Chapter 73 Repaying Kindness and Deep Affection

The mountain forest was dense with foliage and mixed trees. Only a strong wind could blow a few strands into the wild path deep in the thicket. Just then, a strand of wind bypassed the treetops and leaves, and lifted a corner of the carriage curtain with tassels, briefly revealing a scene of a man and woman embracing inside.

On a distant hill, Chen Fu and Jiu Qiu struggled to maintain their crawling posture, carefully hiding behind jagged rocks, secretly observing. By chance, they took advantage of the force of the wind and inadvertently glimpsed the scene of two people entwined together, and immediately fell silent.

Neither of them spoke for a long while before Jiuqiu hesitantly asked, "Should we still proceed according to the original plan?"

Chen Fu pursed his lips, also seriously considering this question.

Before setting off, Young Master Ning had already informed them. This time, he used a counter-strategy, pretending to be captured, and took the opportunity to infiltrate the Sword Hall team. This was to know his enemy and himself, and also to meet Miss A Peng. At the same time, he instructed them to act according to the situation, follow carefully, and not be discovered.

Chen Fu calmly accepted the order. His specialty was surveillance, and he was confident that he could track people for thousands of miles without being detected.

He, along with Jiuqiu and the other ten black-clad thugs dispatched by the patriarch, followed and protected him all the way without being noticed by the Sword Hall members.

Today marks exactly two days since the agreement was made with the young master. They originally planned to proceed as planned, looking for an opportunity to work with the young master from the inside to take Miss Apeng away. However, during their routine reconnaissance, they happened to witness the two of them cuddling and being intimate in the carriage.

Although surprised, I can also feel at ease.

Previously, when they suddenly learned that Miss A Peng was a spy, they were all shocked and incredulous. Everyone knew Ning Jue's personality and thought that he would hate the traitor deeply and even kill him. However, to their surprise, he did not fly into a rage and hatred. Instead, he insisted on bringing her back.

Moreover, the purpose of recovering the funds is not to restrain or retaliate, but to try to retain the person.

Ning Jue chose to forgive and pardon, so whether the two can reconcile depends on A Peng's attitude.

This matter is quite complicated. Leaving aside the question of how much of Miss Apeng's affection for the young master is genuine, the most troublesome thing is that Miss Apeng is always accompanied by her childhood sweetheart cousin. Under the constraints of family ties, even if Young Master Ning tries to win her over, he may not have much of a chance of success.

Moreover, Miss Apeng is a soft-hearted person by nature.

Chen Fu had previously had this concern, feeling that even if Young Master Ning pretended to be captured and successfully met with Miss A Peng, he might not be able to achieve the desired result.

It wasn't until that beautiful scene came into view just now that Chen Fu realized that the young master had pretended to be captured and then played a self-inflicted injury trick, and that Miss A Peng's soft heart had been used on him this time.

This move was unexpected and very clever.

However, Rong Linyan was riding nearby, and for the young master to act like this right under his nose was truly arrogant and unrestrained...

The sound of the wind disappeared into the forest, and the swaying curtains fell neatly down, once again completely obscuring the interior of the carriage.

Chen Fu withdrew his gaze and replied to Jiu Qiu, "Let's wait a little longer. Although we agreed to meet today, the specific time hasn't been set. We'll act according to the circumstances. Besides, the young master and the others are currently..."

At this point, Chen Fu paused, coughed lightly, and looked slightly uneasy, asking with a troubled expression, "How should we proceed?"

Yes, how should we proceed?

They were kissing passionately inside, reluctant to part.

Jiuqiu casually plucked a foxtail grass, held it in her mouth, glanced at Chen Fu, and teased with a smile, "Chen Fu, why are you blushing when people are kissing?"

Chen Fu straightened up slightly and vehemently denied it: "I didn't."

Jiuqiu leaned closer to him, her eyes sparkling: "Oh, that's probably because you've been keeping watch outside these past few days, exposed to the wind and sun every day, that your skin is dry and red."

