Chapter 161 - An Obsession

At the western chamber, Nangong Bi had barely left when Wei Tan arrived.

A servant reported his presence to Su Jiu, who proceeded to wait for him at the reception pavilion. When she saw him coming over, she stepped out to greet him with a smile, “Chief Guard Wei!”

“Please don’t stand at the ceremony, Young Mistress Ji!”

“I owe you and your brothers a debt of gratitude for saving my life the other day! I will never forget it!” Su Jiu said sincerely, with her hand over her heart.

“Not at all, Young Mistress Ji. I dare not accept it!” Seeing how solemn Su Jiu was behaving, Wei Tan felt a little self-conscious. “I’m just glad that you’re fine. How is General Hu doing?”

“He’s still unconscious, but the army physician said his situation isn’t life-threatening!”

“That’s good to hear! That’s great!” Wei Tan said with a chuckle before continuing deferentially, “The Ji Family owns a manor in Youzhou. The outpost is crowded, and, inevitably, you might not be well cared for here. Young Mistress, please move into our manor!”

Su Jiu was quiet for a moment before saying straightforwardly, “Chief Guard Wei, to tell you the truth, I’m no longer the Mistress of the Ji Manor!”

Wei Tan frowned. Judging from his interactions with Su Jiu over the past few days, he trusted her character and believed her words. However, if she wasn’t the Young Mistress of the Ji Manor, what was Jin Feng’s letter all about?

Suspecting that there was more to it than met the eye, Wei Tan didn’t question her any further. He simply replied, “Since that’s the case, I won’t insist. Young Mistress, should you require my assistance in the future, please leave word with the shopkeeper of any of the shops under the Ji Family. I will rush over immediately!”

“Sure. Thank you!” said Su Jiu.

“I shan’t keep you any longer. I’ll take my leave now!” Wei Tan rose from his seat.

“Please hold on, Chief Guard Wei!” Su Jiu suddenly said as she picked up two envelopes from the table beside her. With a smile, she said, “There’s a banknote worth a thousand taels of silver in each envelope. Could I please trouble you to get someone to send one envelope to Wang Wengong’s family, and the other to Zhao Xiong and his gang? It’s a token of my appreciation!”

Su Jiu had thought long and hard about it. Although monetary gifts were somewhat uncouth, it was the most practical option and would help them out of their troubles.

Furthermore, it was most appropriate for it to come from Wei Tan’s hands.

“Well…” Wei Tan stared at the banknotes with a frown. “if you’re doing this as a show of gratitude, I’ll see to it personally.”

Despite Su Jiu’s numerous explanations, Wei Tan still hadn’t changed the way he addressed her. Because he still addressed her as Young Mistress, his duty to protect her remained. He was under the employ of the Ji Manor, and his job was to carry out whatever Young Master Ji ordered.

“Keep them somewhere safe,” Su Jiu said as she shoved the banknotes into Wei Tan’s hands. “Thank you for the trouble.”

Wei Tan replied subserviently, “Not at all! I’ll see to it immediately!”

“Thank you!”

Upon returning after sending Wei Tan off, Su Jiu saw Nangong Bi entering. She looked incensed and her brows were furrowed. Her usually cheerful eyes were full of anger at that moment.

“What’s wrong?” Su Jiu waited at the corridor until she neared, and tilted her head to look at her.

Nangong Bi had been lost in her thoughts, and she jumped back in shock when she saw Su Jiu. However, her eyes lacked their usual liveliness as she said dully, “Hu Dapao is awake. You should go to see him!”

“Dapao has woken up?” Su Jiu exclaimed excitedly and straightened her back.

“Yes. He just did!”

“I’m going now!” Su Jiu ran off eagerly. It hadn’t occurred to her to ask why Nangong Bi was in such a sour mood, and how she had found out that Dapao was awake.

Upon exiting the western chamber, Su Jiu met Ah Shu and Chang Huan, who had just returned from outside. All of them were elated to find out that Dapao had woken up, and they ran as fast as they could to Dapao’s room.

With the four of them congregating together, it was inevitable that their conversations dragged on for a long time. Only when the army physician turned up did he chase Su Jiu and the others out, to force Dapao to get some rest.

The sky was almost dark when they emerged from the room. Dusk was especially short in winter, and in the blink of an eye, the dark sky had swallowed up the last remnants of sunlight, and the night sky looked limitless.

The lights had been lit in the outpost along the corridor. Su Jiu walked back to the western chamber hurriedly, and when she entered, she was greeted by the sight of dinner laid out completely on the table. Behind the table sat a tall figure. Right then, he was resting his eyes.

