Female Disguised as a Man: A Warring States Hostage Slave Cannot Escape Chapter 29

The warm breeze at the bow was not particularly cold. The scenery on both shores was broad and tranquil, filled with the vibrant signs of early spring, lush grass and singing orioles. In the distance, the Zhongnan Mountains rose and fell in gentle ridges, their green slopes still streaked with patches of lingering white snow.

After wondering for days about the answer, Zhao Shu had now obtained it so easily that she stood by the side of the boat with the gray rabbit in her arms, momentarily unable to process it.

Since when… had this man become so easy to talk to?

Thinking back carefully, it seemed to have started after she revealed her identity and told him that her cold poison was all but incurable.

Tilting her head in confusion, she pondered for a long while but still could not determine whether his conscience had finally awakened and he was repaying her for past kindnesses, or whether he was merely lulling her into complacency before subjecting her to even more terrifying methods later.

Still, it was probably because he only desired men. Now that those twisted urges had died away, perhaps he simply pitied an old, frail person whose days were numbered.

The fragrance of unknown flowers and grasses drifted on the wind. Hope inevitably appeared in her apricot eyes. No matter what, Ji Qiao, the Zhou royal family’s eldest legitimate son, had watched her grow up. When she met her eldest uncle the day after tomorrow, she did not expect him to solve her desperate predicament immediately. At the very least, she hoped he could first take Qi Ying back with him, and that she could ask him face-to-face about her grandfather’s illness.

Perhaps because she sensed death drawing near, she never entered the cabin to rest that entire afternoon. Instead, she crouched at the most open spot on the bow, holding the large wild rabbit and patiently cleaning the fur behind its ears and between its teeth for nearly an hour.

Whenever her neck grew too sore from bending over, she would lift her head and gaze into the distance. She could not tell whether it was only her imagination, but the luxurious pleasure boat hanging a rabbit lantern seemed to be following their vessel the entire time. She deliberately observed for a while and noticed that whenever the distance between the two boats narrowed even slightly, the scenery along the banks seemed to glide by faster, and the boat she was riding also appeared to increase its speed.

It was almost as though… it was deliberately allowing that other boat to keep following.

…

As dusk settled over the wilderness, Ying Wuji descended from the second floor of the cabin and saw a girl and a rabbit slumped beside the rail. The young woman wore a narrow apricot-colored dress, while a rare sea of crimson clouds stretched across the heavens, bathing both her and the rabbit in dazzling colors.

Though both were asleep, she still rested one hand against the boat’s side to serve as the rabbit’s pillow. The enormous gray wild rabbit, despite being a wild animal, lay fast asleep on its back with all four paws in the air, exposing its smooth white belly. Its three-part lips occasionally twitched as though chewing in its dreams.

She sat with her back against the rail, her body leaning to one side on a small stool. As Ying Wuji came downstairs, his eyes landed directly upon the rounded curve of her hips beneath her slender waist, equally dyed in brilliant hues by the evening clouds.

His fingers clenched at once. He merely glanced once before swiftly forcing his gaze away.

The spiral staircase had only eighteen steps. Moving soundlessly, he descended the remaining steps in only a few breaths. The instant he stepped onto the deck, he cast only a brief glance at the boat following in the distance, yet his gaze once more drifted uncontrollably back to the young woman’s figure.

Without making a sound, he walked over and leaned against the rail behind her. Every time he tried to tear his eyes away and admire the lake, mountains, and twilight scenery instead, before long he would discover that he was looking back at her again.

He told himself that perhaps it was simply because the crimson clouds were too beautiful, the scenery too enchanting. After taking a few quiet breaths, he reminded himself that he had only recently gone into the cabin to relieve himself; surely she could not have bewitched him again so quickly. It must merely be the lingering aftereffect from before. If he calmed himself for a little longer, it would pass.

Seeing that the two boats had drifted too far apart, Ying Wuji turned and signaled the mute attendant to slow down.

Once the two vessels were close enough for someone to swim across between them, he found himself strangely bored instead. Lost in silent melancholy, he watched as his attendants brought out wine, dishes, fruit, and snacks. He sat down as well on the stone bench at the bow, his gaze distant as he looked out over the lakeshore, the shimmering water, and the fading light in the sky.