Chen Fu moved aside, trying to keep his distance from Jiu Qiu, and reminded her, "Stop fooling around. We haven't completed the young master's instructions yet. How can we joke around and slack off?"

His lecturing tone and serious demeanor made him completely oblivious to romance, yet Jiuqiu was precisely drawn to his stubbornness.

In the lazy autumn, the foxtail grass tassels drooped low.

Chen Fu, displeased, reached out and pinched it. After Jiu Qiu was somewhat prepared, he pulled it back, plucked the grass stem from the corner of her mouth, and then tossed it far away.

Jiuqiu raised an eyebrow: "Why do you care about me? Do you think I'm not ladylike enough?"

Chen replied, "It's dirty. Don't put everything in your mouth."

Jiuqiu reluctantly cooperated; let's assume it was out of concern rather than discipline.

She continued to watch Chen Fu, but Chen Fu, fulfilling his duty, had stopped talking to her and resurfaced on the hilltop to keep an eye on the convoy's movements, afraid of missing any sign of trouble.

His eyes were sharp as a falcon's; with him around, Jiuqiu didn't try to stand out. She leaned casually against the mountainside, her posture quite comfortable, watching Chen Fu stare straight down, his expression serious, and felt reassured and at peace.

Once her thoughts were relaxed, they easily wandered, and she couldn't help but recall the scene of Chen Fu chasing her out of the city that day, anxiously trying to persuade her to stay.

That day, the sun was still shining inside the city, but a light drizzle was falling outside. She was sheltering from the rain under the eaves of the post station, watching the passersby hurry by, wave after wave, and had no idea that Chen Fu's face would enter her field of vision the next moment.

The rain wasn't heavy, but he had arrived on horseback without a raincoat, his clothes were already half-soaked, and his face was disheveled. He sat on his horse, looking at her across the crowd, his eyes filled with relief.

That one glance dispelled the resentment Jiuqiu felt from being misunderstood and driven away.

Actually, the whole thing was a misunderstanding.

The Duan family head settled her in a side courtyard with the intention of keeping her away from the eyes and ears of the local tyrant Fang Yanhai, so as to prevent her from causing unnecessary trouble for Ning Jue and the Duan family if she showed up in the city.

However, Madam Duan was unaware of the true situation and did not understand the message relayed by her subordinates. She mistakenly believed that Master Duan was having extramarital affairs and intentionally keeping a mistress. In a moment of panic, Madam Duan led her people to the manor in a fierce manner, refusing to listen to any explanations, and forcibly tried to drive Jiuqiu away.

Jiuqiu tried to explain, but before she could speak, the nanny beside Madam Duan stuffed a burlap sack into her mouth, leaving her speechless and unable to defend herself.

Afterwards, she was rudely sent out of the city by the servants of the Duan family. She was both angry and helpless and almost left. But when she thought of Chen Fu, she decided to stay away for the time being and wait until Madam Duan understood the truth before returning.

She waited until almost evening, but the rain hadn't stopped when Chen Fu unexpectedly appeared before her.

The two only realized what had happened when they looked at each other.

Chen Fu knew that she hadn't left in a huff, while Jiu Qiu was surprised to learn that in her search for her, Miss A Peng had disappeared in the city, and Young Master Ning was frantic with worry because he couldn't find her anywhere.

After she returned to the city with Chen Fu, all the misunderstandings were cleared up.

Madam Duan solemnly apologized to her, saying that she had acted rashly and made a mistake, felt guilty for her previous inappropriate words, and was also worried about the safety of Miss Apeng.

To make amends for his wife, Duan Yi's attitude towards her improved considerably. He no longer openly prevented her from having private contact with Chen Fu. Furthermore, after news of Miss A Peng came from outside the city, Ning Jue prepared to take action. Duan Yi sent Chen Fu to accompany Ning Jue for support and protection. At the same time, he tacitly agreed that Chen Fu could take her north with him, but on the condition that they not indulge in frivolous pursuits and neglect their duties.