For a split second, Su Jiu felt as if she’d been transported back into the Ji Manor in Shengjing City. Whenever she had returned late, Ji Yuxian would be waiting for her for dinner.

It had been a long time since she had last witnessed such a scene.

Su Jiu was in a daze for a moment.

Xiao Lie heard the noise and slowly opened his eyes as he looked over.

He had changed into a black silk robe with golden clouds embroidered on his cuff, and he looked handsome and elegant sitting under the candlelight. He looked at her and asked with a laugh, “What’s wrong? Why are you staring into space?”

Su Jiu chuckled and stepped forward. Standing in front of the table full of food, she took a deep breath. Her eyes sparkled as she asked, “What are you doing here?”

Xiao Lie tugged her hand and pulled her into the seat beside him. He apportioned a bowl of chicken soup for her before replying, “I’m here to eat with you. It’s so boring to eat alone!”

He was so tired of eating alone!

“Where’s General Nangong?” Su Jiu asked.

“Nangong Shu has gone with his army to the Yanyun Pass!” Xiao Lie answered casually. Upon seeing Su Jiu’s look of surprise, he continued, “He wanted to bid you farewell initially, but when he found out that you were with Hu Dapao, he didn’t want to interrupt you. During the period that he’s at the Yanyun Pass, the military matters and defenses here in Youzhou will be left to me.”

Su Jiu nodded her head in response. A thought suddenly occurred to her, and she asked, “When you entered Youzhou, did you meet General Luo Sheng?”

“Yeah. Why?” Xiao Lie placed several bamboo shoots into Su Jiu’s rice bowl. “It was he who told us that you were at the Camelback Ridge.”

“So, he was there at Youzhou?” Su Jiu asked again.

Xiao Lie’s brows rose. “Indeed. What is it that you’re trying to say?”

Su Jiu bit the ends of her chopsticks. Back then, they had already agreed that she would save Dapao, while Luo Sheng would take his men and meet them at the foot of the mountain. However, when Xiao Lie and the others had arrived, Luo Sheng was still inside Youzhou City. That meant that he had never intended to reconvene with them.

But if he harbored other intentions and didn’t intend to save Dapao, why had he told Xiao Lie that they were at the Camelback Ridge?

Then again, perhaps Luo Sheng had been about to leave to meet them, but Nangong Shu and his soldiers had simply arrived just in time.

It was a huge taboo to be suspicious of your people during a battle between two armies. Previously, at Yuhu Mountain, the same principle had applied during a fight between two sects. Internal strife had allowed the external enemy to gain the upper hand.

Since she couldn’t be sure about anything at the moment, she chose to hold her tongue. She didn’t want to cause any unnecessary misunderstanding to arise because of her words to Xiao Lie.

Su Jiu was beginning to wonder if she was overthinking the situation, so she said with a smile, “Nothing. Let’s eat!”

“You must tell me if something’s up! We’ll solve it together!” Xiao Lie smiled warmly as he reached out to stroke Su Jiu’s hair.

Su Jiu’s eyebrows rose imperceptibly. She sensed a slight difference in Xiao Lie’s demeanor. Ever since they had reached Northern Xinjiang, his behavior towards her had been a lot more intimate.

Was it because they were now far away from Shengjing City?

“Xiao Lie, I heard from Master An that Prince Zhao is currently trying to court Princess Yu Long, but Princess Yu Long isn’t fond of him. Whoever marries Princess Yu Long will have a huge advantage in gaining the throne. You cannot leave the capital at such a time!” Su Jiu said suddenly. Every word she had uttered had been out of concern for Xiao Lie.

Xiao Lie’s eyes darkened as he stared at her silently. When he spoke again, his tone was very firm. “Su Jiu, I will not marry Princess Yu Long!”

Su Jiu wanted to ask him why, but when she noticed the man’s dark expression, her heart skipped a beat, and she swallowed her words back into her throat.

Seeing how frightened she looked, Xiao Lie’s face broke out in a smile as he continued putting food into her bowl. “Eat up!”

Su Jiu had a huge appetite. He knew because they had eaten together a few times previously. Watching her eat now whetted his appetite too.

Xiao Lie was brimming with joy, seeing that a day had come when both of them could sit and eat together alone.

Furthermore, his marriage was yet to be set in stone, and she was no longer the Young Mistress of the Ji Manor!

This opportunity was a godsend!

Xiao Lie’s mood improved tremendously as he watched Su Jiu chow down her food, and he could feel his happiness radiating out from within.

The next day, Nangong Bi was feeling inexplicably bored, so she brought Su Jiu out with her for a stroll in the streets.

Just as they stepped out, Huang Ying happened to be coming in. She went forward to greet Nangong Bi.

