Chapter 13 Drawing a Circle on the Ground to Imprison the Moonlight (Part 3) "Don't be afraid, it's alright now..."

Only now did Ye Yixiang slowly recover from her extreme shock and fear.

All around, cups and plates were scattered, and the air was filled with the smell of blood and a lingering, strange fragrance.

She suddenly realized that Chu Huaili was holding her in his arms in an absolutely protective way. His arms were strong and powerful, and she could feel the taut muscles and burning body temperature through his clothes.

His warm breath gently brushed against the top of her head and her neck, bringing an indescribable shiver.

She instinctively tried to break free, but found his arms were wrapped around her so tightly.

The terrifying scene from just moments ago replayed in his mind; if he hadn't reacted so quickly, the dagger would probably have already landed on her...

Thinking of this, she belatedly felt her legs go weak, and her hand, which was originally meant to push him away, began to tremble slightly involuntarily. In the end, she only clenched her fist loosely and pressed it against his firm chest.

Chu Huaili clearly felt the slight trembling of the person in his arms and the negligible force of resistance.

He looked down and could see the top of her dark hair and a small section of her fair, delicate neck. She seemed frightened, and he tightened his arms around her.

"Don't be afraid," his deep voice sounded above her head, unlike his usual coldness, it even carried a hint of hoarseness that he himself didn't realize, "It's alright."

These three simple words, as if possessing magic, strangely soothed her wildly beating heart, and the comforting scent emanating from him filled her nostrils.

"I originally intended to find a quiet and elegant place to host a banquet for you all, but unexpectedly this unexpected turn of events has occurred, disturbing your enjoyment. This is truly my fault, and I hope you will forgive me." His voice remained calm and steady.

Nie Huaizhang immediately chimed in, his face showing shame: "Brother Chu, you are mistaken. Liangzhou is under my jurisdiction, and I am also to blame for the inadequate protection."

"I would be honored to invite you all to my residence the day after tomorrow. I will personally host a banquet at my home to apologize to you all."

Geshulin didn't care at all, and even had the leisure to pick up his wine glass and take a sip. He casually patted the hand of the frightened beauty beside him to comfort her, his posture as relaxed as if the assassination just now was just a fun acrobatic performance. "It's alright, it's alright, it just added a bit more interest to the banquet."

"Take them away and keep them under strict guard!" Chu Huaili's voice turned cold as he ordered the soldiers escorting the assassins, "I will interrogate them myself!"

"yes!"

The assassins on the ground were roughly dragged up. One of them struggled violently, raising his head with eyes blazing with deep-seated hatred, and hissed, "Chu Huaili! You bastard! You'll die a horrible death—"

Upon hearing this, Ge Shulin's hand holding the wine glass paused almost imperceptibly, a glint of unfathomable light flashed deep in his amber eyes, and a playful smile curved his lips.

Chu Huaili's expression remained completely unchanged, as if the vicious curse was merely the buzzing of mosquitoes.

He turned to Pei Hong and ordered in a deep voice, "Captain Pei, send more men to ensure that the two envoys and their delegation are safely escorted back to the post station."

"We must be extra careful these next few days to ensure the safety of all our distinguished guests."

"Your subordinate obeys!" Pei Hong clasped his hands in a fist salute and immediately directed his soldiers to escort the still-shaken Yuan Wuzu and the composed Geshulin away from this place of trouble.

In the blink of an eye, the once bustling riverside was now a scene of devastation, with only soldiers standing solemnly in the distance.

Ye Yixiang snapped back to reality, realizing that she was still tightly held in Chu Huaili's arms. Her cheeks flushed instantly, and she hurriedly struggled to break free. She took two steps back, barely managing to steady herself, lowered her eyelashes, and curtsied, her voice still trembling with fear: "Thank you, General Chu, for saving my life."

Chu Huaili withdrew his hand and put it behind his back, his fingertips curling slightly.

His gaze swept indifferently elsewhere, his tone detached as if he weren't the one who had just protected her: "No need for gratitude. I saved you simply because you happened to be there, and I don't like getting covered in blood."

He paused, then started walking. "Let's go, I'll take you home."

Ye Yixiang was taken aback, somewhat at a loss: "Huh?"

“In the heat of the moment, I already made it clear that you are my wife. Now, countless eyes are watching from the shadows. The act must be performed convincingly.” His tone was calm, devoid of any emotion, as if he were stating a perfectly ordinary business matter. “Do you want others to see through your act and ruin everything?”

“But I came with my sister Zhaoxue…” Ye Yixiang tried to find a reason.

“Nie Zhaoxue is the younger sister of the Governor of Liangzhou. No one in Liangzhou dares to touch her in the slightest.” Chu Huaili’s voice came without stopping, carrying a hint of coldness that was barely perceptible. “You’d better worry more about yourself.”

Ye Yixiang was speechless, feeling extremely annoyed, and could only silently follow in his footsteps.

If I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have listened to Zhaoxue and come to this place to drink some kind of herbal soup!

Now that I've drunk the medicine, I haven't even caught a glimpse of the person I wanted to see. Instead, I've run into this cold-faced devil and gotten myself into this deadly predicament. Now I'm even forced to travel with him. I really regret it!

She kept her head down, staring at the hem of his sky-blue brocade robe, following him step by step.

