C105. Happy.

C105. Happy.

The horse galloped, heading straight for the Chu Estate.

Chu Hechao's hands wrapped around Yuan Li's waist, holding the reins. Yuan Li stood tall and straight, with a finger's breadth of space separating his back from Chu Hechao's chest, exuding an air of elegance.

Chu Hechao glanced at him, his eyes lowering down from Yuan Li's neck to his tailbone, as smooth as a bowstring.

Feeling the urge, he subtly reached out and touched Yuan Li's waist.

Yuan Li immediately became annoyed, turning his head to glare at Chu Hechao as a warning. "Behave yourself."

That look almost knocked Chu Hechao off balance. He tried to appear serious and dignified, but his words were playful, "What, can't touch my own wife?"

Yuan Li retorted, "No. Who said I'm your wife?"

Chu Hechao's expression turned fierce, menacing Yuan Li. "Tell me, are you my wife?"

Acting out, Yuan Li held back a smile and firmly said, "No."

Chu Hechao probed, "Say it again?"

As they approached the Chu Estate, Yuan Li confidently repeated three times, "No, no, no."

Before they could dismount, Chu Hechao flicked the reins, urging the horse to go faster, racing past the Chu Estate.

Caught off guard, Yuan Li fell into Chu Hechao's arms.

The attendants and servants at the Chu Estate were startled as they rushed forward. All they heard was Chu Hechao's voice echoing in the distance, "I will celebrate with the Governor by hunting deer together!"

So, they were going deer hunting.

The group suddenly understood.

Chu Hechao draped his cloak around Yuan Li and led him into the woods.

Yuan Li, dumbfounded, gritted his teeth. "Chu Hechao!"

Chu Hechao teased, "What's wrong with your man?"

"Go back immediately," Yuan Li said, trying to turn back, but Chu Hechao held him tight. He was starting to get angry. "Why hunt deer? Let's go back!"

As they rode further into desolate and uninhabited areas, Chu Hechao took the opportunity to lift Yuan Li's chin and kiss him, saying patiently, "Don't be angry, we can talk it out civilly."

Yuan Li remained silent, his lips tightly pursed, pushing Chu Hechao away.

Glancing around and seeing no one, Chu Hechao lowered his voice and gently stroked Yuan Li's lips, feeling as though he had been a thirsty traveler for far too long. His voice hoarse, he murmured, "Open your mouth and let me kiss you."

The rough texture of his lips against Yuan Li's made them itch and sting, the smell of dust and blood on Chu Hechao overpowering. Hesitantly, he begged, "Just one kiss, and then I'll take you back, my lord."

Yuan Li hadn't intended to let him kiss him, but the scent of Chu Hechao and his persistent requests slowly made him unconsciously part his lips slightly.

Chu Hechao eagerly entered. It had only been four months since he last touched Yuan Li, but it felt like four years. The intensity and heat of the kiss made Yuan Li swallow continuously, causing his tongue to start feeling sore.

Despite the uneven trotting of the horse on the muddy ground, it didn't affect the intimacy between the two on its back.

In the May forest, birds chirped and frogs croaked. Small insects flew by their ears as Chu Hechao's hot breath touched Yuan Li's skin. Dazed, he glanced to the side and realized they had walked into a dense forest without even noticing.

The horse obediently stopped.

Leaves fell on Yuan Li's hair and neck, and Chu Hechao picked them off one by one. A scarred hand emerged from Yuan Li's clothes, gently pushing them aside to tidy them up.

Yuan Li blushed, sweat on his forehead, and his hand rested on Chu Hechao's shoulder, seeking support.

The shameless man continued to tease, "Where's the milk?"

Yuan Li muttered, "Stop talking, it annoys me."

Chu Hechao realized his mistake and apologized, promising not to bite next time. He embraced Yuan Li, kissing his head.

Feeling sticky and uncomfortable from the armor on Chu Hechao, Yuan Li suggested, "Let's go back."

"Not yet, let me hold you a bit longer," Chu Hechao said, kissing his ear and holding him tightly, murmuring, "I miss you so much."

"I know," Yuan Li responded softly, nuzzling Chu Hechao, "I know you miss me."

Chu Hechao rested his head on Yuan Li's shoulder, falling silent.

Yuan Li reached up to stroke his hair, enjoying the peaceful moment. After a while, he asked gently, "Are you injured?"

