The Story Of Dusk

Happily, Sheng and Xun got off from the carriage and approached Ye Bai when they were closer.

Qianru drank a cup of water to moist her dry throat before she also got off from the carriage, but she didn"t see Xiao Jun or Xiao Tianyao.

Seeing Qianru was looking for someone, Qi Xunyi said in rea.s.suring tone. "Prince Xiao Jun and Prince Tianyao will be here soon, there is something that they need to talk to Prince Xiao w.a.n.g Wei." He said in calm tone, but the concern on her face still there. "They are fine."

Didn"t want to trouble them any further, Qianru just nodded and helped the other to relocate those sixty three children to the ten carriages that they had prepared before.

Qianru could see how scare they are some of them were only around four years old while the older was around eight years old, but their bodies were so skinny with protruding bones, their tattered clothes didn"t help in this chilly night.

Before they were moved to the carriages, those children were given a new and clean clothes and cloak to keep them warm also food.

No one would surprise if it has been long time since they were given a proper meal.

Looking how those children"s eyes glimmer under the torchlight when they got food to eat and their toothless smile, there was somewhere in Qianru"s heart became warm as well.

Because it was only Qianru the only woman there, those children were more inclined to her touch and care, even there were two or three child who didn"t want to be put down by her.

So, Qianru needed to carry her while persuading her to eat.

Because of the sudden busy moment, Qianru had almost forgotten about Xiao Jun and Xiao Tianyao, only when she had put the last child inside the carriage, she remembered that she had not yet met with the two brothers.

Hurriedly she turned around to look for them, but it didn"t take her far before she spot Xiao Jun was standing right behind her with strange smile grazed his lips.

For some moment, Qianru was in daze, drowning in his charm and serene smile, it has been a while since Qianru watched him like this.

"Are you alright?" Qianru asked, put her cold hand on his face, she was looking for injuries, face, neck, hand, chest, legs… everything alright, even his robes didn"t have blood stain on it.

Heaving a sigh of relief, Qianru still felt something wasn"t right with his smile. "Why are you smiling like that?" Qianru blushed upon seeing him looking at her in that way.

Leaned over, Xiao Jun whispered to her ear, his warm breath tickle her ear and neck, turned her stiff. However, the next word that Xiao Jun said was something that Qianru would never forget in million years ahead.

"I like seeing you with children, you will definitely be a perfect mother." He said in low voice that sounded ambiguous.

Qianru bit her lips, didn"t know how to react with his words.

The sound of it warm her heart, not only that, she could feel her cheeks started to burn as well. Qianru almost could feel the taste of his words, it was sweet, the sweetest things that she had ever taste and she loved it.

Didn"t know what to do, Qianru kept her head low, but Xiao Jun trapped her chin between his fingers and urged her to look at him.

The moment their eyes locked together, Qianru could feel her heart beating even faster.

What happened with her? They were husband and wife, and they were even had consummated their marriage, but why she was acting like a foolish teenage girl who had just met her crush?

"You are blushing." Xiao Jun stated the obvious. His thumbs draw a mindless circle against her skin with red ink as Qianru felt her cheeks burn from his every touch.

"I am not…" Qianru didn"t know why she was whispering, but she found out she couldn"t talk louder than this.

Her shy act and timid love in her eyes stirred something within his heart.

Xiao Jun knew he had said that he would try to improve their relationship and make this work, but "trying" didn"t involve "heart" in it.

However, recently he felt something toward her and this time this feeling was so clear…

Leaned over, he kissed her burning cheek, along her jaw line to the corner of her lips…

"Can both of you stop it for awhile?"

Suddenly a hoa.r.s.e voice behind Xiao Jun was interrupting their moment, his voice laced with annoying and impatient.

Hearing that, Qianru pushed Xiao Jun away from her while hiding behind Xiao Jun"s back, she poked her head as her eyes stared at Xiao Tianyao in terror.

"Don"t look at me like that sister- in- law." Xiao Tianyao chided. "I need my brother for awhile."

Xiao Jun wasn"t shy to be caught on act, he was more annoyed because his moment was interrupted.

"What is it!?" Xiao Jun snapped a bit harsh than he intent to, on the other side, Xiao Tianyao raised his eyebrows in amazed. Clearing his throat, Xiao Jun asked him again. "What is it, Tianyao?"

"Nangong Yunyi is looking for you over there." Xiao Tianyao pointed to the direction on his left with his chin before he walked away from the couple.

"I will see what it is." Xiao Jun leaned over and kissed her lips softly. "I will be right back." He said and walked toward the direction that Xiao Tianyao had pointed out.

