He leaned upright against the stone wall, closed his eyes, and tried his best to maintain his usual calmness and composure.
However, his mind was occupied with the thought that he had once led his troops deep into enemy territory. In the harsh, freezing weather, he and over a dozen brothers had hid in a cave to take shelter.
But that time, even several strong, martial men were frozen to death in the heavy snow.
How much more a physically weak young lady?
Since he had decided to save her, he could not just watch her die in this cave.
Thinking thus, he closed his eyes again, using only his hands to see, and slowly untied her sash, stripping off her clothes...
Leaving only a belly wrap embroidered with blue lotus flowers, before gathering her entire body tightly into his embrace.
When that extremely soft body fell into his arms, Zhao Changdu couldn't help it - his Adam's apple bobbed rapidly. He had always lived among men, how could he have known a woman's body was this soft... That waist, slender as could be grasped in one hand... All too bewitching and captivating... And that snowy protrusion, soft, pressed right against his chest. Their temperatures instantly rose, the intimate contact of their skins scorching hot.
However, the person in his arms was not well-behaved either. It seemed she had found a trace of warmth and instinctively burrowed into him for dear life.
Zhao Changdu's chin tilted up slightly as her furry little head nestled right under it, like a kitten.
His brows knitted tightly, his breath unclear. He placed his big hand firmly around her waist.
"Gu Ying... you..."
His voice was low and hoarse as he ground his teeth. "Don't move around..."
"Mmm—" Gu Ying let out an unconscious moan.
Hearing this, Zhao Changdu's throat grew even drier. The always calm and composed person, for the first time had a chaotic mind.
"Gu Ying, are you awake?"
"Warm... Don't go."
"You—"
"Please... Don't go, don't abandon me..."
Zhao Changdu's pair of slender eyes flickered in the darkness, his breathing increasingly ragged.
Gu Ying seemed to have fallen into a nightmare, painfully murmuring a few words, before quieting down again.
Zhao Changdu's ear tips were scalding hot. In the unnoticed darkness, he kept his handsome face cold, reluctantly pulling over his greatcoat and forcefully wrapping her in it, continuing to warm her stiff body with his own warmth and inner energy.
...
Daybreak had just arrived.
Gu Ying's throat felt parched and hoarse. She was disoriented for a good while before waking up fully.
"You're awake?" The man's cold and ascetic voice sounded from not far away.
Gu Ying opened her eyes with difficulty, discovering that Zhao Changdu was sitting against the rock wall to her left. A fire had been built up between them again, no wonder she felt some warmth.
She pinched her brows, seeing herself fully dressed, only the bow at her waist was tied rather sloppily.
She froze, with too many things happening yesterday that she couldn't remember when the bow had become so messy. It was possible during her fall down the cliff, or when she was running and jumping around, or when she fainted.
Zhao Changdu's gaze imperceptibly tightened when he saw her looking at her waist sash, suddenly vigilant.
"Gu Ying, you—"
Could she have noticed the sash was tied by him?
Gu Ying shyly smiled, turning her body away. "My sash has come undone... Prince, allow me to redo my waistband."
"Mm..." Zhao Changdu let out a relieved breath, awkwardly pursing his thin lips. His scorching gaze fell upon her fair neck.
Head lowered, she was fully concentrated on retying the sash.
From his angle, he could see her cheeks, still carrying some baby fat, fair with a rosy tint, delicate as could be broken.
Her shoes had been lost in the mountain stream, and her jade-like feet now curled up slightly, the plump rounded toes like glistening pearls, looking cute and endearing.
Actually, she didn't need to hide from him.
Her body had basically been fully seen by him...
He had stayed up all night warming her, and only when dawn broke did he clumsily help dress her.
By then there was some light shining into the cave, and he had no intention of acting improperly. However, her complicated woman's clothing meant he had no choice but to... look at her body.
That sloppily tied bow was tied by him personally.
However, he wouldn't tell her all this for now. Since she detested what happened last night so much, he would simply act as if nothing had transpired.
But in the end, she was still an unmarried young lady. Now that her chastity had been seen by him, no matter what was said after they left, she would be mocked and berated by others.
"Your skirt hem—"
His gaze suddenly fell upon the light gauze edging her skirt, and his brows knitted together.
Gu Ying looked down to find her skirt covered in blood. "Ah, this is..."
Zhao Changdu's eyes were as black as the abyss, filling with puzzlement. "Are you injured?"
Gu Ying was bewildered herself. She hastily flipped up her skirt hem to check carefully, but found no wounds on her legs. However, the subtle ache coming from her lower abdomen made her suddenly realize something terrifying...
"Prince, I—" She tightened her breathing, her whole face flushed red, "I'm not injured... I'm just... just..."
She couldn't bring herself to continue, her face growing redder.
Zhao Changdu was clever. He instantly averted his eyes, turning his back.
Gu Ying's small face turned bright red. She expected that stopping the nourishing pills meant her monthly affair was coming, but its timing was just too perfect!
How much more embarrassment did it want to cause her in front of the Prince?
She hastily tore off a strip of skirt lining, swiftly taking care of herself. It was a good long while before she spoke, "Done... Prince, you can turn around now."
Zhao Changdu had not expected to be the first man to witness her growth into a woman. His mood was somewhat complicated.
The atmosphere in the cave was a little awkward.
"This is only natural for women, there's no need to feel embarrassed..." Gu Ying let out a few hollow laughs, trying hard to explain.
Zhao Changdu looked at her in amusement. Solemnly, he said, "Gu Ying, there is something I wish to discuss with you."
Gu Ying's mood stabilized. She retied the butterfly bow and pulled her skirt down to cover her feet, nearly frozen stiff. "What is it, Prince?"
A pair of bright, new eyes with a flush of bashfulness looked over.
Zhao Changdu imperceptibly averted his gaze. Lightly, he said, "Nothing happened between us last night, but since we have now stayed alone together as a man and woman, it will be hard to explain things clearly to the Emperor or your family after we return. However, I do have a proposal that can resolve both our dilemmas."
