Chapter 93: Intense Affection

The two were kissing passionately, and Pear Blossom even reached her hand under Dong Yun’s clothing, sliding it up her smooth waistline. Their breaths grew rapid with excitement.

Just as Pear Blossom was about to push her onto the bed, the door suddenly swung open, and Mrs. Xiong stood at the doorway holding a bowl of dumpling soup.

The two, caught in the heat of the moment, immediately pulled apart upon hearing the noise.

Dong Yun, like a startled deer, quickly sat up, turning her back to the door to adjust her clothing. Pear Blossom hurriedly stood in front of her, facing her mother and saying, “Mother, why are you still here so late?”

Mrs. Xiong hadn’t expected to find such a scene when she opened the door. The missing princess had appeared, and her heart was already uneasy. However, recalling that the princess had saved her child and understanding that her position was out of her control, she decided to ignore it. After all, they lived in the same village, and their relationships had been fine for a long time. But who would have expected that the princess and her daughter were involved with each other? That was completely unexpected.

It suddenly made sense why her daughter had searched for the princess with such desperation when the princess went missing, and why she had remained unconscious for so long. The princess, disregarding the danger of exposure, had come late at night.

They must have been involved long before this.

The realization left Mrs. Xiong feeling flustered and unsure of what to say or who to scold. Should she scold Dong Yun? But after all, the other person was a princess, albeit a fallen one. Her noble status and bloodline were there, so how could she criticize her?

In these chaotic times, with all the shifting factions, the princess was rumored to have connections with the great princess of Xishu. If she regained power, scolding her now might lead to retribution on her family later.

Moreover, the princess had done her a great favor—without her, there would be no Pear Blossom, and without Pear Blossom, where would her family be?

After much thought, the only person she could scold was her own daughter.

But her daughter had been on the brink of death for days, and had only just woken up.

Caught in a dilemma, Mrs. Xiong set the dumpling soup down on the table and said, “I thought you were hungry, but it seems you’re not. I’ve wasted my time.”

They still had the energy for that, so it seemed like they were truly fine.

Pear Blossom smiled ingratiatingly, “Even if I’m not hungry, seeing this bowl you made, my stomach is growling.”

Mrs. Xiong shot her an annoyed glance, her gaze lingering on Dong Yun’s graceful figure before lowering her eyes. She pushed the door open and left.

Once the door closed, Dong Yun turned around, her face flushed with a deep red, her ears almost as if they would bleed from the heat.

Pear Blossom quickly stood and locked the door, fearing that someone else might intrude at any moment.

But when she sat back down, Dong Yun was no longer interested in continuing. She pointed at the bowl of dumpling soup Mrs. Xiong had just brought and said, “Jin’er told me you haven’t eaten properly for days. You should eat something first.”

At that moment, Pear Blossom was only interested in her; nothing else mattered. But since the mood had been interrupted and Dong Yun was unwilling, she didn’t insist. She picked up the bowl, tasted the soup, and then scooped up a poached egg, blowing on it before offering it to Dong Yun’s lips. “In the cave, you couldn’t eat properly. Here, have some egg first.”

Dong Yun shook her head, “You’re the one who needs to replenish your health. How did it become my turn to eat? I don’t want it.”

Pear Blossom replied, “In just a month, you’ve lost so much weight, and your chin is even sharper. When I held your waist earlier, it was smaller than before, and even there…”

Dong Yun’s eyes widened, signaling her to stop.

Pear Blossom bit her lip and fell silent, but her gaze remained fixed on Dong Yun, as if to say she wouldn’t stop until Dong Yun spoke.

Unable to withstand her persistent gaze, Dong Yun finally opened her mouth and ate the egg.

Pear Blossom was delighted, her eyes shining as she watched her, almost wanting to lean forward and kiss her.

However, fearing it would upset the woman, she suppressed her impulses, ate the remaining half of the egg, swallowed, and said, “What I eat, you eat too. It tastes better.”

Dong Yun barely listened, but a sweetness bubbled up in her heart. She then drank some of the soup that Pear Blossom had fed her, asking, “Do you think your mother will cause trouble after seeing us?”

