The boat was tilting, about to plunge into the water, but luckily Chu Shao stepped on the edge of the boat and pushed it backward with her foot, keeping it balanced.
Her snow-white toes hooked lightly onto the boat’s side, miraculously keeping the small boat stable.
At the same time, Chu Shao held Xiao Jin’s waist with her left hand and supported the back of her head with her other hand, gently placing her body in the center of the boat.
After stabilizing the boat, the oars stopped swaying.
However, due to the sudden proximity of the boat’s edge, the lotus leaves in the lake were squeezed together into a cluster.
Between the new lotus blossoms, the two figures overlapped, their breaths intermingling.
Chu Shao’s warm and soft fingertips still covered Xiao Jin’s waist, holding onto her slender waist with no excess fat, with her fingertips resting on her jade belt that was about to fall off.
Just like a dragonfly touching the surface of the water, it was most enticing when it was just about to fly.
If it was only eye contact and their breaths were close, it would not have caused Xiao Jin’s mind to go blank.
However, Chu Shao’s clothes were slightly damp, and she looked down at her with a gentle smile.
The strands of her hair that had fallen loose scattered over Xiao Jin’s cheeks and eyes.
The tickling sensation made her heart tremble.
The summer heat seemed to be even worse.
Xiao Jin lay between the oars, gazing up at Chu Shao’s eyes.
Inside her eyes, the wrinkled lake water was reflected, the clear lotus swaying slightly, and she could even see her own face shrunk in the reflection.
She did not know when her heartbeat had already started to quicken.
However, Xiao Jin suppressed this emotion and remained calm. “Since the Princess emphasizes on doing things herself, I want to try it out. Now that I’ve tried it, do you have any idea what I’m thinking?”
In fact, if Xiao Jin had not mentioned it, Chu Shao would have almost forgotten that there was such a thing. It was too arbitrary to use a hug to verify whether her heart was in chaos.
However, she was particularly decisive today. Chu Shao looked down at Xiao Jin and chuckled, “Not yet.”
Xiao Jin asked, “Why?”
Chu Shao’s voice had a smile, “Because I still don’t know whether your heart is in chaos or not.”
It was early summer, and the sunlight was clear.
Xiao Jin felt the soft light, lifted her hand, held onto the wet wooden plank, leaned in slightly, and approached Chu Shao.
Her lips were pale, but they were covered with a clear shine from the lychee wine.
She leaned in at this distance, lifted her head, and lightly kissed the pearl earring that was shaking on Chu Shao’s earlobe.
She replied, “It’s in chaos.”
…
After spending half the day boating on the lake, Xiao Jin and Chu Shao should have been somewhat tired when they returned to their residence.Â
However, when Jue Ge looked up from her work and glanced at the two of them in the courtyard, she found that they showed no signs of fatigue, and in fact seemed even more refreshed and clear-headed. Moreover, the atmosphere had become particularly subtle.
Jue Ge was not the only one immersed in this subtle atmosphere; Qin Xueting was also practicing swordsmanship in the courtyard.Â
Chu Shao claimed not to be good at teaching others, so she had never directly taught Qin Xueting how to practice swordsmanship, but only imparted to her the essence of swordsmanship.
As for how to use it specifically, Chu Shao said she didn’t know and that it was only through practice that one could become skilled.
Usually, Qin Xueting would practice swordsmanship while Chu Shao watched silently, without speaking or commenting until after the practice session was over.Â
However, today was different because there was an extra person by Chu Shao’s side.
The person was sitting in a wheelchair, and there was a plate of fragrant cakes and a pot of lychee sweet wine on the table.Â
Watching her practice swordsmanship was like watching a shadow play – extremely relaxed and casual.
Qin Xueting knew who the person was and understood that although Xiao Jin appeared relaxed, she was not someone to be trifled with.Â
So she endured, allowing Xiao Jin to scrutinize her with her eyes, but her swordsmanship did not show any disorder or chaos.Â
Every move – the stabbing sword, the cleaving sword, the slashing sword – was extremely precise.
Qin Xueting’s forehead was sweating, but she knew she was doing well today and couldn’t help showing a hint of joy on her face.
She had the intention to show off her skills and quietly looked at Chu Shao.
