Chapter 19 Showing Love
1827 Words
After cleaning, Leng Qingtang remained silent and slowly raised his hands to Gu Yunxi.
Gu Yunxi washed the towel several times in the water, dried it, and came to him again. Hesitating for a fraction of a second, she reached out, lightly holding his hand.
Leng Qingtang's hands were fair and warm with long fingers. After years of training in martial arts, with or without weapons, he had calluses on his palms and fingers, like a special mark of time passing by.
It's not difficult to imagine the hardships he must have gone through from hundreds of inner servants to the high position of the Eastern Depot Master.
Empathetic, Gu Yunxi threw a mute glance at the calluses and wiped his hands clean.
Leng grasped the towel. His lips curled up into a considerate smile.
He skillfully flipped the towel, folded it in half, and pulled Gu Yunxi into his arms.
"Yun Guaner, come clean yourself as well. Look, your cute face is burning under the hot sun...."
His eyes were beaming with indefinite affection and bold flirtation.
It was unknown when the crowd quieted down. Everyone was looking at them in the utmost shock.
Leng Qingtang raised his arms, with one hand tilting up Gu Yunxi's delicate chin and the other wiping her face and hands.
His rubbing was careful and gentle, almost as if he was dusting a rare royal treasure.
Gu Yunxi stood there rigidly, cuddled in comfort given by Leng Qingtang's gentle hands. The sudden warmth caught her off guard.
Ming Lan and his two close guards stared at Leng Qingtang and his protege. Their shocked faces showed their disbelief.
Under all the eyes, Leng Qingtang stayed calm. He threw the towel into the basin held by the servant, but his fair hands would not let Gu Yunxi go. He held her in his warm and soft hands, with his thumbs rubbing against her smooth hand back. The sensation of his thumb calluses against her was stimulating yet impossible to avoid.
Leng Qingtang cast a long smile to Ming Lan and his men, reached for the teacup, opened the lid and took two sips. He then looked up at Gu Yunxi and spoke with a melting voice,
"The tea is just fine. Come and drink it. It would upset me if you don't moisturize your throat..."
Gu Yunxi felt that her Master seemed a different person. The public intimacy and thoughtfulness would take time for her to adapt to. She was also flattered and indulged.
Leng Qingtang smilingly gazed at the confusion and shyness in Gu Yunxi's eyes, and pressed the teacup to her lips. Again he asked with an irresistibly soft voice,
"Come, drink it. Be good...."
Gu Yunxi's body and mind were soaked in sweetness. Head spinning, she took a few sips from the cup in the Master's hand.
People present were still staring in silence.
Ming Lan and his two guards were shaking in astonishment, having goosebumps all over.
It's unbelievable that Master Leng and his protege, both male, were actually sharing a teacup! Leng Qingtang, with his serious appearance, turned out to be a frivolous fop.
Cheng Wanli, the Chiliarch of Penalty in the Eastern Depot, flushed at this scene. It was absurd yet funny, and he also understood that Master Leng was trying to help Gu Yunxi out.
Leng Qingtang put down the teacup and mindlessly picked up a grape from the fruit tray on the corner table.
"Yun Guaner, remember to eat more fruits and vegetables in dry autumn so that the skin can be more watery and clearer. Come, I'll feed you. Open your mouth!"
Poof.
Before Ming Lan could swallow the sip of tea he just took, he was choked by Leng Qingtang's affectionate move and tone, and coughed violently, spraying tea all over the floor.
"Lord Ming."
Taking their minds off the couple, the two guards grouped around Ming Lan to pat on his chest and back. Only after quite a while did he catch his breath.
What is this? These two men dared to flirt in front of me? Shameless
Ming Lan was fraught with indignity but had nowhere to vent.
Leng Qingtang gave him a side glance and simpered.
"Please forgive us, Lord Ming! I really like my protege Yun Guaner. He was born weak, and only good at caring for me, so I don't have the heart to let him learn martial arts. You see, he's such a beauty with his tender skin. It'd be such a pity to ruin it."
"Haha. Master Leng, you do make sense..."
With a stiff smile, Ming Lan stood up and bowed to Leng Qingtang,
"It's time for me to report back to Yongning Palace. So I shall bother you no further."
"Take your time! Servants, walk Lord Ming out!"
Watching the three ghostly characters out of the Traning Field, Leng Qingtang removed the wild look on his face, yet the love in those black eyes remained.
"Standing for so long, you must be tired."
He said, looking at Gu Yunxi. It seemed that he didn't mean to let go of her yet.
"I'm not tired...."
Hands still held by Master, Gu Yunxi muttered, standing beside him obediently. Her sparkling eyes looked down, fearing to meet those of his.
Cheng Wanli clenched his fist over his mouth and coughed hard to remind Master it was time to ease it off.
