The Rogue Lord

page views:1 Publication date:2023-03-23

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Although the title "Lord Su" was bestowed upon him by the Emperor in front of all the officials, making
him a first-rank noble with a status "second only to the Emperor," he was still somehow inferior to the Emperor. His constant lack of respect for others made the Emperor fear that Lord Su
's head might one day be chopped off!
Alas… but then again, Lord Su's carefree, roguish demeanor wasn't his true nature! His nonchalant
and nonchalant attitude in front of others was entirely for his own freedom. Since ancient times
, the capable have been burdened with many tasks, but he deliberately feigned incompetence, hoping to gain some fresh air. Therefore, the officials
privately called him "the rogue lord," not understanding why the Emperor valued him so highly.
Ge Mufeng Su accepted this less-than-flattering title with relish; however, he couldn't fool
Deji, who constantly assigned him strange tasks. Take the last time they searched for the little princess, for example—it left
him drenched in sweat! But that little princess… hehe!
“Why are you so nervous? My relationship with the Emperor is different from others. I’m his sworn brother, his confidant, and
most importantly… I have leverage over him!” Ge Mufeng chuckled, his mischievous eyes
filled with a playful glint.
“Uh, I see.” Lu Yi frowned, nodding as if he understood.
“Anyway, my relationship with the Emperor is something you can’t understand.” With a flick of his sleeve, Ge Mufeng quickened his pace
toward the inner palace gardens.
Reaching only Purple Pod Lake, Ge Mufeng was captivated by the shimmering water and clouds before him. He stopped, his gaze drawn to
the shimmering lake and the clear, sparkling water.
Gazing ahead, Ge Mufeng Su's eyes narrowed slightly. "Luyi, look,
how wonderful it would be to settle down in such a beautiful place in my old age."
"Lord Su, you're joking. If you just ask the Emperor for a reward, it wouldn't be a
problem for him to give you this land," Luyi said bluntly.
"Tch, I'm not referring to the palace, but a rural mountain forest," Ge Mufeng Su shook his head. Why
is it always like "talking to a brick wall" when talking to this personal servant?
"What? Lord Su, why do you want to live in such a place?" Luyi asked, puzzled. Usually, people strive to climb the social ladder,
so why would the Lord want to go to the countryside? The Lord is usually quite clever, so why does he seem so indifferent to worldly affairs now?
"It's peaceful! I really don't like this life of running around all the time, it's depressing!" Ge Mufeng Su tilted his head
, looking at the scenery before him, and that thought seemed to deepen.
"Oh." Lu Yi remained bewildered.
"Heh, it's alright if you don't understand." Patting Lu Yi's cheek, Ge Mufengsu continued walking forward.
Not long after passing Purple Pod Lake, Ge Mufengsu stopped again. Lu Yi asked in surprise, "Lord Su, why did you
stop?"
"Listen." Ge Mufengsu narrowed his eyes slightly.
The two listened intently and indeed heard a magnificent and melodious zither music coming from afar. But soon, the melodious tune changed
, becoming slightly mournful and sorrowful, lingering and sobbing… as if a thread was pulling at his heart, plucking
all the resentment and sorrow hidden deep within him—the hatred and grief of being far from home—onto the strings of the zither. Of course, Lu Yi couldn't understand these implications
, but Ge Mufengsu's brows furrowed even more tightly.
"You stay here and wait for me."
After giving these instructions, Ge Mufengsu quickened his pace and walked forward. Through the bamboo fence, he saw Deji reclining on
a low couch in the garden, listening with his eyes closed.
The zither player sitting opposite him was dancing with his fingers, sometimes like a calm stream flowing through dense forests and narrow valleys, gently
flowing on the riverbed, intoxicating the listener; sometimes like a clear spring gushing forth, surging and rushing towards the sea, as exciting and
leaping as ten thousand horses galloping...
Ge Mufengsu slowed his pace and saw the player striking the zither and pressing the strings. The movements of his fingers became more intense,
moving rapidly before his eyes, producing high-pitched and magnificent notes. The intricate melody was like hundreds of eagles swooping
down, with the momentum of a thousand troops, leaving the listener stunned and astonished.
As the music ended, Deji clapped and cheered, smiling as he said, "Excellent! Go and claim your reward."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." The man stood up, placed the instrument into a black cloth bag, and exchanged a
long, uneasy glance with Ge Mufengsu as he left.
"A rare guest, what brings you here?" Deji sat up straight, smiling at Ge Mufengsu, who was dressed in magnificent robes.
Deji was the current emperor, having reigned for only two years, yet he had managed the entire Qing Dynasty with remarkable
efficiency, creating a rare golden age.
In fact, the late emperor had intended to pass the throne to his sixth son, Aisin Gioro Qijin, but Qijin loved only his
wife, Yilu Yuyan, and had moved south three years prior. Before leaving, Qijin had suggested to the late emperor that the Ninth Prince, Deji,
be made Crown Prince.
Deji lived up to expectations, dedicating himself to various cultural developments, legal reforms, and tax reductions after ascending the throne.
These actions truly earned him prestige; otherwise, he would have harbored resentment towards this acquired throne.
"I had no choice but to wear this old embroidered robe; the Forbidden City guards wouldn't let me in," Ge
Mufengsu said, pointing to his blue satin robe with gold embroidery, his words laced with teasing.
He hadn't been to the palace for half a year, and most of the guards didn't recognize him. This robe, a gift from Deji, was perfect for
showcasing his unique status.
Their connection dates back to when they were ten years old. Ge Mufengsu, the eldest son of Prince Gong and a Beile (a
high-ranking noble), had a close relationship with Deji since childhood, inseparable.
That year, Deji sneaked out of the palace but was unfortunately captured by rebels. Although he managed to escape the enemy's lair using his cleverness,
he was completely lost in the deep mountains and wilderness. At this moment, Ge Mufengsu, who was a year older than him, arrived in time with his family guards and
rescued him.
Because of this, Deji completely trusted Ge Mufengsu. Even after ascending the throne, the two only had brotherly
affection, with no distinction between ruler and subject.
"Long time no see, I really missed you." Deji smiled at Ge Mufengsu and said in a sickeningly sweet tone.
"Missed me?" Ge Mufengsu swayed and chuckled dryly, "Hehe... I almost fainted."
"You don't believe me?"
"Look at you lying here leisurely and elegantly listening to the music, would you miss me?" Ge Mufengsu's clear eyes
held a knowing look that saw through everything.
"You think I'm idle? I was getting chills just now." Deji laughed heartily, pursed his lips,
sat up straight, and his face still had an unrestrainedly lazy expression.
"You heard it?" Ge Mufengsu narrowed his eyes. "Even I broke out in a cold sweat!"
He playfully rubbed his arms as he spoke.
"Come on." Deji glanced at Ge Mufengsu. "Tell me what you felt."
"I'm a coward, but I felt a strong killing intent." Ge Mufengsu leaned against a pillar, striking his most dashing pose
.
"Indeed."
"By the way, where did that person come from?" Ge Mufengsu's teasing expression turned unusually serious.
"Yumen. However, his tune was full of the warlike killing intent of the Western Mongols, so I think he must be
connected to the Western Mongols. They were repeatedly defeated by our Qing's large-scale expeditions recently, so they hold a grudge and are looking for
an opportunity to provoke us." Deji said confidently.
"As expected of the Emperor." Ge Mufengsu forced a smile. "But I'm curious, how could you allow
someone like this to enter the palace and even play a solo in front of you? Isn't that dangerous?"
"Who told me I'm such a zither enthusiast? There are very few people in Beijing who can play the zither, let alone play it well.
I had to invite the most talented musician from Yumen to play in the palace. Who knew that listening to him would cause me so much unease
and sweat?" Deji acted out a startled expression with great skill, but only Ge Mufengsu saw the smile in his eyes
and the deep calculation in his heart.
"However... it's surprising that he didn't take the opportunity to make a move." Ge Mufengsu raised an eyebrow.
"It's not that he didn't want to make a move, it's just that you came, and he gave up." Although Deji had been listening intently, he
had also grasped the other party's every move with certainty.
"You are the ruler of a nation; it's best to avoid risky ventures." Ge Mufengsu shook his head, glancing at Deji.
"
The Mongols are determined to crush us. Can I be so cowardly as to hide in the palace and do nothing? Besides, they
possess strange weapons from those foreigners. How can I sit idly by and wait to die? Tell me... shouldn't we think of a way?"
The weapon Deji mentioned was the then-emerging gunpowder technology.
From Deji's thoughtful gaze, one could guess that he was already considering Ge Mufengsu's plan.
Ge Mufengsu coughed lightly, feigning ignorance. "Yes, we must think of a way."
"You have a good plan?" Deji picked up a teacup from the table and slowly walked towards Ge Mufengsu. "The journey is long; you must
be tired. Have some tea."
"Uh, thank you, Your Majesty." Ge Mufengsu turned his hand away, his eyes flickering slightly. Deji's kindness came somewhat
abruptly, giving him the illusion that dark clouds were about to descend. "I've only just entered the palace, what ideas could I possibly have?"
"Sigh!" Deji sighed deeply upon hearing this.
"Your Majesty, what's wrong?" Ge Mufengsu quickly put down his teacup, only then realizing that he had come at the worst possible
time, but it was too late for regrets.
"There's someone who clearly has ability, yet he pretends to be all shrewd and doesn't utter a sound." The Emperor touched his brow, complaining with a mournful
voice, but a mischievous, playful glint flashed in his eyes.
"What? Who is it? Who has such audacity?" When it comes to pretending, Ge Mufengsu is no pushover either
!
"Do you think that person should be punished?" Deji asked in a low voice, pursing his lips.
Ge Mufeng Su secretly observed, "Yes... he should be punished."
Deji slowly walked back to the low couch, reclined on it, and smiled lazily, "Alright! Then I'll punish that actor by
making him think of a way!"
"What? Think of a way!" Ge Mufeng Su raised an eyebrow, then began to grin foolishly and feign ignorance, "Yes...
he should be taught a way."
"Do you know who I'm referring to? It's the famous 'Lord Su,' Ge Mufeng Su." Deji flashed a
very sweet smile.
"I say... Your Majesty, you might have misunderstood this matter. I just returned to Beijing and
have nothing to do with it. What method am I supposed to come up with? Besides, I'm the most incompetent 'rogue lord' in the eyes of the ministers.
Please don't bother an incompetent like me, okay?"
"Incompetent?" Deji narrowed his eyes, "Have you ever heard the saying?"
"Uh... please enlighten me, Your Majesty." Now Ge Mufeng Su was extremely obsequious.
"Great wisdom appears as foolishness."
Those four words left Ge Mufeng speechless, forcing him to continue feigning ignorance. "What do those four words
mean?"
"Fine, you're incompetent, aren't you? Then don't you admit you're a Manchu?" Deji
looked at him with an inscrutable gaze.
"Of course I'm a Manchu," Ge Mufeng said, pursing his lips.
"If you're a Manchu, you should obey my orders." Deji's words startled Ge Mufeng again.
After a long hesitation, he finally spoke, "But I don't have time! I just returned from the south and am about to go to the north.
All my itinerary is arranged."
He tried to avoid it if possible, knowing this task wouldn't be easy, and besides, he had no interest in state affairs and didn't
need to waste his energy on it.
"What did you say? You're going to the north! Aren't you afraid of being captured and beheaded by the Mongol soldiers?" Deji raised an eyebrow.
"I can wear plain clothes, or disguise myself as a Hui person, whatever is convenient for me. I'm just going there
to enjoy the scenery. I have no intention of getting involved in this conflict." The clever Ge Mufeng thought he could clear himself of
all responsibility, but little did he know that Deji's schemes against him were growing ever deeper.
"Since you're going north, it's convenient for you to travel to Xinjiang for me, how about you go?"
"So, I still can't refuse?" Ge Mufeng Su sighed.
"Don't forget, you are Lord Su, naturally you have to do something for the people of our Great Qing Dynasty. If you accomplish
this, I'll take you wherever you want to go, how about it?" Deji quickly grasped Ge Mufeng Su's
weakness, making him reluctant to refuse.
"Really?" Fearing Deji might change his mind, Ge Mufeng Su asked again.
"Of course, do you want me to write you a contract?" "
No, no, how could I dare to ask the Emperor to write me a contract? Even if I'm really deceived, I can only
smile awkwardly." Ge Mufeng Su chuckled again.
"You, you're so cunning." Deji shook his head with a smile.
"You're wrong, no matter how cunning I am, I can't compare to Your Majesty's shrewdness." Ge Mufeng Su's lips curled into a
bright smile.
"Easy." Deji smiled smugly.
"Alright, Your Majesty, can you now tell me the purpose of your trip to Xinjiang?" The joke was over; it was
time to get back to the main topic.
"I've heard that the young master of the second elder of the Xinjiang tribe is an expert in gunpowder research and manufacturing, so I'd like to ask you to
persuade him to come and help our Great Qing." Deji shifted his posture and stated his purpose.
"Gunpowder?" Ge Mufengsu's eyes widened, a hint of astonishment on his handsome face.
"That's right." Deji's lips curled into a wicked smile.
