Under the moonlight, Hei Jiuqu said, "My lord, you've been bitten by a mosquito..."
Outside the palace, Sparrow Tongue, dressed in a black riding outfit, wearing a veiled hat and a black veil covering his face, had been waiting for a long time.
"My lord." From afar, she saw people coming down the hillside and hurried forward to greet them.
Chu Yening turned around and gazed at the rolling mountains under the bright moon. His brows furrowed, and he asked, "Did you see him?"
The sparrow shook its head.
"Just keep an eye on it."
"No rush. Take your time." Chu Yening's expression seemed to reveal a hint of weariness.
Inside the palace, beneath a Buddha statue about six zhang tall and covered in dust, several princes and noblemen, accompanied by several alluring women dressed in dance costumes, were "drinking and making merry."
Chu Yening smiled mischievously and gestured with his chin towards the foot of the mountain: "We'll just have a little tail to lure them out of Jingyun Temple."
Sparrow Tongue paused, opened her mouth, but ultimately obeyed and left. She was puzzled; when had the Marquis ever sent someone to secretly follow them? Years ago, back in those remote borderlands, spies from the capital had followed them without their knowledge. A gust of wind swept across their faces, and then they heard a snap behind them—the Marquis had broken the spy's neck.
At that time, he was just a teenager. He had fallen from the high and mighty heir of the Marquis of Jingning to the bitter cold of the frontier, where war raged for ten years. With the people's wishes and the merits of the old Marquis who had fought for many years in foreign lands to protect the peace of the country, the Emperor disregarded the objections and allowed him to retain the title he was entitled to, waiting only for his return in ten years.
For some reason, Que She thought of that girl with her bright, lively eyes when she smiled.
She looked up at the crescent moon in the sky, sighed softly, and walked with heavy steps.
In the dense forest, Luo Zhaoxing stood beside the carriage, gazing at the temple halls in the distance where the lights were still faintly burning, and a sudden idea struck him.
She asked Feng Hua to give her the short dagger for self-defense, and then instructed Luo Yuan to take Pu Niang and Feng Hua back to the mansion under the pretense of turning around and hiding behind a clear spring and rocks in the mountains. He was to come back to pick her up after an incense stick had burned.
Upon hearing this, Pu Niang immediately rejected the idea, and Feng Hua also shook her head repeatedly.
Luo Yuan said, "Miss, I am under orders from the young master to protect your safety and cannot leave your side for even a moment. As long as you are here, I am here. If you are in danger, I should atone with my life."
She took the dagger and concealed it in her sleeve. Her eyes softened as she looked at the three men and said decisively, "He won't hurt me."
Feng Hua hurriedly said, "Miss, I'll go with you."
Luo Zhaoxing turned around and smiled at her: "Fenghua, you must also promise me this."
A dark cloud quietly obscured the bright moon. Luo Zhaoxing walked through the grass, which was taller than a person, and quietly slipped under the window in front of the palace, but he did not see Chu Yening.
The temple was filled with nauseating laughter and chatter.
By the light from the lanterns scattered throughout the room, she could vaguely see several young men in fine clothes sitting on the ground, each with their arms around her, raising their cups and wine cups.
Luo Zhaoxing's lips twitched. He recalled their days of playing the zither, playing chess, appreciating flowers, and drinking tea.
She drew her dagger from its sheath, intending to throw it at one of the people in the hall to frighten them. But suddenly she heard a faint, low laugh.
But the surroundings were desolate, the small trees swayed gently in the night, and there was no one around.
From afar, Sparrow Tongue climbed the mountain to report: "My lord, it was... the Luo family's carriage. I saw them leave."
Chu Yening leaned against a tree trunk, arms crossed, seemingly suppressing a laugh. He gestured for her to look towards the palace surrounded by weeds. A slender figure in pale yellow stood there, startled, and touched her nose.
Night had fallen completely. Luo Zhaoxing had followed Chu Yening, but couldn't find her. Remembering her brother waiting for her at the manor, she was about to deal with this group of disrespectful young masters and restore peace to the Buddhist temple. But then she saw a person dressed in coarse cloth, acting suspiciously without a lantern, lurking in a dilapidated pavilion in the distance.
