Chapter 57: Conversation
A red candle trembled and burned out, and the room grew a little dimmer.
Shen Zhishu looked down at the person in front of her, suddenly raised her hand and stroked the top of her head, her voice low, “How do I feel it?”
“For example…” Jiang Yu paused. “The General can stand a little closer to me.”
“Mm,” Shen Zhishu took a step forward as she was told. “And then?”
And then—
Jiang Yu raised her face, her voice light and faint, “My scent is a little stronger, isn’t it?”
Yes.
The scent of cedar suddenly became strong, sweeping over her like a hurricane in winter that had just passed through the mountains and fields.
Shen Zhishu blinked and suddenly came back to her senses. The face in front of her was clear and fair, and the fine down on the edges was outlined in a blurry circle by the candlelight.
She couldn’t help but raise her hand, and then paused halfway up.
Jiang Yu’s gaze followed Shen Zhishu’s hand as it slowly moved up, then fell, and after a moment’s silence, she said softly, “The General’s hands are different from ordinary people’s.”
“Hmm?”
“They are especially large, and also a little rougher.”
Shen Zhishu’s fingers, which were hanging by her side, twisted, and she opened her five fingers and handed them to Jiang Yu.
“Of course,” she said with a smile. “If my hands weren’t large, I wouldn’t be able to hold a sword. In addition, the long spear I often use weighs forty or fifty catties, so the calluses on my palms and fingertips will naturally be worn out.”
Jiang Yu’s gaze rested on them quietly. After looking for a while, she asked in a faint voice, “When the calluses were worn out, did it hurt?”
“I’m used to it,” Shen Zhishu said. “It was when there were no calluses that it hurt a lot when the weapon rubbed against the skin. It’s better after they’re worn out. The pain is all blocked by the calluses, so I don’t feel anything. But I see Your Highness—”
Her gaze moved down and landed on Jiang Yu’s right hand.
The skin on Jiang Yu’s hand was no different from her face, as white as snow. It must be that her ten fingers had never touched spring water.
Thinking this, Shen Zhishu thought again, I wonder if these hands can draw a bow.
“What are you looking at me for?” She had not finished her sentence for a long time, which prompted Jiang Yu to ask.
Shen Zhishu blinked, pulled back her thoughts, and completed the second half of her sentence, “I see that Your Highness’s ten fingers are slender. I suppose you have never done any rough work and have been living in luxury every day. It makes me a little envious.”
“Envious of my life?”
“No, just envious of Your Highness’s hands,” Shen Zhishu smiled. “A pair of hands like this must be extremely pleasing to the eye when playing the zither. Unlike me, I’m afraid that as soon as I touch a zither, the strings will break.”
“Hmm?” Jiang Yu said in a faint voice. “I am envious of the General’s hands.”
“Oh? Where did that come from?” Shen Zhishu was a little surprised. “What’s so good about my hands? They have countless scars and rough calluses, they’re not good-looking, and they’re uncomfortable to touch.”
“They are comfortable,” Jiang Yu paused, her voice calm and steady. “The General’s hands are rough, so… the feeling is very strong.”
Shen Zhishu: …?
Why is a certain Jiang always so outrageous? she thought.
Logically, she should have gotten used to it, but—damn it, who could get used to this kind of “outrageousness”? She would call whoever could her mother!
Perhaps the scene of calling someone else “mother” was a little ridiculous. Shen Zhishu couldn’t help but laugh, the corners of her mouth slightly curled up, and her lowered face shook twice, “Your Highness’s words are as direct and sudden as ever. You’ve always been unadorned and say whatever you think.”
Jiang Yu was noncommittal, “So I hope the General can also say whatever you think.”
Shen Zhishu raised an eyebrow and asked, “Then do you know what I’m thinking now?”
“I don’t know. The General might as well tell me.”
“I was thinking…” Shen Zhishu said. “I hope Jiang Wuya can stay at the General’s Manor tonight, but not in the same bed with me.”
“Why do you hope she stays here?”
“This General’s Manor is too big and empty. With a friend for company, I won’t be lonely. And Jiang Wuya is a very good person, and it’s especially relaxing to be with her.”
“Then why are you unwilling to share a bed with Jiang Wuya?”
Shen Zhishu said frankly, “Because I can’t sleep.”
Jiang Yu asked bluntly, “Why can’t you sleep?”
“Didn’t I say before?” Shen Zhishu smiled. “Jiang Wuya’s memory doesn’t seem to be very good.”