*** 

Nangong Yunyi, the owner of lazy cloud inn in the black market, was a man in his sixty, with strike white hair on his dull black hair. He was using cane when he walked because he had problem with his left leg.

Usually Xiao Jun would stay at his inn every time during his visit to black market, however only this time he let Nangong Yunyi to receive Xiao w.a.n.g Wei as his guest for the sake of Xiao Jun"s plan.

Xiao Jun hugged the old man like he hugged his own father, both of them were exchanging small talks, smile and laugh.

"Jun, I don"t have much time here. Modama and Xiao w.a.n.g Wei are still in the inn." He said. "I just want to say this directly to you. For now there is nothing to be worry, but it is best if you don"t come to the black market for couple of months, with this incident, Xiao w.a.n.g Wei is surely going to flip." He chuckled with his own words.

"Alright, I know what to do." Xiao Jun rea.s.sured him.

"I don"t believe it, it was easy to convince that prince, he believes me easily with a few sweet words." Nangong Yunyi chuckled again.

"Be careful, don"t underestimate your enemy too early."

Nangong Yunyi nodded his head fervently. "You also." He patted Xiao Jun"s shoulder. "You are grown up man now." He looked at Xiao Jun with eyes filled with proudness.

"Thank you so much for all this time." Xiao Jun said gratefully.

"No need to mention it, everything has been set up in the white pearl inn, you just need to go far enough from here and wait for the news." Nangong Yunyi was so excited when he imagined what was going to happen to Long Tianmo"s inn.

Xiao Jun chuckled and said. "Alright, I trust everything on you. I will be waiting for good news."

Nangong Yunyi looked at Xiao Jun deeply. "I will be waiting for the day of your coronation." He said solemnly.

There was something warm in his words that shook his heart, Xiao Jun would be always feel grateful for this old man.

"Alright, I need to go." Nangong Yunyi waved his hand mounted his horse, along with his two confidantes, the figure of the three of them slowly disappeared on the empty road.

When it was only Xiao Jun, standing alone on the road, only then Xiao Tianyao approached him.

"I think I will take my leave now." Xiao Tianyao said. "Everything is done, Ye Bai and Qi Xunyi also ready to go this very night, they didn"t want to wasting time." Xiao Tianyao explained to him.

Xiao Jun sighed. "So, this is it? We go to separate ways again."

"Well, we are going separate ways, but we still have the same goal." Xiao Tianyao crossed his arms, slightly frown when he looked his older brother sullen expression. "Why are you becoming more and more emotional like this!?"

"Don"t say that!" Xiao Jun laughed and punched his brother on his shoulder. "Thank you for all you have done for me!"

"Why that sounds like Qianru? Did she do something on you?" Xiao Tianyao scrunched his nose while avoiding him. "Go away!" Xiao Tianyao kicked his kneecap when he tried to embrace him, that Xiao Jun avoided easily.

It has been a while since both of them became so free and at ease like this, at least this time they didn"t pointed their sword to each other like last time.

"When you arrived in Zodasian, try to look for yellow temple, there was a man named Wu Haiyue." Xiao Jun said.

"Who is him?" Xiao Tianyao put his attention on him now.

"He is a friend of Elder Chen." Xiao Jun replied. "I just know that little information, I hope that help."

"I will try to give you a constant report." Xiao Tianyao and Xiao Jun walked toward his horse.

"Just be safe my brother." Xiao Jun looked up and smiled at him. "Ah, Tianyao…"

"Hmm?" He mumbled while checking his horse.

"Are you sure Luna is not a problem anymore?" Xiao Jun asked carefully.

Xiao Tianyao lifted his head and looked at his brother, eventually he shook his head, he still didn"t tell him about Luna"s pregnancy, therefore Xiao Jun still skeptical with Luna"s sudden change.

"She is not." He said curtly and resumed to check his food supply.

"Do you fall for her?"

Xiao Jun asked out of the blue that make Xiao Tianyao whipped his head with frown between his eyebrows and forehead. He curled his lips. "What is it now? How you can make theory like that?"

"So, it"s a "no"?" Xiao Jun wanted to be sure that Xiao Tianyao has really gotten rid of that woman.

"No." He said with straightforward expression.

"Glad to hear that." Xiao Jun helped Xiao Tianyao to put all of his things on the back of his horse. "I am glad I get my brother back." He patted Xiao Tianyao"s shoulder.

