Tan Bowen scrambled quickly down the mountainside, catching up with Bai Li and i ili and tapping the commander on the shoulder.
Not wanting to make a scene and not sure what he could say to object, Bai Li reluctantly stopped and let ili down, handing her over to Tan Bowen and assisting her up onto the man’s back.
She was sowhat reluctant to be carried by the young poet after reading his lantern, but she didn’t want to continue to burden Bai Li on the steep slope.
Tan Bowen hoisted her up and started to gingerly make his way down the mountain. It was actually very hard going, though there was no way he would admit to that.
"So," he whispered to her, "you saw my wish." It wasn’t a question. "What do you think of the idea?"
This was good in a way, he decided. Better to bring things to a head and have them out in the open.
This subject again, she thought with a sense of déjà vu. "Tan Bowen, I told you on the lake I’m not in a hurry to get married."
This wasn’t fair, she thought. He had her trapped on his back and she couldn’t get off.
"But soti in the future," he prompted. "What do you think about it in principle, as a concept?"
To be honest, she had never considered marrying Tan Bowen, not for one millisecond. But if she did think about it, it wasn’t a terrible concept. Like Sofya had said, he was easy-going, fun and they had a lot of interests in common. She was also pretty sure he would give her more freedom in marriage than most n would. She didn’t have any feelings for him beyond friendship, but her mother always said that would co with ti.
"I would need more ti to think it over, Tan Bowen," she told him tactfully.
He nearly tripped and fell right over with her. Woot woot! That was not the answer he had expected. The door had been cracked open!
"Take your ti, take your ti," he replied, seemingly nonchalant.
He didn’t want to push her too hard and startle her into giving him an answer he didn’t want.
ili realised she felt a tug of sothing couldn’t identify, but it felt like it might be regret or sadness at the idea of marrying this friend of hers. Even though her head told her it was a sensible idea, her heart seed to be saying ’no’.
"Tan Bowen!" said the prince from behind them. "Stop right there and hand the girl over to . You just about fell over and injured her again."
"I was just surprised, that’s all," he called cheerfully, whistling a jaunty tune.
"No way. You’ve blown it. Put her down," the prince said imperiously.
It wasn’t worth arguing with the man when he was in this type of mood and pulling his princely rank on them. Besides, Tan Bowen was basking in the glow of ili’s answer just now. He didn’t feel the need to cling to precious seconds with her.
Generally, ili would have been extrely reluctant to have the prince carry her, but right now she felt nothing but a sense of relief to be ending this marriage conversation with her dear friend. She didn’t want anything to spoil this special friendship, and she had a sinking feeling that continuing down the marriage rabbit hole would bring about an awkwardness between them that would spoil everything.
Tan Bowen helped her onto the prince’s back. Bai Li hovered close by with a scowl. He trusted this man even less than he trusted Tan Bowen, if that was possible.
They set off again, this ti with Tan Bowen in the lead and Bai Li sticking closely behind the prince and i ili.
Having the girl touching him like this imdiately proved quite problematic for the second prince.
He was acutely aware of her soft pillowy chest, which was pressed up hard against his back, where it rubbed up and down with every step he took. He grimaced in a happy mixture of pain and pleasure.
"Thank you for carrying your highness," she said politely, well away from his ear after Bai Li’s second hint.
She was hoping to set the right tone with him from the start of the piggyback. Not that she’d had much luck controlling him so far.
"Of course," he said shortly. "It’s not a burden at all. I’ve been looking forward to having you wrapped around . That’s the last ti I let other n carry you, by the way."
This conversation sounded like a permutation on the discussion she’d had with Bai Li when he was carrying her. She got it, okay! n and won don’t touch. No carrying.
"I will do my utmost not to ever need carrying again in the future," she assured him.
"Just stay where you are and send for , if you ever need to be carried. I will co for you from wherever I am."
"Your highness, that would be completely inappropriate. What would people say about if I called the Second Prince of the realm to carry here and there like a servant whenever I got into trouble."
"They would say, ’there’s the Second Prince and his woman’," said the prince.
"Your highness, please don’t tease ," she whispered into his ear, forgetting hint number two in her embarrassnt and desire not to be overheard by Bai Li.
Pow! Okay that whispering in the ear thing pressed an overdrive button of so sort for Zhu Yicai. His already high passions were further inflad.
"It’s definitely you who’s teasing , little fox," he assured her, in a low growl.
Bai Li, who was watching the two closely from behind wiped his brow in exasperation. She had flagrantly ignored his second piece of advice! He felt his temper rising in direct correlation to his jealousy.
ili pulled back and looked at the prince in surprise. How was she teasing him?
"What am I doing to tease you, your highness?" she asked with vexation. "I don’t believe I’ve done anything impolite to you."
"Since you climbed up on my back, you’ve whispered sweet nothings into my ear, and you keep pressing your ample ’you know what’s’ into my shoulder blades."
Reviews
All reviews (0)