There was still a little over an hour before nightfall. By then, the boat would have reached the deepest part of the lake, where the currents ran the strongest.

…

A gust of wind passed by, and Zhao Shu vaguely felt someone draping a padded coat over her shoulders. She awoke, thanked the mute attendant who had covered her, then turned to see Ying Wuji dining not far away.

Having completely lowered her guard around someone she had once known, she sleepily said without ceremony, “Why didn’t the Imperial Grandson wake me? I’m starving. Let me see if there’s anything I can eat.”

Rubbing her eyes as she approached, she noticed that four of the six dishes on the stone table were meat. Without hesitation, she picked up a piece of roasted meat with her chopsticks and ate it. Sneaking a glance at his handsome but stern face and seeing no sign of annoyance, she relaxed, broke into a broad smile, and casually sat down. “Come to think of it, it’s strange. I’ve been getting hungrier lately. One nap and I’m this famished.”

Ying Wuji glanced sideways at her. Seeing the dried trace of drool still lingering at the corner of her mouth from sleep, he said flatly, “It’s getting late and the wind is cold. Put your coat on properly.”

Although Lady Zheng’s dress was thin, it had originally been made to keep its wearer warm. After swallowing two mouthfuls of meat and drinking a cup of hot broth, the padded coat the mute attendant had given her no longer seemed necessary.

Completely unaware of the deeper meaning beneath his calm expression, Zhao Shu casually untied the coat and tossed it onto the nearby stone bench.

Perhaps feeling that the way she was eating was somewhat unbecoming, she raised her face and deliberately gave him the gentlest, sweetest smile she could manage. “Ying Changsheng, when my eldest uncle arrives the day after tomorrow, if Yingying and I really are able to leave Qin, then if there’s ever anything I can help you with in the future, just send word to Luoyi.”

After suppressing herself for so long, she finally allowed herself a little hope for the future again.

While chewing on the roasted meat, she happened to look up and see the western sky ablaze with magnificent crimson clouds. The ingratiating smile on her face instantly brightened. She suddenly sprang to her feet and even spun around. Swallowing the food in two quick bites, she wiped the grease from her fingers on her skirt, lifted the wild rabbit by its two front paws, held it high above her head, and laughed as she turned sideways toward the man behind her. “Look! There really is such a wonderfully colored chubby rabbit in this world! Hahaha!”

Her dress was already too tight. With her arms raised, viewed from the side, its alluring curves stretched the fabric nearly to its limit, as though ready to burst free. Her slender waist was so narrow that half of her seemed delicate enough to snap with a touch, while the other half radiated a bewitching sensuality capable of driving a man’s heart wild.

Ever since she could remember, Zhao Shu had almost never worn women’s clothing. Even now, her every movement still carried the carefree ease of the young man she had once pretended to be. She was not truly a man, however, and could never understand just how fatally enticing such unconscious charm appeared to men.

Ying Wuji tightened his grip on his wine cup without answering. He could already feel his breathing growing heavy. At first, he had been embarrassed and irritated, intending only to tell her to sit down properly. If he endured it a little longer, it would pass.

But when he looked up again, he saw the young woman’s smooth forehead pressed affectionately against the fluffy head of the wild rabbit. The rabbit did not resist. It twitched its tiny nose as it continuously sniffed at her face. Yet some wild instincts remained. Suspended in the air with nowhere to brace itself, its hind legs kept searching for something to stand on. Kicking helplessly, they finally landed squarely upon the most provocative part of her body.

Oblivious, she remained absorbed in deeply inhaling the rabbit’s scent. Then she spun around and sat directly beside him on the stone bench, hugging the rabbit closer against herself before calmly pouring herself another cup of hot tea. Judging by her manner, she clearly intended to continue eating her fill for quite some time.

Once his embarrassment and irritation reached their peak, they suddenly vanished.

Ying Wuji no longer wanted to avoid the matter.

His life had already been filled with endless hardship, and he had spent far too many years suppressing himself in dull restraint. It had not been easy for someone capable of stirring his heart to appear at all. Originally, he had believed Zhao Shu to be a young man. They could have enjoyed a period of reckless indulgence together, and if the other remained obedient afterward, granting him a fief would have been sufficient compensation.