The expression on Nangong Bi’s face was unpleasant, and she barely acknowledged Huang Ying’s greeting with a grunt before leaving and dragging Su Jiu along behind her.

When they were at a distance, Su Jiu asked jokingly, “What did Miss Huang do to offend you?”

“Nothing. I just don’t like her! There are just some people whom you click with instantly upon meeting, like you and me. And there are others that you dislike immediately upon meeting, like Miss Huang!” Nangong Bi scoffed, before putting her hands behind her and striding off proudly.

Su Jiu couldn’t comprehend her. She asked, “How does that even make sense?”

“It doesn’t have to. I just don’t like her!” The young lady was dressed in a yellow robe under a cloak lined with fox fur. She had a delicate and aristocratic air surrounding her.

Shrugging her shoulders, Su Jiu didn’t bother pursuing the matter anymore, and she got into the carriage to set off.

The soldiers had all been wiped out. Moreover, with His Highness Prince Rui leading his men to guard Youzhou, the city wasn’t too adversely affected by the war. The civilians went about their lives as usual, and the city was already bustling early in the morning.

Youzhou bordered the plains, and the architecture there was majestic and imposing. The customs of the people were simple and open. The women on the streets were dressed in furs and hats of animal skins. They spoke openly and laughed unabashedly, in stark contrast to the prim and proper bearing of the women in Shengjing.

Nangong Bi bought a leather hat lined with fox fur and pearls. She wore it on her head and asked with a smile, “Does it look good?”

Su Jiu nodded her head. “It does!”

On a whim, Nangong Bi bought another one for Su Jiu. She put it on Su Jiu and exclaimed in breathless surprise, “Su Jiu, you’re so pretty! You look even prettier than that supposed top beauty in Shengjing, Lan Zhihui!”

At the mention of Lan Zhihui, Nangong Bi continued, “I heard that she was chased out of the Ji Manor and that her whereabouts are currently unknown.”

Nangong Bi wasn’t privy to the entangle of Su Jiu and the Ji Manor. She had merely heard the news from a few of her usual acquaintances.

Su Jiu naturally knew that Lan Zhihui was longer at Robes Square. If she wasn’t mistaken, Miss Su’s entry into the Ji Manor had been related to her in some way. In a fit of anger, Ji Yuxian had removed her from the position of the proprietress of Robes Square.

As to where Lan Zhihui had gone after that, Su Jiu had no idea.

Su Jiu didn’t harbor much emotion towards Lan Zhihui. She knew that even without her, Miss Su was still capable of finding her way to the Ji Manor.

No one could run from fate!

The two ladies had their meals before going back. When they entered the outpost, Chang Huan was waiting for Su Jiu, and he quickly rushed forward. He called out, “Boss! You’re finally back!”

“Is there something wrong?” Su Jiu asked.

Chang Huan’s eyes fell on the hat that Su Jiu was wearing, and his eyes lit up that instant. “Where did you get this hat from?” he asked cheerily.

“It was bought! Did you think we picked it off the street otherwise?” Nangong Bi rolled her eyes.

Chang Huan scoffed at her and replied, “The one on your head looks like it was picked off the street!”

Nangong Bi glared at him. “What’s that supposed to mean? Are you saying I look ugly in it?”

Chang Huan wrapped his arms around his chest. “I’m not the one who said that!”

“How dare you…” The brows on Nangong Bi’s face rose, and she clenched her hand into a fist, intending to pummel forward.

Su Jiu quickly held her back, and said to Chang Huan, “Stop baiting her and tell me why you were looking for me!”

Chang Huan stood up straight immediately, and replied in a serious tone, “Boss, Dapao is refusing to take his medication. Miss Huang has been trying to convince him all day to no avail. I had no choice but to look for you!”

“Why is he refusing to take his medication?” Nangong Bi asked, without waiting for Su Jiu to reply to Chang Huan.

“That’s normal with Dapao.” Su Jiu answered. “He doesn’t like the sour and bitter taste of the medicinal soup.”

“But he won’t be able to recover from his injuries if he doesn’t take his medicine! Chang Huan, take me to him!” Nangong Bi clenched her jaw as she marched off angrily in the direction of the eastern chamber.

Behind her, Su Jiu’s eyes widened. With a roll of her eyes, she suddenly broke out in a smile.

Nangong Bi didn’t hate Dapao all that much after all.

On the contrary, she seemed to even care for him.

With Nangong Bi there, Su Jiu was confident that Dapao would drink even the most bitter of medicines as if it were a fine wine. As such, she wasn’t needed there and headed back to her quarters.

