eurekapd Chapter 437 Xu Longxiang's Anxiety: You weren't taken advantage of by that playboy, were y
Chapter 437 Xu Longxiang's Anxiety: You weren't taken advantage of by that playboy, were y
In the side hall, Xu Longxiang paced back and forth.
He walked from the window to the door, and from the door to the window, his footsteps making a "thump-thump" sound on the bluestone slabs.
His brows were furrowed, and the wrinkles between his brows could not be smoothed out.
He is waiting.
Waiting for news from the Moon Goddess, waiting for that crucial moment that will determine success or failure.
More than an hour has passed since the banquet ended, and the Moon Goddess has still not appeared.
Xu Longxiang grew increasingly agitated as he waited, feeling as if a thousand ants were crawling all over his heart, making him uncomfortable and restless.
He took a few more steps, stopped, looked out at the dark night, and tapped his fingers lightly on the window frame twice.
"Why aren't you back yet...?"
He muttered to himself, his voice filled with barely suppressed anxiety.
It's always like this.
It always takes this long.
If he weren't worried about alerting the enemy, Xu Longxiang would have gone out to sneak a peek.
Isn't it just about seducing a spoiled brat?
Is it that difficult?
Xu Longxiang sighed, shook his head, and continued to wait.
In the latter half of the night, the moon sank in the west, and the sky was just before dawn.
Finally, very faint footsteps sounded outside the door.
The footsteps were very light, as light as a cat stepping on a tile; if he hadn't been listening intently, he wouldn't have heard them at all.
Xu Longxiang suddenly turned around, his eyes fixed on the door.
The door was pushed open.
Chen Ruoyao stood at the door, the moonlight shining in from behind her, making her white figure stand out clearly.
A faint smile graced her face, her eyes and brows radiating an indescribable, gentle light, and her complexion was slightly flushed.
It felt like I had just been drinking, or like I had just gone through something.
Xu Longxiang rushed forward in one stride, his voice urgent and filled with barely suppressed anxiety.
"How did it go? Did it work?!"
Chen Ruoyao looked at him, smiled slightly, and spoke with a confident and composed tone.
"Success. He is now completely under my control, and he will set off for the capital tomorrow. He will be used as a pawn when necessary."
Xu Longxiang finally felt relieved and let out a long sigh of relief.
A slight smile played on his lips, and a hint of joy flashed in his eyes.
But that joy lasted only a moment before it was replaced by deeper doubts and unease.
He looked at Chen Ruoyao, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment.
Xu Longxiang noticed that the Moon Goddess's face was even redder than at the banquet.
Moreover, it's quite obvious that this red isn't the kind of red you'd see in rouge.
It's a soft, warm red that emanates from beneath the skin.
The moon goddess's eyes were also flushed with a faint blush, her eyelashes trembled slightly, and her lips were redder and fuller than usual.
A strange, inexplicable feeling welled up in Xu Longxiang's heart.
He hesitated for a moment, but couldn't help speaking. His voice was a little hoarse, with a hint of cautious probing.
"You...you weren't taken advantage of by that playboy, were you?"
Chen Ruoyao looked up at him, a hint of helplessness and amusement flashing in her eyes.
She shook her head, her smile deepening.
"How could that be? He didn't even touch the hem of my clothes. What, you don't trust me?"
Xu Longxiang shook his head hurriedly, his voice urgent.
"No, no! Of course I trust you! I'm just... just worried about you."
He paused, then felt that he had asked enough questions; asking any further would make him seem too suspicious and would make the Moon Goddess think that he did not trust her.
But he opened his mouth, and couldn't help asking another question.
"Then...why is your face so red?"
Chen Ruoyao smiled, raised her hand, and gently touched her cheek. The movement was very natural, as if she was confirming something.
She lowered her hand, speaking casually.
"To deceive that spoiled brat. Do you think controlling someone is that easy? You have to act convincingly, right? You can't go in with a straight face and come out with a straight face, can you?"
She paused, then added, a hint of helplessness in her voice.
"I drank half a pot of wine and spent ages warming it by the candlelight to get it like this. Aren't you satisfied?"
Xu Longxiang felt a huge weight lifted from his heart, and a relieved smile crept onto his lips.
His shoulders relaxed; the tension that had been building for so long finally eased.
"Of course I'm satisfied! Thank you for your hard work, Miss Suxin."
He extended his hand, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and bowed.
Chen Ruoyao looked at his cautious manner with a hint of disdain in her heart, but she didn't show it on her face.
She waved her hand dismissively.
"It's nothing. For the greater cause, this is all we should do."