"Then why me? There are plenty of capable and talented officials in our Great Qing Dynasty. I'm sure
they'll be more efficient and do a better job than me." Ge Mufengsu continued to "decline,"
for he only sought a carefree life, and unnecessary responsibilities were merely pressure to him.
"What you say is true, but in our Great Qing Dynasty, you are the only one who holds the title of Duke. Since I have
stated before all the ministers that your status is below mine but above all others, shouldn't you, the second most talented man in the Great Qing Dynasty, also contribute
your efforts?" Deji smiled broadly, staring intently at Ge Mufeng's handsome and extraordinary face.
Ge Mufeng stared at Deji speechlessly, absurdly having the illusion that all of this was
orchestrated by Deji, deliberately leading him into this situation.
"Don't remain silent. The situation is urgent. Just say it: will you do it or not?" Deji softened his expression,
smiling meaningfully.
Ge Mufeng, who had been silent all along, finally let out a series of heartfelt laughs, his attitude shifting from the politeness between ruler and subject to one of deep
camaraderie.
"I say, Deji, your words, though spoken with a gentle, sweet touch, are like knives, piercing my heart,
making it difficult for me to refuse. Alas... who told you to be the Emperor and mere subject? If the Emperor says one thing
, I cannot say another; if he commands me to ascend to heaven, I cannot descend to earth. Given this, how can I refuse?"
Ge Mufeng Su's words, though tinged with more helplessness than anger, were still laced with intense sarcasm.
Deji shook his head, looking at the handsome Ge Mufeng Su—in the entire world... only he dared to
speak to him in such a tone.
"It's even better that you think this way. Time is of the essence; you must set off quickly and bring Kaihe'er
back within three months." Since he was so prone to grumbling, he might as well shorten the timeframe so that he could end this
nightmare sooner.
"What? Three months!" Ge Mufeng Su frowned deeply. He realized that the round trip alone would take up most of the time;
what could he possibly do in just over a month?
"To help you accomplish this as soon as possible and realize your dream of traveling far away, I have no choice but to whip you to speed things up
and escape this nightmare. I wish you success!"
Deji smiled, then clapped his hands twice. Soon, a young eunuch rushed in from outside,
kneeling on one knee. "Yes, Your Majesty, do you have any orders?"
"Quickly prepare a carriage, one million taels of gold, five attendants, four servants, and
three maids for Lord Su. Most importantly, prepare a chest of fine embroidered robes."
"Wait!" Ge Mufeng was completely confused. "Are you preparing my 'dowry'? I don't
need these things."
"Don't forget, the journey back to Xinjiang is long. If you don't bring enough clothes, gold, silver, and food, you'll suffer
and curse me for being heartless. So I have to think of everything for you." Deji said with a smile.
"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. I'm not going to Xinjiang with my dowry; please
waive these elaborate gifts. I only need my little servant, Luyi, with me."
The things he said sounded like a woman's dowry, making him feel uneasy.
"You really won't allow my arrangement?" Deji's brows furrowed suddenly.
Now he was worried about Ge Mufeng's safety. Even a fool could tell that Ge Mufeng
would face many dangers on the journey, and he had planned to send guards to accompany him to prevent any misfortune. But this guy
had actually refused his offer.
"No need, no need at all. Too many people will only cause trouble and be a burden. I'll be fine as I am
." Ge Mufeng knew perfectly well what Deji was thinking. He was just deliberately refusing Deji to make
Deji feel a little worried, guilty, and troubled, so that Deji wouldn't force him to do things without his consent in the future.
Therefore, seeing Deji's worried expression, Ge Mufeng Su couldn't help but feel extremely smug. It was clear that even
the emperor, who was "above all others," would worry about him, a mere "second only to the emperor.
" "Alright, alright, time is of the essence, I have to go." The mischievous Ge Mufeng Su waved his hand and was about to
walk back out of the fenced garden.
"Hey, you're just leaving like that?" Deji quickly called out to Ge Mufeng Su.
"That's right." Ge Mufeng Su nodded matter-of-factly.
"But... you're not taking anything with you, I haven't even sent anyone to give you any money yet." Seeing that he was about to leave like this
, Deji's heart really clenched.
"No need for the money, the salary you give me every month is enough for me to eat and drink for a long time, um... thinking about how I've been eating and drinking for free
for several years, I do feel a little guilty. This time, when I return to Xinjiang from my visit, consider it payment for the salaries of those white-collar workers."
A strange light flashed in Ge Mufeng Su's dark eyes.
Deji stared at Ge Mufengsu's well-acted body language, thinking; this guy really has a stubborn temper. If he's not convinced,
he'll use a self-inflicted injury to force him to comply. Sigh... who can blame him when Ge Mufengsu is his savior and he dotes on him?
"Fine, fine, if you really don't want to go, I won't force you." Deji sighed.
"Your Majesty, you really don't need me to go?" Ge Mufengsu tilted his head, looking at Deji's sorrowful expression.
"Are you serious or lying?"
"Lying." Deji suddenly raised his eyes, staring intently at Ge Mufengsu, and asked fiercely, "Are you going to bring
the guards I arranged to protect you?"
"Uh! I... I'll bring them." Ge Mufengsu jumped back in fright.
"I'll ask you again, are you going to bring servants and maids to serve you?" A sharp beam appeared in Deji's eyes.
"Yes... I definitely will." Ge Mufengsu glanced upwards, looking helpless.
"And..."
"And?"
"Are you taking one million taels of gold with you?" Taking a large step forward, Deji's nose was almost touching Ge Mufengsu
's face.
"Your...Your Majesty, please step back, this will cause misunderstandings." Ge Mufengsu swallowed hard,
his beautiful eyes widening as he stared at Deji's arrogant face.
"Where are we going to get here? Stop beating around the bush, just tell me, are you taking it or not?" Deji knew
that Ge Mufengsu was stubborn and wouldn't listen to reason, so he had to use his authority to intimidate him before he would behave
. "Yes, yes, yes, sigh...how could I not take it?" Ge Mufengsu sighed. He had encountered a tyrant, so
he had no choice but to accept his fate.
"That's more like it." Deji pursed his lips, crossed his arms, and smiled at Ge Mufengsu.
"Then, Your Majesty, when should I set off?" He might as well let the Emperor decide this matter as well.
"I'll let you rest for two days. We'll set off the day after tomorrow." Deji smiled slyly.
"Yes." Ge Mufeng replied weakly. He thought to himself: He'll be busy preparing things these two days,
how can he rest? Sigh... It's truly a case of "when the ruler commands the subject to die, the subject has no choice but to die!"
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This long journey has been quite arduous for Ge Mufeng. Along the way, he had to pass through three desert areas—
the Mu Us Desert, the Badain Jaran Desert, and the Hakumudag Desert, so the heat was unimaginable. He finally
arrived at Hotan Station, intending to rest for the night and then head to Kashgar, a tribal county in Xinjiang
, early the next morning to find someone. Just then, he heard a shouting voice coming from the street.
"You stinking beggar, how dare you steal my things and run away! Come back here right now, or I won't let
you off the hook!"
Ge Mufeng turned around and saw a little beggar rushing towards him.
"Ah! Who is it? Who's blocking my way?" The little beggar suddenly looked up, and in the instant their eyes locked,
her eyes lit up.
She grabbed Ge Mufeng's hand, hid under his arm, and turned to the burly man chasing after her, shouting:
"Hey, see him? He's my brother, don't mess with me!"
"You filthy beggar, you're just grabbing people to be your brothers, don't you even look at this gentleman, dressed so respectably? How could
you possibly be worthy of him?" The burly man pointed at her dirty face and cursed.
"Hey, how can you judge a book by its cover? You're so sure I can't be friends with this old man?" The little beggar
cleared her throat and patted Ge Mufeng's chest. "Brother, tell him about our relationship."
Ge Mufeng squinted, smiling at her lazy, unsteady posture, and turned to the burly man, saying,
"Go ahead and grab him, I don't know him at all."
"I told you, you beggar, you're just a liar. Be careful your mouth rots."
The burly man started chasing again, and the little beggar could only circle around Ge Mufeng. "You
stinky man, you have no compassion! Are you happy to see me being chased like this? Heartless, truly heartless!
Look at you, you look decent enough, whoever marries you will be unlucky!" Ge Mufeng just pursed his lips and winked at Lu Yi, who immediately pulled a 　　gold ingot
from his satchel and handed it to him. 　　"Can this offset what he stole?" Ge Mufengsu asked the burly man. 　　"This..." 　　The burly man's eyes nearly popped out when he saw the gleaming gold ingot, but the next moment, 　　the ingot in his hand was snatched away by the little beggar! 　　The little beggar cried out, "Are you stupid? I only stole two steamed buns from him. You're exchanging this for him? Would 　　n't that make this stingy shopkeeper ecstatic?" 　　"The problem is, you stole his things, so it's your duty to compensate him. If you don't want it, then I'll take it back." 　　Ge Mufengsu said, deftly snatching the gold ingot back while the little beggar wasn't paying attention. 　　"Uh... no, I want it, I want it." 　　The little beggar hurriedly grabbed the ingot from Ge Mufengsu's hand, then stretched out his hand to Ge Mufengsu, "I've saved 　　him to the Western Paradise, so give me three taels of silver, okay?" 　　"You think one ingot of gold isn't enough?" Lu Yi said, unable to bear it any longer. 　　"It's not that I think it's too little, it's that I need something else." The little beggar's big, bright eyes stared intently at Ge Mufengsu, 　　as if it were his fault for not taking out three taels of silver. 　　Ge Mufengsu didn't want to deal with this cunning boy, but he also didn't appreciate the stingy shopkeeper. So, he ordered Lu Yi 　　to take out three taels of silver and hand it to the little beggar. "Is this alright?" " 　　Thanks." 　　The little beggar said, hiding the silver ingot inside his thick coat, then handing the three taels of silver to the shopkeeper. "This 　　amount can buy thirty steamed buns. I'll leave it with you for now; you still owe me twenty-eight steamed buns. " 　　Ha, what a greedy and shrewd fellow 　　! "Hey, you stinking beggar, where's my gold? What are you doing?" The shopkeeper's eyes widened. 　　"Don't you understand? I just don't want your stingy boss to swindle away those shiny gold ingots." 　　The little beggar tilted his head and smiled at him, then turned to look at Ge Mufeng Su standing behind him. "Hey, I like 　　you. There are very few people in this world as generous as you. Judging from your demeanor and the large number of people you've brought, 　　you must be from a wealthy family, right?" As he spoke, he would occasionally nudge Ge Mufeng Su's chest with his cane.

Ge Mufengsuo suddenly grabbed his hand. "Little brother, I've done what I could to help. The gold ingot you have should
be enough for you to live comfortably for a while. I advise you to find a proper job. It's shameful to be chased around all the time."
Then, Ge Mufengsuo gave a look, and Lu Yi immediately shouted, and the carriage pulled up. Ge
Mufengsuo nimbly leaped onto the carriage.
"Hey... can you tell me where you're going?" The little beggar followed the carriage relentlessly
.
"I plan to find a place to rest here and head to Kashgar early tomorrow morning," Ge Mufengsuo replied casually
.
"You're going to Kashgar?" The little beggar's eyes widened, and his legs suddenly stopped.
Seeing his strange reaction, Ge Mufengsu immediately signaled the driver to stop the carriage, jumped down, and walked towards the little beggar. "Look at
you, is there anything wrong with me going to Kashgar?"
"If... if you want to go to Kashgar, you shouldn't be taking this road under construction. There's no way to get
there from here." The little beggar lowered his face, a hint of sadness in his eyes.
"Really? But as far as I know, this is the fastest way to get to Kashgar." Ge Mufengsu
looked at the little beggar's somewhat lost expression with suspicion.
"That's right, it used to be a fast way, but half a year ago, a huge earthquake caused the entire mountain range
to shift, and that road was destroyed." The little beggar said very seriously.
"Is that really true?" Ge Mufengsu's pupils suddenly narrowed, staring directly at the road he was originally going to take,
thinking to himself: What should I do now?
"Young man, this road is impassable. Where should we go?" Lu Yi was anxious.
He and his master had endured countless hardships recently, especially life in the desert, which was not for ordinary people.
He didn't want to waste any more time.
"Of course I know the way, but..." The little beggar smiled knowingly.
"Tell me, what is your purpose?" Ge Mufeng Su saw through his intentions at a glance.
"Uh—I..."
Looking at the man before him, the little beggar felt a surge of admiration. His clothes clearly indicated he was from
the Central Plains, and his status and position were not to be underestimated. Just looking at the servants and maids he brought, and
the carefree manner with which he just took out a gold ingot, one could get a sense of his importance.
"You're clever. Actually, my intention is very simple. I just hope you can take me with you. I can not only
show you the way, but also introduce you to the local customs and culture. Wouldn't that be convenient for you?" The little beggar smiled,
his gaze fixed on Ge Mufeng Su's sharp eyes.
She stared at him for a long time, but he didn't respond to a word. She grew anxious and couldn't help but ask, "So,
what's the deal? Are you going to agree or not?"
Ge Mufeng Su revealed a suspicious expression, as if trying to glean clues from the little beggar's bright eyes.
He crossed his arms and asked in a deep voice, "Where are you from?"
