It's late at night and everyone is asleep.
The villagers in the small mountain village turned off the lights and went to sleep early, and the autumn night wind added a lot of coolness.
In the courtyard, inside the room.
The cold wind was raging outside the window. Although this small room was simple, it was clean and tidy. This small space was filled with warmth.
The dim oil lamp on the table was about to go out, leaving only a last flicker of light. When it burned out, the room was completely plunged into darkness.
This also means it's time to rest.
There are not many entertainment activities in the small mountain village. After dark, there is nothing else to do except sleeping and exercising.
"It's time to rest."
Across the table came Zhiyuan's indifferent voice.
The sound was very soft, as if there was no ripple at all.
However, one can still sense a bit of tension.
Then, she slowly stood up and returned to the bed. She took off her shoes and socks as usual, got into bed with her clothes on, turned over, and rolled into the bed, leaving half of the bed as if it were clearly divided.
Very good understanding.
Seeing this scene, Lin Jiangnian was in a good mood.
Obviously, Zhiyuan had already acquiesced to the fact of sleeping in the same bed with him.
From the first night a few days ago, and the following nights, the two of them maintained the same tacit understanding. They slept in the same bed, but without any prior agreement, no one mentioned this matter.
It was exactly the same process as applying medicine to the kite, and it seemed to have become a little secret between the two.
Lin Jiangnian could also sense that Zhiyuan, who had been extremely alert and tense on the first night, gradually relaxed a lot later on...
Obviously, she approved of Lin Jiangnian's gentlemanly behavior.
Of course, there may be other reasons.
However, Lin Jiangnian didn't care.
The arrogant and cold little maid who used to look down on him, now not only undressed in front of Lin Jiangnian and allowed him to touch her skin, but was even willing to sleep with him in the same bed. This was enough.
For Lin Jiangnian, a deep sense of accomplishment surged in his heart.
Although the truth is not so, but... does it matter?
At least the result was that the two of them slept together.
In this era where a woman's reputation and chastity are extremely important, rounding it off is equivalent to the two of them having slept with each other!
Thinking of this, Lin Jiangnian's mood became even happier. After noticing that there was no movement on the bed, he slowly stood up and walked to the bedside. He took off his shoes and clothes, and slipped into the quilt with ease.
The warmth from the quilt drove away the coldness in his body, and the faint fragrance coming from the kite made Lin Jiangnian feel relaxed and happy.
The soft embrace of a young girl is something special. In the past, Xiao Zhu would always warm the bed and wait for Lin Jiangnian to fall asleep. But this time, it was someone else!
Glancing over, in the pitch-black environment, he could vaguely see that Zhiyuan still had her back turned, leaving him with a lonely, cold, and beautiful back.
However, compared to the first night when he was visibly nervous, Zhiyuan was much more relaxed tonight. Although he was still a little reserved and cautious, he no longer had the caution and fear of the first time.
Sure enough, girls will be nervous and scared the first time.
In the darkness, Lin Jiangnian stared at Zhiyuan's back for a long time, then suddenly sighed softly: "How about I discuss something with you?"
Zhiyuan didn't say anything, as if he didn't hear anything.
"Always sleeping in the same position is bad for your health. It affects blood circulation and development..."
During the few nights they slept in the same bed, Zhiyuan always had her back to him, keeping this position motionless all night, which made Lin Jiangnian feel a little regretful.
He also wanted to see what Zhiyuan looked like when she was asleep, but she never gave him the chance.
"How about you turn around and let's chat?"
Lin Jiangnian spoke tentatively.
But still no response.
The kite didn't move, as if it was asleep, and didn't hear anything at all.
But she definitely didn't sleep.
For a master like Zhiyuan, once her injuries heal, her body will be extremely sensitive to her surroundings and it will be impossible for her to fall asleep easily.
Then the only explanation is simple... she was pretending to be asleep.
Pretend not to hear.
Thinking of this, Lin Jiangnian's mind became more active.
Sharing the same bed these past few days, and with Zhiyuan's tacit consent, he had grown bolder. He turned his head and quietly examined the graceful figure beneath Zhiyuan's blanket. Although she was wearing clothes, it couldn't hide Lin Jiangnian's fiery gaze.
"Zhiyuan, do you know..."
Lin Jiangnian narrowed his eyes, a meaningful smile appearing on his face: "Your back is actually more tempting..."
Before he could finish his words, he felt a cold and angry breath coming from him.
Looking up, I saw the kite beside me moving.
He turned around with difficulty, almost in a panic, and stared at Lin Jiangnian, his eyes full of shame and anger, staring at him vigilantly.
In the darkness, those bright eyes were filled with shame and anger, her pretty face flushed slightly, and her breathing was a little rapid. She wrapped herself tightly in the quilt, her back almost touching the wall, and she was furious.
