Chapter 81 if·Yuan Shuyun (4)
Zhu Yun pinched the back of her neck, the force not too strong, like a lover's touch, yet also like an attempt to break it.
Luo Yan believes it is the latter.
She knew better than anyone what Zhu Yun was like after he dropped his disguise; however, he only showed that to outsiders. Unfortunately, she was now an outsider.
Knowing the other person too well, Luo Yan broke out in a cold sweat and stood stiffly, afraid to move.
"Ah Yun, you're hurting me."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yun tightened his grip on her two fingers, and whispered close to her earlobe, "Little liar, I haven't used any force yet."
His calm tone, however, set off alarm bells in Luo Yan's mind.
In the past, a tender moment between husband and wife could have resolved even the biggest problems. But now, Zhu Yun has no feelings for her, so this approach is not only impossible, but would also only add fuel to the fire.
But her feigned pain in the carriage during the day, though exposed on the spot, had some effect.
The wind outside the cave made the flames flicker erratically.
His straightforward admission surprised Luo Yan, but she smiled a moment later, her cheeks as pink as peaches, as if she were blushing: "I only ever took shelter from the rain in the cave with my cousin."
Zhu Yun was taken aback: "Didn't you take shelter from the rain with anyone else before?"
Luo Yan's eyes sparkled in the dim light, looking incredibly sincere: "No, this is the first time I've done this with you, cousin."
Zhu Yun looked at her face through the clusters of flames, remaining silent as usual, his eyes gradually darkening.
He's unhappy again. Luo Yan suppressed her smugness and gave him a perfectly sweet and charming smile.
Did you only shelter from the rain with him? Of course not.
When she was twelve, she and a boy once took shelter from the rain in a cave.
Luo Yan wouldn't tell anyone, because it was the most miserable and wretched day of her life, even if telling it might garner sympathy.
Besides, it was dark then, and the place was in the middle of nowhere, unlike today where there were dry branches in the cave and no flint. Neither she nor the boy could see each other's faces clearly in the end, and even if they were face to face today, he wouldn't recognize her.
No one will know about this.
A few raindrops were carried into the cave by the wind, and for a moment Luo Yan felt as if she had drifted back to the rainy scene of that day.
In the height of spring, when the forsythia is in full bloom, the mountains and fields are covered in a pale yellow hue.
While on a spring outing, her younger brother deliberately trampled on the flower wreath she had made, so she had to go to a nearby place and pick another forsythia.
When they returned, the place was deserted.
The reason Luo Yan's stepmother, Yao, abandoned her in the mountains was because Luo Yan secretly gave money to the guqin master, begging him to teach her properly. The guqin master, following his stepmother's instructions, only pretended to teach for show and didn't actually impart any real skills. But seeing how pitiful Luo Yan was, and having given her a sum of savings, he finally agreed.
That day, she was lost in the dimly lit mountains, surrounded by howling wolves and torrential rain. As she struggled to move forward, she discovered a cave and encountered the boy who was also taking shelter from the rain inside.
He taught her a lot. He told her that Yao didn't actually want her to die. Losing her limbs, being kidnapped, or even just suffering a little hardship would have given her a chance to vent her anger. Her father's indifference towards her only emboldened Yao, revealing his cold-hearted and cowardly nature.
Once she returns, all she needs to do is make a big fuss about it, and Yao will surely compromise for the sake of her reputation built up over the years. She can also use this opportunity to get back the few shops under her deceased mother's name.
Those shops later became the main source of Luo Yan's wealth.
Although she helped him out, they were both deeply mired in their own problems. He had lost all will to live and had planned to find a wide-open, open place to die.
As night fell, he escorted her to the foot of the mountain. She made sure he wouldn't commit suicide before leaving, never getting a clear look at his face.
She gave him only the forsythia flowers that were tucked in her hair and had been soaked by the rain.
Forsythia symbolizes hope, new life, and resilience; it represents life that blooms freely even after enduring the harsh winter.
Despite what she had gone through, she didn't want to see that boy again. They knew each other's secrets and were not suited to meet again.
The faint crackling sound of burning dry branches was exceptionally clear in the quiet cave, pulling Luo Yan back to her senses.
The man opposite him remained silent, the flame flickering in his half-closed dark eyes. His thin eyelids concealed his emotions, making them impossible to discern.
