Chapter 13
Shi Yunlin put one hand on Qishan Lang's chest, trying to keep the distance between the two people as far as possible. The other hand was still holding his cloak and thick mink fur. She was holding the heavy one in one hand, and her wrist was sore.
Looking at Qishan Lang's eyes, Shi Yunlin felt a little panicked. Feeling uncomfortable, she suppressed her panic and tried to persuade her: "Let's leave early, it will get dark soon."
Qi Shanlang took the cloak that Shi Yunlin could barely hold with one hand and threw it to a chair aside. He held Shi Yunlin's waist and took a step forward. Shi Yunlin staggered and was led back. Shi Yunlin still felt a little pain from Qishanlang's rough palm through the material of her clothes. Her heart pounded, torn between rejection and submission.
Qishan Lang grasped Shi Yunlin's slim waist and lifted it up. Shi Yunlin was carried to the table in a daze. The unfinished winter dew tea fell, and with the crisp sound of porcelain, the cool and mellow fragrance slowly spread under the warmth of the charcoal fire in the house.
Qishan Lang bent down, placed his hands on Shi Yunlin's sides, and pressed them on the table. He held Shi Yunlin in his arms and gradually approached. Shi Yunlin's knees were pressed together and her thin legs were straightened. As the Qishan Wolf approached, Shi Yunlin kept leaning back, unable to retreat. The elbow she was supporting slipped and she lay down on the table. Out of instinctive fear, tears quickly filled her black and white eyes.
It was obvious that Shi Yunlin had an epiphany in life some time ago - crying was useless.
In the past two days, she had fallen into Qishan Lang's hands, but she didn't know how many times she had cried. It seemed that her tears had never dried completely.
"I don't want it." Shi Yunlin spoke in a soft and choking tone. She sniffed and looked at Qishanlang pitifully with teary eyes like last night, silently begging to let her go.
Qishanlang felt that Shi Yunlin was much better at this time. She would speak briefly and to the point when she was crying, instead of mumbling in endless tirade.
Qi Shanlang straightened up, picked up the cloak placed on the chair and threw it on Shi Yunlin. He said: "Wear it when going out."
Shi Yunlin suddenly felt lucky to have escaped, clutching the cloak hanging on her body. After Qi Shanlang turned around and walked out and reached the door, she sat up and groped to check if there was any blood on her cloak while muttering in a low voice: "I won't wear it..."
Qishan Lang had already stepped over the threshold, then paused and turned around.
Shi Yunlin immediately opened her eyes wide, looked at him in horror, and quickly changed her words: "I will wear it, I will definitely wear it!"
Qishanlang then walked out and closed the door.
Seeing the door being closed, Shi Yunlin breathed a sigh of relief, then immediately frowned and waved her fist in the direction of the door.
But after all, he can only vent his anger to the air.
She lowered her head and pursed her lips in frustration for a while, then lay down on her back with a groan, muttering in her mind - when can she return to Hunan? When can we leave this vulgar savage!
After humming for a while, she pulled up her cloak and buried her head and face in the furry mink fur. The cloak has the scent of the Qishan wolf, a fishy-sweet smell of blood.
Shi Yunlin sniffed again and smelled something strange, a bit like grass after the rain.
Qishanlang left Beijing, which was a great blessing for Shi Yunlin. In the next two days, she felt much more relaxed. She ate and slept, sat in the yard to bask in the sun during the day, and sat by the charcoal fire in the evening in a daze.
Because Qishan is too far away, His Majesty wants to officiate at the wedding again. Shi Yunlin and Qi Shanlang got married in Tongrui Hall in front of Baixiang Palace. Originally, on the second day of the wedding, Shi Yunlin would follow Qishan Lang back to Qishan. But because of the sudden military situation, Qishanlang immediately went to Feizhou, and Shi Yunlin temporarily lived here. This is an idle palace of the royal family. It is usually only cleaned by the palace staff and no one lives there. Shi Yunlin felt peaceful and comfortable staying here.
Two days later, Shi Yunlin wanted to go home.
Shi Yunlin led Youlu tentatively to the palace gate.
The guards at the door looked embarrassed and looked at each other. After a brief hesitation, one of the guards said: "Madam, I have not received an order to send you elsewhere."
