Recklessly Breaking a Delicate Branch - Chapter 63

“Am I not allowed?”

But unfortunately, her remark had already been overheard by the two people ahead. A cold breeze swept through the Imperial Garden as the young lady turned toward the source of the sound; a handsome, familiar man was stepping out from behind a tree.

Strangely, from Jiang Wanshu’s perspective, she could see that Zhou Yan was currently suppressing a sense of awkwardness in his eyes. He controlled his nearly frantic pace, walked up to Jiang Wanshu, and coughed twice.

The people in the garden were all watching from their different positions.

Having not seen him for many days, the man had suddenly appeared before her eyes. For some reason, the corners of Jiang Wanshu’s mouth curled upward. Ignoring everyone else, she said joyfully, “You’re back.”

“Yes.” Zhou Yan suppressed the longing he felt for the girl before him, secretly warning himself not to let anything slip in front of Zhou Shu’an—otherwise, Jiang Wanshu wouldn’t give him the time of day later.

Unexpectedly, while he intentionally tried to keep his distance as she approached, she seemed oblivious, stepping even closer to him. Seeing this, Zhou Yan froze for a moment before becoming smug, squinting at her with a smile playing on his lips.

Since she was no longer deliberately distancing herself from him in front of outsiders, she’d better not tell him to keep his distance later.

With a look of triumph, he glanced toward Zhou Shu’an. Their eyes met, but because Zhou Shu’an’s expression remained indifferent, no sparks flew between them; instead, it made Zhou Yan look like the one being petty.

However, no one can hide their emotions forever. After a brief moment, Zhou Shu’an spoke to Jiang Wanshu, “Princess, it seems you have grown quite close to Guard Zhou now?”

Hearing this, Jiang Wanshu glanced at the distance between herself and Zhou Yan. Her heart skipped a beat, and she abruptly stepped back, giving Zhou Shu’an an awkward smile.

“Brother Zhou must be joking. He has been by my side for a long time and has done much for me; it’s only natural that we’ve become acquainted over time,” Jiang Wanshu explained, trying to cover her tracks so Zhou Shu’an wouldn’t grow suspicious.

“The palace is full of idle gossip. If the Princess wishes to avoid rumors, she should be more careful. I have just remembered some business I must attend to; I shall take my leave now.”

Jiang Wanshu nodded. As soon as Zhou Shu’an turned away, she immediately fixed her gaze on Zhou Yan.

His face was as handsome as ever and his voice was strong; it seemed he was unharmed. Joyfully watching him, she inadvertently reached out to grab a corner of his sleeve, looking up and asking, “Why didn’t you tell me in advance that you were coming back?”

“Could it be that Wanwan wants to throw me a victory banquet?”

Zhou Yan teased her playfully, not expecting Jiang Wanshu to actually give it serious thought. “It’s not out of the question,” she replied. After all, he had helped her so much that she truly couldn’t think of a better way to repay him.

Whispers and Jealousy

As if struck by a thought to tease her further, Zhou Yan leaned down in the next second and whispered into her ear:

“On our grasslands, the maidens believe the greatest reward for a man is to give him a pair of healthy children. Wanwan, you have such a lively spirit, and I am strong of body. If we take good care of our children in the future, they will surely be the most carefree souls on the entire Steppe.”

The man’s voice was low, carrying a blatant flirtatiousness that instantly made Jiang Wanshu blush with shyness.

At that moment, the man walking ahead seemed to sense something. Zhou Shu’an looked back, only to see Zhou Yan and Jiang Wanshu in an intimate posture, whispering as if their cheeks were pressed together.

He called over the servant he had brought from his manor and said through gritted teeth, “Go and investigate this man’s background thoroughly for me.”

The servant bowed and replied, “Yes, sir.”

On the other side, a blushing Jiang Wanshu was swatting at the man’s chest. To Zhou Yan, the sensation was as faint as an ant’s crawl. Seeing her charming, flustered state, he burst into laughter.

Infuriated by his smugness, Jiang Wanshu turned away and walked off with large strides, no longer waiting for him. Knowing she was throwing a small tantrum because of his teasing, Zhou Yan hurried forward and reached for her shoulder.

The moment he touched her, she brushed his hand away. Her delicate features were tinged with anger as she raised her voice slightly, “We are in public; it wouldn’t be good if someone found out!”

With that, she quickened her pace.

Zhou Yan watched the graceful figure from behind and sighed helplessly. Before he really knew her, she hadn’t been this willful with him. He stopped chasing her and instead followed at a distance. As he walked, he thought deeply about his own helplessness, and a smile involuntarily tugged at his lips.

Jiang Wanshu was becoming more willing to show her true emotions in front of him. Did this mean she was slowly starting to treat him as one of her own?

This realization filled him with joy as they walked one after the other into the Moon-Clasping Palace.

Back at the Palace

Inside the Moon-Clasping Palace, several palace maids arrived carrying trays laden with fabrics. An older governess standing at the front bowed respectfully and asked, “Princess, these are the fabrics selected by the Empress for your new clothes. Please see if they are to your liking.”

Jiang Wanshu touched the materials, examining the vibrant patterns, and nodded. “The fabric is indeed excellent. Thank you for your hard work, Governess.”

“It is no trouble. I will instruct the embroidery house to have these garments finished before the Princess leaves the palace.”

“Mm,” Jiang Wanshu replied simply.

