Chapter 42 A kiss is a kiss, even if it's just once, it's also a kiss...
A fleeting kiss, like a dragonfly skimming the water.
Yu Wenxue quickly kissed his cheek, her fingers on his shoulder unconsciously tightening for a brief moment before she stepped aside and said to Chen Rourou, "I have my own way of proving it."
"You, you all..." Chen Rourou gritted her teeth: "You did this on purpose!"
After saying that, he flicked his sleeves and walked away indignantly.
Watching Chen Rourou's departing figure, Yu Wenxue felt a weight lifted from her heart.
But the system notification didn't sound, and she was a little unsure if the task was completed. After all, the system had only said to kiss once, but hadn't specified where.
One kiss is one kiss, two kisses are the same, so why not...
Try again?
She shivered quickly.
Lately, I've been having more and more of these strange thoughts, and even Xiao Chai Hu (a traditional Chinese medicine) can't purify them.
A heavy thud came from not far away. She instinctively turned around, but Gu Yun Shen grabbed her chin and turned her back.
Time seemed to stand still at that moment.
Their eyes met, and they both read a hint of ambiguity in each other's eyes.
Yu Wenxue's eyelashes fluttered, and she leaned back slightly before speaking first to explain, "That was just a temporary measure. I just didn't want her to cause you any trouble."
"Yes, thank you." Gu Yun Shen supported her slightly thinner waist, closing the distance between them.
He deliberately controlled his strength, gently stroking her cheek with his calloused thumb.
This touch easily flipped a switch on Yu Wenxue, causing her to open her eyes wide in panic, not even knowing where to put her hands.
Their breaths mingled, and the two were so close that they broke through the traditional safe distance.
When did they become so familiar with each other?
There was no way to know the answer to this question; she felt as if her brain had been replaced with mush, and she couldn't think of any useful information for the time being.
The hand hanging by his side gently gripped his belt. The boy tilted his head, and just as they were about to touch, Wei Heng's voice suddenly rang out.
"I'm sorry, I..." Wei Heng looked embarrassed, but still held out his palm: "Wen Xue, your beaded hairpin fell off."
"Oh~" Yu Wenxue pulled away, her chaotic thoughts finally clearing, and smiled as she accepted the gift: "Thank you."
Wei Heng lowered his head, not looking at her: "No need to be so polite."
Gu Yun Shen looked at Wei Heng, his fingers resting on his wrist, and tapped it lightly a few times with a blank expression.
Unfortunately, I was wearing white tonight, which, even if it covered up the smell of blood, couldn't prevent it from being stained with a single drop.
She won't like it if it gets dirty.
We still need to find a bloodless method.
......
After that little incident, the previously romantic atmosphere was abruptly broken, and the distance between the two unconsciously grew longer.
The boy maintained his original posture, his tall and elegant figure standing out even in the crowded throng.
That Miss Chen has a good eye.
Yu Wenxue glanced at it, then glanced at it again, and finally came to a conclusion.
In the summer, their clothes were light and thin, and the two walked side by side, their wide sleeves occasionally brushing against each other's hands.
The corner of my clothes that had been brushed against seemed to have warmed, and a subtle emotion quietly welled up in my heart.
After a long silence, Yu Wenxue spoke up: "That is Young Master Wei. He helped me a bit when we were in the capital."
Gu Yun Shen's eyes crinkled into a smile: "Do you think I would be interested in other men?"
That sounded strange, and Yu Wenxue frowned: "Then which woman are you interested in?"
Gu Yun Shen glanced at her but didn't say anything.
Yu Wenxue stopped in front of him, poked her eyelid with her finger, made a face and tilted her head to look at him: "Really not going to say anything?"
One second he's laughing, the next he's got a serious face; he's really unpredictable.
This is an illness, and it needs treatment.
Sparks flew, piercing the desolate night sky and illuminating the girl's profile.
Her clear eyes sparkled with starlight, and they fell right into Gu Yun Shen's eyes.
His heart skipped a beat, and for a moment he was panicked. He felt that everything around him was not as bright as the person in front of him.
A smile gradually spread across his eyes, and his restlessness vanished.
"I'll forgive you since you've worked so hard."
Sure enough, no one could escape her unique skill.
Yu Wenxue was smug, but she was soon stumped by the deeper meaning in those words.
Was he angry just now?
Otherwise, why would you say you forgive me?
Just as she was about to ask for clarification, she noticed Gu Yun Shen's gaze frequently drifting towards the high platform. Changing the subject, she asked, "What are you thinking about?"
