Chapter 140 - Forest

The fine horse dashed through the streets. There weren’t many people on the streets today. Qi Zheng galloped the horse and encountered almost no obstacles. They quickly arrived at the city door. The guard recognized Qi Zheng and allowed them to go through without even looking at his identity token.

After leaving through the city door, the fine horse galloped quicker on the road. Shen Ziqiao’s face hurt from the wind blowing and so she turned to bury her face into Qi Zheng’s chest, hugging his waist tightly.

She didn’t ask where they were going. She just quietly leaned against his chest.

She felt his warm temperature through his clothes and his faint fragrance which assaulted her nostrils.

It was unclear how long passed but the fine horse gradually slowed down. Shen Ziqiao lifted her head and looked around surprisingly. “Where are we?”

Ginkgos were nearby. It was autumn right now so ginkgos were everywhere. They were well established and growing strongly. There were layers of leaves and a beautiful scene to watch. Sometimes, there was wind. The quiet forest had rustling sounds every now and then as if they were in an illusion.

“This is the famous Millennium Ginkgo Forest?” Shen Ziqiao asked curiously. She had long heard of this.

As expected, seeing it once was better than hearing about it a hundred times.

Qi Zheng stared at her with a burning gaze. “I’ll take you to travel around in the future.”

He seemed really happy? Shen Ziqiao lifted her head, staring at his face with her bright and clear eyes. “Did something good happen?”

“Yes, something good did.” Qi Zheng hugged her and stared at her with a fiery gaze.

A happy smile floated on Shen Ziqiao’s face. This was their first meeting since separating from the northwest but it felt like they had never separated.

She stepped on her tippy toes and kissed his face. “What good thing?”

Qi Zheng’s eyes brightened. Before she could back away, he lowered his head and kissed her, his tongue nimbly darting around and sucking on her sweetness.

Shen Ziqiao couldn’t move because he hugged her tightly and it made it even more difficult for her to breathe.

“Jiao Jiao!” He slowly parted away and stared at her plump lips. There was a smile in Qi Zheng’s eyes. “Jiao Jiao, the emperor bestowed marriage. He bestowed marriage to us.”

Bestowed marriage? Shen Ziqiao froze. That meant that she was Qi Zheng’s fiancee now?

She thought that they would have to overcome so many obstacles in order to get engaged. Who knew that it was so simple? It didn’t feel real.

“How, how did the emperor just bestow marriage to us? It seems so simple.” Did Xiao Gu not come out and cause trouble? Shen Family’s old woman didn’t object to this? They just got engaged like this? She didn’t feel accomplished.

Qi Zheng’s handsome face darkened. He flicked her forehead and exclaimed moodily, “What are you saying? I just begged the empress after coming back. If your father hadn’t handed the military power back to the emperor, there was no way he’d bestow the marriage.”

Shen Xiao handed the military power back? Shen Family was completely safe now. Speaking of, that made sense. If Shen Xiao still had power over the three armed forces, and Qi Zheng was also known as a hero with boundless future, the emperor wouldn’t be able to sleep from now on probably.

“My father had told you this before already?” Shen Ziqiao held his study and warm palm as they slowly walked in the forest.

Qi Zheng’s fine horse stopped there. It didn’t follow them.

“He did.” Back in the northwest, Shen Xiao asked him if he wanted to marry Shen Ziqiao.

He said that he refused to marry anyone else but Jiao Jiao. Shen Xiao said nothing else afterwards up until a few days before they were going back to the capital did Shen Xiao seek him out again.

He told him about wanting to hand the military power back to the emperor. If they didn’t Qi and Shen Family might not be able to form connections through marriage. They might even arouse the emperor’s suspicions. Handing back the military power was the best method.

Shen Xiao did this for her? Shen Ziqiao bit her lips, feeling stuffy inside her heart.

In reality, when Qi Zheng heard that Shen Xiao decided to make this decision, he was even more shocked than Shen Ziqiao. This was because Shen Zikai had no one to rely on by himself in the future once Shen Xiao did this. Who knew that Shen Xiao said this was the best way to deal with Shen Zikai’s future.

Shen Zikai found out yesterday already. He didn’t have any opinions. He thought that he had become a deputy general all on his own and not due to Shen Xiao’s power.

“What? You’re unhappy?” Qi Zheng stopped and cupped Shen Ziqiao’s face. Glancing at her puckered lips, he softly smiled.

“It’s not that I’m unhappy. I just thought...this was unrealistic.” In reality, she thought that she owed Shen Xiao. She didn’t want this at all. What was up with Shen Xiao? He wanted to compensate his daughter who he neglected for the past decade or so?

Qi Zheng said deeply in her ears, “It’ll feel real during our wedding night.”

Shen Ziqiao pinched his waist with a flushed face. “Bastard! What are you thinking? What are you thinking?!”

“Thinking about you. I’ve been thinking about you!” Qi Zheng smiled and carried her, spinning her around in a circle. Shen Ziqiao felt dizzy.

