Chapter 87 (1/2)
Chapter 87: Risking His Life for Love
Nan Xun followed Jun Huang's gaze and saw the old man. He went up to him and bought two candied hawthorn sticks for her. From what little he knew about women, he thought that all women had a sweet tooth.
Jun Huang looked at the candied hawthorn with an odd look. ”I don't like sweets.”
Nan Xun frowned. ”I thought girls like sweets.”
”No one asked me if I liked them when all I had for meals was medicine,” Jun Huang said quietly. ”Now that I've gotten used to the taste, I no longer like food with strong flavors. Sweets are too much for me. I don't enjoy them anymore.” Her expression was distant, as if the time she served as a test subject to her mentor was but a fleeting dream.
But how could she have forgotten?
Nan Xun would rather Jun Huang complain to him. He would rather she said that the medicine was so bitter she could barely swallow it, that the silver needles hurt her so much she could feel it in her bones. He didn't want to see Jun Huang put on a brave face and kept all her pain to herself.
The harsh red of the hawthorn reminded Jun Huang of the ma.s.sacre that happened in the imperial city of Western Que that night. Those cold-blooded murderers cut her people open and blood gushed out from the wounds, painting the land red.
She looked away and brushed Nan Xun's hand aside. She couldn't stand looking at the hawthorn. Nan Xun could tell she was upset. He sighed and handed the candied hawthorn sticks to two children who happened to pa.s.s by. The children happily accept his offerings.
On their way back to Jun Huang's place, Nan Xun asked casually, ”Why have you been avoiding me? Is it because of what I said?”
Jun Huang stopped to throw Nan Xun a glance and shook her head. ”No. I didn't take your words personally. There have just been too many things for me to take care of, so I didn't have the time to meet you.”
Nan Xun might be a general, but he was an educated man as well. Of course he knew Jun Huang wasn't telling the truth. He let out a chuckle.
In her embarra.s.sment, Jun Huang chose to stay silent. They walked side by side without a word.
The winds were chilly at night. Jun Huang hunched her shoulders up. Nan Xun was going to take off his outer robe and drape it over her, but she turned him down with a shake of her head and quickened her pace.
From the dark alley beside them came a quick succession of footsteps. There was also the sound of weapons gliding against the wall. Nan Xun was well-trained enough to hear the noises. He came to a halt and surveyed his surroundings with careful eyes. Jun Huang realized that Nan Xun had stopped walking. She turned around, watching him with furrowed brows.
Nan Xun held his index finger against his lips and looked around with vigilant eyes, silently telling Jun Huang to stay quiet.
Jun Huang looked around. She could vaguely see the silhouettes of several men moving in the alleyway. She was proven right when a group of men dressed in black emerged from the shadows.
They surrounded Jun Huang and Nan Xun immediately. Without thinking, Nan Xun s.h.i.+elded Jun Huang with his own body. He couldn't bear to let Jun Huang get hurt in any way. His reaction caught the men's attention. The leader of the group laughed.
”Faced with dangerous enemies, the prince's first reaction is to protect this woman? It seems that the rumors hold some truth to them. I wonder if a man who kills without hesitation on the battlefields is gentle and considerate in the warm embrace of a woman. Oh, it's as the poet said: One must seize the day and do what makes him happy. A beautiful woman should be cherished and cared for.” He burst into laughter. His lecherous tone made his words revolting.
Jun Huang frowned. Why would he a.s.sume that she was a woman?
She didn't know that her beauty was apparent even in the dark. The leader was a man who had seen a great variety of people. Jun Huang was dressed in men's clothing, but her body was too frail to be that of a man. He therefore deduced that she must be a woman dressed as a man.
The leader did not miss her reaction. ”Forgive us, lady. We are uneducated people who speak crudely. We aren't as gentle as the famous Prince Nan Xun. If we have offended you, I hope you won't take it personally.” The man started laughing again. The men behind him followed suit.
Nan Xun looked over at them with sharp eyes. These filthy arrogant vermin should be taught how to hold their tongues! Jun Huang maintained her calm expression. Their hara.s.sing words did not seem to have affected her at all. She stood by Nan Xun' side. They fit together like the pieces to a puzzle.
”Do you know who they are?” Jun Huang asked in a low voice. ”Why are they here?”
Nan Xun shook his head. He looked up at the leading man and asked, ”Where did you clowns come from? I've never killed people I don't know the names of.”