My dear Master, you are getting too much into the role! The opponents are far gone now, so you may stop acting....
Leng Qingtang slowly and reluctantly loosened his hands on Gu Yunxi, but the passion and smile on his face did not wither a bit.
"Go there for a break. I have a few words with the captains. We will return when I'm done."
.
Ming Lan and his two men spurred and whipped their horses all the way to the Imperial Palace after leaving the Eastern Depot.
"Lord Ming, it's said that Leng Qingtang was cold and aloof, then why was he quite the opposite today? The sight of him and his protege was sickening!"
Qin Zhong trotted his horse by Ming Lan's side. In retrospect on the clingy couple, he couldn't refrain from ranting into his master's ears.
Ming Lan gave him a cold glance and complained speechlessly that his men were such simple fools.
"On the contrary, I think that Leng Qingtang was just wearing a perfect mask! He knew our true purpose of visiting today. Therefore he did not bother to hide anything and played an act with his protege. What came of it? It's us who couldn't stand it anymore and ran away!"
"Lord Ming, you mean that Leng Qingtang was pretending to be a wild fop?"
Ming Lan did not answer, only whipped again on the horse. A smirk appeared on his delicate face, making his tender facial features ugly and hideous.
For the moment, young Yun Guaner, who was inseparable from Leng Qingtang, occupied his mind.
When he was cleaning his Master's face and hands, Ming Lan had peeped more than once at him. The purple uniform offset his pointy little face to be utterly fair, and his neck outside the collar was very slender.
Especially his jade-like hands. Their reflection rippled away when plunged into the basin, and the water splashed in all directions. It tickled Ming Lan's mind to just think about it.
His name is Yun Guaner? As Leng Qingtang said, he was really a rare beauty! Alas, how did Leng Qingtang get first to such a piece of fresh meat....
Ming Lan's mind was twisted with jealousy, and an evil idea occurred to him
"Qin Zhong, go check the background of Yun Guaner! Leng Qingtang said that the child was sent from the Garden, so start from Youzhu Garden."
Qin Zhong turned on horseback. He could tell that Ming Lan was serious, so he nodded curtly,
"Will do!"
While Leng Qingtang and his men were discussing official affairs, Gu Yunxi asked Xiao Xiaoshen aside.
"Please teach me archery!"
She stared at him with wide eyes. Her expression was extremely serious.
"Really?" He was startled.
"Why not? Let's go now to the field!"
Gu Yunxi hurried and dragged Xiao Xiaoshen off the deck.
"I dare not to go without the Master's order!" Xiao Xiaoshen stopped halfway and then started to climb back up the stairs.
"Come back!"
Gu Yunxi was sent on edge, so she grabbed Xiao Xiaoshen by his belt and pulled.
"Oh my, you're gonna tear off my pants!" Xiao Xiaoshen had no choice but to return to Gu Yunxi.
"Sister Yunxi, you are a girl. What's the use of learning those things? Even Master said he's unwilling to let you go through that!"
"That's Master helping me out. But I know my limits, and I can't always expect him to save me everywhere!"
Remembering the humiliation from Ming Lan's men just now, Gu Yunxi was so grieved and mortified that she wanted to hide in a cave.
Those three seized the clear fact that she was not capable of martial arts but was on duty in the Eastern Depot. Their fierce rebuke was full of irony, which was seemingly directed at her. However, they were actually accusing Leng Qingtang of nepotism and incompetence.
Xiao Xiaoshen shook his head ceaselessly, still felt undecided,
"Are you upset because of what happened just now? Didn't the Master cover up for you? Don't be angry. You don't have to take offense by those rats!"
"Master can cover me this time, but what about the second or even the third time? I enter the Eastern Depot, knowing nothing about martial arts. This is indeed my shortcoming, and I should find a way to make up! Dear brother, will you teach me?"
Gu Yunxi would not let him go. Her eyes were glowing at him with pleading.
"But... Master is your mentor. If someone were to teach you, it should be him. How dare I overstep my authority...."
Xiao Xiaoshen thought it through, figuring that her idea would not work.
"Master is very busy now! And I have nothing to do. Might as well use the time instead of waiting around. Please teach me, brother Xiaoshen..."
Gu Yunxi shook Xiao Xiaoshen's arm and asked. There was no way he could turn her down.
He liked Gu Yunxi as a little sister from his heart. This kind of pure feeling originated from Youzhu Garden.
At that time, this gentle and fragile girl stood before Xiao Xiaoshen, inspiring a strong impulse in the sturdy young man.
Protect her, even if it would cost his life.
Now she was pleading with such devotion. Why did he have to refuse such a cute girl?
"Come, I will teach you! But we need to make it clear first. You must rest after training for a while. Don't be stubborn!"
"Got it! Brother Xiaoshen, you are the best!"
Gu Yunxi jumped in cheer.
- Writer
