Blown by the dry and mild wind of the early summer, the shadow of trees was dancing with the wind and the mottled moonlight on leaves was cast on Leng Changxi’s upwind face, eyelids, thin lips and the tip of his nose. He was all covered with bright silver light, which set off his handsome and beautiful face more perfectly.
Leng Changxi’s face was almost the same as that of real Su Chenghai. It turns out that the cousin Su that they had seen regularly was Leng Changxi who had taken off his mask.
How could it be possible? How could two people look so much alike?
“It’s you?” Qin Yunuan could hardly believe her eyes that the mask in her hand fell to the ground in an unimpeded way, “Is that you?”
Qin Yunuan remembered that she was only five years old when Cousin Su came to the capital ten years ago. She was so happy when she heard that her cousin who lived far away was coming that she asked nurse Liao to take her to the Shili Pavilion so as to welcome him. However, in a shabby temple on the road, they witnessed a very bloody scene.
A child of the same age and almost the same face as Cousin Su was holding a bloody dagger in his hand. His dark purple robe embroidered with gold edges had been stained with blood. The ruthless look in his eyes and the smile on his face exuded a sense that he would kill anyone who got closer. Beneath his foot was a dead body of a wiry adult man, whose heart was shedding bleed like water.
At that time, she happened to get scattered from nurse Liao. The people present were only Su Chenghai, the killing boy out of nowhere, and herself.
The blood guilty boy slowly raised his head and stared at Su Chenghai and Qin Yunuan, like he was looking for the next prey. At that time, she was so terrified that she hid behind Su Chenghai and pulled the corner of his clothes. As the boy got closer, her heart was beating faster and faster.
“My nurse was looking for me outside. If you kill us, you will not have any chance to run away.”
That strange boy glared at her as soon as she finished and she did not dare to continue the next sentence anymore.
“Thank you for leading him there,” The boy went up to Cousin Su. His voice was as cold as the ice stored in the icehouse and the calm and cruel look in his eyes was beyond his age. He glanced at the dead body on the ground emotionlessly, “This man had lurked around me for half a year, trying to kill me while I came out today to worship Buddha. Had it not for you, it would have been me who laid here.”
He then turned toward Qin Yunuan, who was trembling, “As for you, young girl, do not try in vain to be brave. Maybe the next time I meet you, I will really kill you.”
Qin Yunuan remembered the lifted purple robe as the footsteps went away at that time. Cousin Su had already fallen to the ground after he left, but his arms were still around Qin Yunuan in a protective way. However, no matter what Qin Yunuan asked him, he shook his head confusedly and said he didn’t know.
And that boy who killed a man with a dagger turned out to be the one who was standing before her….
Qin Yunuan choked up, and she looked at Leng Changxi with sharper eyes for a long time.
“We’ve met before?” Leng Changxi tilted his head slightly, with a trace of black hair falling right on his left eyelid. His blurred eyes suggested that he was recollecting his memories.
“Maybe the next time I meet you, I will really kill you.” Qin Yunuan would never forget these lingering words, the dark curtains and the scented air in the shabby temple. These words were like ghosts that echoed in her ears for years.
“Well, I remember,” Leng Changxi chuckled in an uninhibited way all of a sudden. His white teeth and deep eyes seemed to pull people into his charm, “It was you, the young girl.”
With a canny smile, he drew near slowly and his smell that was as thick as green hills also pressed on. Qin Yunuan stepped back instinctively and almost stumbled by a branch. When she was about to fall, a big hand supported her from the back. The warmth of the hand passed through her thin clothes, and Qin Yunuan felt that she seemed to be lying on burning hot pebbles.
The next moment, her lips were touched by something warm. It was Leng Changxi’s lips. They were a little bit cold at first, but then, the tepid lips moved gently around those of Qin Yunuan. Sometimes, his lips pressed against hers with a little force and sometimes they just touched hers softly.
Unconsciously, Qin Yunuan wanted to push away the tall and sturdy frame against her body, only to find that she could not move at all. It was because Leng Changxi had hit a certain acupoint on her body while supporting her.
The atmosphere was getting passional as his fingertips moved around. Though inexperienced, Leng Changxi showed a partiality for kissing. While holding Qin Yunuan’s waist with his right hand, he propped the trembling right shoulder of Qin Yunuan firmly with his left hand. For several times, he had an almost uncontrollable impulse to stoke her fine and tender face, but he managed to repress his urge after slight moves. He knew that once he yielded to his desires, he would not get enough from mere kisses.
He would try to hold back before she became his official wife, but after they got married….
So, the key question was how to win over this little hedgehog.
Qin Yunuan’s acupoint was hit by others twice within 2 hours. The first one aimed to take her life, and this one was meant to take her heart.
