The moment Jin Xiu stepped outside, Fang Yun Luo promptly called out: “This servant asks for the Lord’s forgiveness.”
Holding up her chin, Qi Er Lun moved closer in: “Forgiveness? No!”
“My Lord, this servant ”
She was suddenly hugged by Qi Er Lun, and her mouth was sealed by his. Shocked, she swallowed down her next words.
“My beloved Princess, this is punishment for boldly disobeying me in front everyone.” After saying this, he once again kissed her lips, kissing her so deeply that he nearly missed her sweet, sweet fragrance.
From the moment she went to visit the West Wing, he was mesmerised by her grace.
Her delicate but ordinary smile, contained a unique charm. Her delicate yet full figure, those natural gestures all contributed to her graceful atmosphere further enhanced by her unique temperament. Those two characteristics merged together perfectly, in addition to the serving girl that left the room crying for her earlier, moved his heart.
Especially that faint scent emitting from her body, which often flitted past his nose at the most unpredictable times. And when he wanted to inhale a breath of it, it was never there.
Fang Yun Luo was kissed to befuddlement. Her desire flourishing, she did not know that the mouth could also kiss the mouth and still feel so good. She had forgotten the agreement between them entirely.
With extreme reluctance, she gently pushed him. Shly, she panted for breath: “My Lord, I…….I could not breathe.”
Qi Er Lun was also breathless, unable to stop.
Moving around her, he spoke out commandingly with his broad back to her: “Tomorrow we shall set out for the frontlines, but remember never to defy me in the future.” Taking a few steps, he soon left.
Watching him leave with his might and domineering aura, she felt her lips, where his taste still lingered. Only then did she remember the agreement between them.
Fang Yun Luo thought she was the only going to the frontlines, that way, she could ride a horse. She was extremely afraid to ride a carriage.
She did not expect Qi Er Lun to come too. If Qi Er Lun were to come, he would most likely bring Lady Yun. With Lan Yun, Qiu Yue, Jin Xiu and herself, they would have to all ride in the carriage together.
Though this was not important, the fact that she would have to endure that master and servant pair’s bragging on how well Qi Er Lun treated Lan Yun and how much love she received, made her nauseous.
She thought she could return all of Lan Yun’s words with a smile. But now everytime she would listen to her, she would think about how it felt when Qi Er Lun kissed her.
Thinking about this, the feeling that kiss gave her turned bitter.
Lan Yun was also uncomfortable in her heart too. She thought that Qi Er Lun ordering everyone to leave the room was so he could harshly punish Fang Yun Luo. But not only did he not punish her, but he also decided follow her to the frontlines.
The past couple days of journeying/travelling had been very unbearable. The only comfort Lan Yun had, was being in front of Fang Yun Luo and bragging how every night Qi Er Lun would love and pamper her.
The cart loaded with herbs was near the front, with a soldier at the front, Qi Er Lun in the middle and Ai Li at the rear.
In these past few days, they were hurrying to their destination. Apart from changing their horses and sleeping, they hardly rested.
When the carriages were entering a forest, the horses neighed and stopped. Only then did Qi Er Lun give out the order to allow everybody to rest for a bit.
In the forest, the ancient trees were as tall as the skies, covering the sky and blanketing the forest in darkness.
“My Lady, where do you want to walk to? The Lord has said not to walk too far, for we are soon to depart!” Jin Xiu repeated from behind Fang Yun Luo.
“Jin Xiu, do you smell that?” Following that scent, Fang Yun Luo walked deeper into the forest.
“Smell what?”
“It’s the fragrance of flowers.”
“I cannot smell it.” Jin Xiu replied, shaking her head.
“Jin, why don’t you try smelling again.” Fang Yun Luo said, while walking further in.
“I really can’t smell it. I only smell a fragrance from you. ”
Fang Yun Luo stopped and turned around. With both an angry and amused look, she said: “Jin Xiu, go back to the carriages. I will follow you shortly.”
“I can’t, I must follow my Lady.”
“Then do not make a fuss. This flower fragrance, I have never smelt before. It must be a rare or exotic flower.” Her sense of smell was very sensitive, and the fragrance that she smelt was different from the one on her body.
Using her hands, Jin Xiu covered her mouth showing that she did not dare to make anymore sounds. Without any more noise, she followed behind Fang Yun Luo.
Walking to the end of the forest, they were surprised to the edge of a steep cliff. At the bottom was a river valley that was rich in that floral smell.
