Quick Travel: The Little White Fox Pays Repayment

68-72. The Mermaid Princess

Chapter 68: The Mermaid Princess (6)

Yueyi returned to the tent and arranged the food for Lu Xiuqi. Seeing that he was only staring at the book in front of him and not paying any attention to her, she could only say in a gentle voice: "General, it's time to eat."
Lu Xiuqi said "hmm" lightly, closed the book, came to the small table and started to eat. From beginning to end, he did not look at Yueyi once, let alone say a word.
Yueyi was sad, and she ate less. She held the chopsticks in her hand and fiddled with the bowl but did not eat much. Lu Xiuqi felt a little sorry when he saw that the little girl was unhappy, but he was also angry in his heart. He pursed his lips and broke the silence: "Yueyi, I have something to ask you."
"General, please tell me."
"Why did you and Chen Xing come to Qi?"
Yueyi was slightly startled, and then said according to Chen Xing's words: "We are fleeing from famine."
Lu Xiuqi raised his eyes and stared at Yueyi's cheek as if trying to figure out something, but in the end he just shook his head silently. He sighed slightly and said in a softer voice: "Let's eat." Yueyi had no choice but to
continue eating after hearing him say so. The two of them ate in silence during this meal, and the few traces of intimacy that had accumulated in the past seemed to have disappeared now.
This kind of day lasted until the fifth day, when Xu Shijia led the crowd to welcome Lu Xiuqi. Xu Shijia could become Lu Xiuqi's deputy general not only because he was also young and promising, but more importantly, compared to Lu Xiuqi's cold and self-restrained, Xu Shijia was more like a spring breeze that warmed people's hearts, with a gentle look between his eyebrows, thus making up for Lu Xiuqi's disadvantage of being too strict in governing the army.
He dismounted quickly and saw that Lv Xiuqi was in good spirits. He was relieved and said, "The general is finally back."
Lv Xiuqi looked at his good brother, patted his shoulder and said, "Yes, Shijia, you have worked hard during this period."
Xu Shijia hurriedly said, "General, what are you talking about?"
The two entered the tent and had a good talk. Xu Shijia had been investigating who would poison Lv Xiuqi. If it was an enemy country, there was no clue about the spy until now. Thinking of this, Xu Shijia felt a little ashamed: "It was Shijia who was incompetent. I have no clue for many days."
Lv Xiuqi comforted him, "Don't blame yourself. I heard from the doctor that this poison was produced in the Western Regions. It is highly toxic and rare. It is impossible for the locals of our Qi State to prepare such a poison. Even the Chu State may not have such a person. So I think, maybe it was not done by the enemy country..."
"Then the general thought it was..." Xu Shijia frowned slightly, as if he had some guesses.
Lu Xiuqi sighed and said, "I just have some doubts. Let's not talk about this. You came all the way here, so you should rest early."
"General, too." Xu Shijia clasped his fists and walked out of the tent, and ran into Yueyi who was hurrying in with a food basket. Yueyi was delicate and beautiful under the moonlight, pure and gentle. Xu Shijia was a little surprised, but he also keenly saw that the girl in front of him was clearly a little girl. His voice couldn't help but be more approachable than usual: "Are you here to see the general?"
Yueyi nodded, remembering that this should be the Xu Shijia mentioned by everyone, so she respectfully called him "General Xu". Xu Shijia smiled and said, "I heard that it was you and your brother who saved the general. I would like to thank you two here." Yueyi
pursed her lips and said a little embarrassedly: "It's not me, I don't know medical skills, it's my brother..."
"Shijia, let her in." Lu Xiuqi's cold voice suddenly came from the tent, and Xu Shijia could even catch a trace of anger that was not easily detected. He was a little confused, but still said to Yue Yi: "Then you go in."
Yue Yi nodded and entered the tent. Lu Xiuqi rested his hands on the table, his eyes fixed on the map in front of him. But for some reason, Yue Yi felt that he was very angry.
"What are you doing here?" His eyes did not fall on Yue Yi, and his voice was quite indifferent.
Yue Yi pursed her lips and said softly: "I saw that the general had not had dinner, so I came here..."
"Are you here to bring me food, or
who did you come to see?" Lu Xiuqi suddenly raised his head and looked at Yue Yi with sharp eyes. Yue Yi was slightly startled, subconsciously stepped back and said embarrassedly: "I just came..." She wanted to say that she did come to see Lu Xiuqi on purpose. After all, their relationship has been very stiff these days, and she didn't want to continue like this.
But Lu Xiuqi just curled his lips, without a smile in his eyes: "As expected." He lowered his head again, looked at the map again, and said coldly: "Go back, don't bother me if you have nothing to do in the future."
Yue Yi wanted to explain, but didn't know how to explain.
Lu Xiuqi's attitude said it all. He didn't like Yue Yi to come and disturb him.