Then she realized that from beginning to end, Chu Shao’s eyes were never on her.
The subtle atmosphere resurfaced.
Qin Xueting was looking at Chu Shao, Chu Shao was looking at Xiao Jin, and Xiao Jin was concentrating on watching Qin Xueting’s sword moves when she retrieved her sword.
Despite so many eyes in the courtyard, not a single pair met another’s gaze.
Xiao Jin was amazed at how fluidly Qin Xueting’s sword moves were and secretly felt a bit frightened.
At such a young age, she was already so skilled with a sword.
With time, her skills could only improve.
However, Qin Xueting became increasingly powerful, which was not necessarily a bad thing for Xiao Jin.
After all, she wasn’t from this world and would leave after completing her mission.
After she left, she wouldn’t have much to do with this world.
However, before she left, Chu Shao was destined to ascend to the throne and become the female empress of Yao Country according to the original plot.
If Chu Shao didn’t have the ambition to restore the Country and couldn’t become the empress, then after Xiao Jin left, the shell of the original owner would be soulless, and the Prince Yan in the Qi Country would also die.
In this way, the people around her probably wouldn’t have a good ending either. Therefore, Xiao Jin had to plan step by step, cultivate her own power while completing her mission.
Before leaving, she would hand over her people to Chu Shao.
Moreover, Chu Shao was not only someone she wanted to protect, but also the destined great female lead who would unify the world.
By handing over her trusted subordinates to Chu Shao, it would not only help Chu Shao restore the country, but also provide her employees with a relatively safe and stable job.
Xiao Jin thought about these things, but the wine had already been poured into the cup and she hadn’t drunk it yet.
Because of these things, she could only proceed slowly and couldn’t tell Chu Shao.
However, even if it was just to survive in the struggle for the throne, she had to do all of the above.
Chu Shao had no idea what Xiao Jin was thinking.
Noticing that Xiao Jin hadn’t drunk the wine in her cup, Chu Shao reminded her softly, “If Your Highness remains absent-minded, the wine that was cooled with ice cubes will become warm again.”
Xiao Jin was somewhat helpless, “People go to the countryside to escape the heat, but why is it even hotter than Qingzhou City here?”
Chu Shao sat next to Xiao Jin and smiled, “It’s not that the countryside is hot, it’s just that it’s already summer, and the weather in various states and counties is gradually getting hotter.”
Xiao Jin raised her eyebrows slightly, apparently not agreeing. She called over Jue Ge, who was handling affairs in the room.
Her eyes unconsciously showed a smile, “General Jue, the princess said that the entire Nine Provinces are getting hot. But how come I heard that it was snowing in the capital a while ago?”
Jue Ge was a little surprised that her master had called her over just to ask this kind of thing.
However, she still answered, “Your Highness, it did snow in the capital last month. But three days ago, Zhang Guanshi sent a letter saying that the snow in the capital had melted and it had become warm in the city.”
Xiao Jin looked at the smile on Chu Shao’s lips and couldn’t help but shake her head lightly.
As an outsider, she couldn’t possibly know more than the locals.
Thinking of this, she poured a cup of lychee wine for Chu Shao, smiled slightly, and apologized, “I was just talking nonsense and made General Jue laugh. I apologize for my mistake.”
Chu Shao took the wine and her eyebrows curved, “I just made a guess, how could I make Your Highness laugh?”
Jue Ge stood aside, feeling a bit superfluous, and was also surprised at Xiao Jin’s self-reference just now.
I?
The Prince Yan actually referred to herself as “I” in front of the princess.
Although Jue Ge was shocked, she could only bury it in her heart at this moment.
There is a large patch of pagoda tree in the courtyard.
The warm breeze brushed past, and the golden petals fell like broken gold foil, making the smiles on the corners of their eyes and eyebrows appear more brilliant.
In the heavy summer heat, Xiao Jin saw Qin Xueting practicing swords and called her over.
She had a servant bring a new porcelain cup and pour some lychee wine. She also brought some cakes to share with Jue Ge and Qin Xueting.
Jue Ge took the lychee wine and thanked her.
Qin Xueting, on the other hand, seemed a bit uneasy.
She took the lychee wine and cake, sat on the side with her eyes lowered, and only spoke after a long while, “Thank you, Your Highness, and thank you, Princess.”
