pappabearbooks Chapter 416 A Bathing Experience with Perfect Results
Chapter 416 A Bathing Experience with Perfect Results
Xu Longxiang frowned.
"What is it?"
Fan Li slightly raised his head, glanced at the Moon Goddess sitting opposite him, and then quickly lowered his eyes, making a gesture as if he couldn't say anything more.
Xu Longxiang frowned even more, his tone somewhat displeased.
"What can't be said? Miss Suxin is the Northern Border's best ally, so please speak freely!"
Fan Li opened his mouth, but still looked hesitant and hesitated to speak.
Chen Ruoyao saw all of this, and the corners of her mouth turned up slightly, revealing a just-right, magnanimous smile.
She stood up, her white dress slipping off the stone bench like a blooming white peony.
"Young Master Xu, I happen to have something to attend to, so let's postpone this drinking session to another day."
Without waiting for Xu Longxiang's reply, she turned around and walked out of the pavilion.
Her back was long and aloof, her moon-white dress trailing on the ground with a soft rustling sound.
Her steps were unhurried, like a cloud blown by the wind—composed, aloof, and leaving no trace.
Xu Longxiang froze.
He opened his mouth, wanting to call out to her, but the words stuck in his throat.
He could tell that the other person seemed angry.
Although she still had a smile on her face, there was clearly a hint of displeasure beneath it.
He's in a bad mood right now, so calling out to her now would probably be pointless.
He watched the moon goddess's figure disappear around the corner of the corridor, and a strange sense of unease welled up inside him.
He turned around, looked at Fan Li, and spoke in a tone that was a few degrees harsher than before, each word sounding as if it were being squeezed out from between his teeth.
"What is it that can't be said in front of the Moon Goddess? You'd better give me an explanation! Otherwise, if it affects the alliance between the North and the Moon Goddess Cult, the loss will be enormous!"
Fan Li sighed inwardly as he looked at His Highness's appearance.
He stood upright, his gaze calm and profound, his voice as steady as a rock.
"Your Highness, the Northern Territory cannot do without you, much less without a rational prince. This is more important than any alliance with any other power. If the prince of the Northern Territory loses his reason, then any alliance with any other power will be meaningless."
A monarch without reason, even with a vast army, is nothing more than a rudderless ship, destined to crash into reefs and be shattered to pieces. I hope you understand what I'm saying today.
After he finished speaking, he turned around and walked out of the pavilion without waiting for Xu Longxiang's reply.
His steps were steady and firm, without the slightest hesitation.
Xu Longxiang was stunned.
He sat in the pavilion, still holding the unfinished cup of wine in his hand, Fan Li's words echoing repeatedly in his mind.
"If the prince of the North loses his mind, then there is no point in forming an alliance with any power."
He understood.
Fan Li was telling him not to get too caught up in the moon goddess's gentle embrace, lest he lose the decisiveness and composure befitting a prince.
Those warm greetings, those ever-responsive requests, those days when he neglected the important matters of the North and only cared about drinking and admiring the moon with the Moon Goddess—all of these had made him unlike himself.
He recalled the disappointment in Fan Li's glance just now, a disappointment that felt like a bucket of ice water poured over him, leaving him feeling cold all over.
He has indeed been somewhat obsessed lately.
He showered the Moon Goddess with concern and care, wishing he could tear his heart out to show her.
Furthermore, having killed Liu Bai, he was in high spirits and became somewhat arrogant, even neglecting his subordinates who had risked their lives for him and been wounded for him.
This cannot continue.
If that's the case, how can he face the 300,000 soldiers in the North? How can he face the millions of people in the North?
His father's words when he handed the North over to him still echoed in his ears.
"Dragon and Elephant, the burden of the Northern Frontier is heavy. You must shoulder it. If you cannot, don't blame your ancestors for disowning you, their unworthy descendant."
He looked down at the wine glass in his hand, the liquid inside shimmering with an amber light under the moonlight, reflecting on his face, which was half-lit and half-shadowed by the candlelight.
A flicker of hesitation crossed his eyes.
The drinks weren't finished, and the person hadn't been properly appeased before she left. Wasn't that a bit inappropriate?
He gritted his teeth and suppressed his hesitation.
Xu Longxiang put down his wine cup, which collided with the stone table with a crisp "tap".
He stood up and walked out of the pavilion without looking back.
The night wind rushed in from behind, making his dark python robe flutter and rustle.
After he left, a white figure slowly emerged from the shadows on the side of the pavilion.
Chen Ruoyao stood in the moonlight, gazing in the direction where Xu Longxiang had disappeared, her eyes filled with complex emotions and a cold demeanor.
She murmured to herself, her voice so low it seemed to be squeezed from the depths of her throat, tinged with a hint of resentment.
"This Fan Li is indeed extraordinary. He actually restored Xu Longxiang's Dao Heart with just a few words... All my efforts over the past few days have been wasted."
Her fingers slowly clenched inside her sleeve, her nails digging into her palms, sending a sharp pain through her.
She felt things were getting a bit tricky.
This Fan Li is much more difficult to deal with than Xu Longxiang.
