The Princess and Her Rough-Rider Khan-Chapter 99: Khan 0: Will you abandon me? (Second update)

The little girl said, "Goddess Sister, you can’t fool me, it must be your husband who won’t let you dance. You’re so beautiful, he’s afraid you’ll run away."

Her companion nodded in agreement, "I heard the adults say that you need to keep a closer eye on really beautiful women."

Truly, the innocence of children knows no bounds.

Li Xianyun laughed, "What on Earth have you kids been filling your heads with?"

Er Ya, seeing Yelu Yan glance over, boldly asked, "Uncle, are we right?"

Yelu Yan was taken aback. How old did he look?

They called Li Xianyun ’sister’ and him ’uncle’—a whole generation apart.

Li Xianyun obviously noticed this too and couldn’t help covering her mouth with her pale hand as she laughed.

This was the first time Yelu Yan had seen Li Xianyun so happy. Well, he’d forgive those two clueless little girls.

He spoke with a grave and serious tone, "You’re right, your Goddess Sister is too beautiful, and I’m afraid she might not want me anymore."

Yelu Yan said this with a smile looking towards Li Xianyun.

The affection that lay hidden in his tiger eyes was ready to leap forth.

Li Xianyun took it as him just playing with the children and didn’t take it to heart. As a result, she didn’t notice the intensity in Yelu Yan’s gaze as he watched her, nor the deep and profound affection hidden within his dark, tiger eyes.

If she had only glanced his way, she would have realized that many things had changed and were slowly diverging from her first assumptions.

Upon hearing his words, the two little girls immediately started chattering away.

"Uncle, what you’re doing isn’t right. You can’t stop Goddess Sister from dancing just because she is pretty. She’d be so bored and so sad."

"Yeah, besides, you should be confident. You’re not bad-looking yourself, Goddess Sister won’t leave you," another little girl added.

Now that was a fairly pleasing thing to say.

Yelu Yan looked towards Li Xianyun and asked with a smile, "Would you leave me?"

His question was quite suggestive.

Li Xianyun was momentarily stunned, then laughed, "Are you done teasing the children and now you’re teasing me?"

Perhaps it was the evening breeze that intoxicated, or the fine wine, but Li Xianyun’s speech had become a bit more casual.

Yelu Yan’s lips curved into a meaningful smile as he leaned in to say something, but upon looking up and seeing a few young girls approaching, he stopped himself.

The girls had originally been too shy to ask Li Xianyun to dance but, noticing that she was having a pleasant conversation with Er Ya and seemed friendly, they mustered the courage to approach her.

One of the girls, looking at Yelu Yan, asked, "Benefactor, may we have your wife join us in the dance?"

Yelu Yan turned his head to Li Xianyun with a smile, "Do you want to go?"

Li Xianyun nodded her head.

"Then go ahead," Yelu Yan said with a smile.

The two little girls exclaimed joyfully, "That’s wonderful!!"

No wonder the two little girls had asked Li Xianyun why she wasn’t dancing from the start—they’d had plans all along.

Li Xianyun walked hand in hand with a little girl on each side toward the bonfire with the young girls.

Although she was gentle and serene by nature, she also loved lively atmospheres.

Having observed a mixed group of men and women dancing merrily around the bonfire from afar, Li Xianyun had been eager to join in.

She reached the edge of the bonfire with the girls, and they joined hands to form a circle with the others.

They danced to the chanting tunes coming from the group’s chants.

Their dance was very simple.

First, they circled around the bonfire, tiptoeing and gently kicking their legs—two kicks with each leg, left and right—then they released hands to clap before drawing in close to the fire again, stepping back to form a large circle, then spinning in a turn after releasing hands, and joining hands once more to kick their legs.

So it went on, over and over.

Other than not knowing the songs, Li Xianyun quickly caught up with the rhythm and danced along.

Yelu Yan lifted his cup to his lips, watching Li Xianyun amidst the crowd.

She was as lively and adorable as a small lark.

Flames blazed in Yelu Yan’s eyes, and those flames had reached all the way into his heart.

He tipped back his head, downing the wine in one gulp, yet his gaze never left Li Xianyun.

The bonfire banquet didn’t end until late, with the village chief and the herders seeing Yelu Yan and Li Xianyun off into the carriage.

The two waved goodbye to the herders.

The carriage had traveled quite a distance, but through the carriage window, Li Xianyun could still see the herders standing there, watching them go.

Behind the herders, the bonfire was now dimming.

Yelu Yan glanced outside and said to Jinwu, "Take it to them."

Jinwu bowed, striking his arm in salute. "Yes!"

With that, he spurred his horse into a wild gallop toward the group of herders.

Li Xianyun parted her red lips and asked, "Khan, are you sending Jinwu to give them silver notes?"

With a playful smile on his lips, Yelu Yan teased her with his look, laughing, "How did you know?"

By the end of the day, their interactions seemed to have become much more relaxed.

Li Xianyun laughed, "You don’t look like someone who takes without giving."

Seeing the herders living modestly, she wanted to leave them some silver notes but Yelu Yan had not made any move, and she felt it wasn’t appropriate for her to do so.

And she didn’t want Yelu Yan to discover she was actually quite wealthy.

Yelu Yan laughed as he looked at her, "I’ll take that as a compliment."

Li Xianyun pursed her lips and smiled.

Yelu Yan continued, "If I had offered silver notes directly, they definitely would have refused. It’s different when Jinwu brings it. If he fails his errand, I would punish him for his crime, so naturally they will accept."

Old fox.

Yelu Yan looked at her and asked with a laugh, "Are you calling me an old fox?"

Li Xianyun’s lips parted in surprise, a blush touching them. Could he read minds?

His ability to perceive people’s hearts was too strong.

Li Xianyun pursed her lips again and looked away from him.

Leaning against the carriage wall, Yelu Yan watched her with amusement and said, "Angry because I saw through your thoughts?"

Li Xianyun glanced at him, then lowered her head, fiddling with her long, delicate fingers, and muttered softly, "Not at all."

Watching Li Xianyun’s adorable behavior, Yelu Yan smiled, "Doesn’t it tire you to keep your head down like this?"

"Not tired."

Li Xianyun realized Yelu Yan was suddenly talking a lot more. It was really strange.

Yelu Yan smiled and moved to the innermost part of the carriage, casually propping a leg on a seat.

He glanced at Li Xianyun again, his mouth curving slightly, then slowly closed his eyes.

After a while, Li Xianyun lifted her head.

She found Yelu Yan sleeping with his eyes closed, so she too quietly moved inside the carriage, leaned against the wall, and closed her eyes.

There were two things she could not endure, one was not being able to take a bath, and the other was not being able to sleep well.

The night deepened, and Li Xianyun had become extremely sleepy.

Leaning against the carriage wall, she listened to the faint sounds of the wheels rolling over the ground, felt the swaying of the carriage, and soon fell asleep.

A while later, Yelu Yan opened his eyes and saw Li Xianyun leaning against the carriage wall, her eyes closed, and her thick eyelashes casting shadows on her lovely little face.

Her breathing was even, she was sound asleep.

How could this woman be so adorable?