"I'm from Kashgar, but unfortunately, a huge earthquake struck here, and I can't go back.
That's why I'm a beggar here." She pouted, looking utterly miserable.
"What's your name?" Feng Su calmly asked, his ever-changing expression unchanged.
"My name is... my name is Xiao Xiao." Her eyes darted around, as if intentionally avoiding the question.
Ge Mufeng Su grinned. "Alright, get in the carriage! But I need to stay at an inn here tonight. Can you
recommend a good place?" His cold, gleaming black eyes were fixed on the little beggar's, not moving an inch.
"No problem, I've got it covered."
Little Xiao, oblivious to Ge Mufeng's inquisitive gaze, pushed open the curtain after getting into the carriage, her
wide grin revealing her excitement as she looked at the scenery outside.
Thinking about how long it had been since she'd ridden in a carriage, she was suddenly reminded of her carefree and happy past, and couldn't help
but close her eyes… tears welled up, but she blinked, deliberately forcing them back.
In the past six months, she had struggled to survive, becoming incredibly strong, no longer the weak
and spoiled Kaihe'er she once was.
Ge Mufeng's eyes never left the little beggar's expressive face, and
he couldn't help but feel a strong curiosity about this mysterious little girl.
Chapter Two
"We're here! This is the most famous inn in Hotan, but it's not
cheap. Sir, are you sure you want to go in?"
Upon arriving at their destination, Xiao Xiao jumped off the carriage and began to meticulously introduce all the shops and
scenery, almost like a storyteller, seemingly accustomed to making a little money with this skill.
"This is fine. My back is sore from the carriage ride," Ge Mufeng said, rubbing his back. Looking at Xiao Xiao's
excited expression, he asked, "You know this place well?"
This kid was really strange; first he was silent and reserved, then in the blink of an eye he was full of energy .
It was hard to figure out what he was thinking.
"Of course! I'm from here, so I'll take care of everything from now on," Xiao Xiao said, patting his chest.
"Then I'll rely on you," Ge Mufeng said with a smile, watching Xiao Xiao's pretentious and arrogant demeanor.
"Don't say that. By the way, could I... have a room to myself?" Xiao Xiao grinned, her bright
eyes sparkling.
"No, you'll share a room with Lu Yi." As a servant, how could she have the right to a room to herself?
"What? You want me
to share a room with him..." Xiao Xiao pointed at Lu Yi, who looked completely bewildered, and quickly refused, "No, no, no... I don't want to share a
room with him, sir. If you think it's too expensive for me to take up a room, then I'd rather sleep in the stables, or even the woodshed
." She
was joking; how could she share a room with a man?
"So you mean you really want to sleep in the woodshed or the stables?"
The weather in the north is not like in the south, especially at night when the wind is biting cold. Is this kid really risking his
life just to be brave?
"Yes, unless I sleep alone, I'll sleep in the stables." Xiao Xiao tilted her head and said stubbornly.
"You should understand, it's not just you, even my attendants, servants, and maids have to share a bed.
I've already been extremely lenient by letting you sleep with Lu Yi, yet you're still so dissatisfied." Ge Mu
Feng Su began to wonder if all Hui people were this stubborn.
"But...but I just want one person, I don't want anyone else." A layer of frost settled on Xiao Xiao's face
as she stared at the seemingly elegant man before her. She couldn't believe he was so wealthy yet so stingy.
So they entered the inn, had their meal, and then, led by the waiter, returned to their respective rooms.
Xiao Xiao puffed out her cheeks and approached the shopkeeper. "Boss, where are your stables? I'm worried about our
horses, so I want to sleep with them."
The shopkeeper's eyes widened. He glanced at Xiao Xiao, then at Ge Mufeng Su, before chuckling awkwardly,
"Young man, are you kidding? Our stables are very windy; it's not a place for people to sleep."
"Don't worry, I'm very strong. I'm going to sleep there." As she spoke, Xiao Xiao turned back and glared at
Ge Mufeng Su, her eyes revealing her anger and grievance.
"Boss, let him sleep wherever he wants." Ge Mufeng Su narrowed his eyes, then turned to
Lu Yi. "Ignore him. Let's go back to our room."
Xiao Xiao watched in disbelief as Ge Mufeng Su turned and left. Seeing his cold and indifferent back,
she trembled with anger. Finally, she turned and rushed out of the inn, heading straight for the stables.
At this moment, Lu Yi asked, "My lord, are you really going to let Xiao Xiao sleep in the stables?"
"It's his insistence, so I have no choice but to grant his wish." Ge Mufeng smiled, as if certain that Xiao Xiao
would sneak back to his room in the inn before dawn.
"Isn't that... a bit inappropriate?" Lu Yi stared wide-eyed in disbelief. In his mind, the lord wasn't
such a heartless person.
"I think it's good. It lets him know that I've been good enough." Ge Mufeng raised an eyebrow dismissively
.
"My lord, are you really going to take Xiao Xiao in and let him come with us?" Lu Yi asked, somewhat puzzled. "
Don't you usually dislike having too many servants? Like the people the Emperor assigned to you this time, didn't you find them cumbersome?"
"That's true, but we're unfamiliar with Huiqiang. We need someone familiar with the area to guide us." Ge Mufeng
narrowed his eyes slightly, a mysterious glint in his deep and striking smile.
Lu Yi watched for a while, still unable to figure out what his master was thinking, so he said again, "That little brat has a strange temper
, insisting on sleeping in the stables in this freezing weather."
"To each their own," Ge Mufeng Su thought to himself, and before entering the room, he said to Lu Yi,
"Don't lock your door tonight."
"Why?" the simple-minded Lu Yi asked innocently.
"If someone gets too cold, they won't keep going." Ge Mufeng Su curled the corners of his mouth, his words
carrying a deeper meaning as he walked into the room.
Lu Yi didn't follow him in. Nominally, he was Lord Su's personal servant, but the Lord was always independent.
Apart from helping him with small matters and following him around, tasks such as changing clothes and washing were mostly
handled by the Lord himself.
Once inside, Ge Mufeng Su lay on the warm kang (heated brick bed). Perhaps because it was too cold, he was having trouble sleeping,
even his ears were constantly perked up, listening to the sounds of the wind outside.
Apart from the rustling wind, there was almost no sound... Could Xiao Xiao really be asleep in the stable
?
Oh well... if he likes doing this, why should he bother? If he can't hold on, he'll go back to his room; if he can, he'll just
grit his teeth and keep going.
Thinking this, Ge Mufeng closed his eyes, nestled in the warm blankets... how comfortable!
But what about Xiao Xiao in the stable?
She wanted a warm and comfortable blanket too, but unfortunately,
there was nothing in the stable except some hay.
Xiao Xiao huddled in a corner, covered with hay, but still couldn't escape the biting cold.
How infuriating! If only she hadn't gone with that jerk. At least in that abandoned alley, she had a stolen
blanket and a few packets of dried noodles to fill her stomach.
How stupid of her! She hadn't eaten much for dinner because of a fit of pique, and now she was not only starving, but her stomach and intestines
were practically knotted up. Ugh…
Do I really not want to go back and share a room with that guy named Yi?
No, if Dad finds out, he'll be furious. Even if I freeze to death, I can't
share a bed with a strange man… especially an ugly one!
It's so cold! My teeth are chattering, my limbs are stiff, my nose is red, and
my nose is running!
That damned man, how could he treat me like this? If we get to Kashgar, I'll definitely settle the score with him and
let him know that I… I'm not so easy to bully!
Xiao Xiao tightly gripped the dry grass and pulled it over herself. The cold wind seeping through the grass made her shiver uncontrollably. Even as dawn
approached, she couldn't fall asleep, her whole body frozen stiff.
**********
Early in the morning, Lu Yi brought in hot water and placed it on the table. At this time, Ge Mufeng Su had already woken up and was standing at the window, facing
the open window, waving his limbs to refresh himself.
"Is that Lu Yi?" Ge Mufeng asked without turning his head.
"Yes, Your Excellency."
Lu Yi was about to leave when Ge Mufeng suddenly called out to him, "Wait."
"Your Excellency has something to say." Lu Yi quickly turned back and said respectfully.
"Has Xiao Xiao woken up yet?" Composing himself, Ge Mufeng turned back to the round table, rubbed a towel, wrung it out,
and wiped his face. His handsome appearance was quite charming.
"Xiao Xiao?"
"Have you forgotten? He's that stubborn boy from yesterday." Wiping his hands, Ge Mufeng turned back and
smiled at Lu Yi's silly expression.
"I remember, Your Excellency, you forgot." Lu Yi scratched the back of his head.
"Forgot what?" Ge Mufeng crossed his arms and smiled at Lu Yi.
"Xiao Xiao slept in the stable all night." Lu Yi's eyes widened, and he stepped forward worriedly to touch Ge Mufeng's
forehead. "Could it be that you caught a chill last night and your head is feverish?"
But Ge Mufengsuo abruptly dropped the towel and rushed out of the room. This action startled Lu Yi. "My lord...
My lord, where are you going? Wait for me—"
Ge Mufengsuo quickly walked towards the stables, and as soon as he entered, his eyes began to search around. Finally,
he spotted Xiao Xiao's petite figure in a corner.
He quickly went over, squatted down, and shook her body. "Xiao Xiao, Xiao Xiao..."
Xiao Xiao slowly opened her eyes, but her body was stiff and she couldn't get up. Her eyes were very unfocused.
Ge Mufengsuo touched Xiao Xiao's forehead, and the burning sensation startled him. He quickly
said to Lu Yi, who had followed him, "Quickly, go and ask the waiter to fetch a doctor."
"A doctor?"
"Xiao Xiao is sick, hurry up." Xiao Xiao seemed to be quite ill, and there was no time to explain further.
"Sick! Oh, I'll go right now." Lu Yi was also startled and rushed out.
Ge Mufeng picked up Xiaoxiao and headed straight for his room. The guards found this
unbelievable, so one stepped forward to warn him, "Lord Su, the Emperor ordered us to protect you, but
this boy is too suspicious. You'd better not get too close to him."
"I know, don't worry. If you're really afraid I'll die at his hands, go back and tell the Emperor that I dismissed
you." He'd be happier if they left.
"We wouldn't dare," the guard quickly retreated.
Soon after, the doctor arrived. Ge Mufeng immediately stepped aside so the doctor could focus on the examination. He told Luyi,
"Go tell the coachman we might not be able to depart today. We'll let him know another day."
To avoid tiring the horses, they mostly hired carriages along the way, making
things easier for the drivers and allowing the horses to rest.
At this moment, the doctor shook his head and sighed, "Alas..."
Ge Mufeng felt a tightness in his chest. Was it hopeless?
"What does the doctor mean?" Ge Mufengsu quickly stepped forward and asked. After all, the man had been lively and energetic before
, and now he was sickly; he couldn't say he wasn't responsible.
"Him? He's fainted by the roadside several times and had to be carried to my clinic for treatment. He already owes me a lot of money for medicine."
As the doctor spoke, Ge Mufengsu pulled a pearl hairpin from his clothes and stuffed it into the doctor's hand, chuckling in a low voice,
"What I mean is, can we save him?"
Because Ge Mufengsu was carefree by nature and didn't like to carry much wealth, and with Lu Yi as his follower, money was
readily available, so he didn't have to worry about anything. Now that Lu Yi wasn't around, he thought for a moment and had no choice but to take out the pearl hairpin he carried with him
.
"Of...of course we can." The doctor looked at the translucent pearl in his hand, his mouth widening into a smile.
"I don't want him to save me... He can't cure me at all..." Xiao Xiao opened her eyes, her face burning red.
"Give me the hairpin."
Although Xiao Xiao felt terrible all over, she still insisted on having it. For some reason, she liked the hairpin the moment she saw it,
how could she let it be taken away?
The doctor was dumbfounded, staring at Xiao Xiao and saying, "I'm trying to save you out of kindness, and you're trying to take my things away from me."
"I have a terminal illness. If you can cure me, I don't mind giving you the hairpin, but you're just—
cough...cough..." Her body, already weakened by a cold, couldn't afford to delay any longer.
Seeing this, Ge Mufeng frowned and said, "Doctor, give him the hairpin. But don't worry,
I won't be stingy with the medical expenses, no matter how much you treat him."
"Since you say so, young master, then I'll respectfully comply." Seeing Ge Mufeng's fine clothes, he must
be of high status. They lived a very difficult life in this place, often suffering from drought and barren land.
If a wealthy person gave them some silver, they could go to the Central Plains to buy some supplies and their lives would be a little better.
After the doctor took his pulse and wrote the prescription, Ge Mufeng ordered a servant to fetch the medicine and dismissed the maids,
leaving himself alone in the room to take care of Xiaoxiao.
At this moment, he finally couldn't help but ask, "You have gold ingots now, why do you still insist on other things?"
"I'm not insisting, it's just that my illness is incurable." Xiaoxiao turned his face, his expression losing its original
playfulness, but his stubbornness remained.
"What illness is it?" Ge Mufeng frowned slightly.
"I don't know, it just won't get better. The doctor said... I probably only have a few more years to live, so I
've come to terms with it." Xiao Xiao smiled, but choked on her own saliva, causing a fit of coughing. Her little hands still gripped the hairpin tightly.
