Drunk on Madness - Chapter 51

A contingent of soldiers was stationed on the mountain path outside Youzhou. Inside the tent, Zhou Mingxuan and Gu Ci studied the map on the table, uncertain of their next move.

They had just arrived in Youzhou that day. The fifty men Su Mo had previously sent back to the capital had now been incorporated into their current unit.

It was only when they encountered them midway that they learned Su Mo had insisted on staying behind alone to search for Xiangxiang. Given their prior experience in the search, Zhou Mingxuan had temporarily assigned them to his own team.

According to them, they had already scoured the rural and city roads. The only remaining possibility was the mountain paths. Without hesitation, Zhou Mingxuan divided the two hundred men into three groups, preparing to comb the mountains the next day.

Deep in the mountains bordering Youzhou and the frontier, Li Xiang and Su Mo had unknowingly spent a month there.

During the day, Su Mo occasionally ventured into the forest to chop wood, dragging it back home before carving it into tables, stools, wooden basins, beds, and other furnishings with his knife. Li Xiang followed him around, digging up wild plants or vegetables to replant.

Sometimes, Su Mo couldn’t resist hunting more game, but Li Xiang would stop him, saying there was no need to kill so much when they couldn’t finish it all. Fortunately, Su Mo was exceptionally receptive to her advice, whatever Li Xiang said, he obeyed.

Before nightfall, the two would bathe in the hot springs. In just a few short weeks, their lives had become simple and free. No war, no hierarchy, no military orders. It was a happiness Su Mo had never known before. He was willing to give up everything for this life.

…

One early morning, the two climbed to the mountaintop for the first time and discovered it covered in tiny purple flowers, a sea of blossoms stretching for miles. If she’d had a camera, Li Xiang would have loved to capture the sight. The air carried a faint floral fragrance as they sat on the grass, admiring the view.

Su Mo plucked a few nearby purple flowers, one after another, intending to gather them for her. Li Xiang looked puzzled. “What are you doing?”

Su Mo continued his task. “Giving them to you.”

Li Xiang laughed. “Don’t be so old-fashioned. Stop picking them.”

Su Mo paused and glanced at her. “You don’t like them?”

Li Xiang lay back on the grass. “I do, but you don’t have to pick them. They’ll just die soon anyway.”

Su Mo saw her point and tossed the flowers back into the field. Li Xiang reached out, picked one up, and inhaled its scent. “Don’t waste them.”

She then sat up and tucked the five small blossoms one by one into Su Mo’s hair.

Su Mo resisted, trying to remove them, but Li Xiang stopped him. “Don’t move.”

Once the flowers were nestled in his hairpiece, Li Xiang admired her handiwork with satisfaction. She kissed Su Mo’s lips to show her approval.

Su Mo stared at her, dazed, before cupping the back of her head and deepening the kiss.

When they finally parted, Su Mo gazed at her with a look of insatiable longing, nuzzling her cheek. Li Xiang, blushing, pushed him away. “Not out here.”

Su Mo refused to give up. “Please, Xiangxiang.”

“Just once!” He shook her wrist, pleading like a spoiled child.

Li Xiang couldn’t help but laugh at his antics. Seeing her smile, Su Mo knew she had relented. Like a starving wolf, he pounced on her, savoring the reward he’d worked so hard to earn.

Afterward, as the breeze brushed their skin and calm settled over them, Su Mo dressed her again and carried Li Xiang down the mountain. Passing by the hot springs, they decided to wash up before heading home.

Yet they had no idea that Zhou Mingxuan was already sitting inside the cave, waiting for them. He surveyed the interior, a narrow wooden bed, rough-hewn table and stools. On the dining table lay bowls, plates, and a potted plant whose name he didn’t know. A bow and arrows hung on the wall alongside animal pelts, creating a crude yet cozy atmosphere.

Gu Ci stood outside the cave, staring at the clothes drying on tree branches, men’s and women’s garments mingled together, fluttering in the wind. A sense of foreboding brewed in his heart. Glancing at the cave and ensuring no one was watching, he slipped into the woods.

The mist from the hot spring curled gently, like a sheer veil. The two sat side by side in the warm water, enveloped by its soothing flow.

Su Mo combed through Li Xiang’s hair when he suddenly said, “Xiangxiang, let’s not go back. Alright?”

Li Xiang’s eyes flickered. She sat up slightly. “But what about your mother? And the children?” Her hair slipped from Su Mo’s fingers.

A trace of sorrow tinged Su Mo’s expression. “I’ll find a way to bring Mother here. But the children… is the imperial grandsons. It’s unlikely…”

Li Xiang masked the dimness in her eyes. “I understand.”

Seeing the disappointment in her gaze, Su Mo couldn’t bear it. “I can try.”

Li Xiang shook her head, it was far too dangerous.

She spoke slowly, “Father… the Prince of Yan has ascended the throne. He will soon become the Crown Prince. In time, there will be no shortage of beauties by his side, nor women to bear his children. Why not wait a few years? Once his new consort and children arrive, we can bring them out.”

She didn’t struggle much with this decision. She was certain Zhou Mingxuan would eventually have a harem, that his affection for her was merely a fleeting whim. She believed herself to be a woman of little merit, no cunning, no noble lineage. Zhou Mingxuan, on the other hand, stood at the center of power and wealth. Sooner or later, she would be crushed.

Su Mo felt a quiet joy. Before, the two had avoided this topic. Today, hearing the decision finally spoken from her lips eased his heart. He gently pulled her into his arms, cradling her face with one hand as he kissed her, soft and deep.

Seeing no sign of them stopping, Gu Ci had no choice but to toss a stone toward the hot spring.

Plop.

The small stone sent droplets splashing onto the two, startling them stiff.