Jiaohua

Chapter 1641 You've Fallen in Love with Couple Baths?
Shen Lie rushed back as the sun set.

Xia Zhaoyi was still busy and was talking to several managers sent by Zhao Ning.

These managers were led by Pei Huirao. They had just arrived in the capital and came to see her first without even taking a break.

Shen Lie waited in the back tea room for about half an hour. A familiar, delicate fragrance wafted over silently. Just as he was about to turn around, a pair of hands appeared around his waist.

Xia Zhaoyi hugged him from behind: "Have you been waiting for a long time?"

Shen Lie took her hand and turned around.

Her steps were so light that only she in the world could approach him so stealthily.

"Soon," Shen Lie said, wrapping his arm around her waist, his dark eyes sparkling with laughter, "you've finished everything?"

"Yes, no one will be looking for me anymore."

As she spoke, Xia Zhaoyi sniffed lightly and smiled, "You've washed up?"

"Yeah, we fought two battles yesterday and raided three locations overnight. You're covered in sweat. Did you just take a shower too?"

Her scent was wonderful. The first whiff was the cool fragrance of plum blossoms in the snow, the middle notes were the refreshing sweetness of osmanthus and honey, the aroma of ink, and the deep richness of old sandalwood, and the base notes were lingering with cypress and ambergris. This fragrance embodied the elegance of all four seasons.

Xia Zhaoyi nodded: "I wanted to go outside the city to pick you up, but Miss Pei came looking for me with her people, so I was delayed."

"It's alright, you're busy with important things. By the way..."

Shen Lie took out a small handkerchief.

He unveiled the handkerchief, revealing a hairpin inside. It was slender and bluish-green, with a deep and serene jade color. The carvings on it were delicate and shallow, each line as fine as a hair. Seven beads were adorning one end of the hairpin.

To complement the overall elegance and antiquity of the hairpin, the beads are not large, but their colors are extremely beautiful.

Moreover, the seven beads are not simply strung together, but are interwoven with black silk threads. When each bead rotates, it reveals the exquisite hollowed-out patterns inside.

At first glance, the jade hairpin appears simple and unadorned, but upon closer inspection of every detail, one can discern its exquisite craftsmanship and superior quality.

Xia Zhaoyi picked it up and examined it closely: "It's really beautiful."

"...I made it myself. I happened to hear about a master craftsman with superb skills when I was in Jiangnan, so I went to learn from him. I only finished the last few strokes these past few days. I originally wanted to make a white jade hairpin, but I waited until winter to make it. Now that you are a general, this color will match your daily clothes better."

Xia Zhaoyi felt a warmth in her heart: "You still have time to learn this in your busy schedule."

Shen Lie smiled: "Do you like it?"

"like."

Xia Zhaoyi turned slightly to the side and raised her hand to untie her ponytail.

Her hairstyle today doesn't match the jade hairpin. The "everyday clothes" that Shen Lie mentioned, her everyday clothes now are a fitted outfit, a ponytail, a whip at her waist, and several daggers hidden on her body.

After her long black hair fell down, Xia Zhaoyi took a hairpin and began to style it, using a single hairpin to gather all the hair up and secure it.

Shen Lie raised his hand and gently stroked the stray hairs on her forehead. The more he looked at her, the more dazzlingly beautiful she seemed.

Shen Lie suddenly felt a sense of destiny. He longed to get close to her, to have her, and was willing to become a pilgrim, willing to bow down as a stepping stone for her to tread upon, soaring straight to the heavens.

Although her heart was not in this place, wherever her heart lay, he followed. He pursued her relentlessly, even blindly, without hesitation or regard for the future.

His love for her seemed to have completely exceeded his own imagination.

Fortunately, they are now in love and their hearts belong to each other.

As dusk settles in, the streets are at their liveliest.

They came out of the backyard, strolled around, and even went to see a few plays.

They drank flower tea and ate some candied meat while watching the opera, but it wasn't enough for their appetites. After the performance, they ate several bowls of dumplings on the street before they felt full.

