The two fingers pinching his waist were clearly as soft as boneless, but Song Yinghuai felt they were hotter than a branding iron.
It seemed that as long as he answered a single word wrong, the branding iron would burn through his skin at any moment.
"Your Highness?"
Caiyu pinched the flesh on his waist and coiled around him like a water snake.
However, the fierceness in her eyes couldn't be concealed.
Song Yinghuai's Adam's apple rolled violently several times. Driven by a strong will to survive, he immediately explained,
"… There are many private pictures of avoiding fire circulated in the palace. My younger brothers and I once looked through them together. After seeing so many, I naturally know a thing or two."
"Later, when I was fourteen, I went to Yandi to lead troops. Those old veterans in the military camp would say all kinds of vulgar things and I've heard all sorts of stories about men and women."
After Song Yinghuai finished speaking, he felt the pain on his waist intensify.
"So Your Highness has tried everything with those old veterans?" Caiyu suddenly felt extremely aggrieved.
She was still an innocent maiden. Why should she end up with a "rotten cucumber"?
Song Yinghuai let out a muffled groan from the pinching and shouted his innocence. "I've only heard vulgar words. How could I ever touch a military prostitute? Do you think I'm such an unfastidious person?"
Caiyu looked at him suspiciously and thought for a long time.
Seeing that she didn't believe him, Song Yinghuai could only say again, "While others had the leisure to think about men and women, I, a young lad leading troops, only had one thing on my mind - how to lead the army to fight and survive. How could I have the leisure to think about such matters? Yu'er, loosen your hand... It hurts."
It wasn't really painful.
This level of strength was like a gentle kneading to Song Yinghuai.
It was just that Caiyu's jealous look made him both love and pity her, and he couldn't help but lower his pride to plead for mercy.
What Song Yinghuai said seemed reasonable.
Indeed.
Song Yinghuai was extremely self - respecting and had a bit of a cleanliness fetish.
It was normal for him to disdain touching those dirty women in the military.
"So how many women have you actually touched?" Caiyu wasn't willing to let it go. Her fingers showed no sign of loosening.
"None. Not a single one."
This was the first time Song Yinghuai had experienced what it was like for a woman to be jealous.
He now knew that it was really hard to console a jealous woman.
With a headache, he quickly organized his words. "The Yan army has been at war with the Tartars for years. When we were on the verge of a crucial decisive battle, I was poisoned by a love potion. How could I touch a woman then?"
Caiyu blinked again, trying to digest Song Yinghuai's words.
Actually, she believed Song Yinghuai.
Song Yinghuai had practiced Buddhism for seven years and naturally adhered to the precept of not telling lies.
Moreover, through their time together, she understood his character.
He wouldn't explain things he disdained to explain.
If he did explain, it must be something he thought was very important and he would explain it seriously.
However, the matter of Lü Baiwei had always been like a thorn in her heart.
Even though he and Lü Baiwei had kept their feelings in check back then, there had been mutual affection between them after all.
She wanted to ask about Lü Baiwei again, but thinking of the promise he refused to talk about, she finally let go.
Song Yinghuai let out a sigh of relief in his heart.
He quietly rubbed his waist.
Strangely enough, after being pinched for so long, the flesh was a bit numb.
Caiyu frowned slightly, then stuck to him again. She opened her mouth and bit the man's lips, pulling gently, while her tongue lightly licked the corner of his lips.
Song Yinghuai hissed. His Adam's apple rolled violently again. "Little vixen, again?"
"No." Caiyu smiled coquettishly. "Your Highness, it will be this servant girl's eighteenth birthday the day after tomorrow."
She remembered what she had overheard before.
The Crown Prince had invited Song Yinghuai to a banquet on a pleasure boat on the Qinhuai River the day after tomorrow.
The ten - mile Qinhuai River was like a dream in Jinling.
How many noble young men had fallen at the feet of the flower queens of the Qinhuai River.
Even if Song Yinghuai couldn't touch women, just the thought of him holding a delicate woman in his arms made Caiyu unbearable.
She had to keep an eye on him and also find an opportunity to meet the Crown Prince.
The day after tomorrow?
Song Yinghuai's eyes gradually cleared from the haze. He looked sideways at the woman who was still causing a ruckus on his chest and pondered.
How much of the conversation had this girl overheard?
It seemed she didn't know that the Crown Prince had sold him out.
She must have only overheard the conversation about the Crown Prince inviting him to the banquet.
The corners of his lips couldn't help but curl up.
The little girl's domineering behavior of wanting to keep an eye on her man made him feel very happy.