"I'm thinking it might collapse."
This was said so casually, as if they were discussing what to eat today.
"Then why aren't you running?" Yu Wenxue's eyelids twitched, and she grabbed his hand and pulled him outside.
Gu Yun Shen paused briefly, then gestured behind him. His bodyguard appeared and respectfully said, "My lord."
"Go and ask the prefect to send people to disperse the crowd."
"yes."
After giving a brief explanation, Gu Yun Shen gazed towards the direction of the high platform.
Yu Wenxue heard most of what was going on and intended to inform Lin Qingwan and the other person, but before she had taken a few steps, she saw a shoving match starting ahead.
The officials arrived quickly, but the people were not grateful and none of them were willing to leave.
The elderly woman at the head of the group shouted in a gruff voice, "You outsiders have no idea how important festivals are to us locals!"
"This is a once-a-year joyous occasion, what do you know!"
"That's right..."
The scene descended into chaos.
Suddenly, a burly middle-aged man appeared out of nowhere, shouting, "Get out of the way! You may not be afraid of dying, but I am!"
Yu Wenxue was nearly hit; suddenly, her body tilted, and her vision went completely dark.
Her body was tightly embraced by two strong, long arms and pulled into a warm embrace.
My nose stung from the impact, but I felt inexplicably at peace.
The accident happened so suddenly that it didn't give anyone much time to think. The high platform pillar collapsed, and the remaining molten iron poured onto the ground instantly.
The molten iron ignited the silk cloth beside it, and the fire spread along the ground to the shops on both sides of the street.
"Run! There's a fire here!"
"My youngest child, my youngest child is still inside..."
In an instant, broken incense sticks and candles were scattered all over the ground. Fearing that they would get hurt, everyone scattered in all directions, scrambling to escape the place.
Gu Yunshen took Yu Wenxue to a completely safe location and then left to put out the fire.
Yu Wenxue tried to call out to him, but the guard behind her suddenly appeared in front of her: "Please calm down, young lady."
"Waaaaah..."
"My mother doesn't want me anymore, my mother doesn't want me anymore..."
The child's cries kept echoing in Yu Wenxue's ears.
Looking in the direction of the sound, a little girl of about five or six years old was sitting in the middle of the fire, crying blankly.
Another abandoned child.
The little girl propped herself up from the ground, wiped her tears with her sleeve, and staggered as she tried to rush out.
"Hey, young lady, don't act rashly!"
Yu Wenxue's mind raced, and she pretended not to hear those words.
Ignoring the guards' attempts to stop him, he rushed into the fire...
"Cough, cough..."
In the darkness, her vision was particularly blurry. Relying on the firelight, she searched for a long time before finally finding the little girl from before.
The lanterns hanging overhead were swaying precariously.
She dodged several people while holding the little girl, but still couldn't escape being hit by the falling objects.
Her arm was unfortunately hit by a falling red lantern, and the burning pain kept her awake at all times.
Sweat slowly slid down her forehead, running along the bridge of her nose to the tip. She endured the pain and carried the little girl outside…
The fire gradually intensified, showing signs of spreading.
The red silk cloth originally intended for festive celebrations became the best aid in this fire.
Fortunately, although the people were noisy about small matters, they were not sloppy when it came to important things. The strong men helped put out the fire, while the remaining elderly, women, and children were escorted to safety by the officials and evacuated.
Fortunately, there were many people tonight, but no one was injured or killed.
Aside from a few people who tripped and fell and suffered minor injuries because they couldn't escape in time, the rest were unharmed.
Gu Yun Shen stood still, staring blankly at the charred platform.
As the beam collapsed, he pinched the bridge of his nose.
A few fragmented memories flashed before his eyes; they were parts of his lost memories.
The same sky ablaze with fire, the same cries and screams.
He was pinned down by a woman, so hard he could barely breathe, yet there wasn't a single scratch on his body.
That must be her mother.
A woman whose face he had forgotten.
His brain felt as if it were being constantly pierced by needles, slowly tearing away at his flesh, eroding it, and finally causing it to rot...
He covered his right ear, and everything around him fell silent.
So that's why you can't hear it.
"Xunhan, are you alright!" Gu Rongting rushed over, pulling the frightened and crying Lin Qingwan along.
Gu Yun Shen looked at him, and his face gradually overlapped with the vicious face in his memory, until they became one.
He chuckled softly and murmured, "Brother..."
