GTB Chapter 207

Chapter 209: Where to Sleep?

Chapter 209: Where to Sleep?

Inside the luxurious carriage, Jiang Jiuchu was engrossed in reading a storybook, when Shí Yan suddenly snatched the book from her hands.

“Huh? Husband, what are you doing?”

Shí Yan tossed the book aside, complaining, “This is our first trip out of Kyoto. Are you planning to read storybooks the whole way, Chuchu?”

“But you bought them for me to read!” Jiang Jiuchu retorted, reaching for the book, “I just want to finish those two pages.”

She was at a crucial part and felt uneasy not finishing it.

“No,” Shí Yan blocked her hand, regretting buying her those storybooks. “The books were bought for you to read on the way back. No reading now.”

“Oh.” Jiang Jiuchu snuggled closer to Shí Yan, wrapping her arms around his waist and leaning against his chest. “If you won’t let me read, then I’ll just cling to you.”

Shí Yan chuckled, embracing Jiang Jiuchu. “Alright, Chuchu, cling to your husband as much as you like. Your husband enjoys it.”

He reached for the *pibo* (a silk scarf-like accessory) that Jiang Jiuchu had taken off earlier and draped it over her, then opened the carriage window, gazing at the scenery outside.

Jiang Jiuchu looked at the passing landscape, thought for a moment, and said to Shí Yan, “Husband, how about we ride horses? You can ride and take me with you. Let’s not sit in the carriage anymore.”

“Alright,” Shí Yan agreed with a smile. He also wanted to ride, but he asked with concern, “Won’t it be a bit cold riding? Also, has your… monthly flow ended?”

Jiang Jiuchu paused, a little embarrassed, and replied, “Yes, it’s over. It won’t be a problem for riding.”

After speaking, she lowered her head to fasten her white cloak, feeling too shy to look at Shí Yan.

Seeing Jiang Jiuchu’s feigned composure, Shí Yan curved his lips into a smile, took her hand, and headed out of the carriage. “Let’s go, your husband will take you on a galloping ride.”

“Okay,” Jiang Jiuchu replied with a smile, allowing Shí Yan to lift her onto the chestnut horse.

A slight breeze blew, but the warm sun shone down.

Jiang Jiuchu sat behind Shí Yan, wrapping her arms around his waist, feeling the wind rush past her ears, and watching the scenery blur by.

The feeling of freedom and exhilaration made her lips curl upward.

Looking at the back in front of her, her chest filled with happiness, and she felt this was her happiest moment.

She tightened her grip around Shí Yan, the words suddenly escaping her lips, “Husband, I’m so happy.” What she really wanted to say was, “Shí Yan, I love you.”

With the wind whistling in her ears and her heart soaring with the horse’s hooves, Shí Yan heard her words. His thin lips curved into a smile, and his eyes, filled with laughter, seemed to be filled with stars. His handsome face was radiant in the warm sunlight.

The two rode until noon before stopping at a restaurant. After lunch, the carriage caught up.

Afraid that Jiang Jiuchu would be tired, Shí Yan said to her, “We’ll take the carriage in the afternoon. We should arrive in Jade City around early *shen shi* (3-5pm).”

“Okay, fine,” Jiang Jiuchu nodded. Even if Shí Yan hadn’t said anything, she wouldn’t have wanted to ride anymore. Her buttocks and thighs were already sore from the jolting.

Inside the carriage, Jiang Jiuchu comfortably leaned against Shí Yan’s lap, curiously asking, “Husband, where are we staying tonight?”

She figured it definitely wouldn’t be an inn, nor a large mansion, otherwise, there would be no place for Luoluo and Luyi to stay.

Shí Yan lazily leaned against the carriage wall, gently stroking Jiang Jiuchu’s dark hair, looking relaxed. He lowered his eyes and gazed at Jiang Jiuchu, “Staying in a broken-down house.”

Jiang Jiuchu raised her eyes, looking at Shí Yan in confusion. “Broken-down house?”

Shí Yan nodded. “Yes. Is Chuchu willing to stay with your husband?”

Hearing this, Jiang Jiuchu didn’t seem unwilling at all. Instead, she asked with great interest, “How broken-down is it?”

Seeing Jiang Jiuchu’s surprised expression, Shí Yan deliberately said, “More broken-down than the firewood room in our mansion. Not even a single brick.”

