Chapter 26 Blood-like Sunset Part 6
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Both his hands were held down by Helian Rongchuan with one hand. Although Helian Rongchuan had great strength, Yan Changqing was not incapable of resisting. But at this moment, considering Helian Rongchuan’s wounds, he did not dare to struggle vigorously, and could only passively endure Helian Rongchuan’s actions. He had never experienced this before. Embarrassed, his body trembled uncontrollably.
Helian Rongchuan’s eyes darkened, as he keenly noticed Yan Changqing’s slight trembling. It wasn’t just the shaking. Yan Changqing’s ears were red, looking like they were about to bleed. His face turned as white as fine porcelain, and his forehead sweaty. His whole person looked nervous and helpless.
No matter what he encountered on the battlefield, Yan Changqing was always extremely calm and fearless even if he was cut by a sword. But now he was showing such an expression of vulnerability. No one had seen it before.
All these reactions were thanks to him, Helian Rongchuan.
The more Yan Changqing acted like this, the more Helian Rongchuan wanted to fiercely embrace him in his arms, wishing to crush him and ruin him completely. Especially this time when he managed to get the upper hand in the situation. Helian Rongchuan would never let this opportunity go easily. He dared to pry off the always-proper collar around Yan Changqing’s neck. Yan Changqing struggled but was forced to show his thin and delicate collarbone and bare shoulders.
Helian Rongchuan’s heart thumped. He couldn’t help but become even more aggressive with his movements. He sucked on Yan Changqing’s earlobe eliciting the desired reaction: Yan Changqing’s trembling became more pronounced.
“You like me treating you like this, don’t you?”
Yan Changqing turned his head away. He had never been treated this way before, and he only felt like a mess in his heart. He felt like a lost and anxious deer running from left to right, unable to find its direction. But his body’s reaction was straightforward and honest. This made him feel ashamed. It made him want to faint so he wouldn’t have to think of anything.
What should he do? Is he really…?
Yan Changqing frowned, his eyelashes trembled violently, lost in confusion and struggle.
Helian Rongchuan gently pulled Yan Changqing’s jaw, forcing him to raise his head and meet his eyes.
What a pair of beautiful eyes. They were sharp and clean, black and white, and the eyelashes very long. No matter how talented a painter was, they could only draw one-tenth of the true beauty of these eyes. They would be unable to capture their spirit. His eyes were so clear that they were like ice and snow from the cleanest spring on the top of a mountain. Whether it was anger or indifference, as long as these black eyes looked at him, Helian Rongchuan couldn’t help but want to kiss him.
Getting a reaction from such a pair of eyes was the most joyful thing in the world for Helian Rongchuan.
Maybe he liked Yan Changqing from the beginning, but unfortunately, didn’t notice it himself. Thus, he always deliberately made things difficult for him and teased him, he even arranged for that Nanyao person to humiliate him. Thinking about it now, he wanted to stab himself hard.
In the tunnel of the Nanyao person’s secret chamber, he saw Yan Changqing’s life hanging by a thread and how he refused to admit defeat. Helian Rongchuan felt in his heart, which has been frozen for a long time, an inexplicable pain when Yan Changqing fainted in his arms when he finally saw him appear.
He truly liked Yan Changqing, but he did so many things to deceive him.
At this moment, Helian Rongchuan was like a young boy who had fallen in love for the first time, with unrelenting enthusiasm, eagerly hoping for Yan Changqing’s answer. He hoped that Yan Changqing could forgive him and like him back.
“Do you like this, General Yan?”
Helian Rongchuan asked again, his tone a little eager.
Admit it.
Even admitting it tacitly is okay.
However, hearing these words shocked Yan Changqing and left him stunned for a moment.
General.
Yes. He is the general, the general of the Yan Kingdom!
Helian Rongchuan hadn’t realized the abnormality in his expression and was about to ask again, but Yan Changqing suddenly pushed him aside.
Helian Rongchuanwan did not expect Yan Changqing’s reaction, he staggered back a few steps off guard, and the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth was a little stiff. He said tentatively: “Changqing…?”
Yan Changqing fixed the open shirt and tidied up a bit. His eyes had returned to the usual indifference and clarity. He didn’t look at Helian Rongchuan who was standing still, but silently picked up the scimitar that had just fallen to the ground. With the light behind his back, from this angle, Helian Rongchuan could not see his expression at all.
Yan Changqing: “The robbery of the ship happened for a reason. I don’t blame you.”
Helian Rongchuan stood motionless. After being forgiven, he originally thought he would breathe a sigh of relief, but when he saw Yan Changqing reacting indifferently, he was vaguely disturbed.
“Then what?” Helian Rongchuan spoke with some difficulty.
Yan Changqing still didn’t look at him: “I will report this to the emperor and bear all the consequences.”
Helian Rongchuan choked and couldn’t believe his ears: “You…you are going back to the capital?”
Yan Changqing finally turned around and asked, “Should I not go back to the capital?”
