Why don't you beg me?
Perhaps seeing her too disappointed, Gu Yu said again, which was unusual for him: "My horse doesn't like strangers and is very fierce. You can't handle it. Rainy roads are different from usual. Without excellent riding skills, you'll probably be the one who gets injured."
"Thank you, General. It was Wenruo's oversight." She accepted this reason, but she had initially forgotten a fatal problem: she couldn't ride a horse. This was even more disheartening than General Gu's explanation, and her mood, which had just improved, instantly plummeted again.
Long banners fluttered in the wind on both sides, and the main hall suddenly became deserted. Wen Ruo made an excuse to go back to her room, but Qi Guanlan raised his long leg to block her way, raised his chin and questioned, "Looking down on me? My jade lion is much more powerful than his red steed. You should ask me instead of him. Maybe I will agree."
"The general is right."
Time was of the essence, and there was no time to worry about whether the young master was angry or annoyed. Anyway, he would be gone from the military camp for more than half a year and would forget about it by then. Wen Ruomu pushed him away with a blank face, put some pastries in her bag, and asked the monk who was carrying water for directions. According to the little monk, she could reach the nearest village before noon.
It's raining today, and there's no one on the narrow path. The surrounding woods are shrouded in a thin mist, and occasionally a crow or two perches on the bare branches, like a watercolor painting created by spilled ink, desolate and hazy.
Looking through the gaps in the trees, she could almost see houses. Wen Ruo took long strides, the damp earth supporting her feet, the chill seeping into her body. She lifted her skirt and quickened her pace, her eyes darting around, searching for her next foothold.
She walked and stopped frequently, her skirt was already covered in mud, and the footprints behind her became a playful, wriggling tail, following her in a crooked manner.
The sound of horses' hooves rushed past her ears, splashing mud on her face. Wen Ruo wiped it away, her face darkening even more. She turned around angrily, "Who is it? Can't you see where you're going?"
"So you do have a temper!" Qi Guanlan exclaimed with curiosity. The young master, dressed in brocade and fur, sat on horseback with a smile in his eyes. As always, he looked down at her with a haughty air, scrutinizing her for a moment. "Look at you, all dirty. I kindly lent you this, and you're not even grateful for it?"
The reproachful tone made Wen Ruo momentarily speechless. "I just suddenly remembered something," she said, then shut her mouth and continued walking forward, lifting her skirt. There was no point in saying anything more, so why waste her energy?
The jade lion, pure white with big, wet eyes, frolics happily in the mud. Wen Ruo tilts her head to the side, barely avoiding the mud on her face. Her feet, already wet, are now covered in mud, and her skirt is completely soaked.
Her ankles felt like they were tied to stones. She pursed her lips and looked down, a lump forming in her throat. She thought to herself: I should hold back. If I scold him, he'll probably get what's coming to him.
"What is it?" Qi Guanlan seemed to be in a much better mood, stroking his silky mane and chatting with her leisurely. Wen Ruo didn't even turn her head and called out directly, "Young Master, can we go back if there's nothing else?"
Qi Guanlan's face immediately darkened, and even his voice betrayed his displeasure, "You dare to find me annoying?"
"Young Master has snuck over again?" General Gu had been chasing him all the way. He should have been brought back immediately after the case was over. It's likely that the young master didn't want to get a beating and insisted on coming to Yan'an Temple to thank the abbot. I just don't know why General Gu agreed. They're really right about how persistent he is. She's run into him again. What a nuisance.
Qi Guanlan reined in the reins and calmly turned the car around. "You know all about it now."
"You can't escape it sooner or later, so why bother? Originally, you were falsely accused, but after you went back, he explained it to the soldiers. General Gu is cold on the outside but warm on the inside, and the matter was resolved by turning a big problem into a small one. But now, it's difficult for the general to protect you. You probably can't avoid the military flogging."
