Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Mei Shuang felt a cold sweat break out all over her body in an instant. She was completely unarmed, and any sudden movement would likely send her into a panic. She could only blame herself for sleeping so soundly earlier. Moreover, in the middle of the night, in such a state of undress, even if she wanted to escape, it wouldn't be appropriate.
"Don't move." A low voice from behind her sounded like thunder, and the chill around her neck made Mei Shuang freeze in place.
It seemed that the people here were accustomed to ambushes.
"Ah ah—" Mei Shuang swallowed hard, gripping the handkerchief tightly to prevent it from falling due to her fright. She feigned calmness and said, "Let's talk this out. You want money, right?"
There was no response.
As Mei Shuang wondered about this, she suddenly heard a soft laugh beside her ear. "No, I want a person!"
Mei Shuang was taken aback. Kidnapping?!
Thinking this, the handkerchief wrapped around her chest nearly slipped away. She tightened it and stammered, "W-what person do you want?"
"Right in front of you."
Mei Shuang could tell that such a calm tone was definitely not something a petty thief would have. Moreover, the fact that the person had easily subdued her without any noise indicated they had been lurking here, waiting for her to wake up. The cool sensation around her neck made Mei Shuang's heart race. "Y-you, who are you?"
"No need to ask. Put on your clothes and come with me." The person lowered their gleaming weapon against Mei Shuang's waist and handed her clothes.
Hearing this, Mei Shuang finally realized she was nearly naked. Her face flushed as she felt relieved; at least their intentions were clear—it wasn't an attempt at assault.
Mei Shuang took the clothes and reminded the person to turn around before hurriedly rummaging through her belongings for another set of men's clothing. Once dressed, she adjusted the collar to feel more secure. She couldn't afford to be careless with all her possessions.
Following the stranger's instructions, Mei Shuang stepped toward the door.
Just as she exited the room, they ran into a night watchman passing by who looked at them curiously. "Hey there, young man, what are you doing out at this hour?"
Mei Shuang forced a smile. "The riverside scenery is nice at night, isn't it? Just going out for some fresh air..."
"Don't wander too far; it's dangerous by the river at night..."
Watching the night watchman leave, Mei Shuang felt speechless. The person following her remained silent, occasionally poking the tip of their knife into her lower back to indicate which way she should go.
After exiting the inn, the only sound was the crunch of fallen leaves underfoot along the riverside path.
As Mei Shuang surveyed her surroundings, she cautiously asked, "Did Lin Yuanwai send you?"
There was no response.
Being coerced was certainly uncomfortable, especially with the occasional tightness at her waist that made her feel inexplicably tense.
After walking along the riverbank for a while, Mei Shuang noticed a tendency to move away from the river. Once she left the riverside, her fate would become uncertain. Clearly, as soon as they passed the reeds by the river, her destiny would no longer be in her hands.
The stranger following Mei Shuang was about to direct her to leave the riverside when suddenly he slipped. He froze for a moment and bent down to help when Mei Shuang unexpectedly rolled to the side and fell into the river.
This sudden turn of events took the stranger by surprise; he clearly hadn't anticipated that Mei Shuang had such skills. He couldn't determine whether this woman chose to end it all rather than go with him or if she was genuinely attempting to escape.
All he could see was a splash where Mei Shuang had fallen, and then she vanished from sight. The darkness of night made it impossible to see what was happening in the water.
In a panic, he looked around. Under the dim light of candles by the riverside, the river surface appeared calm. If someone had come ashore not far away, he would still be able to see them; however, if she remained submerged for too long, even a deity would struggle to survive.
After searching along the riverbank for a while, he decisively left.
---
"What?! You say she fell into the river?!"
The Prefect Lord Xu, who had just been eagerly awaiting news, suddenly erupted in anger. "Useless! Good-for-nothing! Do you know how deep that river is? That woman will either drown or freeze to death!"
Nearby, Lin Yuanwai's eyes widened when he heard that this precious little scholar was actually a woman. Looking at his son beside him, who showed no surprise, he realized that his son must have known all along. No wonder he stubbornly insisted on keeping that little scholar around.
Had he known earlier, perhaps he would have kept this little scholar safe; instead, he had unknowingly driven away a noble person and incurred Lord Xu's wrath.
As soon as Mei Shuang fell into the water, Lin Yuan nearly went mad. "No! I have to save her!"
Lord Xu's face turned ashen. "Come on! Count the people. I will go personally! If she's alive, I want to see her; if she's dead, I want to see her corpse! Lin Yuan, you better pray she’s okay; otherwise, I will hold you responsible!"
Lin Yuan's face immediately turned pale, and he collapsed to the ground.
---
It wasn't until she saw that agile figure leave and confirmed there were no more ambushes around that Mei Shuang, hiding a hundred meters away under the bridge with only half her head and nose above water, slowly surfaced.