"Just a minor injury, nothing serious," Chu Hechao replied.

Yuan Li asked again, "Does it hurt?"

Chu Hechao initially wanted to say it didn't hurt - how could he admit pain in front of his spouse? But instead, he corrected himself, "It's fine, it did hurt when I got injured."

As Chu Hechao mentioned being hurt in front of Yuan Li for the second time, he felt less embarrassed than before, hoping to evoke some sympathy from Yuan Li.

Indeed, Yuan Li felt sympathy. He inquired about Chu Hechao's injury, and Chu Hechao casually mentioned, "On my arm, but it's already healed."

Yuan Li frowned slightly, lightly touching his arm through the armor, "How did you get injured? Can you get hurt through the armor like that?"

Chu Hechao's eyelid twitched, "When I was sleeping, the bed frame scratched me."

Yuan Li's expression remained unchanged as he firmly slapped Chu Hechao's arm, but Chu Hechao didn't feel any pain, while Yuan Li's hand ached from hitting the armor.

Chu Hechao could tell from his expression that Yuan Li was in pain. He chuckled and held Yuan Li's hand, kissing the palm, "Why are you so delicate?"

Narrowing his eyes, Yuan Li threatened, "Who do you think is delicate?"

"It's okay," Chu Hechao smiled mischievously, kissing his hand again, "I like it when you're delicate."

Yuan Li touched his arm and slowly said, "Chu Ciye, I'm getting goosebumps."

Blushing, Chu Hechao released his hand with a grumble.

Since they had set out to hunt deer, Chu Hechao only carried a hunting knife. Yuan Li found it amusing, teasing him, "You only have a knife, can you catch a deer?"

Chu Hechao scanned the surroundings and raised his eyebrows, "Watch and learn."

He rode his horse through the forest and soon found the tracks of a roe deer. Following the trail to a shaded slope, he spotted a roe deer grazing there.

Although not a deer, the roe deer was close enough.

As they approached, the roe deer heard them and swiftly ran into the bushes. Unperturbed, Chu Hechao dismounted, unsheathed his large knife, and patiently waited for the roe deer to return.

The roe deer, known as 'Silly Deer,' had a curious nature and would return to see what had startled it. True to its reputation, the Silly Deer soon reappeared, cautiously looking around.

Seizing the opportunity, Chu Hechao threw the knife, displaying astonishing strength. The blade pierced the deer's neck, immobilizing it.

After a few cries, the roe deer fell silent. Chu Hechao retrieved the knife, lifted the roe deer onto the horse in front of Yuan Li, and urged the horse forward, saying, "Let's go!"

Yuan Li looked at the roe deer with sympathy, remarking, "Curiosity killed the roe deer."

Chu Hechao chuckled, finding Yuan Li's comment amusing, "Always saying such nonsense."

As they headed back to the county seat, they cleaned themselves up, ensuring there were no traces of their hunting trip. Chu Hechao dismounted and led the horse ahead, allowing Yuan Li to sit comfortably on horseback.

At the Chu residence, a welcoming party awaited their return with a feast prepared. Yang Zhongfa and He Lang stood at the entrance, eagerly awaiting their arrival. They greeted them joyfully, "General!"

Chu Hechao had already put away his unruly behavior in front of Yuan Li and appeared stern and dignified. He was surprised to see He Lang and asked, "You're back from Luoyang?"

He Lang smirked, "I returned three days ago."

Yuan Li dismounted and chimed in, "He suffered through the winter as well. There was heavy snow in Luoyang for four to five days, although not as severe as our area. Fortunately, Mr. He reacted quickly and decided to spend the winter nearby instead of risking the journey to Youzhou."

He Lang shuddered at the memory, "I thought it was only snowing in Luoyang and wondered why it had suddenly gotten so cold. Luckily, we realized the severity and found a place nearer to winter. Otherwise, we would have frozen to death on the road. On our way back, we saw many frozen corpses...ah."

Chu Hechao pondered, "Has the entire country been affected by snow disasters?"

"I'm not sure about the south," He Lang shook his head.

"There was no snow in the south," Yuan Li replied. "The merchants from Xuzhou and Yangzhou heard about the snow disaster in Youzhou and sent over a lot of goods."

Yang Zhongfa shook his head, "This unpredictable weather."

