Chapter 35
Zhou Min waited for another week for the recruitment announcement after reaching the town. Without a second thought, she enrolled in the army. Her successful enrolment was only due to the outstanding appearance – her martial arts were only basic. 484's shameless had rubbed on her quite a bit which gave her the guts to boost her profile and misled the recruiters to accept her.
Once in, another problem popped up – how could a lowly soldier get to meet the marshal? She was pressed by time and it stresses her to death. First of all, she has yet collected enough "energy" from the male lead. Second, she had no idea what kind of danger lurked in the dark.
Without a solution, she continued to scout the place for any opportunity for a few more days until she finally learns that Lan Ziyu would go to the hot spring in the woods behind the camp every night. With that knowledge, she sneaked out incognito. There are no thoughts of using her identity as a princess to avoid troubles – she forged her gender when she enrolled in the army. It would be hard to explain if the scandal blew up.
She walked cautiously through the small trail of beaten earth, surrounded by dense vegetation overshadowing her. The oppressive darkness gave her an uneasy feeling as if all her secrets were laid bare for the abyss to peer into. She sped up, nervous and anxious.
However, finally, the road quickly opened wider to reveal the entrance of the hot spring. The spring itself was on the side of the mountain, surrounded by bamboo grooves, giving a more cordial atmosphere than the woods. From where she stood, she could see the vapor of the hot spring spiraling into the night sky. The sight with the mountain in the background was ethereal. Fortunately, she saw no guards around the spring and only a lone figure was dipping inside it. His naked body seemed to shine in the moonlight, becoming the focus of the landscape. He was leaning on the rugged mountain rocks with his eyes closed and his hands behind his head. He was sharp and stern, but at this moment, his indolent appearance gave him a touch of elegance. That man was none other than Lan Ziyu.
As Zhou Min approached the hot spring, the vapor was dense to the point it felt like a fog, robbing his figure from her sight.
The sudden loss of her target sent her into a panic. She sprang and crouched near the place Lan Ziyu was supposed to be. He was obviously here a moment ago! Where did he go? Flustered, she jumped into the hot spring and ran to the place where his figure disappeared. The pool wasn't deep, at most it reached her chest.
She looked around in search of his figure, but nothing. She was alone. Frustrated, she hit the water surface. "Lan Ziyu, damn bastard!"
Ever since she became Lan Min, there was no moment where she could feel happy or at ease. Every single moment was a race against a timer. She felt trick and played with. It was better if she was dead. Besides, the male lead was a man of few words. It was always her who took the initiative to find him. He obviously promised not to leave her behind. Damn liar! He ran off the next day! He even left to the borders without saying a word, forcing her to chase after him. What's more, she had to break her head and finds a way to reach him inside the barracks.
She had to live through every day with the fear of being discovered and causing more problems to the male lead. Finally, just when she saw him, he disappeared!
She slumped down on the huge boulder and vented her frustration while letting out light sobs. A meter away from her, the man who she thought had left was standing there in his black clothes. His gaze was cold. He frowned looking at the soldier crying in the hot spring. From the uniform, that soldier was one from his troops, but he had already ordered that no one is allowed to go here at the hour of the ox.
From that soldier's actions, "he" came here deliberately to find him. When he heard the "man" cursed at him, Lan Ziyu became certain it wasn't one of his men, but that person's back and voice were a bit familiar which stopped him from leaving.
Lan Ziyu jumped down, landing into the hot spring. His mood was bad; He was unusually angry. He rushed and from the back, he grabbed the throat of that disobedient soldier in a vicious grip.
"Who are you? Who send you here? Speak…" His tone was cold and suffused with killing intent.
Zhou Min had no time to be happy when she heard his familiar voice as she was busier not getting choked to death. As second ticked, the oxygen became rarer, and her struggle weakened, but she didn't give trying to push away Lan Ziyu's hand. "Im… Imperial Brother…"
Her body was continuously losing strength. Fortunately, Lan Ziyu heard her. He released her. His heart no less shock. He pulled her to him while she was still dizzy from the lack of oxygen. 484 assisted her by creating the illusion of a suffocated person – pale skin and bluer lips. When Lan Ziyu glanced at her, he froze in fright. However, her appearance wasn't too terrible with her new constitution, under the hot spring vapor, the injuries from his aggression blurred.