The stall owner didn't think much of Shen Lie's appetite, but he was quite shocked that Xia Zhaoyi, such a thin woman, had unknowingly devoured forty dumplings.

“I won’t break out,” Xia Zhaoyi told the stall owner. “My daily energy expenditure is extremely high.” “Then, do you still want it?”

Xia Zhaoyi looked at Shen Lie.

Shen Lie shook his head: "No, thank you."

Xia Zhaoyi also said, "Then we won't."

After leaving the dumpling stall, they went to play in other places. Ahead, there was a noisy crowd with many people cheering and clapping. When they went over to see what was going on, they found out that they were playing a ring toss game.

A girl of about ten years old was holding a string of bamboo rings and kept throwing them at a small jewelry box she had her eye on.

Shen Lie asked Xia Zhaoyi if she wanted to play, and Xia Zhaoyi shook her head: "If we go to play, wouldn't that be bullying people?"

Shen Lie nodded.

The little girl became more and more anxious as she threw the bamboo rings, but she still missed.

She took out a few more copper coins and asked for a string of coins, but still failed. She gritted her teeth, her eyes red and swollen, and stepped aside.

Shen Lie looked at Xia Zhaoyi, who smiled knowingly. Shen Lie then went over to the stall owner and exchanged a string of bamboo rings for a different one.

The first prize was a jewelry box, the second was a celadon bell, and the third was a Xiangfei bamboo pen holder.

He just threw the rest away haphazardly.

The crowd cheered.

The stall owner knew at first glance that this was a nobleman who had descended to earth and that he couldn't afford to offend such a person. However, seeing that the man didn't make things difficult for him and only hit the three rings, he breathed a long sigh of relief.

Xia Zhaoyi gave the three small items to the little girl. The little girl looked at her timidly, thanked her, and didn't dare to look at Shen Lie next to her at all.

Xia Zhaoyi has a friendly demeanor, and her tanned skin makes her even more approachable.

Shen Lie, standing to the side, was aloof, tall, and handsome. When he was silent and not smiling, he exuded a commanding and noble aura that kept both strangers and acquaintances at bay.

On the way back, Shen Lie picked out a few antiques, and Xia Zhaoyi bought several tea sets. After paying, they asked the innkeepers to deliver them to the inn where Shen Lie was currently staying.

However, they did not return to the inn.

Shen Lie said he would take her to a place.

He took her to a place he had planned to go, where they boarded a carriage and traveled out of the city to a hot spring resort on the outskirts of the capital.

In the sweltering summer, the largest pool in the resort not only draws in hot spring water but also cool mountain spring water. The two springs mix together, gushing forth joyfully.

A servant brought over some Pu'er tea. Shen Lie sipped it slowly, still restraining himself, but as soon as the others were dismissed, he became like a hungry wolf, suddenly lowering his head to kiss Xia Zhaoyi, who was touching the water with her hand by the pool. He then wrapped his arms around her waist and spun around, immersing himself in the flowing spring water.

The spring water gurgled and splashed up in a large patch.

Xia Zhaoyi would not be passive in such matters and responded enthusiastically immediately.

Finally getting a moment to catch her breath, she gazed deeply into Shen Lie's eyes.

Shen Lie's eyes were dark and deep, as if they wanted to devour her.

"Shen Lie, have you taken to taking baths together?"

“You owe me,” Shen Lie said, brushing the stray hairs from her temples. “You said that at Qingji Pass.”

Xia Zhaoyi, being bold, said, "Then, let's try it next time we go back to Yunling. There are many bare, large rocks in Yunling, so we can sleep under the open sky."

Shen Lie glanced at her clothes, which were completely soaked by the spring water, and the curves beneath them. He didn't slack off with his hands and said in a low voice, "...Not next time. Yunling is too far away. There are countless other opportunities on the way to Yunling."

Xia Zhaoyi smiled charmingly: "General Shen is vigorous and powerful."

Shen Lie could no longer hold back and kissed her again, whispering in her ear, "It was General Xia who seduced her."