Chapter 30: He appeared, but his heart was pounding like a thief, and his cheeks betrayed him...
"father!"
Seeing Jiang Liuyun return unharmed, Xiao Jiang immediately got out of bed.
Seeing this, Jiang Liuyun quickly went over and pressed her back down, saying, "You're still injured, don't move around."
Xiao Jiang then obediently lay back down, but clung to Jiang Liuyun's sleeve, refusing to let go. "Father, you're finally back. I... hiss..."
"Does your head hurt? Let me see." Jiang Liuyun felt Xiao Jiang's forehead, but didn't see any wound. He then placed the medicine in front of her and said slowly, "Don't talk too much for now. What's past is past. Here, drink your medicine."
Without hesitation, Xiao Jiang took it and gulped it down.
The bitter medicine made her tongue feel numb, but she just smacked her lips and said nothing.
The father and daughter were finally reunited, but Xiao Jiang was speechless for a moment. She had many questions for Jiang Liuyun, such as what had happened to him in the mine and how he had gotten through these past few days. But his gaze remained unchanged, as if nothing had happened and today was just an ordinary afternoon.
Jiang Liuyun didn't ask her either.
Silence fell over the air.
“Dad, that day… I’m sorry…” Xiao Jiang broke the silence. She remembered those hurtful words she said that night. If she hadn’t spoken without thinking, perhaps none of what followed would have happened.
Jiang Liuyun bent down and wiped her face with his palm. "It's not your fault. It's your father who shouldn't have hit you."
"By the way, Dad, do you know how I got back? I remember I couldn't stand anymore and fainted. I think I saw your figure before I passed out. I thought I was hallucinating."
Jiang Liuyun simply smiled at her and nodded, "You're not mistaken, it was me who carried you back later."
Xiao Jiang scratched his head, puzzled, and asked, "But Dad, how did you end up there? I remember walking with that kid surnamed Qin for a very long time, and we stumbled into that place by accident. By the way, I wonder how that kid surnamed Qin is doing. Is he alright?"
Jiang Liuyun ignored the first question and replied, "He's fine, he just hurt his leg. Their people have already taken him back for treatment, so you don't need to worry."
Xiao Jiang nodded, slightly relieved. After all, she was the one taking Qin Yuqi in, and if anything happened to him, she could only blame herself for not protecting him properly.
"And what about you, Father? Have you been missing for so many days because you accidentally wandered into that place and haven't come out?" Xiao Jiang continued to press for an answer, not giving Jiang Liuyun a chance to avoid the question.
Jiang Liuyun nodded, reached out and took Xiao Jiang's medicine bowl. Without meeting Xiao Jiang's bright gaze, she said in a calm voice, "You guessed right."
"So, it's because that thing... that thing died, hiss... that you were able to get out? Was it the illusion it created that trapped people inside? Is it only by killing it that the illusion can be broken?"
Every time Xiao Jiang thought of that giant white frog, his head would inexplicably start to hurt. He pressed his head and tapped it a few more times to barely suppress the headache, but then he felt a little dizzy again, probably because he had tapped it too hard.
Jiang Liuyun's hand paused, and the smile on his face stiffened, but he still replied, "Yes, that's the truth. Good child, you saved me."
Xiao Jiang didn't notice the dryness in Jiang Liuyun's voice, but she vaguely felt that something was wrong. How could everything be so coincidental? Had she overlooked something? She shook her head, unable to recall it for the moment.
"But……"
Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Liuyun interrupted him.
"Don't overthink it, let bygones be bygones."
Jiang Liuyun patted her head and said with a smile, "You've had a hard time while I was away. But I'm so glad that my Yu'er has grown up and is now a capable adult." He paused for a moment, "From now on, you'll be able to take care of yourself too, right?"
Xiao Jiang vaguely felt that what he said was wrong. She didn't want to be an adult. With her father around, why should she be an adult? But then she thought that no matter what path she took in the future, she and her father could walk it together. So she casually replied, "Okay, I'll listen to Father."
Jiang Liuyun smiled with relief, looking lovingly at her unusually well-behaved daughter. She pulled the blanket over her and said, "Your injuries need to be properly treated. Sleep a little longer, and everything will be fine after a good night's rest."
Jiang Liuyun's voice seemed to have a hypnotic effect. As Xiao Jiang listened, he felt his eyelids become so heavy that he could no longer keep them open. Before Jiang Liuyun even left, he fell back into a dark dream.
The merman coldly watched the man from behind the screen. He sat by the bed for a long time until he heard someone coming from the front of the house before leaving. However, the merman could smell the scent of the Bewitching Grass in the air.
As its name suggests, this is a herb that can induce a state of unconsciousness. Due to its potent effects, it can even affect cultivators who are unaffected by herbs. With his cultivation level, the Bewitching Herb would not have any effect on him, but because of the inexplicable backlash from the previous incident, his injuries were not minor, allowing the herb's aura to seep in, causing him to feel somewhat dizzy.
However, he didn't immediately faint like Xiao Jiang; the bewitching herb only made him feel weak all over.
Is she alright?
A voice suddenly rang out from outside. The merman recognized the boy's voice, and his attention, which had been on the verge of collapse, immediately tightened.
"She's fine. She's resting, so you'd better not disturb her," Jiang Liuyun replied.
