Chapter 93 Like Strong Wine (Part 5) He held her tightly, as if not allowing her...
A gust of wind swirled around the two of them, and Zhi Rou's heartbeat, which she had deliberately ignored, was suddenly jolted back to normal.
The heat crept through her clothes to her skin, and Wei Yuanzhan's buried, unspoken desire grew from his palms to her slender waist. He held her tightly, as if not allowing her to escape.
Given their close proximity, Zhi Rou should have felt disgusted.
She never liked physical contact with others.
Having practiced martial arts since childhood, she is exceptionally sensitive to danger. In Beili, anyone who tried to get close to her would be blocked by her breath as soon as they approached, and no one could gain the upper hand over her.
Wei Yuanzhan was like a misaligned thread in her otherwise vigilant mindset. In his presence, she always instinctively felt no need to be on guard, and even if she appeared to be backing down, she still habitually and instinctively trusted Wei Yuanzhan.
Wei Yuanzhan had been about to say or do something, but when he looked down into her eyes, he completely forgot everything.
This time, she didn't flinch, but looked at him with a hint of shock. Her eyes were very beautiful, clear, and had a touch of primal ignorance. What might seem like savagery to others was, in his eyes, an irresistible attraction.
Staring into those eyes, Wei Yuanzhan suddenly lost his footing, feeling as if his heart didn't belong to him and might jump into her body.
This is the Eastern Palace.
Zhi Rou's awareness of this became even stronger. After a brief moment of closeness, she lowered her eyelashes, gently struggled with her arm, and pushed him away.
She didn't dare touch the clothes that Wei Yuanzhan had crumpled, at least not in front of him. Her gaze was fixed blankly in the air for a moment before drifting elsewhere.
Zhi Rou said, "I'm leaving. Go back... wake up in the bar."
He turned around immediately after speaking, his steps still steady, but he walked a little faster.
Wei Yuanzhan's gaze was fixed on her departing figure, and a hint of regret gradually appeared in his dazed eyes.
Zhi Rou followed the maid from the Eastern Palace to her guest room, where everything had been arranged. Someone came in to help her bathe and settle in.
She had never been comfortable with people around her since she was a child. She pushed everyone away, sat back in the hot water tub, her black hair wet and clinging to her back, the rising steam obscuring her vision.
Looking back on every time she saw Wei Yuanzhan after their reunion, he always had unexpected words and actions that didn't make her dislike him, but she was too flustered, as if she had thrown herself in front of him without any cover.
Zhi Rou's breathing became slightly rapid. She pushed herself down slightly with her palms, took a deep breath, and then buried herself in the hot soup to cover herself.
The water shimmered slightly, and Zhi Rou forced herself not to think about Wei Yuanzhan, focusing her gaze on the patterns of light. When she resurfaced, she still found it difficult to clear her mind.
That night, not only Zhi Rou and Wei Yuanzhan couldn't sleep, but when news of her staying overnight at the East Palace reached the Song residence, although they knew that with Wei Mingying there, she wouldn't cause any trouble for the time being, Song Congzhao and Lin He were still worried because they couldn't hear firsthand about what she had experienced in the palace.
Empress Wei looked at Jihe with a gentle and warm demeanor, yet she was ruthless and decisive, not only because of the Wei family bloodline, but also because of the influence of power.
Back then, the second prince had not yet come of age, and His Majesty delayed in establishing an heir. Rumors of "establishing the eldest son as heir" gradually spread in the court. Empress Wei ignored these rumors and treated the eldest prince as kindly as her own son. Everyone in the harem praised Empress Wei's virtue.
However, during the autumn hunt that year, a palace sorcerer predicted that the second prince would face misfortune. The empress only saw a few unfamiliar guards by his side, and after some unknown manipulation, those guards never appeared again.
During the Great Cold season, the snow from the day before was melting, leaving the ground and steps damp and gloomy.
Ling Xi carried her six-month-old baby out of the courtyard. She had promised her close friend that they would go to the temple to pray for blessings together.
She was not a Buddhist, but lately she had been frequently attacked in the court, and the situation was bleak. She went back to the Ling family to ask her father for help, but he said, "Now that you are a woman, you should abide by the rules and not meddle in men's affairs anymore."
When her father refused to help, Ling Xi used her own people to gather evidence, but no matter how much she did, it was never enough.
He often sees his wife running around for him, which makes him feel heartbroken. The night before last, he told her frankly that she was too tired and should rest well, and that she didn't need to worry about him.
Ling Xi outwardly agreed, but secretly continued as usual. Chang Yu, upon hearing this, asked her close friend Wang Shujun to take her out of the mansion.
Xiao Nan was still very young, and Ling Xi was reluctant to leave her. To appease Chang Yu, she took Xiao Nan with her and boarded the carriage.
Woyun Temple is located about ten miles west of the capital, not far away. The sky was overcast that day, and the temple was quiet with almost no one around.
Ling Xi was dragged by her close friend to draw a fortune stick, which was not auspicious. Wang Shujun quickly comforted her, saying that fortune sticks are just that, and sometimes they are not accurate.
She had never believed in such things, but that day she felt inexplicably uneasy. When she arrived at the temple's resting place, she lit only one lamp, paced back and forth in the room, and held Xiao Nian in her arms, gently patting and soothing her.
The repeated sounds echoed in the room, whether she was comforting Xiaojun or the other way around, her mind gradually calmed down.
Just then, she suddenly heard another sound. Ling Xi paused for a moment, then immediately opened the door and asked the maidservant in the outer room what was going on.
