It Turns out that I am Beautiful, Strong and Miserable [Quick Wear] - 88

 

ITOTIABSAM | Young General | 88

Thud, thud.

The shadow on the screen remained unmoved as Xie Ye was completely enveloped in the hot water. He bent his fingers, curved his lips, mischievously tapping on the edge of the bathtub.

This form of communication, resembling a secret code or reminder, instantly brought Gu Cong back to reality. He coughed uncomfortably and walked towards the bed, feeling somewhat awkward and clumsy in his movements.

These are completely different matters, Gu Cong thought.

The young man and his unruly subordinates seemed like creatures from two different worlds, rendering all his previous experiences in dealing with men useless.

Especially when the other emerged from behind the screen, his long hair loose and wearing only an undergarment. As the candles on the dragon and phoenix candlesticks crackled and burst, Gu Cong couldn't help but realize clearly that this was their wedding chamber.

And sitting on the bed, he must have appeared to the other as if he were ready to fulfill his husbandly duties.

—With so many chairs around, why didn't he just sit down?

But soon, he didn't have time to dwell on these endless thoughts. Without support, it was evident that the young man's feet were still lame, limping as he moved in and out of the bathtub.

Putting aside all his tangled thoughts, Gu Cong stepped forward and supported him. "Where's the medicine?"

The young man paused and pointed to the wedding robes.

With the other's movements, a faint and refreshing fragrance lingered around his nose, like the scent of a snowy forest that only becomes noticeable up close. Gu Cong initially thought it was from the clothing, but he hadn't expected that even after bathing, the young man still retained this fragrance.

His nose twitched unconsciously a few times as Gu Cong helped the young man sit on the bed. He was about to search for medicine in the wedding robes when his sleeve was gently pulled.

Shaking his head slightly, the young man's free hand reached behind two adjacent soft pillows. Sure enough, he found a round jar slightly smaller than a woman's palm. The jar was delicately shaped and contained a smooth ointment when opened.

It was this fragrance, slightly too sweet.

Rolling up his pants, the young man's left ankle was visibly swollen, resembling a small steamed bun. Applying medicine to this spot alone would be troublesome, and although Gu Cong wanted to help, he hesitated upon seeing the other's skin, smoother than milk, compared to the calluses on his own hands. He quietly withdrew his hand behind his back.

Though both were men, the young man's feet were visibly smaller, slender, and delicate, as if they had never traversed a long road. His toes were round and even had a hint of pale pink.

Despite simply wanting to watch the other apply the ointment, Gu Cong inexplicably felt a twinge of unease. Without showing any signs of hesitation, he shifted his gaze to the joyous candles on the table, finding something to say, "How did Qian Bo prepare this in advance?"

With him supporting the young man, no one should be able to tell that Xie Ye had twisted his foot.

Whew.

As if even his breathing had slowed down, the room suddenly became unusually quiet. After waiting for what seemed like an eternity without the other person writing on his hand, Gu Cong turned his head and saw the young man tightly holding onto the small round jar. The earlobe, not covered by his dark hair, was tinted with a blush that trailed down his neck.

Sensing his own gaze, the other person's lips moved slightly, but as usual, no sound came out. Then, as if giving up altogether, he raised his hand and reached for Gu Cong's belt.

Gu Cong understood immediately.

He understood that he couldn't understand any further.

Although he had never thought about truly marrying the other person before arriving at the Xie Mansion today, let alone how two men should... But the instinct of a male animal still allowed him to grasp the gist in an instant. Then, without hesitation, he pressed down on the young man's hand.

"I didn't mean it that way," fearing that this statement might be misunderstood as disdain, Gu Cong casually found a reason, "Wait until you recover from your injury."

Almost thinking he was about to land in hot water, 1101 breathed a long sigh of relief.

There were no bandages in the room, so Xie Ye patiently waited until the ointment was absorbed before lying down. Naturally, he reached out and took Gu Cong's hand. "General, aren't you going to change clothes?"

General.

It seemed that except for the unexpected fall earlier, whenever he addressed him, it was with this same title, just like everyone else. But he hadn't done anything wrong on this journey.

As he undid his belt with one hand, Gu Cong took off his ceremonial robes. "How could you have spoken during the welcoming ceremony?"

"Is it because of the shock, or something that old woman taught you?" Gu Cong asked.

Xie Ye blinked innocently.

Nowadays, he could still speak if he tried, but the feeling of exerting so much effort just to squeeze out a few words was too exhausting. Without any sweetness, he didn't feel like it.

But Gu Cong took this silence as affirmation from the young man. Sitting down on the edge of the bed with interest, he spoke in a clear and melodious voice, "Xie... Ye."

Xie Ye's eyes curved into a smile.

He liked it when the other person called him by his name.

Gu Cong had just tried it out, but seeing the young man's smile, he felt relaxed. Pushing the only blanket toward him, he said straightforwardly, "Go to sleep."

The next moment, the bright red quilt was pulled back over him.

...

Staring at each other for a few seconds, Gu Cong found that he couldn't resist Xie Ye's persistence. Reluctantly, he scooted closer and ended up lying on the same bed, under the same blanket, with the person he had met just a day ago.

Even though they had become family and undergone the rituals, Gu Cong didn't think he would sleep soundly with this "stranger" beside him.

But as it turned out, not only did he fall asleep, but he also slept through the entire night without any dreams. When he woke up, he even missed the usual time for getting up to practice swordsmanship.