The reaction was extremely intense!
When she noticed the look of "as expected" on Lin Jiangnian's face and the playful smile in his eyes, how could she not realize something?
This guy did it on purpose!
Did he say that on purpose?
Zhiyuan was filled with shame and anger. She glared at him angrily and said coldly, "Don't look!"
However, Lin Jiangnian did not let her get what she wanted. He looked at Zhiyuan with a smile on his face. The girl's pretty face was blushing and her eyes were slightly panicked.
"You are wrong. What do you think of me?"
Lin Jiangnian shook his head slightly: "This prince is a gentleman!"
Zhiyuan didn't say anything, still staring at him with shame and anger.
gentleman?
Oh!
"Look, have I ever touched you in the past few days? Have I ever forced you into anything?"
Lin Jiangnian said confidently, "Not only did this prince not offend you in the slightest, he even kindly helped you apply the medicine, working diligently and without complaint... Where else can you find a gentleman like me?"
The kite remained silent.
Although Lin Jiangnian was telling the truth, for some reason, she always felt that his words were weird.
I wanted to retort, but didn't.
"Look, isn't this good?"
Lin Jiangnian stared quietly at her face, which was filled with shame, anger, uneasiness and vigilance. Her fair skin, delicate features, and cautious, alert, and somewhat uneasy and trance-like expression made Lin Jiangnian unable to help but look at her a few more times.
There was a hint of strangeness in his eyes.
This hint of strangeness was instantly caught by Zhiyuan. She became more alert and stared at him with her lower lip bitten.
Lin Jiangnian looked away with difficulty.
No, I can’t watch it anymore.
Ever since he met Zhiyuan, this little maid always had a cold, arrogant, and aloof demeanor, as if everything was under control.
But now Zhiyuan looks weak and innocent, uneasy and nervous, which makes her seem a little cute.
Cute, miss the sun!
Lin Jiangnian looked away and sighed softly.
It's incredible.
With his hands propped up on the pillow and staring at the dark beams, Lin Jiangnian changed the subject: "By the way, what are your plans next?"
Zhiyuan was originally feeling ashamed and angry, and her mood was complicated and confused. She was stunned when she heard Lin Jiangnian suddenly become serious again.
After a moment's silence.
"What's the plan?"
"What's the next itinerary?"
Lin Jiangnian turned his head and glanced at her: "You left Prince Lin's Mansion this time and came to Xunyang County to avenge your parents, right?"
The kite remained silent.
Lin Jiangnian already knew about this, so there was no need for her to elaborate on it.
"From what I know, the downfall of your Jiang family was due to the influence of many powerful families from Xunyang County. But in the final analysis, it was indeed the Wang family that caused all this to happen!"
"The Wang family is indeed the real culprit."
Having said that, Lin Jiangnian glanced back at her and asked, "So what are your plans?"
"Seek revenge on the Wang family? Or, eliminate all the family forces and people involved in that incident?"
Zhiyuan lowered his eyes and was silent for a long time before saying, "I don't have that ability."
"so?"
"Every wrong has its perpetrator, every debt has its creditor!"
Zhiyuan's tone was slightly cold: "The mastermind behind the murder of the Jiang family was the Wang family. As for the other families..."
After a brief pause, he spoke again in a cold voice: "Everyone who participated in this incident will die."
Lin Jiangnian understood.
With her ability, she could not compete with the family forces in Xunyang County, but it would be much easier to assassinate and eliminate the people from those family forces who participated in the murder of the Jiang family.
"That's not bad..."
Lin Jiangnian breathed a sigh of relief, his tone slightly joking: "I thought you wanted to eradicate all those family forces?"
Zhiyuan was silent for a long time, then said, "I'm not stupid."
The forces behind the murder of the Jiang family were too powerful, and there were countless people involved. If they were all eliminated, it would almost be like becoming enemies with the entire Xunyang County.
How could this be achieved with the kite's ability?
Not to mention him, even if King Lin came, he probably wouldn't have the ability to do so.
This is no longer just a matter of killing a few people!
Lin Jiangnian naturally understood what was going on, so he just made a joke, then seemed to think of something: "What's next?"
"Um?"
In the darkness, Zhiyuan looked up, a little puzzled.
"What happens after we eliminate the Wang family?"
Lin Jiangnian said in a young voice: "After you avenge your parents, the Jiang family, what are your plans?"
A look of confusion appeared in Zhiyuan's eyes: "I don't know."
"Haven't you thought about it yet?"
Zhiyuan lowered her eyes.
Not saying anything is equivalent to agreeing.
"Will you return to Prince Lin's Mansion?" Lin Jiangnian asked.
Zhiyuan glanced at him and said nothing.
