My Beloved Enemy

4. Bugs!

The next six days were almost the same. The convoy moved towards the Kingdom of Du all day while Yu Qiao Bai was talking non-stop either with himself or with Chun Hua, and when it was dusk, they got used to going into a random inn.

During those six days, Du YuShi realized how weird Yu Qiao Bai was. He never: ate something warm, sat by the fire, had breakfast or left his room after midnight. Also, he always looked so tired in the mornings. Although Du YuShi genuinely wondered the reason, he never asked as he didn't want the others to think he cared about the annoying prince.

Strangely enough, sometimes Du YuShi found himself looking at Yu Qiao Bai's direction, and again strangely enough, sometimes he didn't look so ghostly to his eyes, but rather mesmerising. As Du YuShi was adamant not to admit that out loud, he consoled himself by saying he was looking at Yu Qiao Bai because he was a weird creature, not because he was weirdly beautiful.

After those monotonous six days, the convoy arrived at a forest road. Suddenly, Yu Qiao Bai told them to stop and checked around hastily. He jumped off the carriage and went to the other one, then he came out and showed them two small white bottles.

"This forest is famous for its weird bugs which sting on your skin and don't let go until you kill them, so we should apply this ointment," he reached one bottle to Du YuShi who didn't move a muscle.

"A few bugs won't do any harm, princess," he snorted and his soldiers agreed whole-heartedly, except Dong Feng who looked hesitant.

"I assure you these are not ordinary bugs," Yu Qiao Bai pressed as he tried all the soldiers, but no one received the bottle.

"Nevermind Ge! Let them die out of pain, then you will be free," Chun Hua uttered and got one bottle from Yu Qiao Bai's hand. She applied some to the prince's face and hands before she did the same for herself. Then the convoy entered the forest road.

Two incense sticks of time passed without an incident, but then, the Du soldiers started to yelp with pain and itch themselves frantically.

"WHAT IS IT?!"

"WHY IT HURTS SO BAD?!"

"Ge told you, haha," Chun Hua was extremely happy to see them suffering.

"SHUT UP! IT IS JUST A FEW BITES!" Du YuShi yelled at his soldiers although he was suffering as bad as them.

"It will get worse, General, so let us help," Yu Qiao Bai offered help, but Du YuShi's pride didn't let him accept the generous offer.

"No need!"

Well, another incense stick of time and all Du soldiers were on the ground, convulsing with pain.

"Ge, let's leave them here and go back to the capital," the soldiers heard Chun Hua's words and froze with fear.

"Such a devil I raised!" Yu Qiao Bai exclaimed with fake astonishment before crouching in front of Du YuShi.

"If you ask me nicely, I will help you all. Otherwise, you will all die, itching yourselves to your bones," he said threateningly with a strange glint in his bottomless black eyes.

"General please..." Dong Feng pleaded as the pain was worse than a stab wound.

"Help... them..." Du YuShi begged through his teeth. His pride was still intact, but he wouldn't let his soldiers die because of it.

"Well well," the prince beamed and nodded at Chun Hua who went to the carriage with lazy steps. Then, Yu Qiao Bai made the soldiers sit side by side and exposed their upper bodies. Luckily, the soldiers were in so much pain that they didn't have any time to get embarrassed... except Du YuShi.

When Chun Hua returned with another ointment bottle with equally lazy steps, Yu Qiao Bai poured a bit of the content to his right palm and smashed it to the backs of the soldiers one by one with some qi energy. With the action, all the bugs on them died instantly and fell off.

"Better?" Yu Qiao Bai asked mockingly as he towered the still sitting soldiers.

"Yes, thank you so much, Your Highness," Dong Feng thanked him, making the others aghast.

Hearing the sincere reply, Yu Qiao Bai and Chun Hua smiled softly and she even helped Dong Feng to his feet.

"I hope you learned to take my advice seriously," the prince said nonchalantly and returned to his carriage with Chun Hua.

Behind them, all eyes turned to Dong Feng.

"How could you thank him that nicely?" Ren Jing snorted.

"You even called him Your Highness!" Wu Bo exclaimed with wide open eyes.

"He chose to save our lives instead of running away," Dong Feng said, looking at them one by one, "you should stop being so arrogant."

Although Dong Feng didn't give a name, Du YuShi knew his words were directed to him as he was their commander. He also knew Dong Feng was right, so he didn't say anything, rather stood up and rearranged his robes, then went back to his horse.

The others followed the general's suit, but not before throwing daggers at Dong Feng with their eyes.

Fortunately, the forest road came to an end soon and the convoy reached a small village. As usual Yu Qiao Bai insisted on staying there for the night and the others couldn't argue after what happened on the forest road.

Like usual, they sat separately and ordered separately, and when Yu Qiao Bai was done with his cold dishes, he went to his room, followed by Chun Hua.

The Du soldiers passed the night by boozing.

The next morning, Chun Hua didn't appear for breakfast, so after breakfast, Dong Feng volunteered to call them. However, he appeared only with Chun Hua.

"General, can we stay a bit more here? The prince needs to rest," she almost begged him.

"What happened again?" Du YuShi asked with a tiny bit of concern.

"He used too much qi energy on you yesterday, so he drained himself," Chun Hua explained while playing with her fingers restlessly.

"Hmm," Du YuShi raised to his feet, "let me see him."

Chun Hua was telling the truth, Yu Qiao Bai was lying on the mattress lifelessly, his face deadly pale and his breathing shallow. The prince of Du didn't like the scene, but his face was indifferent.

"Well, we have to go," Du YuShi said and Chun Hua tugged his sleeve.

"Please don't wake him up, let him rest! Look at him, he is so pale..."

Du YuShi put his finger on his lips, shushing her, "you will wake him up," he whispered and went inside the room with soundless steps. Then he opened the blanket and gathered Yu Qiao Bai's sleeping body in his arms gently and carried him to his carriage in bridal style, even surprising himself.

The Du soldiers and Chun Hua watched the scene with disbelieved eyes, but Du YuShi didn't notice their reaction as his focus was solely on how cold and thin Yu Qiao Bai was; he could literally feel his cold bones under his garment.

No wonder you are unwell most of the time, he murmured as he placed the ghost-like figure into the carriage carefully.

Then the convoy hit the road again.