Chapter 34
Luo Yan assumed Zhu Yun had gone to the eastern mountain; he was always diligent, even the hailstorm didn't stop him from practicing. But then she thought of his martial robe and sword, and doubt arose: "Has A-Yun left Linchuan?"
Xuebao unfolded "One Hundred Questions for New Transmigrators": "The host does not have permission to inquire about the whereabouts of others."
The image of the tall, upright boy appeared before her eyes, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she muttered, "This is not allowed, that is not permitted, your system is so boring."
Since Xuebao disliked the system, he felt it had nothing to do with the puppy and calmly advised, "The host should treat this place as the real world. You already know too much about the plot, so it's inappropriate to use a god's-eye view."
"I'm going through a cycle of dying and coming back to life, coming back to life and dying again," Luo Yan said sarcastically. "It's so real."
Xuebao choked and silently turned the page.
Worried that she might say something too harsh and even lose the 20-second video function, she started reading the new user manual carefully.
The explanation above states that the sub-worlds are born from the book, but follow the operating rules of the main world. For example, the story begins with Cui Wuyang's entry into the martial arts world, but the world before that is not blank; the story ends with him becoming emperor and giving birth to a crown prince, but the world does not stop there.
“There’s a lot of room for manipulation in things that aren’t explicitly stated in the book.” She gave examples: “A female character who isn’t even listed in the main character’s name can fall in love with someone else after leaving the male lead; a character whose fate isn’t explained can have their life or death left to others after filming is over.”
"almost."
Be careful what you say.
The boy looked down, his pupils dark and piercing, like a whirlpool drawing one in. His bone structure was exceptional; when he suppressed his imposing aura, a gentle warmth lingered between his brows, like a refreshing breeze.
Luo Yan's cheeks flushed, and she lowered her long eyelashes to try and hide her embarrassment, but her words were still sharp: "I can't go back to the Luo family. The fact that you're here means that the Jiang family isn't safe either. Now that we're fleeing together, won't others suspect that we're an eloping couple?"
Zhu Yun choked.
It wasn't that he was less eloquent than Luo Yan; it was just that there were fewer than ten people in the world who could argue with him.
Usually, a slight furrow of the brow and a pursed lip are enough to silence those who are adept at reading people, as they haven't experienced being talked back to in a long time.
After a long silence, the etiquette and doctrines he had learned over the years prompted him to reiterate in a dry tone: "Miss, be careful with your words."
Upon hearing this, Luo Yan's eyes lit up with a smile, and her beautiful face instantly became vibrant, like a camellia blooming suddenly from its stillness in a vase. Zhu Yun felt a lump in his throat, swallowed his lecturing, and let her be.
Since we're trying to escape, the sooner the better.
She carefully wrapped the drained jewelry, and seeing that Zhu Yun's face was pale, she condescended to bury the campfire with weeds, thinking to herself that she would definitely get her revenge in the future.
"By the way," Luo Yan looked up at him, her slender white fingers twirling the white jade, looking somewhat hesitant, "Should I return it to its rightful owner, or should I keep it?"
Zhu Yun parted his thin lips, revealing a rare look of hesitation. He knew best about the jade pendant's origin, and even to avoid suspicion, he shouldn't force it to stay. But after all, he had carried it with him for over ten years, and he was reluctant to give it up so easily.
Just as he was struggling with his thoughts, Luo Yan leaned slightly forward and said with a hint of regret, "I'll give it back to you."
A girl's unique fragrance wafted into my nostrils, a fresh scent that matched her appearance, like morning dew or frost and snow, perhaps the smell she picked up while gathering fruit.
Zhu Yun coughed, turned around and threw the tattered cloth of his cloak into the river, using it to cover up the panic that suddenly welled up inside him.
Luo Yan picked up his "crutch" and said crisply, "If you can't walk anymore, just call me to help you."
The two left the valley along the path.
It was called a path, but it was actually a patch of yellow grass in the green grass. The villagers who came and went trampled it so much that the soil underneath was turned up, which also became the basis for Zhu Yun to find the way.
Although she enjoys lively atmospheres, she is not particularly active.
Luo Yan got more and more excited as she thought about it: "And me, the moment I 'died' I completed the plot and also broke away from the plot, no longer affected by the male lead, and can walk independently."
Olaf nodded: "This is a low-level martial arts world. The combat power far exceeds that of humans in the main world. The characters can also think. If you use too many cheats or set too many restrictions, it will be detected and affect the stability of the world."
She was persuaded, but her mood was hard to recover from. She sighed and said, "Ah Yun doesn't listen to everything I say. He won't leave Linchuan now, meet another young lady, and abandon his wife who has shared his hardships."
"A wife who has shared hardship? Who?" Xuebao turned her back and scanned the original book's plot, but did not detect any romantic subplots involving the minor villain.
