67 Chapter Sixty-Seven

"I happened to come here, and unexpectedly ran into you, Madam."

Chapter Sixty-Seven

Xie Lang hadn't expected to appear before her so soon.

But whether it was the scholar at the clinic's entrance or that Doctor Fu, they were all as annoying as locusts. Why didn't she coldly drive them away? Yet she had been so cold and indifferent to him back then.

When he came to his senses, he was already behind her, only to see her running frantically through the woods.

Why are you running?

His heart was heavy with resentment, a lump in his throat making it hard to breathe. The fire he had suppressed for half a year seemed to have been ignited by hot oil, bursting into flames with a furious intensity that almost pierced the top of his head!

I've never experienced such an explosive, suffocating feeling, not even when I was being stabbed or poisoned and passed out!

He always seemed to come alive when he was in her presence.

Xie Lang tugged at the corners of his lips. The thick fog couldn't hide him, but it threw her into disarray.

When she turned around and saw him again, her bright, sparkling gaze fell on him once more. A strange sense of satisfaction surged through his body like a torrent, making him tremble and causing his fingertips to quiver uncontrollably.

He glanced down at her trembling fingertips, stepping out of the last wisp of mist. Before he could react, his lips twitched and trembled as he raised them, “Madam, it’s been a long time.”

Finally, gazing at her again, he uttered the words "Madam," his tone carrying a strange, twisted, yet satisfied sigh.

Unfortunately, she didn't understand.

Liu Qingqing trembled all over, never expecting that he would actually follow her here!

As if reading her mind, he said in a light tone, "I just happened to come here and unexpectedly ran into you, Madam."

His tone was so natural, as if they were still very close in the Marquis's mansion, as if it were such a natural thing to run into her in this desolate mountain wilderness far from the capital!

But the voice was extremely hoarse, as if it had been deeply engraved with a carving knife, and every word seemed to be stained with blood, which was frightening.

Not to mention how far the capital is from Ying, even the main city of Ying is almost an hour's drive from this village!

Even if she were stupid, she would know that he wasn't just passing by; he must have come looking for her on purpose!

But why?

Could it be that he felt embarrassed by her?

Xie Lang was walking slowly towards her in front of her, while behind her was a deep cliff with layers of trees. Pebbles and gravel rolled under her shoes. She stepped back, and some pebbles were knocked off the cliff, hitting the rock face with two crackling sounds before being heard again.

Liu Qingqing knew that the cliff behind him was bottomless, but the man in front of him terrified him even more.

She never truly understood him, never really knew him.

Who knows if he would vent his anger by resorting to violence against her in this desolate wilderness after she suddenly left, causing him to lose face!

"Lord Xie"

She forced a sob to remain calm and said, "We have parted amicably. Now that we've crossed the bridge, we'll go our separate ways. The ladies of the capital are all beautiful and charming, so please, sir, don't make things difficult for me."

People have no choice but to bow their heads before power. She had to swallow her anger and speak softly: "I know it was wrong of me not to break off the engagement and force the marriage, but I am now aware of my own limitations. I will grant you your freedom as you wish. I thank you for your noble character. I hope you won't force a mere woman like me over such a trivial matter."

Although the tone was soft, it was laced with barbs.

Xie Lang laughed deeply, laughing at her, and also at himself.

She has changed a lot...

The laughter, so hoarse and chilling, sent shivers down the spine in the eerie, dense forest. It startled the birds in the trees, causing them to take flight.

Force a marriage?

Do they have self-awareness?

Give him his freedom?

High moral character? Or was she forced?

He came looking for his wife, but in her eyes, he was forcing her?

It's her skill to make every word in a short sentence sound unbearably harsh.

Xie Lang now knows that she is not as obedient as she seems; she is extremely capable!

“No.” He said in a deep voice.

Liu Qingqing asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"

Xie Lang laughed even harder, his voice hoarse, as if each word was about to crack open with sticky blood, "None of them are right."

That indifferent smile was quite frightening.

It seemed that he no longer needed to pretend to be a gentleman in front of her.