Chang Huan and Nangong Bi entered Hu Dapao’s room, just in time to see Huang Ying holding the bowl of medicine in her hand, trying to persuade Dapao to take it.

“General Hu, the doctor has instructed that you must drink this medicine!” Huang Ying had a charming face and a gentle voice, and she sounded like she was taking care of a disobedient child.

“Just leave it there. I’ll drink it on my own!” Hu Dapao had probably repeated himself many times, and his tone was laced with annoyance.

“I don’t believe you. You poured away yesterday’s medicine, didn’t you? Don’t you dare lie to me!” Huang Ying retorted patiently with the bowl of medicine in her hand. She didn’t lose her cool.

The bowl of medicine was pushed to and fro between the two individuals, the proximity between them shrinking without their knowledge.

Nangong Bi witnessed the intimate posture the two of them were displaying, and she suddenly recalled Hu Dapao’s words the other day. Her heart sank, and she turned to leave.

However, Hu Dapao noticed her. He quickly sat up with a groan and stared straight at her.

Nangong Bi frowned when she heard that sound. She turned around and took a few steps forward, admonishing, “Didn’t I tell you not to exert any strength? If your wounds were to reopen, you can forget about regaining the use of your hand!”

Hu Dapao’s face flushed red, and he stuttered, “I… I…”

On the bed, in a position that was neither sitting or lying down, the nine-foot-tall warrior suddenly panicked and was at a loss of what to do.

Huang Ying stood up and looked over. The gentleness in her eyes slowly faded away as she said softly, “Greetings, Princess.”

Nangong Bi stretched out her fair hand and said, “Pass me that medicine!”

Huang Ying seemed reluctant to comply. She hesitated for a moment, before passing the bowl to Nangong Bi eventually.

Nangong Bi carried the bowl of medicine to the bed beside Hu Dapao, who was staring at her in a daze. She ordered brusquely, “Open your mouth!”

Without a word of objection, Hu Dapao opened his mouth obediently.

Nangong Bi brought the bowl to his mouth and poured the medicine in. As she did so, she muttered, “Are you a three-year-old kid? Even a three-year-old kid would know to take his medicine when he’s ill!”

Hu Dapao gulped down his most-hated medicine. Suddenly, the acerbic taste of medicine seems to become sweet.

He would even drink poison, as long as it was fed to him by her.

Huang Ying’s face turned white as she stood behind them, and she clenched her fists so tightly that her nails pierced into the palm of her hand.

She had tried to coax and persuade him all day to no avail. However, the moment Nangong Bi turned up, Hu Dapao was so eager to down his medicine that he was on the verge of swallowing the entire bowl!

How could he?

She felt like a huge joke standing there.

That girl didn’t like him. Why would men always gravitate towards the unattainable?

Chang Huan was standing beside her, and on his face was a sardonic smile. He shot a glance at Hu Dapao, who was behaving like a gentle little kitten in front of Nangong Bi and turned to say to Huang Ying with a laugh, “I think we should go. We’re being the third wheel here.”

The look in Huang Ying’s eyes turned chilly as she glanced at Chang Huan, before striding out.

Chang Huan raised his brows meaningfully. Interest tinged his eyes as he followed her out and closed the door behind him.

When the medicine was finished, Nangong Bi took out a handkerchief to wipe the remaining droplets on Hu Dapao’s mouth.

Hu Dapao wasn’t bold enough to allow the young lady to serve him. He quickly took the handkerchief from her hand and said, “I can do it on my own!”

In his haste, he accidentally grabbed the young lady’s hand instead, and the soft and delicate feel of her hand caused his whole body to stiffen instantly.

Nangong Bi hurriedly withdrew her hand and yelled angrily, “Hu Dapao! You… you did that on purpose!”

“No… No! I did not! Not at all!” Hu Dapao’s explanations were incoherent, and a layer of sweat appeared on his brow.

“Since you’re done with your medicine, you should rest. I’ll get going!” Nangong Bi said with her head lowered. Without bothering to retrieve her handkerchief, she turned to leave.

“Don’t leave!” Hu Dapao grabbed her arm. Fear was etched on his handsome face. “Don’t leave. I’m sorry. That offense wasn’t intentional at all!”

“Stop moving around!” Nangong Bi turned around, and when she saw the front half of Hu Dapao’s body leaning forward, she ordered with a frown, “Lie back down on the bed right now!”

“Promise me you won’t leave!” Hu Dapao looked at her hopefully.

Nangong Bi’s ears were red, and her icy tone carried just a hint of grievance as she muttered, “Weren’t you the one who told me never to come again?”

He had even recited a whole load of principles along with it as if she owed him a debt!

Then again, she did owe him!