Once the servants had left, Zhou Yan finally leaned in toward Jiang Wanshu once more.

Inside the deserted palace, Zhou Yan wrapped his long arm around Jiang Wanshu’s shoulder. “Wanwan, are you planning to head out of the palace to experience the New Year festivities of the capital?”

Jiang Wanshu shrugged. Realizing the man was applying a bit of pressure to her shoulder, she struggled briefly before giving up, though her voice remained stubborn. “I told you before, I’m not letting you come along.”

Having spent so much time with Zhou Yan, it would be a lie to say she didn’t understand his temperament. She knew that by bringing it up, he was signaling his desire to accompany her out of the palace. If he hadn’t provoked her earlier, she might have been inclined to take him, but her heart was still clouded with irritation from his previous teasing.

Ultimately, she was still an innocent young girl; unable to hold it in any longer, she decided to lay her cards on the table. She blurted out the question, desperate for his answer.

“Zhou Yan, in that heart of yours, do you think of anything else besides that?”

The moment the words left her lips, Jiang Wanshu clamped her mouth shut. She wished she could slap herself—why on earth did she say that out loud?!

But enough was enough; she strangely wanted to know what Zhou Yan truly thought of her. Did he only feel desire for her from start to finish?

Hearing this, Zhou Yan actually turned serious, his brow furrowing in a rare display of genuine concern. “Is that really how you think of me?”

Now that the words were out, Jiang Wanshu abandoned her reserve. She shook her head in front of him and whispered, “I don’t know.”

Zhou Yan was finally driven to a frustrated laugh by her naive look. He curved his thumb and flicked her forehead. He didn’t use much force; it was a gentle tap.

“At my age, full of vigor, if I don’t think about that when I’m with my Ajia, what else should I think about? It’s inevitable. Besides, if I didn’t feel that way for you, it would mean I didn’t love you anymore. And haven’t I respected your wishes? I only come to you once every ten days, don’t I?”

There was too much information in Zhou Yan’s sentence for Jiang Wanshu to process in such a short time. By the time she untangled his meaning, her beautiful face was flushed pink once again.

Afterward, Zhou Yan returned to the previous topic with an air of solemnity. “No, Wanwan. I hurried back from the grasslands after settling such a massive affair for you and the Central Plains; you can’t just leave me all alone when you go out of the palace.”

His meaning was clear: he insisted on experiencing the New Year atmosphere with her.

Moved by his words, Jiang Wanshu relented. “Fine, fine. I’ll let you come with me. But during the actual New Year days, a lady in the capital has invited me, and Mother wants me to go. We’ll have to change the time—let’s make it during the first days of the lunar year. Those are the truly lively days in the capital.”

Zhou Yan didn’t argue. “Fine.”

Later, Jiang Wanshu began to seriously consider how hard he had worked traveling back and forth for her and the Central Plains. Casting aside her other thoughts, she asked sincerely, “Zhou Yan, how about I hold a victory banquet for you?”

Amused that she was still pondering this, Zhou Yan chuckled. “Wanwan, what have I done that warrants the term ‘victory banquet’?”

Jiang Wanshu gave an embarrassed smile. “I know that word doesn’t perfectly capture what I mean, but it’s close enough, right?”

She stole a glance at Zhou Yan’s face to gauge his reaction. To her, “victory banquet” was actually a fitting description. At the very least, he had successfully negotiated the matter with the tribes that had troubled the Central Plains for so long. In her heart, he had acted like a hero, and a hero deserved a celebration.

Still, she found one thing strange: why did the old Khan happen to die just as Zhou Yan returned to the grasslands?

But that wasn’t for her to worry about now; her only task was to repay Zhou Yan.

Zhou Yan didn’t want to claim credit, nor did he want a banquet. “Better not. Save that energy and get some rest.” Recalling the dreamlike scenes on the grasslands from those few days, Zhou Yan lowered his eyes to look at her, his voice carrying a trace of self-deprecation. “I only hope that Wanwan won’t look down on me in the future.”

Because of this affair, after he helped the Third Prince seize power, he had completely returned everything he had fought for on the grasslands to him.

But even if she did look down on him, it wouldn’t matter; either way, he intended to keep her tied to his side and never let her fly away.

Jiang Wanshu was confused.

Zhou Yan stroked her hair as if remembering something. “By the way, Wanwan, are there any requirements for the military examinations in the Central Plains?”

Though she was baffled by his question, she answered, “Naturally there are requirements, though I don’t know the specifics. If you want to know, I’ll call someone who understands the military exams for you to question later.”

Zhou Yan nodded.

Seeing how focused he was on the matter, Jiang Wanshu asked in surprise, “Do you really want to participate in the Central Plains military exams?”

“Why? Am I not allowed?” Zhou Yan countered.

Currently, he was a mere commoner. As such, Jiang Wanshu’s parents would never feel at ease entrusting her to him. He had to climb the ladder. For now, he wouldn’t hold her to the agreement they made before entering the palace—that within a month, she would introduce him to the Emperor and Empress as her future husband and marry him again according to Central Plains etiquette.

A capable man settles all the concerns his woman’s parents might have.

“Of course you can, but…” Thinking of Zhou Yan’s desire to take the military exams, Jiang Wanshu naturally remembered his official rank on the grasslands. She pondered for a moment before her eyes suddenly widened. “My father doesn’t know your identity as a Tegin. If you participate in our military exams, aren’t you afraid that…”

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