Chapter 48
The rain showed no sign of letting up. The rapidly falling raindrops hit the ground straight away, shattering themselves into pieces and splashing a few petals of raindrops.
The sound of the rain was audible, and a hint of chill seeped in through the gaps in the doors and windows, clinging like vines to every object and every person in the room.
Especially Wei Zhen.
It's impossible to say Chu Miaomiao's sudden resistance had no effect on Wei Zhen. He was a little stunned and hurt. But he remained calm and asked quietly, "Why can't I come?"
Chu Miaomiao was the first to be surprised. She stared at Wei Zhen in astonishment, wondering why he acted so completely normal. It was as if she wasn't a prisoner, but just an ordinary person caught up in ordinary trouble.
"You..." Chu Miaomiao's voice trembled slightly. It was not a trembling out of fear, but a trembling out of something in her heart that was about to burst out but had to be suppressed desperately.
Chu Miaomiao tried hard to adjust her breathing to normal, and gradually regained her sanity. After a long while, she spoke again, "So, Your Highness the Crown Prince is here to inquire about the whereabouts of my brother and sister-in-law as well?"
Wei Zhen stared at Chu Miaomiao quietly: "No."
Chu Miaomiao secretly breathed a sigh of relief when she heard this, but Wei Zhen's next words quickly made her heart hang in the air again: "The Crown Prince's Consort is pregnant, they can't go far."
Chu Miaomiao looked at Wei Zhen with almost desperate eyes, and her lips trembled.
"Miao Miao, I'm here for you." Wei Zhen reached out his hand, and his slender, bony fingers gently wiped away the tears that slid down Chu Miao Miao's cheek. "Do you know? You're crying."
Chu Miaomiao's cheeks were slightly hot due to the ups and downs of her emotions. She was startled by the coldness of Wei Zhen's fingers. She turned her head away in panic and said, "Whether I cry or not, what does it have to do with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?"
Wei Zhen withdrew his hand and sighed softly: "Miao Miao, do you really have to talk to me like this?"
Chu Miaomiao laughed at herself and said, "I am now a prisoner, so naturally I have to be respectful to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
Wei Zhen looked solemn, as if he was quite dissatisfied with Chu Miaomiao's words, but he still tried his best to remain calm: "Miaomiao, calm down, let's have a good chat."
"There's nothing to talk about." Chu Miaomiao lowered her eyes, avoiding Wei Zhen's gaze. "I need to rest now. Your Highness, please go back."
Wei Zhen's expression darkened slightly, and his tone became more serious: "Chu Miaomiao, my patience is limited."
"Prisoners should also have the right to sleep, right?" Chu Miaomiao said sarcastically, "Does Your Highness intend to torture me?"
Chu Miaomiao's resistance made Wei Zhen, despite his good temper, furious. He sneered, "Chu He, who's with you, hasn't revealed the whereabouts of your brother and sister-in-law yet. I don't mind a few more tortures."
"You——" Chu Miaomiao was extremely angry. She raised her head and glared at Wei Zhen, "You are despicable!"
Wei Zhen said coldly, "If you continue to do this, I can be even more despicable. How about torturing Chu He again?"
Chu Miaomiao was both relieved and distressed to hear that Chu He hadn't revealed the whereabouts of her brother and sister-in-law. Seeing that Wei Zhen didn't seem to be faking it, and not wanting to torture Chu He any further, she said, "If that's the case, let Chu He go first. I want to see her in person, otherwise there's nothing much to talk about."
Wei Zhen nodded: "Okay."
He left the inner room, opened the door, and told the soldier at the door to bring Chu He here. The soldier was still hesitant, but Wei Zhen's cold eyes swept over him, and the soldier immediately fell silent and went to bring people.
Not long after, Chu He, who had been interrogated for a day and was exhausted, was carried over by the soldiers. Also coming with them was General Ma, who was in charge of guarding this place.
Chu Miaomiao could no longer see anyone else at this time. She could only look at Chu He who was drenched by the heavy rain. Her skin was covered with scars and bruises visible to the naked eye.
Chu Miaomiao was in so much pain that she couldn't speak and could only cry.
Not wanting to make Chu Miaomiao worry, Chu He grinned: "I... said... a long time ago... that I didn't know... the whereabouts of the prince... They... didn't believe it..." She said every word with all her strength, trying to make every word sound lighter.
Chu Miaomiao gently stroked Chu He's bruised face, tears welling in her eyes: "Chu He..."
When sending her brother and sister-in-law away, she should have let Chu He go with her! Otherwise, Chu He wouldn't have suffered such humiliation today! It was her, she was the one who harmed Chu He!
Wei Zhen instructed General Ma, "Find her a room to stay in, and find a doctor to treat her injuries."
General Ma looked embarrassed. Facing Wei Zhen's unfriendly gaze, he said stubbornly, "Reporting to His Royal Highness, this girl still hasn't revealed the whereabouts of the Prince of Chu and his wife..."
Wei Zhen said without hesitation, "The Crown Prince and his wife won't be able to get far. Divide your men into three groups and search in the east, west, and north directions. They should be dressed as ordinary people, but since they are strangers, they will easily attract the attention of the villagers. Ask around in the villages along the way. The Crown Prince is frail, and the Crown Princess is pregnant, so they may seek a doctor. Clinics and drugstores should also be the focus of investigation. Also, quickly draw portraits of the two of them and issue a wanted notice to the villages and counties near the capital."
