After the Alluring Beauty Was Forced into a Political Marriage - Chapter 32

“Great King!” Lianzhi was so terrified that his legs felt as soft as noodles. “What do you mean by this? I do not understand. My cousin, he is just my cousin!”

Shiqin Bari only sneered. “Cousin? Just a cousin? Shen Lianzhi, do you truly take me for a blind man who cannot see the affection he holds for you?”

“I do not know, Great King. I do not know.” Shen Lianzhi’s tears slid down his face, dampening Shiqin Bari’s fingers. “My cousin and I are perfectly innocent.”

Shiqin Bari was certain that Shen Lianzhi had met Lu Jingce after leaving the banquet last night. His thoughts grew clear as he recalled that not long after the Khatun had retired, Lu Jingce had also used the excuse of being drunk to leave the dome.

Seeing that Shen Lianzhi still refused to tell the truth, Shiqin Bari’s expression grew increasingly sinister and terrifying. Lianzhi knew he could no longer fool him, so he wept and said, “On the way back to the Royal Tent last night, I ran into my cousin. I was drunk and felt cold, so I borrowed my cousin’s clothes for warmth. That is why, that is why.”

He wiped his tears, cautiously stealing a glance at Shiqin Bari as he spoke. Shiqin Bari remained silent with a grim face, and Lianzhi, unsure of what he was thinking, let his voice grow fainter and fainter.

“If that is the case, why did you not explain yesterday?” Shiqin Bari said coldly.

Lianzhi’s Adam’s apple bobbed. Although Shiqin Bari’s expression had not changed, the grip on his chin relaxed considerably. Lianzhi felt a slight sense of relief and tried his best to keep his voice steady. “This, this is but a trivial matter. Why bother mentioning it?”

“If there is no illicit affair between you two, then why would Lu Jingce protect you so fiercely?”

“My cousin and I grew up together; we share the bond of siblings. How can you speak of an illicit affair?” By now, Lianzhi had gradually calmed down. He knew that the more panicked he became, the more flaws he would reveal. “I am being wronged!”

With that, he pushed Shiqin Bari away with all his might and turned aside to wipe his face. Shiqin Bari had not seen him cry like this for a long time; after the anger passed, he felt a pang of heartache. “Enough. Enough. Are you and he truly innocent?”

“You still do not believe me?” Lianzhi turned and glared at him.

Seeing him so self-righteous, as if he were ready to swear to the heavens, the tension in Shiqin Bari’s chest loosened. His face softened slightly. “I believe you. I believe you.”

He moved closer to Shen Lianzhi. After a moment’s hesitation, Lianzhi rarely raised his arms to embrace him. Shen Lianzhi rested his head on the man’s shoulder and spoke earnestly, “Great King, do not say such things again. I am your Khatun; how could I be involved with another? It truly makes one sad that the Great King distrusts me so.”

He cried piteously. Shiqin Bari gathered him into his arms, leaning down to kiss away the tears at the corners of his eyes before lingering near his ear. “Fine, I will not speak of it again.”

Hearing this, the stone in Lianzhi’s heart finally fell. He gave a muffled “Mhm” against the man’s chest. Shiqin Bari rested his chin on Lianzhi’s shoulder, his palm stroking his back through his clothes. His movements were gentle, but there was not a trace of a smile on his face.

In the days that followed, Shiqin Bari did not mention Lu Jingce again. Shen Lianzhi was on edge at first, but eventually, he let his guard down completely.

However, he still could not find joy. In a few days, Lu Jingce would leave the grasslands, and Lianzhi, in the end, could not bear to see him go. Several times he wanted to leave the Royal Tent to find Lu Jingce, but each time he was halfway there, he stopped in his tracks and returned home dejectedly.

One day, Shiqin Bari returned and pulled Shen Lianzhi out with great excitement. Lianzhi was utterly confused as he let himself be led toward a magnificent horse. The horse was handsome and powerful, pure white with black hooves. It lowered its head, its clear eyes staring straight at Lianzhi. Lianzhi reached out to stroke its head and sighed sincerely, “This horse is quite majestic.”

Shiqin Bari watched his face. Seeing a smile appear on Lianzhi’s features, he followed suit with a slight curve of his lips. “You like it, then? This is your horse.”

Shen Lianzhi’s beautiful eyes widened. “My horse?”

“Yes, your horse,” Shiqin Bari said. “You are to tame it.”

Lianzhi took a step back, a look of horror appearing on his face. “I, I am to tame it? How can I tame it?” He could not even ride a horse properly.

Shiqin Bari laughed dismissively. “Taming a horse? There is nothing simpler in the world. If the horse is stubborn and aggressive, you must be more stubborn and more aggressive. Remember, no matter how it moves, you must grip the reins tight and never let go. As for the rest, I will help you.”

Before Lianzhi could recover, Shiqin Bari picked him up and placed him on the horse’s back. Shen Lianzhi nearly lost his voice from fright. It was indeed an untamed wild horse; with a person on its back, it snorted in defiance and shook its body, its hooves pawing at the ground until the muddy yellow grass roots were turned up.

Lianzhi gripped the reins with both hands. Even so, his body swayed on the horse’s back, and several times he nearly fell. Terrified and angry, he cried out, “Shiqin Bari! Shiqin Bari! Let me down! Let me down!”

Shiqin Bari stood by and watched him tumble about, laughing wickedly. He showed his sharp canine teeth to Lianzhi, his voice laced with mischief. “Khatun, remember, you are not allowed to let go!”

“What are you doing, ah!” Before he could finish, Shiqin Bari drew his whip and lashed it hard against the horse’s flank.