Even sitting on a rock, the young man, raised in a noble family, maintained an upright posture. Yet, for a moment, Luo Yan inexplicably sensed a touch of loneliness and loss.
Recalling the past, Luo Yan's heart grew heavy, and she lost the will to tease him any further.
The cave fell silent again, with only the sound of the wind outside.
Luo Yan's half-wet riding clothes had been partially dried by the blazing fire. She walked to the cave entrance and saw that the rain outside had subsided, with only drizzle remaining in the air.
"Cousin, we can go now."
Zhu Yun glanced outside the cave, grunted in response, and stood up.
On the way down the mountain, Zhu Yun was distracted and almost stepped into a pothole. Luo Yan secretly glanced at him a few more times.
No wonder he's been in a daze until now. He's always been a gentleman, and before he only injured the thieves to repel them, but today he killed them with a single blow.
Because of a sudden realization, he unusually allowed her to wipe his face, but once he regained his senses, he still wished he could stay at least three feet away from her.
It was completely dark. By the light of the bright moon, Luo Yan could see that the place ahead was where they tied their horses, as the rugged mountain path wound downwards.
She quickened her pace involuntarily, and suddenly her arm tightened around her.
Zhu Yun pulled her into the bushes nearby.
He moved so quickly that she was pulled down to a squatting position before she could react. She stumbled and bumped straight into the man's arms. She instinctively straightened her body to maintain her balance, then suddenly relaxed and fell down, turning her face slightly with the momentum.
Her soft, crimson lips brushed lightly against the man's cold, resolute profile, the touch fleeting.
A sudden disturbance occurred in the tranquil forest, causing the hand supporting her to pause for several breaths before regaining its senses, supporting her body, and helping her to squat down steadily.
The green grass was wet with rainwater. Although they moved gently, a few drops of rain still fell, rolling down the woman's snow-white neck and into the depths of her clothes. Luo Yan couldn't help but tremble. The strong hand supporting her waist immediately tightened its grip on her slender waist as if she had been electrocuted, but quickly withdrew it in the next instant.
Luo Yan innocently raised her eyelashes slightly. The man in front of her appeared even more refined and elegant under the cool moonlight, but his slightly disordered aura shattered this facade.
She mouthed, "I'm so sorry, cousin."
Seemingly furious, Zhu Yun lowered his narrow eyes, refusing to look at her, and pursed his thin lips into a sharp line, ignoring her completely.
A kiss, and he gets this angry. He was clearly different now than when she wiped his face; he seemed to have calmed down, but his extremely angry expression was still amusing.
Just as she was about to press her advantage, he seemed to hear her thoughts, and silently uttered two words: "Someone's here."
Just as she finished speaking, the sound of light hooves came from outside the bushes. It sounded like there were about ten people who stopped outside the bushes where Luo Yan and her companion were crouching.
Luo Yan immediately held her breath.
Immediately afterwards, a chilling male voice rang out: "Have you killed everyone?"
Like a black, venomous snake, it slowly crawled up my back from my ankle.
Luo Yan turned her head slightly, trying to peek out through the small gap, but her view was almost completely blocked by the grass.
Unlike the palace, where the forests of Yue Mountain are not pruned by designated people, the grass grows wildly, tall and dense. Although outsiders cannot see Luo Yan and her companion, Luo Yan cannot see outside either.
Voices continued to ring out from outside the bushes: "Reporting to the commander, apart from those who are still useful, all the others who were incompetent have been dealt with, and their eyeballs have been removed and prepared for the Red Slaves."
"Where is he? We've lost him?"
The subordinate's voice was as uneasy as a rusty millstone: "I...I just saw her and Lord Zhu heading this way, but for some reason I only saw their horses..."
"Since your eyeballs are useless, you might as well feed them to the Red Slave."
The man's voice was neither loud nor soft, as if he were just talking about something mundane, yet it sent chills down one's spine.
With a loud thud, the subordinate kowtowed repeatedly, pleading, "Please, Commander, give me another chance."
"What you're asking for isn't me, but the young master."
The subordinate's voice trembled even more violently, as if his whole body was shaking, "Commander, the young master... please, Commander, save me..."
The man addressed as the commander paused for a moment, as if he had noticed something.
