Four Seasons Brocade – CH 242

Chapter 242 ☆、

When it came to Ah Wu, Prince Qi’s compassion seemed to have been completely devoured by a dog. Ah Wu had initially intended to be a warrior who would never bow to power, but in the end, she could not help but wag her tail at Chu Mao.

The next day, Ah Wu, unusually, woke up to find herself seeing Prince Qi.

“Is it still early?” Ah Wu rubbed her eyes groggily. Chu Mao was sitting on the outside of the bed, blocking the light, which gave the still-sleepy Ah Wu this illusion.

Chu Mao patted Ah Wu’s bottom lightly. “The sun’s already up here.”

“Is Your Highness not going out today?” Ah Wu sat up, still wrapped in the covers, and asked curiously.

“Is this not what I’ve been waiting for?” Chu Mao chuckled, pulling Ah Wu onto his lap and taking a clean undergarment from the bedside table to dress her. Ah Wu obediently let him do as he pleased. She had made the same mistake many times before; any resistance would inevitably be met with harsh suppression, ruthless and merciless.

Ah Wu had initially thought Chu Mao would at most take her for a stroll through the nearby water towns, but to her surprise, he took her on a boat out to sea.

The salty sea breeze made Ah Wu wrinkle her nose. Chu Mao obtained a bright green tangerine, peeled it, and handed it to her. Ah Wu, surprised by his thoughtfulness, smiled slightly at him.

Ah Wu had largely overcome her fear of water, especially since Chu Mao’s arm never left her waist. However, as the boat sailed further from the shore until the dark coastline disappeared from sight, Ah Wu gazed at the vast, boundless sea, and her legs trembled slightly.

Chu Mao gently stroked her back and kissed her hairline, finding Ah Wu’s little weakness increasingly endearing.

“What was that sound?” Ah Wu lifted her head from Chu Mao’s embrace. “It sounds like something fell into the water.”

“It’s He Chun and Bing-Shuang going swimming.” Chu Mao’s gentle stroking of Ah Wu’s back was not disturbed by the sound.

“Bing-Shuang, swimming?” Ah Wu was extremely surprised.

“It was my oversight. How can the people serving you not know how to swim? Zi-Jin needs to learn too, and as for Zi-Yi, well, let’s leave it for now.” Chu Mao smoothed Ah Wu’s hair.

Ah Wu rushed out of the cabin, looking at the figures swimming in the sea. “There are so many ponds; why are they swimming in the sea? What if they choke on water?”

Chu Mao did not speak, but Ah Wu knew it must have been his order.

“They are all trained professionals; they will be fine. I only feel at ease when they train like this.”

Ah Wu clearly understood Chu Mao’s reassurance, but unsure how to respond, she changed the subject. “Is Your Highness going to take me to watch the sunset at sea?”

“Not only the sunset, but also the sunrise, Ah Wu. We will watch the sunrise and sunset together every day from now on.”

Ah Wu’s hair was blown back by the sea breeze, slightly disheveled. Chu Mao’s words stirred her heart, but she quickly regained her composure. “Your Highness is just flattering me. How could I possibly see the sunrise now?” Ah Wu said pointedly.

“I will make sure you see it tomorrow morning.” Chu Mao smiled gently, a hint of malice in his smile, which made Ah Wu uneasy.

The ship sailed south. That night, Ah Wu nestled in Chu Mao’s arms, listening to the wind and waves outside. She was initially afraid, but Chu Mao’s heartbeat strangely calmed her.

It was rare for His Highness Prince Qi to let her off the hook tonight, but Ah Wu found it hard to sleep. She tossed and turned in Chu Mao’s arms. “Your Highness, have you finished talking with Lin Shengzhen?”

“We’ve basically reached an agreement, but the Canal Gang is a very complex entity. We need to give him time to consider.” Chu Mao twirled a strand of Ah Wu’s hair around his finger.

Ah Wu suddenly remembered that in her previous life, when Chu Mao raised the banner of “purging the court of corrupt officials,” the court urgently dispatched grain and provisions from Jiangnan to the north, but they were delayed, ultimately leading to a mutiny among the soldiers. This allowed Chu Mao to sweep through the capital, causing countless imperial troops to flee. Now, thinking about it, the Canal Gang might have played a part in this.

And in this life, Chu Mao had his eye on the Canal Gang again. Sometimes, one really could not help but believe in fate; even if the trajectory had changed, the final destination was the same. Ah Wu could not help but think of the Imperial Princess and Second Brother Gu, wondering if he had decided to go to Luobei.

Ah Wu pressed her ear against Chu Mao’s chest. The sounds of the sea breeze and waves seemed to shut out the rest of the world. Ah Wu had a strange feeling that only she and Chu Mao existed in the world, and she spoke boldly.

“I wonder what the situation is like in the capital now? Your Highness is staying in Jiangnan. Are you not worried about the Emperor’s health? What if he does not make it?”

Chu Mao played with Ah Wu’s hair without speaking.

Ah Wu said, “The Emperor is so ill; why has he not established an heir yet? Is he not worried about future trouble? None of the imperial relatives is willing to speak up for His Highness; they all follow Princess Fuhui’s lead. Your Highness…”

Ah Wu paused, carefully observing Chu Mao’s expression. Seeing that he was resting with his eyes closed and showed no displeasure, unlike his previous outburst of anger, she boldly said, “If Your Highness is unwilling to condescend, I can try. Sister Yin’s sister-in-law is a girl from the Gu family. I heard that the Duke of Wei also enjoys listening to Jiangnan folk songs and often sends people to Jiangnan to buy maids. Perhaps I could ask Young Lady Dong to find a few?”

