Silent Lover (The Silent Concubine) - Chap 169
Chapter 169 – Be Gentle
Shen Yu had only suffered minor injuries and shock. After two days, he was moving about freely again. Chu Ling had already hired a new carriage to continue their journey, heading east. However, he hadn’t disclosed the exact location of the Chu clan’s secluded home.
On the main road, a spacious carriage rolled along, leaving fresh tracks behind it. The bells hanging at its corners jingled melodiously. Beside the carriage, a masked man rode a horse, staying within a half-zhang (approximately five feet) of the vehicle. Whether under the scorching sun or in a torrential storm, he never strayed.
“Yu’er, let me help you…”
From inside the carriage came Chu Ling’s concerned voice, speaking softly. Jun Xuanxiao, whose hearing was exceptionally keen, caught those words. His ears twitched, and he tugged on his reins to guide his horse closer to the carriage.
Help with what? Jun Xuanxiao’s attention sharpened.
“…I can manage on my own,” Shen Yu’s voice replied.
A moment later:
“Chu big brother, look! Do you see it?”
Shen Yu’s voice sounded halting, as though he were suppressing something. This only deepened Jun Xuanxiao’s suspicions.
“Mm, I see it. It’s pink… about the size of a copper coin’s hole.”
Chu Ling’s usually refined voice now carried a slight edge, as if he had just swallowed a gulp of saliva. Jun Xuanxiao tightened his grip on the reins, sensing something was amiss.
Pink? The size of a copper coin’s hole?
Jun Xuanxiao couldn’t think of any other place on Shen Yu’s body that fit that description.
“Yu’er, can I touch it?”
Touch it?! How dare he?!
Fury ignited in Jun Xuanxiao’s heart like a wildfire.
“Mm…” Shen Yu answered softly, “Be gentle…”
He even agreed?!
Jun Xuanxiao’s rage boiled over. He unsheathed the gleaming broadsword hanging from his saddle, his entire body emanating a menacing aura.
“All right.”
“Ah—” Shen Yu let out a sharp breath, “It stings a bit.”
Chu Ling’s voice was soothing as he reassured him, “Don’t worry, Yu’er. Once the ointment is applied, it won’t hurt anymore…”
Jun Xuanxiao couldn’t take it any longer. Fury clouding his mind, he leaped onto the carriage and violently threw open the curtain.
Inside, Shen Yu and Chu Ling looked up, startled by the sudden intrusion. The air seemed to freeze.
“…Do you need something?” Shen Yu blinked, assuming they had been attacked by bandits or assassins.
Jun Xuanxiao didn’t respond immediately. His gaze swept over Shen Yu and Chu Ling, who were seated across from each other. Chu Ling was holding a box of ointment and applying it to a small wound on Shen Yu’s forehead.
Chu Ling pulled his hand back, equally puzzled, though his keen mind quickly picked up on certain cues.
“…Are you here to discuss where we should stop for the night?”
Jun Xuanxiao immediately nodded.
“All right. We’ve been traveling all morning. Yu’er must be tired. Let’s rest for a while and have something to eat. There’s no inn along this stretch, and it’ll be some time before we find a proper place for a meal.”
Chu Ling meticulously re-bandaged Shen Yu’s wound, handed him a water pouch and a lunchbox, and ordered the carriage to pull over to the side of the road.
“Yu’er, stay inside the carriage and don’t wander off. I’ll be back soon.”
Not far ahead was a pavilion where traveling merchants could rest. Jun Xuanxiao walked ahead, ensuring the carriage remained in his line of sight, but also far enough that Shen Yu couldn’t overhear the conversation.
“What is it, Your Majesty?” Chu Ling asked with a polite smile.
“Chu Gongzi,” Jun Xuanxiao began, uncharacteristically restrained, “don’t you think you’ve been getting too close to Yu’er—closer than a mere brother should?”
Chu Ling raised his eyebrows in surprise. “What makes you say that?”
Jun Xuanxiao scoffed coldly, his tone darkening. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed. Your feelings for Yu’er go beyond brotherly affection. Your attentiveness, your constant care—this isn’t how distant relatives act. It’s more like… a married couple. What exactly are your intentions?!”
Chu Ling, startled, responded, “Your Majesty, you must be mistaken. Please, consider this: if your family had dwindled to just a few members, wouldn’t you cherish and care for them deeply? Isn’t that only natural? I merely treasure Yu’er.”
“Spare me your excuses,” Jun Xuanxiao cut him off sharply. “Yu’er is too naïve to see through you, but I’m not. And don’t think I don’t know about the Chu clan’s tradition of marrying close relatives. Have you set your sights on Yu’er for that reason?”
Chu Ling hesitated briefly, then sighed. “Very well, I’ll admit it. If Yu’er and I were to develop mutual affection and become lifelong companions, wouldn’t that be wonderful? We’re not close enough relatives for it to matter; we’re beyond the fifth degree of kinship—”
“Shut up!”
Jun Xuanxiao’s fury erupted. The very thought of Chu Ling and Shen Yu together was enough to make his blood boil.
Grabbing Chu Ling by the collar, he growled, “You’ll never get that chance. Stay away from Yu’er, or else—”
“Or else you’ll cut off my head?” Chu Ling interrupted calmly, breaking free from Jun Xuanxiao’s grip. He leisurely smoothed out the wrinkles in his robe.
“So, you dragged me out here just to issue a warning?”
Jun Xuanxiao chuckled darkly. “It’s not a warning—it’s a fact.”
“Jun Xuanxiao,” Chu Ling retorted, his voice sharp, “the more domineering and savage you are, the more insecure you reveal yourself to be.”
Their eyes locked, neither backing down.
“You’re afraid Yu’er will fall for me. You’re afraid he’ll love me instead of you.”
Jun Xuanxiao’s brows furrowed dangerously. “Fall for you? Don’t overestimate yourself, Chu Gongzi.”
“Is that so? Then why are you disguising yourself to stay by his side? Why summon me here to deliver this so-called ‘fact’? It’s because you’re terrified. You’re afraid Yu’er will completely forget about you and give his heart to someone else.”
