Chapter 133 How about we call off our wedding tomorrow...?
The words of apology faded into the night. Xi Ye was right beside her, his presence so palpable; he shouldn't have been oblivious.
However, she waited much longer than usual before receiving Xi Ye's reply: "It's okay."
His voice was colder than ever. Upon closer listening, it even seemed somewhat stiff, as if he were suppressing some emotion.
Lu Yuanyuan pursed her lips, feeling a slight sense of embarrassment and helplessness.
She felt there was something strange about the other person's reaction... They said it was okay, but it didn't sound like that at all. Was her apology not sincere enough?
As she was carefully choosing her words, she heard Xi Ye suddenly speak: "However, I'm quite curious to know who you dreamed about. What is your relationship with him that would cause you to have such a strong reaction upon seeing him?"
Lu Yuanyuan's lips trembled slightly, reluctant to answer, and she said in a low voice, "So even the High Priest is curious about other people's private affairs?"
"Of course I'm curious too. It's just that I don't show it to everyone." Xi Ye paused, not letting her evade the question, and then steered the conversation back on track: "Is the person in your dream your enemy? Or perhaps your sweetheart who betrayed you?"
A certain word struck a nerve, and Lu Yuanyuan's neck tensed slightly: "Why would you guess that?"
Could she have just said something nonsensical?
Xi Ye's voice revealed no emotional fluctuation: "Just a guess."
Lu Yuanyuan fell silent.
Normally, a perceptive person wouldn't press the matter at a time like this. However, after waiting a while, Xi Ye seemed to lose his composure: "Did I guess right just now?"
Why did he have to know who she dreamed about? Was his curiosity so uncontrollable?
Lu Yuanyuan turned her head away, not answering directly, and said softly, "You've never met that person, and you don't know them. So, there's really nothing to say."
Xi Ye said in a lukewarm tone, "I think that what you think about during the day, you dream about at night. Dreaming about someone means that you can't let go of things about him. Even if I don't know him, I can be your listener and help you relieve this emotion."
“That person… has been dead for a very, very long time, long since turned into a handful of dust. Originally, I was almost forgetting about him.” Lu Yuanyuan turned her back and said to herself, “Besides, according to what you said, what you think about during the day, you dream about at night. If you make me remember him, the more I remember him, the more I will continue to dream about him, endlessly.”
"..."
Lu Yuanyuan bit her lower lip with a slight effort: "I really don't want to see him appear in my dreams anymore."
Her words were a mixture of truth and falsehood. She herself couldn't tell which were true and which were false, or who she was saying them to.
She just didn't want to be dragged back into those irreversible years.
Xi Ye finally fell silent this time and did not press the matter further.
With some time before dawn, Lu Yuanyuan ignored his mood and lay down fully clothed on her side, using her silent back to refuse to delve further into the topic.
This time, Heaven heard her heart's voice, and she slept soundly until dawn.
...
When Lu Yuanyuan woke up, she felt something warm against her cheek, gently swaying.
My eyelids felt heavy, like waterlogged sponges. My limbs were also sluggish, and it took a long time for my vision to gradually clear.
The sky was low and the rain was pouring down, casting a dim, bluish light over the long street. She was perched on the back of a boy, holding an oil-paper umbrella in her hand.
The boy had broad shoulders and a straight posture like a young poplar tree. But perhaps to make the person on his back more comfortable, his body was leaning forward at a noticeable angle. It must have been tiring, but he seemed to have no complaints and walked very steadily.
Lu Yuanyuan turned her head and could see his fair cheek and the shimmering light in his eyes beneath his long eyelashes.
...Duan Lansheng?
The rain intensified, and even with an umbrella in hand, the mist drifted down and blurred her vision. Lu Yuanyuan found that she couldn't see the distant scenery clearly, and her mind felt fogged up, a chaotic mess, making it impossible to distinguish what time it was.
Slowly, she looked down and saw that the bluestone bricks of the street were covered with a layer of water. Raindrops rippled in circles on the surface of the water, which was deeper than her boots. Walking on it would inevitably get her shoes and socks wet.
Lu Yuanyuan was stunned for a long time, as if a spark flickered deep in her mind.
