Jiangshan Fengwuzhi

Chapter 266 Growing Up
Their faces were very close, their eyes meeting.

His eyes were filled with tenderness, like a gently flowing river in spring; his other eyes were filled with determination, as firm as a rock standing on the riverbank.

Spring water splashes against the rock, creating ripples, seemingly without achieving anything. Yet the water still manages to wet the rock, polishing it smooth as an egg.

Feng Niang finally extended a finger and gently touched Gu Jingnian's chest.

For some reason, her fingertips felt very comfortable when she pressed on him, but after a couple of touches, she would quickly move them away, as if punishing him.

"So, you led me out of one cage, only to put me into another?"

"You can say that."

“But I want freedom,” Feng Niang said with a light laugh.

Gu Jingnian asked, "What kind of freedom do you want?"

Feng Niang did not answer, but lowered her eyes, only letting Gu Jingnian look at her curled eyelashes.

Now, it was Gu Jingnian who broke his promise to her. He had wronged her, and she enjoyed his guilt as she listened to his patient explanation.

Occasionally, she would nitpick and tease him a little.

“Woye cannot give us freedom,” Gu Jingnian said. “Now I realize that we cannot escape freedom by running away. Only by strengthening ourselves and facing oppression can we achieve freedom.”

"But when you said you'd take me with you, I felt so free," Feng Niang said leisurely. "Now what do you want me to do? Be your subordinate? Gather intelligence for you?"

Before Gu Jingnian could answer, she raised her eyes, looked directly into his eyes again, and asked, "If that's the case, how are you different from the cage master?"

This wasn't a serious conversation; she used some fallacious reasoning.

Before Gu Jingnian could figure out how to respond, Feng Niang urged him again.

She stepped on the tip of his shoe, half-smiling and half-annoying, and said, "Tell me."

“It’s always different. Lung Man-chi treats you like a pawn…”

"But you haven't treated me well either."

"I……"

"What do you mean, 'you'?" Fengniang said. "Now that you want to use me, you're finally getting anxious? Usually, you're so indifferent."

"When did you start ignoring me?"

"In the past, when you wanted to save Yingyao, you said you would take us with you. Now that you've sent Yingyao to a safe place, you want to force me and you to 'face the oppression.' Sure enough, Yingyao is your favorite."

Faced with this barrage of verbal pressure, Gu Jingnian found it difficult to maintain his previous indifferent attitude.

He was about to explain his plan to Fengniang when Fengniang leaned close to his ear and asked him a question.

"Tell me, are you and her together yet?"

"No."

"Oh?" Feng Niang covered her mouth and laughed.

Gu Jingnian sensed that the atmosphere was a bit off, so he said, "I have something important to tell you."

"it is good."

Feng Niang quickly withdrew her foot, which had been on Gu Jingnian's shoe tip.

The subtle ambiguity between them vanished instantly.

Gu Jingnian, on the contrary, felt a little uncomfortable.

"Then let's get down to business," Feng Niang said calmly. "It's nothing more than that you've changed. You don't want to keep your promise to take me to the fertile fields. You want me to work for you, but on what basis? What can you give me?"

In the blink of an eye, her attitude suddenly became so distant, as if Gu Jingnian had done something wrong again.

Gu Jingnian thought she was angry, so he became even more sincere.

Unlike Zhao Boheng, he didn't boast about finding a powerful backer in the realm or what kind of elixir he planned to refine.

Instead, he shared some of his true feelings.

“I read your diary and know you're not comfortable living in Beijing. One day, we should live the way we want, but before that, we need to have enough…”

Before Gu Jingnian could utter the word "strength," his mouth was shut up.

It wasn't sudden.

Feng Niang moved closer little by little, and Gu Jingnian did not dodge. He was speaking seriously, as if waiting for her to come closer.

At first, it was just a gentle touch.

It was like their soft lips had been touched.

After a long while, they gently nibbled at each other, yet they weren't afraid of breaking the skin.

His breathing became heavy.

Occasionally, a few whispered words of conversation would be interspersed among the panting sounds.

"Why...didn't you...remain unmoved by the temptation today?"

"I've learned a lesson: if you want something, just take it."

"You didn't understand before?"

"I didn't want to cause trouble before."

Feng Niang's heavy breath hit Gu Jingnian's Adam's apple. She moved closer to his jaw and asked, "Do I look... troublesome?"

"Yes, I'm afraid you'll have me under your control."

"True?"