Although Shi Yunlin had expected it, she still felt unhappy when she walked back. There was no order to send her elsewhere. Was she cargo that needed to be sent here and there? She has legs herself.
Shi Yunlin stopped and looked back towards the door.
After a while, Shi Yunlin took Youlu to the palace gate again. This time, she was wearing Qishanlang's cloak.
When the guards at the door saw Princess Xiang coming over again, they were about to go up to greet her when they saw the mink fur on Shi Yunlin's body, and their eyes couldn't help but froze.
Shi Yunlin didn't say a word, and her steps didn't slow down. She gathered her warm mink fur and walked out slowly. Compared with Qishan Lang, her stature is quite different. Qishan Wolf's cloak was wrapped around her body, and only her small snow-colored face was exposed. Her whole body was wrapped in mink fur, and a part of it was dragged to the ground.
The guards at the door looked at each other, and when Shi Yunlin immediately walked in front of them, they stepped aside to avoid it.
Shi Yunlin walked out of Baixiang Palace like this.
Shi Yunlin asked Youlu who was following behind: "Do you know the way to Changqing Lane?"
Youlu nodded: "I know you."
"That's okay." Shi Yunlin laughed. I am already happy that I will see my family soon. My father must have been feeling uncomfortable these past few days, and he was blaming himself again. I don’t know if my mother and cousin are in good health. Shi Yunlin felt a lot more relieved about Shi Jing. Her younger brother was much more sensible than before. Shi Yunlin was thinking about various things, sometimes wondering if those servants were lazy again, and sometimes wondering if anything else had happened at home in the past few days...
A carriage chased from behind, and the sound of horse hooves and carriage shafts interrupted Shi Yunlin's thoughts. She stopped and turned back, raising her eyebrows.
The carriage stopped in front of Shi Yunlin, and the maid opened the door. Aunt Wu got off the carriage, took a look at Shi Yunlin's cloak, blessed Shi Yunlin, and said respectfully: "It took me a while to prepare Madam's carriage, so let me Madam, you have been waiting for a long time."
She reached out to help Shi Yunlin, and Shi Yunlin boarded the car.
Sitting in the carriage, Nanny Wu said with a smile: "There is a heater in the carriage to keep you warm. Madam, please take off your fur coat and put it on again after you get off the carriage."
Shi Yunlin lowered her eyes and looked at the bulging mink fur on her body. She touched the furry fur with her fingertips, and then she understood what Qishan Lang meant by "dressing when going out".
Shi Yunlin shook her head: "No, dress safely."
Grandma Wu opened her mouth, speechless.
We finally arrived at Changqing Alley. As soon as the carriage turned into the alley, Shi Yunlin looked out of the small window, and her heart had already flown back.
The carriage stopped in front of the courtyard door. Shi Yunlin couldn't wait to jump out of the carriage and opened the courtyard door without even knocking.
The boy and the cook sat lazily in wicker chairs and basked in the sun, holding handfuls of melon seeds in their hands. Smoke was pouring out of the kitchen chimney. The kitchen window reflected the figure of my mother bending over the stove.
Seeing Shi Yunlin come in, the two of them were stunned for a moment and stood up.
"Sister!" Shi Jing stood at the door of the kitchen and shouted loudly.
Fu Wendan looked over from the window, and the sound of "Yunlin" made Shi Yunlin's eyes wet immediately.
She glared fiercely at the boy and the cook in the courtyard, then turned and walked towards the kitchen.
Fu Wendan had already arrived at the door. He first wiped the water stains on his apron, then took Shi Yunlin's hand and squeezed it repeatedly. Thousands of words turned into this repeated squeezing action.
Shi Yunlin suppressed the resentment in her heart and smiled. She walked into the kitchen, saw the half-cooked meal, and stepped forward to help.
Fu Wendan shook his head with a smile, pulled her and said: "The food cooked by the cook is not delicious. I used to like cooking, so I cook it myself when I am interested. You have never been able to do this, so you are not needed here. Go and talk to Please talk to your father, he has been coughing badly these past few days."
Shi Yunlin didn't expect that even her father was sick, so she hurriedly went to see her father again.