Hiding in the bushes, Luo Yan's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly gave Zhu Yun a look.
The pale moonlight shone on the grass behind them, completely obscuring Zhu Yun's face in shadow. His handsome profile cast an even deeper shadow on half of his face, giving her a reassuring look.
Luo Yan was slightly taken aback. There were more than a dozen assassins outside, yet she could remain so calm and composed. No wonder she was able to rise to the position of Grand Secretary at such a young age.
She was racking her brains when the other person's voice suddenly rang out:
"There's a cave over there. The horse is here, so the people can't have gone far. Come with me to search!"
"yes!"
The sound of horses' hooves hurried by.
Only after the sound of horses' hooves had completely faded away did Luo Yan and the other woman stand up from the bushes.
Seeing Zhu Yun's sullen face, clearly still bothered by her kissing him earlier, Luo Yan blinked, her expression innocent: "Cousin, I didn't mean to kiss you just now, don't be angry."
Zhu Yun's handsome face turned cold. "Not on purpose?"
Luo Yan replied sincerely, "Of course not."
Her stunningly beautiful face wore an innocent and pure expression, making it hard for anyone not to feel soft-hearted. But Zhu Yun's dark eyes remained deep and unwavering, like a rock that could not be breached.
Under his oppressive gaze, Luo Yan looked back calmly, then her eyes widened slightly as if she had discovered something. Biting her lip, she hesitated and said, "Cousin, you have my lipstick on your face. Should I wipe it off for you? It wouldn't be good if someone saw it and misunderstood that there was something between you and me."
She was about to raise her hand to touch his face when he nimbly dodged her touch.
His gaze darkened completely, gathering countless shadows.
"I've told you many times, you shouldn't do this anymore."
His voice was low and menacing, and a subtle pressure emanated from him.
Luo Yan seemed oblivious, tilting her head back to ask, "Why did you think I kissed you intentionally, cousin?"
Zhu Yun paused for a moment, then his brows furrowed tightly.
Perhaps he hadn't expected her to be so direct, making it seem as if he was just being presumptuous.
She pressed, "Cousin?"
His dark, sword-like eyebrows furrowed, and he looked at her with a sharp gaze.
"Cousin, you'd better not keep testing my limits."
Once this is over, he shouldn't have any further entanglements with her, not even the slightest.
He walked past her and strode away.
He easily found the spot she had just kissed and gently stroked it, the faint red color instantly turning onto his fingertips.
The sharp wind he stirred up lifted Luo Yan's hair, gently brushing past her butterfly-like eyelashes before softly falling back down.
When pushed to the limit, Luo Yan chuckled silently, as if she had finally lost her temper. Her beautiful eyes, reflecting the stars in the dim moonlight, revealed a hint of sharpness.
But cousin, whether it's right or wrong isn't up to you to decide.
As she was carefully choosing her words, Cui Wuyang suddenly seemed to wake from a dream, squatted down, and gazed at her face with lingering affection: "I'll take you away."
"No need." Luo Yan waved her hand hastily. "I'm not your sister. You should leave quickly."
Although Miao Rong was jealous, as a woman of the martial world, she shared the same chivalrous spirit. She angrily said, "Several people have been sent to guard the courtyard, and the doors and windows are all locked. What else could this be but house arrest? Young lady, do you know the way through the valley? Let's go together."
She recognized him, but Luo Yan was more afraid that Zhu Yun would go crazy.
Cui Wuyang excitedly grabbed her forearm and helped her up, saying, "Don't be afraid."
Just then, the courtyard gate was kicked open with a bang and shattered into several pieces in an instant.
Luo Yan looked closely and saw that half of Zhu Yun's face was stained with blood, making him look like a vengeful ghost. Behind him were dozens of disciples, holding long swords, completely blocking the way out.
How to break this deadlock?
Just as she was at her wit's end, Cui Wuyang released her and shielded her behind him. Luo Yan heard Zhu Yun's short laugh, which sent chills down her spine, and Miao Rong was so frightened that all the color drained from her face.
Even the main character wouldn't stand a chance against multiple opponents.
Luo Yan reluctantly shifted her feet, meeting Zhu Yun's slightly darkened gaze. The curve of his lips deepened, and he said gently, "Come here."
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