Sizhou Eleven

Official post station.

Ning Caixin hurriedly ran in through the gate and almost bumped into someone walking out.

"Hey, hey, hey, Xiao Caixin, why are you in such a hurry?" Qin Zhi dodged quickly and helped the person who was almost knocked down by him.

"Qin Zhi? Why are you here?" Cai Xin asked in surprise. Seeing the person behind Qin Zhi, her expression became even more surprised. "You are..."

The fat man in green behind Qin Zhi smiled at her, his fair face showing two cute dimples. He looked very honest and simple. "Long time no see."

"Who... are you?" Cai Xin tilted her head, looking confused.

Qin Zhi laughed mercilessly. The fat man twitched his lips and raised his thick hands to wipe the non-existent sweat. "Little Caixin, it's me, Fang Jingsheng."

"Are you Fang Jingsheng? The delicate and beautiful young man from the Fang family back then?" The Fang Jingsheng who almost became her husband? Cai Xin's eyes widened in surprise, almost speechless.

The fat man's fair face flushed, and he touched his chin shyly with a smug expression, "It's me."

"Have you... been poisoned again in the past few years?" Cai Xin still couldn't accept that the delicate and beautiful boy from back then had become the fat man today. It's not uncommon for her to see people gain weight before middle age, but it was really a shock to see someone gaining twice the body shape.

"Puchi!" Qin Zhi, who had just stopped laughing, couldn't help laughing again until tears came out when he heard this.

Su Zirui, who was following behind them, had no change in expression. He just raised his eyebrows and sneered. He glanced around. Everything in the official inn was normal, but it was so quiet that it made people feel a little uncomfortable.

"Speaking of which, Xiao Caixin, where did you come back from? Where is Aruo?" Qin Zhi wiped his tears and asked.

Cai Xin stamped her feet suddenly and said anxiously, "Oh, Qin Zhi, Lord Su, please go to the ancient house in the east of the city quickly. Something seems to be wrong."

The three of them looked serious.

Because they were going in the wrong direction, Aruo asked Caixin to go to the government office to find Li Xiaoman before the appointment. She originally thought that if Xiaoman was really looking for her, Caixin would buy some food on the way back. If Xiaoman was at the government office, it would prove that someone was impersonating her to trick Aruo out, and Xiaoman would then bring people to find Aruo. Before leaving, Caixin ran into the actor Zhang who had just finished reading the script and mentioned the matter to him.

"Actor Zhang went straight to Aruo when he wanted to revise the manuscript. Then I went to the yamen, and Xiaoman was not there... I thought everything was fine. However, when I came back after buying the ingredients, I saw Xiaoman at the gate of the government post! Xiaoman said that she didn't ask anyone to make an appointment with Aruo, and her face changed and she rode her horse to find Aruo." Cai Xin said anxiously.

"Why didn't you say so earlier?" Qin Zhi said anxiously.

"I was looking for you, but who knew you would be at the government inn? No, you are the visitors of Lord Su? Is there anything you want to see Lord Su about?" Cai Xin said in surprise.

Qin Zhi and Su Zirui looked at each other and walked out quickly at the same time. Fang Jingsheng hurriedly followed them with a slow beat and a staggering step.

"Fang Jingsheng, if you can't walk anymore, just take a rest." Cai Xin couldn't bear it. The two imposing men got on their horses, and the fat man was still on his way out of the gate.

"No, Xiao Man has gone. I have to follow her to see if I can rest assured." Fang Jingsheng finally ran out of the door and saw that the two had already left in a cloud of dust. He stamped his feet and asked, "Is there a carriage?"

The two guards at the gate of the official post station didn't even move an eye.

When Qin Zhi and others arrived, Li Xiaoman was helping the actor Zhang sit under a peach tree. Two men in black who were in a deep coma were tied tightly beside them.

"Xiaoman, where is Aruo?" Qin Zhi brushed away the willow branches that hit his face and rushed to them. Not seeing his target, he asked hurriedly.

Su Zirui looked around the courtyard. The out-of-place blooming peach trees and the faint peach fragrance in the air made him frown slightly. He subconsciously exerted his energy, but found that his aura was slightly disordered. "There's something wrong with this peach fragrance."

"This is miasma. It's almost dissipated now, but don't be careless." Li Xiaoman stood up and said to them, "When I arrived, Mr. Zhang was already struggling to hold on. As for Aruo..."

"She disappeared." Zhang, the actor's face pale, with faint traces of blood at the corners of his lips, pointed to the spot beside him. "Those men in black knocked her out just now and left her here to attack me. But I only fought them for a moment before she... vanished along with the petals. Soon, Constable Li arrived, and they fled. It was Constable Li who kept them company."