Ah... she finally remembered what had caused this situation.
Tomorrow is her wedding to Duan Lansheng.
In the cultivation world, wedding preparations are not as complicated as in the mortal world. The elaborate rituals of tea ceremonies, wedding processions, and other formalities have long been simplified. However, wedding attire and a red veil are still essential.
In the world of cultivation, she had no relatives; her sect was her elder. During the wedding preparations, her clothes, red veil, shoes… everything was prepared for her by Mount Shu. There were precedents before, of course, but those were always paid for by the disciples themselves.
And her things... to be precise, were all paid for by Duan Lansheng.
The origins of this marriage were far from honorable; it was a forced arrangement. She hadn't expected that Duan Lansheng, even if he didn't like her, would be willing to cover these expenses. As the date approached, her excitement gradually faded, replaced by a faint sense of shame and unease.
She had already gotten what she wanted, so why did she want to cry?
Shushan hired embroiderers from the foot of the mountain to take her measurements and make clothes for her. The clothes were delivered to her room half a month ago.
But gazing at the two large boxes, she twisted her fingers, a restless, tense urge to escape rising within her. Even the simple act of opening the lids felt like a tremendous challenge. It was as if what lay inside wasn't what she longed for, but rather the entrance to an abyss.
She waited until today, when she could no longer delay, before finally opening the box for the first time. And when she did, she was stunned—something had gone wrong; the outermost layer of her wedding dress had a hole in it. This was the outermost garment; if she wore it tomorrow, everyone would see it.
Lu Yuanyuan felt both regretful and anxious. If she hadn't run away, she would have discovered the problem half a month ago and made the necessary changes in time.
With only one day left until the wedding, it's too late to make a new one. The only solution is to find a skilled embroiderer to repair it and cover the tear.
In reality, this matter is not difficult to resolve. Although it is somewhat urgent, with the connections of Shushan, it shouldn't be difficult to contact the original embroiderer to solve the problem. And to mobilize these connections, Duan Lansheng is indispensable.
Lu Yuanyuan hugged the gauze dress, but after thinking about this, she backed down.
Although she was about to marry Duan Lansheng, he wasn't marrying her willingly, and she had already asked him for a lot of help. Asking him to handle trouble the day before the wedding might make him find her annoying and fussy.
She couldn't trouble Duan Lansheng any further. There was still time; she could handle it secretly herself and certainly wouldn't embarrass Duan Lansheng.
She didn't want anyone to know about it. So, before dawn that day, she quietly slipped out of Mount Shu and went to Spring Mountain City.
Many tailor shops don't accept rush orders, and after being turned away several times, she finally found an embroiderer to help. She waited until dark before the gauze dress was finally repaired.
To avoid snagging the gauze dress, Lu Yuanyuan rolled it up and wrapped it in a bundle.
But then it started raining outside.
The sky was overcast and the wind was damp. She had left in a hurry and hadn't brought an umbrella. The tailor shop closed early, but luckily there was an eave outside to keep out the rain, so Lu Yuanyuan obediently hugged her bundle, squatted on the steps, and waited for the heavy rain to stop.
As darkness fell completely, she waited in the rain for an unexpected person to appear.
Duan Lansheng.
When he found her, Duan Lansheng suddenly stopped in his tracks. He seemed relieved at first sight. But then his pupils contracted as he noticed something in her arms.
A burden.
He frowned, his cold gaze fixed on the bundle she was clutching tightly.
Although he pursed his lips and said nothing, Lu Yuanyuan sensed that he was angry.
She squatted on the ground, her legs inexplicably feeling weak. She instinctively tried to hide her bundle, but couldn't. So as soon as he approached, she stammered an explanation of why she was there, emphasizing that her motive was not to cause him any trouble.
Strangely, Duan Lansheng's mood did not improve after hearing her explanation. After carrying her on his back, he kept a cold expression on his pretty face and did not say a word.
Did she...did she fall asleep on his back?
Duan Lansheng was angry, yet she was still holding an umbrella and fast asleep.
Lu Yuanyuan froze, her toes curling. Just then, the wind seemed to pick up, carrying raindrops that swept in from ahead. She glanced to the side and saw that the rain had wet Duan Lansheng's lips.