Yue Yi sighed slightly, put down the food basket, said "I'm sorry" and turned away. In an instant, tears rolled down her eyes. From childhood to adulthood, Yue Yi had never been criticized so harshly. She felt wronged and didn't understand why it came to this. She didn't want to go back to the tent, so she wandered around aimlessly alone. The
God erased many of her memories of the previous times, but couldn't erase her physical and mental fatigue. For some reason, she always felt a little overwhelmed this time. She guessed that it might be because she had been with the army and hadn't had a good rest for a long time.
Tired of walking, she sat on the ground, holding her chin with one hand, and thinking about it blankly.
What Xu Shijia saw was the cute look of the petite girl looking up at the bright moon. He chuckled and came to her side and asked, "Why didn't you go to rest?"
Yue Yi suddenly raised her eyes and saw that it was Xu Shijia and was about to get up. But Xu Shijia stopped her and said, "No need, there are no outsiders, just sit down." As he said that, he also sat opposite him, looked at the surrounding environment and nodded, "This place is really quiet, suitable for a person to be in a daze."
Yue Yi was a little embarrassed by what he said, so she had to say softly, "I just came here to sit for a while and will go back soon." After that, she stood up and said, "It's Yue Yi's fault" and was about to leave. Xu Shijia called her: "What are the two characters in your name?"
Yue Yi stopped, turned around, and said in a light voice: "Yue Yi, Yue of the moon, Yi of the total."
Xu Shijia smiled and said, "No wonder you like to appreciate the moon."
Yue Yi felt that men and women should not be intimate, so she said a few humble words and quickly returned to the camp. Xu Shijia rarely had a refined interest, and he also appreciated the moon before returning to the army. Seeing that he had just come back, Lu Xiuqi asked casually, "Where did you go so late?"
"Yueyi found a good place to enjoy the moon, and I was tempted by the moonlight, so I stayed for a while." Xu Shijia said frankly, but he also noticed that Lu Xiuqi's face became worse as he continued talking.
"Oh, you are busy with military affairs, but you have the time to enjoy the moon." Lu Xiuqi sneered and said sarcastically, "Shijia, as a deputy general, you must set an example and not disrupt military discipline." Xu
Shijia was a little surprised: "What does the general mean? When did I violate military discipline?"
"You and Yueyi..." Lu Xiuqi stopped talking in time, took a few deep breaths, and then left.
Xu Shijia was confused, and before going to sleep, he did not forget to say to Zhao Xi: "How come the general's temperament has changed a lot since he was injured? He used to keep his emotions to himself, but now he loses his temper all the time."
Zhao Xi had been planning to go to bed, but when he heard him say that, he sat up and said repeatedly: "That's right, sometimes he gets angry after just a few words, and I wonder if someone has replaced him."
Xu Shijia couldn't help laughing: "The person is still the same person, what's the point of changing it?" He paused and asked curiously: "Is Chen Yueyi in the same tent with the general?"
"Yes."
Xu Shijia stopped talking, he put his hands behind his head and sighed. Lu Xiuqi is not a man who sympathizes with women. Even if Chen Xing saved his life, he would not be bound by gratitude. But now he has tied a delicate little girl to his side, which is a bit puzzling. Besides, there are differences between men and women. If they are in the same room, what should they do if people find out?
Lu Xiuqi himself did not feel any change. He walked back to the tent quickly and saw Yue Yi sitting on the floor and fiddling with the pillow. He asked: "You and Xu Shijia went to watch the moon? Do you know that men and women should not touch each other? Don't you care about your reputation at all?"
Yue Yi was stunned by his sudden accusation. After a long while, she explained foolishly: "I went out for a walk and met General Xu. Then I left..."
"It's really fate." Lu Xiuqi sneered, strode to pull the curtain and lay down on the couch.
Yue Yi bit her lips and felt uneasy. Her voice even trembled a little: "General, did I do something wrong? Are you blaming me for hiding my identity? Tell me, I will change it."
Through the curtain, Lu Xiuqi clearly heard Yue Yi's panicked tone, cautious, and even a little flattering. But what did she do wrong?
She actually did nothing wrong.
She was wrong, but she took her anger out on Yue Yi.
Lu Xiuqi sat up, looking at the graceful girl who was outlined by the candlelight and reflected on the curtain, and said with difficulty: "I'm sorry, Yueyi, it's my fault, I apologize to you."
Yueyi did not respond. Lu Xiuqi waited for a long time and finally opened the curtain. What came into his eyes was the little girl with red eyes and about to cry. Lu Xiuqi was immediately flustered and hurried over to whisper: "I'm sorry, Yueyi, I'm sorry. You... don't be sad..."
Yueyi flattened her mouth and said: "I don't know where I offended you, you, you haven't given me a good face since that day..." She paused, sniffed and said sadly: "I really tried hard to please you... but..."
Lu Xiuqi felt even more bitter when he heard her word "please". How could he not see it? He was not good at words, and didn't know how to comfort her. He stretched out his hand, and tears immediately fell on the back of his hand. He instantly felt his heart burned. "It's my fault, I'm a jerk..." He took a breath and advised, "Don't cry, okay?"
