Chapter 475: Sarcastically prodding into action, wanting to cry but having no tears (2/2)

“Joke? This old fellow thought she was being serious! Hmph, how boring!” Gu Qi Sha held even stronger contempt.

Mu Linger only felt their words jarring to her ear. She didn’t know where she mustered up the courage, but she finally replied, “Fine! I’ll definitely show up!” Compared to being a scaredy cat, losing is much less shameful.

“Alright, we’ll be waiting!” Han Yunxi was thrilled.

Mu Linger finally stepped out of the way, but after Han Yunxi went into the carriage, she added, “Han Yunxi, if you see Qi gege…please help me pass on a message. Just say that I’m looking for him!”

Han Yunxi wasn’t planning to answer, but finally relented and said, “Alright!” She silently sighed and wondered whether it was Mu Linger’s fortune or bad luck to like Gu Qishao. Was this simply fate, or a debt of some kind? Was the girl right, or wrong? When it came to feelings, both parties should be willing. Who’d ever heard of someone forcing their affections on another!

—

Once again, the carriage resumed its journey onward, traveling much faster than before. Long Feiye had returned to reading again, but it wasn’t long before he remarked, “I heard the guards say Gu Qishao went looking for you at the estate recently?”

Han Yunxi grew alarmed. As expected, nothing that happens at the estate escapes him. “Mhm, he came as a guest,” she admitted.

Long Feiye didn’t get angry, but simply asked, “Why was he looking for you?”

Han Yunxi grew puzzled. Long Feiye had once warned that he’d break Gu Qishao’s legs if he came skulking around Han Yunxi again. But judging from his current attitude, he seemed to have forgotten his vow. Still, ‘skulking around Han Yunxi’ and ‘coming as a guest’ were two completely different things that shouldn’t be lumped together. Han Yunxi’s wishful thinking was that Long Feiye would be able to differentiate between the two.

Thus, she replied, “To give me some things…”

Long Feiye didn’t lose his temper, but his questions grew more direct after her answer. “What kind of things?”

Han Yunxi laughed. “There were even giant lobsters. Looks like that fellow went to Fishery Island too.”

“Did you accept them?”

“No…” Actually, Han Yunxi dearly wanted to say that the mention of ‘lobsters’ now still made her twitch involuntarily.

“That’s it?”

“He also brought a tin of tea leaves—Red South Peak.”

“The genuine article?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Celestial Fragrance Tea Plantation should’ve been closed down for close to two years now. Where did he ever find Red South Peak leaves?”

“He said he had the saplings and planted them elsewhere.”

Long Feiye nodded his head with interest, before asking, “Why did he come out of the blue to give you lobsters and tea leaves?”

According to Gu Qishao’s words, the lobsters were for nourishing Han Yunxi’s health, while the tea leaves were simply him misunderstanding them to be her favorite type! But how was shei supposed to say that aloud?

“He likes to do as he pleases even when there’s no reason! There’s no such thing as a free meal in this world. I suspect he had a favor to ask Your Highness and tried to use me as a way to get things done! Chenqie neither accepted the lobsters nor the tea leaves!” Han Yunxi was simply flattering Long Feiye by patting the horse’s behind even if she knew Gu Qishao’s actual motives.

She was still a woman in the end, with a woman’s sensitivity to these kind of things. Thus, she’d never accepted Gu Qishao or his gifts. Long Feiye looked at Han Yunxi as his gaze darkened. It seemed like he could see right through her. Han Yunxi really didn’t like it when Long Feiye interrogated her like this. It only made conversation difficult and awkward. Fortunately, Long Feiye’s questioning stopped there. He reached over and pulled Han Yunxi into his arms before continuing to read his book. Han Yunxi decided to settle down for a nap. Heaven knows whether they’d get to sleep after reaching the black market.

Soon afterwards, the skies grew dark with clouds. Thunder rumbled as the winds picked up, before rain starting falling from the skies. The carriage and its four horses traveled steadily over the roads despite its quick speeds. Nestled in Long Feiye’s embrace, Han Yunxi felt so safe and snug as she thoroughly relaxed into a deep sleep. Even if the skies outside were storming or the skies were falling down, she would probably keep sleeping. Somewhere in the process, Long Feiye had stopped reading his book to stare at Han Yunxi’s face instead. He studied her features as he subconsciously set down his book, then carefully brushed her stray hairs aside and kissed her quietly on her forehead.

The scene inside the carriage was both warm and peaceful. By contrast, the winds outside were getting stronger. Gu Qi Sha chased after the carriage on horseback, his lanky form long soaked through by the storm. He was fully capable of surpassing Long Feiye’s carriage on his steed, or finding a place to take cover during the storm before catching up afterwards. He knew the road to the black markets himself. Yet he neither sped up or slowed down, but chose to follow behind the carriage all the way, drenched and wet. As the rain fell harder, it became harder and harder to see. His figure behind the carriage grew hazy from the sheets of precipitation but never fully disappeared.

By the time the rain stopped, it was already late at night. Han Yunxi groggily opened her eyes to glance at Long Feiye, only to see him leaning against the seat fast asleep. She was afraid to move for fear of waking him, but he’d already sensed her waking up. He cast her a glance before shifting her into a more comfortable position. Then he closed his eyes and went back to sleep.

Is this what it feels like to sleep together?

Han Yunxi suddenly wished that the night would never end. But daylight would come inevitably. And when it did…they had arrived at the black markets!