Pear Blossom shook her head, “No, don’t worry. I’ll handle things with my parents. Actually… I’m a bit greedy. I want to take on your side of things too, but I really don’t have the ability. If you have any plans next time, don’t hide them from me.”

Hearing this, Dong Yun bit her lip, her heart trembling slightly.

Her mother used to say that young people’s promises were the least valuable, but they were the easiest to make. They didn’t understand the difficulties they would face, thinking their courage alone could overcome anything. They never realized that it was just a self-satisfying illusion.

The girl before her was different. Though young, she was strategic and knew her limits. Her promises were trustworthy.

So, she nodded solemnly and said, “Alright, next time there’s something, I’ll be the first to discuss it with you.”

Pear Blossom smiled at her response, her eyes curving with happiness.

At that moment, she suddenly remembered Fubao and said, “I know where Fubao is. I’ve met her a few times in secret and promised her I’d bring you to reunite with her.”

Dong Yun hadn’t expected Pear Blossom to have found Fubao, and was both surprised and delighted. She had thought the incident with Baoxi Village and the Baihu Villa bandits was already shocking enough, but Pear Blossom’s abilities went beyond that.

Her emotions became unexpectedly excited. “Although Jin’er has already told me about her situation, I still want to hear it from you.”

Pear Blossom told her about the times she had met Fubao. Although Dong Yun was strong-willed, hearing about her daughter’s recent experiences without her by her side made her eyes redden.

Pear Blossom took her hand and said, “She’s fine, and so are we. Don’t be sad. I’ll take you to see her later.”

Dong Yun finally nodded, controlling her emotions.

After finishing the noodle soup and rinsing her mouth, the two lay down together.

Dong Yun said, “I have to go up the mountain before dawn tomorrow. There are too many people and too many eyes below, and with you just recovering, there will definitely be visitors. Though the people from the North Town Governor’s office have left, Lord Murong is still around, and… Yuwen Xiu is also here…”

When she mentioned Yuwen Xiu, she couldn’t help but pause, some resentment building inside her. What kind of person was he, to have even stirred up trouble with her cousin?

Although Pear Blossom was slow to catch on, she still heard the discontent in her tone and quickly explained, “That person is really strange. I didn’t want to talk to him, but he insisted on getting close. He’s shameless, and I don’t like people who stick around. I prefer you, someone cold and indifferent.”

“When was I ever cold and indifferent? When we first met, wasn’t I always smiling at you?”

“That’s different. Your smile was fake, and your eyes were so cold, like no one could enter them, let alone your heart.”

Dong Yun leaned against her shoulder, thinking carefully. She had forgotten what she looked like when they first met. “Since I was cold to you, why did you still stick around? Aren’t you afraid of being frozen out?”

Pear Blossom reached out and played with her hair. “I’m not afraid. Even if you don’t smile, you’re warmer than anyone else.”

When Pear Blossom was a child, she faced bullying from the entire Xiang family, and the villagers looked down on her family even more. Every day was filled with endless work. It could be said that Dong Yun’s unintentional kindness was the greatest goodwill she had ever received in her life.

Dong Yun looked at her seriously and said, “It’s a pity that I’ve been too busy with my own affairs, or I would have treated you even better.”

Pear Blossom smiled. “You’ve already treated me well enough. It’s enough for me to repay you with my whole life.”

Dong Yun wasn’t happy to hear this. “I treat you well not for you to repay me.”

“I know,” Pear Blossom whispered, “whether it’s repayment or something else, I’m telling you, I can’t live without you in this lifetime. You can’t get rid of me.”

She then took Dong Yun’s soft hand and placed it over her heart. “Here, it’s full of you. When you’re here and I think of you, it beats so fast and makes me so happy. When you’re not here and I think of you, it hurts every time. If I can’t find you, I think it’ll hurt so much it will die.”

Dong Yun felt the softness in her palm and her nose turned sour. She teased, “Have you changed? Are you now deliberately saying nice things to coax me?”

