Zuo Feifei slept exceptionally soundly this time. She did not stir until the sky began to lighten, then slowly woke up.
Sensing someone beside her, she jumped in fright.
But when she saw it was Jin Feng and remembered what had happened last night, she flushed with embarrassment and covered her cheeks.
“Zuo Feifei, how could you fall asleep?”
She peeked at him through her fingers for a while. Seeing that Jin Feng was still fast asleep, she grew bolder, sat up, and studied the man lying next to her.
Thinking of the peace she had felt last night, she could not resist resting her head on his chest again.
Jin Feng woke with a start, reached out, and ruffled her hair. “Awake?”
“Sir, why didn’t you wake me last night?”
Zuo Feifei lifted her head to look at him.
“I tried, but you were sleeping like a little piglet, dead to the world. I couldn’t wake you no matter what!” Jin Feng teased with a smile.
“You’re the piglet!”
Zuo Feifei reached out and pinched his waist.
Well, some skills come naturally to women.
A wave of heat instantly surged through Jin Feng. “Feifei, have you really thought this through…”
Before he could finish, his lips were sealed.
Zuo Feifei’s movements were clumsy but extraordinarily passionate.
What was there to say at a moment like this?
Jin Feng rolled over, pinning her beneath him and taking the initiative.
His hands began to wander where they should not.
Thanks to Tang Xiaobei’s personal guidance, his technique had improved vastly compared to his previous life.
In no time at all, Zuo Feifei’s breathing grew rapid, her cheeks flushed like peach blossoms.
Her eyes narrowed slightly, brimming with shy invitation, half resisting, half welcoming.
The next second her eyes flew wide open, both hands clutching Jin Feng’s arms tightly.
…
It was Zuo Feifei’s first time, so Jin Feng did not prolong things too much before finishing.
Yet after sharing such intimacy, Zuo Feifei suddenly felt much closer to him.
She carefully folded away the stained white silk, then lazily lay on top of Jin Feng, saying nothing, just gazing at him and giggling softly.
Her finger unconsciously traced circles on his chest.
“What are you laughing at?” Jin Feng asked, looking down.
“Nothing. I’m just happy.”
Zuo Feifei nuzzled his chest. “It feels like a dream. From now on I have a husband too.”
Jin Feng was about to speak when urgent knocking sounded at the door.
Zuo Feifei instinctively rolled off him and pulled the quilt over herself.
“Sir, urgent report!”
Da Liu’s booming voice made Jin Feng’s head ring.
“Good grief, is the timing really this bad?”
Jin Feng wanted nothing more than to go out and chop Da Liu into pieces.
This fellow was a thousand-watt lightbulb. He had ruined things with Tang Xiaobei before, and now with Zuo Feifei again?
Thank heavens Zuo Feifei had woken early, otherwise today would have ended awkwardly again.
“Wait a moment.”
Jin Feng kissed her forehead, got up, and threw on an outer robe.
He opened the door with a dark expression. “What is it?”
“Sir, urgent report!”
Da Liu started to step inside, but Jin Feng blocked him with one arm.
“Just say it here!”
“It’s cold out here.”
Da Liu still had not caught on and tried to push past, only to be kicked back out by Jin Feng.
“Sir, is there someone in the room?”
Houses in this era were all open-plan. Though Da Liu had not entered, he had glimpsed a woman’s clothing draped over the stool by the bed.
“Sir, who’s inside?”
Da Liu got up, brushed the dust off his backside, and, unable to contain his curiosity, tried to peer in again.
Far too many girls at Iron Can Mountain had their eyes on Jin Feng; even as head of the personal guard, Da Liu could not guess who was in the bed.
“Keep looking, why don’t you!”
Jin Feng marvelled at how hard the man’s head must be. He kicked him twice more, sending him stumbling beyond the eaves.
Turning back, he shut the door firmly and said with a scowl, “What urgent report? Speak!”
He had already decided: if Da Liu could not give a proper reason, once this was dealt with he would see whether the fellow walked with his left foot or his right first.
“Right, right!”
When it came to business, Da Liu instantly turned serious. “Miss Xiao Yu sent someone with news. The village has received word about Feng Sheng.”
“Have they caught him?” Jin Feng asked excitedly.
Feng Sheng had always been a thorn in his side, so Jin Feng had instructed Xiao Yu to inform him the moment there was any news.
“No,” Da Liu shook his head. “Lady Munlan sent word that Feng Sheng has fled to Tubo.”
He pulled two letters from his jacket and handed them over.
“Where?” Jin Feng thought he had misheard and hurriedly opened one envelope.
It was a letter from the Ninth Princess. After reading it, Jin Feng realised they had been played by Feng Sheng again.
Because everyone assumed Feng Sheng would head toward the Dangxiang, Jin Feng’s Zhongming team, the Ninth Princess, and Governor Qing Xinyao’s spies had all focused on northern Sichuan and Shu.
Who would have thought Feng Sheng would head west instead?
By the time Qing Xinyao’s agents got wind of it, he had already crossed into Tubo territory.
“Wasn’t Feng Sheng backed by the Dangxiang? Since when did he get involved with Tubo?”
Jin Feng pondered as he opened the second letter.
The second was from Xiao Yu. It said that when Zhang Liang was suppressing bandits, he captured one of Feng Sheng’s men.
According to the captive, several Tubo envoys had come from the capital some time ago and met Feng Sheng.
Instead of ambushing them, Feng Sheng had hosted a banquet.
The Tubo men stayed in Feng Sheng’s bandit stronghold for two days before leaving, but the captive did not know what they discussed.
“This is bad!”
Jin Feng’s heart clenched, his brows knitting tightly.
When Tang Fei returned from the capital, he had mentioned encountering Tubo people and asked Jin Feng if he knew why they were there, saying they had delayed his journey.
At the time Jin Feng had no intelligence sources and paid it no mind.
Only later, when the Ninth Princess arrived at Xihewan, did he learn that the Tubo men Tang Fei met were in the capital to negotiate a marriage alliance.
If they had colluded with Feng Sheng, something was bound to go wrong with that marriage.
“Da Liu, take the fastest horse back to Xihewan at once. Tell Xiao Yu to use every means possible to get this news to Her Highness the Princess immediately!”
Jin Feng said hurriedly. “Also inform the Wan siblings. We leave for Xihewan in a quarter of an hour.”
“Yes, sir!”
Da Liu rarely saw Jin Feng this anxious. He turned and sprinted out of the courtyard.
Jin Feng rushed back into the room.
This matter was far too serious; it could easily become a diplomatic incident.
Relations between the Great Kang and Tubo were already tense. If anything went wrong with the marriage alliance, war could break out at any moment.
Jinchuan was far too close to Tubo. Jin Feng’s plans had only just begun; he had no capacity to deal with war yet. He had to prepare early.
“Hus… husband, what’s happened?”
Seeing Jin Feng’s anxious expression, Zuo Feifei propped herself up and asked.
“I’m sorry, Feifei. I should stay and spend proper time with you, but something urgent has come up. I have to go back right now.”
Jin Feng walked to the bedside, his face full of apology.
Finishing and then leaving immediately, even Jin Feng himself felt bad about it…