So the two of them began to sneak off, one step behind the young master.

Along the way, she could see that Chen Fu was putting in extra effort, afraid of making a mistake. Perhaps one of the reasons was that he was afraid that if something went wrong, Duan Yi would no longer allow the two of them to be together.

Thinking of this, Jiuqiu understood Chen Fu's intentions, and felt a sweet warmth in her heart. Leaning against the hard mound of earth and looking up at the sky, she even felt comfortable.

Chen Fu suddenly spoke up, bringing her back to her senses: "A Qiu, stop lying down. The caravan has moved. It seems they're heading towards the stream. Let's hurry and catch up. Once they've almost crossed the stream, the young master should take action."

Upon hearing this, Jiuqiu glanced over and responded with a soft "hmm." She followed Chen Fu as they slowly descended from the hidden hilltop, moving nervously while brushing the dirt off the hem of her skirt and cuffs.

Jiuqiu lowered her voice and asked, "Has Young Master Ning given any instructions on how he plans to proceed?"

Chen Fu shook his head: "Young master has thought things through carefully and has his own plans. We can simply follow his lead and provide assistance."

...

Inside the carriage, the two, who were still deeply entwined, finally separated.

Bai Hua remained kneeling limply in front of the iron bars, unable to stand up. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes were slightly narrowed, and her chest heaved as she tried to regulate her breathing.

She knew she had been in the carriage for quite some time, and her cousin might return at any moment, leaving her little time. So she quickly asked the question that had been bothering her.

"What is your attitude towards me, young master...? Is it unforgivable betrayal, or are you willing to have a proper talk with me again?"

Looking at the complicated expression on her face, Ning Jue asked softly, "Are you asking a question you already know the answer to?"

She was certainly not asking a question she already knew the answer to.

From Bai Hua's perspective, if she were betrayed so thoroughly, she would never forgive so easily. Moreover, this matter not only involved Ning Jue himself, but also the life's work of the person he respected most.

Therefore... even deep affection dissipates, leaving only resentment and bitterness.

This was her true thought, and she never dared to harbor any extravagant hope of asking for forgiveness.

Right now, she didn't want to speculate wildly anymore; no matter what, she wanted to know an answer.

Bai Hua mustered her courage: "Forgive my ignorance, young master, please speak frankly."

Ning Jue: "You schemed against me, deceived me, and leaked the sword techniques I taught you to Rong Linyan. That is indeed a betrayal. But I remember that I taught you all seventy-nine moves. Why has your cousin bothered me again and again, and why does he seem to be trying to extract information from me? You were holding back some information from Rong Linyan and didn't tell him everything, were you? Why is that?"

Bai Hua lowered her head, her fingers slightly curled: "I... I didn't remember the rest."

Ning Jue scrutinized her, his gaze sharpening slightly: "You're lying. Only those who have seen all seventy-nine moves can find the pattern within them. You can remember so many, which means you've clearly figured out the pattern. You don't need to memorize the later sword techniques; you can simply use the patterns you've mastered to deduce them. But you still won't tell me. Why? I want to hear it from your own mouth."

Bai Hua's long eyelashes trembled, her heart pounding under the pressure of his aggressive questioning.

She sighed, and after confirming that her cousin was no longer nearby, she dared to lower her voice and admit, "I didn't say it because I didn't want to. I... I confessed part of it to repay my aunt's family's kindness, and I kept part of it because I value my relationship with you, young master."

After saying that, she suppressed the redness in her eyes, clenched her fingers, and lowered her head even further.

Ning Jue reached through the iron bars and gently placed his hand on her shoulder, his voice softening unconsciously and becoming slightly hoarse: "I know, I know."

He repeated it twice, the sudden joy in his heart surpassing all the emotions that had arisen recently.

With those words from her, everything is enough.