"How could a living person disappear?" Qin Zhi covered his mouth and nose with his hands. "Could it be some strange formation?"

Another formation? Su Zirui remembered that in the capital, Aruo had also sneaked into a strange formation and suddenly disappeared.

Su Zirui said coldly with a stern look in his eyes, "If they can take someone away in such a short time, even if it's a formation, there must be some other way to escape. If Aru is a human, how can there be a formation in the world that can take someone away from a distance? I'm afraid the other party took advantage of a loophole."

Qin Zhi suddenly had an idea, "Look! These mansions must have secret passages."

"Sir, I have already informed my colleagues when I came here. I believe they will be here soon." Li Xiaoman never thought that she could fight a hundred people alone. After confirming that Aruo was in danger, she asked her father to dispatch people before rushing over.

"Well done." Su Zirui nodded and searched under the peach tree with Qin Zhi.

A peach tree stands in the middle of the courtyard, surrounded by willow trees. It looks abrupt yet conspicuous. Its roots seem to be deeply rooted in the soil, but in midsummer, the tree is in full bloom with peach blossoms.

Qin Zhi quickly searched the two nearest rooms but found nothing suspicious. He was extremely anxious. He looked up and saw Su Zirui standing under a peach tree with his hands behind his back. Petals brushed against his body, and he looked like a worldly gentleman. He was so angry that he couldn't breathe. "Su Zirui, can you please hurry up? If anything happens to Aruo, I won't let you go!"

Turning his head slightly to glance at him, Su Zirui slowly drew out his sword and said, "Young Master Qin, you must have said this to the wrong person!"

Before he finished speaking, a flash of azure sword light flew, and the sharp sword energy cut through the petals dancing in the air. The thick trunk of the peach tree suddenly cracked, and the trunk was split in two. The pink petals danced wildly, and ripples like water appeared in the air. Suddenly, the scene in front of his eyes swayed, and in an instant, the tree and the flowers disappeared without a trace.

"Oh my god... this is a pond?" Li Xiaoman was stunned. After the peach blossoms disappeared, they were standing in the dried-up pond in the middle of the courtyard. "I just rested for a while under the tree trunk... is this all fake?"

"How do you know how to break that formation?" Qin Zhi was a little unconvinced. He had also learned formations before, but he was young and lacked the determination to study it in depth.

"The person who set up the formation is very clever and knows how to use sleight of hand." But how could the same thing trap him twice? Su Zirui didn't bother to explain. He kicked aside the dry water grass with an expressionless face. The entrance to a secret passage leading down a staircase was hidden under the dry grass. "It's here. Let's go!"

"Is he ordering me? I wasn't the one who did it!" Although Qin Zhi was indignant, he still followed his footsteps and ran down with a scimitar.

"You're not going?" Actor Zhang looked at Li Xiaoman with surprise as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Li Xiaoman shook his head. "With my martial arts skills, I can't even catch up with them. Going there would only cause more trouble. Besides, these two people can't fall into the hands of others."

Perhaps because her subconscious mind was highly alert, Aruo was unconscious for a very short time. Once she woke up, she saw herself being carried very quickly, her stomach aching from the pressure, and her head hanging upside down on the back of the man in black, so she could not see her human form.

But, that doesn't matter.

With the bumps, her hands dropped in front of her, her clenched fists slowly loosened, and the slender silver needle appeared steadily between her fingers.

This was the silver needle that had just been knocked down by Zhang the Actor. It wasn't poisonous. She had originally intended to take it back to Su Zirui to investigate and see if there was any follow-up, but she hadn't expected this habit of picking up trash to be a lifesaver.

After measuring the position, Aruo stabbed the black-clothed man's tailbone without hesitation.

The running footsteps suddenly stopped, and the man in black rushed out with Aruo due to inertia. The moment he landed, the woman on his shoulder suddenly hugged his head with one hand, and then he felt a pain in his ear, and closed his eyes in unwillingness and shock.

"It hurts..." After kicking the man away, Aruo rubbed her butt. The man used her as a cushion when he landed and almost knocked her unconscious.

Looking around, she found herself in a forest, her vision obscured by the dense green trees, not even enough sunlight to see in. Layers of mist rose, and the forest gradually became as ethereal as a fairyland.

"Isn't it possible that I've arrived in Penglai?" Aruo stood up, feeling dizzy. He took a breath, and his nose was filled with a clear fragrance. "Oh no, there's something wrong with this smell. If Actor Zhang were here, he would definitely call me stupid again."

Covering her mouth and nose with her arms, Aruo headed back in the direction she came from. Fortunately, there was only one person who kidnapped her. She believed that Caixin and Xiaoman would definitely find the person, as long as she was not so unlucky as to encounter other men in black.

