Chapter 278 Overweening and Ignorant“Hare, you still dare to talk? Humph, I’ve never seen you act when we encounter danger! You’re just a worthless pet—utterly useless!” Ji Jing snorted coldly, her eyes full of scorn.
The hare was quite embarra.s.sed by her talk and harrumphed a few times. “What? I was just giving you guys the opportunity to practice. Do you think it’s so simple to become an experienced Qi Artist?”
Ji Jing glanced at it and was too lazy to argue.
Hua Qiyue read the information little by little. By midnight when she was overcome by drowsiness, Tianci was already on the bed, snoring noisily.
“Alright. Let’s come again here tomorrow and continue reading. It’s getting late.” Yun Shimo saw the tired look on Hua Qiyue’s face and started to smile lightly.
Everyone put the records in place and dispersed into their rooms.
Yun Shimo sat by the table, glancing gently at Hua Qiyue. “You accepted the Crown Prince’s invitation because you knew they would cooperate with us?”
Hua Qiyue snorted lightly. She wanted to ignore him.
“Don’t you feel that, even if we remain outside Changjing Kingdom, we should hold a… ” Yun Shimo glanced at Hua Qiyue from the corners of his eyes. Hua Qiyue was staring intently at the fast asleep Tianci.
Kids are like that. No matter how noisy the environment is, they can sleep well if they are drowsy. They will be able to sleep through all the noise.
Hua Qiyue lightly pulled up the corners of Tianci’s blanket. “Yun Shimo, I’m going to bed now. Please get out.”
Yun Shimo frowned. He stretched out his arm and forcibly grabbed Hua Qiyue’s hand, pulling her down. He made her sit down on a chair by the side. Tianci was turning in his bed at this point. Yun Shimo could only pull Hua Qiyue out of the room.
Hua Qiyue did not dare to struggle. She feared to wake Tianci up and could only accompany Yun Shimo out of the room.
Yun Shimo took Hua Qiyue to a small stream behind the inn. The illuminations by the stream caused it to glitter brightly. Its surface gleamed with silvery lights. In the night, all sorts of insects and birds were chirping, making this spring night seem one animal kingdom.
Yun Shimo stood against the wind, his countenance facing the gentle spring breeze. Hua Qiyue stood by his side, glancing at him, bemused.
“Why bring me here?”
“To enjoy the scenery.”
“What’s so great about the scenery? I want to go back to bed!”
Hua Qiyue cried out angrily. Although she was already a Qi Artist at the first level of Holy G.o.d—which meant that she wouldn’t feel the tiredness—for some reason she had been sensing a heat emanating from the green jade gourd in the past few days.
Hua Qiyue delivered Tianpi food and wine every day. Yet he seemed more taciturn than before. He did not wish to talk with her.
Hua Qiyue did not want to force Tianpi. She believed Tianpi would not harm her, but she admitted that she could not understand him.
“Well, you can sleep right here,” Yun Shimo said quietly, sitting on a wooden chair by the side.
Actually, there was a reason for Hua Qiyue to choose this inn. There was a stream behind Qinghe Inn, with wooden chairs for people to rest. If anyone went out for a stroll in the night or in the early morning, they could enjoy the scenery.
And it was relatively quiet here. So Hua Qiyue chose this inn.
For some strange reason, everyone gave in to Hua Qiyue. They would not oppose Hua Qiyue’s decision at all.
Hua Qiyue glanced at the vacant spot by Yun Shimo’s side. The chair was long and a few fallen leaves were on it.
Yun Shimo squinted at her. “I thought you said you wanted to rest? Come over here. Let my thigh be your pillow.”
“Dream on!” Hua Qiyue rolled her eyes at him and turned to depart. But Yun Shimo pulled her back. An irresistible force made her body sink and she sat down by his side.
“Qiyue, since the truth has emerged, we haven’t spent much time with each other. Why don’t we stay here for a couple of hours?”
Yun Shimo encircled her waist with his arm, smiling lightly. He stretched out another hand and started to tidy her slightly tousled wisps of black hair, hanging down.
Hua Qiyue unclenched his hand and Yun Shimo turned his head back, much displeased. He watched as two men approached—Caining and Caiqing.
“You’re disturbing our refined enjoyment!” Yun Shimo was very displeased. He did not like someone else to be around when he was in Hua Qiyue’s company.
Caining and Caiqing stared at each other. They were about to rest when they overheard footsteps and came out to investigate. They found out that it was Hua Qiyue and Yun Shimo. For some strange psychological reason, they had to walk over to Hua Qiyue.
Now that Yun Shimo complained, Caiqing raised his brows, displeased. “Your Highness, the Princess is our mistress. We will only go if she wants us to.”
The corners of Hua Qiyue’s lips curved up. This pair of handsome private guards had won her some face. “Haha, Caining is right. If I don’t dismiss them, they won’t go. Yun Shimo, they are not your men. Why should they listen to you?”
Caiqing jerked the corner of his mouth. He said quietly, “Princess, I’m Caiqing, not Caining.”
Hua Qiyue touched her head in embarra.s.sment. “Oh, I’m so sorry. You are totally alike. I can’t tell the difference.”
Caiqing gave a light smile. “Princess, I wear teal-colored clothes. I’m Caiqing. Caining wears black.”
Hua Qiyue instantly understood. That was right. They seemed always to be in the clothes of the two colors. It was simply for her to tell them apart.
