Aqi Khan returned, bringing with him a large quantity of looted wealth and a group of captives.
Yang Ruoning saw the pitiful captives confined in cages, their heads bowed, huddled together in fear. Occasionally, one would lift their head, cautiously observing their surroundings, before quickly lowering it again, their eyes filled with terror and helplessness. Yang Ruoning knew this feeling; she had experienced it herself just a few months prior.
Aqi Khan was back, and the tribe, which had been peaceful for over a month, had once again become a "livestock farm" in heat, the air thick with the sour scent of hormones.
Yang Ruoning had been treading carefully these days. She resumed smearing horse dung all over herself and ruffling her hair into a bird's nest, ensuring that no one or animal would come within three meters of her. Even Handan Chun, holding his nose and shouting at her from five meters away, would complain, "Yang Ruoning, what are you doing now?! You reek! You can't come into the tent looking like that!"
Yang Ruoning rolled her eyes at Handan Chun, expressing her contempt for the idiot.
In truth, the smell was bearable. The only inconvenience was having to wear thick winter clothing in the early summer weather. By the end of the day, her skin was covered in red heat rash, itching unbearably. She had to sneak to the riverbank to bathe in the dead of night.
At first, Handan Chun kept watch for her when she went to bathe. But the next night, when she went again, A Jing happened to see her. After understanding the situation, A Jing insisted on taking over the watch duty. His logic was that with Handan Chun's mediocre skills, he wouldn't be able to protect her if anything happened. Yang Ruoning found his reasoning sound and agreed. However, Handan Chun refused and insisted on tagging along. Yang Ruoning noticed A Jing's displeasure when Handan Chun followed.
At that moment, Yang Ruoning had just finished bathing and emerged from the woods. A Jing had been so busy lately that she rarely saw him. Tonight was no exception; only Handan Chun waited for her on the slope behind. Seeing Yang Ruoning approach, he stood up, brushed the grass off his pants, and they walked back together, no words exchanged.
Handan Chun had become very quiet since Aqi Khan's return. Yang Ruoning saw his fists clenching tighter each day; she could feel the suppressed anger in his heart. She thought, Handan Chun still cared.
A Jing, on the other hand, had become even more busy. Tonight, Aqi Khan was hosting another banquet, and A Jing was summoned.
As they neared the tent, they saw A Jing standing in front of it from a distance. Before they could get closer, Yang Ruoning smelled the strong scent of alcohol on him.
"Are you alright?" Yang Ruoning saw that his eyes were slightly red and thought he must have drunk quite a bit.
He leaned against a nearby pillar to steady himself. "I'm fine. I was just looking for you."
"There were people by the river tonight, so we waited for a long time, which is why we're late..." Before Yang Ruoning could finish, a commotion erupted from the other side.
Aqi Khan, followed by a group of attendants, strode over. He saw A Jing and called out loudly from afar, "Su Jingren, Brother Jingren."
Seeing the scene, Yang Ruoning quietly retreated behind Handan Chun. She respectfully bowed her head.
She heard Aqi Khan say, "Brother Jingren, I've been so muddled with drink today that I've forgotten the most important thing. You're leaving tomorrow, and who knows when we'll meet again. So, a small parting gift, not much to offer." With that, he beckoned to an attendant behind him.
Curious, Yang Ruoning secretly raised her head.
Behind Aqi Khan, more than a dozen dancers, dressed in ornate attire, emerged gracefully. Their exposed chests and bellies gleamed with delicate white in the night.
Aqi Khan continued, "The people of the grasslands have little to offer. Compared to Da Song, you must look down on our gold and jewels. But we have one thing—our women. Like our cattle and horses, they are full-breasted and shapely-hipped. You'll never forget them after one experience. Haha, Brother Jingren, a little parting gift to help you unwind tonight!"
Over a dozen in one night? Wow, Yang Ruoning thought, wouldn't that be fatal? Was this really a gift?
"Thank you for your kind offer, Great Khan, but A Jing tonight..." Before he could finish, Aqi Khan waved his hand in the air, clearly displeased with his refusal. Yang Ruoning heard him say, "I'm kindly offering Brother Jingren a gift, don't refuse me."
Seeing the displeasure on Aqi Khan's face, A Jing quickly explained, "Great Khan misunderstood A Jing's meaning. I meant... I don't need so many women."
Aqi Khan threw his head back and laughed heartily, saying something in the tribal language. The people behind him echoed his laughter. Yang Ruoning could detect the mocking tone in their laughter.
"Haha, then I won't force you, Brother Jingren. I'll pick a few for you!" Aqi Khan grabbed A Jing and roughly pushed him into the tent. He then paced back and forth in front of the line of women, selecting a few voluptuous and alluring ones, pushing them one by one into the tent. As he approached where Yang Ruoning and Handan Chun were standing, he paused.
Yang Ruoning immediately lowered her head, daring not to look up again. As she waited silently for Aqi Khan to finish selecting his attendants and leave, she saw a pair of exquisite leather boots appear before her.
Before she could react, Aqi Khan yanked her up. "Is this the woman who's been sleeping in your tent recently?" Aqi Khan asked, looking at Handan Chun.