Her appearance wasn't obvious as her disguise blurred her defining traits, but he recognized her; her countenance had been etched into his mind. "Lan Min!"
Zhou Min coughed and gasped for air as soon as he let her go. Lan Ziyu stared at her with anger boiling. Her disguise was good, and it was hard to notice she was a woman. He didn't know how she was able to slip through the recruiters' eyes and mixed into the army without revealing her gender. However, none of those doubts was important at this moment as his brain was confused with anger. The thought of her spending so many days with unfamiliar men was unbearable to him. If it was possible, he wished to kill them all.
Then, he looked at the dirt and messy makeup on her face. Despite his anger, he still found it funny. Then, he scooped the warm water of the hot spring and washed her face, revealing her beautiful countenance. At the familiar sight, he suddenly realized how much he missed her. He had missed her to the point he willed himself to not think about her. Otherwise, he would have canceled the campaign and returned to the palace. However, the situation at the borders was critical and required his presence, and the matters of the heart couldn't overrule certain responsibilities.
Lan Ziyu hugged her tightly and tasted the warmth of her lips. His kisses made her groaned, and her presence filled his mind. "Imperial Sister, how can you be so disobedient? Little imp, you really know how to push my bottom line!" At that moment, the clothes he wore were soaked and stuck to him.
Without mercy, Lan Ziyu tore off her clothes, leaving her with her helmet which gave her barely any protection to the punishment he might subject her. Without the cover of her clothes, his hands rubbed her chest with eager. He was burning with the fire of lust, wishing he could also ignite her with his passion. He was born to love her, and her existence was his reason. Even if the sky falls, he will fall with her in his arms! Their movements shook down her helmet which fell with a splash.
It was only a single moment, but it has turned into eternity. Their separation had made him realized that her presence has been etched into him. Even if he is destroyed, burns into ashes, he couldn't be without her.
He rolled her tender cherries between his fingers, making them swell and stiffen. Under his expert hands, her perky peaks trembled. His fingers pinched her nipples again, causing her flower hole to wet at the pleasure.
The strength of his actions gave her a tantalizing pain, igniting her with desire. She opened her eyes to glare at him under his tyrannical breast massage. When she saw him, her grievance burst out. "Let me go, you ass! You promised me you won't leave me behind, but the first thing you did was to disappear without a word! Bastard! Liar!"
She tried to push him away but to no avail. He pressed her on the mountain boulder and blocked her words with a kiss.
Her mind blanked under his assault, and she forgot how to react.
Since she didn't resist him, he switched to nibble on her lips and proceeded to entangle their tongues together.
Once again, she tried to push him away, but he didn't budge no matter what. Her strength vacated under his passionate assault. Their kisses deepened as their tongues intertwined in a battle. The more he kissed her, the tighter he hugged her until she became soft his ministration.
Gradually, he took the lead and their tongues danced together under his guidance. He loosened his strength, making their entanglement gentler, but as fiery as it could get. When he heard her moans, his heart burst with happiness, and his hands became rogue.
Finally, he parted with her lips and gently lifted her head. Zhou Min felt her nipples numb and sometimes painful, but it was strangely satisfying, making her body quivered. Even her gasps and moans couldn't be repressed by her will. "I-imperial Brother… Ah~ Imperial Brother… Lighter… Too rough… Um~ Ah~ Please… It hurts~"
An evil smile bloomed on Lan Ziyu's face. He switched placed with her and leaned on the boulder while making her sit between his legs. Her back pressed against his broad chest. "Imperial Sister, I miss you! I miss you to the point it hurts. I want you to the point I am getting crazy. I want every inch of your body, marking your every nook and cranny. I want you… Now!" He kissed with fervor her round and cute earlobe while whispering sweet nothing into her ears.
Want… me now?! Here? Does he want to do in the wild?! Zhou Min took some time to process the information as she looked around to the desolate surroundings. Suddenly, her face blushed furiously.
She had only read about outdoor sex in novels, but the idea had never brushed her. Yet, her body trembled at that idea, and she couldn't help but feel the heat of anticipation spreading inside of her.