Chapter 183: Using Ice
Ouyang Shaochen looked at Murong Xue and asked, “If I put some ice in the carriage, will you feel better?”
Murong Xue nodded, “Yes, of course.” The chill released from ice could dispel the heat and help her escape the summer heat. In that case she would stop sweating.
After thinking for a while, Ouyang Shaochen opened a secret drawer. There were many silvery little buckets inside. He took out one and put it on the red sandalwood table, and then opened its lid. A stream of cold air came out and made the heat pleasantly bearable.
Murong Xue looked up at the bucket. It was full of crystal-clear ice cubes…
It turned out that Ouyang Shaochen had prepared lots of ice. If she hadn’t been in his carriage, he would have put ice in the carriage early and it wouldn’t be so hot now. It seemed that she had brought trouble to him…
Ouyang Shaochen took out another two buckets of ice and placed them in the corner of the carriage. The ice cubes gave off cold air and dispelled the heat. The temperature in the carriage dropped. Murong Xue felt a chill creep over her naked skin and subconsciously crossed her arms.
“Are you feeling cold?” Ouyang Shaochen looked at her with concern.
“A little bit!” Murong Xue forced a smile. The Ice Poison inside her had a strong toxicity. Once there was a chill in the air, she would feel cold…
Ouyang Shaochen suddenly threw his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him. Then he put his palm on her back, conveying internal force to her. The internal force instantly turned into a wave of warmth flowing in her veins and dispelled the algidity in her body.
As her body became warm, Murong Xue heaved a long sigh of relief and gave him a grateful look. “Thank you.”
A faint smile crossed Ouyang Shaochen’s face. He looked at her gleaming eyes and said, “You suffer from the Ice Poison and shouldn’t touch ice. So I’m using my internal force to help you resist cold. But I don’t know how long it will hold. If you feel uncomfortable, let me know immediately.”
“Okay, I got it.” Murong Xue nodded. She felt a warm current flowing fast in her veins and every fibre of her being vibrating with comfort, as if she was bathed in warm sunshine. The comfortable feeling made her dozy.
She yawned sleepily and dropped her eyelids, as if she would fall asleep at any time. Realizing that Murong Xue was sleepy, Ouyang Shaochen raised his eyebrows and said, “We will arrive at Mountain Resort in two hours. If you are tired, you can have a short sleep.”
“Okay!” Murong Xue nodded. She hadn’t slept well last night. Since he agreed, she could catch some more sleep before the carriage reached Mountain Resort.
She reached out to push the sandalwood table aside, lay down on her side and closed her eyes.
Sitting beside her, Ouyang Shaochen could hear the constant rhythm of her breathing. He gazed down at her face. She was breathing evenly with her eyes closed. Her long eyelashes, like the spread-open wings of a butterfly, cast their shadows on her beautiful face. Her serene sleeping face was as pure as a baby…
Suddenly, she turned over and the entire weight of her body was bearing down on her injured left arm. Ouyang Shaochen slowly knitted his brows and heaved a sigh. ‘She can’t take care of herself at all,’ he thought.
He put his arm around her shoulders, turned her around and held her in his arms. Just then, a flawless white jade pendant fell onto his robe from her pocket.
The jade pendant had been exquisitely carved and had a fine lustre. Obviously, it was a top-grade warm jade.
With a faint smile on his face, Ouyang Shaochen picked up the jade pendant and gently touched it. Then he stuffed it gingerly into her inside pocket so that it could rest against her skin and warm her body. After doing that, he gently pinched her rosy cheeks.
‘She is thinner, but still as beautiful and lovely as when I saw her as a child,’ he thought.
The temperature dropped a lot in the carriage. Murong Xue felt cold and subconsciously huddled up against Ouyang Shaochen.
Ouyang Shaochen covered the ice bucket, took off his robe and put it over Murong Xue. It was a little cold in the carriage. Although the temperature was suitable for most people, it was necessary to keep her warm because she suffered from Ice Poison.
Two hours later, the carriage slowly stopped. Xun Feng stood outside the carriage and reported respectfully, “My prince, we have arrived at Mountain Resort.”
There was dead silence in the carriage. No one responded to him.
Xun Feng raised her eyebrows, his face puzzled. ‘What happened? Is Prince Jing asleep? Should I wake him up?’ he thought.
He frowned and lost in thought. Just then, Ye Yichen in a deep purple robe strode towards the carriage. He skillfully dodged the blows from Xun Feng, drew back the carriage curtain and shouted out, “Xue’er, you…”
When he saw what was happening in the carriage, heartache choked his throat like a big invisible big hand and he couldn’t say anymore.
Ouyang Shaochen leaned against the wall of the carriage wearing only white underwear, his eyes closed, his strong arm wrapped loosely around the girl’s slender waist.
Murong Xue was sleeping soundly in his arms like a kitten. A faint red flush suffused her face and a gentle smile hung on her lips. Her serene sleeping face gave others a hint that Ouyang Shaochen was the person she trusted the most in the whole world, and that his arms was the safest place…
Ye Yichen’s face dropped to the floor almost immediately. He clenched his fists in anger. When did they become so close?
Xun Feng trotted up to Ye Yichen, snatched the curtain from his hand and let it down. Then Xun Feng stood between Ye Yichen and the carriage and said with great seriousness, “Prince Jing, please don’t disturb my prince.”
Ye Yichen looked at the carriage with a murderous look in his eyes. ‘I have been engaged to Murong Xue for 10 years. Unfortunately, we have been at odds with each other in recent months. So Ouyang Shaochen seizes the chance to gain her trust. He’s really smart…’ he thought.
The noise outside wakened Murong Xue. She slowly opened her eyes and caught a whiff of bamboo aroma, feeling as if she was lying on a warm and comfortable bed. Reluctantly, she dragged herself away from his arms, then narrowed her eyes and asked in a muffled voice, “Have we arrived at Mountain Resort yet?”
Ouyang Shaochen opened his eyes and nodded, “Yes.” The sunlight reflected off his obsidian-like eyes creating flamboyant luminescence. He looked handsome and superb.
“Let’s get out of the carriage.” Murong Xue straightened up reluctantly. The white robe over her body slipped down on the floor. She quickly picked it up and handed it to Ouyang Shaochen, while saying, “Thank you.”
Ouyang Shaochen replied in a gentle voice, “Don’t mention it!” He took the robe from her hand and put it on, then lifted the curtain and jumped out of the carriage. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he turned around and reached out to help Murong Xue out of the carriage.
“Shaochen.” A deep voice came from behind. A middle-aged man, who had a handsome face and a pair of bright and piercing eyes, strode towards them. He was Old Prince Jing.
Ouyang Shaochen greeted him with an air of aloofness, “Good afternoon, my lord.”
Old Prince Jing didn’t take Ouyang’s indifference to heart. He looked directly at this young man and said, “It’s you. I saw you at a distance and thought that my eyes were playing tricks on me. But facts prove that I have good eyes. Did everything go all right on your way here?”
“Everything went well. Thank you for your concern,” Ouyang Shaochen answered, his eyes like bottomless black pools. “Have you become accustomed to life here?”
“Yes. It’s quiet and cool here. No wonder it’s known as a summer resort,” Old Prince Jing said softly. When he saw Murong Xue behind Ouyang, a trace of emotion flickered across his eyes. “Xue’er, you are here…”