Xiao Jin looked at Qin Xueting’s uneasy appearance and just smiled faintly without saying anything.
However, when she saw the peachwood sword in Qin Xueting’s hand, she became curious.
She turned her head and asked Chu Shao, “Does the Princess know how to dance swordsmanship?”
Chu Shao said, “The Princess knows a little bit.”
Xiao Jin nodded her head.
She understood that Chu Shao knew a little bit about dance swordsmanship, and was probably able to perform some flashy moves.
To be honest, when Xiao Jin crossed over to the ancient world, what she looked forward to the most was witnessing martial arts masters fighting each other.
Although this wish was somewhat shattered by Chu Shao and Jue Ge, she had always yearned for mysterious and ostentatious behaviors like twirling a sword like a flower.
If it weren’t for the fact that the original owner of her body was skilled in archery rather than swordsmanship, Xiao Jin would have taken up the challenge herself.
With that in mind, Xiao Jin raised her hand and pointed to the small white flowers that adorned the branches, “The pagoda tree in the courtyard is blooming beautifully. If there were a sword dance to watch at this moment, it would surely be even more stunning.”
Chu Shao smiled at the corner of her lips, “The pagoda tree flowers are falling like rain, and when accompanied by a sword dance, it is indeed more eye-catching.”
Upon hearing this response, Xiao Jin thought that Chu Shao had not understood the implicit meaning behind her words.
Chu Shao continued, “However, at present, I only have a wooden sword. If I were to use a wooden sword to twirl the sword flowers, it would not be as beautiful as a silver sword.”
Xiao Jin agreed, “You’re right.”
A sword made of wood could never match the elegance and freedom of dancing with a silver sword.
Xiao Jin felt a little regretful, and was about to say “next time” when she suddenly remembered that Jue Ge was good at swordsmanship, and often carried a black sword at her waist.
So she turned her head and looked at the sword at Jue Ge’s waist.
At a glance, Xiao Jin was a little surprised, “You usually carry a black sword, but today you have a red scabbard sword.”
Jue Ge was taken aback, and subconsciously lowered her head to look at her waist.
Touching the red sword at her waist, her eyelashes trembled slightly as she replied, “The previous sword was indeed sharp and handy to use, but the scabbard had chipped paint, so I temporarily switched to this sword.
“Chipped paint?
Xiao Jin always felt that the black sword should have been with Jue Ge for many years, and according to her personality, she was not the type to casually replace old things.
But since Jue Ge avoided the topic, she wouldn’t ask more.
Jue Ge was very thoughtful.
When she noticed that Xiao Jin wanted to see Chu Shao’s sword dance, she took off her red sword from her waist and presented it to Chu Shao: “If the Princess is short of a sword, she may use mine.”
Chu Shao took the sword: “Thank you, General Jue.”
She drew the sword and tried swinging it a few times, smiling, “The blade is thin and the handle is cold, it’s an extremely rare good sword.”
Jue Ge smiled humbly: “The Princess flatters me.”
After receiving the sword, Chu Shao didn’t immediately dance with it.
She looked down and seemed to glance at the engraved patterns on the blade a few times.
Then she took up the sword and walked under the pagoda tree.
The pagoda tree was in full bloom with numerous flowers like snowflakes swirling in the air.
Chu Shao, dressed in green clothes, stood among the falling petals and fragments.
Her red lips and long sleeves fluttered gracefully as she moved.
Between each step, dozens of sword shadows flew like white threads, with sharp and clean movements, yet not the slightest bit fierce.
On the contrary, they were like a pool of soft water, combed by the wind, displaying a charming and delicate beauty, which was very pleasing to watch.
Xiao Jin watched Chu Shao and felt that the person wielding the sword didn’t seem to be performing a sword dance, but rather playing a flute amid the flying petals and snowflakes.
Because the sword flowers Chu Shao drew were too gentle.
The most exquisite scenery of heaven and earth was laid out just for this moment.
The sword shadows faded away.
The pagoda flowers no longer hovered and flew, and the dust settled in the sky.
When Xiao Jin came back to her senses, the sword dance had already ended.
But in front of her, the image of Chu Shao looking at her across the flying petals still remained.