Hu Dapao held her wrist tightly and lowered his voice. “I… I regret it now! I take back everything I said that day.”

“Hu Dapao!” Nangong Bi glared at him, her eyes red with fury. “Just who do you think you are, thinking I would come and go as you please?”

“No, that’s not it at all!” Hu Dapao shook his head forcefully. He released Nangong Bi and leaned back dejectedly against his quilt. Chagrin and conflict were apparent on his face. “I… I initially thought that I could prevent myself from getting my hopes up if I kept my distance from you. That way, I wouldn’t be disappointed eventually. But over the last couple of days, I felt horrible not being able to see you, so I’ve changed my mind. I would rather see you, even if that means my heart will be broken down the line. Whenever you’re around, my heart feels at peace, and even my injuries don’t hurt anymore.”

Nangong Bi blushed crimson, and she quickly whirled around to face the window. “Why are you speaking so impetuously?” she demanded.

“It’s all from my heart!” Hu Dapao looked up and protested.

They were words from his heart that he had wanted to express for the longest time.

The young lady’s slender and graceful back faced him, and he couldn’t see her expression. Hu Dapao knew that his words had gone over the line. Afraid of angering her further, he kept quiet and didn’t dare say anything else.

The room became silent. The sounds of their breathing entwined, and with each breath, they conveyed to the other their unspoken emotions.

After a long while, the sun began to set, and the room gradually dimmed. Nangong Bi turned around as the last rays of the sun shined behind her. Her expression was gentle as she said, “I’ll pour you some water.”

Hu Dapao did not say a word. His eyes followed the girl as she moved across the room. He watched as she took a cup with her slender hand and filled it with water, and he blinked.

Feeling the heat from his unabashed gaze, Nangong Bi’s ears reddened. She glanced at him and protested coquettishly, “Stop looking at me!”

Hu Dapao quickly turned his head away.

Nangong Bi carried the cup of water over and brought it to his lips. Hu Dapao had originally intended to use his uninjured hand to hold the cup. His hand hovered in the air for a moment, before he placed it back down quietly and drank from the young lady’s hand instead.

As the young lady returned the cup to the table, Hu Dapao suddenly declared, “The ointment for my wounds hasn’t been applied yet today.”

Nangong Bi’s back was towards him as she lowered her head and asked, “Miss Huang didn’t help you apply it?”

“Of course not! I’m a man! How can I remove my clothing in front of another woman?” Hu Dapao asked with a laugh.

“And you’re fine doing it in front of me?” Nangong Bi narrowed her eyes at him. Joy suddenly bubbled in her heart, and her tone subconsciously turned playful and coquettish.

“Well, that’s different!” Hu Dapao said with a grin.

A myriad of emotions flashed across Nangong Bi’s eyes as she threw him a glance. Taking the bottle of ointment and the cloth bandages in her hand, she sat on the edge of the bed and reached out to help him disrobe.

His tunic was unbuttoned, revealing his sculpted bronze chest muscles. Nangong Bi had seen them many times, but she still couldn’t control the blush that crept up her cheeks. She kept her eyes firmly on the wound, willing herself not to let her gaze drift.

The wound was right below the shoulder, and Nangong Bi slowly untied the bandage. When she saw that the wound had closed and was beginning to heal well, she heaved a sigh of relief.

After placing the ointment on the applicator, she carefully dabbed it onto his wound. Without any support for her other hand, she subconsciously placed it on the right side of his chest. With her brows furrowed in concentration, Nangong Bi gently applied the medication for him.

The man suddenly groaned.

Nangong Bi looked up anxiously. “Did I hurt you?”

She noticed the man’s flushed face and his glazed eyes and suddenly realized that something was amiss. Upon looking down, she found her hand pressed against the sensitive nub on the man’s chest, and she quickly pulled her hand back as if she’d been scalded.

Hu Dapao couldn’t tell if it was from embarrassment or annoyance, but the young lady’s face reddened, the color spreading down to her neck.

Hu Dapao was in a daze, and his breathing started to become heavy. Panic suddenly flashed across his face, and he snatched a blanket to cover himself from the waist down.

Nangong Bi gawked at him in bewilderment before glancing down. When she saw the bulge on the blanket, her eyes revealed her curiosity and confusion. “Hey, what is this? This wasn’t there just now!”

“It’s… it’s nothing!” Hu Dapao quickly covered himself with another blanket.

After a moment of stunned silence, Nangong Bi’s face reddened even further. She hastily stood up and stumbled back, almost falling to the ground. In embarrassment and anger, she yelled, “Hu Dapao, how dare you!”