Ge Mufeng shook his head, sat on the edge of the kang (heated brick bed), and said with a forced smile, "You, you
're always lying. Do you think I won't get angry?"
"You want to send me away, not let me follow you?" Xiao Xiao looked at Ge Mufeng in shock.
"That depends on your performance." Ge Mufeng raised an eyebrow. "Rest."
He got up to leave, but was suddenly grabbed by the hem of her clothes. "Don't go... I didn't lie, you... you don't—
cough...cough..."
As if stimulated, Xiao Xiao's body trembled uncontrollably, and because she tried to hold onto Ge Mufeng,
she almost fell off the warm kang.
"Hey, watch out!" Ge Mufeng quickly caught Xiao Xiao.
But in that instant, her small chest landed squarely in Ge Mufeng's hand. The soft, elastic feel immediately made
his palm burn. The truth was revealed in that instant!
"Ah! You big... big pervert, how could you touch me like that?!" Xiaoxiao was so frightened that she pounded his chest.
Even if she was weak and sickly, she couldn't let herself be bullied.
"How did I touch you like that?" Ge Mufeng smiled wryly. It turned out that he had been fooled by a little girl.
"You actually touched my chest?" Xiaoxiao gasped for breath, almost unable to exhale.
Ge Mufeng quickly picked her up and pressed a point on her chest to help her blood flow.
"Calm down. If you're going to deceive me by dressing as a man, why are you afraid of me touching you?" He forced a smile, looking at her
sickly yet stubborn expression.
"I was pretending—" She suddenly froze, staring at him in astonishment.
"Little girl, you're pretty clever, you fooled me completely." Seeing that her breathing had calmed down a bit, he
helped her back to the kang (heated brick bed), telling her not to say anything more and to lie down properly. Besides... with all that flesh around your body, are you afraid of anyone touching you?
He gave her another smile and then got up to leave.
"Wait," Xiao Xiao called out to Ge Mufeng Su.
"Is there anything else?" Ge Mufengsu turned and squinted at her.
"Could you...could you not tell anyone that I...cough...I'm a woman?"
She coughed twice, pleading earnestly.
"Why?" Ge Mufengsu frowned, puzzled.
"I...I just won't..." She clutched her chest, trying to get up.
He quickly returned to the edge of the bed. "I promise you, just don't be so stubborn."
Ge Mufengsu shook his head and said, "You, you're clearly a girl, but you love to act like a man, always trying to be capable.
That will only hurt you. Take last night for example, if you had honestly told me you were a woman, I wouldn't have made you
share a room with Luyi."
"I...I don't want you to know." She turned her face away, her pale face still showing the stiff
lines of her defiance.
"Stubborn girl." Lifting her chin, Ge Mufengsu drew closer to her eyes. "
I don't know what you're up to by following me , but I can tell you, don't try anything with me."
"I didn't..." Hearing him say that, she felt utterly incredulous.
"Whether you did or didn't, I just want you to remember this. Also, take your medicine properly. We have to leave the day after tomorrow,
no matter how late it is. I can't wait for you any longer." He pinched her nose, then left the room without lingering and went downstairs to enjoy some wine. He
had only been sitting down for a short while when Lu Yi returned. He handed the medicine he had brought back to the maid and servant to prepare
, then went to serve his master.
"My lord, how is Xiao Xiao now?" Lu Yi asked curiously, seeing his master drinking alone.
"She's alright, but still quite ill." Ge Mufeng frowned, thinking:
It's impossible for her to get better the day after tomorrow!
And can he really leave with her as he said he would when the time comes?
"What about us?" Lu Yi really didn't want to delay any longer. Life here was
so different from what they, the Manchus, experienced.
"Wait for her for two days," Ge Mufeng said calmly, taking a sip of wine.
"We have to wait again?" Lu Yi cried out in despair.
"What, you seem to really dislike staying here," Ge Mufeng raised an eyebrow, staring intently at Lu Yi.
"I... Your Excellency, what do you think? Go ask the others, who would want to come here? It's freezing cold at night
, and the weather is unusually good during the day, even a bit irritable. Not only is Xiao Xiao getting sick, but I'm getting sick too,"
Lu Yi muttered.
"Ha..." Ge Mufeng suddenly burst into wild laughter. Lu Yi
had expected the lord to scold him for not being able to endure hardship, but instead, he laughed out loud, leaving him utterly bewildered.
"My lord, what's wrong? Did I say something wrong?"
"No...no, it's just that your words have made me realize something."
He curled his lips and looked at Lu Yi. "You're right. Even you can't stand it anymore, let alone those
servants who have always done rich and lucrative jobs in the palace?"
"My lord, you mean—" Lu Yi still didn't understand.
"How about we sneak away and escape these flies?" Ge Mufeng's eyes suddenly lit up.
"What? Sneak...sneak away!" Lu Yi didn't know whether to shake his head or nod. "Is that a good idea?
What if the Emperor blames us?
" "Even if he blames us, I'll take the blame. You don't have to take the fall. Besides, we have Xiao Xiao with us. She knows
the way and can definitely shake off their entanglement."
"That's a good idea, but won't it be dangerous without those guards?" Lu Yi had heard that the Hui people
were known for their unpredictable personalities.
"If there's real danger, their presence won't help. I prefer freedom." Having made his decision, Ge
Mufeng felt instantly relieved.
"If Your Excellency decides to do this, then I have no objection. But wouldn't that mean we have to wait for Xiaoxiao to fully
recover?" To put it bluntly, he simply didn't like waiting any longer.
"Don't worry, it's just a cold. I think she should be about 80% better in two days. Then setting off won't be a
problem." Thinking this, Ge Mufeng couldn't help but fill another cup of wine with pride, ready to drink it all.
Chapter 3
That night, the cold wind persisted, biting to the bone. Xiaoxiao curled herself up tightly, clutching the blankets
close. She had taken medicine after dinner, which had put her in a deep sleep until now. She felt much better, but
the warmth of the blankets made her unwilling to wake up.
Slowly turning over, she felt her foot kick something, something soft yet hard, and warm
! She quickly looked up from under the covers and saw someone sleeping beside her!
Who is it… could it be Lu Yi?
She immediately pulled back the blanket covering the person and looked closely by the oil lamp!
“Oh dear, what’s going on? Why aren’t you sleeping? Why are you pulling back my blanket?” Ge Mufeng quickly snatched the blanket
away. “You’ve had enough sleep, I just fell asleep!”
“Why is it you?” Xiao Xiao asked in surprise.
“Why not me?” Ge Mufeng squinted and smiled at Xiao Xiao’s bewildered face. “Do you
want to sleep with Lu Yi? Fine, I’ll go call him over.”
“Don’t play dumb. You know I… I’m a woman. How can you share a bed with me?” Her strength had
indeed recovered considerably, and she shouted quite loudly.
“This inn is full today, and you want me to keep it a secret. Do you think I’ll let you sleep with the maids?
Or do you want to sleep in the stables?” Ge Mufeng couldn’t stand it anymore and scolded Xiao Xiao angrily. This shout actually woke
her up!
Yes, it was her…it was her who insisted he not tell anyone her secret, so how could he be blamed?
“What’s wrong? Speechless now? Go to sleep! If you hadn’t bothered me, I wouldn’t have been
interested in a woman…with her chest pressed against my back.” He grinned, making a face at her, before turning his back to
her and lying down.
“What did you say? Don’t think you can bully me just because you know my secret!” She puffed out her cheeks and glared
at his back.
“I’m just stating the facts, I’m not bullying you. Besides, don’t you think I’ve been good to you? If you think I’m
bad, then leave.” Ge Mufeng was certain she wouldn’t leave, although he couldn’t figure out what she wanted.
What was his purpose? Undeniably, he needed her too.
He needed her guidance, he needed to utilize her familiarity with the place. "I...I won't leave." If she left, she wouldn't be able to return to Kashgar, and might even be 　　pursued by
the Western Mongol soldiers. 　　"Then you'll be good." Ge Mufeng smiled smugly. 　　"If I cooperate with you in everything, you won't abandon me, will you?" She raised her long eyelashes, still staring at 　　his back, completely unable to fathom his thoughts. 　　"Hmm...of course, but remember what you said, 'cooperate in everything.'" He smiled and 　　turned to look into her eyes. 　　"Of course I remember." She nodded emphatically. 　　"That's good." He then reached out and hugged her, one leg wrapped around her waist. 　　"Hey, you're so heavy, you stinky—" Before she could finish her sentence, she saw him raising an eyebrow and glaring at her with wide eyes, 　　which stopped her. 　　"Who's stinky?" He raised an eyebrow at her. 　　"Yes..." She blinked, lying through her teeth, "Yes... I smell bad. I haven't showered for days 　　. You'd better stay away from me." 　　She was about to turn around when she realized his thighs were really heavy, making it impossible for her to move. 　　"I don't mind your smell. When I was traveling around, if I couldn't find a place to stay, I 　　wouldn't be able to clean myself for days either." 　　He squinted, staring at the ceiling, reminiscing about the past. Many fragments flashed through his mind—happy ones, 　　hard ones—but all of them seemed like a carefree life to him. 　　"Gah, you look so respectable, dressed in such fine clothes, and you actually live that kind of life?" Xiao Xiao 　　didn't believe it at all. 　　"Life is full of different experiences, and my success now doesn't mean I'll be successful forever." He forced 　　a smile, then looked intently at her. "Is your home in Kashgar?" 　　"Yes." Xiao Xiao's expression darkened instantly. "I can't go home after the earthquake." 　　Ge Mufeng thought for a moment. "How about this? We're destined 　　to meet. You can serve me like Lu Yi did before you go home." 　　"Serve you?" She stared at him intently. "But you already have a whole bunch of servants. Do you still need me to serve you?" 　　"But I like you to serve me. It's up to you whether you want to or not." He teased her intentionally. 　　"Then what are all those people around you for? Just for show?" She asked suspiciously, her face full of disbelief. 　　"Those people are there to protect me." Ge Mufeng felt a headache coming on just thinking about those lackeys, so he asked again: 　　"I have something I'd like to ask you for help with. Would you be willing to lend a hand?" Looking into her curious eyes, 　　he couldn't help but smile with a hidden agenda. 　　"How can I help you?" She was definitely sticking with him, so if he was in trouble, she was willing to lend a hand. 　　But the problem was… looking at his aristocratic demeanor, it was hard to imagine he would need her help. 　　"You said you knew this place well?" he asked again, narrowing his eyes. 　　"Of course I do." For the past six months, she had been constantly running through the streets and alleys to escape and hide, knowing every 　　street inside and out. 　　"That's good. Once you've recovered, the three of us will slip away." He felt smug thinking about Deji's 　　furious face when he found out his woman had been dumped. 　　Accustomed to his freedom, he really couldn't stand being followed by a group of people as soon as he woke up, even having someone 　　sniffing him out when he went to the outhouse. Ugh… it was truly unbearable! 　　"You won't regret it?" She stared at him in astonishment, not understanding what he was thinking. How could someone not want 　　protection? 　　"Absolutely not." He nodded without hesitation. 　　"But I don't know if I'm capable of getting to Kashgar with you. It's a very close place, 　　but because of the earthquake and the relocation of mountains, it'll be a long detour now." She lowered her face, her usually playful features 　　seemingly shrouded in darkness after this illness. 　　"What do you mean by that?" Ge Mufeng frowned, propping himself up to look closely into her forlorn eyes. 　　"Tell me quickly, or I really won't talk to you anymore." 　　"You won't ignore me, you still need me." Xiaoxiao stole a glance at him. 　　"Believe it or not? I can shake them off and reach Kashgar even without you." He narrowed his beautiful 　　eyes, looking at her with a hint of unease. For some reason, when he heard her say that, a 　　feeling of restlessness welled up in his chest. 　　Suddenly, he remembered when the doctor came to examine her, she had a pale face and said she had a terminal illness. Was it 　　true or false? 　　Xiao Xiao looked up at Ge Mufeng Su, biting her lower lip but remaining silent. 　　"Speak!" Ge Mufeng Su, of course, refused to back down, determined to pry the truth out of Xiao Xiao. As for why he 　　felt an urge to understand her, he had no intention of finding out. 　　"I've already told you, I'm sick. I often experience heart palpitations. The doctor said I only have a few years left to live, but 　　it's also possible that I might close my eyes today and not see tomorrow's sun." Xiao Xiao turned away, intentionally avoiding his probing 　　eyes. 　　What was this man thinking? Why was he looking at her with such eyes, making her scalp tingle? 　　"Then why are you so stubborn?" He forcefully turned her body around, grabbing her chin. 　　"I... what am I stubborn about?" Xiao Xiao shrank back. 　　Oh no! Being stared at so closely by his dark eyes, under this dim candlelight, 　　the atmosphere around her had become extremely eerie, making her heart burn! 　　"Knowing you're not well, why did you still stubbornly sleep in the stable?" He curled his lips, 　　uttering each word with his inner confusion. 　　"You forced me to sleep with Lu Yi. You know I'm a girl, how could I sleep with him? So I had no choice—" 　　"You can be honest with me." " 　　Did you give me a chance?" Her large eyes were filled with tears, her small face glaring back at him with utter grievance. 　　"I!" Ge Mufeng was stunned for a moment, then laughed wildly, "But aren't you sleeping with me now 　　? Why don't you insist anymore?" 　　"That...that's because..." Xiao Xiao fell silent, because she really didn't know how she could accept 　　him sleeping next to her so readily.