Xu Longxiang straightened up, his gaze falling on her face with a hint of worry and concern.
"Why didn't that playboy come? He's leaving tomorrow, so tonight... is he alone in his room?"
Chen Ruoyao nodded, her voice calm.
"He was drunk and fast asleep. When I left, he was still snoring, as if not disturbed by thunder."
She paused, then added, speaking a few minutes faster than before.
"He's setting off for the capital early tomorrow morning, so there shouldn't be any further changes tonight. You should get some rest too, make sure you're well-rested, as we need to get back to the northern border tomorrow."
Xu Longxiang nodded, his gaze falling on her face. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he swallowed the words back.
He wanted to ask her if she wanted to stay, if she was hurt, and if she had been mistreated over there that night.
But he didn't say anything. He just nodded, his voice hoarse.
"Okay. You should get some rest too."
Chen Ruoyao turned around and walked towards the door.
He took two steps, then stopped without looking back.
"By the way, don't come to deliver it first thing tomorrow morning. Too many people will attract unwanted attention and cause any unforeseen problems."
Xu Longxiang paused slightly, then nodded. "Okay. I understand."
Chen Ruoyao didn't say anything more, pushed open the door, and walked out.
The door closed slowly behind her with a soft "bang".
Moonlight seeped in through the crack in the door, spreading a thin layer of silver frost on the ground, only to be cut off and disappear by the closed door.
Xu Longxiang stood in the side hall, staring at the tightly closed door, a complex emotion welling up inside him.
He shook his head, trying to clear those chaotic thoughts from his mind.
It's good that it's successful and under control. Everything is proceeding according to plan, so there's nothing to worry about.
He walked back to the bedside, lay down, and closed his eyes.
The night wind blew through the windowpane, making a whistling sound, like someone was crying.
He turned over, pulled the blanket over his head, and went to sleep.
.........
When Xu Longxiang woke up the next morning, he felt physically and mentally exhausted, as if half of his life had been taken away, and his whole body was sore and weak.
He felt his head was very heavy, his temples were throbbing, and his eyelids felt as heavy as lead.
Xu Longxiang lay on the bed, staring at the top of the tent, his mind still replaying the chaotic dreams of the previous night.
He actually dreamed that the Moon Goddess was with that playboy.
In my dream, the moon goddess wore a light blue flowing fairy dress, leaned on the shoulder of that playboy, a smile on her lips, her eyes full of tender light, like a flower that had been picked and placed in a vase.
The playboy had his arm around her waist, whispering something in her ear, and grinning smugly.
Xu Longxiang sat up abruptly, his back drenched in cold sweat.
How is that possible?
He shook his head, banishing the absurd idea from his mind.
Dreams are always the opposite of reality. I must be too tired and stressed lately to have such absurd dreams.
The Moon Goddess successfully controlled that playboy last night, and everything is proceeding according to plan, so there's nothing to worry about.
Xu Longxiang rubbed his temples, took a deep breath, and inhaled the cool morning air, which made him feel more awake.
He was indeed exhausted lately. He had been traveling all the way from the North to the Southwest, from allying with the Moon Goddess to besieging Liu Bai, from dealing with Han Zhong to winning over this playboy. Every single thing had taken a toll on his mind and energy, leaving him utterly worn out.
Fortunately, the result was good.
He won a resounding victory in this round of competition.
He not only successfully allied with the Moon Goddess, but also eliminated the sword fanatic Liu Bai, a major threat, and planted a new pawn.
That纨绔 (playboy) has been controlled by the Moon Goddess and can be used by her at any time.
A triple victory, a brilliant achievement.
As Xu Longxiang thought of this, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, and the fire in his heart reignited, dispelling some of his fatigue.
Once he returns to the Northern Territory, he will definitely take a few days to rest, not think about anything, not do anything, just lie in the courtyard of the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion, bask in the sun, drink tea, read books, and catch up on all the sleep he has missed during this period.
Xu Longxiang stood up, walked to the clothes rack, took down the black python robe, draped it over his shoulders, fastened the jade belt, and straightened the short sword at his waist.
He walked to the bronze mirror, straightened his clothes, and tucked the stray hairs from his temples behind his ears.
The face in the mirror looked much more haggard, with dark circles under the eyes and chapped, white skin on the lips.
Xu Longxiang sighed, pushed open the door, and walked out.
The morning light shone from the east, bathing the entire courtyard in a pale golden glow. The dewdrops on the bamboo leaves shimmered in the sunlight, like tiny diamonds.
Qin Mu was already standing at the entrance of the main hall.