“I… I didn’t do it on purpose! I can’t control it! It only does this when you’re around! I don’t know what’s going on either!” The more Hu Dapao tried to explain himself, the worse it became. When he saw that the lady was about to cry, he felt like his heart was about to shatter. Holding the bed for support, he tried to get up. “I was wrong. Please don’t cry!”

“You’re shameless!”

Nangong Bi was so distressed that she stomped her foot and ran off.

Hu Dapao tried to chase her, but after two steps, the wound pulled against him and he had to stop. He sat on a chair to regain his breath and released a long sigh.

Why hadn’t he controlled himself?

What was he supposed to do now? He had scared her off, and she was probably cursing him out to her heart’s content somewhere.

Hu Dapao looked down angrily between his legs. The tension he was experiencing felt like it could explode anytime!

The amiable relationship between the both of them had been ruined by him yet again!

Nangong Bi stormed out of the eastern chamber in a huff. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She was filled with shame, fury, and grievance!

What a jerk Hu Dapao was!

How could he…

Nangong Bi suddenly smacked her head in shock. What on earth had she been thinking? Since when had her mind become so sordid?

Besides, she didn’t even fancy that jerk, Hu Dapao, in the first place!

Nangong Bi looked down and kicked a stone that happened to be by her foot. She turned to look back at the eastern chamber and suddenly dashed off towards her room as if she had seen something scary.

She locked herself inside her room and didn’t emerge till nightfall.

At dusk, Xiao Lie returned from outside and headed to Su Jiu’s room immediately.

Su Jiu was leaning on the chaise lounge napping. White charcoal was burning in the furnace beside her, and the red glow from the flames reflected off the delicate and fair face of the young lady. Her eyelashes were long, thick, and dark, like two fans on her face. Her features, accentuated by the simple makeup she applied, flickered in the dancing light, bringing a sense of peace to the bleak twilight.

Xiao Lie watched her, and he couldn’t bear to wake her up. He took a seat on the couch and observed the fire in the burner.

The plum blossoms outside the window were in full glory while the young lady slept beside him. A light fragrance filled the air, and he couldn’t tell if it came from the flowers or the girl. In any case, the scent gave him a feeling of infinite tranquility.

At that very moment, for the first time in his life, Xiao Lie felt that his life was complete.

Perhaps, his 22 years of loneliness was simply to await her arrival.

Under the firelight, the man’s lips turned up in a slight smile. He tilted his head to look at the lady and involuntarily leaned over. He reached out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear, but couldn’t bear to withdraw his hand after that, so he caressed her tender cheeks instead.

“Su Jiu, I’ve never been obsessed over anything before. Even the throne was merely something I was born to have to fight over. But now, you are my obsession!” Xiao Lie said in his head.

Su Jiu’s eyelashes trembled slightly before she slowly opened her eyes.

Xiao Lie removed his fingers from her face and gazed at her with his smile reaching his handsome eyes.

The sky had gotten dark, and Su Jiu squinted her eyes groggily as she adjusted her vision to the dim light in the room. Rubbing her head, she got up and asked, “When did you come in?”

The thin blanket covering her fell to the side as she got up. She was dressed thinly, and Xiao Lie wrapped a cloak around her and secured it around her shoulders without a second thought as if it were the most natural thing to do. “I’ve been here for a while,” he replied gently, “I saw you sleeping so soundly, and didn’t want to wake you up.”

Having just woken up, Su Jiu’s throat was a little dry. Before she could even get up, the man had already brought a teacup over. He tested the temperature before holding it out to her. He remarked, “The temperature is just right!”

Su Jiu’s mind cleared after drinking half the cup. She turned to look out of the window and exclaimed, “The sky’s already dark?”

“Yes!”

The glowing embers warmed up the cold mist of the man’s breath. With one knee bent, he knelt below the chaise lounge to help Su Jiu put on her shoes.

The man’s aristocratic figure stooped on the ground matter-of-factly, his actions gentle.

Su Jiu was taken by surprise, and she quickly hopped off the chaise lounge. Snatching her shoes from his hand, she cracked a smile and teased, “How can I have the great Prince Rui wear my shoes for me? I could get struck by lightning for that!”

With both of them assuming the same posture, their proximity was very close. Xiao Lie’s eyes were bright as he lowered his voice and replied, “In front of you, I’m only Xiao Lie, not Prince Rui!”

“Even so!” Su Jiu hurriedly put on her shoes and stood up. The look in her eyes was friendly as she asked with a smile, “Was there a reason you were looking for me?”

“Governor Huang came to see me today. He said that New Year is fast approaching, and he invited us to spend it at his residence. I came to ask for your opinion.” A smile touched Xiao Lie’s lips, and his tone was soft and gentle.