"Yes, Great Khan," an attendant immediately replied.
"Great Khan... she's what the Shaman grandmother gave me..." Handan Chun hurriedly explained, but before he could finish, Aqi Khan let out an impatient snort.
"Hmph," Aqi Khan roughly pulled Yang Ruoning's top aside, revealing her thin, pale shoulders. "Such tender meat!" With that, he actually licked Yang Ruoning's shoulder with his tongue.
The foul breath mixed with the smell of alcohol made Yang Ruoning turn her head away, her stomach churning with nausea. She dared not move, nor look directly at Aqi Khan, simply keeping her head down with a blank expression, praying for him to leave quickly.
"A taste of home, let A Jing try it too, hahaha."
"Ah!" The next moment, Yang Ruoning was violently pushed into the tent. She stumbled and fell directly to the ground.
"Yang Ruoning!" Outside the tent, Handan Chun's worried exclamation was heard.
But as she got up from the ground, she immediately saw A Jing sitting on a couch, bare-chested, while several women, completely unclothed, were entwined around his body like water snakes.
Wow, she thought, only a few minutes have passed, and you've already started? That fast? Yang Ruoning wiped the disgusting saliva from her shoulder with her sleeve, observing the scene before her.
Her gaze was first drawn to the women. These dancers, of Persian descent, belonged to Aqi Khan. Lower-class slaves like Yang Ruoning rarely saw them in their true form. Now, seeing them, she had to admit that these dancers had truly fiery figures, especially their plump buttocks like peaches, which she could never achieve even after sweating profusely in the gym.
Moving her gaze upward, she met A Jing's eyes. His brows were slightly furrowed, and his gaze was piercingly fixed on her. His rather naked stare made Yang Ruoning immediately avert her eyes, daring not to look at him directly again.
She gave him an awkward smile, gesturing and backing away into a corner, "Haha, well... that was sudden, wasn't it. You guys continue... don't mind me, pretend I'm invisible. I... I'll just stay quietly in this corner, I definitely won't disturb you!" It was like watching some kind of performance art, Yang Ruoning thought.
"Get out!" A Jing's voice was cold and unyielding.
"Ha, right, I'm not needed here at all!" Yang Ruoning replied, and began to move towards the door.
"Stop!" A Jing roared, startling Yang Ruoning, who froze in place, afraid to move.
"You all get out!" A Jing hissed at the group of dancers.
The dancers, confused, stared at each other blankly. "Get out now!" A Jing shouted again. Only then did they pick up their clothes from the ground and exit the tent.
"Hey, hey, don't go..." Yang Ruoning watched as the dancers filed out one by one, urging them on anxiously. But the dancers giggled at Yang Ruoning, and one of them whispered something to her as she left. Yang Ruoning understood; she was saying, this one is yours.
God! Yang Ruoning looked at the last dancer leaving the tent with utter despair.
She turned to glare at A Jing, "What's wrong with you?!"
"I don't need you!"
"No! You do! You probably don't know, I'm already 26, practically a grandmother! Nobody would even want me as a camp follower! Look at those dancers, wow, those big breasts, those big butts! Don't you feel tempted at all?! Or do you have some peculiar preference..." Before she could finish, she was pulled into A Jing's embrace the next second. He wrapped one arm tightly around Yang Ruoning's waist, pressing her entire body against him, and covered her mouth with his other hand. He lowered his head to look at her. "Shh, don't make a sound. Aqi Khan's people are still outside." He was so close that Yang Ruoning could see her own reflection in the bright eyes hidden within the shadow of his mask.
Those were eyes that could make one lose themselves, get lost and forget themselves.
Yang Ruoning was momentarily lost in a daze.
"Why are your ears so red?" a deep voice came from above.
Yang Ruoning snapped back to reality. She wanted to explain, but her mouth was covered, so she could only make muffled sounds.
"Do you want to ask why only you were left behind?" A Jing asked.
Yang Ruoning nodded.
"Because you were willing to cooperate with me in this charade."
A charade? You mean we're acting for someone eavesdropping outside? Yang Ruoning finally understood his meaning and let out a sigh of relief. She motioned for him to remove his hand.
"You should have said so earlier, I'm good at this." She beckoned for A Jing to come closer, slightly lowering herself to match his height, then stood on tiptoe and whispered into his ear, "It's like shadow puppetry, right?"
A Jing nodded.
"See, the way we're whispering now, to outsiders it looks like we're kissing. In our place, that's called 'borrowing position'."
A Jing's eyes held a smile. "I think we can proceed to undressing now." Saying that, he let go of her and removed her outer robe, leaving only her inner garment.
"I think I can take off my pants too." Finally having a chance to wear something cooler, Yang Ruoning wouldn't miss it. She quickly removed her long pants, leaving only her homemade hot pants underneath. "Now what?" Yang Ruoning asked.
"Forgive me." Before she could react, A Jing lifted her into the air. He said, "Now to bed."
"Mmhmm," Yang Ruoning lay obediently in his arms.
A Jing gently placed her on the bed and then extinguished the candlelight with a palm strike. The tent immediately plunged into darkness.
Yang Ruoning lay on the bed, waiting to cooperate with A Jing's next move.