“Then…” Jiang Yu said. “The General can come a little closer.”
“Hmm?”
“The General can’t sleep because you’re not used to the scent on my body. Then if you come a little closer, I suppose you’ll get used to it a little faster.”
Emotions in the dark night always seemed to be a little more absurd and unrestrained.
Shen Zhishu lowered her eyes and took a small step forward. Her peripheral vision caught sight of her shadow also moving forward, gradually merging with Jiang Yu’s.
“Mm,” she asked. “And then?”
“And then you lower your head.”
Shen Zhishu looked at Jiang Yu intently, the meaning in her eyes unclear. She lowered her head as she was told, and her lips, a few centimeters apart, brushed past the side of Jiang Yu’s ear:
“And then?”
Her voice was almost a whisper, lingering by the person beside her’s ear.
Her head slowly fell, and finally rested in the hollow of Jiang Yu’s shoulder.
Jiang Yu blinked, “And then—the scent should be a little stronger, right?”
As her voice fell, her hand slowly moved up and covered Shen Zhishu’s slightly arched back.
Shen Zhishu let out a muffled “Mm” from the bottom of her throat.
The body heat of a certain person came through the clothes lightly and cleverly, and was transmitted to the lower half of her face, which was nestled in the hollow of Jiang Yu’s shoulder.
She felt it for a while and suddenly heard Jiang Yu ask, “Is the General tired?”
“Hmm?”
“The General is much taller than me. Is it tiring to rest your head like this?”
“Not tired,” Shen Zhishu raised her head. “Your Highness is not short. You are also considered tall among ordinary people.”
“It’s just that I seem short when compared to the General,” Jiang Yu thought for a moment. “Then I’ll stand on my tiptoes.”
Shen Zhishu said, “No need.”
Jiang Yu looked up at her.
Shen Zhishu glanced at her twice, straightened up, and suddenly stretched out her arms, bent down slightly, and with a burst of force, she wrapped her arms around Jiang Yu’s waist and lifted her up.
She held Jiang Yu up until they were at eye level.
“This is fine,” Shen Zhishu said.
Their faces were extremely close. Shen Zhishu felt as if she had fallen into a pine forest on a sunny day. The scent of Jiang Yu was overwhelming, real and clear.
She looked directly at Jiang Yu’s face and watched as the person in front of her’s crow-black eyelashes trembled, and a faint shadow was cast on the pupils below.
Shen Zhishu was about to say something else when she suddenly saw Jiang Yu quiet for a while, and then she said in a faint voice—
“Put me down,” she said.
Her voice was very light, but because their distance was extremely close, these four words were much clearer than usual, and every word was clearly heard.
So much so that Shen Zhishu heard some… emotion that was not very happy.
Shen Zhishu was a little surprised and did as she was told, “Hmm? Did I hurt you?”
After Jiang Yu had stood firm on the ground, she shook her lowered head, “That’s not the reason. It’s just that I’m afraid of heights.”
“Your Highness has always said whatever you think. Why are you lying now?” Shen Zhishu smiled. “You weren’t afraid of heights when you were on horseback.”
“I’m not lying. My heart did skip a beat just now,” Jiang Yu said frankly. “I can’t find any other reason, so I can only attribute it to being afraid of heights.”
Shen Zhishu thought for a moment, “Then maybe it’s late at night, and Your Highness is sleepy, so your heart rate is not as regular as during the day.”
“That makes sense.”
“So Your Highness should go to bed. I’ll arrange for someone to serve Your Highness in washing up—” Shen Zhishu suddenly thought of something and changed the subject. “Oh, I almost forgot, Your Highness doesn’t allow anyone to be near you when you bathe.”
Jiang Yu nodded slightly, “I’ll wash up myself.”
Shen Zhishu was a little curious, “May I ask Your Highness, why don’t you let anyone serve you in your bath? Is it still because of… the Emperor?”
“It has nothing to do with her,” Jiang Yu said in a faint voice. “I’m just not used to having someone around when I bathe.”
…Not used to it? Interesting.
What had she said before when she said she wasn’t used to her scent?
Shen Zhishu raised an eyebrow and teased her intentionally and unintentionally, “Your Highness just told me that if you’re not used to it, you can just get used to it. Why don’t I arrange for a few attendants to serve Your Highness, and Your Highness can get used to it at my manor?”
“No need.”
“Hmm?”
Jiang Yu blinked, “The General can serve me.”