This question made Helian Rongchuan choke on the air in his lungs. When they met again on the Jiaolu River that day, Helian Rongchuan had already made a small calculation. Although Helian Rongchuan planned to hijack the ship with the crown prince this time, their purpose was different. The Crown Prince of Dongyun was thinking about the country’s livelihood. He was worried that Yan Country would one day use a sword made of temper snow stones to chop off this head. But Helian Rongchuan had no responsibilities or feelings for the Dongyun Kingdom. He robbed the temper snow stones at the beginning with only one purpose, which was to protect his mother’s bones under the huge rock.
However, after meeting Yan Changqing, he has had a lot to reconsider in his mind and heart.
Since the death of his mother, Helian Rongchuan has never hoped for anything more in life other than his desire for revenge. Whether it was a mountain of gold and silver or a beautiful girl, to him, they were nothing but the unrealistic rosy sheen over the brutal realities of the world.
But now, he was constantly tortured by one thought alone—he wanted to steal a shiny gem from Yan Country, embrace it to keep it warm and not show it to anyone else.
Therefore, Helian Rongchuan was in an extensive conflict with the Crown Prince for the first time. He tore a gap in the crown prince’s originally seamless plan. That is, he wanted to save Yan Changqing.
But at the same time, he must allow Yan Changqing to witness the tragic ship robbery with his own eyes and make him bear the blame for it. This way, Yan Changqing’s thoughts of returning to the capital can be stopped, and he would be willing to stick with him.
But now Yan Changqing’s words made Helian Rongchuan feel like a basin of ice-cold water had been dumped over his head. It’s not that he didn’t think that there would be other variables to his plan, but this was the only way to accomplish both goals. He didn’t dare to think about it more.
After a long pause, Helian Rongchuan said dryly: “Have you even thought about what price you would pay if this ship robbery was investigated?”
“I did think about it.”
“And you still have to go back?”
Yan Changqing paused: “Yes.”
No matter the reason why these twenty ships of temper snow stones were lost under Yan Changqing’s watch. Most of his 30 black armoured troops, and more than 20 entourages, were injured in the battle at Jiaolu river. Yan Changqing knew exactly how harshly he would be punished once he returned to the capital. But whether it was the threat of being investigated or exiled, when he saw the tomb made up of layers of huge stones, when he saw the white jade statue carved by Helian Rongchuan himself, he decided to bear everything alone.
Moreover, he was a general. A General should take it upon himself to be loyal to one’s country as his mission. Loyalty, benevolence and filial piety, no matter the big character, he couldn’t allow himself to be in disarray in front of the Dongyun prince.
Therefore, he must go back for the sake of reason.
The two men faced each other quietly, each with a different mindset. Both remained silent.
Until now, Helian Rongchuan finally realized the ridiculousness of his self-deprecating plan.
Yes, he was Yan Changqing, the successor of three generations of generals. He was the silver-faced King of H*ll with illustrious military feats. The great general of Yan Country, he was known by everyone in the world. Why would he want to betray his own country for an uninhibited Dongyun prince? He must have his achievements go down in history.
He didn’t understand Yan Changqing enough.
What happened just now was like a sweet and short-lived dream. If it is a dream, one will always be woken up.
Helian Rongchuan quickly sorted out his expressions, then broke the awkward silence: “Ah, since the general is going to leave, I won’t stop him. Tomorrow, let Helian Jue release your Black Armoured troops so they can follow you out.”
Yan Changqing lowered his eyes and said lightly: “Thank you for your trouble.”
The simple words made the relationship between the two people a little more divided. Helian Rongchuan only felt his heart become even more desolate, and the hand that habitually wanted to hold Yan Changqing’s waist was also stopped in the air. The corners of his mouth twitched. He showed a somewhat far-fetched smile, then tried to make his tone as casual as usual:
“It’s getting late, let’s go back, hahaha.”
There was nothing said the entire way, but the atmosphere was even more depressing than before. Helian Rongchuan no longer had the thought of looking for funny things to say, he just walked sullenly. The two of them walked one after another for a short time, and the light gradually dimmed. Yan Changqing raised his head and took a look. It turned out that the sun had already slanted to the west, hanging on the treetops far away, about to set.
For some reason, Yan Changqing suddenly felt that today’s sunset was an extraordinarily bright red as if soaked in blood, turning the sun into a dazzling, bloody red disc. Even the surrounding clouds were dyed into a large and shocking crimson.
Helian Rongchuan stopped beside him. He was looking in the other direction. The light of the setting sun falling on his deep and brave profile made his face look pale and terrifying. He slowly opened his eyes, the rest of him motionless as if he had been nailed to the ground. He looked at the village at the foot of the mountain in disbelief.
Yan Changqing followed Helian Rongchuan’s gaze. For a moment, his heart shrank and all he could hear was a sort of buzzing in his mind. He opened his mouth, but couldn’t make a sound.
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