean nothing to you?"

Looking at this aloof woman, Sima Rui cried out in his heart, "An Jin, An Jin, what kind of woman are you? Why do I never know what you're thinking? Why do you have such a detached and carefree attitude?"

Are you really not even concerned about this?

Looking at his pained expression, I felt a pang of pity and said softly, "It's just like sleeping with any other woman, isn't it?"

Sima Rui clenched his fists, and after a long while, he gritted his teeth and said, "You know perfectly well that I... You know perfectly well that I only have you in my heart and can't possibly have room for any other woman, so why do you keep testing me?"

I lowered my eyes and whispered, "I understand, I understand."

He took a deep breath and forced himself to say, "Since you understand, why are you unwilling to give your feelings?" His eyes were fixed on me like a hawk's.

I suddenly smiled, a gentle, warm smile, and then I stood up and gently hugged him: "Let's not think about those things, okay? I'm right here with you now, aren't I?"

168 travelers

Sima Rui silently savored this rare moment of warmth, the warmth that belonged to her. Even though their hearts were far apart, this closeness was enough to satisfy him. He would gladly do anything more.

I've laughed and drunk with you countless times, never uttering a word of sorrow at our parting. Isn't that right?

From that day on, everything seemed to subtly change. This subtle change brought Sima Rui joy. Although her expression remained indifferent and aloof, at least she began to genuinely smile, even if the smile was as faint as a distant, wispy cloud. It was still a smile from the heart. Every time he saw her involuntarily raise the corners of her mouth, Sima Rui would embrace her with overwhelming joy. Because, in that state, she was flesh and blood, unlike a puppet, unlike a person without feelings.

She said nothing, only looked at him with a smile in her eyes.

When Thomas stumbled upon this palace, which looked unremarkable on the outside but was like a completely different world inside, he was somewhat hesitant, but his curiosity still compelled him to go inside.

Luoshuang Palace—his sparse Chinese allowed him to barely understand the name of the palace.

As he walked in, he was surrounded by a riot of flowers, like a fairyland, every detail a masterpiece of nature, seemingly both man-made and naturally formed. Exquisite yet understated, it was truly unique. Unlike the stiff, flamboyant grandeur of other palaces, this place was like a celestial palace, everything here unparalleled in the world. He had never seen such a strange place before.

The further he went, the more strange he felt, as if the inhabitants here were not mortals, but celestial maidens from the heavens. After traveling to many places in the Central Plains, he had always been curious about what kind of celestial beauty the legendary goddesses of the heavens were, and what kind of beauty could topple kingdoms.

There's an old Chinese poem that goes: "In the north there is a beautiful woman, peerless and independent. One glance could topple a city, a second glance could topple a nation. How could one not know the power of such beauty? A beauty like her is hard to find again!"

He traveled to many countries, and what he always longed for was to truly see and understand the meaning of this poem.

He walked along the lakeside, where the water was calm and the sky was clear, a harmonious scene. Suddenly, he noticed a patch of dark red flowers around a corner, and curiosity drove him to continue. What followed was an almost breathtaking sea of red. He looked closely and realized that these were roses, flowers he had seen in other countries before. He never expected to see such thorny, strangely beautiful flowers here.

Then, he vaguely heard a pleasant, melodious laugh. He looked in the direction of the sound and was immediately dumbfounded. It was as if his soul had left his body and he couldn't find his way back.

He saw a woman dressed in strange attire: a long white silk dress hemmed with large black lotus flowers adorned with black lace, and a black, form-fitting corset similar to those he had seen in Western countries. Her age was indiscernible. Amidst the swirling red petals, she danced gracefully with an exquisite smile. Her movements were as beautiful as a butterfly, unlike anything he had ever witnessed before. Her figure was as light as a swallow. The woman's appearance was like a lost spirit, a flower goddess, the celestial maiden of his dreams—unbelievably beautiful.

He held his breath, afraid that even a single breath from him would disturb the woman who was engrossed in the dance.

The beauty he had witnessed in the world included grand and vigorous beauty, understated elegance, delicate and refined beauty, beauty seen through the mist, and beauty unparalleled in the world... Yet, at this moment, he could find no words to describe her captivating allure.

