Yang Ruoning saw Luo Yuan on her way to let Blake graze.
He had only brought a few escorts and appeared in the tribe so silently, so suddenly.
Yang Ruoning saw the familiar figure from afar. He was wearing a dark blue outer robe, the color he often wore; the golden hairpin on his head, which she had personally fastened for him countless mornings; the jewel-encrusted sword at his waist, which never left his side. However, he had become so thin. The life of exile was probably not going well, but wasn't he very rich? Why hadn't he eaten properly?
She gazed at the figure, her memories surging like a tide, and a mist veiled her eyes. Suddenly, a shadow loomed over her, blocking her view. Yang Ruoning looked up and saw Ajing.
"You really came back so quickly," Yang Ruoning lowered her head, secretly dabbing at tears that were about to fall. She shifted to the side and looked back towards Luo Yuan.
Ajing also shifted, blocking her view again. Yang Ruoning moved to the other side, and Ajing blocked her again.
After several such attempts, Yang Ruoning became impatient, "Hey, please don't stand in my way."
"What are you looking at?"
"It's none of your business."
"You're looking at General Luo."
"Yeah, that's right. An idol superstar suddenly appeared, wouldn't anyone want to see the excitement?"
"I can take you to see him."
"You came with him?" Yang Ruoning looked at him, surprised. But quickly, she said, "Why should I be surprised? Isn't it obvious? You're his man, of course."
"Don't you like him?"
"What does it have to do with me whose person you are?"
"I mean, don't you like Luo Yuan? You've read so many trashy novels about him..."
"I like him. I really like reading his messy gossip and scandals, but that doesn't mean I want to meet him."
"Why? Every woman here wants to catch a glimpse of him."
"That's because they haven't read those novels and don't know he's a scumbag."
"...Scumbag?" Ajing suddenly stammered, "Scumbag... Why do you think he's a scumbag?"
"Actually, whether he's a scumbag or not has nothing to do with me! I'm just telling the truth! Can you move aside?!" Yang Ruoning pushed him away somewhat rudely.
"Why are you so angry today? Who upset you?"
Yang Ruoning rolled her eyes at him, "No one upset me, I have PMS, okay?"
"What's that now?"
"Because I once again disappointed my egg. I didn't find a sperm for it and didn't let it fulfill its mission, so it's very angry." With that, she huffily took Blake and walked in the opposite direction, leaving a bewildered Ajing standing there.
Yang Ruoning lingered on the distant grassland until sunset, not wanting to return. She lay on the grass, watching the last ray of sunlight disappear below the horizon, watching the stars gradually climb onto the blue velvet sky, watching a few fireflies emitting faint green light float up from the grassland.
She had, of course, thought a lot. She could probably guess Luo Yuan's purpose for coming here; it must be his ambition to change the world again. With the nearly one million fierce cavalry under King Aqi and his own Luo family army, they could definitely fight against the imperial court. However, looking at it this way, there wasn't much time left for her and Qingye. She thought, given the circumstances, it would be better to tell Luo Yuan the truth and beg him to spare Qingye and Yue Feng, and allow her to live with them in the wilderness. Perhaps she could send Qingye to her world, and then Luo Yuan could rest easy and secure his throne.
She decided to go to Luo Yuan late at night, after everyone had gone to sleep.
**********
When she finally gathered her courage and approached Luo Yuan's tent with extreme trepidation and even a sense of dread, she was enraged by the scene before her.
Luo Yuan was clearly not asleep. The bright candlelight in the tent magnified the silhouettes of the people inside and cast them onto the tent. Yang Ruoning saw the woman's alluring body intertwined with the man's well-defined physique, and their sounds of pleasure were so clear in the silent night.
Yang Ruoning felt all her blood rush to her head. She had spent so long preparing herself, telling herself to let go, and had spent the entire day thinking about how to persuade Luo Yuan to let go of his hatred, even considering how she would humble herself and use their past affection to beg him. She had rehearsed all possible scenarios in her mind, but everything collapsed when she saw this scene. Her fists clenched, and all she wanted now was to kill the man and woman in that tent.
Just as she was about to rush over, she was abruptly pulled back from behind.
"Yang Ruoning!"
It was Ajing.
"What are you doing here?!"
Yang Ruoning didn't answer. She lowered her head, her eyes filled with uncontrollable rage. Her gaze fell on the long sword at Ajing's waist. She stared directly at the sword. She wanted to kill him!
Ajing seemed to have seen through her intention, and he quietly placed his hand on the hilt. "You can't do this."
"What did you say?"
"You can't kill him."
Yang Ruoning looked up and glared at him, "No, I want to kill him."
"Ruoning!"