“I won’t bother her. She saved me and was seriously injured. I just want to see her. Don’t forget, you’re the one who asked me for a favor.” The boy persisted, his tone leaving no room for argument.
A sigh came from outside, followed by Jiang Liuyun's voice, "Never mind, go and see her."
Then came the sound of footsteps, some light and some heavy.
The merman watched from behind the screen as Qin Yuqi limped in, leaning on a cane. He walked slowly, moving gently to the bedside, while the person on the bed slept soundly, completely unaware.
Qin Yuqi put his cane aside and sat down by Jiang Yuhuo's bed, quietly watching her for a long time.
In the past, when she faced him, she always glared at him with a cold look or looked furious. But strangely, the angrier she got, the more he wanted to get closer to her, shamelessly finding every reaction of hers interesting.
Seeing her fast asleep, Qin Yuqi couldn't help but move closer to her and mutter to himself, "Hmph, Jiang Yuhuo, you can't get rid of me now."
"You never gave me a kind look, and I originally thought you hated me. But... in front of that monster, you risked your life to protect me. To be honest, you didn't entirely hate me, did you?"
"I keep thinking, if our first meeting hadn't been so bad, would you have been a little friendlier to me? But then I thought, no, you probably wouldn't. When I first met you, I was like, how could someone be so carefree and relaxed? How did she grow up? Doesn't she have to deal with schoolwork and relationships? Does she have no worries at all? You probably felt the same way when you met me, thinking I was a really strange person."
Qin Yuqi untied the jade pendant from his waist and placed it on her bedside table, smiling as he looked down at her: "But it's alright, we'll have plenty of time in the future. Even if you still don't like me, it's okay, just don't ignore me. After we return to Dayong, I'll ask my father to appoint you as my Crown Princess, and he's agreed. You've never left Liyue Village, you don't know how wonderful Zhaoming City is. In spring, we can ride horses on the plains outside the city; in summer, we can escape the heat at the palace by Carp Lake; in autumn, we can see the red leaves of Phoenix Mountain on the Dew Flower Terrace; and in winter, when the city is covered in snow, we can eat hot roasted chestnuts..."
Qin Yuqi couldn't help but laugh just thinking about those scenes; his smile was pure, like that of a true young man.
"However, once we're in Zhaoming City, you can't just lay a hand on me all the time. Of course, you can still yell at me if you're unhappy, but you can't hit me. Assaulting a royal heir is a serious crime."
He spoke softly as he looked at her, his gaze slowly moving from the small mole on her earlobe to her lips. Her lips were tightly pursed but naturally slightly upturned, as if she was very defiant of the world. However, her lips were a little chapped, probably because she hadn't drunk water for a long time.
As if possessed, Qin Yuqi stretched out a finger and gently touched her dry yet full lips.
He quickly stopped, and Xiao Jiang remained soundly asleep, but his heart was pounding like a thief, and his cheeks were burning up uncontrollably.
He let out a soft breath, looked around to make sure no one was watching, and continued to stare intently at her lips, reaching out his fingers to feel that heart-pounding touch again.
Qin Yuqi was unaware of the damp chill that was spreading behind him.
Just as his hand was about to touch those lips that held his gaze, a sudden force caused his outstretched hand to freeze in mid-air, even forcibly pulling it back. He felt his arm bending backward uncontrollably, in an extremely bizarre posture.
Qin Yuqi let out a painful groan, followed by a "crack" sound of bones breaking.
Qin Yuqi gritted his teeth and didn't cry out in pain. He glanced at Xiao Jiang, who was still fast asleep, and saw that she showed no signs of waking up. He immediately turned around and suddenly discovered a monster with a human body and a fish tail standing behind him. It was soaking wet and dripping water onto the ground, as if it had just crawled out of the water.
Qin Yuqi was startled by this sudden turn of events and, supporting his broken arm, asked, "What are you? How did you get here?"
The monster in front of him did not answer, but looked down at him from above, its huge fish tail moving slowly closer as it moved across the ground.
Behind him was the sleeping Xiao Jiang. Qin Yuqi immediately opened his arm to block her bed and whispered, "Don't go near her."
"Stop being so noisy, it's your turn to leave." A voice, exceptionally melodious yet utterly cold, came from the mermaid's mouth.
The merman lowered his eyes slightly, raised a hand with sharp claws, grabbed Qin Yuqi's throat, and tightened his grip.
"You shouldn't have come looking for her."
The merman's sharp fingernails were about to pierce his neck. Qin Yuqi struggled, when suddenly a blade of light shot out from his chest—
To prevent a repeat of the Fog Forest incident, Jia Qianyang instructed him to carry this talisman with him at all times.
The talisman transformed into a blade of light that slashed down at the merman's wrist, cutting through his skin, and drops of blood fell to the floor.
Despite the pain, the merman did not immediately release his grip. A layer of blue light appeared on his wrist, generated by his spiritual power, preventing the light blade from penetrating further.
The two sides are deadlocked.
The merman's hand tightened its grip, and Qin Yuqi gradually lost consciousness, but the light blade showed no signs of failing, and the merman's expression of pain deepened.
There's no need to worsen your own injuries for this lowly human.
"roll!"
Before the man in her hands lost consciousness, the merman threw him directly out of the open window.
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