Yun Zhensong was wrapped in Qi Jianshuang’s broad arms, panting softly, his fingers kneading Qi Jianshuang’s slightly cool arm exposed outside the quilt, one pinch at a time.
Perhaps because Qi Jianshuang was getting older, his muscles didn’t look as bulky and intimidating as they had when he was younger. His arm lines were smooth, his biceps slightly bulging, and even in a naturally relaxed state, one could see the full and firm muscle belly.
Qi Jianshuang let Yun Zhensong’s unrestrained hands wander, moving all the way from his arm to his sexy Adam’s apple, his recessed collarbones, and his soft, upper chest muscles.
Qi Jianshuang suddenly tensed up, the texture under Yun Zhensong’s hand instantly turning hard.
Only to hear him say in a hoarse voice, helpless yet doting: “If you keep touching, something will really happen.”
Yun Zhensong gave a disgruntled laugh. They had kissed until his legs were still weak even now, and he dared not flirt any further, obediently retracting his restless hands.
Tonight, there were only kisses. As Qi Jianshuang seized every ounce of air from him, Yun Zhensong was still thinking about Qi Jianshuang’s normal physiological structure. But the moment his hand ventured downward, Qi Jianshuang drew a sharp breath and grabbed him.
“We have to travel tomorrow; let’s leave it for tonight.” Fine, fragmented kisses fell on Yun Zhensong’s eyelids. “I want to give you the best.”
“…Mmm.” Yun Zhensong gasped in excitement.
In the dead of night, Qi Jianshuang held Yun Zhensong in a deep sleep, emitting low, rhythmic breathing.
【Congratulations to the host for completing…】
Yun Zhensong was too sleepy to be clear-headed; he manually turned off the system backend, not letting it appear for the time being.
So sleepy… I’ll talk about it tomorrow.
After such a long time, Yun Zhensong had gradually figured out the system’s bugs: it had a strong grasp of the script as a whole, but it could not interfere with the host.
It did not possess the “Heavenly Eye,” so it was impossible for it to see the world from Yun Zhensong’s perspective at all times. In fact, the system was more like a piece of code that only appeared when certain plot points or time points were triggered.
Therefore, Yun Zhensong forcibly increasing the difficulty would relatively reduce the system’s workload, the degree of interference would decrease, and Yun Zhensong’s autonomy would correspondingly strengthen.
Now, he could no longer obtain more icons; fortunately, he had unlocked “Parallel Plots” before this, so he wouldn’t be caught off guard.
Yun Zhensong settled securely into the carriage for the return journey.
This carriage had been specially designed by craftsmen at the request of the Prince of Han; it was spacious and steady, far more comfortable than the wooden frame he had arrived in. Furthermore, the coachman was strictly trained, moving quickly without jolting.
To protect this body of his, which was as fragile as a flower, Yun Zhensong minimized his energy consumption to the maximum. He closed his eyes to rest, while Yusheng sat to the side, fanning him leisurely and occasionally feeding him butterfly cakes.
“Keep them, let Zhou Si taste them.” Yun Zhensong shook his head in refusal.
Yusheng’s smile was one he hadn’t even noticed himself; his heart was jumping around like a little deer, looking forward to the long-awaited reunion with Brother Zhou.
Separated for two months; I have missed you so much.
1224.
Yun Zhensong didn’t pay any more attention to Yusheng’s small hidden thoughts and began to get down to serious business. He had just clicked into “Parallel Plots” to take a look, which immediately caused him to knit his brows deeply.
It was clearly written on it: Heavy rain in Jiangnan for five consecutive days; many counties have already been flooded.
The political situation in the Central Province and the mobilization of troops in the Northern Frontier all paled in comparison to the weight of these short two sentences in Yun Zhensong’s heart.
Rain was an element that had appeared since the beginning of the story. It seemed that many of the hardships were created by rainy days.
What shocked Yun Zhensong even more was that for the past half-month, there had been a long, overcast spell without rain, which was truly eerie.
【Hello Host, continuing to issue rewards.】
【Reward: 3,000 gold coins.】
Yun Zhensong calculated the total number of gold coins; he hadn’t even had time to look at today’s missions. He clicked into the shop’s search bar and entered the two characters “Pre-knowledge.” Immediately, many products containing the keyword “Pre-knowledge” appeared in the interface.