Luo Yan replied shyly and timidly, "Me?"
Xuebao suddenly realized: "So that's what kind of sibling relationship you have. I thought it was something else."
Luo Yan had no idea what he was thinking. She swam until her fingers were white from being soaked in the water. Seeing that her wet clothes were not completely dry, she added dry branches to intensify the fire.
Unable to reach the shore anytime soon, and with darkness falling, she worried that Zhu Yun might become impatient. She gathered her long, silky hair in front of her chest and silently swam closer to him.
"Young Master Jiang."
The girl's soft voice rang out, accompanied by the tinkling sound of flowing water.
Zhu Yun subconsciously turned around and saw Luo Yan hiding behind the water plants, only revealing her beautiful face, with dark eyebrows and soft red lips.
His chest pounded violently, his eyes burned, and he inexplicably recalled the mysterious sea monster from ancient legends.
Luo Yan mistakenly thought he hadn't heard her clearly, and shyly raised her voice to reiterate, "Young Master Jiang, my clothes are not yet dry."
Zhu Yun's breathing hitched slightly, and he turned his face away in a disheveled manner. Fortunately, dusk had fallen, and the crimson glow of the sunset bathed his shoulders, also setting his skin ablaze.
After a long pause, he said in a low, hoarse voice, "It's alright."
Having received confirmation, Luo Yan took one last deep look at the handsome, upright figure of the young man, and then returned along the same route.
The campfire was warm and cozy, crackling occasionally. As she combed her wet hair, she pondered how she would find a place to rest that night. There was only one small bed, no chairs or stools, and the ground was muddy and wet after the rain, making it impossible to even make a bed on the floor.
Having been engaged and having met during a low point in their lives, their bond was naturally deeper than that between those from the Luo family.
Luo Yan twisted the end of her hair, and gradually came up with an idea.
Zhu Yun bent down and hugged her, bringing her back into the bed curtains, trapping her between his arms and pressing her down heavily.
All the worries and doubts along the way, and the anger he felt when he saw her standing side by side with Cui Wuyang, subsided as their breaths mingled.
While feeding her the sedative, Zhu Yun inadvertently discovered a new pleasure. She tentatively stuck out her tongue, but the drunkard didn't cooperate. She took it in her mouth in a daze and even bit it twice.
He pulled back in pain, thinking to himself that he would add more water to the wine tomorrow to make her a little more sober before trying again.
Are you still afraid?
Luo Yan replied blankly, "What are you afraid of?"
"It's nothing, just forget about it."
He was blinded by jealousy. Although he ordered the archers not to harm Luo Yan, she was always timid and was still frightened after experiencing the assassination attempt.
But he did indeed harbor thoughts of punishment, wanting to punish the wicked woman who had seduced and then abandoned him.
Luo Yan's sleepiness vanished instantly. Her almond-shaped eyes widened, and she quickly scanned her surroundings. All she could see were green leaves, and there was no one else in sight.
"You ungrateful bastard!" She angrily kicked away a pebble at her feet, cursing under her breath. Assuming Jiang Chen suspected there were pursuers, she left without saying goodbye.
It's a shame he has such a handsome and refined face, yet he's such a despicable person.
Because of the excessive exercise yesterday, her muscles were sore all over, and even raising her arm made Luo Yan wince in pain. She gave up the idea of getting up to search and lay down on the ground, feeling utterly hopeless.
The birds hopped carefree among the trees, whispering to each other, in pairs. Their extreme joy contrasted sharply with Luo Yan's overwhelming sadness.
Imagine a young girl in the prime of her life who, within a single month, experienced time travel and vendettas, swimming until she was exhausted from her survival instincts, and sleeping under the open sky at night. Not only was she forced to grow up, but she also managed to find someone who shared her suffering and might become an ally, and just as hope was beginning to sprout, it was extinguished by cruel reality.
The more she thought about it, the more wronged she felt. Her forced composure crumbled instantly. She grabbed her outer robe, covered her eyes, and burst into tears.
A hundred paces away, Zhu Yun, leaning on his cane, returned to explore the way. Suddenly, he heard crying and instinctively assumed that the signal smoke from the previous night had lured the enemy soldiers over.
He moved slowly and with difficulty, but after a few breaths he sorted out his thoughts, gritted his teeth and hid among the lush bushes.
Fortunately, his hearing was not affected. He closed his eyes and listened carefully, but apart from the girl, he did not sense any other people around him.
With the crisis over, Zhu Yun was still puzzled. He deliberately stepped on a dry branch, making a crisp "crack" sound to remind Luo Yan of his presence.
"!" The unexpected answer made Zhu Yun lower her eyebrows in surprise.
He took it without making a sound, and saw that the two crescent moons fit together perfectly, with mandarin ducks facing each other affectionately. They were not obvious when viewed alone, but when put together, anyone with discerning eyes would know that they were tokens of love, engagement, or something similar.
