The Princess and Her Rough-Rider Khan
Chapter 105 The Man in the Dream (Second Update)

Chapter 105: 105 The Man in the Dream (Second Update)

Li Xianyun wanted to yell out to stop her, but she found she couldn’t make any sound at all.

All she could do was watch helplessly as the little girl ran onto the ice, which instantly cracked beneath her.

The little girl fell heavily into the bone-chilling, icy water.

Li Xianyun felt as though she herself was dying, trembling with cold, suffering to the extreme.

Then, a group of colorfully strange creatures with ox heads and horse faces gathered around on the riverbank.

They opened their mouth wide, laughing wickedly and unrestrained.

Li Xianyun wanted to chase away the group with ox heads and horse faces, but then she realized she was submerged in the freezing, gloomy water, struggling helplessly.

She was that pitiful little girl.

Li Xianyun thought of something and looked behind her with wide-open eyes.

Bloodstains slowly surfaced in the icy water, turning the surface of the river and the ice red, as well as her eyes.

Li Xianyun was terrified. She wanted to escape, crying, and running, but she couldn’t move at all.

Just as she was losing all hope, a voice came, "Xianxian—Xianxian—don’t be afraid—I, the Khan, am here..."

The red and green creatures with ox heads and horse faces immediately disappeared, replaced by a tall, majestic man standing on the riverbank.

His tiger-like eyes were deep and bright, and his lips bore a warm, sunshine-like smile.

He reached out his rough, large hand to her and nodded slightly.

Li Xianyun’s eyes reddened, and a clear tear rolled down.

She reached out her hand toward him.

One stood on the riverbank while the other soaked in the icy water.

They seemed so far apart, yet so close.

Close enough that he easily grasped her delicate, pale hand.

His hand was so coarse, so broad, yet so warm.

Li Xianyun slowly opened her eyes, and the man from her dreams was before her, bending down to look at her.

It made her uncertain whether she was still dreaming or back in reality.

His tiger-like eyes were as deep and bright as in her dream, and the palm of his hand was so warm, dispelling the cold from her dream.

But his deeply furrowed brows and the concern on his face reminded Li Xianyun that this was not a dream—she had awakened.

In her dreams, he was smiling.

And he had never called her Xianxian.

Yelu Yan sat by the bed, leaning over and gazing at Li Xianyun’s frightened face, and asked with concern, "Are you alright?"

Li Xianyun shook her head, trying to sit up, only to find her delicate hand tightly held in Yelu Yan’s broad palm.

Yelu Yan released her hand at the right moment.

Li Xianyun struggled to sit up, and Yelu Yan gently supported her back with one hand.

The other hand fetched a soft pillow and placed it behind her so she could lean on it, making sitting more comfortable.

After Li Xianyun was seated properly, Yelu Yan withdrew his hand.

Li Xianyun looked at Yelu Yan and forced a smile, saying, "I was a bit tired just now and wanted to lie down on the bed to rest for a while, and before I knew it, I fell asleep."

Her strained smile was uglier than crying.

Yelu Yan didn’t smile; he just stared fixedly at her, scrutinizing her.

Trying to read something from her face.

Li Xianyun avoiding his gaze, asked, "Khan, why have you come back?"

Such a clichéd conversation starter.

Yelu Yan carefully looked at her small face and said softly, "If you don’t want to talk, you don’t have to; if you don’t want to smile, that’s also fine. Don’t force yourself."

I am your husband; you don’t have to force yourself in front of me.

He didn’t say the last sentence out loud, for fear that being too blunt would frighten her.

Li Xianyun’s eyes, like autumn waters, looked towards Yelu Yan and for some reason, turned red.

She quickly lowered her head to look at her own small hands, fiddling with her fingers.

Opening her eyes wide, she kept her tears from rolling down.

She was so fragile.

Fragile enough to make him feel heartache, fragile enough to want to embrace her and soothe her, yet he also feared being too abrupt with her.

She was also so pitifully adorable that it shattered his heart.

Yelu Yan saw a clear tear still clinging to Li Xianyun’s fair and rosy cheek.

He hesitated for a moment, then leaned in and gently wiped the tear from her cheek with his hand.

He was very close to her, close enough to catch the faint, elegant fragrance emanating from her body.

A quarter of an hour prior.

After Yelu Yan had finished with his official duties, a palace servant came over with a tray.

On the tray were placed a few soft, red pastries in attractive shapes, and a sweet scent of dates lingered around the nose.

The palace servant said respectfully:

"Reporting to Khan, the consort has sent someone to bring you date cakes. As soon as the first batch was made, the consort had it brought over to you. The consort always has you in her thoughts."

Yelu Yan picked up a date cake in the shape of a little bird, soft and fluffy, and it looked very tasty.

"Was that last sentence added by Zhuo Ma?" Yelu Yan asked indifferently.

The palace servant immediately knelt on the ground and said, "Please forgive me, Khan."

Yelu Yan brought the date cake to his lips, took a small bite, and felt its softness with a slightly sticky sensation, sweet but not rich, very delicious.

After swallowing the cake, he looked at the kneeling palace servant and said, "What guilt do you bear? You are not only free of guilt, but also deserve a reward. Rise and go to the Ministry of Internal Affairs to claim your reward."

The palace servant bowed deeply to express his gratitude: "Thank you, Khan."

While others meet with unexpected disasters, he had received an unexpected reward, which seemed rather baffling.

As soon as he stood up, Yelu Yan said, "Take the reward meant for Zhuo Ma as well."

The palace servant immediately understood that the key to the reward lay in the last sentence added by Zhuo Ma: The consort always has you in her thoughts.

So Khan was pleased and thus gave a reward.

So it turned out, he was riding on the consort’s coattails.

How to speak in front of Khan in the future, the palace servant instantly understood.

The palace servant placed the tray on the desk and respectfully exited, happily heading off to claim his reward.

Yelu Yan finished all four cakes in the tray in one go.

Jinwu couldn’t help but swallow his saliva.

Had Khan finished them all like that?

At least leave one for him, no, even half would do.

With respect, Jinwu said, "Khan, shall I go to Khan Palace to check on what the consort is doing?"

His cunning plan was loud and clear.

Every time the consort made something delicious, the servants got a share, and this time was surely no exception.

He was eager to scamper over to Khan Palace for a treat.

Yelu Yan picked up a teacup, took a sip of tea, glanced at Jinwu, and got up to walk outside.

Jinwu hurriedly followed, asking with utmost respect, "Khan, where are you headed?"

For heaven’s sake, he hadn’t even tasted the date cake yet, and now he was being sent to run errands?

That was too unkind.

Yelu Yan said calmly, "To Khan Palace, to see what the consort is doing."

Jinwu responded cheerfully, "Yes."

His mood instantly cleared up—like the sky after the rain.

Yelu Yan, accompanied by Jinwu, made his way to Khan Palace, passed through the corridors and gate towers, and arrived in front of the main building.

The palace servants sat on the ground, drinking sweet syrup and eating date cakes, indulging in pure bliss.

"The consort’s pastries are indeed delicious."

"Mm, truly tasty. After eating the date cakes made by the consort, I don’t feel like eating any other pastries."

"Yeah, it feels like ever since the consort arrived, my taste has become more discerning, even with vegetables, I’ve started to grade them."