“Put me down quickly!” Shen Ziqiao felt nauseous and leaned against his shoulders. “Then, did the emperor say...when we’re going to get married?”

Qi Zheng carried her in his arms as they continued walking deep in the forest. He responded gently, “Two months later. The exact date will be decided by the elders of the two families. Jiao Jiao, don’t worry. I won’t let anyone get in the way.”

He had waited almost three years for this. How could he let anyone destroy this?

“Then you have to be careful of Xiao Gu. You’ve been in the spotlight lately. She must  be furious.” Shen Ziqiao didn’t feel any dizzy anymore. She struggled to get out of Qi Zheng’s arms.

“Don’t move!” With a beauty in his arms, how could he bear to let her go? Anyway, she was light.

Shen Ziqiao exclaimed moodily, “You just came out of the palace, right? Did you drink a lot? Don’t end up dropping me from your arms because you’re drunk.”

“Jiao Jiao, you seem to be looking down on me.” Qi Zheng exclaimed quietly.

“I’m not. You’re Dazhou’s hero. When we returned to the capital back then, woah, even aunties with children threw embroidered pouches at you. I’m quite jealous.” Shen Ziqiao hmphed.

“I’ll only accept your embroidered pouch.” There was indescribable happiness in Qi Zheng’s voice.

Shen Ziqiao hmphed. “Who cares?”

Qi Zheng lowered his head to kiss her. Shen Ziqiao giggled and pushed him away. “Don’t, I still have something to ask you.”

She wasn’t sure how they found out that Sheng Peili was a spy. She was looking for an opportunity to ask Qi Zheng.

“Sh!” Qi Zheng’s gentle expression coldened. He listened for a while before carrying Shen Ziqiao onto a tall and lush banyan. He lowered his voice and exclaimed in Shen Ziqiao’s ears, “Don’t make any noises.”

Shen Ziqiao just noticed that they had walked to the deepest part of the forest. She could hear the waterfall after listening carefully. She looked over in surprise. A few trees away from them, looking through the leaves, she could see a waterfall rushing down.

“This…” She leaned against Qi Zheng, feeling him stiffen. She looked back at him to see him staring at the waterfall in alarm and coldly.

What’s there? Wasn’t it just a waterfall?

Shen Ziqiao looked over again and listened carefully.

She then noticed a horse carriage by the forest and two figures slowly walking. It was a man and a woman. They walked to the lakeside and seemed to be chatting.

That woman… Shen Ziqiao widened her eyes. Was that Sheng Peiyin? Then who was the guy? Could it be the Ninth Prince?

Shen Ziqiao curiously peeked over to look clearly but Qi Zheng stopped her. He pressed his body closely to hers, not letting her move around.

After all, they were on the tree. Afraid of falling off, Shen Ziqiao didn’t dare to move around.

She couldn’t hear the conversation. Though they were only fifty meters away, the sound of the waterfall was too loud. She couldn’t hear anything.

Not long later, Shen Ziqiao’s lips twitched upon seeing Sheng Peiyin leaning in the man’s arms and then actively removing her dress.

They’re not going to showcase a romance action movie right?

The man pulled Sheng Peiyin over and kissed her. His two hands skillfully removing her clothes and revealing her smooth and curvaceous figure. Next, he pressed her down.

As expected, explicit scenes don’t require specific settings. This was the second time she had bumped into Sheng Peiyin and a cannon fodder male getting it on. Who knows how many times she had done this without her bumping into it then...

Suddenly, the scene turned dark. A hand covered her eyes. “Don’t look!”

“Ah...ah...brother, slow down. It hurts.”

“Little minx, let this brother love you.”

“Ah...mn…”

The woman’s moaning and the man’s groaning became clear.

Shen Ziqiao’s lips twitched. She wanted to remove Qi Zheng’s hands and see who the male supporting lead is. Speaking of, besides the Ninth Prince and He Chen, and her elder brother, she didn’t know what other men Sheng Peiyin was with.

“Don’t move!” She could smell alcohol in his breath. His voice became much more hoarse.

Shen Ziqiao’s body stiffened. She really didn’t dare to move at all.

Their moaning and groaning kept spreading to their ears.

The sound of the thrusting and the water and the woman’s uncontrollable moaning as well as the man’s groaning...

Qi Zheng carried Shen Ziqiao’s soft body in his arms. Her butt was in between his legs. She could clearly feel his erection.

His hand tightened on her waist. Shen Ziqiao could feel his warm temperature.

“Let’s...let’s go back.” Shen Ziqiao said softly. She was afraid that Qi Zheng might not be able to control himself. What should she do then?

It seemed like Qi Zheng didn’t hear her. His warm lips were attached to her neck, kissing it every now and then. His lips slowly moved to her cheeks and then he softly sucked on her earlobes, his tongue faintly teasing.

“Qi Zheng, if you dare to stare at that woman’s body, I won’t let you go!” Shen Ziqiao clenched her teeth and warned angrily.

His hoarse but happy voice rang, “I won’t look at her. I’ll only look at you.”

She really thought that he wouldn’t react to her sitting on top of him and moving around?