"That’s not right, Qingyan, why aren’t you referring to yourself as ’Ben Gong’ anymore?"
Li Qingyan fell silent for a moment, the look in her eyes like that of seeing an idiot:
"You... catch on quite fast."
"Heh, of course." Xu Yuan laughed.
Li Qingyan narrowed her eyes slightly, her gaze turning somewhat dangerous.
As Xu Yuan was feeling puzzled, he suddenly saw her raise a jade finger and press it against his chest, pushing him with minimal effort against the body of the black dragon carriage behind him.
The carriage didn’t shake, but the dull sound was particularly striking in the quiet snowy night.
Her exquisite features were hidden in the shadow of backlight, her eyes flickering with a dim light, her voice slow:
"Changtian, when we traveled south, I always addressed myself as ’I’ to you, you... indeed catch on quite fast."
Xu Yuan leaned against the cold carriage, his expression odd.
Li Qingyan shook her head and walked away:
"If you don’t remember, then let it be."
Xu Yuan suddenly realized and reached out to grab her wrist.
Li Qingyan didn’t evade, turning her head to look at him quietly.
Xu Yuan said with a light chuckle:
"The voice transfer you mentioned, usually when we’re together, you always refer to yourself as ’Ben Gong’. I just didn’t notice."
"Indeed, you are still angry. The Commander should have room to run a ship in his belly, be magnanimous. You’re not Tianyan, why get angry over such a thing?"
After a moment of silence, Li Qingyan rolled her eyes at him and, ignoring him, asked casually:
"Enough with the nonsense, when are you planning to leave?"
At her question, Xu Yuan pondered briefly:
"Probably in the next two days. The Northern Frontier is overly complex now, and with my low cultivation, staying here only adds to the burden."
Li Qingyan lifted her red-pupiled eyes to the dark canopy of the sky and asked:
"How did Chief Lou arrange things?"
"It hasn’t been decided yet."
Xu Yuan shook his head, then glanced at Li Junqing’s residence and asked in a low voice:
"But Qingyan, it seems your imperial brother has a paramour?"
"What?" Li Qingyan’s eyes showed confusion.
Xu Yuan muttered in a thoughtful whisper:
"It seems you don’t know. But that guy actually dared to bring his beloved to such a dangerous place..."
Li Qingyan’s brows furrowed slightly, sensing something was off:
Xu Yuan hesitated for a moment, then shook his head:
"Nothing, I might be overthinking it."
Li Qingyan’s eyes narrowed:
"Xu Changtian, make yourself clear. If you don’t, I will go to him myself."
Xu Yuan grasped her, saying cheerfully:
"Why would you, his sister, intrude upon his business? If you want to learn, I can teach you, though."
Li Qingyan turned to fix her eyes upon his smiling gaze and let out an unnatural snort:
"Since you don’t want me to interfere, then you handle it your way..."
Before she finished speaking,
The carriage shook slightly, and Xu Yuan, bracing against the carriage, looked at her, who was so close:
"Once we part on this journey, who knows when we can meet again. Qingyan, isn’t there anything you’d like to say to me?"
The final remnants of winter, the bleak and howling wind, the swirling snow.
Her back pressed tightly against the cold carriage, Li Qingyan looked into the man’s eyes, twinkling with laughter:
"Do you desire a promise from me?"
Xu Yuan, chuckling lightly, drew a tad closer:
"It’s hard to trust the words of Li Qingyan, I dare not believe."
Li Qingyan leaned back slightly, baring her neck as white as a swan, her hair resting on the edge of the carriage window, her words tinged with seduction:
"So... you want something more tangible, perhaps... to ’teach’ Ben Gong some ’serious business’?"