General Ma hesitated and asked, "Then to the south..."
Wei Zhen looked at General Ma as if he were a fool. "There's war going on in the south right now. Why would you flee in that direction?" He paused, then thought for a moment before adding, "Don't go north or west. Lead your men east."
"Why is this?" General Ma was surprised.
"The north of the capital is mountainous, and the Crown Prince's wife is pregnant, so this route is inconvenient. If we leave the capital and head west, the land there is mostly bitter and cold. Even if we make it there, the climate and soil there are not suitable for living. The best route is to go east."
Wei Zhen's analysis was logical. The more carefully he thought about it, the gloomier Chu Miaomiao's heart became. In the end, it simply sank to the bottom.
Chu He's eyes showed panic, and she looked at Chu Miaomiao in surprise.
Chu Miaomiao couldn't help but smile bitterly. When it came to planning, she couldn't compare to Wei Zhen. Wei Zhen hadn't previously known the specific direction of his brother and sister-in-law's escape, but based on his reasoning, it was only a matter of time before they were captured.
She was still thinking about at least saving the lives of her brother and sister-in-law, but now it seems that it was just a pipe dream.
After receiving the order, General Ma immediately led his men to retreat. He also sent people to find a doctor according to Wei Zhen's instructions. He himself selected his men and prepared to pursue the enemy eastward.
The door was closed once again, blocking out the sound of rain. Only Miaomiao and Wei Zhen were left in the room.
"Now that you know where your brother and sister-in-law are, what else is there for us to talk about?"
Chu Miaomiao sighed deeply, her frail figure revealing a deep sense of powerlessness. She looked across at Wei Zhen, her gaze filled with despair. At this moment, she was completely devastated.
“Our future.”
Wei Zhen's gaze was resolute, his expression as if he was stating something that was bound to happen. That confidence, that composure, made Chu Miaomiao burst out laughing, as if she had just heard the funniest joke in the world.
"Wei Zhen." Although Chu Miaomiao was smiling, tears welled up in the corners of her eyes, flickering faintly in the dim light. "Wake up! Between us..." She almost choked with sobs, "There is no future! There has been no future from the beginning!"
"Why do you always disbelieve me?" Wei Zhen's tone sounded hurt.
"That's treason!" Chu Miaomiao's voice suddenly rose. "You know what treason is, right?"
Chu Miaomiao pointed at herself and said, "I am the daughter of a traitor and a prisoner. The Saint can sacrifice me whenever he wants." Then, she pointed at Wei Zhen and said, "You are the crown prince of a country and the Saint's confidant."
She was smiling, but tears were falling from the corners of her eyes: "Where is the future? In your dreams?"
Wei Zhen wanted to wipe her tears, but before his fingers could touch her, she dodged. Although Chu Miaomiao had no confidence in their future, he insisted: "Our future is definitely not in dreams."
"Why do you have to be so stubborn!"
Chu Miaomiao could no longer bear Wei Zhen's persistence. Her mind nearly collapsed. "Shouldn't you be drawing a line between you and me now? Why are you still looking for me? Why are you still saying these things to me? Aren't you afraid that the Saint will be angry with you for doing this? You've only just been reinstated as Crown Prince. What's the difference between your current behavior and courting death? Wei Zhen, you really need to wake up!"
These were all from Chu Miaomiao's heart, and every word was shed with tears.
Wei Zhen watched Chu Miaomiao practically shout these words out in tears. He could hear Chu Miaomiao's concern for him in every word. She was worried that his closeness to the traitor's daughter would anger the Sage and ruin his future.
Wei Zhen believed that if Chu Miaomiao wanted to escape her current predicament, she could only rely on his strength. If he were Chu Miaomiao, he would never give up any power he could use, even if it was just for show or false affection. But Chu Miaomiao chose the opposite path. She rejected him and pushed him away, all out of concern for him.
Wei Zhen had been lonely for too long, exploited by his blood-related family for too long. Even the saints treated him more like a tool than a family. Only after Chu Miaomiao appeared did the loneliness in his heart slowly dissipate.
Chu Miaomiao is precious and irreplaceable.
Wei Zhen said nothing, but stretched out his arms to embrace Chu Miaomiao, who was crying and covering her face. Chu Miaomiao wanted to escape after realizing what was going on, but was held tightly by Wei Zhen.
Having not eaten all day and having cried for several rounds, Chu Miaomiao struggled a few times before losing strength. Furthermore, her head, bruised from the daytime bruises, began to feel dizzy again from the excitement and large movements. She had no choice but to let herself lean on Wei Zhen's chest and let him hold her.
Wei Zhen's eyes were full of pity. He gently stroked Chu Miaomiao and comforted her: "Miaomiao, don't be afraid. I will protect you. Don't worry. You just need to believe that we will get married."
Wei Zhen’s words made Chu Miaomiao’s heart ache even more.
Being chosen so firmly by someone was something she had never experienced before in her life. No matter how she tried to avoid him, this person was always by her side, telling her over and over again, through words and actions—
"I will choose you. No matter what happens, I will choose you."
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