sjar Chapter 362 has been delayed for half a month; it's time to go back.
Chapter 362 has been delayed for half a month; it's time to go back.
Song Ruyan stiffly raised her hand and awkwardly patted Doctor Qian's shoulder.
"Oh, it's alright, it's alright..." Her voice was dry and somewhat uneasy. "The boat is stable, it won't fall in."
Dr. Qian's mind went blank at that moment, the nausea from seasickness and the fear from being frightened earlier intertwined.
But when Song Ruyan patted him like that, he could smell the faint, sweet fragrance emanating from her, different from that of herbs.
It strangely calmed his panicked heart a little.
The physical discomfort seemed to be suppressed by another, stronger feeling.
He realized that he was holding a woman tightly in his arms, and that she was the woman he loved.
Despite the awkwardness of the situation and his unsightly posture, this sudden intimacy made his heart skip a beat.
Dr. Qian's cheeks began to burn uncontrollably, and even his ears felt hot.
An indescribable restlessness quietly began to grow within me.
Dr. Qian suddenly came to his senses, and all the blood in his body rushed to his head!
Suddenly, his cheeks turned as red as boiled shrimp, and even the base of his neck turned crimson.
He released his grip as if electrocuted, staggered back two steps, and almost fell due to seasickness, but fortunately he managed to grab the side of the boat in time.
"Dr. Qian... Dr. Qian..."
When Song Ruyan was released by him, she felt the warm breath on her neck suddenly disappear, and her heart felt inexplicably empty.
But seeing his embarrassed look, as if he wanted to jump into the lake, her initial discomfort turned into amusement.
A slight smile involuntarily crept onto his lips, but he quickly suppressed it, cleared his throat, turned his head away, and pretended to straighten his clothes.
Chu Ruohan took in all of this, her slender fingers elegantly holding the teacup lid, gently stirring the foam, a meaningful smile spreading across her lips.
"It seems that Dr. Qian and Ruyan's happy event is not far away."
Upon hearing this, Gu Junze nodded in agreement, his gaze sweeping between Doctor Qian and Song Ruyan.
"Dr. Qian's medical skills are superb, and Miss Ruyan's martial arts are also quite good. She has a cheerful personality. If the two of them can get married, they will indeed be a perfect match made in heaven."
Upon hearing this, Dr. Qian's heart pounded, and his face burned with embarrassment.
He secretly glanced at Song Ruyan, only to see her suddenly turn around, her eyebrows raised, as if she was about to refute him.
Before Song Ruyan could speak, Yu Ling, who was standing next to her, couldn't help but speak up first.
She pursed her lips, looked at her young mistress, and spoke with a tone full of indignation on behalf of Doctor Qian.
"Young Madam, please stop making fun of Doctor Qian! In my opinion, with her blockhead-like and stubborn nature, she's still a long way from understanding what love is all about!"
"It seems that Doctor Qian's plans are going to fail. I'm worried for him!"
"You silly girl!" Chu Ruohan was amused by Yu Ling, put down her teacup, and gave her a reproachful look.
"You speak so eloquently about others, but what about yourself? Yuling, you're not young anymore, have you set your sights on any young men?"
"If so, just tell me, and the young mistress will definitely make arrangements for you and marry you off in a grand and glorious manner!"
Upon hearing this, Yu Ling blushed with embarrassment and stamped her foot, saying coquettishly, "Young Madam! You're teasing me again!"
"This servant doesn't want to get married! This servant wants to serve the young mistress and stay with her for the rest of her life!"
Chu Ruohan smiled and shook her head: "Silly girl, how can a woman not get married? When a girl grows up, she will eventually find a reliable person to entrust her life to."
"Who said that?!" A clear voice, tinged with resentment, suddenly broke in.
Song Ruyan had somehow regained her composure. With her hands on her hips and eyes wide open, she walked up to Chu Ruohan and Yu Ling and retorted confidently.
"What kind of twisted logic is that women must get married! Why can't we women live alone?"
"Wouldn't it be even more carefree and joyful to be free and unrestrained, wandering the world with a sword!"
Her words were forceful and resounding, full of energy, as if she had completely forgotten the embarrassment of being hugged so tightly by someone earlier.
Chu Ruohan, Gu Junze, and Yu Ling's gazes all bypassed her and landed on Doctor Qian, who was not far behind her.
Dr. Qian was still holding onto the gunwale, his face still somewhat pale, the effects of seasickness not yet fully gone.
But those eyes remained fixed on Song Ruyan, a mixture of shyness and adoration in them…
And then there was his disappointment and helplessness after hearing her "declaration of singlehood," so complex that one could see right through his pitiful thoughts.
The three of them exchanged a glance and saw the same emotion in each other's eyes.
His helplessness towards Song Ruyan and his deep sympathy for Dr. Qian.
They both shook their heads slightly, as if by unspoken agreement.
For Dr. Qian, this path of love is destined to be long and arduous.
The painted boat slowly approached the shore, and the gangplank was secured.
Gu Junze disembarked first, turned around, and naturally reached out to help Chu Ruohan down steadily.
Immediately afterwards, Yingqing helped Chu Yueshu up, with Yuling following closely behind.
Dr. Qian was the last to get off. He finally breathed a long sigh of relief as his feet touched solid ground. Although his face was still a little pale, he was no longer as uncomfortable as he had been on the boat.
He subconsciously looked at Song Ruyan, only to find her attending to several children and not even glancing in his direction, which made him feel disappointed once again.
The children chattered as they ran off the boat. Lu Ge'er held Lan Jie'er's hand, while Yun Ge'er pulled Xuan Ge'er, who was still rubbing his eyes.
The breeze by the lake was refreshing, and the pleasant feeling from the lake tour had not yet completely dissipated.
Several guards dressed in Zheng Kingdom attire quickly stepped forward and stopped a few steps away from Gu Junze and Chu Ruohan.
The leader of the group fixed his gaze on Yun-ge'er.
He took two steps forward, walked to Yun-ge'er's side, and bowed respectfully.
"Your Highness, it's time to go back."
Yun-ge's smile vanished instantly, his little brows furrowed, and he clung to Chu Ruohan's sleeve, refusing to let go.
"Are you leaving so soon?" He looked up at his face, his voice full of reluctance.
"Can't we stay a few more days? Yun'er wants to stay with her mother and father."
The guard looked troubled and lowered his voice even further: "Your Highness, we've already been delayed for half a month on the road, and it will take another half a month to get back. The Emperor is very worried about you, as you've been away from the palace for so long."
Upon hearing that his elder brother, the Emperor, had been brought up, Yun-ge knew there was no turning back. His little mouth immediately pouted so high it could hold an oil bottle.
Gu Junze stepped forward, reached out his large hand, and gently rubbed his son's soft hair to soothe his emotions.
He looked at the guard and asked in a calm voice, "When do we set off?"
The guard quickly bowed and replied, "Reporting to the general, a banquet will be held in the palace the day after tomorrow to bid farewell to His Highness the Prince of Chu."
"After the banquet, it's time for us to set off."