The horse went wild, galloping forward with its tail lashing in anger. Lianzhi wished he could tie his legs to the horse’s body. His entire frame was jolted up and down, feeling as if his internal organs were being shaken out. He could not even make a sound; his upper body was pressed entirely against the horse’s back.

The horse ran frantically for a while. Seeing that it could not throw the person off, it eventually stopped. Its neck tossed about, and hot breath snorted from its nostrils. Lianzhi’s heart hammered like a drum, and he cried out weakly, “Let me down, Shiqin Bari, let me down!”

Another sound of the whip cracked. Spurred by the lash, the horse roared and surged forward again. Interspersed with the horse’s neighs was Shiqin Bari’s voice: “Shen Lianzhi, do not let go!”

Lianzhi hated him to the core; the friction between his legs burned with pain. The horse galloped wildly. After an unknown amount of time, it finally stopped twisting its body in a frenzy, its breathing gradually steadied, and it eventually slowed to a halt, standing still.

Shen Lianzhi panted heavily; riding the horse had exhausted all his strength. Now that he suddenly relaxed, his whole body felt weak, and he tilted uncontrollably to one side, sliding off the horse’s back. Just before he hit the ground, a pair of hands caught him steadily. Lianzhi opened his eyes and saw Shiqin Bari’s handsome, sharp face.

Anger surged in his heart. Panting, Lianzhi raised his hand, but just as he was about to strike, Shiqin Bari suddenly set him down and pointed ahead, shouting, “Look!”

Confused, Lianzhi turned his head and froze. The scenery before him was breathtaking. This vast, boundless green grassland seemed to stretch to an end he could never reach in a lifetime. The clouds were low, appearing as though one could reach those soft puffs with a gentle leap. As the wind brushed the ground, one could see flocks of sheep resting.

“Beautiful, is it not?” Shiqin Bari smiled and moved closer to him. The white horse followed, joining them beside Lianzhi. Its breath was no longer frightening, but gentle. It nuzzled Lianzhi’s cheek. The coarse horsehair poked his face, and Lianzhi was tickled into a smile. He turned around, and the white horse obediently lowered its head. Lianzhi rubbed its face.

“It has been tamed by you,” Shiqin Bari said. “Give it a name.”

Lianzhi thought for a moment and said, “Subuda.”

Shiqin Bari frowned. “That is the name I gave to you!”

“Mhm.” Lianzhi arched an eyebrow. “I like it very much, so my horse shall have this name as well. Subuda, Pearl.” Shen Lianzhi revealed a smile. He seemed to have understood the joy of taming a horse. If the horse was aggressive, he was more aggressive; if the horse was stubborn, he was more stubborn. After the terror and pain, he had a loyal horse that would never betray him.

Shen Lianzhi wanted to stroke his horse again, but his body was suddenly lifted into the air. It was Shiqin Bari, lifting him by the waist. “What are you doing?” Lianzhi’s hands rested on Shiqin Bari’s shoulders as he looked down at him. “Put me down quickly.”

Shiqin Bari spun him around in a circle. “Do you see? All of this, everything on the grassland is yours!”

Lianzhi’s heart pounded at his words, and a warm current seemed to flow through his limbs. He lowered his head and fell straight into Shiqin Bari’s eyes. Under the warm sun, those eyes appeared as a verdant green, like the grass. Shiqin Bari laughed, showing his sharp teeth. He said, “I am yours, too.”

“Ah, wait!” As soon as they entered the Royal Tent, Shiqin Bari pressed against him, hurriedly tearing at Lianzhi’s clothes. Hot kisses wandered over his long neck, leaving a trail of ambiguous red marks. Shiqin Bari took Lianzhi’s small Adam’s apple into his mouth, tasting it carefully. Lianzhi’s body slowly softened. As they pressed close, Shiqin Bari also felt the change in Shen Lianzhi.

He harbored a bit of mischief, crouching down with a grin. “I will let you feel some pleasure, too. How about it?”

…

After Lianzhi found release once, they became even more intimate. For a time, the only sound in the Royal Tent was the soft, mingled breathing of the two. Shen Lianzhi clung to Shiqin Bari’s neck to kiss him, kissing his jaw and the straight bridge of his nose. Shiqin Bari grew even more impassioned. “Khatun, you are my Khatun. You are only allowed to look at me, you cannot leave me!”

Shen Lianzhi could not speak and naturally could not answer him. As they shared whispers and intertwined in passion, a noise suddenly came from outside the Royal Tent. Lianzhi heard Lu Jingce’s voice: “The Chanyu has summoned me to discuss matters.”

“This, this,” Xiao Anzi’s face turned bright red, and his tongue tied. “Prince, Your Highness, the Prince of Chu, at this time, it might be, the Chanyu, he,”

Terrified, Lianzhi raised his hand to grip Shiqin Bari’s smooth forearm. The young man glanced at him sideways and gave an inscrutable smile. That smile was like a bucket of cold water poured over his head, washing away the tide of desire. “No, Shiqin Bari.”

Shiqin Bari leaned down and kissed his brow. “Rest assured, he cannot see you.”

“No, Shiqin Bari, Shiqin Bari, I beg of you.”

“Prince of Chu of the Zhou Kingdom,” this sentence was like a sword piercing through Lianzhi’s heart. He suddenly went still, tears flowing from the corners of his eyes into his hair. The sound of footsteps approaching from far to near filled him with utter despair.

Shen Lianzhi knew that he and Lu Jingce, they could never, ever go back to the past. Through the woven bed curtains, Lianzhi could vaguely see the tall figure standing before the couch. That figure was as motionless as a mountain.

“Ha,” Shiqin Bari raised his hand to brush back his sweat dampened, fallen fringe and gave a bared teeth smile. “I am afraid today is not a good time for discussion. I forgot to mention, this King is busy right now.”

Support