Soon, a light footstep sound came from the foot of the mountain, and a young man wearing a straw hat walked up from a distance, one hand on the sword at his waist, his body exuding a murderous aura.
Luo Zhaoxing sheathed her dagger and quietly disappeared into the weeds, approaching the pavilion on the distant mountain. Because they were too far apart and there was no cover under the pavilion, she couldn't hear their conversation clearly. She only saw the two whisper to each other, and the person who was in the pavilion repeatedly bowed to the young man wearing a straw hat. Then the young man left, and the person left in the pavilion cursed the young man who had already hurried down the mountain before also leaving in a huff.
Could it be that he came for these two? Then he must be nearby, or perhaps secretly watching her from the shadows.
Luo Zhaoxing's eyes flashed as she memorized the faces of the two people, preparing to descend the mountain and leave. Suddenly, a hand covered her mouth from behind.
Luo Zhaoxing immediately bit down hard, and the person behind her let out a muffled groan. Then she quickly pulled out the hairpin from her temple, which she had polished day and night to a sharp point, and was about to stab it behind her head when she suddenly stopped.
The smell that I inhaled through my nose was all too familiar.
In the past, this man often wore a long robe of pigeon blood red, sometimes with a golden crown tied high, or with a red ribbon tied in his hair. He had a pair of starry eyes that looked affectionate to everyone when he smiled, and two hollowed-out small balls hung from his waist as he swaggered through the city.
She turned around.
Wearing an indigo-blue belted long gown, Chu Yening gave her a mischievous smile.
really.
Chu Yening said, "Xiao Xing, follow me."
Luo Zhaoxing put the hairpin back in her hair, and smiled calmly at him: "I'm just worried that Fourth Brother might encounter danger coming to this deserted temple in the middle of the night. What if he runs into someone with ill intentions?"
"Oh? Is there anything interesting to see?" Chu Yening asked in a low voice, her eyebrows curving upwards.
Luo Zhaoxing brushed the dust off her arms from the weeds, glancing briefly at his waist. "Fourth Brother, haven't you been burning incense lately? There's nothing exciting to see." She turned to look at the distant mountains and continued, "But the stars are beautiful today. If Fourth Brother came to this deserted temple to stargaze, he should be careful not to catch a cold."
Chu Yening's eyes were still curved as he looked at her, saying nothing more, but he slightly turned his body to the side, trying to let her leave.
Luo Zhaoxing had the same idea, so he lowered his eyes and didn't look at him, saying only, "Fourth Brother, please stay. There's no need for you to see me off."
Using the moonlight overhead to try and see the path down the mountain, she slightly raised her head and saw a person standing in the woods not far away, wearing a straw hat.
It's a straw hat again.
Upon closer inspection, she saw that the man was holding a bow in his right hand and pulling the string with his left, aiming at the person beside her, about to fire.
He is left-handed.
Luo Zhaoxing's eyes widened: "Chu Yening, get out of the way!"
Almost simultaneously, Chu Yening noticed her unusual behavior. As he dodged to the side, Luo Zhaoxing pushed him away, and the two of them retreated to the tree trunk behind him.
An arrow whizzed past her and flew into the vast wilderness.
They were so close that she could hear his heartbeat and the rolling of his throat.
Chu Yening held her elbows with his arms slightly outstretched, refusing to let go. The words, "Chu Yening, get out of the way..." kept echoing in his ears.
Seeing that his arrow had missed, the man did not linger and turned to leave. Suddenly, Jiuqu, who had appeared at the foot of the hill, took off and gave chase at top speed.
Chu Yening seemed to sense something, released her and took a deep look at her, then turned to look in the direction the person had left and was about to chase after him.
Luo Zhaoxing reached out and twisted his thigh hard, gasped, and grabbed his wrist with one hand.
"Fourth Brother, I twisted my ankle."
Chu Yening turned to look at her under the moonlight and saw that her face was contorted in pain, her eyes still faintly gleaming. Everyone knew that Xiao Xing had been frail in the past. Recalling the moment of terror he had felt for her just now, Chu Yening had no doubts. After a moment's hesitation, he slightly bent one knee, and Luo Zhaoxing only felt a dark shadow flash before her eyes as he lifted her up.