Ah Wu waited for a long time, but Chu Mao did not answer. She sat up and looked at him. He was still with his eyes closed, his hands had stopped moving, and his breathing was even. Ah Wu softly called out, “Your Highness.”

Chu Mao did not respond.

Ah Wu realized her words had been wasted. She slumped back down and drifted off to sleep, unaware that the eyes of the person beside her had opened in the darkness, a ghostly light flickering within them.

Princess Fuhui and the Duke of Wei, two unrelated individuals, were mentioned, but the person connected to her was conspicuously absent. Back when they boarded the ship to sail, Chu Mao had already received the court’s official report: Gu Tingyi had actually been appointed commander of the Luoning Guard.

Chu Mao withdrew his hand from under Ah Wu’s neck.

In the middle of the night, Ah Wu awoke with a start. Her hand instinctively reached for the blankets beside her; they were cool, lacking the familiar warmth. Ah Wu sat up abruptly and called out, “Your Highness.”

No one answered.

Although the cabin light was on, Ah Wu still felt frightened, especially after the ship rocked again. She immediately climbed out of bed, slipped on her shoes, threw on a robe, and opened the door to peek outside.

On the bow of the deck, against the starlight, stood a dark figure, like ink blending into water, indistinct and blurred. “Your Highness,” Ah Wu called softly.

The dark figure stirred and turned around. “Why are you awake?” Chu Mao stepped into the shadows and reached out his hand to Ah Wu.

Ah Wu hurried over. “I could not sleep without you,” she said, her voice tinged with a hint of reproach. “What’s troubling Your Highness? Why are you here alone at this hour?” Ah Wu nestled into Chu Mao’s arms, drawing warmth from his body, and yawned.

“It’s windy at sea. Why did you come out in just a thin robe?” Chu Mao did not answer Ah Wu’s question but instead pulled her back into the cabin.

“Your Highness, did you not say you would definitely let me see the sunrise today?” Ah Wu slapped away Chu Mao’s unruly hand. She twisted her body, preventing him from taking off her clothes.

“I’ve already given the orders that no one else is allowed to come up to the second floor today without my permission. Of course, we must see the sunrise.” Chu Mao pinned Ah Wu’s hands behind her back, preventing her from moving.

The lonely black figure on the bow of the ship was completely different from the enthusiastic Prince Qi before her. Ah Wu sighed inwardly. She felt she could never truly understand Chu Mao and never saw him for who he was. Although Chu Mao was very kind to her, Ah Wu still felt indebted to him, yet she never considered that she was the one who owed him something.

But now was certainly not the time for such sentimentality. Chu Mao wrapped Ah Wu in a blanket, curled up like a worm, and carried her to the bow of the boat.

“Chu Jinghui!” Ah Wu’s breathing was unsteady. She had half-heartedly allowed Chu Mao to do as he pleased because they were inside the cabin. The sea vessel was much sturdier and thicker than the thin-roofed boats on the lake, and Ah Wu knew she could not resist Chu Mao, so she simply gave in. Little did she know that after he stripped her clothes off, he would carry her out.

“Wait a little longer; the sun will be up soon, Ah Wu,” Chu Mao said, letting Ah Wu lean against the railing.

Ah Wu’s brow furrowed tightly in pain. “I am cold; I want to go inside, Jinghui,” Ah Wu pleaded, her tone pleading.

“I am cold too; I want to go inside too, Ah Wu,” Chu Mao said, capturing Ah Wu’s lips with his own and moving his fingers.

Ah Wu was not sure if she was being overly sensitive, but Chu Mao’s mood was very off. He usually always considered her feelings, but today his fingers forcefully forced their way in, casually manipulating her for a few moments before impatiently pressing her against the railing.

When the red sun rose from the sea, Ah Wu had no mind to appreciate it. Her body ached terribly, tears streamed down her face, and when she could not hold back, she could only let out a couple of soft moans before remaining silent, just like Chu Mao.

But Prince Qi had inexplicably gone mad, tormenting Ah Wu again and again. Ah Wu gritted her teeth in resentment; if she did not retaliate, he would only become more agitated.

Ah Wu wondered if Chu Mao had bitten off a piece of flesh from her shoulder.

“Ah Wu, if it were not for the Emperor’s arranged marriage, would Master Rong have found someone suitable for you?” Chu Mao suddenly blurted out a question that Ah Wu found completely baffling.

Ah Wu did not answer. Chu Mao gripped and pinched her chest hard, and she groaned but remained silent.

“Even if you marry someone else, I will still snatch you away, Ah Wu.” Chu Mao turned Ah Wu’s head and gently bit her lip.

Although confused, Ah Wu could not help but think about Chu Mao’s words. “You really think you are a bandit leader?”

The bandit leader was a trick Chu Mao played on Ah Wu at Guitian Garden. Hearing this, Chu Mao pushed into Ah Wu hard again before teasingly saying, “Or perhaps, you’d rather come with me willingly?”

Ah Wu spat. “I would never.” Ah Wu felt she could never be shameless enough to elope with someone.