Chapter 26

Shang Rongyue was frightened by the thought in her own heart.

How could she think like that?

Shen Sanniang… Shen Sanniang was only a bandit. Shang Rongyue was only staying here temporarily, merely using this place as a temporary foothold.

Even if this bandit den was good, how could it compare to the life of a noble young lady in the capital?

Moreover, Shen Sanniang was only interested in novelty for the moment. Who knew whether one day she might abandon Shang Rongyue, or do something like other bandits would?

Since this was only a temporary place to stay, she should still make plans early.

Gu Wan looked at her thoughtful expression and seemed to guess that Li Yueyue was worrying about the poisoning. Her fingertip tapped Li Yueyue’s forehead.

“If you don’t eat soon, it will get cold.”

Shang Rongyue came back to herself and touched her own forehead.

Things had to be taken one step at a time. At this moment, filling her stomach was the most important thing.

After the bowl of wontons was emptied, the two of them leisurely walked toward the city gate.

The evening breeze blew gently over them. A spring night was still cold, after all.

“Are you cold?” Gu Wan held the girl’s soft hand. Feeling the temperature of her fingertips, she could not help frowning. “Why is it this cold?”

“My hands and feet have always been cold, especially at night.” Shang Rongyue’s fist curled inside Gu Wan’s palm, drawing warmth from her body.

Although they had already done more intimate things, this was still the first time the two of them had held hands and wandered aimlessly like this.

The patterns embroidered on Shen Sanniang’s skirt were mixed with silver threads. Under the moonlight, they shimmered with every step.

In the night, she was so dazzling, just like Shen Sanniang herself.

The moonlight deepened. There were not many people passing along the road, but more or less, their gazes would sweep over the two of them.

Among them were some looks with hidden meaning that made Shang Rongyue feel disgusted. She subconsciously moved a little closer to Shen Sanniang, as if this would make her safer.

Shen Sanniang knew martial arts. She could protect her, Shang Rongyue thought.

“What is it?” Gu Wan looked back at her. “Are you so cold that you feel uncomfortable?”

“No. I just want to be closer to Sanniang,” Shang Rongyue said.

She knew this bandit had thin ears and also knew what the other woman liked.

She liked hearing sweet words, liked Shang Rongyue showing weakness, and liked the way Shang Rongyue entangled herself with her.

Then why shouldn’t Shang Rongyue make her happier? At the very least, when Shen Sanniang was happy, Shang Rongyue’s good days could continue smoothly.

When they came, the carriage had been drawn by two horses. Now the carriage was gone, and Lanxi had tied one of the black horses beneath a tree, leaving it for Gu Wan and Shang Rongyue.

Gu Wan untied the rope, mounted the horse, then reached out and pulled Shang Rongyue up as well.

The horse was very tall. Suddenly being so far from the ground made Shang Rongyue a little nervous. Both hands tightly gripped the edge of the saddle.

“Relax a little. Don’t clamp the horse’s belly.” Gu Wan could tell this was Li Yueyue’s first time riding a horse. But thinking about it, that made sense. The daughter of a cloth shop was unlike Gu Wan, who came from a military family. Naturally, she would not have many chances to learn this.

But Shang Rongyue could not control her body at all. The horse kept moving, lowering its head to eat grass for a while, then shaking its mane, occasionally snorting. Shang Rongyue was extremely afraid the horse would suddenly get excited and throw her off.

If she fell from such a high place, how painful would that be?

Suddenly, a force wrapped around her waist. Gu Wan pulled her backward, making her lean tightly into her embrace. Through her back, Shang Rongyue seemed to feel the other woman’s pounding heartbeat.

Strong and steady.

“Don’t be afraid. I’m here. I won’t let you fall.” The low voice sounded by her ear. The last time they had been this close, with Gu Wan speaking beside her ear, had been during that moment of passion and confusion.

She had asked Shang Rongyue: Was it comfortable? Did she like it?

At the time, Shang Rongyue’s vision had been dizzy. She had only followed the desire in her heart, seeking soothing relief.

But now, her vision was clear. Shang Rongyue could even feel the hair by Gu Wan’s temple occasionally brushing against the rim of her ear.

That numbing itch made Shang Rongyue even more nervous. Curled up in Gu Wan’s embrace, sweat soon beaded on her forehead. Fortunately, once the horse began running, the free, cool wind quickly scattered that tension.

The galloping wind lifted both their skirts. The pale snow-colored flowing immortal dress and the rouge-colored pleated ruqun tangled together, swaying intimately with the horse’s movements.

“Do you feel better?” Gu Wan lowered her head and asked.

As the horse galloped freely, the cool wind it stirred up struck against Shang Rongyue’s body. The thrilling speed made her excited, as if she had already forgotten her fear and nervousness from earlier. Even her fear of heights had been thrown to the back of her mind.

All that remained was boundless freedom before her eyes and the warm embrace behind her.

Gu Wan pulled the reins, and the horse slowly stopped, lowering its head again to nibble the grass beneath its hooves.

Shang Rongyue was still unsatisfied. She turned around with [Read on BaiLianTales]a bright smile and looked at Shen Sanniang behind her. “That felt wonderful!”

Gu Wan laughed softly. “When I used to feel upset, I liked riding out alone at night.”

Back then, she had lost her parents one after another. And in the military camp, where men were honored above all, she suffered cold eyes as well.

Most people laughed at her when they saw her, saying she was indulging in wishful thinking. A woman joining the army was the greatest joke under heaven.

It seemed that in the eyes of ordinary people, women ought to be locked in the inner residence, living by depending on their husband’s favor. If they could give birth to a son and continue the family line for their husband, only then could they truly bring honor to their ancestors and win the best future for themselves.