The rustling of dead leaves at her feet made Aruo's hair stand on end. She dared not look down, her stumbling steps becoming increasingly rapid. The faster she walked, the more rapid her breathing became, the more confused her mind became, and her vision began to blur. She vaguely seemed to see a red figure slowly approaching.

"Have we entered some strange place again?" Aruo barely held onto the trunk of a tree, watching the face of the person coming become clearer and clearer. His surging emotions were out of control, and his eyes suddenly turned red with grievance.

The woman in crimson clothes was stunningly beautiful, with a hint of sadness in her eyes and a doting smile on her lips. Her delicate hand stroked the strands of hair on Aruo's forehead, "I'm sorry, Ruoruo."

Aruo's breathing became light and her heart seemed to be tightly grasped by an invisible hand, making it numb and painful. The waves of pain that had been suppressed for several years surged up, making her vision begin to blur.

The soft voice and the tenderness at her fingertips made her emotions collapse instantly. The first warmth and care she felt in this world came from the person in front of her. She thought she would never have the chance to meet him again in her life.

Her nose twitched as she thought of what she had been through. Aruo swallowed back the grievances and turned away stubbornly, "If apologies were useful, what would we need yamen runners for? Aren't you already dead? What are you still clinging to? There's nothing fun in this world..."

The woman sighed softly, opened her arms and embraced Aruo in her arms, patting her gently, "I know, Aruo has been wronged... but I can't help it, Aruo, help me."

"I can barely protect myself, how can I help you... Coming here wasn't my choice, can't I choose to live in this world? I've tried my best... I've tried my best to do everything you said." Aruo didn't dare to hug her back, but his fingertips tugged at her silk sleeves tightly, refusing to let go. "I secretly hope that one day I can suddenly go back, but I don't have high expectations. I'm just trying my best to live a peaceful and stable life."

"I know, I know it all. Ruoruo has tried so hard... You must live, Ruoruo. One day, this world will give you the best reward." The woman in red's eyes were filled with heartache for the girl who couldn't even hold back her tears, yet she felt powerless. Everything in this world should have nothing to do with her, but because of some people's persistence and longing, she still lingered, unable to leave in peace.

"Don't go... I will try my best. I will do whatever you want." Aruo felt the sleeve slowly being pulled away by her fingertips. Her heart suddenly became panicked. She cried reluctantly, "Sister... don't go."

The woman leaned over and kissed Aruo on the forehead. A tear fell down her clothes and dripped onto Aruo's cheek, mixing with her tears. "I'm sorry, Ruoruo."

The echo of the voice is still in my ears, but the familiar warmth has disappeared. The softness of the fabric is still on my fingertips, so why is the person gone?

"Don't--" Aruo suddenly opened his eyes, and his frantically stretched hand was grabbed by someone.

"Miss Qi!" Qingjun's face was slightly anxious, and his cold and sharp eyes looked into the pair of panicked and tearful eyes.

Aruo stared at him blankly, the panic in her heart slowly being calmed by the calmness in his eyes, "Su...Su Zirui?"

"It's me," Su Zirui pulled her up from the ground. "Why are you here? Where are those men in black?"

Shaking his head vigorously, Aruo pointed to the road behind him and said, "I knocked him down and ran back."

"Use your little tool?" Su Zirui raised an eyebrow and asked, pulling the dazed person two steps closer without leaving any trace, so that she would not see the green snake sliding past behind her.

Gadgets… Oh right, Aruo pulled his hand that was on her wrist and said, “Master Su, there’s that miasma here.”

Su Zirui glanced at her helplessly, trying hard to conceal his sarcasm. She looked vulnerable enough before him. "This whole forest is full of it, and you just realized it? But you've inhaled too much now, and even if there's medicine, it won't be able to cure it in a short time. This smell is clearly the same as the peach blossom array just now, how come you didn't notice it and ran so fast? What was going on in your head?"

Looking at her, it was obvious that she had inhaled a lot of miasma quickly.

"I've already inhaled it, what should I do?" His words didn't actually mean any blame, but Aruo's emotions that she hadn't had time to control and the grievances that she hadn't had time to confide in that person almost overwhelmed her rationality in an instant. She shook off Su Zirui's hand fiercely and staggered forward.

Stunned by her movements, Su Zirui swiftly rushed forward to grab the staggering figure, a little surprised by the coldness of his palm. "Why are you trying so hard when you can't even walk steadily? What do you want?"

"What do I want?" Aruo turned around suddenly, staring at him with red eyes, and grabbed his collar with his other hand and shouted, "I want to eat hamburgers, drink Coke, buy a plane ticket or something to go home, I'm going crazy thinking about it! I miss my parents, my brothers, my friends, my colleagues, and even those top-notch men and green tea girls in the company. I miss them to death. I don't want all the people and things in your world. If I could go back by dying, I would hate to kill myself... I don't want you, I want to go back..."