Like delicate flower petals moistened with dew.
The boy's lips were full and pointed, bright red and clean, tempting one to kiss them.
Celestial beings descended to earth.
Lu Yuanyuan glanced at it, then guiltily looked away. Gradually, the feelings of depression mixed with shame that had lasted for half a month surged up like a rising tide.
She lowered her head and said listlessly, "I think... maybe we should just forget about it."
At the same time, her hand involuntarily tilted the oil-paper umbrella forward to shield him from the rain. Being kind to Duan Lansheng seemed to have become her instinct.
Unexpectedly, before she could finish speaking and before the oil-paper umbrella had moved forward even a few inches, Duan Lansheng saw through her intention and gently stopped her: "Just cover yourself, don't worry about me."
His voice sounded as if he wasn't angry anymore.
Lu Yuanyuan hesitated for a moment, then insisted, "But I don't want you to get wet in the rain either."
She had said many mushy things to him before. This ordinary sentence, for some reason, made Duan Lansheng react. He abruptly stopped, as if taking a deep breath, before humming in agreement: "But if that's the case, I won't be able to see the road ahead, and I might cause you to fall."
Yeah?
She didn't tilt the oil-paper umbrella forward that much, did she? Did it block Duan Lansheng's view? Besides, is Duan Lansheng someone who falls down so easily?
Despite a few doubts creeping into his mind, as if something was amiss, Duan Lansheng would never lie about such trivial matters.
A voice whispered this in her ear. Lu Yuanyuan hummed in response and obediently returned the oil-paper umbrella to its original position.
The silence had been broken, and sensing that Duan Lansheng's attitude seemed a little better than she had expected, Lu Yuanyuan unconsciously relaxed. She turned her head slightly and noticed that the street had become deserted at some point.
In the alleyways and streets, under a pale, overcast sky, all the stalls were closed, and no pedestrians hurriedly seeking shelter from the rain were in sight. Between heaven and earth, only Duan Lansheng and she remained.
The houses on either side were left behind as they moved forward; they seemed different, yet they repeated themselves in sections. This road seemed to have no forks, no end.
That faint sense of unease returned, like a fish's shadow flitting across a lotus leaf, impossible to catch.
Lu Yuanyuan's lips moved, and she heard her own voice hesitate: "Where are we going? Are we going back to Mount Shu?"
Duan Lansheng didn't stop and asked, "Don't you want to go back to Mount Shu?"
Tomorrow is the wedding; she should nod and say yes.
But in this somewhat illusory, endless rain, the lock on my heart seemed to have malfunctioned, failing to lock away my true feelings.
Some images flashed before her eyes like smoke, making her resist: "I don't want to."
Duan Lansheng wasn't angry, and seemed unsurprised by her answer. He turned his head, his breath brushing against the back of her hand: "So, where do you want to go?"
"...I haven't thought it through, but I don't want to stay in Shu Mountain anymore. Nobody here likes me, and I don't want to like them either. I don't want to come back in my next life." Lu Yuanyuan lowered her head and said sullenly, "Take me home."
She noticed that Duan Lansheng had stopped walking at some point. He tightened his grip on her hands slightly, as if afraid of disturbing a butterfly alighting on a leaf, and asked very softly, "Where do you live?"
"My home is..." Lu Yuanyuan instinctively wanted to answer. However, the moment the answer surfaced, she felt that something seemed off.
Didn't Duan Lansheng already know that she had no memories of what happened before she entered Mount Shu?
How could she possibly answer where her home is?
Strangely, Lu Yuanyuan had a vague feeling that she should know the answer, but that she shouldn't reveal it. She frowned slightly: "Why...why are you asking this?"
Duan Lansheng lifted her sliding body up slightly and said patiently, "You need to tell me where your real home is before I can send you back."
Well-reasoned and supported by evidence.
So, where is her home? The answer weighed heavily on the rocks underwater. Trying to lift it up only stirred up sand that obscured her vision. She mumbled, "My home is far away; you can't go there."
How far is it?