"Stop saying that! You give me cringe!" Xiao Tianyao swatted his hand on his shoulder mercilessly and mounted his horse in one jump. "I will go now."

"Be careful."

"I will give you an update as soon as possible." Xiao Tianyao then rode his horse away.

Like what he did before, Xiao Jun was standing on the empty road until Xiao Tianyao"s figure disappeared.

Their time together was surely very short and he didn"t know when they could be together again.

This road was indeed tiring, but he has been receiving many helping hands along the road and Xiao Jun was very grateful for that.

"Uncle Su and Prince Qi Xunyi will go." Qianru soft voice sounded from behind him, as he turned around he watched his wife with bashful smile was waiting for him.

Reaching out his hand to grab hers, he pulled her closer to his warm hug. "Thank you for being with me."

Didn"t know why Xiao Jun suddenly became so emotional like this, Qianru nodded her head and snuggled deeper to his chest. "Thank you for allowing me to be close to you."

***

"Jun… we are not going back to Rockstone Kingdom?" Qianru had just awoken from her sleep inside the carriage when she opened the curtain of the window, the misty fog was still hanging in the air while pale yellow color of the sunlight was not fully shinning yet.

At first Qianru didn"t recognize the road, but the ambience and the trees around them also the shape of houses and land around her was definitely not belong to Rockstone.

"We are in Azura?" Qianru widened her sleepy eyes, the breeze wind in the early morning brushed past her face and it felt refreshing. "We are in Azura right?" She kept asking Xiao Jun, who only looking at her with a faint smile on his lips.

"Yes we are." Finally Xiao Jun relented and answered her question, he reached out his arms and pulled Qianru close to him.

"But, why? We are not allowed to come, are we?" She lifted her face and looked at Xiao Jun, there was something sneaky written on his face that didn"t go unnoticed. "We are trespa.s.sing?" Qianru sat up abruptly when this realization hit her.

"Yes, we are trespa.s.sing." Xiao Jun cupped her tiny face between his palms and looked at her attentively. "Are you afraid?" He smoothen her wrinkle brows as he asked her.

Qianru gave some thought about his question.

Is she afraid?

Surprise? Yes, but no, she is not afraid.

The next second Qianru shook her head determinedly. "I am with someone who is capable enough to raise a riot between two nations without no one find out about it." Qianru smiled, a dazzling smile that could melt the winter snow. "Why should I afraid of trespa.s.sing?"

Right, as long as Xiao Jun was with her, she didn"t afraid because she knew he would keep her save. That was what he always did since they were little.

There was nothing to be afraid of…

Only, Qianru had not seen the worse that would be coming on her way.

"So, why are we here?" Qianru checked her surrounding through the window.

Behind them, there was a mountain that its summit reached the cloud, ahead from them was a long road that she didn"t know where it would take them, while on their right it was a small village.

"I have something to do here before we are going back to Rockstone." Xiao Jun explained, but he didn"t break down the detail about "something" that he would do.

Qianru had gotten used with him like this, so she didn"t ask further and only enjoy the view.

"It"s still early in the morning, why don"t you get some more sleep?" Xiao Jun suggested while caressing Qianru"s hair.

She rested her head on his laps as she curled her body into a ball. "It"s alright, I am not sleepy anymore… I will accompany you to chat…" She mumbled.

Although that was what she said, two minutes later her breath had become steady and her eyes shut close, even when there was noise outside she didn"t move.

"You said you will accompany me to chat." Xiao Jun softly knocked her head. "Liar." He grumbled.

Qianru slept until they arrived at an inn. Only then Xiao Jun woke her up.

"I feel like I have been living from inn to another inn in these past few days." Qianru covered her mouth as she yawned.

"Still sleepy?" Xiao Jun looked at her teary eyes as she let out another yawn. "You had been sleeping through our journey. You even said that you would accompany me for chat, but you fell asleep." Xiao Jun complained bitterly.

Looking at his sullen expression, Qianru giggling. "I think it"s because my body is not used to travel far yet, that is why I am tired easily." She tried to reasoning. "In the future it will be more better." she hooked her hands to him while entering, yet, another inn.

*** 

After uneventful afternoon Qianru went to bed early while Xiao Jun was still not changing his clothes.

"You are not going to sleep?" Qianru suddenly sat up when she realized that Xiao Jun was about to go.

"I will go out for a while." Xiao Jun walked to her on the bed and kissed her forehead. "Be good and sleep. I will return before dawn."

Qianru didn"t like it when Xiao Jun promised her something like this, because in the end she would end up waiting for him while he was nowhere to be found at the promised time.