At that moment, her fingers unconsciously curled up, grasping the armrest of her wheelchair.
Jue Ge and Qin Xueting sat in their chairs, praising continuously, while Xiao Jin remained silent.
It wasn’t that Chu Shao’s sword dance was not good-looking. It was just that Xiao Jin was a bit surprised.
She used to look forward to watching sword dances, but now that what she expected was right in front of her, she was too preoccupied with watching the fairy dancing with the sword to pay attention to anything else.
So Xiao Jin lost herself for a while.
When she came back to her senses, the system had been shouting at her for a while.”Congratulations, host, Chu Shao’s favorability +5!”
Xiao Jin: “It’s just five points, what’s all the fuss about?”
“…””Actually, this is the third time within a short day that you’ve missed the system’s prompt,” the system said.Â
Xiao Jin was confused: “Third time?”
Xiao Jin suddenly thought of a possibility.
The system revealed the answer: “So today you gained 15 points of favorability from Chu Shao, not the 5 points you thought you received.”
Xiao Jin was completely stunned.
15 points?
She had only gained a total of 45 points of favorability after struggling so hard for so long.
And now, she gained 15 points in a single day.
Xiao Jin suspected that Chu Shao’s maximum favorability was probably 1000 points.
While she was guessing randomly, Chu Shao had already returned the Red Sword to Jue Ge and came to Xiao Jin’s side.
Xiao Jin looked up, and the crimson teardrop mole at the corner of Chu Shao’s eye caught her attention.
She suddenly felt like her brain couldn’t think straight.
She didn’t know when it started, but whenever she saw Chu Shao, she would involuntarily blank out for a second or two.
What’s terrible is that it’s not because of the setting or dumbing down.
The most fatal thing is that it seems to stem from Chu Shao’s gentle smile and the slight opening of her lips when she speaks.
Being led by such emotions.
Lying on the boat, the air was humid and hot.
As she looked up, she leaned in and lightly kissed Chu Shao’s earlobe.
Of course, strictly speaking.
Xiao Jin was still worried that her behavior might be too frivolous.
She was afraid of offending Chu Shao, so in the end, the only thing she kissed was the pearl earring on Chu Shao’s ear.
When the small boat reached the shore, she could still hypnotize herself, thinking that it was because the atmosphere was too good.
But now, there was no such atmosphere, and Xiao Jin still felt the heat and stuffiness, making her thoughts sluggish and her mind confused.
Xiao Jin felt that she was probably sick.
She had a disease that seemed like uncontrollable infatuation, but was actually just a lust for beauty.
This disease reached its peak when Chu Shao stood in front of her and raised her slender, white fingers to remove the pearl earring from her earlobe.
Xiao Jin finally managed to regain some clarity.
As she pulled her thoughts back, she lowered her eyes and saw the pair of pearl earrings in Chu Shao’s palm.
Snow-white and warm, just like Chu Shao’s fingers.
Chu Shao smiled and said to her, “Your Highness, why don’t you reach out your hand.”
Xiao Jin nodded and seemingly calmly extended her hand.
In reality, her mind was blank.Â
The blankness represented a loss of thought.
Even if the bottle Chu Shao handed her just now was poison, she would still drink it without hesitation.
Chu Shao picked up the pearl earrings and placed them in Xiao Jin’s palm: “Actually, in the past, I didn’t like to wear jewelry very much, but today a servant insisted on making me wear it, saying that the pearl is white and complements the blue, so I didn’t take it off.”
“When we were boating on the lake just now, it seemed that you were very fond of this earring. The so-called gentleman does not take what others love, and now I will reluctantly give it to you.”
At this point, Chu Shao leaned down slightly, approached Xiao Jin’s ear, and whispered softly, “And I also think that your skin is fair. If this earring is worn on your earlobe, it will surely look better.”
After saying this, Chu Shao left.
The acacia flowers and sunlight in the courtyard gradually became quiet and no longer floated with the dust.
Xiao Jin lowered her eyes, looked at the pearl earrings in her palm, curled her fingers, and gently held them.
In an instant, her palm was moistened with dew.
And a faint, lingering scent of acacia flowers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Translator’s note: ðŸ¤ðŸ¤ðŸ¤
TO BE CONTINUE…
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