Lu Yuanyuan shook her head, unwilling to answer. She looked at the ground and wondered if it was just her imagination, but when they stepped over the puddle, there was no reflection of them. The eerie fish shadow skimmed across the water again, stirring up ripples.
The surrounding scenery swayed and distorted in the rain and mist. It was as if something was rapidly growing within her mind, shrouded in mystery, breaking free from its constraints, and the silent world began to stir. Lu Yuanyuan pulled her arms closer and couldn't help but say, "I...I want to get down and walk around. Aren't you tired?"
Duan Lansheng didn't let go, saying, "I'm not tired, we've arrived."
arrive?
The oil-paper umbrella in her hand had vanished. Lu Yuanyuan looked up and realized that they had arrived at a familiar place.
Shushan Sword Sect.
The rain hadn't stopped, and the winding stone path was still wet. Finally, there was a place to take shelter in the corridor ahead; she recognized it—it was Duan Lansheng's room.
One second they were on the street, the next they were here. But at this moment, she didn't feel anything was wrong.
The eaves of the corridor blocked the heavy rain, but Duan Lansheng still hadn't given up on her and continued to lead her forward.
Noticing her restlessness and her insistence on getting down and walking on her own instead of being carried, Duan Lansheng frowned slightly and suddenly brought up something else: "By the way, what were you trying to say to me just now? What did you mean by 'never mind'?"
Lu Yuanyuan's thoughts were wandering. Only after his reminder did she remember what had just been interrupted, and her attention had been diverted.
There was no need for an umbrella anymore. She crossed her arms over Duan Lansheng's neck and said softly, "That's right, let's just forget about tomorrow's matter."
Duan Lansheng still seemed not to understand her meaning: "What about tomorrow?"
Lu Yuanyuan fidgeted with her fingers for a moment, then finally made it clear: "It's the wedding tomorrow."
"..."
“Go and tell your master that we should call off our wedding tomorrow. Even if... even if I like you, I don’t want to force you or be rejected. Go and talk to your master properly, he definitely won’t blame you.”
As Lu Yuanyuan spoke, she felt conflicted and confused.
No, why would she take the initiative to suggest not having Duan Lansheng?
She would never even dream of such an absurd scene. But she just said it so naturally.
Upon hearing her words, Duan Lansheng paused, but neither put her down nor said whether it was good or bad. He quickened his pace and went into the house.
Why isn't he reacting?
Did she overlook something during her consideration?
That's true. It's only the day before the wedding that he says he's canceling. Even if he doesn't want to marry her, he'll still lose face. But losing face is better than being forced to do something he doesn't want to do.
Lu Yuanyuan added everything she could think of: "Of course, don't worry about the things in my room. I will take good care of them and return all the money to you."
"You're not saying anything, are you still angry...? I'm sorry, I really wasted a lot of your time today..."
Duan Lansheng still did not answer.
His room was as spotless and tidy as he remembered, with a sword rack on the table and the faint scent of sandalwood wafting through the air. Duan Lansheng strode through the middle of the room and walked to the back before placing her on a chair against the wall and helping her sit down.
Lu Yuanyuan was about to get up as soon as her bottom touched the chair. But a shadow fell over her, and Duan Lansheng squatted down in front of her, blocking her way with his arms, preventing her from getting up.
In those dark blue eyes, there were emotions she couldn't understand.
She rarely got to be looked up at by Duan Lansheng, especially not so closely, and so closely. She couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. The next second, Duan Lansheng released his hand from the wall, grabbed her hand, and looked up at her with an unusually serious expression, as if he wanted her to hear every word clearly: "You didn't force me. It was my own choice. If I didn't want to, no one could force me."
“I wasn’t angry just now.” Duan Lansheng’s thumb rubbed the back of her hand, then suddenly changed his mind: “Yes, I was a little angry today, but I wasn’t angry that you wasted my time. I was angry that you were so distant with me. I just hope that no matter what happens, you will always choose to come to me first.”
"I couldn't find you all day, and when I finally did, you were carrying such a big bag. I thought you were trying to leave..."
As he spoke, he seemed embarrassed that he was revealing these thoughts for the first time, and he pursed his lips.
