Chapter 37: Disgusting Him
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“Hey, you, don’t come any closer,” He Yan was afraid that the person would come closer, so she quickly poked her head out from behind the rock. “I’m naked! What are you doing?”
Indeed, the person’s footsteps halted.
He Yan breathed a sigh of relief. She knew from her past experience with Xiao Jue that he was extremely picky. Being naked in front of him would be considered impolite, and he wouldn’t want to dirty his eyes with such a sight.
“Who are you and what are you doing here?” Xiao Jue stared at her coldly and asked.
“I’m a new soldier in the garrison, and I came here to bathe,” He Yan replied.
Upon hearing this, a hint of mockery flashed in Xiao Jue’s eyes, showing that he didn’t believe her. He questioned, “Bathing at this hour?”
“There were too many people bathing in the evening, and I fell asleep in the room,” He Yan explained, looking at him. “I’m not one of the higher-ups here with my own room to bathe in. Who would want to come to the river to bathe at night? I find it too cold!”
With the term “higher-ups,” He Yan was referring to Xiao Jue himself, hoping he would understand her sarcasm.
However, Xiao Jue didn’t show any sign of embarrassment due to her words. He just looked at her calmly.
He Yan sank into the water a bit and asked, “And who are you?”
Well, she would pretend to be a naive new soldier to make her words more convincing.
Xiao Jue didn’t answer her question and instead retorted, “If you find it cold, then don’t join the army.”
Was he contradicting her previous statement? He Yan glanced at her clothes behind the boulder. If Xiao Jue continued to stay there, she would have to keep soaking in the water. But if she stayed too long, it would certainly arouse Xiao Jue’s suspicions.
“I joined the army with a purpose,” He Yan said.
Xiao Jue looked at her and raised an eyebrow, asking, “What’s your purpose?”
“Of course, it’s to achieve great feats, rise in rank, get rich, and become a successful young general like General Fengyun. Then I’ll return home, build a house, marry a beautiful and virtuous lady, and have adorable children. A family filled with children and grandchildren, living a prosperous and happy life,” He Yan expressed her yearning.
At these words, a chill flashed in Xiao Jue’s eyes as he coldly rebuked, “Vulgar!”
Inside, He Yan was thrilled. She had purposely mixed the title of General Fengyun with the common desires of ordinary men to disgust him. Being as proud as Xiao Jue, he must feel humiliated by her words.
“What’s wrong?” He Yan looked serious. “That’s why people join the army, to be the happiest husband.”
Perhaps unable to tolerate her wild words, Xiao Jue glanced at her, turned his sleeve, and left, seemingly unwilling to say anything more to her.
As Xiao Jue walked away, He Yan called out to him, “Hey, kind sir, could you help me toss my clothes from behind the rock? It would be a great help!”
Naturally, Xiao Jue wouldn’t help her retrieve her clothes. He Yan waited until he was far away and out of sight before quickly washing up and changing behind the rock.
The moon remained silent as if it hadn’t witnessed anything. He Yan carried her dirty clothes back and thought about the scene she had with Xiao Jue.
At this time, Xiao Jue probably wasn’t here for any specific reason. He might have just come out for a walk since the night was so beautiful.
Speaking of which, it had been many years since she last saw Xiao Jue. The last time they met at the horse training ground, she had to lower her head to avoid being recognized, so she couldn’t get a clear look at his current appearance. But just now, she had a rare opportunity to see him clearly, and it seemed that he looked different from what she remembered.
She knew that Xiao Jue was already strikingly handsome back then, attracting the attention of countless young girls with just a single glance. But he had grown even more handsome with time. She wondered what he had been nourished on to become such a refined and captivating figure. Comparing his present demeanor to his youthful charm, the former seemed to have matured while retaining its brilliance. If the Xiao Jue of the past carried a hint of youthful playfulness, the present version was devoid of such traces. He now resembled a flawless jade or a hidden precious sword, radiating a subtle yet captivating aura.
It’s his temperament, much colder than before.
He Yan continued to walk slowly.
Back then, after her big argument with the members of the He family, she joined the army without knowing what had happened at the Xianchang Academy. At that time, Xiao Jue was still the young master of the Xiao family, and everything seemed normal. It was only a few years after she had joined the army that she learned about the circumstances surrounding the Second Young Master of the Xiao family through discussions among the people around her.
Xiao Jue’s father, Xiao Zhongwu, was a brave general of Da Wei and excelled in winning battles despite being outnumbered. However, during the campaign against the Southern Barbarians, he fell into an ambush and died at the hands of the enemy leader during the Battle of Mingshui. After General Xiao’s death, Xiao Jue took over the army and continued to lead the troops to attack the Southern Barbarians.
He Yan joined the military at the age of fifteen, and Xiao Jue was only one year older than her when he joined. She didn’t know the specifics of what happened, but she knew that when Xiao Jue, a sixteen-year-old youth, took over the army from his father, it was definitely not a simple matter. Not to mention the royal family, even just the political enemies of the Xiao family wouldn’t let go of such an opportunity to kick them when they were down.
If Xiao Jue failed, the entire Xiao family would fall. As a prestigious military family, the Xiao family couldn’t possibly withstand such a blow, relying solely on Xiao Jue’s elder brother, who was only an official of the Ministry of Rites.
Fortunately, heavens favored him, and Xiao Jue not only won, but he won spectacularly. He defeated the Southern Barbarians and returned to the capital with the heads of the enemy leaders. Thus, he established the reputation of being the “Youthful Killer General, the Jade-Faced Commander.”
War is the fastest way to temper a person’s character. All sharp edges and tips have to be put away in the face of life and death. Perhaps Xiao Jue had retained the arrogance of a noble young man from the capital in the past, but now, all of that was nowhere to be seen.
He became even more outstanding, colder, more unfathomable, and harder to deal with.
He Yan reached the door of her room, and everyone inside was sleeping soundly, none of them noticing her. She placed her clothes at the foot of the bed, laid down, closed her eyes, and felt a sense of peace inside.
Fortunately, over the years, not only Xiao Jue had grown, but she had also grown just like him.
Not too far behind.
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