"Who do you think you are?" She roughly shook off his hand, "Just because we've had occasional ambiguous moments, can you dictate what I can and cannot do?!" With that, Yang Ruoning turned and walked towards the tent.
In the next second, she was in mid-air. Ajing slung her over his shoulder and, no matter how much Yang Ruoning struggled, he didn't let go. He carried Yang Ruoning all the way into his own tent.
Ajing placed Yang Ruoning on the bed and then walked to the side to light a candle.
Yang Ruoning quickly got up from the bed and paced back and forth in the room. She was still angry and ignored Ajing, who sat watching her.
She suddenly thought of something, "Ajing, if I take you into Luo Yuan's tent right now and catch that pair of adulterers in the act, can you be my witness?"
"Huh?"
"Does your law stipulate that when a couple divorces, if the man cheated first, the woman can demand compensation from the man?"
"Um...?"
"Gosh, if it were where I'm from, I would definitely rush in, take pictures of that couple, and then hire the best divorce lawyer to sue him. You don't know how rich Luo Yuan is; his mansion in Bianliang has a room full of treasures."
Ajing, however, chuckled. "So you want that room full of treasures?"
"No, I'll only take my rightful share. I'll sell those useless little bottles and jars and turn them all into explosives, then blow him, all his women, and his half of the property to smithereens."
"Ha, no wonder they always say women are not to be trifled with, and you seem like the one who cannot be trifled with the most. But speaking of which, you and General Luo... married?"
"Yeah, surprised? Unexpected, right? I'm that woman whom all the women in Bianliang call a vixen."
"I actually guessed it long ago."
"Oh, really? What about you? Who are you to him?"
"I've actually followed General Luo since I was a child, and Luo Yuan and I are childhood friends."
"So you're good friends?"
"I am the General's most trusted person."
"Ha," Yang Ruoning suddenly thought of something and smiled. She thought of a good way to get revenge. "Let's do it."
"Do what?" Ajing was completely confused by her sudden change in mood.
"What we didn't do that morning before you left," Yang Ruoning gestured to the bed.
Ajing froze.
Yang Ruoning began to undress herself. She took off her outer clothes, leaving only her undergarments and shorts, and then stared intently at Ajing.
Ajing remained still. Yang Ruoning couldn't guess his expression behind the mask. After a long pause, he said, "Is this the method you thought of to get revenge on Luo Yuan?"
"Yeah, a one-night stand with his best friend." Ajing's intense gaze made Yang Ruoning feel extremely awkward, and she began to regret this impulsive act. "Do you think he'll care?"
"I think he'll kill you," Ajing said.
"Very well, let's do it then," she said, and blew out the candle.
*********************
Ajing found Yang Ruoning around noon the next day. She was resting in the shade of a tree on the hillside. In reality, she couldn't sleep at all; a jumble of thoughts gave her a headache. She hesitated about whether to go find Luo Yuan, but more so, she thought of Ajing's infinite tenderness last night, of Ajing's face under her fingertips. Didn't they say his face was burned? But what she touched was not a scar from a burn, but a smooth, angular face.
She heard approaching footsteps and guessed it was Ajing. "Are you leaving this afternoon?"
"Yes."
"Last night you went to see him..."
"The reason I went to see him is no longer important."
"Are you still angry with him?"
"No. We are strangers now. Why should I be angry with a stranger?"
"As you said, I think you should have a good talk with him."
"After last night? I don't think it's necessary anymore."
"Ruoning..."
"Wait," Yang Ruoning propped herself up on her elbows and tilted her head to look at Ajing, "Have you and your wife... have you and your lady remarried?"
"...No."
"Very good. What were you about to say?"
Ajing looked somewhat amused and exasperated. He said, "I requested King Aqi to let you come with me."
Yang Ruoning sat up with a start. "Why did you act on your own without telling me?!"
Ajing looked up at her. "...I was asking you. But by the way, why aren't you willing to leave?"
"Oh, so you haven't said it yet," Yang Ruoning breathed a sigh of relief and lay back down. "I still have things to do, I can't leave now. By the way, Luo Yuan has achieved his goal this trip, right?" Yang Ruoning asked him. But before he could answer, she said, "Never mind, you don't need to answer me. You should know that everything is God's will." Yang Ruoning waved her hand at him.
"You, a weak woman, why are you always so reckless, completely disregarding your own safety?" Ajing said.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, that statement not only discriminates against women but also underestimates their judgment and intelligence, okay?" Yang Ruoning stood up and brushed off the grass from her clothes. "But it's okay, it's a limitation of the times, I don't blame you."
She rested her hands on her forehead and gazed into the distance. She saw a person and two horses approaching. "It seems we have to say goodbye here. Su Jingren, we will definitely meet again, won't we?" Without waiting for his reply, she smiled at him, mounted Blake, and galloped away.