The Slender Waist-Chapter 24 - 20: Reverie Backlash

Ao Qi stood frozen on the spot, his arms seeming to have gone limp, his waist knife falling to the ground.

"Guard Ao Qi!" someone called out from outside, inquiring about his condition.

Ao Qi made eye contact with those deep black pupils, cleared his throat, and said, "Nothing’s wrong. The maidservant had too much to drink and fell into a deep sleep, but she has been awakened by me. The young lady has also settled down to sleep; you all withdraw from Changmen Academy!"

"Understood." The guards retreated one after the other.

Ao Qi’s body remained stiff, and for a long time, he did not salute Pei Jue.

He was Pei Jue’s nephew by marriage, so naturally, he was not as fearful as the common soldiers, but it wasn’t like this before. Pei Jue was the most powerful presence in his eyes; every time he saw him, he was like a little wolf with bright eyes, wishing he could leap up and wag his tail...

This time he felt somewhat bashful.

Pei Jue, "Why didn’t you report the truth about what happened in Andu City?"

Ao Qi hung his head, wanting to offer some defense, but couldn’t bring himself to speak.

"I didn’t expect such a trivial matter to alarm Uncle."

Pei Jue had a pair of indifferent eyes, which meant that even though his features were incredibly handsome, it was easy for one to overlook this in the face of his overwhelming aura that involuntarily made people tense.

"The young lady did all this to collect grain for the Northern Yong Army. I thought, thought it wasn’t a big deal."

"Not a big deal?" Pei Jue looked at him.

A subtle air flowed in the dim light of the silent night.

"Ao Qi, you have committed a great taboo."

After a moment of silence, Ao Qi clasped his hands together.

"Please punish me, General."

He braced himself for the beating, but from behind the screen came a rustling.

It was Feng Yun’s muffled voice, "Daman, Xiaoman?"

As she spoke, she moved toward them, her voice still carrying the scent of alcohol from behind the mosquito net, but she seemed much more sober than before.

"You’re spoiled rotten, where are the others?"

Ao Qi and Pei Jue exchanged a glance.

This was the young lady’s quarters. Whether it was him or the Great General, appearing here at this late hour was the act of a rogue...

If one person was discovered and despised, but what about two people being discovered at the same time?

That would only invite even greater ridicule.

Feng Yun’s steps drew nearer, and with a single lift of her hand to part the mosquito net, she would see him and Pei Jue. Ao Qi felt his blood rush to his head, his heartbeat nearly bursting from his throat...

"Young lady..."

Suddenly, an arm gripped his tightly, and Pei Jue yanked him out, both of them fleeing.

Yanked forcefully, Ao Qi stumbled, nearly crashing into a pillar. By the time he recovered and looked back, he saw a shadow swiftly flit away like a falcon, vanishing into the plum grove of Changmen Academy...

Leaving him alone, standing foolishly in front of Feng Yun’s door, facing her puzzled questioning:

"Guard Ao Qi?"

Ao Qi: ...

Feng Yun frowned, rubbing her throbbing forehead.

She thought she had seen Pei Jue, but why was it Ao Qi? 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

She asked again, "Why are you here, Guard Ao Qi? What happened?"

Ao Qi wished he could crawl into a crack in the ground.

Feng Yun tilted her head, pointing at the several maidservants inside, and to the shiny ring-pommel knife that had fallen on the ground, "Has Changmen Academy been burglarized?"

Ao Qi opened his mouth and then closed it in resignation, wishing he could just not have a mouth at all...

In the deep of the night, in the young lady’s bedroom, with maidservants passed out, what was a man doing barging in? Was he about to commit some wicked deed?

Uncle!

Why have you set me up?

"Guard Ao Qi?" Feng Yun narrowed her eyes.

Ao Qi had a pretty face, but with soft edges, non-aggressive, his lips slightly upturned, petulant with a touch of immaturity, especially now, he appeared to be angry about something, yet also like he was nursing a grievance...

Feng Yun kind of wanted to tease him, felt a tickling in her hands, but held back, leaning weakly against the doorframe.

"Since when has Guard Ao Qi become so tight-lipped?"

The young lady leaned in the doorway, her eyes like autumn waters, and Ao Qi’s face turned beet red.

"I, I was out on the night patrol, heard some noise from the young lady’s room, so I came to check. I called out several times, with no answer, fearing an incident, I dared to break in the door..."

Some noise? Feng Yun pressed her temples, trying hard to remember...

Was that absurd and blurry vision really just a dream?

Frowning at the young man, Feng Yun stealthily pinched her leg hard, the pain making her somewhat more alert.

"Are you that drunk?"

Ao Qi looked at her talking to herself and chuckled awkwardly, wanting to say something. But then he saw Feng Yun suddenly turn back with a cold face, take the cool tea from the desk, and splash it on Daman and Xiaoman’s faces.

The two women slowly came to their senses, shook the water from their heads, and opened their eyes to see the person before them. Frightened, they hastily prostrated themselves on the ground, kowtowing and admitting their fault to Feng Yun.

Feng Yun, feeling somewhat tired, stretched out her hand, "Stand up and support me."