Qi Guanlan nodded unconsciously, then realized what she meant and said angrily, "You're blind, how could you tell that he's cold on the outside but warm on the inside?"
"I'm cured," Wen Ruo shouted back, afraid he wouldn't hear her, trying to bring him back to the right path. But she slipped and almost fell into the ditch.
In the nick of time, a red whip appeared out of nowhere and wrapped around her waist. Wen Ruo was so constricted that she could hardly breathe, so she quickly grabbed the whip to steady herself.
The whip was quickly put away, and she looked slightly relieved. "Thank you, young master. Your whip technique is truly taught by the princess. It's not too late to go back now. General Gu won't blame you. I'm in a hurry, so I'll take my leave first."
Since she was already soaked, she could buy a new set of clothes when she got to the village; it was better than dawdling and risking the itinerant doctor running off as soon as the weather improved. Wen Ruo immediately quickened her pace, but the sound of horses' hooves approached again. She quickly dodged a few steps away. Qi Guanlan, finding his hand empty, turned around angrily and asked, "Why are you dodging?"
"I'm afraid of being hit and thrown into the air."
Qi Guanlan touched the red whip at his waist, then withdrew his hand, glanced at her sideways, and said, "Come on, I'll take you there."
Wen Ruo was surprised. She glanced at the white expanse in the distance and felt a little moved. Why was that? She secretly pinched herself and said helplessly, "I don't know how. Young Master, please go back."
On this cloudy, muddy road, Qi Guanlan is very difficult to please. There's a good chance she'll give up halfway through, and then she'll have to coax her. If there's even a slight delay, the doctor will have already left.
Qi Guanlan frowned, and the small flame in his eyes grew stronger. "Once is enough, twice is not enough, but three times is not enough. You should think this through." Seeing that she was unmoved, he immediately straightened up. "Fine, I will invite a famous doctor for the general to make amends. If you are not happy, then go ahead."
Is this a threat to take her away from me? "Young Master, I was wrong." Wen Ruo hurriedly shouted, only to see Qi Guanlan standing not far away, the jade lion swinging its ponytail, seemingly mocking her overestimation of her abilities.
She walked closer and saw the young master's deerskin boots on the footstools. Could it be that he was deliberately playing a trick on her, not giving her any space to get on? Wen Ruo thought to herself.
When she looked up, she found Qi Guanlan's slightly calloused hand waiting for her. Wen Ruo grabbed his hand with all her might, and the next moment her feet were off the ground, and she was lifted into the air, sitting on the horse's back, her calves rising and falling slightly against the horse's belly.
With no support beneath her feet, as if sitting in mid-air, Wen Ruo looked uneasy and subconsciously put her arm around Qi Guanlan's waist. When she glanced down, she saw that the young master's clothes were stained with mud, and his wet skirt was covering the snow-white horse's back. "Don't move around, or Xiaobai will get angry."
Wen Ruo let go instantly, then didn't know where to grab on, her voice hesitant, "Young Master, is this inappropriate? What if I fall?"
"What, do you want me to lead you around?" As soon as he finished speaking, Qi Guanlan flicked the reins, and Xiaobai immediately ran off. A hint of panic flashed in Wen Ruo's eyes, and she hugged him again. "I misspoke. I will never forget your great kindness, young master."
Qi Guanlan exclaimed, "Now you're acting like a human being! What kind of behavior was that, all that fussing and swaying just now?"
Wen Ruo paused, and considering that he had helped her, she could only kindly advise, "Young Master, if you meet a girl you like in the future, never say that, or she will turn around and leave."
"Let's see who dares!"
Wen Ruo shook her head; the young master was beyond saving.
The entrance to the village was a muddy mess with footprints everywhere. The water in the puddles was murky and there was nowhere to step. Wen Ruo lowered her head in confusion and looked around a few more times. "Young Master, something's not right here."
She came out early in the morning. The footprints from a few days ago had long been washed away by the rain. Apart from her, no one else had left the village. Where did these footprints of different sizes and in a mess come from?