"Where are you going? It"s so late." She frowned and tugged to his sleeves."Don"t go alright? I don"t want to be alone here."

Usually Qianru wouldn"t be so demanding like this, she would just ask after that, she would let him go.

"You will not be alone. Liu Wei and Feng Jin will be outside your door, if you need something you can ask them." Xiao Jun ruffled her hair, like he did to a child.

"You need to take Liu Wei with you…" She looked at Xiao Jun with concern in her eyes, especially when he carried out his sword with him.

Is he going to fight with someone?

It was unusual for Xiao Jun to leave Liu Wei behind and Qianru also didn"t want him to go alone, if something happened to him…

Qianru didn"t know what happened to her but her emotion was all over the place.

"It"s not necessary, it is not something dangerous." He patiently explained to her.

"But…" I want you to stay…

She didn"t say the last sentence out loud, but looking at her sullen expression, Xiao Jun couldn"t help but frown. "What happen? You are not usually like this."

"I don"t know…" Qianru shook her head and she spoke timidly. "My mood has been very bad recently."

"Why? Because of your kidnapping attempt before?" Xiao Jun"s eyes became concerned.

That was his fault for not calculated that part. She must be traumatized because of that though she didn"t show it in front of him.

"It"s alright…" He hugged her tightly while caressing her back.

Qianru wanted to say that he had misunderstood her, but his embrace was very comforting, so she didn"t say anything and let Xiao Jun to cuddle her.

Xiao Jun kept cuddling her like that for another minute until he felt she had dozing off.

It surprised him to see how fast she had fallen asleep, she had been sleeping all day and now she easily fell asleep again.

Carefully he laid her down to the bed and covered her body with blanket.

"I will return soon." Xiao Jun whispered to her ear, which she answered with incoherent mumbled.

He kissed her forehead, at this point it was something natural for him to kiss her like this and he liked the feeling that it brought, the feeling of belonging.Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click for visiting.

Xiao Jun left the room after he had made sure everything was alright, the window had been closed and she was warm under the blanket.

"Pay attention if there is strange move inside." Xiao Jun warned Liu Wei before he left.

"Leader Liu, why Master didn"t take you with him?" Feng Jin asked, it was strange even for him to see their Master went out without Liu Wei tag along.

Liu Wei just sat on the floor and leaned his back against the wall behind him. For people who didn"t know, they would think that Liu Wei had performed badly that was why instead of keeping him around, their master was prefer to go by his own.

"Don"t think too much about that, sometimes I need to take a break also. I will sleep first, you guard first." Liu Wei closed his eyes.

Right, he needed to take a break once in a while running errand for his master was very tiring, thus Liu Wei treated this as a simple vacation for him.

Feng Jin frowned, but couldn"t rebuke his leader.

***  

It had been a long time since Xiao Jun came to this resort, the last time he was here, their parents were still alive and Xiao Tianyao was not as annoying as he was now.

Since little his little brother used to follow his every step and used to call him whenever he couldn"t find him.

But now, they had different path and he wouldn"t follow him like he used to.

Xiao Jun felt slightly complicated with this decision of his, but he couldn"t let his brother to fall into the same trick again.

He didn"t very convince when Xiao Tianyao said he had taken care the matter with Luna, but now since Xiao Tianyao had freed from her spell, it was safer to get rid of it from the root.

Xiao Jun walked casually toward the entrance gates.

"Who is there!?" One of the guards snapped at him. "Show your face!"

Xiao Jun kept walking and when the light from the torch fell on him, those guards could see his face clearly.

"Prince Xiao Jun!" The haughty guard who had just snapped at him earlier fell on his knees to the ground and lowered his head.

The other guards who had heard he called out Xiao Jun"s name followed his action and gave Xiao Jun their utmost respect.

"You may rise." Xiao Jun stopped right before them.

Slowly they got back to their feet and informed Xiao Jun respectfully while opening the gates. "Prince Xiao Jun, your younger brother is not here at the moment."

"I know." Xiao Jun said curtly. He didn"t even spare them a glance as he strolled inside the resort.

Everything has not changed even after many years had pa.s.sed, all of this brought back an old memory for him. Such a great day they had had.

The two guards who were following him looked at each other in confusion.

If he didn"t come to see their master, so what Prince Xiao Jun came for?

As if he understood what they were concerning, Xiao Jun turned around and looked at them. "Bring me to the woman named Luna that my brother brought here."

The two of them blinked their eyes in disbelief.

Why Prince Xiao Jun came in the middle of the night and asked to meet their Master"s woman?