Chapter 29 (1/2)
The Prince's escaped fiancée (Arc 2-12)
The march was, without doubt, arduous, tedious, and terribly dull.
In order to ensure that his little puppy would not want for anything during the journey, Jing Cheng really went all out.
A great deal of careful thought went into the arrangement of the snug and cozy interior of the coach, as well as the meticulously prepared snacks and little trinkets to keep him amused. Even the horses. .h.i.tched to the carriage were specially selected, to ensure a smooth ride.
But how could Su Yang's free spirit stand to be confined to such a small s.p.a.ce? He endured for two days, before tossing around restlessly, itching to stir things up.
He dropped a few furtive hints to Jing Cheng to express his interest in riding a horse. Of course, Jing Cheng could not say no to that. He immediately lifted Su Yang onto his own horse and spurred it into a gallop, moving ahead of the marching troops.
Under the glory of the setting sun, they made for a beautiful scene as they sped away together. The officers and soldiers of the army were frequently blinded by their heedless PDA. My lord Wángye, how could you betray us this way, did we not agree that we will all be bachelors for life together, how could you get married behind our backs!!
Jing Cheng only left them with a cheerful view of their rapidly receding backs.
It was Su Yang's first time on a horse, and the experience was a novelty for him. Nestled against Jing Cheng's chest, he hollered happily, “Faster, go faster!”
It was rare for his little puppy to be this happy. Jing Cheng urged his horse to greater speed, “Red Shadow, jia!”
Jing Cheng's steed was a ferghana horse which was gifted to him by a Grand Master. At top speed, only a blood red shadow can be seen, hence it was given the name Red Shadow.
{T/N: Ferghana horses, 汗血宝马 (hàn xuè bǎo mǎ) – lit. sweating blood horses. These horses got their unusual Chinese name because when they run, their blood vessels are very clearly defined through their thin, almost-transparent skin. The glands around their shoulders and neck are so strong that when they sweat, they emit a reddish liquid that makes the colour of their fur looks darker and gives the disconcerting appearance of bleeding. They are also called ‘heavenly horses' and were so coveted, they caused a war.}
With its master spurring it on, the chestnut was like a streak of lightning tearing through the plains. The wind whistled in their ears, the hills and trees blurred together and receded at a terrifying rate. In the blink of an eye, they left the army far behind.
Su Yang's dark hair was blown into disarray. Heedlessly, he spread his arms wide open, crowing jubilantly.
“It's–so–fast–!!”
Jing Cheng promptly wrapped an arm around his waist to ensure he would not fall off the horse. Seeing Su Yang's joy, his lips unconsciously curved into a smile.
However, this happy period did not last long. Su Yang suddenly grabbed hold of his hand, crying urgently, “Stop, stop!”
Jing Cheng hurriedly reined in his horse, and asked, “What's wrong, are you unwell?”
Su Yang flailed his arms around, slowly trying to dismount. Unfortunately, he began retching before he could reach the ground. And then….. well, in short, it wasn't a pretty sight.
Red Shadow snorted and danced two steps away. Jing Cheng shot a cold glare at it, then made to check on Su Yang, but was waved away.
Although he was puking his guts out, Su Yang's state of mind was still intact. He must not, absolutely must not let anyone see him in such a sorry state! Especially this man who was currently still his mission target!
But of course, Jing Cheng was not one to quietly obey. He only paused for a moment, before crouching down by Su Yang's side, lightly patting him on the back, hoping to alleviate his discomfort.
“How are you feeling? Still sick?”
Su Yang covered his mouth, desperately trying to quell his churning stomach. He glared at Jing Cheng hatefully with tear-filled eyes.
His Highness the Róngwáng was blissfully unaware of his faux pas. He smiled and said, “It's alright, I don't mind you being dirty.” And then he ruffled Su Yang's messy head of hair to show that he was not in the least bit disgusted.
Su Yang: “……QAQ”
For Su Yang, to be seen emptying his stomach in such an unlovely manner, was as embarra.s.sing as a female starlet accidentally leaving her house without a lick of makeup on her face and being subsequently caught on camera. This level of humiliation was simply unbearable!
Su Yang would like nothing better than to bury his head in the ground and put an end to his misery. But the bile rose up again, he gagged, and endured another bout of vomiting.
All this while, Jing Cheng has been quietly helping him ma.s.sage his tummy, not budging an inch from his side. And so he witnessed the entire messy affair
As they made their way back, Su Yang was in abnormally low spirits. His entire person was wilted and dropped, looking depressed to the extreme.
As a superstar who at all times ensured that he remained cute and lovely and flawless, Su Yang placed heavy emphasis on maintaining a perfect idol image. But today, this image was forcefully torn apart by a certain person, one can only imagine his grief and indignation.
But he dared not openly quarrel with this son of fate, and so he expressed his grievances by giving Jing Cheng the cold shoulder.
——Super unhappy!! You better appease zhèn asap!!
{T/N: I, used by Emperors.}
However, Jing Cheng has always been a plainspoken man, how could he guess at the way Su Yang's tortuously convoluted little mind worked. He merely put Su Yang's silence down to discomfort, and did not press him further. He set a slow and steady pace for Red Shadow, and by the time they reached the encampment, it was dusk.
The night was not suitable for travel. The troops have already set up camp, and were preparing to take their evening meal.
Jing Cheng sent Su Yang back to the carriage, before ordering for water to be heated over the campfires.
Deputy General Cao had the uncouth looks of a boor, but he was acutely sensitive of others' feelings. He immediately noticed that Su Yang's behaviour was off.
He shuffled closer to Jing Cheng, and asked cautiously, “Wángyé, is…. is the Wángfēi angry?”
Jing Cheng looked baffled, and frowned, “No, his const.i.tution is delicate. He's not feeling too well after being jostled about during the ride.”
“Oh,” Deputy General Cao replied blandly. He inwardly wondered who Jing Cheng was trying to fool, anyone with eyes in their heads could tell that the Wángfēi was sulking.
Very soon, the water was boiling. Jing Cheng brushed off this nonsense, and filled up a bottle with the water for Su Yang to warm his stomach.
When he pushed aside the flap of the carriage's entrance, he saw Su Yang curled up in a corner, hugging his knees. The youth had shrugged off his outer robes, and was only dressed in the thin, delicate inner garments. His long, dark hair spilled over his shoulders like watered silk to pool on the furs of the tiger skin rugs, forming a stark contrast against the translucent paleness of his skin. At a glance, he looked like a nymph from a painting come to life.
Jing Cheng's heart thudded hard against his chest. He handed the bottle over to Su Yang, and asked, “Are you feeling any better?”
Su Yang took in his oblivious state, and accepted the bottle silently with his lips pursed.
Jing Cheng squeezed into the carriage and pulled the youth into his arms, patting him gently.
“Why so quiet? Still sick?”
Sick? Su Yang wasn't only sick, he was spitting mad! He had never been so embarra.s.sed in his entire life, and this was all Jing Cheng's fault! He had completely forgotten that it was his idea to go horse riding to begin with. That's right, so what if he was being unreasonable!
Jing Cheng watched him hang his head silently, and finally realized something was amiss. He asked, “Are you angry?”
Su Yang lifted his pale little face haughtily.
—–That's right, I'm angry!!
Jing Cheng asked again, “Why so?”
Su Yang pursed his lips and tiled his chin up again.
—–You still have the gall to ask me!!