Love Lock

Chapter 125 A Beautiful Spring Scene
“Leier. I don’t know what kind of good fortune Zun’er has accumulated over his past lives. You have saved him twice, and Zun’er has fallen deeply in love with you. I am truly at ease entrusting Zun’er to you.”

"aunt."

Han Lei let out a shy, soft gasp. She was so tired and didn't want to continue this embarrassing topic.

"Hehehe."

The old lady couldn't help but chuckle, and after glancing at Han Lei's neckline again, she finally let Han Lei go.

"It's starting to rain, you should get some rest!"

After finishing her words, the old lady returned home with a look of satisfaction on her face, accompanied by her maids.

Han Lei stood in the room, looking around, her heart filled with mixed emotions. The past few days of running around had left her physically and mentally exhausted, and now she finally had a moment of peace.

The two maids, Zitan and Jinju, had already brought over hot water.

Zitan smiled and said, "Miss Han, the hot water is ready. Why don't you take a bath to relax?"

Han Lei nodded, "Thank you for your hard work."

Jinju habitually came over to help her undress. Han Lei's lips twitched, and she quickly grabbed her collar.

"You guys go out and keep watch! I'll do it myself."

She wasn't used to being served by maids even normally, let alone something as private as bathing.

Coming from modern times, she was quite open-minded. But being a girl, she was never comfortable with someone watching her while she showered; the feeling of being watched made her extremely uncomfortable.

She remembers once seeing a video on Douyin (TikTok) about the differences between how people from the South and the North take baths.

In the video, people from northern China like to take baths in public bathhouses. The steaming pools are packed with people, all soaking naked in the water, and there are even people specifically responsible for scrubbing their backs.

Mass back rubbing.

When Han Lei saw that scene, her eyes almost popped out of their sockets, and her heart tightened.

As a native of southern China, she has always bathed in her own bathroom since she was a child.

Once the door is closed and the water is turned on, it's private and comfortable.

She couldn't imagine being naked in public and then casually chatting and rubbing her back.

Good heavens! How shocking was that scene?

Jinju's outstretched hand froze awkwardly in mid-air. But this wasn't the first time she and Zitan had been rejected during the few days they had served Han Lei. She looked at Zitan, and Zitan nodded back.

Jinju had no choice but to withdraw her hand and walk out with Zitan, where they stood guard at the door.

Seeing that they had all left, Han Lei covered herself with the screen before taking off her clothes and stepping into the wooden tub.

The warm water enveloped her body, and her fatigue gradually dissipated.

Han Lei rested her head against the wooden tub, closed her eyes, and her mind drifted back to the various dangerous and tragic experiences of the past few days, as well as the old lady's words about Zhao Zun's deep affection for her.

Unbeknownst to her, her consciousness gradually blurred, and she fell into a deep sleep leaning against the wooden tub.

Outside, the sky was overcast, and a light drizzle fell silently, the raindrops tapping against the windowpane with a soft sound.

After washing up, Zhao Zun lay in bed, tossing and turning. The words Han Lei had said that day, "Fuck him," kept echoing in his mind, and he couldn't fall asleep.

Since Han Lei also supports him, instead of overthinking things here, he might as well go and discuss the plan with Han Lei.

Without hesitation, he put on his coat, grabbed an umbrella, and headed toward Han Lei's yard.

As soon as Zhao Zun entered the courtyard, he saw two maids sheltering from the rain under the eaves by the door, with the flowers on the flower stand obscuring half of their bodies.

As Zhao Zun drew closer, he heard Zi Tan speaking softly.

"Miss Han, why aren't you done taking a bath yet? The water should be cold by now. I hope nothing bad has happened to you."

Jinju was also a little worried. She turned to look at the tightly closed door and hesitated, saying, "But if our master hasn't summoned us, we don't dare to go in rashly."

Zitan sighed, "Why don't we wait a little longer? Perhaps the young lady just wants to soak a little longer."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zun understood what had happened.

His heart tightened, and he quickly walked towards the door.

Upon seeing Zhao Zun arrive, the two maids quickly curtsied.

"Your Majesty."

"I've met the prince."

Zhao Zun simply gave a faint "hmm" and gently knocked on the door with his raised hand.

"Girl! Girl!"

The room was silent; no one responded.

Zhao Zun's expression instantly turned serious. Thinking about what Zi Tan had said about whether something bad might have happened, he disregarded the proper separation between men and women, pushed open the door without hesitation, and strode inside.

Seeing this, Zitan and Jinju quickly followed.

The room was dimly lit by candlelight. Zhao Zun glanced around but didn't see Han Lei. His gaze then fell on the screen.

"Girl, girl. Han Lei."

Zhao Zun called out several more times, but still no one answered. Zhao Zun's heart sank.