Lin Jiangnian chuckled and didn't bother to keep her in suspense any longer: "If you have nowhere to go, why don't you come to the capital with me?"
"Entering the capital?"
Zhiyuan seemed stunned and stared at Lin Jiangnian for a few seconds. Only then did he realize why Lin Jiangnian appeared in Xunyang County.
He is planning to go to the capital!
Go to the capital... to marry the eldest princess?!
Zhiyuan is very clear about this matter.
But for some reason, when I suddenly thought of this tonight, I had a vaguely strange feeling in my heart.
I can’t say.
Zhiyuan lowered her eyes and remained silent: "What should I do in the capital?"
"You haven't been to the capital yet, have you? Since you have some free time this time, why don't you come with me to the capital to take a look?"
Lin Jiangnian stared at her face without hiding his purpose at all... He came to Xunyang County this time just for the kite.
Lin Jiangnian wanted to keep this disobedient maid by his side. On the one hand, Zhiyuan was a highly skilled martial artist, and having her by his side was like having a top-notch martial artist protecting him, giving him a sense of security. On the other hand, Lin Jiangnian decided to properly educate and discipline this disobedient little maid, making her willingly call him master.
This is Lin Jiangnian’s real purpose.
However, the kite remained silent.
Facing Lin Jiangnian's burning gaze in the darkness, she remained silent for a long time, hesitating about something.
When she left Linjiang City, she had no plans to go back, just as she didn't expect Lin Jiangnian to appear here.
She didn't have any particularly deep memories of the Lin Palace, nor did she have anyone worth remembering. She had entered the Lin Palace only to repay a favor. To repay the Lin Princess for saving her life, and to repay the Lin Prince for his cultivation.
And now, Prince Lin has already...
Her kindness had been repaid, and Prince Lin allowed her to leave the Prince Lin's Palace.
She had originally planned to travel the world after avenging the Jiang family, exploring the various territories of the dynasty, exploring the martial arts world, and visiting the old Miao territory in the south to see the woman who had a relationship with her father...
Or go back to Jiangnan, that's where she grew up!
But the appearance of Lin Jiangnian disrupted all her plans.
Tonight, at this moment, facing Lin Jiangnian's invitation, she hesitated.
Perhaps a few days ago, she would have refused without hesitation... She didn't want to go to the capital with him.
But tonight...
She hesitated.
Lin Jiangnian noticed the hesitation on Zhiyuan's face and raised his eyebrows: "Why? Don't want to?"
Zhiyuan looked up at him, wanting to say something but stopping herself.
"I heard that my aunt is in the capital right now. Don't you want to go see her?"
Hearing this, Zhiyuan was startled: "Aunt is in the capital?"
"I heard that he fled to the capital to seek refuge in order to avoid pressure from his family to get married..."
Lin Jiangnian mentioned it casually: "According to the date, we should be arriving in the capital soon. When we get there, we should be able to see her again."
Lin Jiangnian had no recollection of his adopted aunt, but Zhiyuan was different. After Princess Lin's death, Zhiyuan had been living with her, and their relationship was extraordinary.
"Calculating the time, you haven't seen her for a few years, right?"
Lin Jiangnian glanced at her: "Why, don't you want to go see her?"
Sure enough, when he heard that his aunt was in Beijing, Zhiyuan, who was originally hesitant, was silent for a while and gradually made up his mind.
"Have you thought about it?"
"Um."
"Going to the capital with this prince?"
"Um."
"Then continue to warm my bed?"
"Um……?!!"
In the darkness, Zhiyuan suddenly raised her eyes and stared at him warily: "What did you say?"
"nothing……"
Lin Jiangnian waved his hand and coughed lightly: "It's getting late, go to bed, go to bed."
Zhiyuan bit her lower lip lightly, a look of woman's shame and anger flashed in her eyes, and she glared at him.
But Lin Jiangnian had already closed his eyes, looking like he was asleep.
In the darkness, Zhiyuan stared at his face for a while, staring at Lin Jiangnian's familiar and tender face, with its angular features, as if muttering to himself.
"Like, so similar..."
A complex expression flashed across her eyes, a bit dazed, and with an indescribable emotion.
It was not until a long time later that a strong sense of sleepiness came over her and she closed her eyes in a daze.
That night, Zhiyuan had a dream!
In her dream, she felt like she was wrapped in a stove, feeling warm. She almost subconsciously hugged the stove, letting the warm breath wrap herself.
She slept very peacefully that night.
The next morning, the first rays of sunlight shone through the window.
When Lin Jiangnian woke up, he inexplicably felt difficulty breathing.
It felt like something was strangling his neck, making it difficult for him to breathe.
You can also smell a faint fragrance in your nose.
Very close.
Lin Jiangnian subconsciously opened his eyes and looked down.
Stunned!
…