Survival (Cultivation)

Amidst the swirling smoke, Qu Linghan struggled to get out of bed.

The fire engulfed Qu Linghan's bed, making it difficult for her to move an inch.

"Help! Help! Cough..." She coughed uncontrollably, screaming hysterically.

"Someone, please help me!"

After a few more cries, she could no longer hold on and collapsed heavily onto the bed.

Her thirst for life drove her to struggle, but all she received in return was a more intense engulfing of the flames.

"I want to go home."

Qu Linghan had long since lost control of her emotions and unconsciously broke down, screaming.

Just as she was about to fall, she was embraced by a cold embrace. Qu Linghan looked up and tried her best to open her eyes to look at him.

"Please, save me, I don't want to die..."

Qu Linghan lay in Bai Huihan's arms, which were as cold as an ice cellar, yet he inexplicably felt a touch of warmth in his heart.

She raised her slender hand and stroked Bai Hui's face, which was covered in iron.

"Though it was our first meeting, I could see that you have a kind heart. It's just too ugly to wear such a mask every day."

"I think you've been delirious from being burned."

Bai Hui carried Qu Linghan as they made their way out of the side room, a journey fraught with difficulties.

"My lord, my lord, are you alright? That was so dangerous just now, I was so worried about you."

Bai Hui didn't say much, and carried Qu Linghan all the way to the main room.

"Summon the imperial physician. Check if the lady is alright. Also, Qin Hang, have you found out who started the fire?"

Bai Hui asked the question in an unquestionable tone.

Qin Hang, whom he mentioned, immediately reported to Bai Hui with utmost respect.

"Reporting to the Marquis, all we know now is that today's fire was not directed at you."

As soon as Qin Hang finished speaking, Bai Hui's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile as he turned to look at Qu Linghan, who was being fed medicine by a maid.

"Oh? Madam has brought my nemesis here."

Bai Hui tapped her fingertips lightly on the table, producing a crisp sound.

"Alright, go and investigate thoroughly."

"yes."

"Cough cough, it's so bitter." Qu Linghan's hoarse voice reached Bai Hui's ears.

"woke up?"

Bai Hui looked down at Qu Linghan with a hint of mockery.

"The moment the lady entered the Marquis's residence, chaos ensued."

"You, you, you doubt me."

Qu Linghan pushed away Jing'er's hand as she fed him the medicine, and with a hoarse voice, pointed at Bai Hui and asked.

"So what if it is?"

He still had an indifferent expression.

Qu Linghan was helpless.

"Even if I wanted to escape, I wouldn't set myself on fire. Forget it, forget it, I can't explain this to you, let's not argue about it."

You're going to die sooner or later anyway, but I'm going to live for thousands of years to come.

Qu Linghan smoothed his chest and silently told himself.

"I've only been married into this family for a day, and someone already wants to kill me. An escape plan is urgently needed."

A few days later, the first rays of dawn gently shone down.

"Help! Help! The lady has a high fever!"

As Jing'er shouted, Qu Linghan coughed violently in response.

Bai Hui, who was doing his morning exercise, frowned helplessly as he listened to the noise inside the room.

"Qin Hang, go and fetch the imperial physician."

"Your subordinate obeys."

An hour passed, and several people stood quietly in front of Qu Linghan's bed.

The imperial physician took Qu Linghan's pulse, appearing slightly flustered.

"Lord Wang, how is my wife?"

Bai Hui asked the question without a trace of emotion.

Before the imperial physician could answer, he met Qu Linghan's fierce gaze.

"Reporting to the Marquis, the lady's high fever is caused by fear. She should go out more often to ensure her safety."

As soon as he finished speaking, Bai Hui chuckled subtly.

She immediately reverted to her original aloof demeanor.

"Thank you, Imperial Physician. I'll see you out of the mansion."