“Predict Character Personality,” “Predict Character Relationships,” “Predict Plot Development”…
Among the numerous items, Yun Zhensong picked “Predict Weather” at a glance.
He locked his gaze and entered the purchase interface, scrolling down to view the product’s detailed introduction: Only 998! Bring the weather home! This product has been fully upgraded! On the basis of the short-term one-hour prediction, a precise rain and snow forecast for the next two days has been added. It supports weather inquiries for any location in the entire script. More exciting functions are waiting for you to unlock!
Yun Zhensong looked around and felt a strong sense of dissonance.
He gritted his teeth and placed the order, and a prompt to recharge for a VIP membership popped up immediately after he entered.
“…” The dissonance is even stronger.
However, it had to be said that the VIP functions were truly high-end and rich. Not only could he check precise weather forecasts 30 days in advance, but he also had real-time satellite cloud maps, temperature, wind force, precipitation, etc., all clear at a glance. Moreover, it was a one-time purchase for lifetime use. So, Yun Zhensong gritted his teeth again and bought a VIP membership.
He clicked on it full of excitement, but his face grew darker the more he looked, and the atmospheric pressure around Yun Zhensong dropped significantly.
Yusheng was startled. Before he could open his mouth, a sudden, thunderous crack flashed across the firmament with extreme speed. Through the fluttering curtains, the stark, white light illuminated Yun Zhensong’s ill-boding face.
Yusheng rolled up the curtain. It was mid-day, yet outside it was as dark as dusk. Fearing that his master would get wet and catch a cold in the rain, Yusheng suggested: “Master, let’s find an inn…”
“No, keep going.” Yun Zhensong was categorical. He leaned out of the carriage and shouted at Qi Jianshuang and Deng Hua outside: “Speed up! We must arrive within three days!”
The weather forecast clearly showed that the next month would be rainy, and in a few days, there would be as much as 250 millimeters of rainfall—a full five consecutive days. This could flood the entire county!
At this moment, the system’s ice-cold voice rang out.
【Now issuing Main Quest: Resist the flood, successfully harvest crops, and reduce casualties.】
【Hint: The base number of casualties is 100. For every additional person who dies, lifespan is reduced by one day and gold coins are reduced by 100. For every person saved, lifespan is increased by one day and gold coins increased by 100, and so on.】
【Difficulty Coefficient: Five Stars】
【Host, please note: Due to the arduous nature of this mission, please do not be stingy in using gold coins. According to backend algorithmic analysis and statistics, the completion rate with a gold coin expenditure of less than or equal to 8,000 is 17%, less than or equal to 3,000 is 9%, and less than or equal to 2,000 is 0%.】
So, what if the gold coins aren’t enough?
【Lifespan points can be exchanged for gold coins. The minimum unit for exchange is one year. One year can be exchanged for 50,000 gold coins.】
…Wow, my life is quite valuable.
“What?” Qi Jianshuang rode his horse closer and leaned over to ask, “What happened?”
“I observed the celestial phenomena and fear there is a great misfortune,” Yun Zhensong’s expression did not change. He pretended to divine by hexagram, randomly calculating with his fingertips, and said in all seriousness, “The atmospheric mechanisms of heaven and earth are in chaos, the water element has lost its order. Look at the dark clouds obscuring the sun and the wetlands overflowing it is a sign of a water disaster!”
“…”
Qi Jianshuang silently watched Yun Zhensong’s delicate and strong fingers; the joints were distinct, the tips slightly reddish, and the nails trimmed cleanly and appropriately, like white jade soaked in warm water—a hint of coldness hidden in the warmth.
Yun Zhensong followed Qi Jianshuang’s gaze down to his own hands, and out of a guilty conscience, pulled his hands back into his sleeves.
Qi Jianshuang calmly withdrew his gaze and asked with a smile: “Since when did Zhensong have the skill of divination?”
“Uh…” Yun Zhensong rubbed the tip of his nose and hummed triumphantly, “I have many skills.”