Lu Yuanyuan opened her eyes slightly.
That's impossible.
Duan Lansheng was like a saw-off gourd; there was no way he would say such sweet words to her, nor would he ever coax her.
The person in front of me is fake.
The real Duan Lansheng always disliked her.
Suddenly, Duan Lansheng tightened his fingers. His hands were large, and his fingers seemed to tremble slightly, enveloping her hand completely.
Lu Yuanyuan then realized that she had inadvertently revealed all her innermost thoughts.
Duan Lansheng took a deep breath and moved a little closer to her. His body was warm, and his knees pressed against the outside of her calves. Although she was sitting and taller than him, it felt as if he had locked her in his arms with both hands and feet. Duan Lansheng looked at her, his expression earnest, even a little anxious: "It's not like that, that wasn't my intention. Back then... I had some problems. I didn't understand so much, I didn't know how to express myself... I should have been honest with you about my feelings, I shouldn't have hurt you like that."
"I will definitely treat you well in the future, so don't be disappointed in me."
This seemed to be the first time Duan Lansheng had used such a humble tone to coax someone.
A melodious voice drifted into my ears, and his words sounded like lines from a daydream.
No, that's not right.
She would never dream that Duan Lansheng would use that expression to coax her.
Like a dangerous water ghost, he can read minds and know what she wants to hear, then he picks out the words she wants to hear and lures her over. Once she believes him and foolishly approaches him, she will be dragged into the abyss, never to be reborn.
Lu Yuanyuan's lips trembled. She tried to escape again, but trapped here, she couldn't go anywhere. Behind her was a wall, her left hand was held by him, her right hand was held by his arm, and in front of her was his body. Her escape route was completely blocked. In desperation, she raised her hands and tightly covered her ears.
She couldn't listen to such sweet words, and she couldn't believe a single word of them.
They're all fake.
You also need to close your eyes.
Every time she saw his face, she was easily captivated and bewitched.
Lu Yuanyuan curled up tightly in a protective posture, covering her ears and closing her eyes.
Seeing this, Duan Lansheng frowned slightly and moved his hand up her forearm, as if he wanted to pull her hand away.
However, seeing that she refused to take her hand off, he did not forcibly dig this ostrich out of the safe sand pile, but slowly loosened his grip on her wrist.
Although he didn't crack open her shell, Lu Yuanyuan could sense that Duan Lansheng hadn't left; he had only stepped back a little, but was still blocking her way.
After a while, she felt him grab her ankle and take off her wet shoes. Then, he gently guided her to step onto his thigh.
The rain was really heavy today. Before Duan Lansheng appeared, she walked along the street for a while before returning to the shop to take shelter. By then, her shoes and socks were already soaked. Faint stains of dirty water seeped from the shoes, and mud and sand seeped into her socks. Walking on them was a rustling sound, chafing her soles until the skin was red and very uncomfortable.
What is Duan Lansheng trying to do?
Do you want to open your eyes and take a look?
Two voices were fighting inside her: one of curiosity and the other of warning her that this was all Duan Lansheng's trick and that she would lose if she opened her eyes.
Before the two voices could even finish their fight, she suddenly felt a chill on her feet as her socks were pulled down.
Lu Yuanyuan shuddered slightly and felt Duan Lansheng holding her ankle with one hand while cleaning her with a cloth in the other. The wiping motion was like that of someone caring for a precious piece of porcelain, meticulous and thorough, leaving no toe untouched.
Goosebumps appeared, spreading from the back of her foot to her calf, feeling both uncomfortable and itchy, and she really wanted to stop it.
But when she thought that this was a trick to lower her guard, she held back.
She won't fall for it.
Perhaps because it was so unbearable, she felt that Duan Lansheng had been rubbing her feet for a long time, as if he were exceptionally patient. She herself wouldn't wash herself so thoroughly... Her skin, which had been caressed, felt hot. Finally, it was over, and she felt something soft touch her feet.
It wasn't a cloth. Nor was it a finger; Duan Lansheng's fingertips had calluses from swords.
Soft and warm.
In an instant, something she had seen not long ago flashed through Lu Yuanyuan's dark mind—the slightly parted lips of the boy as he turned his head to speak to her.