Suddenly, the woman seemed to sense something, and quietly turned her head. In a fleeting glance, Thomas froze on the spot, speechless, forgetting his current situation.

The woman's once stunning face was now cold and indifferent, the innocent joy from before long gone.

She stared at him coldly, then her voice, as melodious as flowing water, rang out: "Who are you? Why have you intruded into my palace?"

Thomas watched her sink down, her eyes cold and indifferent. He wanted to explain, but he didn't know much Chinese, and at that moment, under her sharp gaze, he was so flustered that he couldn't speak. He could only stammer, "You, hello, I, I am Thomas."

Hearing his strange tone, the woman paused, then looked at his foreign appearance with some surprise. Thomas stared at her strangely changing expression with a puzzled expression.

Thomas thought she hadn't understood, and he racked his brains, trying to find a few familiar words to express himself. He was so anxious that he looked like a restless monkey, almost scratching his cheek.

Just as he was wondering what to do, the woman suddenly glanced at him and said indifferently, "Your name is Thomas, what an unoriginal name."

Thomas was stunned. He wasn't stunned that she understood him, but rather—

He had just repeated the same sentence in two different languages. He wasn't deaf; he naturally recognized that she hadn't spoken Chinese, but a language similar to Sanskrit, while his own country's language, though somewhat different, was very similar. And then there was another language, one he recognized from his travels in a prosperous country on the other side of the world. He had heard it before, learned some basic phrases to communicate, and even the name Thomas had been given to him in that country.

And she, a woman from the palace, spoke those words calmly and fluently.

He looked at the beautiful woman with complicated emotions. He now truly doubted whether he was living in a dream, and whether everything happening now was fake and not real.

Seeing his silence, the woman smiled faintly and said, "You really are from India. Are you an envoy?" She seemed slightly puzzled, as she didn't recall any envoys ever being sent on missions in history.

He shook his head and said, “I am a traveler, wandering around, passing through this country. So, through the introduction of some officials, I came to visit your noble emperor to express my respect.” He spoke politely and courteously.

"Traveler?" The word made her pause slightly, her expression instantly turning like that of a bewildered child. Finally, she asked, "What countries have you been to?"

Seeing her interest, Thomas perked up and began to recount his experiences on the journey. Throughout this, she listened quietly with a calm expression. Although her expression was indifferent, Thomas could tell she was listening attentively, so he spoke even more enthusiastically. However, Thomas did not miss a subtle change: her expression shifted between joy and sadness, with a melancholic self-mockery in her eyes.

Thomas didn't know how much time had passed before he suddenly realized that time had indeed flown by in the blink of an eye. He suddenly remembered that the official who had told him not to wander around, as the emperor was holding a meeting and they would have to wait outside the palace for a long time. After waiting for several hours, he became impatient and made an excuse to wander around the palace. Unexpectedly, he had stumbled upon this place and encountered a woman so different from those in other countries.

He felt a small sense of joy. When he had finished telling the story, the woman suddenly gave a faint smile and murmured, "So there are so many differences between what I thought and what I knew."

Thomas looked at her expression, as if she had been to all those places, and asked, "Which places have you been to?"

But that shouldn't be possible. She's a frail woman, and according to the customs of this country, women are supposed to stay at home, rarely venturing out. How could she possibly have gone to such places? Even if she could, it's impossible for a woman to have traveled to so many places. Judging from her age, she should still be quite young. How could that be...?

But he soon realized he was wrong, because the woman smiled nonchalantly: "A long, long time ago, so long that I've almost forgotten, I went to these places. However, my trip there was very different from yours."

Thomas wanted to ask something more, but the woman suddenly fell silent. Thomas thought it was getting late, and the official who had introduced them would be worried if he didn't go back soon, so he got up to say goodbye.

The woman's face showed no lingering affection or reluctance, remaining calm and expressionless. But for some reason, Thomas, who had already reached the door, couldn't help but earnestly say to her, "If you yearn to go out into the world, why not bravely choose to do so? I will be staying in this country for a long time. If you wish, you can contact me at the post station."

The woman clearly hadn't expected him to say that. She stood there in the courtyard, alone, the wind blowing through her long, black hair. She stood there quietly, like a perfect painting that would never fade.

169 Minor Signs

The night was quiet and still.