Zhao Zun quickly walked around the screen, and the sight before him stunned him instantly—

Han Lei leaned against the wooden tub, her eyes closed, her breathing even, clearly asleep. Her delicate face was slightly flushed from the hot water, making her appear even sweeter. And beneath the calm surface of the water, a scene of enchanting spring unfolded.

Zhao Zun's ears burned, and his heart began to race uncontrollably. He quickly closed his eyes, swallowed hard, and tried to calm the turmoil in his heart.

He closed his eyes and reached out to test the water temperature, finding that it was indeed a bit cold.

"Quickly bring some clothes for Miss Han to wear," Zhao Zun instructed, turning around.

Two maids quickly brought clean clothes and carefully wrapped them around Han Lei. Only then did Zhao Zun open his eyes and gently lift Han Lei out of the water.

Her body was light and supple, like a feather. Zhao Zun moved with exceptional gentleness, afraid of waking her. Looking at her fair legs exposed outside her dress, Zhao Zun's breathing quickened again.

He quickened his pace to the bedside, placed Han Lei on the bed, and then quickly turned around and went behind the screen.

Two maids brought over dry clothes for Han Lei to change into, and then covered her with a quilt.

Perhaps she was too tired, because Han Lei was completely unaware of the entire process.

"Your Highness, it's done." Zitan said softly.

"Yes! Put this around Miss Han's neck."

Zhao Zun came out from behind the screen and handed the Love Lock to Zi Tan. Then, he watched as Zi Tan put the Love Lock back around Han Lei's neck.

He found it on the small table next to the bathtub; Han Lei had taken it down and placed it beside her while taking a bath.

After entering through the screen, he saw the bathtub again, and the image of Han Lei soaking in the bathtub kept flashing through Zhao Zun's mind.

Now, facing Han Lei's sleeping face, a blush actually appeared on Zhao Zun's cold and handsome face.

He looked away, coughed lightly to cover his awkwardness, and then gave instructions to the two maids.

"Take good care of Miss Han. If she wakes up, inform me immediately."

Zitan and Jinju nodded in agreement. Zhao Zun glanced at Han Lei again before tiptoeing out of the room. As he stepped into the courtyard, the rain intensified. Standing under the eaves, Zhao Zun looked up at the drizzling rain, a hint of regret creeping into his heart.

After what had just happened, it seemed as if some inexplicable force was bewitching him.

He regretted it; he was going to discuss getting married with Han Lei tomorrow.

"Doing this" isn't something that can be done in a day or two; it requires careful planning. But he didn't want to delay his marriage to Han Lei any longer.

He was afraid that he couldn't possibly keep a woman as unique and charming as Han Lei by simply using the love charm.

Thinking of this, Zhao Zun looked back at the house, then opened his umbrella and stepped into the rain...

...Hugs to my fellow book lovers...

A light drizzle fell all night, and the sky over the grassland was a clear, bright blue.

On the vast grassland, white tents are scattered like stars, resembling blooming lotus flowers. However, a heavy atmosphere permeates this tranquil grassland.

The Turks lost their supplies and their commander, and thus their morale plummeted.

The army fled back to the royal court in a panic, the soldiers all hanging their heads in dejection, as if they had lost their souls.

Upon receiving the scouts' report, Ashina Khan was surprised that his army had returned in less than ten days.

He felt a vague unease in his heart, so he hurriedly summoned the leaders of various tribes, rushed out of the main tent, and headed to the place where he would gather his troops.

Ashina Khan and the tribal leaders could see from afar that many corpses were lying haphazardly on the grass in front of the sacrificial altar.

The air was filled with the damp, muddy smell and the stench of warhorse dung.

On the nearby grassland, dozens of warhorses grazed leisurely without anyone watching over them, while dozens of cavalrymen sat casually on the grass. Their eyes lacked the heroic spirit they had before going to war; instead, they were filled with a lifeless despair.

This scene clearly indicates a defeat!

Looking at the desolate scene before him, and about to reach the corpses, Ashina Khan suddenly felt as if his feet were in a swamp, heavy and powerless.

"You guys...what happened?"

The once imposing Ashina Khan now spoke with a weak voice, trembling slightly. It seemed he himself dared not even open his mouth to ask what had happened.

Upon hearing Ashina Khan's familiar voice, a Turkic soldier raised his head, a hint of grievance flashing in his eyes.

He struggled to his feet, exhausted, and led a warhorse that was grazing nearby. He slowly walked toward Ashina Khan and the tribal leaders, with a headless corpse on the horse's back.

As the soldier marched, he muttered in Turkic, "We can't win, we simply can't win..."

Ashina stumbled and nearly fell.

