Beauty, Power and Intrigue Chapter 67

Song Chuyi opened the bamboo slip and said casually, “Yes, it was a half-year-old little white tiger. He rode it three times, and twice he was thrown off and hurt his back. Later the white tiger ran away, and the old man stubbornly insisted that he had released it back into the mountains himself, but everyone saw him crying toward the forest several times.”

Longgu Buwang was stunned for a moment. What she said sounded absurd, yet it also seemed as though she had seen it with her own eyes. “Is what you said true?”

Song Chuyi looked at him with curved eyes and said, “Guess.”

“I knew it.” Longgu Buwang was just about to climb onto the couch when he turned his head and asked Song Chuyi, “Do you want to rest?”

“You sleep. I am not sleepy.” Song Chuyi had already taken over his carriage, so how could she have the nerve to openly take over his couch too? Longgu Buwang thought to himself, I asked, so I have not failed to respect my teacher.

Song Chuyi sat for a while, then draped on a heavy cloak, moved to the seat opposite, and opened the carriage window.

Longgu Buwang had just begun to feel a bit drowsy when a knife-like cold wind rushed into his face. He shuddered and became several times more alert than before.

Most people would not like being roused just before falling asleep, especially since Longgu Buwang himself was not a person of good temper.

Suppressing his anger, Longgu Buwang said, “Why open the window?”

Song Chuyi slowly turned her head back and sighed, saying, “On such a cold night, so close to heaven and earth, if one does not seek enlightenment, would that not be a pity?”

Seeking enlightenment is something those who practice Daoism must do, so Longgu Buwang was not surprised. His heart stirred, and he smiled slightly. “Why not come here to seek enlightenment? It is closer to heaven and earth than where you are.”

Longgu Buwang saw that Song Chuyi seemed to hesitate slightly, and immediately urged, “This place faces the wind and snow directly, and receives the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. What do you think?”

“Fine.” Song Chuyi gritted her teeth and, hugging the little snow wolf, moved over.

Longgu Buwang immediately ran to the sheltered spot where Song Chuyi had just been sitting. His body indeed felt much warmer, but then he heard Song Chuyi say, “I seemed to have a moment of insight just now. Perhaps I may have a chance to reach the realm of unity between heaven and humanity. Do not disturb me.”

“Of course, of course.” Longgu Buwang agreed readily, but in his heart he thought, If you can reach unity between heaven and humanity there, tomorrow I will perform the grand kneeling salute to you.

Song Chuyi untied her heavy cloak and outer robe, and slipped into the quilt that Longgu Buwang had warmed. She then pulled the little snow wolf over and tucked it down by her feet, drew the quilt over her head, and covered herself up. Although it was a little cold, it was much better than what Song Chuyi had endured before. Longgu Buwang opened the window even wider, and with a face full of malicious smiles, stared at the lump under the quilt on the couch.

Making you shiver from the cold.

…

However, fifteen minutes later.

Longgu Buwang took out a handkerchief and wiped his runny nose, then with trembling hands draped the heavy cloak over himself. Looking at the brazier that was almost about to be extinguished by the wind and snow, he finally could not help but reach out and close the window.

Once the fire in the brazier steadied and no more wind and snow rushed in, the temperature gradually began to rise again. Longgu Buwang huddled by the brazier and warmed himself for a long while before he slightly recovered, but his cheeks felt burning, slightly itchy, and painful.

Longgu Buwang glared resentfully at the couch. In his heart, he had long since understood that enlightenment, unity between heaven and humanity, all of it was nonsense meant to trick him out of the couch. Moving suddenly from a place directly facing the wind and snow to a sheltered nook would naturally make one feel warm for a moment, but once the window had been open for a long time, the temperature in the whole carriage would drop. How could he have endured it for long?

“Sir.” Longgu Buwang squeezed the word out through his teeth.