She had a different feeling for him, just like now… His gaze was so deep and tender,
gradually softening her heart.
“Because I’m more handsome than Lu Yi, you’ve already fallen in love with me without even realizing it?”
Ge Mufeng’s bold and explicit words startled Xiao Xiao, leaving her unsure where to put her face.
“You’re talking nonsense!” Hearing his magnetic tone and seeing his alluring eyes, her heart tightened slightly
!
“You’ll understand whether I’m talking nonsense or not in a while, because you’re still completely confused. Remember
to think carefully about what I said.” Ge Mufeng was extremely confident in himself. Thinking back on his years of wandering across the country,
he had attracted many envious glances from girls along the way.
However… he would never accept a woman just because she fell in love with him, losing the freedom he so desperately longed
for.
"What am I thinking!" She immediately turned around and secretly asked, "Who...who are you?
Why do you have so many followers?"
She had wanted to ask this question for a long time, but she hadn't because she had already figured out he was Manchu, and probably a high-
ranking official. So at first, she wasn't interested in knowing, only wanting to get back to her own place as soon as possible.
But now...this man's deep eyes and witty conversation were captivating, making her more
curious about him.
"I! I am the 'Lord Su,' personally bestowed by the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty." He rested his head on one elbow, his breath lightly brushing
against her sensitive ear.
"What? Lord Su!" She was slightly startled, not only because his title was so prestigious, but also because of
the tingling sensation caused by his warm breath.
Although she was born in Xinjiang, she had heard the legend of the Manchu emperor bestowing the first title of nobility since the Qing Dynasty, and that this
nobility was restless and loved to travel. She never expected that she would actually meet the protagonist of the legend.
"What's wrong? Look at your shocked expression, are you scared by my name?" He looked at
her cute face with amusement.
"No way!" She pressed herself against the pillow, covering her ear with one hand, unaccustomed to the warm, trembling
breath that went straight into her ear.
"Then why are you avoiding me?" Ge Mufeng chuckled, then leaned on her, resting his head on
her chest. Of course, he didn't put his entire weight on this frail girl, otherwise she wouldn't be able to handle it!
"What are you doing?" Why was he so close to her? What was he planning? And she
was still sickly, even if she raised her voice, she couldn't make a sound.
"I just want to take a good look at you, to carefully study your face." He stared at her
stiff expression with a seemingly serious expression.
"Study me for what?" Why were these man's beautiful yet slightly wicked eyes staring at her for no reason?
"Let me see if you're destined for a short life." He said, his lips pressed tightly together, his unfathomable eyes
scanning her face.
Of course, it was a lie to say he was reading her face; he simply wanted to find the cause of her illness from her complexion and eyes.
He wasn't a doctor, but martial artists, when they reached a certain level, could often discern a person's martial
arts foundation and the smoothness of their internal circulation from their five palaces (a concept in Traditional Chinese Medicine).
"You can read faces?" She felt him getting closer and closer, pressing herself against the bed, almost
forgetting to breathe from the tension.
"Of course. Your eyes are restless, your blood circulation is poor, and your lips are dark. You definitely have a serious illness."
He was half-faking it, half stating what he observed. While he couldn't confirm a medical condition, he was certain this girl
was indeed ill.
"Then how many years do I have left to live?" She stared wide-eyed at him, as if she already believed him.
"Hmm... as long as you stay with me, you can continue to live." He raised his sword-like eyebrows and smiled
at her.
"Really? Why?" The usually shrewd girl was dumbfounded by his words.
"Because... I can suppress your illness and prevent it from flaring up, just like now." He lowered his body
, getting an inch closer to her.
Xiao Xiao could only stare wide-eyed at the dark depths of his eyes. If, if he were just a fraction closer,
she believed their lips would touch!
"Is that really true?" Why did her cheeks feel hot?
"Of course." He narrowed his eyes, smiled, and then turned back to lie down in his seat.
The pressure above her suddenly vanished, and Xiao Xiao's mood relaxed abruptly, but a sense of desolate loneliness enveloped
her heart. 　　She opened
her mouth as if to say something, but suddenly heard him say, "Sleep. You need to get better quickly so we can
escape this misery as soon as possible." She
nodded slightly, "Okay, I'll try my best to recover." Then she heard him snoring softly, so she quickly closed her eyes, hoping to 　　fall asleep as peacefully as he did. But sleepiness wouldn't come her way; the sound of his breathing was still so clear, and even 　　the scent of his grassy masculinity seemed to have a magical allure, bewitching her. 　　Sigh… how could she possibly sleep soundly and forget his presence? 　　＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊　　Two days later, her minor cold was finally completely cured, and her body gradually regained its vitality with the medication. 　　However, she was still sleep-deprived. Despite Ge Mufeng's usual elegant and extraordinary demeanor, his sleeping 　　posture at night was terrible. One moment he'd place his thighs on her waist, the next his arms across her chest, making it difficult for her to 　　breathe and causing her to gasp for air all night. 　　Sigh… what did she do to deserve this 　　? “Looks like you’ve recovered quite well from the rainy weather, are you ready to go?” Upon waking, Ge Mufeng 　　stretched. 　　“You… how did you know I was feeling better?” she asked, looking at him questioningly. 　　“You forgot? I can read faces.” Ge Mufeng glanced back at her with a smile. 　　“You’re really amazing, I’m much better. Shall we go on a spree today?” She actually believed him. 　　“That’s right, it’s all thanks to you.” He stood up, stylishly donning his outer robe, his 　　muscular physique, revealed intentionally or unintentionally, made her gasp in shock.

"No problem, trust me." Xiaoxiao chuckled awkwardly, turning her face away, not daring to look any further, otherwise she
would definitely have a nosebleed.
Now she finally understood that it wasn't just men who got aroused when they saw beautiful women undressing; even women
would get a nosebleed when they saw handsome men changing clothes.
"Then you should get up too." He walked to the bronze mirror and straightened his clothes.
"Then... then could you go out for a bit?" Xiaoxiao asked shyly and embarrassedly.
"I'll go out... oh, right, I should go out. Maybe I'm just used to seeing you dressed as a man, and I ca
n't seem to get used to the feeling that you're a girl." Raising his eyebrows, he turned to leave.
"Wait!" she suddenly called out to him.
"What is it?" He turned back and smiled at her girlish shyness.
"I... I want to clean myself, is that alright?" Xiaoxiao lowered her head and said this with great embarrassment.
"Of course. I'll go tell the waiter to bring the bath tub and boil a kettle of water." Ge Mufeng
said casually, his hands folded in front of his chest, and then left naturally.
Xiao Xiao sighed. He didn't seem to care whether she needed to bathe or not. It seemed that, as he said, he already
treated her like a buddy. She had been embarrassed for a long time before she could say it. Thinking about her nervousness just now, she felt really ashamed
!
After waiting for a while, the waiter finally brought the hot water and the bath tub. After adding water, he said to her, "Young man,
test the water temperature. If it's not hot enough, there's some more hot water here. Add some more."
"Thank you, waiter." Seeing the clear and clean water, Xiao Xiao felt an indescribable sense of comfort.
"Also, these clothes are what that young master downstairs asked me to prepare for you. They're here." The waiter
took out a stack of clothes from under his arm.
Xiao Xiao's eyes instantly welled up with tears, and her nose stung. He... he was so good to her. Regardless of whether she
still had any use to him, the feeling was so warm.
Indeed, the coldness and warmth of human relationships cannot be understood without experiencing them firsthand.
"I understand, thank you," she said again.
After the waiter left, Xiao Xiao quickly bolted the door, realizing she hadn't properly cleaned herself in a long time.
She carefully removed her clothes, sitting in the water in only her thin robe. Just as she untied her robe and loosened
the red string on her bodice, a strange sound came from outside the window. Alarmed, she quickly put her robe back on, clutching
the half-filled kettle of hot water beside her.
Suddenly, the window was flung open, and a man in black rushed in. Xiao Xiao screamed in fright and, without thinking,
poured the hot water over the man!
Hearing the commotion downstairs, Ge Mufengsu's heart tightened. He quickly spun around and leaped
up to the second floor amidst the gasps of the other guests, kicking open the door.
He saw the man in black leap out of the window, his hands covering his face, while Xiaoxiao stood frozen in shock,
clutching the still-steaming kettle tightly!
Hearing footsteps behind him, Ge Mufengsu immediately stepped back, closed the door, and said in a low voice,
"It's alright. Don't hold the kettle so tightly, you'll burn yourself."
Tears still welled in Xiaoxiao's eyes as she trembled as she placed the kettle down.
At that moment, Lu Yi shouted from outside, "My lord, what happened?"
"Um… nothing, Xiaoxiao got burned," Ge Mufengsu could only say.
"Is he alright?" Lu Yi asked again.
"It's alright, ask those curious people to leave." Ge Mufengsu stood with his back to the door, his gaze fixed
on Xiaoxiao's stunned and speechless face.
"Yes."
After Luyi acknowledged the order and withdrew, Ge Mufengsu approached Xiaoxiao, his eyes involuntarily falling on her soaked
chest, gazing at the proud and imposing sight. He hadn't expected this girl, who seemed so frail,
to possess such a magnificent and proud figure.
"Who is that person?" He looked up, meeting her gaze.
"Him?" Xiaoxiao was stunned, her body still trembling. When she regained her senses and looked at Ge Mufengsu's
concerned face, she burst into tears, "Wah..."
She even forgot that she was half-naked, her wet body pressing against him.
"If you don't tell me, how am I supposed to know who he is?" Since the little girl had thrown herself at him, how could he refuse?
He never did anything to hurt a woman's feelings.
So Ge Mufeng hugged Xiaoxiao tightly, massaging her bare shoulders. "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. Just tell
me who that person is. Is he your enemy? Or...or are you his enemy?"
"No...I've never hurt anyone, how could I be his enemy?" Her eyes widened, tears streaming down her face
. "It's happened so many times already, I'm so scared...it's really terrifying..."
"Several times?" Hearing this, Ge Mufeng suddenly pushed her away, looking into her fragile eyes. "You mean
, this isn't the first time?"
Seeing his gaze, even more shocked than her own, Xiaoxiao suddenly screamed as if waking up, "Ah—"
"What's wrong with you?" He frowned.
She grabbed her wet clothes and wrapped them around herself. This shock made her mind go haywire again. You...how could you peek at my
body, you big pervert! "
Me, a pervert? Please, you were the one who kept throwing yourself at me." Ge Mufeng hurriedly tried to distance himself.
"I didn't." Xiao Xiao quickly defended herself.
"If you didn't, why would I be hugging you?" Ge Mufeng shrugged, looking innocently at Xiao Xiao.
"Then get out now." She pointed to the door.
"If I go out and that person comes back, don't yell." Saying this, Ge Mufeng pretended to leave even further
.
"Wait." Xiao Xiao called after him.
"Is there anything else?" Turning around, he smiled at her astonished expression.
"Don't go, please stay where you are, turn around, I'll be done washing soon." Xiao Xiao
said tentatively, her voice trembling.
He gave a handsome smile, then turned around, "Okay, you can start washing now."
"Oh, then... then you can't turn your face away." Xiao Xiao quickly started scrubbing her body, looking up
at him as she scrubbed, afraid that he would suddenly turn his face away.
Because she was paying too much attention to him, she had just stood up when she stepped on the soap, slipping and letting out a sharp cry
, "Ah..."
Ge Mufeng Su nimbly pounced on her and caught her small body. "Please, what's wrong with you now?"
"You!" This time he was even bolder, grabbing her chest with his large hand and grasping her breast.
"Oh, okay, I won't touch you." Ge Mufeng Su quickly let go, letting her fall into the water with a splash.
"How could you do this to me?" Her small hands hugged herself tightly, staring at Ge Mufeng Su's
captivatingly handsome face.
"You'd better hurry up and wash, don't cause any more trouble. If this is just a trick you're using to seduce me, you don't need to go through all that
trouble. I'd be happy to give you pleasure tonight." Ge Mufeng Su raised an eyebrow, intentionally trying to scare her.
To be honest, her naked posture at this moment was truly alluring, her curvaceous figure quite supple, but unfortunately, it
was almost completely concealed by her men's clothing. If she were dressed in women's clothes, she would definitely be incredibly charming.
However, having traveled all over the country over the years, he had seen countless women throwing themselves at him, and he had
no interest in women at all, let alone being easily tempted by them.
"I need to get dressed, turn around."
Seeing Ge Mufeng turn around, Xiaoxiao quickly got up, dried herself, and put on her clothes, pouting at
his deliberately annoying laugh.
After everything was finally ready, she said, "You can turn around now."
Actually, she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. Why wasn't he at all interested in her? She had almost let him see her naked
, yet he could still joke with her.
Ge Mufeng then turned around and looked at her with her head down and lips pouting. "What's wrong? Who bullied you?"
"It was you!" he said, rushing out of the room.
"Me?" Ge Mufengsu pointed to his nose, muttering to himself, "I only accidentally
touched your chest because I wanted to help you up. Is that such a heinous crime?"