There were only two patrons, her and Wang Shujun, staying at the temple; there shouldn't have been such a commotion.
The old woman was about to go out and see what was happening when she suddenly saw a burst of firelight rising in the distance, followed by the chilling sounds of gunfire.
Raindrops fell gently to the ground, splashing water everywhere. Time seemed to slow down infinitely, the air seemed to freeze, and only the constant "tinkling" sound could be heard.
In that instant, Ling Xi reacted quickly. She suppressed her fear and carried Xiao Huan toward the side door of the back hall.
Ling Xi often accompanied her mother here when she was young. Being cautious by nature, she checked all the entrances and exits of the temple today. Now that the villains were outside and still some distance away, she almost ran.
The old woman followed closely behind, her fearful eyes frequently glancing back. Though she was old, there was a resolute look in her expression. If anything were to happen, she would protect Ling Xi.
The sounds of slaughter grew louder in the sky, raging with flames, turning what was once a pure place into a hellish realm in an instant.
The child in her arms seemed to sense the danger and began to cry softly. The fearful sound reached her ears. Ling Xi struggled to control her pace, gently patting the little girl's back to soothe her. She quickly passed through the lacquered gate, only to run into a soldier searching with a knife.
Ling Xi suddenly stumbled, taking a step back, then another, until she was back inside the door.
When the soldier saw her, his eyes gleamed with ferocity and greed. He knew that his mediocre life would change because of this day.
The old woman had been following behind Ling Xi all the way. Although she was walking slowly, she had caught up with her. Seeing the situation, she grabbed Ling Xi with one hand, dragged her behind her, and rushed forward, trying to block the narrow door with her body.
Just as Ling Xi was about to speak, a gleaming blade pierced through the figure in front of her in an instant. Liquid splashed onto her face, a murky red, initially warm, then quickly turning slightly cool.
Even though she had seen life and death, she was stunned for a moment.
The soldier drew his sword, its blade a fiery red. He raised his foot to kick the old woman, trying to push her away, but she seemed to have drawn strength from nowhere, remaining firmly rooted to the spot as if filled with lead.
"Madam, run... run!" The old woman gripped the edge tightly with both hands and turned to shout to Ling Xi.
She had no time to panic or grieve; she immediately turned around, grabbed Xiaojun, and ran off in the other direction.
The exhaustion from the escape caused the baby in her arms to cry incessantly. Ling Xi was too exhausted to comfort her and kept searching for a way out.
The rain intensified, yet flames still rose within the temple, water and fire mingling, creating a chilling and oppressive atmosphere.
Ling Xi burst into a dark room. There was no table or cushion inside, only a landscape painting hanging dimly on the wall. This was the end of the western road. If she turned back, she would surely encounter that soldier again and be unable to leave.
Thinking she had reached a dead end, Ling Xi's lips trembled slightly. Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind, and she remembered that there was a secret passage in this room that led to the Xiang River outside the city.
She raised her hand to part the scroll, pushed open the latch on the wall, went inside, and closed the door tightly. She stumbled and staggered in the darkness, her steps never ceasing.
Lingxi couldn't remember how long she had walked, but when she saw light again, it was pouring rain outside.
The rain pelted her like pebbles, soaking her clothes and leaving her in a blinding white light.
The long escape had left her physically exhausted, but she still shook her head, struggled to open her eyes, and told herself she couldn't give up.
She also wanted to take Xiaojun home, back to her father and brothers.
"Third Miss!" A misty voice rang in her ears, and a pair of strong hands reached out to support her shoulders, catching her in the shadows. In the dim light, she caught a glimpse of a familiar face from her childhood.
"Third Miss" was her name in the Ling family before she got married.
A cloak was wrapped around her shoulders. Ling Xi raised her head, her eyes wide open, trying to see who it was. She heard him say anxiously, "My lord has ordered me to protect you and leave. Please come with me!"
When the Chang family ran into trouble, Ling Shu heard that his daughter was praying for blessings at the temple with Wang Shujun. He took a gamble, betting that she would come out alive. He sent someone to Liu An, who was on business outside the capital, asking him to escort Ling Xi to the south.
Liu An was a retainer who had once taught her how to use a bow and arrow.
Ling Xi swayed slightly upon hearing his words, but managed to steady herself before following him into the carriage.
The sudden comfort numbed her. Ling Xi remained silent for a long time, as if she had suddenly woken up. Her voice carried through the rain, not loud, and seemed to be trembling.
"Chang Yu..." she paused, then continued, "The Chang family is gone...is that right?"
There was no answer from outside the car door.
Ling Xi felt a sharp pain in her heart. All she could see was darkness, or perhaps blood red. Although she was not in the Chang residence, she could almost see the corpses and smell the blood.
The raindrops pattered on the car hood, heavy and oppressive.
Ling Xi was in excruciating pain and filled with intense hatred. She felt no strength in her hands and was in a daze, wondering if her twenty-odd years of life had been an illusion. Suddenly, she didn't understand the meaning of living.
Unbeknownst to Ling Xi, the little girl in her arms had stopped crying. She had quieted down and her round little hands moved slightly. Ling Xi looked down and saw her bright eyes looking at her, as if asking her why her mother was crying.
Ling Xi's eyes turned red and her body trembled uncontrollably, but in front of her daughter, she tried her best to swallow all her emotions. Countless times, the urge to return to the city surged in her heart, but she suppressed it because of her daughter.
She gently swayed her arm and touched Xiaojun's face, her voice as tender as ever.
"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid..."
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