Chapter 81
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The next day, when Yuan Li woke up, he didn’t see anyone beside him. He instinctively glanced towards the window and noticed that it had been closed. He breathed a sigh of relief and allowed the servants to enter.
Yuan Li had breakfast together with Chu Hechao.
A servant brought a towel soaked in cold water, and Chu Hechao wiped his hands and face with it, feeling refreshed.
There was still some heat emanating from his body, a residual effect of the morning exercise. Even though he had quickly taken a shower, the heat hadn’t dissipated.
Surrounded by people, Yuan Li sat obediently in his seat, keeping a respectable distance from Chu Hechao.
Chu Hechao tossed the towel to a servant, glanced at the food in front of him, and quickly looked at Yuan Li before pushing aside the meat soup and saying to the servant, “Bring some vegetarian dishes and fruits. I’ll be eating these for the next few days, avoiding meat and fish.”
The servant acknowledged and left.
Yuan Li couldn’t help but look up at Chu Hechao. When the man saw him looking, his eyebrows moved teasingly, full of mockery.
Yuan Li said, “If you like it, eat it. Don’t inconvenience yourself.”
The man smirked, “No, it’s not an inconvenience.”
Yuan Li knew what he was referring to and sighed, remembering what he had said last night. He bowed his head and continued to drink his soup.
Before they finished their meal, Yang Zhongfa came to see them.
The servant brought him in, and upon seeing the two of them eating, he smiled and approached, saying, “Early bird catches the worm, I haven’t had my meal yet! General, sir, do you mind one more?”
Chu Hechao jokingly scolded, “If you want to eat, sit down quickly. If not, then get lost.”
“Alright, alright, I’m eating.”
Yang Zhongfa directly sat down in an empty seat, and a servant placed a dish in front of him. He drank a bowl of soup to fill his stomach before he had a chance to speak.
But when he looked at the dishes on the table, he was surprised. He had intended to say something, but he forgot, “General, why are there only plain soups and light dishes in front of you?”
Wasn’t the General fond of rich and meaty food?
Chu Hechao casually replied, “I’ve been feeling a bit irritated these past few days, so I’m avoiding heavy foods to cool down.”
He didn’t even glance in Yuan Li’s direction.
Yuan Li focused on the food in front of him, not lifting his head or engaging in the conversation.
Yang Zhongfa wasn’t as easily fooled as Yuan Dan. This old general appeared rough, but he had a keen sense of perception and was extremely sharp.
They needed to be more cautious.
Yang Zhongfa chuckled, “General, you should cool down. There have been no incidents at the border these past few months, and Youzhou is calm and peaceful. I think you’ve been bottling up your frustrations.”
Chu Hechao was about to speak when Yuan Li was choked by the soup. He bent over, turned his back, and coughed softly.
As soon as Yuan Li coughed a few times, Chu Hechao quickly walked to his side and handed him a handkerchief, patting his back. When his coughing subsided, he handed him a glass of water.
The actions were restrained and subtle, concealing their concern within.
Yuan Li accepted it and politely said, “Thank you, General.”
“It’s nothing.” Chu Hechao looked at him for a moment, made sure he was fine, then walked back and asked Yang Zhongfa, “Continue.”
Yang Zhongfa glanced at Yuan Li with concern, but Yuan Li smiled and shook his head. He continued, “General, the dancer you entrusted to me yesterday and the two individuals captured by Lord Yuan have been interrogated. They are indeed spies, sent by the Gulichi.”
Chu Hechao frowned. “Why were those spies getting close to Yuan Li?”
Yang Zhongfa replied, “Because Gulichi wants to kill Lord Yuan.”
Chu Hechao’s expression changed.
Yuan Li wasn’t surprised to hear this. Among the people that had seen him predicting the heavy rainfall, Gulichi was included, so it could be anticipated that Gulichi, fearing his abilities, would want to eliminate him.
However, he hadn’t expected that it would only be a little over a month since he predicted the heavy rainfall, and the spies had already arrived. Was Gulichi so eager to kill him?
Chu Hechao gradually became expressionless, emanating a terrifying aura.
Yang Zhongfa whispered, “Gulichi has surrendered to the court and is now a subject of Northern Zhou. He has also received orders from the court to resist the Xiongnu invasion. We can’t openly act against him, General.”
Chu Hechao tugged at his lips, devoid of any smile in his eyes. “I know. If I could act against him, do you think I would be sitting here?”