How could he...?
Startled, she stumbled and nearly lost her balance, unable to continue pretending to be deaf and dumb. Opening her eyes, she saw Duan Lansheng still holding her foot tightly. She struggled frantically, and in her effort, lost her balance and kicked him.
The next instant, her ankle was firmly gripped, preventing her from moving any further.
Duan Lansheng frowned as if in pain and bent over.
Oh no, did she kick him and hurt him?
Lu Yuanyuan was also a little nervous for a moment. However, she vaguely felt that there was something strange about the other party's reaction. She couldn't help but sit up straight and move her feet. This time, she clearly heard Duan Lansheng pant and narrow his eyes slightly.
What's wrong with him?
Lu Yuanyuan was stunned. Her gaze fell downwards, and her face went blank with shock.
The man being stared at by her blushed slightly at the base of his white ears. But he was more at ease than she had imagined, as if he didn't mind being seen by her. He didn't try to cover himself with his clothes, and even narrowed his shimmering eyes slightly to see how she would react.
"You...you..." Her palms began to sweat, her face flushed and paled in turns. This was the first time she'd known he had such a fetish, and her mind went blank. She didn't know what to say, and after a long pause, she finally managed to utter two words: "Pervert!"
Duan Lansheng wasn't angry; he continued to look at her.
Gradually, his facial features became increasingly blurry and unclear.
His eyebrows, his lips, his smile, all faded like mist melting in the sun, losing their bright colors and disappearing completely.
...
When Lu Yuanyuan woke up, her eyes were sore and hot, her teeth were trembling slightly, and she found herself curled up on her side on the ground.
I touched my brow bone; my eyelids felt hot and swollen, as if they had been soaked in water.
It was all just a dream, a fleeting illusion.
This is the fifth night.
Her eyesight remained impaired. As time passed and the poison wore off, she dreamed less and less, but the dreams became longer and deeper. At first, she could still tell she was dreaming, but later she became completely absorbed in them without realizing it.
Lu Yuanyuan covered her eyes, slowly moved her body, and suddenly realized that something was different.
In her pitch-black world, a glimmer of light appeared.
A gentle, clear, waning moon.
Lu Yuanyuan was stunned for a moment, her heart filled with excitement. She moved her head, raised her hand, and waved it in front of her. Sure enough, she could see a blurry black shadow.
My eyesight hasn't returned to its peak yet, but this is already progress from nothing to something.
Perhaps those long dreams were the price she paid for her accelerated recovery.
Lu Yuanyuan took a deep breath, wanting to tell Xi Ye the good news, but when she sat up, she found that Xi Ye was not around.
Where did he go?
Just as she was feeling a bit puzzled, she suddenly heard a sound rushing through the desolate night wind. The next instant, Xi Ye's figure strode out from behind the woods. Before she could ask any questions, he squatted down and said succinctly, "I see a large group of ghost messengers passing by in the distance. We need to find another place."
The situation was urgent and needed to be avoided; it wasn't the time to share other things. Lu Yuanyuan's sleepiness dissipated, and she swallowed the words "I can see now" before hurriedly nodding.
They rarely traveled at night. Perhaps because it happened so suddenly, Xi Ye carried her on his back and ran forward as if riding the wind.
Lu Yuanyuan leaned on his shoulder, turned her head to look back, and was still a little scared to find that they had only gone a hundred meters away, and the place where they had been hiding was already shrouded in the eerie green glow of ghostly flames.
There were indeed quite a few ghost messengers; it was best to avoid them.
Lu Yuanyuan turned around and suddenly touched something—Xi Ye's clothes were a little wet and smelled fishy. She was slightly startled: "Are you injured?"
Xi Ye said, "It wasn't my blood; I just dealt with some minor issues."
Lu Yuanyuan felt a little relieved: "Oh..."
Soon, they moved to a flat riverbank and hid behind some rocks. Xi Ye put her down and said calmly, "It should be safe here. I'll keep watch."
"good."
Xi Ye looked down at her clothes and said, "My clothes are dirty, I'm going to wash them."