With a faint smile, Ge Mufengsu followed him out.
Chapter Four
At Ge Mufengsu's instruction, Lu Yi had already packed all the necessary belongings, and as
instructed by the Duke, he also left 100,000 taels of gold for the followers as travel expenses. Then, he, the Duke, and Xiao Xiao
secretly slipped out of the inn through the back door.
Ge Mufengsu had already written a letter to the Emperor, hoping the Emperor would pardon those people. He stated that if
any of them were punished, he would rather be beheaded than return to the palace.
Wow, thinking about it, he was probably the only one in the whole world who dared to threaten the Emperor!
"Ah, the feeling of freedom is so much more pleasant." Ge Mufengsu sat in the carriage, taking a deep breath
. Even the cold air of Xinjiang was more comfortable and pleasant than being surrounded by a group of people.
"My lord, do we really have to take such a long detour? We definitely won't have enough time." Lu Yi muttered
, genuinely worried about the journey.
"There's nothing we can do about it if we don't have enough time." Ge Mufengsu replied nonchalantly.
"What is it about?" Xiao Xiao sat opposite Ge Mufengsu, almost
forgetting to breathe under his imposing presence, barely managing to squeeze out the question.
"It's nothing but—"
"Lu Yi, don't forget that too much talk leads to mistakes." Ge Mufengsu looked out the curtain and casually uttered these words,
immediately silencing Lu Yi.
"Trying to keep it from me?" Xiao Xiao snorted coldly. "You don't treat me like a friend at all."
"I treat you like a brother, that's why I don't want you to know too much." If she knew too much, those Western soldiers
might try to "eliminate future troubles."
If they found out that the son of the Second Elder of the Hui tribe could manufacture gunpowder, then that Kaihe'er might be in danger,
and he couldn't let him get hurt.
"Lack of a reason." Hmph! She didn't believe it!
Xiao Xiao turned her face away, staring out the window, and said lightly, "This time we'll have to travel along the outer edge of the basin. The route
is relatively flat, just a bit long."
"I trust you, we'll do as you say." Ge Mufeng looked at Xiao Xiao with a handsome smile, and saw her shrink
back and exhale a puff of white smoke.
"What's wrong, are you cold?" He asked, squinting his eyes.
"A little." Perhaps it was because she was recovering from her illness, or perhaps it was because she was thinking about the unknown future, Xiao Xiao shivered timidly
.
Without a word, Ge Mufeng took off his expensive down coat and handed it to Xiaoxiao. "Put this on,
don't catch a cold again."
"Aren't you cold?" Holding the warm and soft coat, a warmth instantly welled up in her heart.
"I wasn't cold at first, but seeing you shivering, I'm getting cold myself. You should wear it, I don't want to waste any
more time." His casual explanation sent a chill down Xiaoxiao's spine. It seemed he wasn't being kind to her, but
rather using her because she still had some use.
"Don't worry, I'd rather die than hold you back." Xiaoxiao pouted defiantly, tilting her head.
"Xiaoxiao, stop pouting like a woman, it's awful." Lu Yi's sudden
remark, unaware of the situation, infuriated her.
"Lu Yi, what do you know? Am I ugly? Where am I ugly?" Xiaoxiao glared at Lu Yi, almost
punching him in the face.
"Uh—" Lu Yi felt wronged by the scolding and quickly corrected himself, "Not ugly...not ugly at all,
very handsome, very dashing, almost as good-looking as our Lord."
In fact, Xiao Xiao was quite pretty, with a delicate nose, bright and sparkling eyes, and a sweet oval face. If
she were born a girl, she would definitely be a great beauty!
"Ha—" Seeing Xiao Xiao's face growing increasingly ashen, Ge Mufeng couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Lord...what's so funny?" Lu Yi's aggrieved face became more and more amusing.
"You'll find out later." Ge Mufeng shook his head with a smile, "Hurry up and tell the driver to hurry on.
The guards in the Forbidden City are not charlatans; they might very well catch up with us."
"Oh, okay. I'll hurry and urge the driver on." Lu Yi quickly climbed out of the carriage, sat in the front, and watched
the driver hurry on.
"Why won't you admit you're a girl?" Only Ge Mufeng and Xiao Xiao remained in the carriage at this moment.
"No, I dressed like this to avoid those who want to kill me. If I change back into women's clothes,
even more people will want to take my life."
"Oh?" Ge Mufeng squinted, only then realizing that the mysterious girl before him was truly enigmatic. Who
exactly was she?
Had she offended some martial arts figures? But she clearly didn't know martial arts; or had she made enemies? But she insisted that
she had no enemies and that her relationships were simple. Why was she doing this?
"You're worried about me." Seeing that his slightly furrowed brows remained furrowed, Xiao Yu leaned closer to him, tilting
her head and asking sweetly.
"Of course—"
"Just say those three words. Don't add 'because you're helping us reach Kashgar sooner,'
that would hurt my feelings." She quickly stopped him from continuing.
Ge Mufeng's heart clenched, only then realizing that behind her smiling face seemed to lie a deep sorrow... and
an overly feigned strength.
"You're wrong, what I'm going to say next is this." His captivating eyes were fixed on her.
"That's..." She blinked.
"Because you're my friend." His deep eyes calmly emitted a seductive glint, making Xiao Xiao
's heart clench around that word "friend."
They were friends... then would they become... lovers?
But her life was finite, and even if they did become lovers, how long could it last?
"What's wrong? You seem distracted again?" Ge Mufeng Su stole glances at her expression.
"Hmph!" Xiao Xiao turned her face away.
"Is being friends boring, and you want to be my wife?" Ge Mufeng Su chuckled, his gaze both affectionate and
teasing.
"What?" Her little face flushed red. "Don't talk nonsense."
"I'm not talking nonsense." He smiled charmingly and lifted her chin. "Look at your face,
it's as red as a roast shrimp.
" "You, a grown man, are just bullying me!" She pouted and turned away angrily, looking sullen
, but her heart was filled with sweetness because of the word "wife."
"Don't always pout, it ruins your beauty. Actually, you're quite pretty." He revealed a
roguish smirk. "Look at your red lips and white teeth, your soft and smooth skin, your delicate features, and your graceful figure. You're like a fairy descended from
heaven, a reincarnation of Chang'e. Don't let your little mouth ruin it."
Xiao Xiao quickly pursed her lips, no longer pouting, and asked believing him, "In your heart, am I really
that beautiful?" Then she laughed excitedly and said, "My mother once told me the same thing. She said I'm the
cutest and most beautiful little girl in the world."
He nodded. "That's right, every mother would say that."
"What do you mean by that?" Sensing the hidden meaning in his words, she immediately frowned.
"It's nothing. I just wanted to say that although you're beautiful, I've seen too many beautiful, mature, and charming women.
You're not particularly special; at best, you're just passable."
Ge Mufeng knew she would be angry, but he still found it amusing to tease her. Although he told her not to pout so often, he still loved seeing
her pouty and cute.
"You...you..." Xiaoxiao was so angry she couldn't speak.
"You pout so much, and if you pout any more, you'll look even more childish...and don't puff out your face like that, it looks like a monkey
's butt, so ugly! And that fierce look, oh my god...you look like a tigress!" He frowned, listing
all her faults, finding fault with almost everything about her.
Xiaoxiao glared at him, truly angry! Whatever, she vowed, she would make him fall in love with her sooner or later!
"I don't want to respond to you, it'll only make you more smug." Xiao Xiao put her hands on her hips, instantly resembling a female governor interrogating someone .
"I only know you are Lord Su, what's your name?"
"Uh, my name is Feng Su, Ge Mu Feng Su." Seeing that she was really angry, his playful appearance became even more arrogant,
and he even bowed to her. "What are your orders, young lady?"
"Stop pretending, you think I'm a tigress? Fine, if you want me to take you to Kashgar, you
'll have to listen to me from now on." Xiao Xiao then pointed at his nose. "You... from now on I'll call you Feng Su, do
n't expect me to call you Lord like Lu Yi did, understand?"
"Yes, yes, my name is Feng Su, besides... I've never heard you call me so respectfully before, but
hey, you... Feng Su sounds much better, don't forget, you have to keep your word." He didn't get angry
but laughed instead, still looking relaxed and carefree.
"How could you—"
"Shh, call me Feng Su." Ge Mufeng Su stepped forward, looking closely at her face, which was flushed with anger.
Ha, he really was taking advantage of her and acting innocent, bullying her until her eyes were filled with tears. She originally intended to tease him,
so how did she end up in this situation?
She didn't understand... she really didn't understand, what kind of man was he?
************
This road was extremely desolate, sparsely populated, with lights as rare as the morning stars. As far as the eye could see, there were only overgrown weeds and brambles, and the only
common sights were broken walls and ruins.
Previously, after several requests, the coachman was unwilling to take this route, because although this road was flatter than the mountain road,
there were many bandits. He would have companions going there, but he would be alone on the way back!
Ge Mufeng Su had no choice but to buy the carriage at a high price and let Lu Yi drive it instead.
"This place wasn't originally this desolate and shabby. It's all because of war, fighting, and power struggles that it's become like this
." Looking at all this, Xiao Xiao suddenly spoke with emotion.
Thinking about it, this was only a few years ago; the Tibetan Miao invaded Xinjiang, causing widespread suffering. Although
the war is over now, when will people's hearts return to peace?
"The war truly brought extreme harm to the people." At this point, Ge Mufeng hesitated. His
purpose in coming here was to have Kaihe'er make gunpowder for them; wouldn't that harm innocent people?
"That's why I hate war the most." Xiao Xiao pouted.
"Look, pouting again. You're such a child." Ge Mufeng swept aside his robes and found a large
rock to sit on.
"My lord, shouldn't we find an inn? Should we rest here tonight?" Lu Yi looked around at the quiet, eerie
atmosphere, feeling a chill run down his spine.
"Yes, we'll just find a place to sleep here for the night." Ge Mufengsu didn't seem to care.
"What?" Lu Yi frowned.
"What are you afraid of? There are no ghosts here." Xiao Xiao glanced at Lu Yi and laughed, "You call yourself a man? You're
so useless!"
Lu Yi hurriedly defended himself, "I... I'm not afraid at all. I'm just afraid of making things difficult for you, Lord. These are all broken walls,
they don't block the wind, and it's easy to catch a cold."
"Alright, Lu Yi, we've been through all sorts of hardships in other places. Just bear with it." Ge Mufengsu got up and
patted Lu Yi's shoulder, "You can sleep here, there are walls to block the wind. I'll sleep here."
"How can that be?" Good heavens, Lord actually reserved a good spot for him.
"I've trained in martial arts, I'm not afraid of the cold." With that, Ge Mufengsu lay down next to a broken wall.
"Hey—"
Upon receiving Ge Mufeng's sharp gaze, Xiaoxiao immediately changed her mind, "Feng...Feng Su, where am I supposed to sleep
?"
"Didn't you share a pillow with me the other day? Of course, you'll sleep in my arms. I can protect you." Ge Mufeng
gave a wicked smile and said,
"I don't want to." She puffed out her cheeks angrily.
"Fine, you can just stay there and freeze. Be careful, it'll hurt your health." He couldn't help but scare
her again.
Xiaoxiao took a deep breath, thinking: She hadn't even made him fall in love with her yet, how could she die?
So she had no choice but to reluctantly throw herself into his arms, and as soon as she lay down, Ge Mufeng immediately took advantage of
her and hugged her tightly.
Seeing all this, Lu Yi couldn't help but shake his head. What was going on? How could the Duke be hugging and cuddling with a man
? Did he have some kind of fetish? Thinking this, he couldn't help but shiver and simply turned away to avoid seeing it.
Nestled in Ge Mufeng's arms, Xiaoxiao felt so warm. She slept nestled against him for days, and from initial discomfort
to now, she realized she couldn't live a day without him.
She really couldn't live without him…
Gradually, her eyelids grew heavier, and she slowly drifted off to sleep. The surroundings were so quiet; the distant barking of dogs was
the only sound.
Suddenly, Xiaoxiao opened her eyes wide. Her female intuition startled her, and she realized with a start that her period had started!
What… what should she do? It felt so warm down there; her clothes would be ruined!
No, she couldn't sleep next to him anymore; she had to clean herself up quickly.
Xiaoxiao quietly sat up, clutching her bottom, and ran straight towards the stream.
Ge Mufeng watched Xiaoxiao's hurried departure, seeing her hands clutching her bottom. He figured the girl
must have eaten something inappropriate and was looking for a place to relieve herself. He smiled wryly and turned back to sleep.
Xiao Xiao ran to the stream, glanced left and right to make sure no one was around, and was about to untie her hem when she suddenly heard
a gust of wind behind her. She dodged immediately, but fell into the water!
"Ah—" A
soft cry escaped in the still of the night, but even so, it woke Ge Mufeng, who was usually a light sleeper.
"Xiao Xiao!" Ge Mufeng immediately spun around and leaped into the air, deftly tucking the hem of his hem into his waistband, and
flew swiftly towards the source of the sound—
**********
"Come with me." The man in black narrowed his eyes and approached Xiao Xiao step by step.
"No...no, don't come any closer." Xiao Xiao stood up, terrified, and ran away.