Song Chuyi turned over and said vaguely, “Such an obvious trap, and you do not properly reflect on why you were foolish enough to fall for it. Why call me? This is one of recent lessons. Think it over carefully. I will question you tomorrow.”

Longgu Buwang was stunned for a moment. Thinking back carefully on what had just happened, he felt endless regret. If he could have endured it and lain steadily on the couch for at most half an hour, the one who could not hold out first would definitely have been Song Chuyi. But why had he failed to see through it at the time and believed it without even thinking?

Drowsiness came over him, and Longgu Buwang could only hug his knees and doze. The carriage was not large to begin with, and it already held a small couch and a small table, with a brazier tucked below in the middle. So although thick felt was laid on the carriage floor, there was no place at all to lie down.

After a night of good sleep, Song Chuyi woke faintly the next day to the yowling of the little snow wolf.

Song Chuyi opened her eyes and looked. It was huddled in the corner of the couch, shivering. Song Chuyi wanted to get up, but her foot accidentally touched a damp spot… She got up without showing any reaction, picked up the little snow wolf, and indeed saw that there was a bit of wetness under its belly, with a few strands of fur still carrying droplets of water. She could not help but raise a hand to her forehead.

“Sir, you may wash up and have breakfast,” Longgu Buwang said. His black hair was loose, there was a faint bluish tinge under his eyes, and he looked at Song Chuyi expressionlessly.

“Mhm, good.” Song Chuyi saw that salt, willow twigs, and water had already been prepared on the small table, and that a copper basin had been placed on the floor, so she temporarily set aside the matter of the little snow wolf wetting the couch and first took the water to wash up.

After Song Chuyi finished washing, Longgu Buwang clapped twice, and the carriage paused for a moment. A serving maid quickly came up to clear the things away, then handed up another basin of warm water and a dry towel from below. After attending to Song Chuyi as she wiped her face, she took the things and withdrew. Immediately after, another serving maid came up carrying a food box, laid the hot food out on the small table, and then also withdrew.

The carriage continued on.

Song Chuyi saw that there was only one set of bowls and chopsticks, and asked politely, “Have you eaten?”

“From the latter half of the night until now, I have already eaten three meals,” Longgu Buwang said, his voice carrying no particular emotion either.

Song Chuyi nodded, then began eating with relish.

After the meal, Song Chuyi warmed some goat milk and poured it into a small bowl to feed the little snow wolf. She thought that the little snow wolf was about a month old and had most likely eaten meat as well, so she also boiled dried meat until soft in water and tried feeding it a little. Perhaps because it had already filled itself on milk, the little snow wolf only casually licked it twice.

Once the little thing had eaten its fill and had strength, it began howling again. Fortunately, because it was still so young, its voice was not very loud, and with the strong wind howling outside, it probably could not be heard much. This was an inevitable process after leaving the mother wolf, so Song Chuyi let it howl and got off the carriage herself to go see the Gongsun sisters, the child she had picked up earlier in Puyang, and the two seriously injured people she had picked up yesterday.

By the time all the matters were done, half an hour had already passed.

Inside Longgu Buwang’s carriage, he was frowning fiercely and glaring viciously at the little snow wolf.

Animals are much more sensitive to danger, so the little snow wolf naturally could sense Longgu Buwang’s hostility and immediately tactfully lowered its voice.

Longgu Buwang’s mood eased slightly. He looked at the couch that had not yet been tidied. It was messy, but it felt very warm and comfortable.

After struggling inwardly for a long time, drowsiness finally defeated reason. Longgu Buwang untied his heavy cloak and quickly slipped into the quilt.

He had just lain down and comfortably stretched his legs and feet, preparing to sleep, when he suddenly went stiff all over. He carefully felt the wet, cool patch beneath his feet, and with a swish jumped up from the couch. Longgu Buwang roared furiously, “Someone, throw this round-haired beast out for me!”

The carriage gradually slowed, and the one who came up was not a maid, but Song Chuyi.

Longgu Buwang gave a cold snort and turned his head to one side.