In that moment of shock, she forgot where she was and only wanted to escape. But as she was backing up, she lost her footing and fell off the cliff!

It happened so fast she didn't even have time to scream. A figure as swift as a ghost flashed past, grabbing her waist. The next instant, she crashed into a warm, fleshy wall. Before she could react, they were both slammed against the steep stone wall.

Before them were sharp, jagged rocks, like blades. Just as they were about to collide head-on, the world spun around them. When they came to their senses, all they could see when they looked up was Xie Lang's thin chin.

He was holding onto a dry vine with one hand and tightly wrapped his other arm around her waist.

He solemnly looked around for a way out, but still glanced down at her to comfort her, "Don't be afraid."

After saying this, as if they had never been apart, he leisurely lowered his head and gently kissed the top of her head.

Liu Qingqing: "..."

Now is not the time to dwell on these things; she will bear with it for now.

She is extremely flexible and adaptable.

Xie Lang first looked up; they were now less than ten feet from where they had just fallen. With Xie Lang's skills, he could easily leap back up, but in a flash, he looked down.

Deep in the verdant, layered mountains at the foot of the cliffs, it seemed as if they were the only ones there. They felt it was better not to go up.

Upon seeing a stone platform below, he tightly embraced her and leaped across using the vines as a springboard. However, at the last step, a sharp pain shot through his arm, causing him to lose his grip on the vine and fall towards Xia Zi. He shielded Liu Qingqing in front of him and crashed heavily onto the stone platform.

With a muffled thud, both of them passed out.

As if things weren't going to go wrong, it started raining outside.

Now that spring is almost over and summer is approaching, there is more rain than usual.

Raindrops pattered on her face, waking Liu Qingqing up with a groan, feeling as if her whole body was about to be shaken apart.

Before she could even open her eyes and turn around, she froze. Xie Lang's arms, as strong as steel, held her tightly against him, protecting her completely, leaving her unharmed.

In contrast, the rubble beneath him tore his clothes, and traces of blood seeped into the puddles, staining the rainwater red.

Liu Qingqing can be described as extremely complex.

She couldn't deny that Xie Lang had risked his life to save her, but she... no longer trusted him, nor dared to trust him.

She didn't know what his considerations were in this, whether it was another ploy or something else. She also... had no energy left to argue with him, and simply didn't believe he had any ulterior motives.

After finally managing to move his arm away, she realized that the grip he was on was even more painful than the fall itself!

Before he realizes what's happening, glare at him!

The rain outside was getting heavier. There was a cave next to the stone platform, and it was pitch black inside. She had no choice but to muster her courage and go into the cave to check on her injury. Luckily, she had brought a tinderbox with her.

They breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing it; the cave wasn't large, but it should be enough for the two of them to take shelter from the rain for the time being.

There were dry branches and bird feathers in the corner, suggesting that large birds had once perched there; hopefully, it wasn't a ferocious beast that could have swallowed them whole.

Once she had made up her mind, she turned to look at Xie Lang.

Xie Lang was still lying there, oblivious to the rain lashing his face. Unable to lift him, she had no choice but to drag him with difficulty into the cave.

He tossed him aside where the rain wouldn't sweep him away, then turned and used a tinderbox to light the dry grass clippings and ignite the withered branches.

Although it was late spring, it was still very uncomfortable to have damp clothes sticking to my body.

The flames grew strong and licked the damp hem of her clothes. She sat in front of the fire, hugging her knees, lost in thought, with her back against the stone wall.

Xie Lang was at the other end of the fire, and she could inevitably see the firelight reflecting on his handsome face. In the past, she would have been captivated, but now she dared not.

My mind is in turmoil.

Fortunately, her spring clothes were relatively thin, and although she had only gotten a little wet in the rain, they dried quickly. Xie Lang, who was sitting underneath her, had his clothes soaked in the puddles.

After some hesitation, Liu Qingqing moved to his side and turned him over to check his injuries, since he had been injured while saving her. He already had knife wounds on his chest and abdomen, and placing him under her might reopen them and worsen his condition.