She ran desperately, running and running, thinking that she had always managed to escape or be rescued before, so this
time she shouldn't be so unlucky.
But suddenly, a heavy blow struck her back, and she coughed up blood, then was sent flying!
She thought… she was going to die this time! And die at the bottom of that unknown, icy stream.
No, she didn't want to die, who would save her? Feng Su! That's right… Feng Su…
In desperation, she shouted, "Feng Su…" But all she heard was the whistling wind and a
chilling, piercing cold.
But just as she hit the ground, her eyes widened in shock, because she didn't feel the pain of falling into the water;
a warm and firm embrace tightly held her.
"It really is you…" she smiled weakly, cold blood still clinging to her lips.
"Xiaoxiao! Hang in there!"
Just as she was about to faint from the pain, she suddenly saw the man in black rushing towards Ge Mufeng from behind.
She hurriedly cried out in a hoarse voice, "Be careful—"
But Ge Mufeng remained unmoved, holding her tightly. She opened her eyes wide in panic. In that split second
, Ge Mufeng suddenly turned around and delivered a spinning kick to the man in black's groin, causing him to scream in pain.
"Sit down for a while, I'll go after him." Ge Mufeng placed Xiaoxiao on a large rock nearby, then leaped away,
chasing after the man in black.
Ge Mufeng's lightness skill was superb; he intercepted his opponent in a few leaps. Seeing that the opponent was launching a fierce attack, Ge
Mufeng easily dodged with a few spins.
"Who are you? Speak!" Ge Mufeng frowned, narrowed his eyes, and only dodged without attacking.
"You are not worthy to know." The man in black still wouldn't let go.
"Heh, not worthy? I'll show you whether I am or not!" Ge Mufeng Su half-closed his eyes, slowly and
deliberately unleashing a flurry of attacks, each move precise and aimed directly at the man in black. His speed was like a flying dragon, faster than light and shadow, chasing
the sun, truly making the man in black struggle to cope.
In fact, this was only using half of Ge Mufeng Su's strength. Seeing that the man was about to be overwhelmed,
he finally delivered a sable-shaped hook punch, leaving a wound on the man in black's arm. "Ah!" With the man in black's scream, Ge Mufeng Su watched as 　　a black-blue brand
was revealed inside the torn sleeve . 　　"A Western soldier from the Desert?" Ge Mufeng Su's eyes flashed. 　　"Hmph!" The man arrogantly raised his head. 　　"Speak, why are you so determined to deal with Xiaoxiao?" Ge Mufeng Su's grip suddenly tightened until the man in black frowned 　　and gasped. 　　" 　　I won't tell you." 　　"Fine, then I'll—" 　　"You can kill me, but while you're killing me, your men might already be taken away by my men!"

The man in black turned and stared at Ge Mufeng's suddenly changed expression.
"Damn it!" Ge Mufeng pushed him away forcefully and rushed back to the stream. When he saw Xiaoxiao still lying safely
on the rock, he realized he had been tricked.
Ge Mufeng went over and gently shook her body, "Xiaoxiao... Xiaoxiao..."
But she didn't move, her eyes were closed, and her eyelids didn't even twitch!
Ge Mufeng's heart suddenly clenched, and he quickly lifted her up, pulling up her shirt. He saw a
deep black bruise on her back. Oh no, she had internal injuries!
Seeing that the surroundings were not convenient for healing, Ge Mufeng immediately picked up Xiaoxiao. Suddenly, he felt a sweet, sticky sensation under his hand,
which startled him!
Looking down, he realized that it was her period!
This girl really knows how to pick her time!
Looking at Xiao Xiao's pale face, Ge Mufengsu quickly led her to the ruins without further delay, finding a
secluded corner to heal her.
He first laid her flat on the ground, then removed her upper garment and lifted her body. Looking directly at her
face with his eyes slightly askew, he placed his palms, filled with internal energy, on her chest, gradually channeling his true energy into her.
After about three incense sticks' worth of time, a blush slowly returned to Xiao Xiao's fair face, and her head stopped drooping
. Only then did Ge Mufengsu stop his breathing and slowly open his eyes.
At the same time, Xiao Xiao also squinted slightly, looking at the man who had healed her.
"Fengsu..." she called weakly.
"Don't speak, you have suffered very serious internal injuries." Having channeled too much true energy into her, Ge Mufengsu's
face also looked somewhat pale.
"It's you again...you saved me..." Xiao Xiao smiled slightly, but when she looked down, she saw her exposed upper
body, which made her feel helpless again.
"Uh... this is for healing, don't misunderstand." He helped her lie down, but she was too weak to respond, only able to let
him pull her clothes up for her.
Ge Mufeng said calmly, "I'll go get some clean clothes for you to change into."
When Ge Mufeng returned, he had a piece of clothing in his hand. He squatted down, squinting at Xiaoxiao, "Turn
around, let me wipe your body first."
"Ah! No need... I... I can do it myself." Even if she liked him, she couldn't let him serve her like this
. A sudden ache rose in her lower abdomen, reminding her why she had gone to the stream to clean herself.
Heavens... now she couldn't let him touch her even more.
"You're seriously injured, don't move around." He forcefully turned her body around and restrained her to prevent her
from moving again, then calmly pulled down her trousers and wiped the bloodstains between her legs.
Xiaoxiao froze there, too frightened to move. God! This was the first time in her life that a man had treated her
... that thing.
Mother had said that men considered that thing filthy and unclean, and that even touching or seeing it would bring bad luck
. Why wasn't he afraid?
"Alright, turn around," Ge Mufeng said in a deep voice.
"No, I'll do it myself." No matter how injured and weak she was, how could she entrust this to a man
?
"Be good! Remember someone promised me a while ago that she would be obedient and listen to me, hmm?" He
forced her to silence her with the light reflected in the moonlight, and she had no choice but to let him do as he pleased.
Xiao Xiao tightly closed her eyes, turned her face away, and stiffly let him wipe her entire body, from her neck, chest,
down to her lower abdomen, and then to that bloodstained spot.
"I... or I..."
"Hmm?" A heavy voice made Xiao Xiao's heart jump. She subconsciously pursed her lips,
her limbs trembling as she felt his gentle touch.
His movements were gentle, his touch delicate. When the damp cloth lightly brushed against her sensitive clitoris, her body
unexpectedly twitched, even her breathing became disordered.
Fortunately, he stopped then and pulled up her trousers covered with coarse cloth. All of this surprised and
astonished Xiao Xiao. How could a grown man know so much?
"My mother has been frail since I was little, and I took care of her daily life. Of course, I'm used to women
." He laughed casually, but Xiao Xiao could see that he had a precocious childhood unlike that of other children.
Although he was a prince of the Prince Gong's Mansion, his mother suffered from mental illness and was not very clear-headed.
She wouldn't let anyone touch her except her own family, and since he had no sisters, this responsibility naturally fell on his shoulders.
"Feng Su!" She looked at him, touched, but as she gazed at him... she felt incredibly tired. With him beside her,
a sense of security gently filled her heart, and her long-tense nerves suddenly relaxed. Sleepiness gradually overwhelmed her, and she
finally nestled down beside him and fell asleep.
Seeing her asleep like that, he couldn't help but smile. This girl... she really had no wariness towards him at all . Wasn't she
afraid that he would unleash his beastly desires?
Just now, he had used a great deal of self-control to restrain his urge to kiss her and take her. Did she think he was truly
a heartless and desireless saint?
He had always been indifferent to love and did not want his future life to be bound by it. However, looking at her sleeping face, his gaze
slowly softened...
Chapter 5
"Feeling better?"
Xiao Xiao had slept comfortably all night. When she opened her eyes, she saw Ge Mufeng Su's caring gaze, and her heart
warmed again, her eyes welling up with tears.
"Feng Su, you care about me?" She looked at him blankly, tears falling uncontrollably.
"Silly girl, of course I care about you." Ge Mufeng pinched her small face, looking into her tearful eyes,
his pupils darkening slightly.
It would be a lie to say he wasn't affected by this little woman's innocence. However, he had always valued freedom and
disliked being entangled in emotions. Otherwise, why had he ignored countless women a hundred times more beautiful and alluring than her who had shown him affection
?
But for some reason, he felt an unbearable responsibility towards her. Was it because he had seen her naked
body, or because he had grown accustomed to the burden of her sleeping with her head on his shoulder?
"Really? You care about me? Then I also want to tell you, I—"
"You've only just recovered, don't talk too much. I don't want to delay any longer; we need to set off immediately."
As if understanding what Xiaoxiao was about to say, Ge Mufeng quickly interrupted her, then smiled.
"Let's talk about it later."
Xiaoxiao's expression suddenly changed. Seeing that he had rejected her, a kind of premature pain seemed to
slowly spread from the depths of her heart to her eyes, even the corners of her eyes were wet.
"Okay, I know." She pouted, watching him slowly move away from her. Why didn't he say anything this time?
Why are you pouting again? It's ugly and unsightly...
Did he touch her filth, so he doesn't like her anymore?
"Xiaoxiao, get up quickly. I don't know why you keep jumping into the water, always needing our Lord to save you." Lu
Yi said in confusion, thinking that Xiaoxiao had gone to the stream to bathe last night and accidentally fell in.
"I... I didn't mean to."
Xiaoxiao quickly got up, straightened her clothes, and looking at her clothes, she suddenly remembered that Feng Su
had personally changed her clothes last night. Although it was a bit big, it had the delicate feel of him frequently wearing and rubbing it against his body; the touch
was just different.
"Hurry up, we're about to leave." Lu Yi was already sitting in the carriage waiting.
"Okay." Xiao Xiao then ran over and climbed into the carriage, only to see Ge Mufeng Su sitting inside,
resting with his eyes closed. It was true that he had circulated his qi for too long last night to save her, and his true qi hadn't recovered yet.
"Feng Su, what's wrong?" She quickly sat down beside him, looking at him intently.
"I'm fine." He smiled and gently patted her hand. "But you, does it still hurt?"
Xiao Xiao knew what he meant, so she blushed and said shyly, "Um... it's
a little better."
"I can tell you're lying just by looking at you. Does it hurt a lot?" Ge Mufeng Su frowned, then reached out and placed his hand on
her lower abdomen, slowly applying pressure.
Xiao Xiao was stunned for a moment, then her face flushed red. She stiffened as she watched his hands gently
knead and massage her abdomen, her body trembling involuntarily.
"Relax, being so tense prevents your blood and qi from circulating properly, of course it will hurt your stomach."
"Oh." Xiao Xiao was too nervous to speak, so she just kept her body tense, feeling his gentle kneading.
Her tense expression slowly relaxed, and she felt a slight warmth in her abdomen; the pain seemed to have lessened considerably.
"How is it? Are you feeling better?"
"Yes, much better, thank you." After these few intimate encounters, Xiao Xiao felt more uncomfortable around Ge Mufeng
, especially since he acted as if nothing had happened,
which frustrated her.
She really didn't know how to make him understand her feelings and stop treating her like a buddy.
"That's good. The journey is very bumpy. If you feel unwell, you must tell me immediately. Also, I just
told Lu Yi to drive faster. It's best to find a place to stay tonight, and not to spend the night in the wilderness again," Ge Mufengsu
carefully instructed.
Xiaoxiao nodded, then looked at Ge Mufengsu's handsome smiling face, and after a long while, she murmured, "Are you
unhappy or angry with me?"
"Why would you ask that?"
"Because you keep asking who the person who wanted to murder me is, and I have refused to tell you, so I think... you must
be angry." Xiaoxiao pursed her lips and stole a glance at Ge Mufengsu.
"Ha... Of course, I can't force you not to tell me, but your safety is a concern.
I can't defend myself without knowing who he is. It's that simple." Ge Mufengsu narrowed his eyes, a wild smile appearing on his face,
but the wisdom in his eyes deepened.
Glancing at Ge Mufeng's insincere words, Xiao Xiao couldn't help but purse her lips and mutter, "You're clearly angry with
me, yet you say it so grandly."
"Do you really want me to tell you frankly that I'm angry that you didn't tell me the truth?" He narrowed his eyes, staring
at her, his pupils radiating their usual alluring light.
"I..." She was speechless, caught off guard by his questioning.
"Unless you're willing to tell me, I won't force you. You should understand what I mean." He
gently patted her cheek, a gesture of doting, concern, and even a kind of chivalrous generosity between friends.
This made her mind suddenly clouded, completely unable to comprehend his feelings for her.
Could he possibly like her as much as she liked him? Although he always appeared carefree and jovial, she could sense
the unfathomable depth beneath his facade, which made her even more eager to understand his heart and his true feelings for her
.
"I guess... those people are probably from the Western Mongolians?" Seeing her silence, he added.
Ge Mufeng's sudden question startled Xiaoxiao. "You...how did you know?"
Seeing her astonished expression, he couldn't help but chuckle. "During yesterday's fight, I pierced that man's sleeve
and saw the brand on his arm. I determined they were Mongolian soldiers."
At that time, Mongolian soldiers would brand themselves with a mark as a sign of their identity.
"I see." Xiaoxiao had to admit it now.
"So I really don't understand, how could a young girl like you get involved with them?" A hint of doubt appeared between Ge Mufeng's
brows, and his expression darkened noticeably.