“So impressive.” Qi Jianshuang loosened his right hand holding the reins, wiped it on his sleeve, and then reached through the carriage window. Controlling his strength, he rubbed the top of Yun Zhensong’s hair and smiled. “I’ll listen to you.”
Before Yun Zhensong had enjoyed enough of this fleeting moment of tenderness, Qi Jianshuang removed his hand, turned the horse around, and loudly ordered the coachmen to speed up.
Deng Hua turned her head to glance, muttering in a low voice: “What? Are you sick again? Is this why you’re in such a rush to find a doctor?”
“Deng Hua.”
Qi Jianshuang’s voice rang out behind her, a cold warning: “Here, you and I are both subordinates of Yun Zhensong. Do not forget the distinction between superior and inferior. If you want to be the boss, go back to your Black Iron Battalion.”
When Old General Qi was alive, Deng Hua had entered the Black Iron Battalion. At first, she looked down on this little kid, Qi Jianshuang. Having heard others speak of Qi Jianshuang’s romantic rumors in the Central Province, she thought he had gotten his military rank through nepotism. But later, having seen with her own eyes Qi Jianshuang’s ability to lead troops in battle, she was thoroughly impressed.
Deng Hua had reached middle age, but her charm remained; a murderous aura revealed itself between her brows, and when she was serious, she could be quite intimidating. She was skilled in martial arts, had integrity, and possessed the liver and gall of a soldier; she only submitted to those stronger than herself.
Qi Jianshuang said: “Yun Zhensong’s abilities are definitely not below yours or mine. Saying a piece of jade is not flawless only means the jade is fake. His weak body is but a minor flaw in the jade; one day, you will willingly and wholeheartedly kneel to him.”
Deng Hua said nothing; she neither admitted nor refuted it.
The three-day journey was not easy. Seeing the rain getting heavier, Yun Zhensong’s lungs acted up with his old ailment again, and he coughed violently, eventually coughing up blood. Yusheng’s mouth was too fast, and Yun Zhensong couldn’t stop him.
Yusheng was a clever child; he saw that his master only listened to that person named Qi Jianshuang, so whenever Yun Zhensong felt unwell, he would shout Qi Jianshuang over. Then, no matter how busy or how much his master tried to endure, under Qi Jianshuang’s gaze, he would reluctantly rest.
Before leaving, Qi Jianshuang had specially brought plenty of medicine. He carried the pot and fire starter for boiling medicine, whipped his horse, and found a place to avoid the rain. He patiently boiled the medicine, then sealed the steaming hot soup and tucked it into his clothes. Even though the skin on his chest was burned red, his speed did not slow down a bit. After catching up with the main force, he served the medicine to Yun Zhensong.
At this time, the temperature of the herbal soup was just right. Drinking it in big gulps, the bitterness made Yun Zhensong feel nauseous, so Qi Jianshuang would pull a small packet of candied fruit from his clothes and place it in his mouth.
Yun Zhensong wanted to lean into Qi Jianshuang’s arms, but was pushed away by Qi Jianshuang, who said with a dry throat: “I’m wet, and I haven’t had time to change.”
No matter how heavy the rain outside, the square inch of space inside the carriage was always dry and warm this was all the result of Qi Jianshuang busy working inside and out.
This made Yun Zhensong’s heart ache terribly. He raised his hand to help Qi Jianshuang take off his damp outer clothes that were sticking to his skin, wiped the undried rainwater on Qi Jianshuang’s face meticulously with a handkerchief, and stroked the dark circles under his eyes and his bloodshot eyes.
Yun Zhensong’s heart ached with pain.
He stripped off his own warm cloak without a word, glared at him despite Qi Jianshuang’s resistance, and said with a nasal tone: “If you don’t take pity on yourself, I take pity on you! Seeing you so tired makes me feel like I’m a burden, I hate myself to death…”
“No.”
Qi Jianshuang knit his brows.
“If not, then let me wait on you, don’t dodge.”
Yun Zhensong lowered his eyes to fasten his ties, then raised his head. The two stared at each other affectionately and kissed naturally. As their skin temperature rose and their organs rubbed against each other, the stone in Qi Jianshuang’s heart finally landed.
He was so afraid that one day, Yun Zhensong would melt away like a snowflake and vanish without a trace.