Gu Jingnian didn't answer, but just looked into Feng Niang's eyes.

At this moment, her eyes became even more beautiful, as if they could draw him in.

Such a beauty, it's no surprise he feared being controlled by her; that goes without saying. "And now? Do you think I can't 'control' you anymore?"

Gu Jingnian didn't answer again, because he was essentially being controlled, and his breathing became heavier.

After a while, Fengniang remembered and gently nudged him.

"I'm asking you."

"What do you say?"

"How could you... dare to do that?"

"grown up."

"Yes, I've grown up."

Neither of them had time to say anything more.

Only when Fengniang felt she was at a disadvantage did she regain the upper hand in words.

“Young man… call me ‘good sister,’ and I’ll teach you how to be… a… husband…”

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A pool of spring water gently lapped against the stones on the edge of the pool.

A few blades of grass sprouted from the cracks in the rocks.

This is the old course of the Xihe River outside Lianzhou City. This place was originally a lake, but after a severe drought, it was flooded a few days ago.

Pei Nian was quite pleased to see a patch of green by the pond, but his expression remained stern as he spoke indifferently to his accompanying subordinates.

"The drought is about to end."

"Yes, fortunately Your Highness is wise; otherwise, who knows how much longer the people of the southwest would have suffered. Commandant Pei also deserves great credit..."

But another image flashed through Pei Nian's mind.

She looked up and suddenly saw someone with fiery wings flying across the sky.

It turned out that Gu Jingnian had returned to Lianzhou. Pei Nian had expected this, but she was still stunned when she actually saw it.

She wanted to rush back to Lianzhou immediately, but she held back and continued to inspect outside the city.

Only after finishing all official business did Pei Nian ride back to Lianzhou and head straight for the post station where Feng Niang was staying. She knew that Gu Jingnian would definitely go there when he returned.

Not long after entering the city, Pei Nian encountered Miao Chunniang on the road and reined in his horse.

"Mrs. Gu? Where did you come from?"

"It's Commandant Pei. Eleven Lang brought some medicine for Imperial Physician Zhao, and it was effective, so I'm sending some more."

"How could I trouble you with such a trivial matter, Madam?"

"I, a widow in the city, am doing my best while I have some free time," Miao Chunniang said. "Is Commandant Pei going to attend to official business? Then I won't delay you any longer."

"I'm on my way to the post station, let's go together."

The two spoke politely, as if they had forgotten that Pei Nian was still Gu Jingnian's fiancée.

However, this made Pei Nian's journey to the post station even slower.

The inn has now been booked out, and only Fengniang and her group are staying there. In front of the guest courtyard, Qin'er and Luoxia are standing guard, whispering to each other.

When Pei Nian stepped forward to request an audience with Gu Jingnian, Qin'er glanced at her up and down, then smiled and said, "I'm afraid it's inconvenient."

Pei Nian was not one to be trifled with, and said, "You're Feng Niang's person, what right do you have to tell Gu Jingnian whether it's convenient or not?"

Qin'er smiled faintly and said, "It's inconvenient for Feng Niang and Gu Jingnian."

"Then I'll wait for him."

Pei Niansui went to the front hall to wait. When he turned around, he glanced back and saw the setting sun slowly sinking between the distant mountains. The wind chimes on the eaves of the guest courtyard hummed softly. The door was closed, and two meals were placed on the steps in front of the door.

She then understood what was going on.

Gu Jingnian finally arrived late, after the sun had completely set and it was dark.

The two sat facing each other, their expressions equally indifferent.

“You’re different from before,” Pei Nian said first.

Yes, a lot has changed.

Pei Nian asked, "What happened?"

Gu Jingnian chuckled and said, "You always ask me this, digging to the bottom of things."

Pei Nian laughed and said, "You never tell me either."

"If I remember correctly, your ambition is to unify the Central Plains, right?" Gu Jingnian suddenly asked.

"Yes, what's wrong?"

“Then you can consider abandoning the Kingdom of Switzerland and joining forces with me. We can go to Switzerland first and rescue your father and my sister.”

"And then?" Pei Nian asked, "Who will unify the Central Plains?"

"God Venerable."

"God?"

Pei Nian's eyes were clear and bright as she stared directly at Gu Jingnian, her gaze probing.

Although they were gazing at each other, she was completely different from Feng Niang.

Upon seeing those eyes, Gu Jingnian had a premonition that persuading Pei Nian would be much more difficult than persuading Zhao Boheng.

(End of this chapter)