BLHO Chapter 30
by VolareChapter 30: Do you want to sleep in my room tonight?
The night hadn’t fully receded, and a cold wind howled outside Fengdu City.
Unknown to anyone, hidden within the mountains and desolate forests, lay such a haven.
Shen Tan arrived alone, dismounting her horse. Deep within the wilderness, hot springs bubbled with mist, flowing gently like a secluded paradise.
She walked towards the magnificent palace. Reaching the entrance, black-clad guards stopped her.
“Our master is currently unavailable to receive guests.”
It was just past the fourth watch, a time when one should be resting. She had come at the wrong time.
Saying nothing, Shen Tan stepped back, standing still and waiting quietly.
The winter night was bleak and silent. After two full hours, the horizon began to lighten.
The guards changed shifts. The person who came out said to her, “Our master is awake. Please, Commander Shen, come in and meet with her.”
Shen Tan followed the guard inside, passing through a quiet courtyard and arriving at the entrance of a house. The guard stepped aside, pointing the way for her. “Commander Shen, please.”
Shen Tan entered the hall alone.
The construction of this palace was unlike ordinary residences, luxurious and extravagant, with a hint of sensuality. Being within it stirred one’s heart and mind, evoking wild thoughts.
A massive jade screen blocked the view. Shen Tan did not dare to intrude rashly, standing outside the screen and speaking, “You…”
Not yet completely sure who was inside, Shen Tan hesitated for a moment, omitting the address and going straight to the point: “I didn’t get the thing.”
No one answered.
The scent of incense wafted out faintly. Shen Tan didn’t understand fragrances and didn’t know what it was blended with, but a whiff of it made one feel infatuated and lost.
The hand holding the *xiuchundao* subconsciously clenched. Beneath Shen Tan’s calm demeanor was an irrepressible tension and impulse.
The last time she came, she stood outside like this, listening to the “master” inside speak, without being able to see her true face.
She had only said a brief sentence—
She wanted Shen Tan to find a way to get the He family’s military seal for her.
Moreover, it wasn’t a request to Commander Shen, but an order, with a subordinate holding a blade to Commander Shen’s neck, forcing her to agree.
If she didn’t comply, she would be killed.
The dignified Commander of the Northern Garrison had never been threatened like this.
But when Shen Tan heard the voice inside, her mind went blank.
Even though she already knew that the corpse brought back to the General’s Manor wasn’t her.
Without seeing it with her own eyes, Shen Tan still didn’t dare to be certain, and even less dared to allow herself a shred of hope.
The fragrance grew stronger, and she restrained her emotions, waiting quietly.
After another moment, there was the sound of bare feet landing on the ground.
Each step was accompanied by the jingle of silver bells, like a cat’s paw scratching at her chest, an itch that felt both blissful and deadly, yet with a sharp edge that could strike a dangerous blow at any moment.
Shen Tan could easily imagine just from the sound what a sight it must be, those white ankles adorned with silver bells.
Her breathing grew more unsteady. Then, a light, airy “Come in” sounded like a heavy drumbeat, shaking her to the point where she could no longer remain calm.
She walked around the screen and went inside. Before her were layers upon layers of thin gauze.
Beyond the gauze curtain, the hibiscus curtains were warm, and fragrant incense swirled.
A woman reclined on a soft couch, wearing a loose red shirt.
Her fragrant shoulders slipped down, and she seemed to have not slept enough, her figure exuding a captivating weariness.
Shen Tan couldn’t see her face clearly, but the blood-red dress was so glaring that she couldn’t help but think of the bride who had died tragically in the bridal chamber wearing her wedding gown.
She used the scabbard of her sword to push aside the gauze curtain, walking step by step towards the couch in front of her.
Her beautiful eyes gradually became clearer.
Shen Tan moved her lips, her throat very dry.
Finally reaching close, with no obstruction to her view, she saw the appearance of the person before her.
A roar like the tide.
She needed to confirm again and again that what was before her was real, not a dream.
But the other person’s expression was as natural as if nothing had happened. She turned her head and raised her eyes, her gaze shifting, smiling faintly as she looked over.
Suddenly, her fair brow furrowed, but quickly smoothed out, and she asked Shen Tan, staring at her cheek, “You’re injured?”
That was the whip mark Li Yuliang had left on her face, the bloodstain already dry.
Shen Tan stared at her in a daze, not answering.
The other person beckoned to her. “Come here, let me see.”
Shen Tan hesitated for a moment, stiffly bending down.