With a tug, Little White let out a long neigh and stomped its feet, sending mud flying everywhere. Qi Guanlan gently stroked its neck. Little White was very intelligent and strolled around slowly, swishing its tail. "What are you afraid of? They're just villagers. They're not going to eat us."
As you enter the village, you finally find the familiar blue brick road. Inside the low walls, playful children are splashing in the water, their clothes soaked, having a great time.
She stared intently at Xiaobai with curious eyes, her gaze filled with envy. The adults hurriedly carried her inside, and you could hear their scolding. The wooden door slammed shut with a loud bang, making it clear that outsiders were not welcome.
Wen Ruo tilted her head and said something. Qi Guanlan swept his front leg and jumped off the horse. He held the reins tightly in his hand. Wen Ruo was left alone on the horse. When she looked down, she saw a wicked smile on Qi Guanlan's lips, as if he was waiting for her to ask for help.
Wen Ruo lowered her eyes and sighed inwardly at how childish it was, but she had no choice but to give in. "Young Master is so dashing. If I jumped down, my legs would probably break. I'd be so grateful if you could catch me."
Her hands gripped the saddle nervously, and her voice trembled slightly as she spoke. Qi Guanlan had never seen her so frail before. The novelty of her words caught him off guard, and he instinctively raised his hands. "Go ahead and jump."
Wen Ruo followed his example, leaning down slightly to grasp his hand, and used the momentum to jump down. Mud and water hidden under the loose bricks splashed onto both of them, like ink stains on their snow-white fox fur coats. Wen Ruo paused for a moment, then looked up and said, "Young Master is indeed very strong."
Qi Guanlan was stunned for a moment when his hand was empty. He walked up to Xiaobai somewhat awkwardly and only regained his usual ease when he touched its familiar warmth. "Don't flatter Xiaobai, or it will kick you."
"Sister-in-law, could you sell me an old piece of clothing?"
Qi Guanlan frowned upon hearing this. "Why don't you ask at another place?" Wen Ruo pushed open the door a crack, staring at the wooden door without turning her head, and said, "The other places are the same, why waste your energy?"
"Has a traveling doctor ever been here? Could you please tell me where he went? I will be very grateful."
After a cup of tea, someone came out of the room. Through the door, Wen Ruo slowed her voice and said, "I'll give one tael to buy the whereabouts of the traveling doctor and an old piece of clothing."
"Two ounces!"
Wen Ruo paused, then gritted her teeth and said, "I only brought two ounces with me, and I gave them all to my sister-in-law. I'm afraid the traveling doctor will refuse to see me."
"The itinerant doctor doesn't charge young couples!"
Wen Ruo's eyes lit up, and she couldn't help but glance at Qi Guanlan. Excitedly, she took a step closer, took out some silver, and handed it through the crack in the door. "Even so, two taels it is. Can we go in and rest for a while? This one tael is a deposit."
A moment later, Wen Ruo changed into a coarse old robe and tied her hair up with a blue cloth strip. Her hair had been disheveled from running around so much with Xiao Bai.
Qi Guanlan was leisurely combing his mane in the courtyard, while the little girl chattered incessantly around him. She looked at the two people in the courtyard and couldn't help but ask curiously, "What's going on in the village? Did robbers really break in?"
The elder sister-in-law said with a mournful face, "Yes, my husband's health has just improved, and the family's remaining grain has been robbed by bandits. If it weren't for you, we probably wouldn't have made it through this winter."
Wen Ruo's face paled, and she hurriedly asked, "Where did the itinerant doctor go?"
"There's a blind bride in the neighboring Zhuxi Village. The itinerant doctor seems quite interested in her. I guess she's gone somewhere. I just don't know if that group of bandits went there too."
Wen Ruo was anxious and hurried to the courtyard. Qi Guanlan glanced at her absentmindedly, then frowned and fell into thought. "Do you have any special fetishes?"
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