He Lang chuckled and clasped his hands, "Let's not talk about these depressing things. I haven't congratulated the General on successfully taking down Bingzhou. Judging by the General's radiant spring-like appearance, I can tell that the battle must have gone smoothly."

Chu Hechao raised an eyebrow, laughing and scolding, "With a face full of dust, can you really see the spring-like appearance?"

Yang Zhongfa chimed in, "He Lang is right. The General's complexion doesn't show any signs of fatigue from the journey."

Chu Hechao suddenly laughed, "That might be thanks to some miraculous medicine."

Yuan Li coughed twice, reminding him to be more restrained.

The deer brought back by Chu Hechao was sent to the kitchen to be roasted. The atmosphere at the feast was lively and cheerful. Bottles of wine brought back from Bingzhou by Chu Hechao were placed beside each table. Whenever someone finished a glass, a servant promptly refilled it.

After tasting the renowned wine from Bingzhou, someone exclaimed, "Such good wine!"

Another person loudly added, "This excellent wine is ours now! Drink as much as you like!"

This statement elicited a roar of laughter.

Their jubilant spirits were understandable as once Bingzhou was secured, they would have control over two of the three provinces north of the Yellow River. Their lord was powerful, and his subordinates were rising with him. Celebrating for three days and nights was not excessive!

During the feast, Yuan Song drank with a wide smile on his face, clearly showing his immense happiness.

While Chu Hechao was away on an expedition, he had been appointed by Yuan Li as the magistrate of Guangyang County.

Upon learning of his appointment, Yuan Song was struck dumb. He had thought that the peak of his life had been becoming a Marquis in the interior, being respectfully addressed as "Lord Ruyang."

When he left Ruyang and all his possessions to come to Youzhou, he had struggled with immense pain. Eventually, he had abandoned the position of County Magistrate and the hard-earned honor to come and seek refuge with his son.

Yuan Song had thought that was how his life would be, but in the blink of an eye, his son had appointed him as a magistrate! This was a significant official post with the power of appointment and dismissal!

During peaceful times, someone of Yuan Song's background would never have been able to hold such a position!

Yuan Song had been the magistrate of Guangyang County for three months now. Every time he thought about it, he couldn't help but feel excited. To live up to his son's trust and to avoid embarrassing him, Yuan Song had been spirited and involved in everything these past months.

Even with a heavy workload, he never felt tired. He felt rejuvenated, almost as if he had shed twenty years, striding confidently as though he were young again.

Now, when Chu Hechao returned safely and successfully conquered Bingzhou, Yuan Song was even more thrilled. He realized that although Bingzhou was conquered by Chu Hechao, in the end, it would be his son in charge. Their families were inseparable, and the credit was equally shared between them.

The celebratory feast lasted until late into the night, and everyone left in high spirits. Chu Hechao took a good bath, changed into fresh clothes, and with a body full of moisture, went to find Yuan Li. As soon as he saw him, he hugged him tightly and sighed sincerely.

Yuan Li sniffed the scent on his lips and asked, "Did you brush your teeth?"

"Yes," Chu Hechao replied, emitting a fresh scent of lotus and Poria.

Having drunk a lot today, Chu Hechao felt very spirited and not at all drunk. He said, "With no one around now, Yuan Lejun, come, let's talk about the meaning of the letter you wrote to me."

Pretending to be naive, Yuan Li asked, "What letter?"

Chu Hechao was prepared for this trick and immediately took out the letter, teasingly saying, "Black and white, are you still going to deny it?"

Seeing the evidence in front of him, Yuan Li no longer denied it. Blinking, he admitted, "Yes, I lied to you together with Chu Mingfeng, but we weren't close back then, so you can't hold it against me."

He was very candid, thinking that since Chu Hechao was still in mourning, he couldn't do anything. He appeared rather insolent.

Of course, Chu Hechao knew what he was thinking, but just like Yuan Li expected, he truly had no way to deal with Yuan Li.

Gritting his teeth, Chu Hechao smiled faintly, "Impressive, Yuan Lejun."

Innocently looking at him, Yuan Li asked, "Are you upset?"

Chu Hechao coldly chuckled, briefly putting on a serious face before bursting into laughter. He tidied up the letter, held Yuan Li's face, and kissed him on the forehead loudly, "I am ecstatic."