But she had always been careless. She did not remember this detail.
“In other words… only when we leave together can we get rid of these two followers?” Yun Shimo gave a light laugh. He suddenly extended his arms and caught Hua Qiyue in them.
Hua Qiyue stared at him in astonishment. She did not know what he was attempting. She suddenly felt her body becoming light and being lifted up in his embrace. In the blink of an eye, they had vanished before Caining and Caiqing’s sights.
Caining and Caiqing glared hatefully at the spot from which Yun Shimo had gone. He was too fast and they had not even detected his streaking figure. They could not go after them.
“Forget it. Our mistress will be fine.” Caining sighed helplessly. “After all, she likes him, doesn’t she?”
“I’ve heard… what Yun Shimo did. Our mistress will love him even more now. Humph, he’s an arrogant, self-centered man. Why has she fallen for him?” Caiqing remarked coldly.
But they thought about themselves. Their Qi Art was so much more inferior to Yun Shimo’s. And if Yun Shimo didn’t deserve Hua Qiyue, would they?
When they thought about this, their faces became downcast.
Yun Shimo carried Hua Qiyue and flew to the foot of the mountain outside the city. There was a herbal field there, with medicinal scent wafting. Although it was not as pungent as that in Prince Nan’s mansion, the scent revived Hua Qiyue’s memories.
“Qiyue, why don’t we pick an auspicious date and get married?” Yun Shimo suddenly spoke. Hua Qiyue stared at him in astonishment. “My grandma is still in the Changjing Kingdom and your parents are at Eight Fingers Mountain. So how can we wed here? Yun Shimo, have you forgotten that your primary wife is Princess Qianyang?”
Hua Qiyue remembered Princess Qianyang and her expression turned chilly by several degrees.
No matter what, Princess Qianyang and Yun Shimo had performed their marriage rites. They were an officially married couple.
“What’s wrong? Hua Qiyue, when have you ever minded that? In Tianyuan Continent, no woman had ever adopted a son on her own. So why could you ignore all the gossips and conventions then?” “Why are you fussing over this with me?” Yun Shimo gave a light laugh. He stretched out his hand and pinched her chin firmly.
Hua Qiyue was a little angry. She forcibly tried to unclench his hand. But he was very strong. Hua Qiyue glared at him, grievance clouding her lovely brows.
“Qiyue, I know that you mind because you care for me. But Princess Qianyang has lost her memory. She can never remember that period in her life. And Ji Feng and the others will keep mum. So why do you mind? Hua Qiyue, my Princess Consort will be you alone!”
In Yun Shimo’s eyes were not only confidence but also arrogance.
Hua Qiyue frowned. Her heart had been moved. Like what Yun Shimo had said, what exactly was she concerned about? Was it because she cared too much about Yun Shimo, that she was concerned over his earlier marriage with Princess Qianyang?
But they had not consummated their marriage. Hua Qiyue firmly believed that.
“Tomorrow, I will get a master to select an auspicious date. Let’s get married. Although your father isn’t with us, we can have a grand wedding when we return to the Changjing Kingdom!” Yun Shimo mused for a while and said with a light smile.
Hua Qiyue was speechless. She stared at Yun Shimo and shoved him with a strong push. “Yun Shimo, what is your brain made up of? How can you think of such an ingenious scheme, killing two birds with one stone? You’re indeed a genius!”
Yun Shimo had thought that Hua Qiyue would grab him and curse him outright. He did not expect her to praise him. They were indeed lovers who thought alike.
Yun Shimo raised his brows. He smiled faintly. “This is called ‘true lovers think alike.’ I know what you really want!”
Hua Qiyue was utterly speechless. Yun Shimo smiled smugly and gently encircled her waist. He lightly planted a kiss on her forehead.
Hua Qiyue no longer struggled. The two of them had the same thoughts. They did not need anything to embellish their love.
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The next morning, Yun Shimo indeed went to a master to select a date. Hua Qiyue once again took Tianci with her to roam the streets of Xuanyuan City.
Tianci was a little glutton. He would not return until his belly was gorged.
And accompanying Hua Qiyue was Bai Qianxue.
Ji Feng and the others were sorting out the records about Dark Sect members in the inn. Right now, they needed more precise information. What the Crown Prince provided them was not complete enough.
The Crown Prince also supplied them with the names of their undercover spies in the Dark Sect. The information provided by these spies would be more complete.
“Brother Bai, I want to have some barbecue noodles over there. Barbecue noodles is so interesting!” Tianci pointed at a food stall nearby and instantly gave a whooping cheer.
Neither Hua Qiyue nor Tianci had eaten anything from the food stalls in the east of the city. They did not expect their appet.i.te to be whetted by this morning stroll on the streets.
“Let’s go and eat then,” Bai Qianxue said with a smile. He pulled Tianci and they headed for the opposite side.
“Hold it!”
The arrogant voice of a woman rang out from behind them. Hua Qiyue turned her head back in astonishment. She saw a few women cl.u.s.tering around a lady in white, approaching them. The lady in white had thick eyebrows and big eyes. Her features were more like a man’s than a woman’s.
She stared scornfully at Hua Qiyue and threw a tender glance at Bai Qianxue.
“So you are Hua Qiyue? An ugly woman with an unwanted son. Do you deserve to stand alongside City Master Bai?” The lady in white started to sneer arrogantly. Although her face was pretty, her words revealed her overweening ignorance.