Following his steady steps up the stairs, the glint of swords and the stench of blood that had filled the air below seemed to vanish. Upon reaching the top, an even more tumultuous and intense atmosphere immediately enveloped us.

"Next up—top-quality goods!"

A long, high-pitched shout, tinged with the slickness of the marketplace, pierced through the clamor of voices: "Freshly acquired exotic girls, each one more beautiful than the last!"

A cacophony of excited chatter and whistles erupted from the audience.

"After waiting for ages, something decent has finally arrived!"

"I must pick an absolute beauty to take back today!"

"What's so good about women from other races? We can't understand their language, and they're very wild!"

"Hey, brother, you don't understand. That's exactly what we're looking for—that wildness. It's more fun to train it slowly!"

These blatant and frivolous comments reached Ye Yixiang's ears clearly, causing her to frown uncomfortably. She subconsciously slowed her pace, her gaze falling on the brightly lit platform.

Several brightly dressed foreign girls were pushed and shoved onto the stage. Most of them were beautiful, but their eyes were filled with fear and confusion.

Among these girls, one figure stood out—she was dressed in rags, her long, black hair covered most of her face in dirt, she was barefoot, and her slender wrists were tightly bound with rough hemp rope. Standing among the relatively well-dressed "goods," she appeared particularly conspicuous and pitiful.

"Hey! What's going on? Why did you bring up a little beggar?"

"Has Qiankunfang gone mad with greed? They're actually trying to fool us with this kind of shoddy stuff!"

Dissatisfied jeers immediately erupted from the audience.

A man in fine clothes, who appeared to be in charge, stepped forward slowly, a calm smile on his face, and said reassuringly, "Distinguished guests, please calm down! Please calm down! Don't underestimate this girl. Qiankun Workshop lost several skilled men trying to capture her!"

"Don't let her current appearance fool you, she's a real martial artist, and incredibly stubborn. She absolutely refuses to change into the clothes we've prepared. Think about it, folks, even if you don't keep her as a plaything, taming her and making her a personal bodyguard would be excellent!"

"Pah! Who cares about buying a female bodyguard? We want beauties!" someone in the audience sneered.

Looking at the thin but upright figure on the stage, and listening to the unrestrained comments around her, Ye Yixiang felt a strange pang of sadness.

With her country destroyed, isn't she herself now also adrift in a world of fate, at the mercy of others?

She hesitated for a moment, then quickened her pace to Chu Huaili's side, asking in a soft but clear voice, "What happens to the 'goods' that aren't bought?"

Chu Huaili didn't stop walking, only glancing at her indifferently. His eyes were calm and unwavering, but his words were icy and chilling: "Useless things should naturally be disposed of." It was as if he were talking about something that was perfectly ordinary.

Ye Yixiang's heart sank. She followed him for a few more steps, then couldn't help but turn back again to look at the lonely figure on the high platform.

The girl slightly raised her head, and through her dirty hair, a pair of unusually bright eyes, filled with defiance and despair, overlapped with a vague shadow in her memory.

She took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind, and spoke again, her voice trembling slightly: "General Chu."

He stopped in his tracks, turned his head to look at her, his eyes questioning but still devoid of warmth.

Ye Yixiang looked up at him, her eyes filled with pleading and a hint of dependence that she herself was unaware of: "I am currently short of money, may I... borrow some money from the general? I will definitely repay it in full in the future."

She knew her request was somewhat abrupt, but at this moment, it seemed that the only person she could turn to was this indifferent man in front of her.

Chu Huaili's deep gaze lingered on her face for a moment, as if trying to see something in her eyes.

He paused for a moment before slowly saying, "Unfortunately, I didn't bring any money with me today."

The light in Ye Yixiang's eyes gradually faded, and she lowered her head in disappointment, her long eyelashes concealing all her emotions.

As expected... she shouldn't have had any hope.

“However,” he suddenly spoke again, his voice still calm, but it made Ye Yixiang’s heart jump.

He raised his hand and pulled off the long brocade pouch at his waist. Opening the pouch, he revealed a gold hairpin inside.

The hairpin was exquisitely crafted, shaped like a pair of lotus flowers with petals as thin as cicada wings and clear veins. It was adorned with dazzling gemstones, shimmering with light, and clearly worth a fortune.

"You may borrow this hairpin."

Ye Yixiang looked up in astonishment, her heart skipping a beat when her gaze fell upon the overly exquisite gold hairpin. Twin lotus blossoms, a gold hairpin.

This was clearly a gift from a man to his wife as a sign of respect! If she accepted it, it would be improper and would only lead to speculation. Her voice betrayed obvious panic and resistance: "This is too precious, and... it's against the rules."

“It’s alright,” Chu Huaili interrupted her, his tone still flat, as if he hadn’t noticed the deeper meaning in her words, or simply didn’t care. “You can separate this hairpin in the middle.”

With a slender finger, he lightly touched the roots of the twin lotus blossoms, "One of them is enough to buy that little beggar."

His deep gaze swept over her cheeks, which were slightly flushed with nervousness, and he continued, his voice low and clear: "Keep the last one for yourself. When you are financially well-off in the future, put the two hairpins together and return them to me."

He paused, his tone carrying a nonchalant arrogance: "I have plenty of these things in my storeroom, they're nothing special."

A note from the author:

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Happy National Day to everyone! May you be happy every day.