Yue Yi nodded, tied up the broken hair by her ears, and said intermittently: "Then, then don't lose your temper with me for no reason in the future, okay? If I do something wrong, you can tell me." She turned her face slightly, looked at him shyly, and then lowered her head, revealing a white and beautiful neck. Her voice was hoarse but full of gentle tenderness: "I like to be with the general. The general, don't hate me, okay?"
She always spoke so softly, like a delicate little flower, beautiful and pitiful. Lu Xiuqi said "um", hesitated, and finally reached out and gently tied her hair behind her ears. The smooth and delicate profile appeared in front of him, and Lu Xiuqi really had the urge to kiss her again.
But he still held back. When the little girl stopped crying, he said, "Go to sleep. We will arrive at the military camp in Suizhou tomorrow."
The little girl burst into laughter and asked playfully, "Is there anything delicious in Suizhou?"
"When I have time, I'll take you around."
"Okay, then I'll wait for the general." She responded in a gentle voice, with curved eyes and a peaceful smile.
In the dead of night, Lu Xiuqi made a decision in his heart: he didn't care who Yueyi was. If Chen Xing didn't come back, he would take care of her for the rest of her life.
On the way to Suizhou the next day, Xu Shijia and Zhao Xi clearly felt that Lu Xiuqi was in a much better mood. The soldiers in the army who drank alcohol and made mistakes a few days ago were also exempted from some punishment by Lu Xiuqi.
Zhao Xi said to Xu Shijia in confusion while riding on his horse: "The general is now moody and unpredictable. Could it be that Doctor Chen has not completely cleaned the remaining poison from the general's body?"
Xu Shijia turned his head and whispered: "I think the general is a little angry. He used to be cold and meticulous, and really had no human touch." Zhao Xi
was simple-minded and could not understand these twists and turns. Xu Shijia wanted to say something, but heard the sound of the army arriving in front. He turned over and dismounted to find Lu Xiuqi, but saw Lu Xiuqi standing under the shade of a tree. After listening to the report from his subordinates, he hurried to the side. After seeing a slender figure, he stopped and said with a gentle look: "Are you tired? I can take you to my mansion to rest later." Xu Shijia felt that something seemed worth pondering. At first it was just a guess, but now he suddenly understood something. Zhao Xi shouted loudly: "Where is the general? We have been walking for so long, I am about to burst out of my drunken stink. Tonight, the three of us..." "Let's go... Stop meddling here..." Xu Shijia hooked his neck and left quickly. Yue Yi felt a little hot, and her forehead was sparkling. After hearing what Lu Xiuqi said, she immediately asked in surprise: "Really? Then can we go out for some snacks?" "Well... Of course, we can, but I'm afraid we can only go out for a while." Lu Xiuqi remembered that he still had some military affairs to discuss with Xu Shijia and Zhao Xi, and he couldn't help but feel a little apologetic. The little girl said sympathetically: "Military affairs are important, General, don't delay." Lu Xiuqi raised the corners of his lips, smiling gently. After all, she was exhausted from the journey, and Lu Xiuqi thought that she was a little girl after all, so he kept her in the mansion. He wanted to find a maid to serve her, but Yue Yi refused, and just smiled and said: "I like to be alone, and I can do everything, General, don't bother." Seeing this, Lu Xiuqi also agreed, after all, he didn't like crowds. His residence in Suizhou was only a temporary place to stay. He had spent most of his time in the military camp with the soldiers. Now that Yueyi was here, the empty house suddenly had a bit more of a homely atmosphere. The maid in the kitchen boiled hot water for Yueyi according to Lu Xiuqi's instructions and asked her to wash herself well. Yueyi closed the door, took off her men's clothes, and entered the bathtub naked. She sighed comfortably, raised her hand and wiped her face, feeling the hot breath penetrate into her pores, and she felt a little more relaxed. Chen Xing's medicine lasted for about half a year. Yueyi pinched her legs and felt it was still magical. "Yueyi, are you ready?" Lu Xiuqi felt that the time was almost up, so he knocked on the door and asked in a deep voice. Yueyi hurriedly raised her voice and said, "Right away." She stood up, picked up the handkerchief and wiped it, then tied up her wet hair and changed into a very simple dress prepared by Lu Xiuqi. Although it was just the simplest style, when Yue Yi appeared in front of Lu Xiuqi, Lu Xiuqi was still amazed. Under the moonlight, the little girl's face was red because of the heat, and her pair of big almond-shaped eyes seemed to be misty, hiding a little charm. He realized his abruptness and quickly turned his head and asked hoarsely: "I'll take you to dinner. You can try the dishes of Suizhou." "Then, can we still go out?" "Well, after dinner, I'll take you out for a walk."
Yueyi said gently, "General, you are so kind to Yueyi."
Lu Xiuqi felt warm inside, and it felt like someone had stuffed a little rabbit into his heart, beating non-stop.
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