“My Lady, I smell it!”
“If you can’t smell this, then I would have to treat your nose.”
Pressing her lips tightly, Jin Xiu said: “But there is no flower in sight. Apart from trees and gra.s.s, where could it possibly come from?”
Fang Yun Luo walked back to the edge of that cliff. Looking down, she found a ladder leading all the way down to the bottom.
“Jin Xiu, wait for me here. I will return quickly.” She wanted to go down and explore.
“You will quickly return? My Lady, there is no path ahead, where will you go?”
Fang Yun Luo shock her sleeve and pointed down towards the cliff.
“My Lady, there is only a deep abyss below. It couldn’t possibly be you can’t accept the Lord pampering the Lady Yun?”
“Jin Xiu, what nonsense are you talking about! Wait for me here.” Saying this, Fang Yun Luo swiftly descended.
Watching this, Jin Xiu cried out: “My Lady!”
Her cry resounded throughout the forest.
Back at the carriages, everybody present had heard that ear-piercing cry. And out of all the people present, Qi Er Lun’s reaction was the fastest. Immediately he leapt onto a horse and followed the sound.
He was extremely worried, his heart a mess. Urging the horse to ride through the bushes filled with thistles and thorns he rode his horse wildly. He actions were not like someone who was going to lose their first love, but more like someone about to lose their other half.
“My Lady…….” Lying at the edge of the cliff, Jin Xiu continued to shout out. She did not forget that her mistress knew a foot movement technique, but she did not know of any that allowed people to descend a cliff.
Hearing the horse’s pounding drawing near, Jin Xiu swiftly stood up and shouted: “Ah help! Ah help!”
Qi Er Lun dropped the reins in front of Jin Xiu and dismounted: “What happened to your family’s Lady?”
“My Lord, my Lady had jumped down from this cliff. It’s all this servant’s fault, for I did not look after my Lady properly.”
Walking to the edge of the cliff, Qi Er Lun looked down, his heart’s worry calming down by half. With her skills, she should be able to keep herself alive, it was just……“Jin Xiu, why did your family’s Lady jump down?”
“My Lady smelled a flowery fragrance, so…..” She didn’t dare to say it might be because her Lady had been disgraced.
“Jin Xiu, go back and inform Ai Li to pack up and depart immediately. When I have found the Princess, we will catch up.” The sky was filled with black clouds, it might possibly be a thunderstorm.
“My Lord, I want to find my Lady. If anything happens……..this servant will not want to live too!” Jin Xiu choked out these words, crying madly.
“Your family’s Lady did not die, now go do as I said.”
“My Lord, is this true?”
“It is true.” He also jumped off the cliff.
Hurriedly Jin Xiu wiped away her tears, in disbelief she stared. Why did the Lord also jump down?
When Fang Yun Luo jumped down, she landed on a protruding ledge.
Vines had grown along the top of the cliff down, the wind howled and echoed within the valley, causing the vines on the ledge to sway. That flowery fragrance lingered in the air.
The vines grew along the sides of the cliff. How could they allow the wind to blow them away? That flowery scent wafted from within the vines, Fang Yun Luo pulled back the vines, discovering a dark cave.
One could see that this was a naturally formed cave. The temperature inside was quite cold, with a blaze of colour, grew a variety of flowers which she had never seen before.
Those purple coloured stems were very long and each stem sprouted five flowers. Each flower in turn had five b.u.t.terfly shaped petals. Each of the five petals were different colours.
Are they not the legendary Five Coloured Bewildering b.u.t.terflies! “Ah!” Fang Yun Luo was so excited that she cried out.
Qi Er Lun had just landed on this ledge when he heard her cry. Immediately he dashed into the vine covered cave and towards her voice.
Entering into the cave, the scene before him, even left him bewildered.
Fang Yun Luo walked towards a flower to smell its fragrance and temporarily felt light and airy.
Swiftly, Qi Er Lun spoke out to stop her and into his embrace: “Princess, we do not know if these flowers are poisonous or not. Do not go near them!”
“My Lord!” Why did he also come? It must be Jin Xiu’s hysteria earlier that brought him here. “These flowers are not poisonous, and possess a paralysing effect.”
“A paralysing effect? What use would that have?”
“It allows one’s pain senses to be dulled, and aiding doctors during operations. My Lord, you must have heard of boiled hemp. This is far more potent and effective than boiled hemp.”