After saying that, he withdrew his smile, leaned against the back of the chair, and remained silent, showing no expression.
It was unclear what he was thinking, but he looked somewhat intimidating.
Yang Zhongfa understood him. Seeing Chu Hechao’s current silence, he knew that Chu Hechao was truly contemplating how to deal with the Wuwan tribe. He marveled inwardly, thinking that his reaction didn’t need to be so intense, right?
They had encountered spies in their midst before, and which general hadn’t experienced such a crisis? Yuan Li hadn’t been harmed, and in the past, the General hadn’t reacted like this when offended, why was his temper so severe this time?
Could it be because of the heat?
Yang Zhongfa didn’t think too much and said, “I have extracted some information from those spies. General, should we arrest them or not?”
“Keep an eye on them,” Chu Hechao finally spoke, “See who they have been in contact with.”
Yang Zhongfa acknowledged and left after finishing his meal.
Once he was gone, Yuan Li looked at Chu Hechao’s expression and whispered, “Are you angry?”
Chu Hechao rubbed his temples and glanced at him, “Aren’t you angry?”
Yuan Li shook his head honestly, “I already had a feeling.”
Chu Hechao chuckled in frustration. He was here, feeling heartache and frustration, but the main person who was being targeted showed no signs of feeling anything.
He didn’t even want to eat this meal anymore. He had just stood up, intending to go outside and cool off, but Yuan Li quietly said, “The angrier you are, the hotter your temper gets… You haven’t finished your food yet…”
These words successfully stopped Chu Hechao in his tracks. He scowled, sat back down, and finished all the vegetarian dishes and fruits on the table.
After the meal, they separated to attend to their respective matters.
In the evening, Yuan Li returned from the recruitment site. When he came back, he didn’t see Chu Hechao and asked a servant, “Where is the General?”
The servant replied, “The General was taken away by people from Yang Zhongfa’s residence.”
Yuan Li nodded, but Chu Hechao still hadn’t returned even after dinner.
The servant who had previously informed Yuan Li of Chu Hechao’s whereabouts suddenly remembered and said, “Sir, the General had instructed that if he didn’t return before dinner, you shouldn’t wait for him to have your meal first.”
Yuan Li acknowledged, having his dinner alone. Not long after dinner, Zhao Ying came to report, informing Yuan Li of the situation regarding the surveillance of the Cai Ji Mansion.
“He transported his belongings out of the city last night?” Yuan Li frowned and pondered for a moment. “Where did he take them?”
“We followed him and found that he transported them to a farmhouse outside Ji County, owned by Sir Cai,” Zhao Ying replied.
Yuan Li thought for a moment, “Did his family accompany him?”
Zhao Ying shook his head, “Only gold, silver, valuables, fabrics, and paintings were transported.”
Yuan Li instructed him to continue monitoring the situation, contemplating what Cai Ji was planning.
A thought gradually surfaced. Could Cai Ji be planning to leave Youzhou?
But as the magistrate of Guangyang County in Youzhou, would he be willing to abandon his position?
What did Cai Ji discover that would prompt him to make such unusual actions…
He pondered over this matter, thinking about it even as he went to bed. Suddenly, he heard someone climbing in through the window.
With the smell of alcohol and a man’s presence, Chu Hechao embraced Yuan Li from behind and chuckled softly, “Still not asleep?”
Yuan Li broke free from his embrace, turned over, and sat up, looking at Chu Hechao with a serious expression. “Where did you go this afternoon?”
It was the fifteenth night, a full moon shining through the window, casting a faint silver glow. The tall figure and expression of the man could be vaguely seen amidst the darkness.
Chu Hechao casually sat at the edge of the bed, his voice tinged with a slight drunkenness. He replied in a deep tone, “Guan Zhihuai brought someone from the northern frontier. When he arrived at the Chu Residence, he found it had been burned down. So, he went to find Yang Zhongfa. Yang Zhongfa prepared a table of good food and invited me for drinks.”
Yuan Li remained silent.
Chu Hechao reached out in the dark, took Yuan Li’s hand, and kissed it near his lips. “While drinking, I kept thinking about whether you had eaten well or not. I didn’t have the appetite to enjoy the meal, and my stomach is still empty.”
He placed Yuan Li’s hand on his own stomach, and Yuan Li could feel the rumbling of hunger.
Yuan Li immediately reprimanded him, “Yang Zhongfa prepared good food, and it would be a waste if you don’t eat.”