Although it was already summer, the river water at night was still somewhat chilly. After being soaked for over half an hour, Mei Shuang was thoroughly frozen. Once the danger was gone, she began sneezing continuously, her wet clothes clinging to her body, making her shiver all over.
Regardless of the circumstances, danger lurked everywhere here; she had to leave quickly in the morning.
She glanced into the distance; the inn was hidden in darkness, with only a few scattered fishing lights flickering along the shore like will-o'-the-wisps. Since she had already been targeted, it seemed returning to the inn was not an option.
She wiped her face dry, shivered again, and tiredly swam toward the bridge. Just as she was about to get ashore, a shadow suddenly flashed on the bridge.
She cautiously sank back down into the water and suddenly felt that the figure looked somewhat familiar.
The shadow stopped in the middle of the bridge and said in a low voice, "Come out. This place is not safe for long; hurry and leave with me."
Yun Kong?
When Mei Shuang recognized that it was indeed Yun Kong—the one she had shaken off during dinner—she was taken aback. How did he find her? Did he know she was hiding here?
She steadied herself and remained silent in her hiding spot.
Yun Kong continued in a low voice, "I know you don't trust me, but I advise you to leave immediately. It won't be long before they return, and by then, even if you had wings, you wouldn't be able to escape."
Mei Shuang pondered for a moment and asked, "Have you been following me? Who are they?"
Hearing Mei Shuang speak, Yun Kong let out a sigh of relief, his tone carrying a hint of urgency. "Now is not the time for this; you need to leave and hide quickly."
Looking at the dark River Surface, Mei Shuang asked, "That night at Dazhao Temple's Palace, was it you who threw in the note?"
Silence.
Mei Shuang smirked slightly, a teasing curve forming on her lips. "If my dear sister Mei Ru knew that her people used a statue of Buddha to tell me the truth about our fraternal conflict, what do you think she would feel?"
Yun Kong pressed his lips tightly together, remaining silent.
Mei Shuang emerged from the water and walked up to Yun Kong, quietly observing him for a moment before asking, "Where to?"
---
The moon broke through the thick clouds, casting its light on the densely wooded path, as if draping a thin veil over the lush grove, making everything appear hazy and mysterious.
The sound of rustling leaves filled the air as two agile figures swiftly navigated through the forest.
As they neared the edge of the grove, panting heavily, Mei Shuang wiped the sweat from her forehead and clung to a small tree. "I... I really can't run anymore. Can we take a break...?"
Yun Kong glanced at the sky and listened intently to the surrounding sounds. Frowning slightly, he decisively crouched down and whispered to Mei Shuang, "Come on, I'll carry you."
Mei Shuang was taken aback and hesitated. "Is that really okay?"
Without waiting for her response, Yun Kong stepped forward and lifted Mei Shuang onto his back, softly instructing her, "Don't make a sound; they've already followed us..."
Mei Shuang stiffened at his words but immediately wrapped her arms around Yun Kong's neck and urged anxiously, "Then let's hurry..."
Yun Kong's skills were impressive; carrying Mei Shuang felt effortless. She could only hear the wind whistling past her ears as they swiftly exited the grove.
Once out of the grove, they found themselves in an expansive field filled with towering Cornfields.
Being carried on someone's back is certainly not the same as riding in a vehicle. Even though Yun Kong was highly skilled, carrying Mei Shuang felt as effortless as carrying a burden. However, Mei Shuang felt unusually uncomfortable.
She lay on Yun Kong's solid and strong back, constantly feeling the tension of his muscles as he ran, along with the warmth of his skin against hers. Her clothes were damp, clinging to her body, creating a sensation that was both cold and stiff—truly a clash of ice and fire.
In fact, Yun Kong did not fare much better than Mei Shuang. Her well-defined curves pressed against his back, and every jolt from running brought their bodies closer together. Even through their clothes, he could still feel the softness of her chest, igniting a fire on his back. Especially when she breathed, the fragrance of her presence brushed against his ear, causing his skin to shiver slightly.
After setting Mei Shuang down, Yun Kong noticed that her wet clothes clung tightly to her body, revealing her graceful curves while making her shiver all over.
Seeing Yun Kong staring at her with deep eyes made Mei Shuang feel embarrassed. She turned away and awkwardly asked, "How do we proceed from here?"
There was no response. Turning around, she realized that Yun Kong had vanished from sight. Just then, she saw him emerge from the cornfield wearing only a white shirt and holding his monk robe.
When he handed it to Mei Shuang, his expression was somewhat unnatural. "Put this on..."
Although Mei Shuang was surprised, she couldn't refuse; it was indeed too cold.
Yun Kong turned his back to her, while Mei Shuang took the robe that still held his body heat and headed into the cornfield.
Comment 0 Comment Count