But Gu Wan did not think that way. When she was still small, there was nothing in her heart except hatred. Inner residence? Placing hope in a husband? She could not wait for that.

She only hated that she could not mount a horse and ride to Sangxie that very moment, kill her enemies, drink their blood, and cook their flesh. Other than this thought, there was nothing else.

Later, her former enemies became envoys who paid tribute year after year, entering the capital during festivals to pay respects.

When two countries fought, envoys were not killed. Moreover, Sangxie had already submitted.

Gu Wan could not kill him. Even if that person stood right beside her, for the peace of the world and for the lives of the entire Gu family, she could not do it.

At that time, riding became the best way to vent.

Under the night sky, the horse ran freely, carrying her forward all the way, as if as long as she kept going, she could reach the distant horizon. Perhaps her parents were waiting for her there.

But roads had endings after all. When the horse stopped, Gu Wan finally realized that there was no road in this world leading to the horizon. Gone meant gone. From then on, the living and the dead were separated forever and would never meet again.

Nights like that were lonely and cold.

But now, the girl was nestled in her arms, and the wind carried the scent on her body, surrounding Gu Wan in layers.

That faint fragrance blended perfectly with the elegant moonlight.

Gu Wan was not in a hurry to take her back. Instead, she untied the ribbon from her hair and covered Shang Rongyue’s eyes with it.

“I’ll take you to see something.”

She had only just grown used to being on horseback when her vision was covered in darkness. The horse jostled, and nervousness once again covered her heart. More than that, Shang Rongyue worried about the unknown surroundings.

Gu Wan changed to holding the reins only with her right hand. Her free left arm hooked around the waist of the person in front of her.

“I’ll protect you. Don’t be afraid.”

Shang Rongyue held Gu Wan’s wrist with both hands. Her fingertips rubbed against the longevity cord, and with the horse’s steps, the pearl hanging at the end tapped rhythmically against the back of Shang Rongyue’s hand again and again.

Gradually, the horse’s hooves stopped.

Gu Wan was not in a hurry to untie the covering over Shang Rongyue’s eyes. Instead, she dismounted first, then carried the girl down from the horse.

Her palm covered the girl’s eyes. As if afraid of hurting her, every step was careful.

Shang Rongyue let Shen Sanniang lead her forward. Finally, when they stopped, she heard Shen Sanniang’s voice come from behind her.

“Are you ready?” she asked.

The wind here seemed even stronger than it had been on horseback. In the darkness, Shang Rongyue could hear both their skirts snapping in the wind.

“Sa-Sanniang, don’t scare me.” When people were nervous, even their speech became stuttered.

Gu Wan did not answer. She only laughed softly and began counting down.

“Three, two, one…”

When the binding over her eyes was untied and her vision became clear again, what greeted her was the dazzling night sky, stars scattered everywhere, shining together.

Tonight’s moonlight was gentle. Its hazy glow covered the earth and fell upon the girl’s peaceful face.

They were on the summit of a mountain. In the distant city, most of the candlelight in people’s homes had already gone out. Only the lanterns at the doors illuminated the read the original at bailiantales.com surroundings, one family after another, like a winding giant dragon resting inside the sleeping Furong City.

“Wow!”

Perhaps because she had always been surrounded by noise, this was Shang Rongyue’s first time seeing such a quiet scene. She felt like a third person outside all things, looking down over the entire world.

The nervousness and fear from just now were all thrown to the back of her mind. Only joy and amazement at the beautiful scenery before her remained.

Seeing the girl become entranced by the view, Gu Wan’s expression softened as well.

“When I was little and felt sad, I would ride here alone and sit here. Sometimes, I would sit for an entire night and only return at dawn.”

Shang Rongyue looked back suspiciously. “Someone still dared to bully Sanniang?” They actually dared to provoke the boss? She was a bandit chief!

Gu Wan did not answer.

When Shang Rongyue met the other woman’s calm expression, she suddenly laughed aloud.

The girl’s voice was sweet and clear, pleasant as silver bells.

“What are you laughing at?” Gu Wan did not know what she had done to make this little girl so happy all of a sudden.

Shang Rongyue stretched out her hand and beckoned Gu Wan over. She reached out and hooked her arm over Gu Wan’s shoulder.

“Because I now know one of Sanniang’s secrets!”

Gu Wan: “?”

Shang Rongyue said, “The lofty and untouchable Sanniang also secretly came here alone to feel sad after being bullied!”

Gu Wan: “…”

What secretly feeling sad? She had clearly come out to vent. To vent!

Seeing that the other woman was getting anxious, Shang Rongyue did not wait for her to refute and smiled. “Since that’s the case, how about I also tell Sanniang one of my own secrets? One from each of us. Neither of us takes advantage of the other.”

Then Shang Rongyue stood on tiptoe, her red lips moving close to the other woman’s ear. Her warm breath fell against Gu Wan’s ear like a soft, boneless hand teasing her heartstrings.

Under the ink-dark night, the girl smiled faintly and slowly said:

“Actually, the first time really hurt. When I bathed, there was still blood on my body.”

Gu Wan’s expression turned surprised.

She thought back to how Yueyue had hesitated and refused to bathe at the time, and how she herself had insisted on sending her to the ​read the original at bailiantales.com​bathing room. So it turned out there had been that reason as well.

The girl was extremely delicate. Back then, enduring that discomfort while bathing must have been terribly hard.

Guilt slowly rose in Gu Wan’s heart.

But Shang Rongyue, standing opposite her, tilted her red lips and placed a sweet kiss on the side of Gu Wan’s face.

Smiling brightly, she continued:

“But because it was Sanniang…”

“I was still very happy in my heart.”