He muttered to himself, wondering why Chu Hechao could eat so much at home but couldn’t open his mouth outside.
Chu Hechao sighed, “I do want to eat, but the food was either meat soup or roasted dishes, all rich and greasy. In order to be kissed by you sooner, I had to endure and not eat.”
Yuan Li replied, “…” You’re really going all out.
In the end, he put on clothes and went to the small kitchen to cook a bowl of clear soup noodles for Chu Hechao.
Chu Hechao was not picky. As he ate, he suddenly smiled and fished out a strand of noodle from his bowl, bringing it to Yuan Li’s lips. Yuan Li followed suit and took a few bites. “It’s a bit salty,” he frowned, honestly evaluating his own cooking skills.
Chu Hechao said, “It’s just right for me.”
He ate two bowls before feeling satisfied, and in the dim candlelight, any trace of alcohol had completely dissipated. There was no one in the kitchen, and the two of them didn’t say much either.
After tidying up the bowls and utensils, they walked side by side to the lakeside, taking a walk to aid digestion.
It was already late, the hour of the Dog, the perfect time to sleep.
The moonlight cast long shadows of the two figures, and the lake shimmered with silver. When they reached a secluded grove, Chu Hechao embraced Yuan Li, wanting to kiss him.
But Yuan Li covered his mouth and said softly, “You still have the taste of alcohol, it’s unpleasant.”
Chu Hechao furrowed his thick eyebrows. “I only taste the noodles.”
Yuan Li didn’t want to let him kiss him, and Chu Hechao had no choice but to give up. He held Yuan Li and caressed the back of his neck.
Again and again, he moved from the back of his neck to the side of his face, next to his eyes, causing Yuan Li’s skin to tingle. Chu Hechao conveyed his desires and the words he wanted to say through these repeated touches.
It made Yuan Li feel slightly intoxicated, as if he had been drinking.
After a while, Yuan Li scratched his arm. “Let’s go back, a mosquito bit me.”
Chu Hechao touched the area and indeed felt two small bumps close together. He muttered, “What’s so impressive about biting my wife? If you have the guts, come bite me.”
He tried to find the culprit, but there were too many mosquitoes, so he just pulled Yuan Li and walked back.
Yuan Li whispered, “Haven’t you been bitten before?”
Chu Hechao smiled, “Not yet.”
Yuan Li felt a bit unsettled. “I’m envious.”
He was always prone to mosquito bites, even from his previous life to this life. Ancient mosquitoes were even more venomous than those in later times. One bite would result in a large swelling. Yuan Li envied those who didn’t attract mosquito bites.
But then he thought, maybe it wasn’t that the mosquitoes didn’t bite Chu Hechao, but rather that Chu Hechao had thick skin, making it difficult for mosquitoes to bite him.
With that thought, he couldn’t help but laugh.
After returning, Yuan Li originally wanted to ask Chu Hechao about Guan Zhihuai bringing people to Ji County, but Chu Hechao quickly went back to his room. Seeing him like that, Yuan Li thought he was tired and needed rest, so he regretfully returned to his own room.
However, after a while, Chu Hechao silently entered Yuan Li’s room again, bringing with him a dampness as he climbed onto the bed.
Yuan Li whispered, “Didn’t you go back to sleep?”
The man passionately embraced him, his damp breath getting closer. “After kissing, then I’ll sleep.”
Yuan Li opened his mouth, wanting to speak, but his words were blocked, and his lips and tongue were taken away by the other.
When they paused, Yuan Li’s mouth was filled with the taste of toothpaste he had given to Chu Hechao.
Chu Hechao breathed heavily, his voice hoarse as he asked, “Is your arm still itchy?”
Yuan Li nodded, “Itchy.”
Chu Hechao shamelessly said, “Saliva can relieve the itchiness. Let me help you.”
Yuan Li twitched at the corner of his mouth. “No need.”
But Chu Hechao acted as if he hadn’t heard, and he took care of Yuan Li’s itchiness himself.
The noises outside gradually calmed down.
After a while, Yuan Li urged, “Stop playing around, I have something to ask you.”
Chu Hechao chuckled twice, lazily leaning against the headboard. “Go ahead.”
Yuan Li asked, “Did Guan Zhihuai come to find you because news arrived from Luoyang?”
“Mhm,” Chu Hechao smiled and calmly said, “Emperor Jianyuan is not good.”
Yuan Li widened his eyes.
Emperor Jianyuan is not good?
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