Delicate, boneless fingers gently stroked her cheek.
Shen Tan’s chest heaved violently.
Those bright eyes, as lively as ever, stared at her as if discovering something extremely interesting.
Smiling radiantly, she amusedly asked Shen Tan, “Commander Shen, can you still cry?”
–
The next night, Lin Shuangxu let Song Jiting leave the manor.
He had considered this decision for an entire day, and in the end, he still wasn’t sure.
His assumption about Song Jiting hating Li Yuliang was just that—an assumption, and something Song Jiting had said.
But what was the true relationship between them? No one else could see it clearly.
The night was quiet, and dim candlelight shone on the walls. Lin Shuangxu’s body was submerged in warm water, leaning against the edge of the wooden tub, his face solemn.
He had barely closed his eyes last night, and he was now physically and mentally exhausted.
But too many complicated thoughts were tangled in his mind, and he couldn’t unravel them, so he could only deplete himself like an oil lamp.
There was movement outside the door.
Lin Shuangxu came back to his senses slightly, and then heard a knock on the door.
“It’s me.”
He Yuncheng.
“Are you asleep?” he asked from outside the door.
Lin Shuangxu hesitated for a moment, then responded, “Come in.”
He Yuncheng hadn’t intentionally chosen the time when he was bathing, but seeing the scene before him, he still felt slightly surprised.
The ink-wash screen was semi-transparent, playing a coy game, vaguely reflecting a figure, making it all the more alluring.
Regardless of what He Yuncheng truly felt inside, he maintained a gentlemanly demeanor on the surface, not staring or looking around recklessly, and sat far away by the tea table.
“I don’t have anything in particular.” He poured himself a cup of tea, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly as he swallowed the tea.
He said to Lin Shuangxu, “I need to return to the military camp tomorrow. With such a big thing happening, the news can’t be kept completely secret. If the soldiers don’t see me, they’re bound to be suspicious. I’m going to show my face and calm their hearts.”
“Mm.” That was the safest course of action. Lin Shuangxu responded softly.
“If there are no accidents, I’ll be back tomorrow night, but it’s hard to say if there are other accumulated military affairs. It’s possible that I’ll be delayed for a day or two.”
“Alright.” Lin Shuangxu said, “I’ll stay in the manor and wait for news. Be careful in everything.”
When Song Jiting left, he had already agreed with them that he would find a way to deal with Li Yuliang and extract the location where his father was being held. At that time, he would send a message to Lin Shuangxu and the others. The two sides would cooperate to rescue Lord Song Lian from his predicament. Once the matter was settled, on the day of the joint trial by the Three Offices, he would definitely come forward to testify for He Yuncheng.
He Yuncheng turned his head slightly, and a flash of white caught his eye.
It was Lin Shuangxu’s bare shoulders, glistening with water droplets in the steam.
He Yuncheng subconsciously recalled past images: his body, his slender bones, his delicate skin.
“Do you think Song Jiting sincerely wants to help us?” he asked Lin Shuangxu.
Lin Shuangxu was silent.
He Yuncheng thought for a moment, then asked again, “Are you also worried that he might be deceiving us with a trick?”
Lin Shuangxu took a deep breath. “I don’t know.”
He Yuncheng continued to guess his thoughts: “Or are you afraid that his intentions will be exposed and he won’t be able to protect himself?”
“Maybe both.”
Every step now was a gamble. Any accident could happen.
“Then do you think Li Yuliang has genuine feelings for him?”
Lin Shuangxu didn’t know how to answer this question either.
Someone who couldn’t even discern their own feelings, how could they understand the feelings of a stranger?
He glanced at He Yuncheng out of the corner of his eye.
The other person sat still, showing no intention of leaving.
Since they had already crossed boundaries, it would seem hypocritical to be coy now.
Lin Shuangxu suppressed the nervousness in his heart. After bathing, he got up from the water.
The water rippled as he moved lightly, but even the slightest splash of water was enough to be thrilling to He Yuncheng’s ears.
He took small sips of tea from his teacup.
Even though he wasn’t looking directly at the scene behind the screen, it was as if he had eyes on the side of his head. How Lin Shuangxu got up naked, dried the water droplets on his skin inch by inch, and then put on a thin shirt – he knew every detail.
Lin Shuangxu’s hair tips were damp, and the reddened corners of his eyes made him look particularly affectionate.
Before He Yuncheng could speak, he took the initiative to ask, “Do you want to sleep in my room tonight?”