Chapter 99 The Appearance of Baozi's Dad

Zhao'er helped me down from the carriage. The bright golden sun made me dizzy. Before long, more than twenty people approached the carriage.

I secretly groaned. Heaven have mercy! How difficult it must have been for me, all bundled up and heavily pregnant, to travel thousands of miles to find the father of my child! And here I was, plunging headfirst into the enemy's arms!

A man who looked like a general rode on horseback, looking down at me with the same gaze he would give an ant.

I humbly let him treat me like an ant. Pretending to be a passerby was the safest thing to do at this moment. If he knew that Cao Cao's son was inside my belly, that would be dangerous. My little dumpling might be turned into a hostage before he was even born.

With a gentle nudge to the horse's belly, the general rode his horse slowly circling around us, as if a cat were teasing a mouse.

He was making me dizzy. The midday sun was almost baking me. I imagined myself as a suckling pig being roasted over a fire... roasting until it was sizzling with oil.

Under the scorching sun, the desolate ancient battlefield reeked of an even stronger, more nauseating stench.

Uncle Li, the driver, was an old man who was too scared to utter a sound. Zhao'er, however, insisted on protecting me and shielded me behind her. Looking at his still rather thin frame, I felt a pang of sadness.

"This kid is quite interesting!" Perhaps because the wariness and hostility in Zhao'er's eyes were too obvious, the general raised his whip, turned around and laughed.

Everyone burst into laughter.

"General, my younger brother is young and doesn't know any better. Please be magnanimous and let us pass," I said, quickly and subtly grabbing Zhao'er's hand and chuckling humbly.

"Who are you? Why are you passing through here?" the general shouted, turning his head. "Who can guarantee you weren't sent by Cao Cao to seek reinforcements!"

“We’re visiting relatives from Danyang,” I said, putting one hand on my waist to show that I was pregnant, and pointing in the direction we came from with the other hand. “Besides, we came from that direction, so we can’t be spies.”

The general pondered for a moment, nodded, and gestured for them to pass.

"Wait!" He raised his hand halfway, then suddenly stared at me with a puzzled look. "Where have I seen you before?"

My heart skipped a beat. I was sure I had never seen him before, but... how could he say he had seen me?

I suddenly remembered that Liu Bei once said, "It seems that Prime Minister Cao has already sent the girl's portrait all over the provinces..." So this person has seen my portrait?

Cao Cao! You've ruined me!

Zhou Yu must have recognized me, otherwise...

I sighed inwardly, but forced a genuine smile onto my face. "How could someone as uncouth as me have ever seen such a great man as the General?"

Perhaps my flattery worked, for the general gave me another suspicious look before finally letting me pass.

I breathed a sigh of relief, quickly pulled Zhao'er into the car and sat down, then gestured for Uncle Li to drive.

The car had just bumped twice when it stopped with a creak, and my heart, which hadn't yet settled down, jumped into my throat again.

"Uncle Li, what's wrong?" I hesitated to lift the carriage curtain, feeling a surge of tension and a slight pain in my abdomen.

“Miss Pei.” A gentle, slow voice said.

I froze on the carriage.

It's Liu Bei!

"Brother Xuande, do you know this woman?" the general asked in a puzzled voice.

"Hmm, an old acquaintance." Liu Bei's voice was as gentle as ever, but it sent chills down my spine. He was indeed with Yuan Shao.

"Miss Pei, are you not going to get out of the carriage to meet me?" Liu Bei's voice rang out again.

Zhao'er glanced at me, and I had no choice but to nod reluctantly. Zhao'er then lifted the carriage curtain and helped me out of the carriage.

"Lord Liu, it's been a long time." I greeted him with a smile. The scene was so familiar, just like the day we met in Xuzhou.

I was smiling, but my palms were already sweating. With that fox Liu Bei around, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get away.

"Long time no see," Liu Bei said, staring at my protruding belly with a hint of surprise, a fleeting emotion in his eyes. "It's hot, how about inviting Miss Pei back to the camp for a get-together?" In an instant, he returned to his usual mild-mannered demeanor.

I grinned, cursing inwardly, "Could I not tell?!"

"General Wen, do you know who this young lady is?" Seeing that I didn't speak, Liu Bei smiled and turned to look at the general.

"Oh, who is it?" General Wen asked curiously.

"I've seen her in Xuzhou," Liu Bei said, smiling at me.

He's threatening me. (2b)

I clenched my fist secretly. He wanted to force me to return to his camp without alerting Yuan Shao, right? Now that Guan Yu had joined him, he was even more powerful.

"Ah..." I cried out in pain, my body going limp as I leaned against the carriage.

"Sister!" Zhao'er exclaimed in surprise and rushed to help me.

I leaned against the carriage, half-sitting on the ground, holding my stomach in my hands, my face contorted in pain. "It hurts...it hurts so much..."

"What's wrong?" Liu Bei strode forward.

"It hurts...it hurts..." I shook my head and squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth.

"How could this be..." Liu Bei was slightly surprised, "Could it be..."

"Ugh... I think I'm going into labor..." I cried out, grimacing, "It hurts... Help... It hurts..."

"Quick, let's go back to camp!" Liu Bei, unusually at a loss, bent down and hugged me.

Taking advantage of his momentary lapse in attention as he bent over, I quickly placed the Swiss Army knife hidden in my sleeve against his neck and whispered, "Don't move."

Liu Bei paused for a moment, then resumed his expressionless demeanor.

"Back off!" I yelled, holding the knife to Liu Bei's neck.

Perhaps because Liu Bei was a distinguished guest of Yuan Shao, General Wen dared not be presumptuous. He frowned and stepped back a little.

“Sister…” Zhao’er clung tightly to me, watching the crowd warily.

"Hehe, Miss Pei has improved quite a bit." Liu Bei chuckled softly.

I couldn't take it anymore and warned him, "Mind your image, you're a hostage."

"You won't kill me," Liu Bei said with a faint smile.

Uh… I glared at him, feeling a little guilty. I really didn’t dare to kill him. In fact, my hand holding the knife was trembling. Just kidding, he’s Liu Bei! A future member of the Three Kingdoms! Just thinking about offending such a big boss today, I’m sure I’ll have nightmares tonight.

Liu Bei moved slightly, bringing his neck closer to the blade, and I instinctively pulled my hand back.

Liu Bei laughed, "You wouldn't dare kill me."

This guy is so cunning, so skilled in psychological tactics. His laughter really gave me the creeps.

"I dare." A somewhat cold voice rang out behind me.

When I turned around, it was Zhao'er.

He casually picked up a broken spear and held the sharp tip to Liu Bei's neck. "I dare, do you believe me?"

Liu Bei narrowed his eyes slightly, and after a long while, he said calmly, "I believe you."

Before he could finish speaking, with a clang, General Wen raised his hand and shot an arrow, knocking the broken spear from Zhao'er's hand to the ground. "It's a pity you have the guts but not the ability!"

I was startled, and my hand trembled slightly, leaving a thin bloody mark on Liu Bei's cheek. The scene immediately descended into chaos.

"Don't hurt her," Liu Bei said leisurely, his expression suggesting that I was already his for the taking.

Just then, a cloud of dust billowed up ahead.

A figure in bright purple was faintly visible, bearing the brunt of the attack.

He rode in on horseback, full of vigor and energy, lively and energetic.

Cao Cao is critically wounded and on the verge of death? Who said that? Who exactly said that? And who is this lively, energetic person in front of us?

I'm going crazy.

Zhou Yu, you tricked me!