Chapter 132: Cheek to cheek

Ruansizong?

Why bring him up again?

Du Shanü, her mind wandering, suddenly heard that name and couldn't help but laugh for a moment:

"You still say that opening my eyes means business—we can only call it even."

From the moment they resolved to contend for the world from the deep forest, their public and private affairs were destined to entwine.

On one side, warm fragrance and soft jade, cheeks rubbing; on the other, burning ambition, exhausting energy and thought......

Indeed, it's so typical of them.

Chinu drew another half breath, confusion and bewilderment flickering in his brows and eyes:

"...... Can we not talk about it?"

"But if we don't talk about business, what else can we say?"

Must we keep rehashing those miserable tales that have already been chewed to bits?

This time she suddenly agreed to share Mount Wu with him, likely because he wanted to bring Chen Weifang into the fold and had taken Dun Cheng for her—perhaps it was his reward.

Otherwise, she would surely find it hard to leave her Yu Baobao behind.

So he had to be more useful, more useful than ever.

As long as he stays useful, he will never be abandoned.

Du Shanü was kissing the mole on his nose bridge when her thoughts shifted, and she drew back half an inch.

He had his eyes closed, lashes trembling, the corners of his mouth still wet and sated from the kiss.

Du Shanü studied him for a few moments, then reached out and casually placed her hand on his cheek, as if to caress him.

Chinu instinctively leaned his face into it......

However, she gave him an extremely light slap.

The force was light as a cat's paw tapping his face, barely making a sound, only a tingling sensation where her palm brushed his warm skin.

His head tilted slightly with the force, and his Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.

She rubbed the spot she had struck with her fingertip, as if soothing, as if provoking.

In a breath, Chinu turned his face slightly, actively pressing that half of his face back into her palm, rubbing it, like a dog that, after being scolded by its owner, clings even more.

Du Shanü couldn't help laughing:

"Ah Nu, I don't like hearing such nonsense."

"I've told Ah Fang before, I'm not the kind of person who would abandon myself for outside things. One must love oneself before loving others; no one deserves to make me abandon myself, not even the heavenly emperor."

"Being able to lie with you under the same blanket and say this is actually just because......"

Just because she finally understood her own heart, realizing she could never escape in this lifetime a beautiful dream named Chinu.

Chinu is no good, Chinu is certainly no good.

Cruel, decisive, perverse, gloomy and vicious, jealous......

His bad temper could be talked about for three days and three nights without finishing.

But Chinu is good, Chinu is extremely good.

Even though Chinu brings calamity upon heaven and earth, she can always see that hint of softness hidden beneath his myriad harshness.

This person is like the primordial chaos at the dawn of heaven and earth.

Back then, heaven and earth were not yet separated, all things tangled, nothing absolutely good, nothing absolutely bad.

And her good Chinu, no matter what he does, she wants to praise him with a word of 'awesome'.

Where is there any 'I'll reward you only if you do well'?

No, that's not right.

Under the night sky, myriad gazes linger, soft words murmuring.

Just......

But the beautiful night lingers, how can one not get drunk?

Chinu's lashes trembled; Du Shanü couldn't hold back, lowering her breath and lightly pecking him:

"Even if you do nothing, I still love you."

Love.

Exactly, it's love.

Even though Du Shanü had never before experienced such a beautiful night, she knew this was definitely love.

And her good slave is worthy of such love.

This time Chinu wasn't just gasping; it felt as if his breath were about to be choked off.

After a good while, he slowly came to from his daze, murmuring:

"Do you love me?"

"Do you really love me?"

Du Shanü coaxed him softly: "Of course."

But Chinu seemed to doubt it a little.

Or perhaps it's not that he doesn't believe.

But he dares not believe.

The boy who grew up in the orphanage, having wandered half his life, no matter how much time passes, remains forever that same boy.

Having never been treated kindly, he dares not expect anything from the world.

He asked softly:

"What about tomorrow? Will you love me tomorrow too?"

Du Shanü softly answered:

"Tomorrow I will also love."

He then asked again:

"The day after tomorrow? Will you also love me then?"

Du Shanü was a bit tired, but still answered with full patience:

"Love, I will love you the day after tomorrow, I will love you two days after that, and I will love you just the same even further ahead."

"If you still ask me that even further ahead, I will still answer this way."

Gentle, affectionate.

Granting every request.

Everything was so good it felt like a dream, making it hard to believe.

Chinu finally seemed to grow bolder, he wrapped his arms around Du Shanü's waist, and eventually asked that question he had kept in his heart for a long time, one that might spoil the mood:

"...... Is that love the same as the love you give Yu Baobao?"

"Can it be the same?"

"If it could be the same, he would follow her for the rest of his life."

"Whether in bed or out of it, he would do a lifetime's work for her and ward off a lifetime's misfortune......"

Chinu's hope lay in the depths of Du Shanü's eyes, but this time she did not answer without hesitation; she thought for a moment before speaking:

"That is still somewhat different."

Chinu froze, and the hand resting on Du Shanü's lower back slowly loosened——

He said.

"He definitely could not be compared to Yu Baobao in this lifetime......"

"Smack!"

Du Shanü didn't let him wander off in thought, and lightly slapped him again:

"A different kind of love."

"If we compare it to a carpenter's work, Yu Baobao and I are like two different but complementary pieces of wood—I have an extra piece, he is missing one, and together we can make a whole."

"But you and I...... are more like kindred spirits."

Kindred spirits means knowing each other's roots and backgrounds, with no need to hide anything.

Kindred spirits means we can together 'wolf in sheep's clothing' (i. e., do wicked deeds together), and together defy the greatest taboos under heaven. No matter how great a mistake one makes, the other will not stand opposite but will stand by their side, never retreating......

Thinking of Chinu's temperament, Du Shanü explained especially carefully.

Her words were slow, her tone soft and soothing.

They rarely had such leisurely moments; Du Shanü then cupped his face, lightly kissing his mole while discussing future plans with him.

Regardless, those usurping loyalists and their descendants will surely be eliminated; although the Northern Border's fire oil is troublesome, she is very interested in this substance that can stain indefinitely, and perhaps it could later be turned to her use, creating more beneficial devices for the people.

By then, she will surely have many, many subjects.

However, no matter where she goes, she will surely still have to keep Chinu tucked at her waist......

The afternoon sun stings, making eyes sore.

Chinu endured the soreness in his eyes, and finally realized something——

Du Shanü's brows and eyes showed thousands of tenderness and countless accommodations......

It seemed real.

Those miserable past times seemed to have finally drifted away from him.

She made a grand vow, painting a future for him.

One that he had never even dared to imagine.

This discovery made it hard for him to believe, and also hard to endure.

Thus, he suddenly tightened his embrace around the person beside him, saying in a 'pitiful' tone:

"Last night's drinking game...... last night's drinking game, I beg Wife Master and A Nu to play it once more...... A Nu will return later so he can teach Yu Baobao......"

"Take this chance to dote on A Nu again; A Nu swears that from now on, he will surely do many, many things for you......"

?? "A beautiful night, if not drunk, how could it be?": From Yuan dynasty Zhang Yanghao's 'Zhe Gui Ling · Mid-Autumn'. It can be translated as, on a beautiful night, if one does not indulge in enjoyment, how could it not be wasted?

? This chapter could actually also be titled 'Daytime Licentiousness'..... cough cough cough.