Liu Qingqing felt that things should be handled separately, and besides, they hadn't reached the point where they wanted to kill each other. After setting aside her yearning for his love, to be honest, Xie Lang treated her well; at least they were respectful to each other, which was the kind of married life many young ladies in the capital longed for.

It's just that she was too greedy...

I couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.

The sleeping Xie Lang closed his captivating eyes, appearing much quieter and more docile, and his aura dissipated considerably.

This made Liu Qingqing feel a little better. She unbuttoned his shirt and, sure enough, the white gauze was stained red with blood. She pursed her lips and turned him over. There were also a few spots of blood on his back where he had been pricked by stones, but fortunately, none of them were serious.

Since opening her clinic, she always carries some medicine bottles with her.

Today, I brought with me the finest wound medicine and white jade ointment.

This can be considered a case of good causes leading to good results.

She quickly reapplied the medicine to him, and as if chased by a ghost, hurriedly tied her clothes and retreated to the other side of the fire.

The cave was eerily quiet, and the sound of the pouring rain outside made one feel drowsy.

The weather was gloomy and no one knew what time it was. If he wanted to leave, he would have to wait for the rain to stop, so Liu Qingqing simply leaned against the stone wall and dozed off.

As she drifted off to sleep, the man on the other side of the fire slowly opened his eyes.

A strong medicinal smell wafted from his chest. He raised his hand and touched the closed collar of his clothes. His well-defined knuckles remained there, as if savoring the lingering warmth of her touch.

She... is still so soft-hearted.

His gaze lingered on her face, past the flickering flames, caressing her fair skin. They hadn't seen each other for a long time.

After a long while, he got up and moved the fire to a corner. When he turned around after finishing, he saw that she had already curled up on the ground like a cat, perhaps because she was cold.

Xie Lang sat down with his back to the cave entrance, blocking the narrow opening that was only wide enough for one person to pass through.

He lay down on his side, mimicking her posture, and opened his arms to her. Sure enough, in her sleep, she sought warmth as before and obediently rolled into his arms.

The empty space, which had been empty for more than half a year, finally found its owner again and was filled by her.

Softly, Xie Lang sighed with satisfaction. She had walked right into his trap, and he felt an extreme pleasure throughout his body.

He fell asleep alongside her.

In this vast expanse of light, only we remain!

Even becoming an immortal is nothing more than this!

When Liu Qingqing woke up, she was momentarily dazed, not expecting that she had actually fallen asleep. She didn't know what the world was like, nor where she was. After blinking, she realized where she was.

The fire was not far in front of her, and it was almost burned out.

A warm sensation enveloped her behind her. Just as she began to feel suspicious, she realized that she had clearly been sitting against the opposite stone wall, and the fire should have been in the center of the cave. At that moment, she moved, and a warm breath brushed against the back of her neck.

Liu Qingqing was shocked! She finally realized who was behind her and subconsciously looked down to look. Sure enough, she saw his arm around her waist.

A surge of annoyance rushed to her head, and she was about to push his arm away.

If he were asleep, he should have slid off at the slightest touch. But she pushed him several times, finally using all her strength, regardless of whether it would wake him, only to find his arm as firm and unbreakable as a rock.

It was as if a giant python in the mountains was strangling its prey, its grip tight and relentless.

A low chuckle behind him, sounding like it was filled with pebbles, completely enraged Liu Qingqing.

She loathed his habitually silent and self-righteous behavior!

Back when they were at the Marquis's residence, he could come and go as he pleased. The Marquis's residence was his territory, and she could only tolerate it.

We're in Yingcheng now! A hundred and eight thousand miles from his manor! What right does he have to return it? What right does he have to act as he pleases?!

He can do whatever he wants!

She had already divorced him, and no matter what, she had the divorce papers in her hand!

What right does he have to do whatever he wants? What does he take her for?!

Liu Qingqing was so angry that she trembled all over!

Just as he suddenly let go, she turned around and slapped him across the face with a crisp sound.

[Author's Note]

Next chapter preview:

Liu Qingqing had never seen him like this before, and as if she had a premonition, she felt that something was wrong!