Unfortunately, he had to expose Caiyu's thoughts. He casually reminded her, "Isn't your birthday in July?"
Caiyu was shocked.
The real Lan Caiyu's birthday was indeed in July, and the slave register she had forged when entering the Yan Prince's Mansion also stated that it was in July.
However, Lan Jinshu's birthday was in May.
Caiyu bit her lips and reluctantly withdrew her hand, complaining, "Why does Your Highness even pay attention to this servant girl's birthday?"
Song Yinghuai sighed, grabbed her hand back, bit her slender fingertips, and coaxed,
"Of course it's because it's you that I pay attention."
"But this servant girl wants to visit the Qinhuai River." Since the excuse of her birthday didn't work, Caiyu became more direct. "This servant girl has been in the capital for quite a while, but has never had the chance to see the scenery of the land of the Six Dynasties' prosperity and the ten - mile Qinhuai River."
"It's a place of debauchery. There's nothing worth going to." Song Yinghuai refused.
It wasn't that he was old - fashioned and didn't allow Caiyu to go to such a place.
It was just that Caiyu's intention was too obvious. She clearly wanted to follow him to the banquet the day after tomorrow.
He couldn't let Caiyu get close to that crazy Crown Prince.
She had already been abandoned by the Crown Prince, and Lan Guifan was still in the Crown Prince's hands.
Song Yinghuai could already guess what she was going to do.
So he couldn't let her take the risk.
He would make the arrangements to save Lan Guifan and the Lan family.
Caiyu finally got angry. "What do you mean by a place of debauchery? Your Highness looks down on such places. Your Highness seems to have forgotten that this servant girl originally came from such a place!"
"Yu'er!" Song Yinghuai was also angered.
He suddenly sat up straight, looked at her with a gloomy face, and said, "Don't keep bringing up your identity as a thin horse in Yangzhou."
He couldn't bear to see Caiyu being so self - deprecating.
The proud Third Miss Lan had once fallen into the dust. Although she had remained pure, how many people in the world could understand?
But Caiyu misunderstood him even more.
Was Song Yinghuai trying so hard to avoid taking her to the banquet on the Qinhuai River because Lü Baiwei would be there the day after tomorrow?
Or was it because the place he was going to was so dissolute that he was afraid she would see him lingering in such a place?
However, Song Yinghuai always kept his word. It would be extremely difficult to make him compromise.
Caiyu was extremely annoyed and simply turned around with her back to him.
Song Yinghuai stared at her arched back, tightly pursed his thin lips, and felt a splitting headache.
They had been fine just now, but in an instant, she had turned hostile.
He didn't even know how to console her.
His face was tense, and his dark eyes were filled with swirling emotions.
After a long time, he suppressed his annoyance and coaxed again, "I didn't mean that... I just want you not to belittle yourself. Don't mention your identity as a thin horse in Yangzhou. Don't make yourself unhappy."
Caiyu's head buried in the pillow moved, but she still didn't turn around. She just asked in a muffled voice,
"Then will Your Highness take this servant girl to visit the Qinhuai River or not?"
Song Yinghuai sighed. "Just wait a little longer. After some time, if you want to go, I'll take you."
After he found Lan Guifan.
"Can't Your Highness take this servant girl there the day after tomorrow?"
"No."
Caiyu disappointedly buried her head back in the pillow. "This servant girl understands."
The sun shone through the lofty clouds.
Sheng Jiangli stepped into the Luoyan Residence and heard the sound of laughter in the courtyard.
His eyebrows lifted slightly. He walked in and leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed.
The little girl sitting on the wooden board tied to the long rope at both ends let Subude and the others push her high up.
When the swing was in mid - air, she let out a silver - bell - like laugh.
Her voice was sweet and loud. Every time she laughed, countless birds perched on the tall trees outside the courtyard were startled.
"Subude, push higher!" Qingqing shouted.
The eight - foot - tall iron - tower - like man was ordered by the little girl to push the swing. With a mournful face, he pushed it higher again.
Qingqing let out a big laugh. The skirt on her body fluttered in the wind. Her skin was slightly reddened by the sun, exuding a unique vitality.
Out of the corner of his eye, Subude saw the figure at the door and immediately beamed with joy. "General!"
The woman on the highest point of the swing immediately lowered her eyes when she heard the word "General".
The handsome and unruly face of the man came into view.
Qingqing half - squinted her eyes and suddenly let go of the rope.
The inertia from the swing made her fly off the wooden board and pounce towards Sheng Jiangli.
Qingqing let out a scream. "Big Brother Sheng, save me!"