Chapter 169: ‘Night Battle’ in the Mountain Pass (II)
Quickly, these beddings were turned into cloth sheet, acting as curtains hanging on the two sides of the bed. From outside, the interior of these curtains could not be seen at all.
At this time, Lin Xin had just returned from washing his face, and regrouped with the others to stand there slack jawed in astonishment.
Wang Yuanyuan and Chen Ying’er shared a glance, and abruptly jumped up, hastily pulling two other empty beds together. Clearly, these two ladies wanted to learn from Cai’er’s example. After all, they were girls who, unlike guys, emphasized more on privacy. Cai’er’s demonstration no doubt reminded them of that.
After completing everything, Cai’er returned to Long Haochen’s side and pulled his hand, saying a sentence that nearly brought Long Haochen to tears.
“This is our home now.”
Long Haochen’s original shyness and embarrassment completely vanished, and as if he had totally forgotten about the others present, he pulled Cai’er into his embrace in a single move.
Added up, the two simple wooden beds occupied a space of four square meters. With the addition of a few wooden sticks and rags surrounding them, this was their first home. Although it was simple and crude, Long Haochen could see that Cai’er was very happy of it. From the shape that her brows had taken, satisfaction and happiness was clearly written across her face. Cai’er wasn’t too demanding; all she wanted was to have a home. Even if it was even more simple than this home, as long as she could be together with the one she loved, she would already be very satisfied.
“Cai’er, I promise you. From now on, I will definitely give you a warm home; it will be our home.”
Cai’er cuddled her head near his shoulder and answered with a soft ‘yeah’.
Lin Xin, Sima Xian, and Han Yu’s faces were dripping with envy. Long Hao Chen was the youngest male in the squad, yet he already had a considerably close female friend. Their relationship truly aroused other people’s jealousy.
Feeling everyone’s gazes, Long Haochen lifted his head and looked at them with his red face, saying, “A moment ago, Battalion Commander Zhang said that we could be called to battle at anytime. For now, everyone should use their time wisely and rest a bit.” As he said this, he hugged Cai’er and directly entered into the canopy, into their home…
With any other person, based on their personalities, Lin Xin and Sima Xian would’ve definitely started teasing. However, they truly did not dare do so with Long Haochen. Long Haochen wasn’t really the issue, but they really did not want to have Cai’er’s murderous killing intent directed at them. Anybody could see that only Long Haochen occupied her heart, and that she did not care much about anything beyond him.
“Hey, you guys still aren’t coming over to help?” Chen Ying’er waved her hands towards Sima Xian and Han Yu. She was only a summoner, and to have pushed the bed over was already pretty good from her.
Sima Xuan chuckled and said, “Little Sister Ying’er, Let me help you.”
Chen Ying’er hastily shook her head as she replied, “Never mind, I’ll just have Big Brother Han Yu come help me. Once that big metal stick of yours swings down, the bed is just going to crack. How can it be used to support anything?”
Dark veins popped out on Sima Xian’s head, “What are you calling a big metal stick? This thing of mine is a magic staff.”
Chen Ying’er stuck out her tongue, “Ask everyone here, who would think of that as a staff?”
Han Yu walked over with a slight smile on his face and drew out his heavy sword, getting to work helping Chen Ying’er.
Long Haochen was together with Cai’er on their bed, with the latter nestling against his bosom, her eyes completely shut. Because of what she experienced as a child, Cai’er had grown with a contrasting personality, fundamentally different from the other youths; she didn’t care what others thought of her at all. To her, that day when she fell asleep on Long Haochen’s bosom was the sweetest night she had ever had since she was three years-old. Sleeping under his warm embrace, Cai’er rested without being woken up by a nightmare or a chill coming from the depths of her heart. Although it happened only once, she really liked this warm and cosy feeling she had at that moment. At least, the time when she was nestling against his bosom while listening to his heartbeat was the most blessed moment Cai’er could think of.
But on the rest of their hastened journey, because Long Haochen was afraid of doing something obscene to her or that his comrades would be discontented, he never shared a room with her again.
In these living quarters for ten people, Cai’er could not hold her expectation for this warmth anymore, thus taking the initiating of setting up this temporary home. This was a small home, but to her, it was far enough.
Nestling against Long Haochen’s bosom, she pulled down the veil covering her little face, revealing a satisfied expression.
“Toc, toc toc.” The door could be heard being knocked.
“Who’s it!?” Sima Xian shouted out this question loudly.
“Hello, I am looking for Cai’er.” From outside, a gentle and excited; though somewhat muffled, voice was heard.
Hearing this voice, Cai’er who was previously lying down on Long Haochen’s bosom was shaken, slowly opening her both eyes. Wrinkling her eyebrows, from the looks of it, she didn’t like the holder of this voice at all.
Sima Xian opened the door of his room. A single person was waiting outside; it was that mage regiment commander they had seen previously in the conference hall, the Hall Master of the Mage Temple of Exorcist City, Lan Yanyu.
“Hall Master Lan?” After blanking out for a little instant, Sima Xian hastingly paid respect to her.
Lan Yanyu revealed a reluctant smile, inquiring, “Is Cai’er there? I am looking for her.”
Sima Xian nodded before hurriedly opening up a path, replying, “There, please enter.”
