Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
"Ah-choo, ah—choo!" Ouyang Zixin woke up from her dream, her nose itching, causing her to sneeze a few times. She pulled at her clothes, puzzled that there was no wind and it wasn't cold in the Underground Palace, so why was she sneezing? She couldn't even be bothered to open her eyes, turned over in place, rubbed her nose, and prepared to go back to sleep.
"Take better care of yourself." A cool voice came through, startling Ouyang Zixin into opening her eyes wide. It was none other than Yun Tianmo's indifferent yet handsome face, though it was a bit too close for comfort.
"Step back a little. Don't you know that scaring someone can be deadly?" Upon realizing it was him, Ouyang Zixin relaxed again, shifting her position to lean against his shoulder. "Just don't move; your face can stay back."
Perhaps because Yun Tianmo had said something earlier that led Nangong Tuo to misunderstand, the resting spots of the few people in the Underground Palace were quite far apart. At this moment, Nangong Tuo likely had no intention of disturbing Ouyang Zixin. So Yun Tianmo naturally seized the opportunity and came over openly.
Feigning indifference initially, a warmth surfaced on Yun Tianmo's face as Ouyang Zixin snuggled up like a little cat. The corners of his mouth curled into a pleasing arc. With a long arm, he pulled Ouyang Zixin into his embrace, resting her head between his neck. "Did you catch a chill?"
Ouyang Zixin shook her head, squinting her eyes in a comfortable manner. "It's just that my nose suddenly itched, and I couldn't help but sneeze. Maybe someone is talking bad about me behind my back..." Her voice grew softer until it was almost inaudible. It seemed she was truly very sleepy.
Yun Tianmo decided not to engage her further in conversation and quietly held her close while his mind wandered back to the conversation he had with Nangong Yao before entering the Millennium Ruins—
That day. Still at Leaving the Royal Palace, only the two of them were present in the grand hall.
In the past three years, under the operation of the Royal Trading Company, Nangong Yao had gained considerable benefits from Dream Nation. Coupled with the elixirs promised by Cloud Nation, he could practically wake up laughing in his sleep. So when Yun Tianmo sought out Nangong Yao this time, he readily agreed to meet him.
"I wonder what brings the Ink King to summon me?" A gleam shone brightly in Nangong Yao's eyes; he knew that every time Yun Tianmo came around, there would be good news. Indeed, agreeing to collaborate with him had proven to be a wise decision.
Yun Tianmo slightly tilted his head to look at Nangong Yao on the throne and noted the rosy glow on his face, indicating he was in a good mood. He then spoke: "Sovereign, I hope all is well. I come today on behalf of the Cloud Kingdom Ruler to reiterate Cloud Nation's determination to maintain good relations with Exiled Nation."
Upon hearing this diplomatic talk from Yun Tianmo, a shadow flickered across Nangong Yao's eyes; he realized that Yun Tianmo was merely speaking in platitudes. If that were all there was to it, he wouldn't need to personally entertain Yun Tianmo.
Yun Tianmo paused slightly before continuing: "Are your elixirs still sufficient?"
"Not bad." Nan Gong Yao leaned back, lazily saying, "Three percent, how can that be enough?"
Nan Gong Yao was indeed insatiable and wanted more.
Yun Tianmo sneered inwardly; however, this was fine. Once a person developed greed, many things became much easier to handle.
"The three-year agreement we made..."
Nan Gong Yao was taken aback upon hearing this. He had actually forgotten about it; they had agreed to cooperate for three years, and whether to continue afterward would need further discussion. Over the past few years, he had indeed enjoyed many benefits and had forgotten such an important matter. "If the Ink King hadn't mentioned it, I would have truly forgotten about it, hahaha..."
"Cloud Nation still has quite a few elixirs." Yun Tianmo then threw out the bait. He wasn't worried that Nan Gong Yao wouldn't take the hook; having become accustomed to good elixirs, how could he possibly be interested in other herbs?
Sure enough, when Nan Gong Yao heard Yun Tianmo's words, he sat up straight and dropped any pretense, directly asking, "How do we cooperate? Speak."
Since they were going to talk, they naturally needed to be open and clear about their conditions; this was a mutual understanding.
"Other conditions are easy to handle, but what about this annual request?" Nan Gong Yao was somewhat puzzled. Yun Tianmo actually proposed that Exiled Nation agree to one personal request from him each year; this condition seemed a bit hard to understand.
This was a transaction between nations; wanting to gain benefits from it wasn't unreasonable. However, what kind of "personal request" could it possibly be?
"Absolutely no harm to Exiled Nation's interests." Yun Tianmo's request for one thing each year sounded somewhat excessive, but if it was based on a personal standpoint, it didn't seem entirely unacceptable. "It could also be considered a private agreement between me and the Sovereign."
"Not from the Sovereign's standpoint, but from a personal one?" A glint of calculation flashed in Nan Gong Yao's eyes. As the Sovereign, many matters could easily escalate to an imperial level with just a thought. If Yun Tianmo made some absurd request later on, he could simply say it affected the empire's interests and that he couldn't agree—problem solved.
Seeing the calculating look in that old fox's eyes, Yun Tianmo also sneered inwardly, lowering his head to hide his disdain. What he wanted was never the promise of Exiled Nation's Sovereign but rather Nan Gong Yao's commitment. "Very well."
Of course, for now, they were only discussing their respective conditions and interests; nothing could be decided immediately. Moreover, Yun Tianmo had no intention of finalizing anything right away. His plan had always been to wait until after the Millennium Ruins matter was settled before solidifying this agreement.
At this moment, Nan Gong Yao was not in a hurry; after all, he still had some elixirs left to use. It was better to postpone this matter to avoid letting Yun Tianmo's arrogance grow too rampant.
That day, they did not reach an agreement, and unexpectedly, Nan Gong Yao instructed Nangong Tuo to come back and discuss with him again. It seemed that Exiled Nation's demand for elixirs was indeed quite significant.
"Mm." Yun Tianmo was lost in thought when the little person in his arms suddenly squirmed, seemingly uncomfortable from maintaining one position for too long, mumbling in her sleep.
Yun Tianmo carefully shifted his body, intending to help Ouyang Zixin find a more comfortable position. To his surprise, the Little Woman woke up, looked at him with sleepy eyes, and said, "Not asleep? Or did I wake you?"
"Not asleep." Yun Tianmo affectionately rubbed her nose. She had just woken up, her face flushed with a peachy hue that made one want to bite into it.
As Yun Tianmo slowly lowered his head, Ouyang Zixin instinctively closed her eyes and slightly pouted her lips. However, instead of the anticipated kiss, she felt a sharp pain on her cheek. "Ouch!"
This man—was he a dog? He actually bit her!
Yun Tianmo looked at Ouyang Zixin's pouting lips and couldn't help but laugh. He gently caressed her cheek and whispered, "Be quiet; someone might hear us."
Ouyang Zixin gazed at the man who was smiling mischievously and thought to herself, "Am I dreaming?"
"Whether you are or not, you'll find out if you try." With that, Yun Tianmo lowered his head again and sealed her rosy lips. He only released her when she was breathless from gasping for air. "So? Are you dreaming?"
"Rogue!" Ouyang Zixin poked his chest hard while sweetly scolding him. (To be continued.)
Comment 0 Comment Count