Ao Qi let out a slight sigh of relief, bid farewell, and slipped out quietly.

The plum forest was silent, devoid of people.

—

The common folk all knew that a major battle between Jin and Nanqi was imminent, but the Beiyong Army had recently become somewhat lax. Besides the routine patrols and garrison duties, the rest of the men trained once every two days, and Pei Jue even went to the various camps to ensure they rested...

Today was different. General Pei galloped back to camp from Andu City in the middle of the night without a word, roused the soldiers in the camp, and drilled them in formation until dawn...

He didn’t go easy on himself either.

Mounted with a Biyong Sword in hand, he danced a flurry of movements impenetrable by wind or snow, his mounted archery as precise as splitting a willow leaf a hundred steps away.

Sweat rolled down his forehead. With his half-damp clothes clinging to his body, he did not rest for a moment; his eyes were bloodshot, a blend of killing intent and sweat streamed down his face, and he moved from horseback to the ground with agility like an eagle, intimidating to anyone who dared to approach...

Puyang Jiu watched from outside for a long time.

He watched him wield the sword, ride his horse, shoot arrows in a frenzy, dispassionately train others as well as himself, his eyes practically bursting with curious flames.

It wasn’t until Pei Jue returned to camp to rest that Puyang Jiu caught up with him.

"Wangzhi had another one of his fits? Is it very unbearable?"

Pei Jue was wiping the sweat from his forehead and glanced at Puyang Jiu, "I didn’t call for the Medical Officer."

"With your face looking so grim, it seems like a fruitless return." Puyang Jiu rested a hand on the side of his desk, eyeing his sullen face and laughing without any seriousness:

"Sexuality, after all, is your true nature. Accumulate too much without dispersing, and it congeals into a deep pool. A bit of wandering thoughts can turn predatory. Suppressing it this way, no amount of intense training to the point of death will be of any use..."

Pushing away Puyang Jiu’s face which was leaning closer, Pei Jue responded coldly, "Quack doctor!"

"Insensitive," sighed Puyang Jiu.

Since Pei Jue’s youth, people had been sending him concubines, and he was free to have any he wanted; yet, he never spared them a second glance.

Last night, upon hearing the news of Feng Yun’s private meeting with Crown Prince Chunyu Yan of Yunchuan, Pei Jue left Andu with a cold face on horseback. Puyang Jiu thought he had finally seen the light, but who knew, he returned with a cold face again...

Curious, Puyang Jiu asked, "What do you think is the Feng Family girl’s reason for provoking Chunyu Yan?"

—To help Pei Jue collect food provisions.

The hoarse sigh seemed to linger by his ear.

Pei Jue’s expression was icy as he beckoned to Puyang Jiu.

Puyang Jiu moved closer: "What is it?"

Pei Jue said, "I’ve heard that Crown Prince Chunyu is fond of men..."

Puyang Jiu looked up at him, puzzled, but saw Pei Jue’s eyebrows twitch slightly, "You go and find out."

"..." What kind of order was this?

Puyang Jiu looked at Pei Jue’s stern face, hardly believing this was a joke. Feeling a tingling in his spine, he was stunned for a long while before realizing it was deliberate spite from Pei Jue, clearly meant to mock him.

"I won’t ask anymore; after all, it’s not my brother who’s suffering..."

After saying this, he glanced at Pei Jue, and seeing that he paid him no mind, still couldn’t let go of the matter.

So Puyang Jiu shamelessly moved closer, inch by inch, to Pei Jue, elbows resting on the desk, and cleared his throat.

"There is a strange matter for which I seek your insight."

Pei Jue was looking through documents, silent, his expression quite indifferent.

Puyang Jiu squinted his eyes and asked, "You claim to dislike women, and you never accept beauties offered by others. Why then did you make an exception and take in the daughter offered by Feng Jingteng?"

He continued, "Considering what I know about Wangzhi, you wouldn’t easily accept such an obligation. Between the lines... If not for beauty, then for some other purpose?"

Puyang Jiu stroked his chin, sizing up Pei Jue from head to toe, his mind racing.

"Could it be that Wangzhi and the Feng Family girl are connected?"

One in Nanqi, one in Northern Jin; that shouldn’t be it.

Puyang Jiu shook his head, "Not for beauty, nor any known connection, strange..."

He was used to talking to himself in front of Pei Jue, not expecting a reply.

Suddenly, Pei Jue lifted his head and asked, "Do you believe in prophets in this world?"

"Hmm?" Puyang Jiu was taken aback, "Aren’t those so-called prophets all charlatans?"

"The Feng Family girl is one," said Pei Jue.

Puyang Jiu snapped back from his surprise.

Having learned about Pei Jue accepting Feng Jingteng’s daughter, he too had curiously inquired into the Feng Family’s matters. This girl indeed had the ability of a prophet in her youth, causing a sensation in Tai City, labeled a demon, and was even close to losing her life; after growing up, however, she faded into obscurity.

Puyang Jiu laughed insightfully, "So, Wangzhi really values talent over beauty!"

Pei Jue remained silent for a long while; his gaze fixed on the documents, his eyes showed complexity, and his face gradually grew darker...