Bai Hui gestured to the imperial physician, who tactfully followed. The two walked one after the other. Qu Linghan, worried about the imperial physician, secretly followed as well.

He was seen bowing and scraping as he looked at the aloof man whose face was covered with iron.

“My lord, the lady is in good health and does not need any medicine.”

The words reached Qu Linghan's ears, who was eavesdropping. She angrily pinched her palm. This imperial physician is really shrewd!

Qu Linghan returned to her room and paced back and forth.

"No, I have to escape."

If you're going to do something, do it all the time.

The next day, Qu Linghan summoned Jing'er and set up a long ladder in an inconspicuous corner of the Marquis's mansion's backyard.

Meanwhile, Bai Hui was in the main courtyard, twirling a teacup with one hand, his brows slightly furrowed.

What is she going to do now?

Qu Linghan quickly climbed to the top and reached out to help Jing'er, who was still struggling to climb below.

"Keep going, keep going, don't look down."

"Ah!" Qu Linghan lost his balance and stepped right onto a small patch of moss on the top of the wall.

"Miss, Miss!" Under Jing'er's desperate cries, Qu Linghan fell straight down.

"Help!"

The pain she had imagined did not come; the familiar sandalwood scent wafting from her nose made Qu Linghan afraid to open her eyes.

"Doesn't Madam intend to explain?"

Qu Linghan nervously opened her eyes.

"Um, my lord, could you please put me down first?"

Immediately, as if practicing with weapons, Bai Hui struck Qu Linghan with a "thud," and Qu Linghan landed on the ground.

Couldn't you be a little gentler?

Qu Linghan patted the dirt off the hem of her skirt and complained irritably.

"Explain what you were doing just now?" His eyes remained devoid of emotion, and his voice was as cold as well water in winter.

"It's for exercising!" Qu Linghan said, showing off his biceps.

"Exercise?"

This puzzled Bai Hui somewhat.

"My lord, think about it. Wasn't the fire a few days ago very dangerous? If my body were strong enough, I could have run away on my own, and you wouldn't have had to risk your life to save me."

"Glib-tongued."

As soon as he finished speaking, Qu Linghan saw Jing'er running towards him from a distance.

"Madam, Lord Marquis," Jing'er asked anxiously immediately after bowing, "Madam, are you alright?"

"Hmm, not bad." Qu Linghan looked at Bai Hui.

"Then, my lord, if there's nothing else, we'll take our leave."

After saying that, Qu Linghan pulled Jing'er away.

"etc."

Qu Linghan turned her head, looking curious.

"What is it, my lord?"

"Come with me to the palace tomorrow."

Qu Linghan was stunned, pointing at himself.

"Enter the palace, me?"

Lost in thought, Qu Linghan was pulled back to his room by Jing'er and lay on the bed, utterly dejected.

They can't leave, and they can't escape.

Qu Linghan suddenly sat up in bed and lunged at the pillar in the southwest corner of the room, only 0.01 millimeters away from it.

Qu Linghan stopped in time, "Forget it, if we really die and can't go back, then it's all over."

Qu Linghan sat on the edge of the bed with his head hanging low, watching the wisps of smoke rising from the stove, sorting out the current situation in his mind.

"It seems that this Qu Linghan has the same name, surname, and appearance as me. Could it be that she had already passed away in the woodshed, so this body was able to accommodate me, a person from a thousand years later?"

Qu Linghan sighed sadly.

Sigh for her, and sigh for yourself.

In ancient times, Qu Linghan died from deceit and treachery. Now, she has lost her title as an internationally renowned designer and is caught up in a situation she has not yet fully understood.

Qu Linghan took out her pen and ink and used a mind map to organize her already chaotic mind.

Family background: Unknown.

Interpersonal relationships: Her parents and elder brother are far away in the Northwest, her maid Jing'er is by her side, and she also has a husband who could take her life at any time.

Main objective: Survive and leave Bai Zhaoming.