Shi Yantong was lying on the couch and had already heard Shi Yunlin coming back. When his youngest daughter came in, he waved to Shi Yunlin and asked her to come and sit down.
"Father, I heard that you are sick."
Shi Yantong did not answer, but asked: "Have you told Qishanlang what I asked you to tell me?"
Shi Yunlin was stunned and said with a guilty conscience: "I didn't have time..."
"Then wait until he comes back."
This is what happened before when Shi Yunlin was defrauded by someone under the guise of Qishan Lang. Over there, Qishanlang had his own spies who knew that Shi Yunlin was sent to the military camp. But at that time, the cook deliberately reminded Shi Yantong that the person who came to pick him up was not Qishan Lang. Who wants to remind Shi Yantong? Shi Yantong couldn't and couldn't find out whether there were any twists and turns behind this matter. He could only tell Qi Shanlang about the matter.
Fu Wendan had already walked in, followed by Shi Jing and Shen Tanxi, carrying lunch.
The family reunites for a meal. Shi Yunlin asked about her family's health, and her family also asked about her affairs in Baixiang Palace.
But no one asked Qishanlang whether he was good to her. She is not the person she likes, and she is getting married under such circumstances. How can that be okay? Can't ask.
Shi Jing hesitated for a long time and put down the bowl in his hand. He looked at Shi Yunlin and was about to speak when Shi Yantong coughed.
Shi Jing immediately closed his mouth, picked up the bowl and plucked rice into his mouth.
Shi Yunlin saw the expressions of the family in her eyes. She smiled, took a bite of the noodles made by her mother, and said, "I'm fine."
The family's movements paused at the same time.
Shi Yunlin bent her eyes and looked at Fu Wendan, "Mom, please make me some more pancakes."
Fu Wendan nodded and said, "If you like it, I'll make some more."
"Yes, I like it." Shi Yunlin smiled and went to pick up the dishes on the table and said casually: "Not only do I think it's delicious, Qishan Wolf also thinks it's delicious."
They didn't dare to mention Qishanlang, so she took the initiative to mention it, just as naturally as a daughter casually mentioning her newlywed husband in front of her parents.
In the days that followed, Shi Yunlin went home often. He also brought a lot of food from Baixiang Palace, but was dissuaded by Shi Yantong and stopped bringing it.
Shi Yantong repeatedly told Shi Yunlin to put her own safety first in everything and not even let her come over too often.
"When I return to Qishan, there will naturally be fewer visitors..." Shi Yunlin lowered her head gloomily.
Shi Yantong looked away, but he didn't have the heart to dissuade him any more.
In the blink of an eye, a month passed by. Qi's winter is getting colder and colder. The space between heaven and earth is covered with silver.
Shi Yunlin didn't go to the Crown Princess's birthday party. Qi Shanlang and Qi Jiazhi were at odds, so it was natural for her not to celebrate. But he escaped the Crown Princess's birthday party, but he couldn't escape Princess Mingci's plum blossom viewing party.
Shi Yunlin was conflicted about contacting the nobles in the capital. Knowing her identity, she would inevitably be ostracized and ridiculed. She couldn't bear to hear those people talking about Hunan's subjugation with pity from above.
"What's Princess Mingci's temperament like?" Shi Yunlin asked again.
"Be dignified and decent, value rules and etiquette." Youlu thought for a while, then added, "I hate people who don't follow the rules and are not punctual."
"This is far from the palace, so we have to leave early tomorrow." Shi Yunlin washed up early that night and planned to go to bed early. Before going to bed, she told her to wake her up at 9 o'clock tomorrow and go out early.
After bathing, Shi Yunlin dried her hair and went to bed more than an hour earlier than usual.
The thick bed curtains were lowered, blocking out the lights and candlelight outside the bed. In the warm and quiet bed, Shi Yunlin curled up and lay on her side under the brocade quilt, her soft long hair spread out on a pillow, and the darkness could not hide the satin-like softness.
Shi Yunlin was sleeping soundly. He didn't even notice that his body was turned over. The moment she was burned, Shi Yunlin woke up suddenly. She opened her eyes in shock and met a pair of pale eyes.