Slowly, Leng Changxi loosened his arms around Qin Yunuan and stared closely at her rosy lips that were caused by him with great attachment. Having resisted the desire to kiss her again, he straightened up and looked quite satisfied at her blushing face. Then, he answered Qin Yunuan’s question before.
“The purpose of my disguise as Zizhan was never to draw Zhao Huijin out. No one in this world would be that important to make me sacrifice your safety. At first, I just wanted to fulfill the last wish of Zizhan, but I didn’t know when I started to disguise myself just to look at your face, hear your voice and smell your scent. It made me happy even when I got closer to you.”
Qin Yunuan pursed her lips, where a trace of warmth still lingered there that remained her what had just happened. She could not stop the pounding of her heart. Though she was unable to move, Leng Changxi could tell from the look in her eyes that she believed him and was tempted by him. But his little hedgehog was not so easy to succumb, which was also the reason why he was so crazy about her.
Leng Changxi hit Qin Yunuan’s acupoint again to free her. Just as he had imagined, she did run away for fear like normal girls. Instead, she looked at him quietly, rubbing her stiff elbows and arms.
She turned away, trying hard to avoid the topic and escaping from Leng Changxi’s eyes, because her cheeks were like flaming clouds. But still, she could feel that they were fixed on her.
“I… I’ve been out for too long. It’s time to go back.” Qin Yunuan lowered her head. If their private meeting at midnight were known by Dou Qing’e or Qin Yunzhuang, they would have the cause to attack her.
With a nod, Leng Changxi only replied “Okay” and then whistled toward the woods. After a moment, a horse with black and white color and snow-white hoofs galloped under the moonlight and stopped by Leng Changxi after a whinny with its head holding high. Its shiny fur was very slippery as if it had been coated with a layer of wax.
Leng Changxi mounted the horse and gave his hand to Qin Yunuan, with his face covered by the mask again without being noticed.
“Come on!”
This place was several miles away from Prince Ning’s Mansion. The horseback ride would indeed be the fastest way, but….
Just as Qin Yunuan was hesitating, Leng Changxi took the liberty of grabbing her arms and lifted her onto the horse with ease. He cuddled her and his arms were around her long hair with the color of ink and the faint fragrance of Sweet Olive. Holding the reins, Leng Changxi looked quite pleased.
Qin Yunuan squirmed as she was a little embarrassed within Leng Changxi’s arms and then whispered, “I can sit at the back. It will be difficult to hold the reins when the horse gallops if I sit there.”
“Oh,” Leng Changxi did not refuse, but then he said calmly, “In this case, we can just go slowly and let it walk.”
Well then, what did they ride a horse for?
This awkward but warm period seemed to pass very slowly. And the forest was quiet, with occasional noises made by insects and snaps of branches by the horse.
Leng Changxi’s arms were very warm and firm, which enchanted Qin Yunuan with its dizzying beauty. The moonlight became brighter and brighter, and the form of Prince Ning’s Mansion ahead could be seen dimly.
Silent all the way, Qin Yunuan finally began to speak at last, “May I know why did cousin… die?”
This topic was finally brought up. The Su Family in Jianzhou never said a single word about Su Chenghai’s death when Shen Xun came to the regions south of the River for investigation, not to mention the reason for his death.
Leng Changxi paused and then said in a softer tone, “Like ten years ago, the Leng Army was ambushed and we were in desperate need of a breakout. Since we looked very alike, Zizhan disguised himself as me in order to interfere with our enemies’ view. The rest of us were all saved by him.”
He made it very clear with just a few words. Qin Yunuan thought that he had finished, but he continued out of her expectation, “I did not want to risk his life because any one of the eighteen shadow guards would have had a bigger chance to survive than him. Unfortunately, we were ambushed by the remaining force of Zhao Huijin, who would not be cheated easily as he had seen my face.” As he said, there was a pitiful look on his face which was very rare, “Zizhan was the most responsible doctor in the army and my precious intimate friend. All in all, he died for me.”
Zizhan was the pseudonym of Su Chenghai when he was in the army. Though Leng Changxi knew his real name, he still used to call him by the old name.
So many years had passed. Qin Yunuan’s memory of Su Chenghai remained when she was five years old. So, though she felt regretful and sighed with emotion, her heart did not contract in pain after Leng Changxi’s description. Actually, his gloomy face evoked more feelings of Qin Yunuan.
Cousin sacrificed his own life in exchange for the lives of other soldiers in the army. Forth Uncle would be proud of him after knowing this,” Qin Yunuan whispered, trying to persuade herself or Leng Changxi.
“So,” Qin Yunuan asked, “Who was trying to kill you ten years ago?”