Only after Zhao Shu revealed her true identity that night did he realize that what he had harbored toward Young Master Shu all these years had never been mere jealousy and hatred. Hidden beneath it had always been a longing too profound to speak aloud.

The customs of Zhou and Qin differed from those of Zheng and Qi. Women valued their chastity and reputation above all else. He certainly desired her, but… faced with a lone young woman held hostage in a foreign land, even with all the sins piled high over the course of his life, he still disdained the vile act of toying with such a woman.

But today she had provoked him, and his thoughts had changed, if only a little.

Watching her tilt back her head and drink her tea so carelessly, the glow of the crimson clouds blending with the beauty of spring, Ying Wuji let out an amused, exasperated laugh. In that instant, he cast aside every reservation he had ever held.

After all, she was nothing more than a harmless hostage, while he had all but secured the position of Great Qin’s crown prince. What ruler in the world would endure such restraint because of a mere servant?

He was no heavenly immortal. He was a man, and he too required moments of release and comfort.

Having reached that conclusion, Ying Wuji openly let his gaze travel over her from head to toe. The roguish desire in his eyes was no longer concealed in the slightest. After watching her for a while and seeing that she still wore the same innocent, oblivious expression, he raised an eyebrow and finally stood, no longer able to restrain himself.

When he reached her side, he paused one last time. As she looked up at him in confusion, her small lips, reddened with oil from the meal, opening and closing slightly, the man gave a low laugh before bending down and sweeping her effortlessly into his arms.

Zhao Shu still had a large mouthful of hot broth in her mouth. Stunned, she found herself seated sideways across his lap. His arm tightened around her waist as she heard him breathing heavily beside her ear. “Who told you that I prefer men?” he asked. “Something you heard in idle gossip? Hmm? Or did you simply make it up yourself?”

No longer willing to restrain himself, one of his hands slid to the young woman’s waist. Seeing her cheeks puffed out with food as she stared at him wide-eyed, the heat beading upon his brow seemed almost tangible. Though still carrying a trace of irritation, he smiled at her with burning eyes, his voice coaxing as he laid everything bare. “Who knows how long the states will remain at war? Stay in Xianyang and share my bed. I may not be able to give you a proper title, but you will never lack for anything else.”

Before he could finish the last word, Zhao Shu suddenly sprayed the mouthful of broth, minced meat, and vegetables she had been holding in her mouth with a loud pffft.

She had been utterly unprepared.

The messy mixture, broth, bits of food, and the strong smell of beans, splattered directly across the man’s face. It dripped from his handsome jaw in little streams before falling onto her own skirt.

The rabbit, however, reacted with the instinctive alertness of a wild animal. At that very instant, it kicked off from her lap and sprang onto the stone table.

Facing the man’s icy, expressionless face, Zhao Shu knew this was the prelude to him killing someone. Taking advantage of the brief moment of his astonishment, she scrambled out of his arms as quickly as the rabbit had, stumbling backward. When he moved toward her, still dripping with soup, she lowered her head and braced both hands trembling against his chest. “S-s-sorry… Y-you… don’t say anything yet. The wind is a little cold. J-just let me… let me go back to the cabin and change my clothes first.”

The man nodded impassively. His eyes remained fixed, rather unapologetically, upon the graceful curves of her figure, yet he replied in the same calm, emotionless tone, “Fine. Then let’s go in together and change our clothes together.”

The crimson clouds gradually faded as dusk deepened. Ying Wuji waved away the mute attendant who had come to remind him of the hour. After only a brief glance toward the pleasure boat following in the distance, he returned to confronting her.

The mute attendant withdrew at his command. Apart from the large wild rabbit that had begun nibbling at the grass, only the two of them remained on the deck.

Each time he took a step forward, she retreated a step. It seemed that unless she gave him the answer he wanted, he had absolutely no intention of letting her leave today.

Only now did Zhao Shu belatedly shrink into herself. Her eyes darted anxiously as she silently cursed her own panic, wishing only to strip off these ruined clothes and change into something else as quickly as possible.

Cornering her into the narrow space beneath the staircase against the cabin wall, Ying Wuji also realized that he currently looked every bit like a lustful scoundrel. Yet seeing the young woman’s flustered, frightened, and fragile appearance, a strange satisfaction welled up inside him. Instead, he found that being a shameless libertine… was not such an unpleasant feeling after all.

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