“Thank you.” Lan Yanyu entered these living quarters. Standing there, she couldn’t directly see Cai’er. Her path of view was naturally obstructed by the sort of curtains formed with the bedclothes’ cloth, acting as a frame.
“Please return, I am resting right now.” Cai’er’s cold voice was transmitted from the bed. Long Haochen, whose bosom was still pressed against her, could see the blatant hostility that came out from her body, forming a chill in the nearby air.
Lan Yanyu revealed a distressed look, hurrying to her bedside, “Cai’er, mommy just wants to take a little look at you!”
Mommy? Hearing that, the others couldn’t help but look absolutely shocked. This Mage Temple Hall Master of Exorcist City was actually Cai’er’s very own mother!
“There’s no need, you should have already seen me a little earlier, in the conference hall. Please return.” As before, Cai’er’s voice was very cold and severe.
“Cai’er, don’t be like that.” Long Haochen said in a low voice. As a pure boy with filial piety, seeing that Cai’er had a such cold relationship with her own mother, he found it hard to take, and couldn’t help but let this remark slip.
But this careless remark was naturally heard by Lan Yanyu, who was still standing outside. Immediately, her complexion changed greatly. With a stretch of hand, she lifted up the cloth curtains in front of her, happening to see Cai’er, who was leaning on Long Haochen’s body.
“You… You two…” Lan Yanyu was completely stupefied, her eyes immediately brimming with hot anger.
Cai’er sat straight, and coldly asked, “What about us?”
Lan Yanyu spoke out with both alarm and wrath, “How can you act like this? You are still just a kid.” Dense magic ripples immediately burst forth from her, her killing intent immediately locking on Long Haochen.
Cai’er was still only fourteen years-old; when seeing her daughter in the same bed as a man in such circumstances, any other mother wouldn’t be able to bear watching it.
Cai’er’s complexion changed, taking her veil to put it to her face. In a flash, a silhouette went down from the bed, getting in the way of Lan Yanyu. “Who allowed you to meddle in my affairs? This is the army camp and you are not a military officer, you have absolutely no authority, there. Please leave.”
At that moment, Long Haochen had also gone down from the bed, and pulling Cai’er’s hand, said in a low voice, “Cai’er, don’t be like that. Aunty has come specially to see you.”
Lan Yanyu glowered at Long Haochen, “We don’t need you to here to act like a nice guy. You… You dared take advantage from my daughter like that?! I am going to kill you.”
Rapidly, the temperature of the whole room plummeted, and with a lift of Lan Yanyu’s hand, a sharp ice cone flew out, aiming at Long Haochen.
With a flash of black light, dense killing intent instantly bursted forth from Cai’er’s body. Then, the ice cone shattered, turning into ice powder scattering in the air. In Cai’er’s right hand, a dark golden dagger instantly appeared, and in a flash, she arrived before Lan Yanyu. The sharp dagger was directly pointed to Lan Yanyu’s chest, accompanied with a voice that seemed as cold as winter.
“If you dare touch him, I’ll immediately kill you.”
Looking at the very near dark golden dagger, Lan Yanyu could only stare blankly, “Cai’er, I am your mother, you know!?”
Cai’er smiled coldly, “Mother? Where were you at that time, when great-grandfather threw me in that cold cave? In the year of my three years-old, my father and my mother already stopped existing. I have a single dear person, and that’s him. I’ll kill whoever tries to harm him.”
The wrath on Lan Yanyu’s face disappeared in an instant, and was replaced by extreme bitterness, with pale color.
“Cai’er, don’t tell me that in your heart, I am really just a stranger?“
Cai’er coldly spoke, “A stranger? When I was in great danger, despite not knowing me, he sheltered me from danger, protecting me with his own body. Facing an enemy he could not possibly compare to, he still protected me without the slightest hesitation. And he said that he would protect me for a lifetime. As for you? What have you done for me? I am this year fourteen, and in my memories are only training, training, coldness and pain. When I could not budge at all and had to stay lying down for two entire years, where were you? Don’t tell me that you were doing that for the sake of the Alliance, and so on, I don’t understand the ‘righteousness’ of your cause. All I know is that when I wanted to give up on life and part from this world forever, he was the one who recalled to my heart what warmth was, helping me to preserve a last bit of hope. ”
“Leave. Don’t ever show up in my presence again. I have already decided to cut all ties with you.”
Having heard such heartless words, Lan Yanyu stumbled two steps back, tears crazily falling down from her beautiful eyes. Looking at the ice-cold stubborn Cai’er a last time, she violently turned around and dashed out.
Long Haochen could feel that Cai’er’s body was shaking. How could she not be moved emotionally, right now? That person was after all her mother! After having spoken out such heartless words, could she possibly feel good?
Lightly grabbing her soft body, Long Haochen didn’t know what to say, and could only warm her up with his own body.
Cai’er murmured to him, “I will not cry for her sake, I have already cried far enough for her.
I am a parentless child, I am just a parentless child.”
Perhaps the others felt that Cai’er was a bit extreme, but everyone could imagine the kind of feelings she had when she was unable to hear, see, or move, but had to stay conscious for many years. What kind of torment could it be, to say nothing of how young Cai’er was at that time?