Before the soldiers could even report, Ashina Khan recognized Alpi at a glance, just from the iron armor of the headless corpse.

"Alpi!"

Ashina Khan cried out in alarm, a trace of grief flashing in his eyes. He strode to the corpse and looked at the headless body.

Alpi's armor was covered in knife marks, clearly indicating that he had been in a fierce battle.

"What exactly happened?" Ashina Khan's voice was deep and furious, like a lion about to erupt. He turned to the soldier, his gaze sharp as a knife. "Why did Alpi die in battle? Why was he headless?"

The soldier knelt on the ground, his voice trembling as he said, "Khan, we...we have fallen into an enemy ambush."

"Enemy forces?" Ashina Khan frowned. "Where did these enemy forces come from? Why didn't we receive any prior warning?"

The soldier lowered his head, his voice trembling even more.

"It's...it's Da Jing. They suddenly appeared at our campsite, catching us completely off guard."

"The Great Jing Dynasty".

Ashina Khan's chest heaved violently, his face growing increasingly grim. He roared, "Useless! A bunch of useless trash! Alpi is the most valiant general of my Turks! What were your scouts good for? Why didn't they detect the enemy's movements in advance?"

The tribal leaders looked at each other, none daring to utter a sound.

Ashina Khan's rage was like a raging wind on the grassland, sweeping over everyone around him.

He reached out and stroked Alpi's bare, blood-stained neck, his voice icy.

"There is a famous saying in the Great Jing Dynasty: Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war. I can accept defeat, but the loss of the commander's head is an utter disgrace to the entire Turkic Khaganate!"

At this moment, an elderly tribal chief stepped forward and respectfully said, "Khan, there seems to be something fishy about this. General Alpi is experienced and would not fall for a trap so easily."

Seeing that Ashina Khan was so angry, the Turkic soldier pointed to a wound on Alpi's back.

"Great Khan, it's not General Alpi's fault, it's just that the enemy's weapons are too powerful."

Ashina Khan looked in the direction he was pointing and saw a small round hole in the gap between the scales of the armor. It was not easy to notice unless you looked closely.

The edges of the round hole were neat, without any signs of tearing, indicating that the wound was clearly not caused by an arrow or a sword.

Ashina's brows furrowed even more. He reached out and touched the edge of the wound, feeling a cold sensation on his fingertips.

"Tell me, what exactly happened to the army? How many people were on the other side?"

Ashina abruptly turned to look at the soldier, his gaze sharp as a knife. His voice was deep and powerful, as if suppressing an impending outburst of rage, which made the soldier flinch.

In the distance, dozens of cavalrymen who had been resting on the grass gradually got up and came over, with the injured Buga limping at the front.

Before he even got close, he quickly began to explain.

"Your Majesty, it was Zhao Zun who led his men to burn our supplies. When they attacked General Alpi's camp, we surrounded them. The general fought with Zhao Zun, but then peanuts suddenly appeared. Those peanuts were so fast they were impossible to see. Our warriors fell one after another without even a chance to fight back..."

Buccia's voice trailed off, his eyes filled with fear, as if the scene from that night was still haunting him.

You mean peanuts?

Upon hearing this, Ashina Khan's expression gradually changed from anger to disbelief.

He nodded thoughtfully. "If Peanuts saved Zhao Zun from being besieged, then Alpi's tragic death would make sense."

Just then, Ashina seemed to suddenly remember something and abruptly looked up.

"Wasn't it said that Zhao Zun was devastated after leaving the army after losing his military power? How come he's back on the battlefield? Could it be that the change of commander and general in Beiguan within three months was all a scheme by Zhao Zun?"

If that's the case, then Zhao Zun is truly terrifying. Now, with Peanuts joining the fray, how can they possibly plunder the Great Jing?
Buja had no idea of ​​Ashina Khan's worries; he just nodded repeatedly, his tone very firm.

“It’s true, Great Khan! I saw it with my own eyes. The man who came to rescue Zhao Zun had a dirty face, exactly the same as last time. I’m absolutely certain! Only this time, the man was riding a monster charging towards us.”

"Yes, there is a monster."

"Great Khan, we've all seen it."

"That monster can breathe fire, it's terrifying."

The Turkic soldiers who followed nodded in unison, their eyes filled with undisguised fear.

"By the way, Great Khan." Fearing that he wouldn't believe him, Buga quickly pointed to the corpses lying haphazardly on the grass, "This time, I also had them bring back the warriors who were killed by Peanut on warhorses first. The rest of the army is still behind."

Ashina Khan's brow furrowed even more. He finally stopped getting angry and instead forcefully lifted Alpi's body and placed it on the grass.

"Buga, cut open their wounds with a knife. I want to see what these peanuts are."

Ashina coldly gave the order.

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