Lu Yuanyuan was about to talk to him, but after thinking about it, she realized it wasn't that urgent. He was even more uncomfortable with blood all over his body, so she nodded.
Xi Ye stood up, stepped over the dense bushes, and walked towards the riverbank not far away.
Logically speaking, one should refrain from looking at something improper at a time like this. But Lu Yuanyuan suddenly realized that she hadn't seen Xi Ye take off his mask in all this time.
A secret curiosity arose in her heart, so she shifted her position and peeked out. She saw Xi Ye sitting down with his back to her and taking off his clothes.
The bright moon hung high, the dark clouds dispersed, and the river shimmered, like pieces of silver foil swaying on his body.
Bathed in moonlight, Lu Yuanyuan could see clearly that his clothes were soaked in blood in several layers. She took off his outer coat, and the inner garment was also stained with blood. It seemed he had to change everything. She wondered what he had just thrown off; he spoke so casually, and she hadn't heard any fighting.
His clothes were peeled off layer by layer, but Xi Ye remained facing the river, showing no intention of turning around.
From her angle, it was impossible for her to see his face. Besides, he didn't make any gesture to remove his mask.
His strong, slender body was exposed, revealing the physique of a fully grown man, with black hair flowing over his back muscles.
Lu Yuanyuan's fingers twitched. Her goal was to see his face, but she was destined not to see it today. Continuing to peek seemed rather impolite. She secretly breathed a sigh of relief, about to turn back, lie down, and wait for him, when her peripheral vision caught sight of a certain spot, and she suddenly stopped.
Xi Ye swept her long hair over one shoulder, revealing her right shoulder.
There was a ring of teeth marks on it.
It wasn't the teeth mark of a wild animal; it was such a small circle, clearly human teeth. It looked fresh, not yet scabbed over.
A night breeze rustled through the jungle.
Lu Yuanyuan's gaze froze, and her body gradually stiffened.
That tooth mark...
She remembered that the first time she dreamed of Duan Lansheng, because she realized he was an imposter in the dream, he forcibly carried her on his back. Unable to resist, she bit his shoulder hard. She could taste blood through his clothes, which showed how deep the wound was.
That spot, and the teeth marks on Xi Ye's shoulder at this moment, seem to be exactly the same.
Is it a coincidence?
How did Xi Ye get those teeth marks on his shoulder?
Who bit it? When did they bite it?
Only a humanoid being could leave behind such a thing. She had been with Xi Ye these past few days and hadn't seen him interact with anyone.
If it was left from a fight... that makes even less sense. In a fight, everyone wants to kill each other. If you could bite the shoulder, why choose a spot that wouldn't be fatal? Wouldn't it be more logical to bite off-center and target the neck or carotid artery?
Lu Yuanyuan's lips trembled slightly as she raised her hand and touched each of her teeth one by one.
Deep within my mind, a jumble of conflicting thoughts flashed through my mind.
But before she could come up with an answer, she noticed that Xi Ye had already washed up, changed into new clothes, burned the blood-stained clothes with foxfire, and was walking towards her.
Lu Yuanyuan hurriedly lowered her head, turning her face into the darkness, and clenched her fists.
Hearing footsteps crunching on the grass, her mind was in turmoil. For a fleeting moment, she really wanted to ask him about the teeth mark, to dispel her doubts. But reason prevented her from doing so.
That's right. She mentioned it when Xi Ye burned the back of his hand last time. His constitution is somewhat special; if he gets a wound, it doesn't heal immediately. She also witnessed his gradual recovery process firsthand.
But who knows if that's true?
What if Xiye actually has a way to speed up wound healing?
If she were to ask, she would be alerting him and allowing him to destroy evidence.
Xi Ye leaned back behind the rock, parted the bushes, and saw her still sitting on the ground. She casually asked, "Aren't you going to sleep?"
Lu Yuanyuan lowered her head, gave a haphazard reply, and lay down. But her hands and feet were as cold as if she had been pulled out of the water. She stared blankly at the dark grass not far away, unusually without any sleepiness.
She couldn't be so direct; she had to find a way... to verify her guess.
.
The next morning, they got up at the same pace as usual and set off again.
