The Princess and Her Rough-Rider Khan
Chapter 428 - 427 Sending Him the Soft Silk Armor (First Watch)

Chapter 428: 427 Sending Him the Soft Silk Armor (First Watch)

The two embraced, their necks entwined for a long while, before Yelu Yan slightly straightened up, still holding Li Xianyun, and raised his hand to tidy her forehead’s sweat-dampened hair.

"Shall I get you a glass of water?"

Li Xianyun hummed in affirmation and backed out of his embrace.

Yelu Yan left a deep kiss on her forehead before getting up to pour a glass of water from the desk.

Turning around, he saw Li Xianyun curled up with her legs drawn in, sitting and hugging her knees, appearing small and pitiable.

Her little face was snow-white with a healthy blush, and her eyes beneath the long lashes stared ahead, dazed.

Yelu Yan felt so heartbroken that he walked over and sat on the edge of the bed.

Li Xianyun reached out to take the water cup from his hand, but Yelu Yan caught her small hand, holding it in his palm, squeezing gently, soft and boneless.

"Let me feed you."

As Yelu Yan spoke, he brought the tea cup to Li Xianyun’s lips.

Li Xianyun glanced at him, lowered her eyes, and drank the entire cup of water with his help.

Yelu Yan leaned over to wipe the water from the corner of her mouth and asked softly, "Another cup?"

Li Xianyun obediently nodded her head.

After quickly finishing the second cup of water, she felt much more refreshed.

Li Xianyun looked up to see Yelu Yan’s worried expression and said, "My husband, I am much better now; don’t worry."

How could he not worry?

"Lie down; I’ll join you for a sleep," he suggested.

As Yelu Yan said this and placed the water cup on the desk to one side, he got up to wrap his arms around Li Xianyun’s rounded shoulders, but she stopped him with her delicate, pale hands against his chest.

"What’s wrong?" Yelu Yan asked gently.

Li Xianyun got out of bed to put on her shoes and said, "Husband, come with me; I have something to show you."

"It can wait until tomorrow. You’ve sweated so much; you’ll catch a cold from the draft," Yelu Yan said with a frown.

Li Xianyun, now shod, tugged at Yelu Yan’s rough hand, "I’m a physician; I won’t let myself fall ill so easily."

Yelu Yan had no choice but to let her lead him to the cabinet.

Seeing Li Xianyun open the cabinet and squat down to pull a large wooden chest from the bottom, Yelu Yan bent down to scoop her up by the waist and set her aside.

"I’ll get it," he insisted.

The chest that seemed heavy to Li Xianyun was nothing more than child’s play for Yelu Yan; he easily took it out and placed it securely on the desk nearby.

Li Xianyun retrieved a key from an octagonal box on the desk and unlocked the chest.

Inside were many strange and curious items: mechanical devices, various hidden weapons, and many other unidentifiable objects.

Although there were many items, they were orderly and not chaotic.

She was indeed very interested in mechanical devices.

Yelu Yan found it hard to associate these objects with the delicate and charming person before him; it was this sense of dissonance that lent Li Xianyun an irresistible allure.

From the corner of the chest, Li Xianyun took out a neatly folded dark blue cloth bundle and unwrapped it to reveal a glittering gold object.

Li Xianyun lifted it by one end.

To his surprise, it was an iron garment without sleeves or collar, protecting just the chest and back.

"What is this?" Yelu Yan asked.

"Soft silk armor," Li Xianyun replied, "Wearing this will make you impervious to blades and spears, ensuring your safety."

If it weren’t for that dream, Li Xianyun might have almost forgotten about this treasure.

"You wear it; I practice martial arts and will be fine," he said.

Li Xianyun said with red eyes, "I want you to wear it."

Yelu Yan looked down at those clear eyes, slightly red at the corners because she had just cried, misted with tears, appearing so fragile that a single rejection might bring them falling down.

His throat was dry, as if something were blocking it, making it even harder to utter a refusal.

Li Xianyun was pleased with his reaction, shook the garment at him, and said, "Try it on."

Yelu Yan obediently took the garment, slipping it over his head.

The soft armor, fashioned with special iron wire, was triple-layered both inside and out, yet not at all heavy.

Clearly, it revealed the unique ingenuity of the craftsperson.

There were two places on either side of the soft armor to tie the strings.

Li Xianyun bent down to tie the strings.

Yelu Yan watched her intently, not blinking. Even though he didn’t know what she had dreamed about earlier, he knew she was feeling very sad and vulnerable at the moment.

Not wanting Li Xianyun to linger in sadness, he spoke cautiously, "Xianxian, where did this come from?"

Without looking up, Li Xianyun focused on tying the strings, "I wove it myself."

Weapons are divided into two categories: offense and defense, and she had studied both.

The soft armor was one of the defensive weapons she had researched; she wanted to weave several pieces, but alas, she didn’t have much time due to managing the affairs of Ji Shi Tang and later planning her escape from Murong Ce, so she had given it up completely.

When she left Chang’an, she thought to leave the soft armor at the Prince’s Mansion, but the prince and his wife wouldn’t allow it, insisting she bring it to the Khitan for self-defense.

She had no choice but to bring it to the Khitan.

In Yelu Yan’s eyes, there was an undeniable surprise. She always had so many unexpected things to offer him.

Li Xianyun was like a book, every page filled with surprises, making one unable to stop reading, eagerly anticipating what comes next.

After tying the strings, Li Xianyun looked at the garment and said, "Turn around."

Yelu Yan did as he was told and turned around.

Li Xianyun then pulled his arm, making him face her again, "It fits well, it’s for you, you must wear it every day."

"This garment would be of more use to you," he said, "I would like you to wear it..."

"You wear it," she insisted.

Li Xianyun said as she embraced Yelu Yan’s rigid waist, pressing her cheek against his chest where she could clearly hear his strong heartbeat and smell the lingering scent of soap on his body.

Yelu Yan was taken aback for a moment, then extended his arms, hugging her back, pressing his chiseled cheek against her soft hair.

He was now quite certain that Li Xianyun’s nightmare had featured him, and that his own ordeal in the dream had not been a pleasant one.

Yelu Yan’s heart swelled with joy; his Xianxian had fallen for him.

But then his thoughts darkened as if plummeting into an abyss.

Li Xianyun was always considerate of others. If she realized her presence would cause him trouble or danger, would she think of leaving him again?

At that thought, Yelu Yan tightened his arms, closing his eyes in sorrow as if letting go would mean losing her.

After a moment, Yelu Yan reached out to lift Li Xianyun’s delicate face, gazing at her fondly, then slowly lowered his head.

Knowing what he intended to do, Li Xianyun tilted her beautiful face upward and slowly closed her eyes in cooperation.

Yelu Yan parted his lips to encompass Li Xianyun’s, kissing her passionately.

Relieved after the nightmare and infatuated with the tenderness before her, Li Xianyun responded with deep affection.

She reached out with her tender arms, stood on tiptoes to encircle Yelu Yan’s neck, opening her lips to let him in and, at the same time, cautiously responded.

Yelu Yan held her slender waist and lovely back tightly, leaning down to nearly encircle her, lifting her off the ground.

Compared to his broad and sturdy body and strong, muscular arms, Li Xianyun seemed far too delicate, like a small bird wholly at his mercy.

Li Xianyun was kissed into a daze by him, and by the time she came to her senses, she found herself already lying on the bed.