Su Jiu contemplated for a moment before replying, “I’d like to ask Dapao!”

“Sure. If you don’t want to go, we can always spend it here!”

In truth, the New Year festival was nothing more than just a ritual formality for him. But this was his first time spending the New Year with Su Jiu, and it was in the unfamiliar city of Youzhou. Therefore, he wanted to make sure she spent it happily.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

As both of them were speaking, someone suddenly knocked on the door.

When Bao Yan entered and saw that Xiao Lie was present, she bowed to him respectfully, before turning to Su Jiu and saying, “My lady, someone’s looking for you!”

Su Jiu’s brows rose. Who could be looking for her?

Everyone she knew stayed at the outpost. Furthermore, if Ah Shu and the others were looking for her, they would never have announced their presence this way!

Was it Wei Tan?

“You’ll find out soon enough when you meet the person!” Xiao Lie remarked to her as he held her by her wrist and walked out.

The man acted matter-of-factly, and Su Jiu didn’t resist him either. She followed him out to the reception pavilion.

Su Jiu’s question was answered when she saw the person standing inside. It was Zhao Xiong’s subordinate!

Because they were in the city, the person wasn’t dressed as a forest hero, like he had been on the mountain previously. Today, he was dressed crisply.

When he saw Su Jiu, he clasped his hands together in greeting. “Master Jiu!”

He wasn’t acquainted with Xiao Lie, but he knew that apart from Su Jiu and her gang, the only other people living in the outpost were the generals of the imperial army. The man exuded an air of nobility, and it was obvious from one glance that he wasn’t a civilian. After a quick glimpse, he quickly lowered his eyes.

“Have a seat!” Su Jiu said with a laugh.

However, the individual didn’t dare to sit. He retrieved a bundle that was in his arms and held it out to Su Jiu. He said respectfully, “Master Zhao instructed me to pass this to you, Master Jiu. Master Zhao said that if need be, he’ll send more of them over.”

Upon descending the mountain, the bandits had changed their forms of address. They no longer addressed Zhao Xiong as ‘Chief’.

Su Jiu had a certain suspicion when she received the bag. She felt it with her hand, and realized that her guess had been correct!

She couldn’t contain her smile as she said, “Please thank Brother Zhao on my behalf!”

“You’re too courteous, Master Jiu. Now that I’ve delivered the goods, I shall take my leave!”

“Take care!”

After sending the lad off, Su Jiu unwrapped the bundle. Inside were little black balls the size of chicken eggs, and excitement was evident on her face.

This was good stuff!

Zhao Xiong knew she liked it and had specially sent someone to deliver it to her. Did great minds all think alike?

“What is this?” Xiao Lie peered at the black balls with a frown on his face.

“It’s something fun!” Su Jiu wiggled her brows as she picked up a black ball and pulled Xiao Lie out by his arm. “Come, I’ll show it to you. I promise you’ll like it too!”

Xiao Lie looked down at the young lady’s fair hand on his arm, and his lips turned up in a smile as he followed her.

When they were both out in the courtyard, Su Jiu wiggled her brows at Xiao Lie once again and forcefully hurled the weapon in her hand towards a locust tree some distance away.

With a loud boom, fire blazed in all directions as the locust tree shattered into the air and smoke rose.

At the moment of the blast, Xiao Lie’s expression had changed, and he had swiftly turned around, pulling Su Jiu into his embrace to shield her with his body.

Su Jiu struggled for a moment, and when she noticed how tight his arms were around her, she let out a giggle. When his head slowly rose from his shoulders, she patted him on the arm as said reassuringly, “It’s fine. Look!”

The young lady’s body was soft, and her scent was fragrant. With his arms around her waist, their chests had collided, and Xiao Lie’s mind had suddenly gone blank.

Only when he heard her tinkling laughter did he slowly get up and look at the blown-up tree. With a dubious frown, he asked, “What is this? How is it so powerful?”

Su Jiu laughed and replied, “This is something Zhao Xiong concocted on his own. The other day, when Ah Shu, Chang Huan, and I ambushed the Naye soldiers at Yanyun Pass, we used this to blow them up and cause chaos!”

Xiao Lie nodded his head. “Zhao Xiong is a genius!”

“Xiao Lie, do you think this concealed weapon can be used on the battlefield?” Su Jiu’s eyes glowed in the twilight as she looked up at him.

The look in Xiao Lie’s eyes deepened as he slowly nodded his head. “Yes, it can! But as of now, its damage is still insufficient!”

Each concealed grenade could only hurt a few people at a time. On a battlefield where they had to face thousands of enemies, it was as good as worthless!

“Okay! We’ll continue to make improvements to it!” Su Jiu declared confidently.