"I...how would I know? I think they've got the wrong person." Shrugging, Xiao Xiao tried to hide her embarrassment with a smile .
Ge Mufeng shook his head, bringing his face close to Xiao Xiao's, so close their breaths could almost mingle. "It's okay, but
next time you run into them, don't scream again, okay?"
"You mean...you'll just stand by and watch me die if I don't tell you?" Xiao Xiao frowned, glaring at Ge Mufeng
's handsome, clear face.
"Since you don't want me to know the reason, I'll just have to avoid seeing it. Otherwise, I'll have to ask every time we run into each other
, which is a huge hassle for both of us."
"You...you're so heartless! If you don't want to scream, then don't! Do you think I need you to save me?!" Xiao Xiao crossed her arms in
anger, her eyebrows forming a funny knot on her forehead. Ge Mufeng couldn't help but smile.
"You're still laughing...you're just teasing me!"
Why couldn't his gentleness towards her last? Although a single thoughtful gesture moved her to
tears, he quickly reverted to his indifferent and nonchalant demeanor, leading her to mistakenly believe...
The gentleness she had just witnessed was an illusion.
"Don't be angry. I know women's moods are often unpredictable and they're irritable during their periods, so I'll let
you have your way."
He moved closer to her, then smiled and said, "But it's not good to be angry for too long. It makes you age faster, become uglier, and
turn you into a shrew, repulsive." He grinned, his clear, magnetic voice uttering
words that made Xiao Xiao's chest tighten and her heart clench.
"Ge Mufeng Su, you remember this! One day I'll make you obey me and submit to me!"
Xiao Xiao roared, her face stiff, but Ge Mufeng Su took it as a joke, humming a tune leisurely and
completely ignoring her.
Seeing him like this, Xiao Xiao could only bite her lower lip tightly, staring intently at him.
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
Nearly half a month passed in this way, the days uneventful, nothing but traveling.
When it came to relationships, Ge Mufengsu became serious and evasive, but whenever he got bored on the road, he would start
telling jokes to them, even putting on a roguish smile and acting out a theatrical performance.
"My lord, there's a roadside inn ahead, shall we stop here for a bite?" Lu Yi suddenly tugged on the reins.
Ge Mufengsu, who was telling jokes to amuse Xiaoxiao, abruptly stopped, glanced outside, and said, "Alright, we'll
rest here for the night."
Anyway, he was really tired after telling jokes all day, and it would be nice if someone would laugh along, but
Xiaoxiao had such a sullen face, it was really boring.
He really didn't understand what was wrong with this girl? She was always pouting, looking unhappy. He hadn't
done anything to her, sigh... women's hearts!
Inside the inn, Xiaoxiao ate her food in silence, as if she had nowhere to vent her resentment,
taking it out on the edamame in her plate.
The edamame beans flew east and west, and Ge Mufeng and Lüyi, caught in the crossfire, could only dodge the
incoming beans while eating. Little did they know, Xiaoxiao was preoccupied with how to seduce him and make him fall in love with her.
She refused to believe that if she put all her effort into it, he wouldn't be unmoved.
Sigh… but she had absolutely no confidence. A while ago, she had even taken off all her clothes, and he hadn't even noticed
. Did she not show any womanly charm without wearing women's clothing?
"Oh…" One sigh wasn't enough; she sighed again.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Ge Mufeng thought her injury from a while ago hadn't healed, and
a hint of worry appeared on his face.
"No, anyway, you don't care about me." Xiaoxiao put down her chopsticks and said, "I feel suffocated, I want to go for a walk."
"Be careful—"
"I know what you're going to say. It's broad daylight; those people wouldn't be so bold, would they?" Xiaoxiao said
this and reluctantly went outside.
As soon as Xiao Xiao left, Lu Yi asked curiously, "My lord, what did he just say? No one would be so bold."
"This...it's nothing." Ge Mufeng squinted and gazed out the window. The moment she was gone, he started
worrying about her safety again.
At that moment, Xiao Xiao, who had rushed out of the roadside inn, was kicking pebbles aimlessly in the muddy ground beside her when a pebble unexpectedly hit
a girl on the back of the head, causing her to yell ,
"Who dares to ambush me, your grandmother?" The woman turned around and, seeing the handsome Xiao Xiao
, her eyes lit up.
"Hey, young man, you're here for a bite, right?" she said sweetly, pressing herself against Xiao Xiao
.
"Uh...yes." Xiao Xiao, who had never been embraced by a woman before, was completely flustered.
"Where did you come from?" Not only did she cling to him, but she also threw him flirtatious glances.
"I...I'm from Hetian." Xiao Xiao swallowed hard, his whole body sweating profusely from the woman's close contact,
feeling quite uncomfortable.
"Wow! That's really far."
"It's not short."
"Do you know who I am?" she asked sweetly. "
No." Xiao Xiao gave her a dry laugh.
"Then I'll tell you." The woman grasped her long braids at her temples, gently playing with her hair. "I'm the shop
owner's sister, my name is Chunhua."
"I see, it's an honor to meet you." Xiao Xiao, drenched in fragrant sweat, was caught in
a dilemma by Chunhua's clinginess, wanting only to get rid of her as soon as possible.
"Really! You know me?" Chunhua was overjoyed.
"I...I've heard of you, the rumors say you're as beautiful as a flower, and seeing you today, you truly are extraordinary."
Good heavens, she's exaggerating too much!
"Hearing you say that, I...I'm really happy." Chunhua lowered her head and smiled sweetly, then said:
"I...want to know who your family is?"
Huh? Xiao Xiao was stunned, wasn't this too fast? " You've already asked about my family?"
"Sorry, my home is far away. I'm here with a friend." Seeing that Chunhua's infatuated gaze
hadn't faded, Xiaoxiao added, "Sorry, I'm hungry. I'll go back and eat first. Goodbye, miss."
Unexpectedly, as soon as Xiaoxiao ran back into the shop, Chunhua followed her, almost scaring her half to death. She quickly
gave Ge Mufeng Su a pleading look.
Ge Mufeng Su smiled dismissively, raising an eyebrow. "Let's see if you dare run off like that again next time."
However, even more surprisingly, Chunhua, who had initially been interested in Xiaoxiao, became
infatuated with the handsome and imposing Ge Mufeng Su!
She walked straight towards Ge Mufeng Su, captivated, and boldly sat down beside him, wrapping her arms around his.
"Young master, you are so handsome! You have such a tall and straight figure, and such deep features. You are truly charming."
Ge Mufeng Su's reaction was not as timid as Xiao Xiao's. He raised his cup to Chunhua and said, "Thank you for your compliment, young lady
. I'd like to offer you a toast. Luyi, pour the wine for you."
"Thank you." Chunhua took the cup, covering her mouth with a smile. "Young master, I'd like to toast you too."
After they drank some wine, Chunhua became even bolder, pressing closer to Ge Mufeng Su, her lips almost touching his.
"Young master, where are you from? And where are you planning to go? If possible, I would really like to travel with you."
"I'm going south." Ge Mufeng Su deliberately lied.
"The south is wonderful! Well then, if you don't mind, young master, I'll go pack my things now."
"No, no, no, I need to stay here for two nights. No need to rush to pack my things, how about having a couple of drinks with me first?"
Ge Mufeng deliberately tried to divert Chunhua's attention, but that alluring smile was glaringly irritating to Xiaoxiao.
Why did he smile so freely and elegantly at Chunhua, yet put on such a helpless expression when facing her?
Completely preoccupied with that smile that wasn't meant for her, Xiaoxiao didn't notice that Ge Mufeng
hadn't told Chunhua the truth from beginning to end.
Xiaoxiao's face was cold, her mind racing with annoyance, and she didn't even realize when or how Chunhua left.
It wasn't until the meal was finally finished that Ge Mufeng said to Xiaoxiao, "You seem restless, is something
on your mind?"
"I'm tired, I want to sleep," Xiaoxiao said petulantly.
"Alright, then I'll have the waiter prepare a room for you." About ten days ago, after her injuries stabilized, they stopped
sharing a bed. He intentionally prepared another room, which made her cry for a long time.
"Hmm, thank you." Puffing out her cheeks, Xiao Xiao was reluctant, but what could she do?
************
That night, Xiao Xiao tossed and turned on the bed for a long time. Why did Ge Mufeng Su always grant Chunhua's requests
? Did men simply like flirtatious women?
Yes, if she wanted to seduce him, she had to imitate Chunhua's flirtatious manner to touch his heart and make him truly open
his heart and fall in love with her.
After struggling for a while, Xiao Xiao finally sneaked out and went to Ge Mufeng Su's room.
Standing in the darkness, looking at the figure sleeping on the bed, Xiao Xiao's heart pounded wildly. She
didn't even know how to take the first step.
Thinking of Chunhua, if it were her, what would she do?
"Yes, take off your clothes, take off your own first!"
Xiao Xiao stared tremblingly at Ge Mufeng's motionless back. Her breathing grew increasingly erratic.
She was terrified that he would be frightened by her appearance when he woke up, and even more afraid that he would think she was a shameless woman—
but she was determined. Wasn't Chunhua incredibly alluring just now? She had even boldly pressed her body against him
, and he seemed quite pleased with himself!
Xiao Xiao didn't know that Ge Mufeng had already opened his eyes, waiting to see what tricks she was going to play!
She slowly took off her clothes, leaving only a bodice and underwear.
She took a deep breath, then another, and after gathering her courage, strode towards him, jumping directly onto his bed.
But she froze, completely unsure how to begin.
Looking at his closed eyes and long eyelashes, she couldn't resist teasing him. So she lowered herself and
breathed softly into his ear, watching his eyelashes flutter slightly, which she found quite amusing. "Feng Su, I want you to like me, just like you like Chunhua." Xiao Xiao blushed and 　　said
sweetly 　　. Chunhua! When did he like Chunhua? Ge Mufeng Su frowned, pondering Xiao Xiao's words. 　　Xiao Xiao, who was immersed in tension, did not realize that Ge Mufeng Su had already woken up. "So, I want to learn 　　from her, learn her seductive charm." But... but how? 　　Thinking of Chunhua leaning close to him, moaning beside him, Xiao Xiao began to imitate her, 　　saying in a high-pitched voice, "Feng Su... I love you... will you love me too?" 　　As she spoke, she kept pressing her body against him, her breasts pressed against his face through her bodice, "I... 　　I heard that men like women's breasts the most? Why aren't you moving!" Her 　　high-pitched voice slowly lowered, and seeing that he was unmoved, her heart couldn't help but clench! 　　God, she went to so much trouble to seduce him, and he was still asleep? 　　She was incredibly jealous, lowering her head to boldly kiss Ge Mufeng's lips. Her inexperienced technique was filled with a captivating 　　allure, and her soft body rubbed against his, almost driving him crazy. 　　But he had to endure... he had to endure. He couldn't lose his composure no matter what. He wanted to see 　　what this little girl was up to. 　　"Don't ignore me!" she sobbed, looking innocent yet alluring. 　　"Isn't that enough? Okay... then I'll continue..." Her soft lips teasingly moved downwards, 　　and her small hands boldly began to remove his clothes. 　　First, she opened his shirt, then examined his internal organs, and then gently licked and kissed his firm chest muscles and 　　the dark red nipples . 　　Ge Mufeng gasped, his eyes snapping open as he watched her small head still 　　rubbing against his body, her sweet breath spraying onto his chest. 　　Then, she boldly unbuttoned his waistband and forcefully pulled down his trousers. 　　No… he couldn’t continue. He should stop her, but he didn’t want to tell her to stop. He wanted to enjoy 　　her innocent, tender caresses a little longer. 　　At that moment, her small hand timidly grasped his manhood, her eyes wide with curiosity. “What… 　　what is this?” 　　This question both amused and exasperated Ge Mufeng, but what truly aroused him was the way her smooth 　　little hand seemed to be playing with some novel toy, constantly exploring it. 　　Damn woman! When was she going to stop? 　　Ge Mufeng tensed up, finally managing to 　　breathe a sigh of relief when she finally gave up and released “it. ” 　　“Don’t you feel anything?” she shouted, sounding somewhat defeated, as if she didn’t know how to continue. 　　Finally, she plopped down on his "that," her chin resting on his chest. "Hey, tell me, what 　　exactly do you think is wrong with me?" Her small hands gently stroked the hair on his chest. "Is it because I lack femininity?" 　　That tingling sensation made him stiffen again, his self-control almost collapsing! 　　"Then tell me, what makes someone feminine?" Raising her small face, she leaned forward and 　　asked softly, her upper body pressing against his face. 　　Her nipples, through her bodice, intentionally or unintentionally teased his face and lips, making him want to open his mouth and 　　suckle them, to savor her fragrance. 　　"You won't tell me, will you?" She pursed her lips and cried. "You just won't tell me, won't you? I don't care, I don't care! You have to 　　tell me." 　　She shouted as she moved her hips, constantly teasing his erection, making his breathing shallow and his eyes already burning 　　red.

"Enough! When are you going to stop playing?"
Ge Mufeng couldn't take it anymore and flipped over, pinning Xiaoxiao down. Startled, she widened her eyes and screamed
, "Ah...help—"

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