The more she spoke, the more anxious she became, her chest heaving violently. Her breath was filled with the alluring aroma. Aruo's mind grew increasingly foggy, and she couldn't even clearly say anything. Tears she had been hiding for so long continued to well up in her eyes, and the person before her began to blur. As she spoke, she leaned her head back against the hem of her clothes, her hands clutching at her hem, her chaotic mind unable to think.

Su Zirui didn't expect that he would be scolded for just a few words he said to her. He keenly noticed that her mood was not right, and there was a hint of despair in her eyes.

His slender fingers moved, and he finally raised his hand to rub the top of her head, soothing the person who was buried in his arms and trying to breathe to calm down. Su Zirui said helplessly, "Don't breathe so heavily, I told you there's something wrong with this miasma."

He took out a small bottle from his bosom and said soothingly, "Take the pills, and let's leave quickly. Young Master Qin has gone to look for him on the other side. We should be able to run into him along the way back."

The girl in his arms cried like a little kitten. Her clear black eyes lacked their usual cleverness, but were filled with confusion and inexplicable trust. Su Zirui's heart softened slightly when he saw this, and he reached out to wipe away the tears from her face with a sigh.

The temperature of the fingertips was frighteningly low, and the unfamiliar movements made it difficult to control the strength, leaving two tiny red marks on the tear-red face.

Aruo uttered an "oh" and obediently stuffed the pill into her mouth. As soon as she moved her feet, she fell sideways and bumped back into his arms. "I seem to...can't move my feet."

She hadn't noticed it just now, but as soon as she moved her legs felt like they were filled with lead. Aruo, whose senses were slowly returning, lowered her head and didn't dare to look at him.

His fingertips felt her skin was unusually cold through her thin clothes. Su Zirui restrained his expression, took her hand and placed it on his shoulder, turned around, and carried her on his back, "Let's leave first."

Lying on his shoulder, the drug bringing her back to a somewhat lucid state, Aruo recalled her recent outburst, feeling a growing sense of shame. She was no longer in the age of wanton abandon, but these past few years of wandering around the world without a fixed place to stay hadn't been easy. Countless times, she'd thought she was going to die in this world with a high accidental mortality rate. It was truly a miracle she was still alive.

The hand around his shoulder tightened, and Aruo said in a hoarse voice, "Master Su, I'm sorry... I shouldn't have lost my temper with you."

Su Zirui couldn't see her expression, but her skin against his neck was still very cool, only the two tears falling on his skin were scorching hot. After a pause, he slowly said, "How many times have I told you not to do this? How much trouble have you caused me by being so reckless? Have you fallen into some strange formation this time?"

Aruo realized belatedly that the man she was hugging was not as thin as he looked. The shoulders she was holding were broad and strong, and the steps he took as he carried her were reassuringly steady. He walked fast, but not unsteadily. The sound of his heartbeat was clear and strong. She couldn't tell if it was hers or his, but just listening to it gave her a sense of security.

Unhooking the red string from her neck, the jade pendant hanging from it felt a little hot. Aruo suddenly whispered, "Lord Su, I just seemed to see someone who is no longer with us... I heard someone say that when someone dies, if there are still people who feel sad for them and miss them, that proves they truly lived in this world. She was a very good person, because even now, I am still very sad..."

Su Zirui did not answer, but his eyes flashed with deep thought. Without stopping, he just pushed her up, letting her gradually loosen her arms around his shoulders and neck.

In the past, Aruo worked with trepidation, but now, she lived a down-to-earth life. In that world, she wondered if anyone felt sorry for her. But if this world was the same, her efforts would be like the peach blossoms she had just seen, nothing but falsehood. But she had clearly hoped to return to her original hope by dying.

"Su Zirui...Su Feng, if I die, will anyone be sad..."

"If you die like this, I will dig your corpse out and whip it until you die without a complete body. How about that? Is it sad enough?" Su Zirui was concentrating on his journey, and he took the time to reply after hearing this.

"I'm not saying I'm sad... I'm already dead, if you can't stand me, just burn me. Isn't pulverizing my bones enough? And whipping my corpse... Su Feng, do you hate me that much?" Aruo felt sadder and sadder as she thought about it. It's fine if she didn't miss him, but was she such a failure as a person? Her mind was almost a mess, but she still remembered tightening her arms around his neck.

"So, you'd better be quiet and stay here..."

His words were no longer audible, and there was total silence all around. Aruo was unable to escape the darkness, and thinking that he was by her side, she simply fell into the darkness without worry.

Anyway... Lord Su is here.