“Since Zhao Xiong was the one who invented this, I think it’d be best if he did the improvements as well!” Xiao Lie said as he laughed.

“That’s fine. I’ll get Wei Tan to call him over tomorrow!” Su Jiu said with a chuckle. Her eyes suddenly shifted, and she continued, “Well, there’s something I’d like to confess to you beforehand. Zhao Xiong is a mountain bandit. He’s someone I met at Mount Hala, but he’s an upright bandit who intercepted the Naye soldiers and saved Dapao! He did us a huge favor!”

“You’re worried that I’ll arrest him?” Xiao Lie chortled heartily. “A mountain bandit? Isn’t there already one in front of me?”

Su Jiu was stunned for a moment before her face broke out in a smile.

The next day, Su Jiu found Wei Tan and requested his help to look for Zhao Xiong to pass him a message, as well as tell him to enter the city.

“Sure!” Zhao Xiong replied, “I will carry out your orders, Young Mistress! However, Zhao Xiong and his band of brothers don’t have a fixed place of residence on the mountain. I have no idea when I’ll finally be able to reach him!”

“It’s fine, as long as he’s willing to come!”

“Right. I will bring him to you!”

The thought of using the concealed grenades on the Naye and Qiang Clans, as well as blasting them into smithereens, filled Su Jiu with uncontainable excitement. She couldn’t wait to see Zhao Xiong.

At noon, Su Jiu was feeling restless after lunch. She dismantled one grenade that Zhao Xiong had given her on her own and began fumbling around to explore the components and their potential.

When Nangong Bi entered the room, she saw Su Jiu with a pile of black powder in front of her. Covering her nose, she said, “Su Jiu, what is that? It smells like gunpowder!”

“It is a gunpowder!” Su Jiu replied breezily.

“What?” Nangong Bi yelped in shock, and quickly pushed Su Jiu away. “This is extremely dangerous!”

Her father permitted her to ride horses and to train with weapons. However, he forbade her from ever touching gunpowder.

“It’s fine. I know my limits!” Su Jiu held out her two blackened hands and smiled casually.

“Boss!” Chang Huan suddenly leaped in and called out. “Hu Dapao is refusing to take his medication again!”

“Huh?” Su Jiu looked over in surprise.

This time around, Nangong Bi didn’t say a word, and in fact, pretended not to hear anything. She kept her head lowered as she scrutinized the stuff Su Jiu was handling.

“Hasn’t he always been refusing to take his medication?” Su Jiu asked with raised brows. What did Chang Huan mean when he said Dapao was refusing to take his medication again?

“Yesterday, when Miss Nangong went over, Dapao was very obedient. Today, Miss Nangong wasn’t around, and he…” Chang Huan shrugged his shoulders helplessly and winked at Su Jiu.

The cogs in Su Jiu’s mind turned, and realization quickly dawned upon her. In feigned annoyance, she asserted, “To hell with his bad habits! Tell him, if he doesn’t want to take his medication, he doesn’t have to! Does he think that Miss Nangong is his maid? He even wants her to feed him his medication? Tell him to dream on! At the end of the day, if the wound festers, it’s his arm that will become handicapped!”

Nangong Bi’s brows shot together, and she bit her bottom lip as she continued looking down without a word.

Chang Huan had to restrain his urge to laugh, and he loudly declared, “Alright! I’ll tell him that right away! It’ll be even better if he refuses to eat, and refuses to apply his ointment as well!”

With that, he turned to leave.

“Hold on a second!” Nangong Bi suddenly called out and looked at Su Jiu. “Dapao’s wound has just begun to heal. Tell him that he cannot be willful now!”

Su Jiu scoffed, “It’s not like I can pour the medicine down his throat forcibly if he doesn’t drink it. He only listens to you! What do you expect me to do about it?”

Chang Huan cleared his throat and suggested, “Alternatively, why don’t you pay him a visit, Miss Nangong?”

Nangong Bi blushed when she recalled the incident the day before, and she hastily turned around. “I’m not going!”

Chang Huan wiggled his brows at Su Jiu and said with a sigh, “Alright then. We’ll just wait for his wound to fester and for his arm to become disabled.”

“Stop right there!” Nangong Bi called out to Chang Huan yet again. She bit her lip and said, “Fine, I’ll go with you, but you have to come with me!”

“Sure!” Chang Huan answered, beaming.

Seemingly reluctant, Nangong Bi walked over and headed toward the eastern chamber with Chang Huan.

Chang Huan turned his head around and made a funny face with his tongue sticking out towards Su Jiu. His self-satisfied demeanor made Su Jiu burst out in muffled laughter.