“A thatched cottage?” Jiang Jiuchu thought, “Without a single brick, wouldn’t that be a thatched mud-brick house?”

“Almost,” Shí Yan touched Jiang Jiuchu’s beautiful face and asked, “Does Chuchu find it distasteful?”

“Not at all. As long as there are quilts. After all, the weather is quite cold at night.”

Jiang Jiuchu felt that such an environment would be a nice change of pace to stay in once in a while. Besides, if someone as picky as Shí Yan could stay there, what was there for her to complain about?

However, she didn’t quite understand why they would be staying in such a house. Could it be that there were no inns near the place Shí Yan was taking her?

“Don’t worry,” Shí Yan pointed to the cabinet at the bottom of the carriage. “Your husband has brought several quilts. Your wife will definitely not freeze.”

Jiang Jiuchu nodded, feeling somewhat puzzled. What kind of place required bringing your own quilts? But she didn’t ask. She would find out when they arrived. Asking too much would spoil the surprise.

However, when Shí Yan carried her up a mountain range, she finally guessed why they needed to bring their own quilts.

She looked around at the beautiful mountain scenery shrouded in clouds and happily ran forward, looking at the waterfall that seemed to cascade from the clouds, and turned back to Shí Yan with a smile:

“Husband, are we going to sleep in a cave?”

Jiang Jiuchu thought that if they were spending the night on this mountain, they would definitely be sleeping in a cave. She thought sleeping in a cave would be great. She had never slept in a cave in her life!

Well… the time she was kidnapped by the flower thief didn’t count.

Looking at the cheerful Jiang Jiuchu, Shí Yan walked over with gentle eyes. “Chuchu, are you willing to sleep in a cave?”

“Yes, as long as I’m with my husband, I’m willing to sleep anywhere.”

Hearing Jiang Jiuchu’s words, a dark glint flashed across Shí Yan’s eyes. He kissed her forehead. “When did Chuchu become so good at coaxing your husband?”

“I’ve always been good at it!” Jiang Jiuchu blurted out, then quickly explained, “I’m telling the truth. I’m not coaxing you.”

Shí Yan smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist, flying towards the top of the misty waterfall.

Jiang Jiuchu, who had flown to the top of the cliff, was surprised. She had never expected that there would be another world up here.

Slightly afraid of heights, she quickly grabbed Shí Yan and moved away from the cliff edge.

After looking around, she didn’t see any caves and curiously asked Shí Yan, “Where’s the cave?”

Shí Yan looked at Jiang Jiuchu’s expression and amusedly said, “Chuchu is so concerned about the sleeping arrangements. Is it because you want to do something with your husband tonight…?”

Jiang Jiuchu’s face flushed red upon hearing this. Before Shí Yan could finish, she quickly interrupted him, “What are you talking about, husband! I’m just curious. I wasn’t thinking about that.”

She was speechless. Wasn’t he the one thinking about it?

Looking at Jiang Jiuchu’s embarrassed and indignant face, Shí Yan smiled and took her hand, walking forward. “Alright, it’s my fault. I was the one thinking about it, so I was judging a gentleman’s heart with my petty mind.”

Jiang Jiuchu, being led by Shí Yan’s side, couldn’t help but twitch her lips. He was quite self-aware, but she couldn’t respond to that.

In less than an incense stick’s worth of time, Shí Yan led Jiang Jiuchu through a thin forest and stopped in front of a small courtyard, pointing to the wooden house in the yard and looking at the stunned Jiang Jiuchu. “We’ll stay here. Does Chuchu like this place?”

Jiang Jiuchu opened her small mouth, nodded in shock, never imagining that there would be such a secluded paradise here.

A stream flowed gently in front of the courtyard, and camellias were planted on both sides of the yard. There were also a few fruit trees next to the wooden house, with scattered pears and apples hanging on them.

She tilted her head and asked Shí Yan, “Why is there a wooden house here? Has someone lived here before? Or is someone living here now?”

Shí Yan led Jiang Jiuchu into the small courtyard. “This is my master’s residence. When I was a child, because the Empress Dowager couldn’t bear to see me suffer while learning martial arts, my master brought me here to study martial arts in peace. I stayed here for three years.”

Jiang Jiuchu nodded. “Then where is your master now?”