The front of his shirt had been pushed open slightly, and the shallow breaths fell upon it. At some point, the young man, who had originally kept a fist's distance from him, had already nestled into his arms. From Gu Cong's perspective, he could just see the young man's curled eyelashes casting a faint shadow under his eyes.

And his arm was securely wrapped around the young man's waist, no matter how you looked at it, it seemed like he had pulled the person closer first.

Having never experienced such an intimate moment with anyone before, Gu Cong was just about to release his grip and sit up when the person in his arms opened his eyes.

Caught red-handed.

Thankfully, the other person seemed to still be half asleep. His phoenix eyes flicked over Gu Cong before closing again, as if reassured by his presence, just like last night.

Gu Cong wasn't sure where this completely irrational trust from the other person came from, but he had to admit, he felt quite touched, as comfortable as drinking a bowl of steaming hot mutton soup on a winter night.

Xie Ye was a man, and although he was slender, his frame was delicate. Compared to himself, he still felt soft when held. Gu Cong patiently waited for a while longer until someone outside called out in a sneaky manner, "General, General."

Quickly throwing on his outer robe, Gu Cong got out of bed and carried the person to a distant place.

The disgruntled Lu Jin scratched his head, "You clearly told me to come and report when I saw that old woman returning to the palace."

"And what time is it now?" He discreetly pointed at the sky. Lu Jin muttered, "You're not even at the martial arts field."

"Beautiful women dwell where heroes lie, ancient wisdom has not deceived me."

"Stop babbling," Gu Cong said sternly, pretending to kick the other person. "Speak."

"There's not much useful information, just that person in your room," Lu Jin said, dodging skillfully to the side. "He used a hairpin to prick the old woman's neck. Look at her grimace. She's probably going to complain to the noble consort." He straightened up.

He had never expected that this seemingly gentle Xie gentleman would have such courage.

Gu Cong frowned. "He was wearing a jade hairpin." The end was rounded; how could it harm someone?

"General, you observe very carefully," Lu Jin shrugged and casually said, "He was probably pushed too far. Even a rabbit will bite when cornered."

"But it's good that he has this temper. If he were bullied and only knew how to endure or cry, it would be hard for him in Sanggan City."

Sanggan City, located within the territory of Shuozhou, was where they had been stationed for years. Not far to the northwest of the city, one could see vast expanses of grassland. In recent years, with the waning of warfare, many grassland people had come to the city to do business. They were rough and tough, and no one could gain acceptance based solely on their status.

Bringing up this topic, Lu Jin couldn't help but ask, "General, His Majesty exempted you from the early court for three days. Does that mean we can return after you express your gratitude?"

"While the capital may be lively, there are too many rules, and people's smiles feel fake. It's uncomfortable to stay here for long."

"Yesterday, when those courtiers came to congratulate you, I observed them secretly. Each one of them seemed like they could change their faces at any moment. I'd rather be on the battlefield than deal with them."

Gu Cong remained noncommittal.

The summons back to the capital this time was simply because the achievements of the general's residence had already been rewarded to the fullest. If he agreed to marry Xie Ye and let the Gu family end here, then naturally everyone would be happy. At the very least, it could buy several years of peace and quiet.

If he refused, it would be defiance of the imperial decree, likely leading to a fate similar to what happened to the Xifu household all those years ago.

There was inevitably a chill in his heart, but over the years, the old emperor had become increasingly suspicious, even suppressing his own sons. Gu Cong was well prepared for such eventualities.

"Currently, the border appears peaceful, but it's the result of years of probing and balancing of power between both sides. Without my presence to keep things in check, the flames of war will surely reignite. Just this alone should be enough to convince the one on the Dragon Throne to let me go back," Gu Cong remarked.

"Wait and see," he added, noticing the disgruntled expression on Lu Jin's face. "It should happen soon."

"And, next time, don't squat in front of my door so early in the morning."

Lu Jin, now reprimanded, looked up at the sky again. Early? Was it really that early?

Indeed, being married changed things.

Gu Cong rose from his seat. He didn't like being waited on, so he fetched water and washed up himself. When he returned, the young man in bed was also awake, clad in the ordinary clothes left by Qianbo in the bedchamber. On the other hand, Xie Ye was still wearing the festive red outer garment, resembling a lantern.

"Yesterday, that old woman and the maids were all sent away," he explained while changing clothes. Gu Cong asked, "Do you have any familiar maids? I can help redeem them."

Xie Ye shook his head.

The younger brother was set on seeking revenge and wouldn't form deep relationships with anyone.

Gu Cong frowned slightly. "What about friends?"

Again, Xie Ye shook his head.

If it weren't for being in the capital city, and even the entire Yan Dynasty without any attachments, Xie Ye wouldn't have gambled everything and thrown himself into the enemy camp.

"In that case, come with me to Sanggan City," Gu Cong, who seldom comforted anyone, hesitated for a moment before squeezing out a sentence, "There, nobody knows you. It's a place where you can start anew."

A warm and cool sensation passed through his palm. "Is it very far?"

Gu Cong replied honestly, "Very far, it feels like reaching the edge of the sky."

The writing stopped.

Just when Gu Cong thought Xie Ye was afraid of the unknown and still wanted to stay in the capital city, those delicate fingertips moved again, writing with great seriousness, seemingly troubled:

"But I don't know how to ride a horse."

Where would a sedan chair come from during a march?

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The author has something to say:

1101: Pretend, just keep pretending, there will always be a time when you mess up.

(There really will be, hahaha)