For some reason, I suddenly opened my eyes. Ever since I woke up five years ago, I have been a light sleeper. Any noise or dangerous atmosphere around me will suddenly wake me up, and then my eyes will be as sharp as a night owl in the darkness.

I sensed an unfamiliar presence around me. That feeling made me very uncomfortable; I knew there were others in this palace besides me.

The next second, my sixth sense was confirmed. Because a cold, hard knife was already pressed against my neck.

I couldn't see his face clearly in the darkness, but I was certain that he wasn't wearing any cloth to cover himself, and he certainly didn't mind me seeing his face.

Could we be old acquaintances? I wondered to myself.

He forced me to get up.

I calmly asked him, "What do you want?" If he wanted to kill me, he would have done it already; his martial arts skills seem to be no less than mine. The fact that he didn't kill me means that his purpose wasn't that.

I obediently got up, and an outer robe was thrown at me. I put it on obediently, and he took me to a desk next to him, where I usually drew pictures.

Suddenly, a tiny light appeared before my eyes—a tinderbox. My eyes, which had been in darkness all along, were starting to feel uncomfortable. This person was really strange; it was rare for a hostage to light a fire so that the other person could see it.

However, in the next moment, I understood why he did it.

The horrible and ugly scar on his neck reminded me that he was a mute slave.

He couldn't speak at all, not even the slightest sound.

No wonder I felt so strange just now. Although I sensed someone was beside me, I couldn't even hear their breathing. The feeling was chilling, just like in that royal palace—utterly silent and eerily cold. Quiet and still, the palace was like a deathly, lifeless underworld. There was no sense of life at all. That bone-chilling coldness crept up my entire body, making me feel as if I were in another world, as if I weren't even in this world.

That's the feeling I get from this person.

I looked at him; his face was expressionless, still numb and devoid of any emotion.

I looked at the old man I had met once before and said coldly, "What are you doing here?"

I remember that when I broke into the Prince of Liu's mansion, it was this old man who discovered me and then used a strange long whistle to attract a large number of guards to look for me.

He remained expressionless until then, when I understood why he had lit the lamp. He turned and quickly wrote a few strokes on my blank paper, inviting me to come and see.

I looked at him suspiciously, then obediently looked at the text, which read: "Come with me to Later Qin to see him."

To see him? The image of that stunningly beautiful, alluring red dress flashed through my mind...

I quickly came to my senses and sneered, "Why should I go? I have no ties with him anymore, or does he think I haven't hurt him enough?" After saying that, I gave a charming smile.

A cold glint flashed in his eyes, and his mouth opened and closed in a struggle, clearly indicating that he was extremely resentful.

The dagger in his hand was deadly; I felt a slight burning pain in my neck, followed by liquid seeping into my sleeve. His face, which had remained expressionless like a frozen corpse, finally showed a hint of emotion.

I stared at him without flinching. Was he threatening me?

If so, then I think he used the wrong method.

He stared at me with cold, unwavering eyes, as if he didn't understand how cold-blooded and ruthless I was, or what else I was supposed to know.

He then sheathed his dagger and wrote, "You must go. I'll give you three days to consider. If you don't agree, don't blame me."

I took the blank sheet of paper, impatiently crumpled it into a ball, and tossed it aside. Then, I said coldly, "No need to wait. My answer is no, and that's final. One day, one month, one year, ten years... it won't change."

He stood there staring at me for a long time, then suddenly let out a few chilling laughs. For some reason, I suddenly felt a chill run down my spine. If you see someone with a smiling face, a smiling mouth, and even white teeth showing, but no sound comes out, then you will understand.

Just as we were locked in a silent standoff, a voice suddenly broke in. It was Xiao Quanzi: "Master, what's wrong? Why are the lamps lit?"

When I turned to look at Xiao Quanzi, the old man had vanished into the night.

I turned around to reassure Xiao Quanzi, "I'm fine, I just suddenly couldn't sleep, so I got up to read a book."

Xiao Quanzi gave me a reproachful look. "Master, it's late. You should rest. We can see the result tomorrow."

I smiled at him and nodded obediently, "Okay."

"Master!" Xiao Quanzi exclaimed in astonishment, "What happened to your neck? Why is it bleeding?"

I glanced at the small, still-bleeding wound and said softly, "It's nothing, you probably just cut yourself accidentally."