Unfortunately, the Moon Goddess has still not contacted her.
What exactly is going on?
Logically speaking, the Moon Goddess should have already contacted her by now and given her further instructions.
Is something wrong?
She shook her head, quickly banishing the thought from her mind.
Impossible! The Moon Goddess possesses profound power; nothing could have happened to her!
But the fact remains: the Moon Goddess hasn't contacted her for quite some time.
Without the Moon Goddess's guidance, she had no idea what to do next.
Wait... without the Moon Goddess's command...
Inevitably, that rebellious thought resurfaced in Chen Ruoyao's mind again.
Without the Moon Goddess's guidance, aren't the decisions she makes the Moon Goddess's decisions?
Without the Moon Goddess's command, she is the Moon Goddess herself.
Thinking this, her eyes grew even more intense, like two will-o'-the-wisps burning eerily in the darkness.
She quickly suppressed the idea.
Perhaps the Moon Goddess is just preoccupied with some trivial matters. Let's wait a little longer, and maybe we'll hear from her.
Her biggest task right now is to find a way to win Xu Longxiang's heart back.
Chen Ruoyao raised her head, gazing at the clear, cold moon in the night sky, a glint of light flashing in her eyes.
Suddenly, she thought of something, and a slow smile appeared on her lips.
She turned around and walked towards her bedroom.
Her moon-white long dress trailed on the ground, making a soft rustling sound, like a white snake silently gliding across the bluestone slabs.
........
Xu Longxiang pushed open the door and entered the side hall, his steps a few paces slower than usual.
The candlelight burned quietly on the table, illuminating the room with a dim and warm glow.
The air was filled with the scent of herbs, bitter yet with a hint of coolness.
Dark Raven lay on the bed, his face as pale as paper, his lips cracked, his eyes sunken, and a patch of dark red seeping through the bandage wrapped around his chest.
His eyes were half-open, his gaze unfocused as he stared at the top of the tent, lost in thought.
Hearing the door open, he turned around and saw Xu Longxiang walk in. A light suddenly shone in his unfocused eyes.
He struggled to sit up, bracing himself against the bed frame with his arms, veins bulging on his forehead.
"Your Highness! What brings you here!"
His voice was hoarse, filled with barely suppressed excitement.
Xu Longxiang walked quickly to the bedside, reached out and pressed his shoulder, gently pushing him back onto the bed.
"Don't move, talk while lying down."
His voice was steady, carrying an undeniable concern.
Dark Raven lay back down, but his eyes remained fixed on Xu Longxiang, his eyes slightly red.
"Your Highness, you are injured yourself, why did you come here? If I delay your treatment, I will be guilty beyond redemption!"
His voice trembled slightly with excitement.
Xu Longxiang was stunned for a moment.
His mind raced.
When did he get injured?
His gaze passed over Dark Raven's shoulder and fell upon Fan Li, who was standing at the foot of the bed.
Fan Li lowered his eyes slightly, his expression calm and without any sign of anything amiss.
Xu Longxiang understood instantly.
He turned his head, looked at Dark Raven, and a faint smile slowly appeared on his lips, his voice steady.
"Don't worry, it's nothing serious anymore. You should focus on recovering and don't need to worry about me."
Dark Raven let out a long breath, his tense shoulders relaxed, and the anxious fire in his eyes gradually subsided.
"That's good...that's good..."
His lips trembled slightly, and his voice was low.
"I am relieved as long as Your Highness is alright."
Xu Longxiang reached out and gently patted Dark Raven's shoulder, his tone sincere.
"You've worked hard. Take good care of yourself and recover well; the North needs you."
Tears welled up in Dark Raven's eyes, and he nodded forcefully through gritted teeth.
"It's no trouble at all! I would gladly die for Your Highness!"
Xu Longxiang patted him on the shoulder again and stood up.
"Get some rest. I'll come see you again tomorrow."
Dark Raven nodded vigorously, his lips trembling, wanting to say something but unable to utter a word. He simply looked at Xu Longxiang with eyes full of gratitude and loyalty.
Xu Longxiang turned around and walked towards the door.
Fan Li followed behind him, and the two walked out of the side hall one after the other.
The door closed slowly behind me with a dull thud.
Fan Li stood under the corridor, watching Xu Longxiang's back, and a deep sense of satisfaction welled up in his heart.
Your Highness is still the same Your Highness, rational, calm, and with the North in your heart.
His Highness listened to what I just said and put it into practice.
His Highness is still the same Highness he followed: rational, calm, and powerful.
A faint smile slowly crept onto Fan Li's lips, a smile that carried a sense of relief and ease.
He followed, his footsteps echoing softly in the corridor.
........
at the same time,
Inside Qin Mu's newly purchased mansion in Linyuan City.
Qin Mu was still taking a bath in the bathroom.
Without a doubt, this was destined to be a perfect bathing experience.
To describe exactly how perfect it is, it can be summed up in one sentence.
Years later, when Yun Suxin recalled that night, her face still flushed, her heart raced, and she couldn't calm down for a long time...
........
P.S.: 20,000 words! I did it!