Luo Zhaoxing exclaimed in surprise.
Chu Yening carried her on his shoulder and walked down the mountain.
A dizzying sensation swept over her. Luo Zhaoxing watched his rapid footsteps and suddenly remembered Luo Yuan down the mountain. She quickly said, "Wait a minute, there are still people here."
"There's no one else here. Only your fourth brother is here."
Luo Zhaoxing said again, "I feel dizzy."
Remembering how Xiaoxing was frail and the youngest in the family, and how her older brothers and sisters had always cared for her so much, he suddenly stopped, sighed almost imperceptibly, and put her down from his shoulder. Then he squatted down, but didn't say a word.
Luo Zhaoxing's almond-shaped eyes widened, and he actually wanted to carry her down the mountain.
There's no turning back once the arrow is released; the dizzying sensation returned to my mind.
Without further hesitation, Luo Zhaoxing climbed up and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.
Chu Yening was momentarily surprised: "You?"
"Watch where you're going!"
As night deepened, cicadas chirped in the trees, and laughter could be heard again from the faintly lit ancient temple in the distance.
"Wait a minute," Luo Zhaoxing said.
"go......"
Before she could finish speaking, Chu Yening seemed to understand, turning around and walking straight towards the dimly lit area. Suddenly, a woman's charming laughter came from inside the hall.
The two stood beneath the wall, quietly watching the people inside through a corner of the sill window.
But then a woman dressed in pink opened her arms and embraced the neck of a young man in brocade robes in front of her, sending him flirtatious glances. The young man's smile was extremely lewd.
The woman said sweetly, "My husband."
"A day without seeing you feels like an eternity; I miss you terribly."
Seeing this, the playboy laughed heartily, then seized the opportunity to cup the woman's head and kiss her passionately. A moment later, the two were inseparable, and the two outside the window noticed that the woman's lips were swollen and red, as if she had been sucking on a ripe plum.
The others burst into laughter.
Luo Zhaoxing lowered his eyes slightly and muttered, "A rat-faced fool." Then he leaned forward slightly to look at the man in the blue robe in front of him, only to see that his face remained completely calm.
"Little Star, do not look at what is improper."
Luo Zhaoxing blinked and said, "Fourth Brother, I think there's a mosquito on your mouth."
Chu Yening slapped his hand and coldly glanced at the palace. Luo Zhaoxing stared at his lips for a moment before withdrawing her head.
Inside the palace, the纨绔子弟 (a spoiled, dissolute young man) held the woman's soft hand, about to kiss her again, when Chu Yening, unbeknownst to anyone, swiftly flew through the window with a throwing knife in hand.
Luo Zhaoxing looked up and saw the short dagger pierce through the two people and disappear into the golden pillar supporting the eaves.
The spoiled brat's ear fell to the ground, dripping with blood; the knife technique was swift and fierce.
His scream shattered the long, silent night, and the group fled in panic.
At the foot of the mountain, Jiuqu blinked at the two of them, clearly puzzled. Then she rubbed her eyes, her gaze shifting between the two before finally settling on Chu Yening's lips, wearing an expression that said, "I knew it, but I still don't understand."
Luo Yuan, sword in hand, hid in the woods and looked at Luo Zhaoxing. She sat in the carriage and secretly shook her head. Luo Yuan quickly understood and turned to leave.
Chu Yening's ears twitched slightly.
Upon seeing this, Luo Zhaoxing looked towards the dense forest. She was not unaware of Luo Yuan's existence; she simply did not allow Luo Yuan to reveal himself to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Chu Yening raised her eyes and stared at Jiuqu, her brows furrowing. She suspiciously reached out and wiped the corner of her mouth. Upon seeing the red bean paste on her fingers and the clearly visible row of teeth marks on the side of her palm, she suddenly understood.
Jiuqu asked, "My lord, were you bitten by a mosquito?"
Chu Yening turned around, looked at the carriage curtain that had suddenly been lowered on the small window of the carriage, chuckled coldly, snatched the reins from Jiuqu's hand, and rode away.
"I'll walk back myself!"
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