Gu Rongting was slightly stunned. This was the first time he had addressed him as elder brother since he left the Marquis's mansion at the age of eight.
Overwhelmed by joy, she completely missed Gu Yun Shen's subtle expression. She reached out and patted his shoulder, feeling immensely gratified: "Where's Wen Xue? Isn't she with you?"
"I'm here!"
Yu Wenxue, carrying a little girl on her back, waved to them.
Her rosy cheeks were smeared with ash, and her delicate hair had long since become loose and messy.
"My little one!"
The little girl cried out, "Mother!"
The woman's eyes were red and swollen. She had been running so fast that she tripped and fell, then scrambled towards him, tears streaming down her face: "My little one, my little one..."
"Thank you, young lady, thank you... please thank your sister!"
The little girl rummaged through her pockets and finally pulled out a dirty rice dumpling candy, saying in a childish voice, "Thank you, sister."
Yu Wenxue breathed a sigh of relief, but her eyes couldn't help but redden.
She glanced at Gu Yun Shen beside her and, seeing no signs of injury, asked with relief, "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"
The girl's concerned voice pulled him back to reality. Gu Yun Shen did not answer, his eyes still showing a lingering sense of unease.
His hand rubbed the back of her head; only in this way could he soothe the anxiety in his heart.
Meanwhile, his other hand quietly rested on the hilt of the sword.
A voice kept calling out in my mind:
Mother loves to seek out Han the most.
It was that man surnamed Gu who brought us to this point, leading to our current predicament.
Kill Gu Rongting, kill Cui Shi, kill all those who hurt us...
Yu Wenxue sensed something was wrong with him and went over to touch his arm. "Are you really alright? I saw you going in and out just now. Could you have any internal injuries?"
"Yes, Xunhan, why don't we let Sister Wan take your pulse?"
Gu Yun Shen lowered his eyes, concealing the coldness in them, and said, "I have a bit of a headache."
[System: Danger! Danger! Danger!]
[System: The villain is about to reach the threshold of turning evil. The target male protagonist will be attacked. Please respond in time.]
[System: Friendly reminder, if the male protagonist dies, the happy ending progress will revert to the initial progress.]
The system issued three reminders in a row, and Yu Wenxue's eyes widened suddenly.
Even with so many changes to the details, will the major plot developments of the original book remain unchanged?
Without thinking twice, she got up and hugged Gu Yun Shen, secretly putting his drawn sword back into place. She stretched out her injured arm, looked up at him, and said, "I'm hurt. Can you take me home first?"
Gu Yun Shen naturally noticed her subtle actions.
He sheathed his sword, gently squeezed her wrist, and carefully examined her wound.
Yu Wenxue's expression turned solemn as she anxiously summoned the system in her mind: "Where is the Time-Space Pouch? I need to go back to the part of the story where their brotherly relationship changed."
[System: Note that when the Time-Space Pouch returns to the shared memories of the two, you must maintain the action of touching both people simultaneously.]
Yu Wenxue: "?"
She subconsciously turned around and glanced at Gu Yunshen first.
The remaining lamplight stretched his lonely figure infinitely long. The young man pursed his lips and met her gaze, his dark eyes fixed on her without blinking.
My heart felt like it was being squeezed.
She didn't know if he had remembered anything, only that he looked very uncomfortable, like a broken porcelain doll.
If I sit idly by and do nothing, I'm afraid I won't be able to get over this mental hurdle.
What should I do...?
Her mind raced; she wished she could use every ounce of her life's energy to think.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the lone lantern on the ground, slowly rolling towards him in the direction of the wind.
In a short while, she had a solution.
Yu Wenxue squatted down to pick up the lantern from the ground, pretending to struggle as she reached out, and said, "Cousin, could you kick it a little closer?"
Gu Rongting belatedly realized what was happening, and after regaining his senses, he gently kicked her.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Yu Wenxue turned her wrist and easily brushed against the tip of Gu Rongting's shoe.
At the same time, feigning a loss of balance, she gripped Gu Yun Shen's calf tightly with her other hand and mentally conversed with the system: "You said you could just touch it, but you didn't say where."
The system fell silent, a rare occurrence.
Yu Wenxue: "Hey, you can't go back on your word!"
[System: Congratulations, host, you have successfully unlocked hidden storyline three. We are currently transporting you...]
Author's Note: Today's version is a broken puppy.
My daughter doesn't understand; feeling sorry for someone is the beginning of loving them.
I need to make up for the National Day holiday on Saturday, and I need to work hard on Sunday.
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