Pear Blossom shook her head. “No, I’m telling the truth. When I think of you not wanting me, it feels like it’s squeezing the air out of me. But when you’re back, everything feels better.”

The two talked until they didn’t notice the time and the rooster crowed. Dong Yun reluctantly pulled away from Pear Blossom’s embrace and said, “I have to go back to the cave first. Otherwise, if people come by your house in the morning and see me, it won’t be good.”

Pear Blossom was even more reluctant but thought for a moment and got up with her.

Dong Yun said, “You’ve just recovered from a serious illness. What are you getting up for? Lie back down and sleep.”

Pear Blossom replied, “I’ll go with you to the cave.”

“No.”

“Yes, I’m coming with you. Once I’ve taken you there, I’ll come back down.” Seeing that Dong Yun was still concerned, she added, “I already carried you before. Didn’t you feel how much strength I’ve regained? I’m already well.”

“You’re being disobedient.” Dong Yun pretended to be angry.

Pear Blossom grabbed her sleeve and looked at her pitifully.

Dong Yun didn’t want to answer her and went out the door, but unexpectedly, Pear Blossom followed her.

Seeing Dong Yun skillfully light the torch and walk ahead, Pear Blossom silently followed behind. Dong Yun tried to drive her away, but she said nothing and kept following at a steady pace.

It wasn’t until Dong Yun nearly tripped over a vine that Pear Blossom quickly stepped forward and supported her.

She then crouched in front of her and said, “Climb on. I’ll carry you up.”

Dong Yun refused.

Pear Blossom, seeing how stubborn she was, lifted her up effortlessly and carried her on her back.

Dong Yun didn’t dare struggle, afraid that Pear Blossom would fall. After walking for a while, seeing that Pear Blossom was climbing as if walking on flat ground and barely breathing, she relaxed and let her carry her.

After a long while, they finally reached their destination. Pear Blossom pushed aside a large stone blocking the entrance, and they both entered the cave, then covered the entrance.

Inside the cave, hundreds of stone stacks of neatly arranged grains greeted them. Turning around two small tunnels, they arrived at a space about the size of half a room. Seeing the dry grass and bedding on the ground, Dong Yun realized that this was where she had been staying recently.

This condition is really unfair to her, Pear Blossom couldn’t help but feel sorry for her.

Lighting the oil lamp and extinguishing the torch, she sat down on the mat and said, “Come here, you haven’t slept much all night, I’ll stay with you for a while before going back.”

Dong Yun lived alone in the cave, and today finally had someone else, a little more lively, and she was even more reluctant to let her go. Hearing her say this, she didn’t dare to drive her away, so she took off her shoes and socks and got on the straw bed.

Pear Blossom hugged her soft body and said, “It’s much better here than at home. People come and go at home all the time, it’s not convenient. Here, it’s just the two of us, we can do whatever we want.”

Dong Yun heard this, something didn’t feel right, and she alertly asked, “What do you want to do?”

Pear Blossom blushed and said, “What can I do, of course, I want to have a good night’s sleep.”

Dong Yun heard her words, knowing that she should be asleep, but a wave of sadness surged up in her heart, but she still said, “You haven’t slept all night, go to sleep.”

Pear Blossom obediently said “Oh”, took off her outer clothes, lay down beside her, but her eyes were fixed on her.

Dong Yun was uncomfortable being looked at by her burning gaze, so she turned over and faced away from her.

Seeing that she wasn’t looking at her, Pear Blossom immediately pressed against her, wrapping her arms around her waist.

Dong Yun thought of the past few nights, on this same meadow, on this same mat, the things she had done, her body couldn’t help but feel hot.

And Pear Blossom’s hand had already slid up her waist, exploring around her abdomen, deep and shallow, and seeing that the other party wasn’t stopping her, she soon couldn’t hold back, and climbed up the snowy peak in front, gently stroking and twisting.

Dong Yun’s breathing became heavier because of her actions.

Until it happened four times, Dong Yun was so lost in the moment that she almost fainted.

Feeling the mat below her was already wet, she thought to herself, heavy has its good points, but every night, such a feast, with my body, night after night like this, I’m afraid I can’t take it.