"My aunt thought I was blocking my sister's way, so she sent someone to stop me halfway—"
As Luo Yan spoke, she gestured as if she were slitting her throat, which pulled at her sore neck and shoulders, causing her face to contort in pain. After a moment, she continued, "And what's wrong with you? Why did you come to Yingzhou all of a sudden?"
Indeed, the capital was teeming with beauties, not to mention the imperial palace. She visibly brightened up, even taking a few more bites of the unpalatable fish, her genuine and adorable nature making Zhu Yun smile.
This is the first time someone has so openly sought to repay a debt of gratitude.
But the girl before him had striking features, snow-white cheeks, and lips like full roses. Her eyes, washed clean by tears, were even clearer and more captivating, and she gazed at him with clumsy kindness.
Zhu Yun has always been ashamed to judge people by their appearance, but she has to admit that she was born with an extremely beautiful face.
Realizing that he had been judging the woman in his mind, his expression stiffened slightly. He lowered his eyes, turned the fish over, and answered briefly, "This trip was actually to Taikang County. We encountered assassins on the way and got separated from the guards."
Upon hearing this, Luo Yan exclaimed in surprise, her almond-shaped eyes glancing directly at his legs: "Are you injured?"
Memories she had been deliberately avoiding suddenly resurfaced. Zhu Yun: "..."
Seeing the faint blush rising on his pale face from embarrassment, Luo Yan also felt inexplicably hot and stammered, "I swear to God, I never took advantage of you while you were unconscious! I just saw that you were bleeding a lot and wanted to see where you were injured."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yun's neck turned crimson.
Luo Yan felt utterly speechless and hurriedly grabbed his sleeve, bringing her face close and putting on a sincere expression: "Don't be afraid, you are innocent. In this emergency, I only took off your upper garment and then covered you with your outer robe."
Luo Yan stopped crying, sat up abruptly, and met a pair of peach blossom eyes that seemed to be smiling but not smiling.
Still seething with anger, she assumed the culprit was mocking her and snapped, "Why are you running around like that?"
The familiarity in her tone made Zhu Yun slightly dazed. He was certain that he did not know the girl at all, so he did not answer for the time being and instead showed her the plump prey in his hand.
Luo Yan blinked, her gaze sweeping over his still pale lips before moving to the river fish at the tip of the long branch. Her arrogance weakened, but she was unwilling to back down, and nodded, saying, "You...you went to catch fish?"
"Hmm." Zhu Yun walked slowly closer, quickly removed the fish scales with a dagger, and placed it over the campfire to roast.
Two, one of them is for her.
Since it was all a misunderstanding, Luo Yan didn't want to press the matter further. Her face flushed slightly, she wiped away her tears with her hands behind her back, gathered her outer robe, and went to the shore to tidy herself up. When she returned, she had filled a small leaf with water and said in a flattering tone, "You've worked hard."
Zhu Yun had lived for seventeen years, and this was the first time he had ever heard someone speak to him in a tone that sounded like a reward for a subordinate. He smiled and said, "Thank you."
After saying that, he took the water and drank it all in one gulp.
Seeing that his attitude, though not enthusiastic, was polite, Luo Yan finally felt relieved and tentatively asked, "You are Jiang Chen, right?"
Jiang Chen —
Could they be referring to the fourth young master of the Jiang family?
However, there are many people with the same name in the world, and this place is still far from the capital, so Zhu Yun turned his head and looked at her directly: "Who is this Jiang Chen you mentioned, young lady?"
Luo Yan assumed that his suspicious nature wasn't a bad thing, and patiently added, "He's from the capital."
Since the capital city was mentioned, only the young master of the general's mansion, one of his friends, remained.
Zhu Yun had no idea why the girl in front of him knew Jiang Chen, or why she mistook him for him. Due to the unknown identity of the girl, he chose to remain silent for the time being out of caution.
Luo Yan took this as a tacit agreement. She took out the jade pendant, her cheeks flushed with a belated shyness: "It's been thirteen years since we last met. You may not remember what I look like. I am Luo Yan, the eldest daughter of the Luo family, and your fiancée."
Seeing how carelessly these guys treated her, he was filled with remorse and lowered his head to kiss her knuckles in a fawning manner.
She tickled and flinched, then laughed and asked, "Why didn't you reply to my letter?"
Zhu Yun was taken aback: "What letter?"
Luo Yan rambled on about how she had sent five letters home, all of which had disappeared without a trace. After a moment's thought, he was certain that the man surnamed Cui was feigning help but had actually sent someone to withdraw them midway.
"What did you write?"
"If you're not angry, reply to me."
"How could I not be angry?" Zhu Yun said harshly, but her tone was affectionate. "But wait two more days, and I'll find a way to reply to you."
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