The Princess and Her Rough-Rider Khan
Chapter 166 Whose Man Whose Heartache (First Update)

Chapter 166: 166 Whose Man Whose Heartache (First Update)

Yelu Yan’s back was densely covered with knife wounds, arrow wounds, new wounds, and old ones, overlapping one another in a harrowing array.

The bulging muscles on his upright back and solid shoulders rarely bore unscarred skin.

"Does it look terrifying?"

Seeing that Li Xianyun remained silent, Yelu Yan grabbed his clothes to close them but was stopped by Li Xianyun clutching the hem of the garment.

"It’s not terrifying."

Li Xianyun saw that he had stopped moving, then she took a bright green porcelain jar from the medicine box, opened the green lid, scooped up a little with her delicate index finger, and gently applied it to the bluish-red mark on Yelu Yan’s back.

Yaduo had exerted a lot of force earlier, leaving a bruised and slightly swollen area where Yelu Yan was hit.

She pressed her index and middle fingers against his wheat-colored skin, blending the yellow ointment little by little.

Yelu Yan’s body moved slightly.

Li Xianyun paused her actions and turned her head to look at him, "Did I press too hard, my lord?"

Her voice was gentle, filled with concern.

"No, it’s just a bit itchy."

Drawing circles like that, so close, her warm breath fanning his skin, which man in the prime of his youth could withstand it?

Clearly, Li Xianyun was unaware that she had unwittingly aroused him.

The yellow ointment spread where she had dabbed generously with her index finger, and she repeated the earlier actions on Yelu Yan’s skin.

Yelu Yan suppressed the restlessness in his heart and softly instructed, "Don’t do this again next time; it’s very dangerous."

Li Xianyun’s hand paused momentarily, then she resumed the gentle motions, "You have always protected me, my lord; I should protect you as well."

No one had ever said they would protect him before.

Yelu Yan’s lips curved upward, his heart swelling with emotion, "You and I are different, I’m tough-skinned and hardy; these injuries are nothing to me, but you are not."

Her delicate skin could bruise—what then?

He would be heartbroken.

"How did you get all these wounds?"

"From battles or assassination attempts."

Yelu Yan’s tone was calm as if narrating something utterly ordinary.

Li Xianyun couldn’t help but sigh, "Must be very painful, right?"

"Not painful."

After applying the ointment, she wiped her hands with a soft cloth from the medicine box.

Seeing that she was finishing up, Yelu Yan raised his hand to grasp his collar and put his shirt back on.

As he looked up, he saw Li Xianyun picking up an outer garment and spreading it open, waiting for him to put it on.

Yelu Yan looked deeply at Li Xianyun, then turned around, sliding his arms into the sleeves, donning the outer garment.

Li Xianyun walked around to his front, carefully straightening out his clothes.

They were very close, Yelu Yan shamelessly staring at her with intense eyes while looking down.

Once the clothes were smoothed out, Li Xianyun picked up the belt, looking up at Yelu Yan.

Seeing that Yelu Yan had no intention of taking it, she held the belt with one hand and approached him, looped it around his waist, and hooked it on the other side.

During this process, Li Xianyun’s face was pressed against his chest, her soft arms wrapped around his firm waist, the sound of rapid heartbeats filling the air—uncertain if they belonged to her or to Yelu Yan.

Li Xianyun turned to cap the medicine bottle.

Yelu Yan placed the soft cloth back into the medicine box, eyeing Li Xianyun, "If you are unwilling, you need not stay with me; I can speak to Grandmother about it."

Li Xianyun closed the medicine box, picked it up to put it back in its place, but someone else took it from her.

She watched Yelu Yan’s back, "Grandmother is of advanced age; let’s not worry her with this issue, we can stay together for now."

Yelu Yan put the medicine box back in its place, wanting to tell the truth, but in the end, he held back.

If he didn’t employ some schemes, given Li Xianyun’s slow-to-warm nature, who knew when she could fall in love with him.

Li Xianyun called Youlan and Zhuo Ma to come in and pack things together. Yelu Yan had wanted to help but was stopped by Li Xianyun.

"Khan, please go and keep Grandmother company. Youlan and Zhuo Ma are here to help me pack."

Yelu Yan was about to refuse when he saw a stack of bellybands in the opened cabinet and quickly averted his gaze, "Alright, I will go and chat with Grandmother."

Li Xianyun, noticing Yelu Yan’s hasty steps, looked toward where he had just glanced and felt her face flush red.

Those two maids, Youlan and Zhuo Ma, were only focused on moving the boxes out of the cabinet, not even paying attention to what was on top.

After packing, the next step was the move.

Moving things from the side hall to the main hall wasn’t far, and there weren’t many items. They quickly finished the move.

Li Xianyun made sure to bring the cage with the canaries to the main hall, still placing it in the corridor in front of the inner chamber window.

The view outside the main hall’s courtyard was even better.

The two little birds hopped around the spacious cage, sometimes flitting to the water trough to drink or to the feeder to peck at the rice.

As night fell, the Khan Palace was brightly lit, and laughter and joyful voices could be heard from the great hall.

It was then that Guli came to the Khan Palace.

Yaduo had arrived, and no matter what, she had to come and pay her respects.

But she was both wary and fearful of Yaduo and had dragged her feet until dark before she came.

Inside the cheerful great hall, Yaduo was telling anecdotes about Yelu Yan’s childhood: "Ayan, when he was a child, even knocked down a hornets’ nest, getting stung so badly his face and body were covered in welts. But the person deserved it, they had a foul mouth, and the stings served them right."

Li Xianyun looked at Yelu Yan, having thought his childhood would be rather dull, not expecting him to have done so many mischievous things.

Yelu Yan watched Li Xianyun with a smile, his arm habitually resting on the back of the chair behind her, making the two of them appear especially intimate.

At first, when he had casually placed his arm there, Li Xianyun had used her eyes to remind him not to be impudent in front of their elders.

After a few reminders, Li Xianyun stopped reprimanding him and let it be.

Yaduo, seeing the intimate display between the two, glanced at the maid beside her and raised her eyebrows slightly.

The elderly maid also responded with a knowing smile.

Li Xianyun turned to Yaduo, "And then what happened?"

"Then, Grandmother spanked him. It was really just a show for that man; since he got stung to disfigurement, there needed to be some accountability. I just smacked his palm, but he held it against me."

Everyone in life encounters dissatisfaction, even the domineering Yaduo sometimes couldn’t help herself.

Yelu Yan picked up the teapot and poured water for Li Xianyun: "How could I, your grandson, ever hold a grudge against Grandmother?"

"If not holding a grudge, why do you keep bringing up the spanking?"

"Isn’t it just to tease Grandmother?"

"You scamp, daring to tease your grandmother, huh? Xianxian, hit him for me."

Li Xianyun was listening to the story and had not expected to get involved between the two, so she glanced at Yelu Yan, her lips curving upwards, revealing a sweet dimple as she smiled.

Yaduo teased with a laugh, "Can’t bear to hit him?"

Li Xianyun smiled, "Not at all."

"Then hit him hard for Grandmother."

But Li Xianyun couldn’t bring herself to do it, as it was improper to flirt in front of elders.

Yelu Yan came to her rescue; he extended his hand in front of Li Xianyun and gave her a meaningful look.

Li Xianyun looked at his broad, rough palm, noticing a black mole in the center of his hand.

In the end, Li Xianyun gently tapped his palm with her hand.

Yaduo clicked her tongue twice, "She spares her own man, hitting him so gently."

The whole room burst into muffled laughter.