The gates of Swampland had come into view at the edge of their sight.
Before going to bed yesterday, she told Xi Ye that she should find an opportunity to re-infiltrate Zhaolan by tomorrow at the latest.
Xi Ye didn't agree immediately, but said, "But your eyes haven't recovered yet."
Lu Yuanyuan dug her fingertips into her palm, lowered her head, and sighed slightly with a hint of regret: "I know, I can't figure out why I'm recovering so slowly either. But we can't keep delaying the plan just to accommodate me. The sooner you go in, the greater the chance of the princess surviving. If I really can't recover, this task may have to be completed by you alone. If I force myself to go in, I'll only be a burden to you."
"..."
Just a few days ago, she was actively making arrangements to save Xiao Ruo. Seemingly not expecting her attitude to change so suddenly, Xi Ye narrowed his eyes and looked over.
Lu Yuanyuan was unaware that he was watching her, and continued chewing her dry food naturally.
Her reasoning was quite reasonable—when she realized she had become a burden, she indeed abandoned herself. It was also a demonstration of assessing the situation carefully.
In the end, Xi Ye agreed to her request: "Okay."
In the latter half of the night, he sneaked out again and ambushed a small team of ghost messengers near the road he had taken the night before. The leader of the ghost messengers seemed to have some power, and they extracted some information from him. That evening, a group of distinguished guests would be traveling this road into Swamp Orchid. They possessed an invitation that could open the palace gates; obtaining that would mean all three high walls leading to Xiao Ruo would be wide open to them.
The sun was blazing overhead.
They lay in ambush in the woods, in a secluded grove beside the path that the distinguished guests were sure to take.
It's only noon now, still quite early.
Suddenly, Lu Yuanyuan let out a soft gasp. Xi Ye turned around abruptly and saw her pressing her hand to her chest through her clothes, her face full of disgust.
Xi Ye quickly approached: "What's wrong?"
Lu Yuanyuan turned slightly to avoid his gaze and said, "A bug just crawled into my clothes, probably a spider. I killed it... It was quite big, and it was pressed against my skin, which was very uncomfortable. I want to go wash it."
Xi Ye said, "That's not right, you can't see."
"Of course I know, but it's so uncomfortable to have an insect corpse stuck to me like that. I'll just take off my clothes, wet them a little, and wipe myself off; I won't soak myself in it." Lu Yuanyuan paused for a moment and said, "After all, it's not appropriate to ask someone else to wash me in this location."
Under her insistence, Xi Ye finally gave in.
There was a river not far from here. As usual, Lu Yuanyuan took his arm and walked to the riverbank.
Xi Ye helped her squat down, took her free hand, and slowly dipped it into the river to show her the water level. The icy water slid through her fingers. He turned his head to look at her profile: "Are you alright by yourself?"
Lu Yuanyuan nodded.
Xi Ye released her wrist and handed her a handkerchief: "I'll wait for you behind the rock. Call me when you're done."
Once his footsteps faded into the distance, Lu Yuanyuan opened her eyes.
The river in front of her was quite clear, but the light was dim, and her face was sometimes bright and sometimes dark. She slowly released her hand from her chest.
Beneath the clothes, besides the damp sweat, there were no insect corpses.
She didn't know if Xi Ye had chosen this spot intentionally, but he had brought her to the shallowest part of the riverbank. Even if she accidentally stepped into the wrong spot, she wouldn't be submerged immediately.
She could sense that Xi Ye hadn't gone far.
But as long as he's not constantly watching her, that's enough.
She knew this wasn't the best opportunity. But if she didn't verify it, she felt like she was on fire, distracted and unable to concentrate on anything.
Just pretending not to suspect anything has already taken a lot of mental effort.
She couldn't wait a moment longer.
.
Xi Ye leaned against the rock, listening to the gurgling of the river.
As I listened, an unusual "thump" sound suddenly rang out from behind the bushes.
It sounded like something heavy falling into the water.
He paused for a moment, straightened up, and the next second, he heard a violent splashing sound, like the struggle for survival of someone being dragged into the water by something.
In an instant, his expression changed, and he rushed out.
The shore was deserted; there was no one there anymore.
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