Qu Linghan held a calligraphy brush and twirled it in the air. How could he survive without money? Things are different now than they are a thousand years from now.

A thousand years later? That's right! Qu Linghan clapped his hands.

"I'm an internationally renowned designer. Designing one period costume is more than enough to open several shops!"

"What designer? I've never heard of them before."

The oppressive atmosphere returned, and Qu Linghan quickly gathered the papers on the table.

"What designer? Your Excellency must have misheard."

As if he had caught something incriminating, Qu Linghan pressed on:

"Why did you come in without knocking?"

Seeing Bai Hui's cold smile, Qu Linghan broke out in a fine sweat.

"My residence, my wife, do I need to report to you where I am going?"

"No, no, no need. You've come at the right time! I've been looking for you."

Qu Linghan was clearly stunned when he saw Bai Hui.

"Looking for me? You used to avoid me like the plague. What brings you here now?"

Qu Linghan spoke hesitantly.

"You know, I'm penniless right now, but I also want to make a name for myself, you know? If I succeed, wouldn't that mean you succeed too? Besides..."

Bai Hui, who had somehow ended up sitting in a chair, looked helplessly at Qu Linghan, propped her head up with one hand, and tapped the table in front of her with the other, making two "thump, thump" sounds.

"Get to the point."

"I would like to borrow some money from you to open a clothing shop."

As soon as he finished speaking, Qu Linghan lowered his head, not daring to look at Bai Hui's expression.

"Qin Hang, let's go." Bai Hui got up to leave.

As Qu Linghan had predicted, this great demon pretended to be gentle, but in reality he was ruthless and unwilling to help others.

That's really cunning!

Despite thinking this way, Qu Linghan still "stepped forward" to stop this sugar daddy.

"Once I make a profit, we'll split it 50/50." Qu Linghan saw that Bai Hui still didn't seem inclined to agree.

"64 points."

"Seventy-three points."

It was so quiet that Qu Linghan could almost hear the passage of time. She shouted with great reluctance, "Two-eighths split!"

"make a deal."

Qu Linghan felt as if her heart was bleeding.

"Sigh, I'm in an unfamiliar place and penniless. Otherwise, I wouldn't have come to you."

She muttered to herself.

"How can you say you're unfamiliar with this place? The arsonist from a few days ago was one of your elder sister's men. If she cares about you so much, how will you repay her?"

If it weren't for their different statuses, Qu Linghan really wanted to punch Bai Hui.

What a convenient excuse for talking without understanding the situation.

"How could I have known she would openly kill me? I'm sorry for ruining the Marquis's side room."

"Then pay me back when your shop makes a profit."

Bai Hui waved his hand and was about to leave when he suddenly remembered something.

"I have prepared your clothes for entering the palace tomorrow. Someone will deliver them to your room after dinner."

The next morning, as the warm sun broke through the sky.

Qu Linghan and Bai Hui had already entered the palace together, looking at the magnificent palace buildings.

Qu Linghan sighed from the bottom of his heart at the passage of time, which had smoothed over countless palaces and changed mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas.

"Qu Linghan".

Qu Linghan, who was contemplating the philosophy of life, shuddered upon hearing this commanding tone.

"Hey boss, I'm here."

After saying that, Qu Linghan saw Bai Hui roll her eyes at her in disgust.

"Don't move. I'm going to speak with His Majesty."

As soon as he finished speaking, Qu Linghan's head started nodding incessantly, like a pile being driven into the ground.

As soon as Bai Huifang left, Qu Linghan followed the winding path to the depths.

Since I finally get a chance to enter the palace, I might as well take a look around.

Despite the biting winter chill, the plum blossoms are blooming exceptionally well.

Qu Linghan calmly reached out and gently stroked the petals of a plum blossom, enjoying the delicate touch.

A furious voice suddenly rang out, shattering the tranquility of the path.

"Where did this little brat come from, daring to run wild in my territory!"