A Figure on Jade Steps in the Wind and Snow 22

Chapter 22: Punishment

The curtains were not drawn tightly, and the faint moonlight that seeped through the gap was swallowed by the flickering flame. The room was filled with the scent of cedar and the burnt aroma of food.

Jiang Yu tremblingly exhaled the stale air from her lungs and slowly closed her eyes.

The body heat of the person behind her seeped over from a short distance away. The moist heat on her ear had not completely faded, and the hands on her shoulders had not moved for a long time, so long that her shoulders were already a little numb.

Shen Zhishu’s presence was overwhelming in the small space. She could hear the person behind her’s breathing, which was emphasized by the silence.

Jiang Yu suddenly felt a little dazed—

Jiang Chu also liked to stand behind her like this, quietly watching her write and draw on paper.

The difference from before was that this time, the hand on her shoulder was broader and more powerful.

General Shen’s touch seemed a little more unrestrained compared to Jiang Chu’s.

Jiang Yu thought, General Shen usually didn’t show off, but she was flamboyant and unrestrained at heart. With just a little external stimulation, one could see the red wolf coiled under that layer of skin.

Very interesting.

…It couldn’t help but make one wonder, if she was stimulated a little more, would it become even more interesting?

Jiang Yu idly rubbed her wrist bone and spoke softly in the flickering candlelight:

“Didn’t the General just say you wanted to keep your distance from me?”

But there was no reply.

What came was the hand on her shoulder moving to her earlobe and kneading it heavily again.

A crimson flush spread from her ear to her cheeks, and Jiang Yu’s whole body trembled suddenly.

Damn it… she thought.

After that night of passion, Shen Zhishu already knew her body thoroughly. She knew where she was sensitive, and she knew that when she pressed lightly or heavily in certain places, she would let out a moan from between her teeth.

She then thought, Little General Shen was probably really angry this time.

Perhaps it was because Shen Zhishu had indeed helped her a lot, but she had hidden things from her and had not been honest with her, yet she had asked her to be honest; or perhaps… she had exposed her lie, so she was angry out of embarrassment?

After all, compared to anger, her attitude was more like… sarcasm.

Perhaps the person behind her sensed her distraction, and the force on her ear became a little heavier, causing Jiang Yu to hiss, and her trembling became even more pronounced.

She took a deep breath, came back to her senses, and said in a low voice, “I didn’t mean to hide it from the General, but this matter is really not easy to explain to the General.”

The force on her earlobe gradually lightened, and those hands returned to her shoulders. Jiang Yu heard the person behind her say in a deep voice:

“If this can be called ‘not meaning to hide,’ then what can be called ‘meaning to hide’? I know that everyone has their difficulties. After that night, we went our separate ways and did not get to the bottom of that matter.”

“But Your Highness first asked me to act with you, then invited me to dinner, and then invited me to stroll through the streets with you. Just now, you directly exposed my embarrassment. I was thinking that I am not so familiar with Your Highness.”

…Asking Shen Zhishu to act was to force Jiang Chu to retreat, it was a desperate measure; inviting Shen Zhishu to dinner was to express her gratitude and at the same time to investigate the true relationship between Shen Zhishu and Xie Jin; inviting Shen Zhishu to stroll through the streets was because—

She had sensed Jiang Chu’s spy.

But all of this was really not easy to say to Shen Zhishu.

Although she didn’t mean it, she had indeed caused trouble for the other party.

Jiang Yu raised her eyes and looked over faintly, “It is my fault. I will accept whatever punishment you deem fit.”

…Accept whatever punishment I deem fit?

Shen Zhishu’s nameless anger flared up again.

The Eldest Princess was second only to one and above ten thousand, while she was just a humble subject. Her “accept whatever punishment you deem fit” sounded nice, but could she really do anything to her?

She couldn’t hit her, couldn’t scold her, couldn’t joke with her as she did with Xie Jin, and even less could she punish her by making her scrub the latrine bare-chested like a subordinate who had made a mistake.

Her “accept whatever punishment you deem fit”… was probably a reward of gold, silver, and jewels.

She didn’t lack these things.

The feeling of powerlessness should have been long gone, but after encountering the Eldest Princess, it always came up one after another.

Shen Zhishu removed her hands from the Eldest Princess’s shoulders and said in a low voice, “I don’t want silver.”

“I also know that the General does not lack silver,” Jiang Yu said. “Apart from not being able to tell the General the truth, I will do whatever the General asks of me.”

“Anything at all?”

“Anything at all.”

Shen Zhishu narrowed her eyes in the flickering candlelight.

Since it was anything at all…

She turned her head and asked the attendant who was diligently pretending to be blind on the side, “Are there any inns on Chang Le Street?”

The attendant was so scared that she stammered, “General, what are you going to do?”

“Nothing,” Shen Zhishu gestured with her head towards the person in front of her, “Just reminiscing with your Highness.”

After speaking, she suddenly circled to the Eldest Princess’s side and, after admiring the sudden surprise on that person’s face, her mood improved a lot.

…This face is much better looking when it’s lively, she thought.

In that case… let’s make it a little more lively, preferably with some expressions that I’ve never seen before.

It wouldn’t be in vain for me to have helped its owner so much.

**

They had only known each other for a week, so there was really nothing to reminisce about.

If she had to say, the only old thing was the passionate accident on that snowy night.

…So that attendant was particularly anxious.

Shen Zhishu and the Eldest Princess entered the guest room, and she waited anxiously outside the door, her heart only praying that Little Lord Shen would not be reckless.

Although her Highness was of high status and power, and Little Lord Shen probably wouldn’t dare to be reckless, but… what if?

Speaking of which, Her Highness was really something. She hadn’t caused any substantial harm to Little Lord Shen, yet she was so obedient to her.

Forget it, she had never been able to guess Her Highness’s thoughts.

She sat on the threshold with a mischievous look on her face, but after a while, she became worried again and pressed her ear against the door of the guest room.

And then she heard—

There was not a single sound in the room.

The attendant: ???

Her Highness couldn’t have been killed, right???

She paced anxiously outside, wanting to knock on the door but not daring to—what if Her Highness was fine, and she was the one who had disturbed their good time?

She let out a long sigh of relief and said to herself, If there’s still no movement in a quarter of an hour, I’ll rush in and see no matter what.

May Her Highness be safe.

Jiang Yu was quite safe.

Her eyes were blindfolded, her hands were tied, and she was lying straight on the bed, being—

Tickled.

A quarter of an hour ago, Shen Zhishu had whispered in her ear, “Is Your Highness ticklish?”

Jiang Yu thought for a moment and nodded.

But the moment she nodded, she heard a very light chuckle by her ear.

Jiang Yu thought to herself that this was bad and wanted to say a few words to make up for it, but it was already too late—

Shen Zhishu had suddenly untied her sash, tied her arms in a few moves, then took out a handkerchief and blindfolded her, before throwing her onto the bed.

Along with the thud, there was that familiar and low voice:

“If Your Highness laughs out loud, I will dip my brush in ink, draw a few strokes on Your Highness’s face, and then drag Your Highness out to parade through the streets.”

Jiang Yu: …

I’m doomed.