Chapter 77
The sound of the pursuing horses' hooves grew closer and closer. There was no time for her to hesitate any longer. She glanced at Sanzhou Jinse, imprinting his expression into her mind, and then gritted her teeth and nodded.
Having overcome countless difficulties to get this far, she chose to continue to believe in him.
"Be careful when you go down the mountain, don't get hurt. After you leave here, find a way to get towards Xuanwu Kingdom." The situation was extremely urgent, but Sanzhou Jinse's voice was still gentle: "Go to Xuanwu Kingdom. I will come to find you as soon as I am out of danger."
Mu Yulu nodded again, then stood on tiptoe and grabbed his sleeve. "You must come to find me. I will always wait for you."
After saying that, she turned around and disappeared into a hidden path beside the mountain road, running down the mountain without stopping.
As she stepped onto that side road, the sound of wheels began again, continuing up the winding mountain road, while the pursuers behind her, just as Sanzhou Jinse had predicted, followed closely behind the carriage, rushing towards the top of the mountain.
The path beneath her feet was overgrown with weeds and vines, its shape indistinguishable. Sharp thorns tore at the hem of her wedding dress and sometimes snagged on the hem. She had to be very careful, or she would be pricked by the thorns if she wasn't careful.
Even so, her bare wrists and ankles were still scratched with tiny bloody marks, causing a burning pain.
The light in the forest gradually dimmed, and twilight spread in from all directions like a silent tide. She didn't know how long she had been walking, nor what the situation was like on the mountain. She could only vaguely make out the direction under her feet and desperately ran down the mountain.
Just get out of here, once you get out of this mountain, everything will be fine.
As long as she leaves this place, she can get rid of those pursuers. Xinyun and Mohe shouldn't have gone far. She might run into them if she heads towards Xuanwu Kingdom.
There's also San Zhou Jinse, who said he would come to find her as soon as he was out of danger, and she believes he won't break his promise.
Her legs felt as heavy as lead, and her vision blurred, with the scenery distorting and swaying in the dim light. Only by repeatedly replaying these thoughts in her mind did she have enough strength to keep going.
Several times her legs buckled, her knees slamming heavily against the cold gravel. The sharp pain briefly pierced her numbness, bringing her a moment of clarity, but she was soon overwhelmed by even deeper exhaustion.
She was so tired.
But we can't stop now.
She gritted her teeth and continued down the mountain, finally reaching the foot of the mountain before her last bit of strength was exhausted.
She staggered and collapsed beside a thick, ancient tree, her forehead pressing heavily against the rough bark. The cool touch brought a moment of clarity to her chaotic thoughts.
Sweat had already soaked through her inner clothes, sticking to her skin in a cold, sticky way. A gust of mountain wind made her shiver.
She was breathing heavily and looked up ahead.
Have we finally made it down the mountain?
With difficulty, I raised my eyes and looked past the gnarled tree roots and dense bushes. Ahead, the dense forest was no longer impenetrable, and a glimpse of more open sky could be seen.
Hope is just around the corner.
However, the next second, her smile of relief froze on her face.
Behind an even larger ancient tree ahead, a figure slowly emerged. He seemed to have been waiting there for a long time, and his tall and upright figure appeared somewhat lonely in the twilight.
It is Mu Qinhan.
He stood there watching her, watching her wedding dress torn to shreds by thorns, watching her hair stained with withered leaves and mud, watching her pale face, and watching her body trembling uncontrollably from extreme fear and exhaustion.
His gaze was eerily calm, as if silently telling her that everything was under his control, that all her efforts were futile struggles, and that she could not escape no matter what.
Time seemed to freeze at that moment.
Mu Yulu stood there blankly, her last bit of strength finally completely drained, and even the will to support her body disappeared.
Her legs buckled, and she could no longer support herself, her body tilting backward uncontrollably.
The next second, Mu Qinhan's arm steadily caught her drooping waist, while his other hand went under her knees and lifted her up in his arms.
His voice rang out from above: "I told you long ago, I know Sanzhou Jinse, I know what he's going to do."
After saying this, he lowered his head to look at her, a cryptic smile playing on his lips: "I understand you better now than before."
He carried her and turned to leave, walking towards the carriage that was already waiting by the roadside.
The guards standing at the foot of the mountain silently made way, and the carriage curtain was respectfully lifted by the attendant. Mu Qinhan gently and tenderly placed her into the carriage, then leaned down and sat down, gently resting her head on his lap, making her more comfortable on the soft cushions in the carriage.
The spacious carriage was covered with soft brocade cushions, and there was even a burner of calming incense on the table in the middle.
He had indeed anticipated their movements, which is why he had made such thorough preparations.
Mu Yulu curled up, numbly letting him manipulate her.
"Return to the manor," he commanded curtly.
The sound of wheels rolling echoed on the official road, reaching into the carriage and striking Mu Yulu's heart with each beat.
Mu Qinhan's voice rang out above her head again, his tone calm and gentle, as if nothing had happened: "How did you get yourself into this state?"
His long, slender fingers brushed past her ear, picking the dead leaves from her hair. "Take a good shower when you get back, and change into some clean clothes."
He asked her softly if she was hungry, his tone as casual as if they had been married for many years: "I have already instructed the household to prepare food in advance. You can eat first and then take a bath when we get back."
Mu Yulu did not respond to him, and he continued talking to himself, arranging everything she would need when she returned.
Her tears suddenly started flowing.
Such caring words and such considerate care—isn't this exactly what she desperately wanted in her past life?
But in her past life, she never received a single tender look from either her parents or Mu Qinhan.
More importantly, she suddenly realized that she had suffered so much malice in her past life, and now the only one who truly cared for her was herself in this life.
Mu Qinhan carefully wiped away her tears, "Why are you crying?"
This time, Mu Yulu finally responded to him. She leaned wearily on his lap and murmured, "I will never again have any expectations when I know you don't love me."
What followed was a long silence.
Mu Qinhan stared at her like that, as if he wanted to imprint her vulnerable side into his mind forever.
After a long while, he gently stroked her cheek again, saying, "Sometimes I really don't know how I should love you anymore."
He leaned down and pressed his cheek against hers, pulling her tightly into his arms. Then he breathed softly on her cheek and said, "Say whatever you want. You can't go anywhere. You can only stay by my side."
Mu Yulu's tears flowed even more profusely.
If I cried just now because I felt wronged, then now it's truly because I'm afraid.
He whispered sweet nothings to her, but to her they were the most terrifying ghost stories in the world.
Her torrent of tears only gradually subsided after the carriage came to a slow stop in front of the Prince's mansion.
Mu Qinhan stepped down from the carriage, leaned over and lifted her out of the carriage, and carried her towards the mansion under the watchful eyes of many guards and servants.
Mu Yulu leaned her head weakly against his chest and suddenly asked, "Where is Sanzhou Jinse?"
Mu Qinhan paused slightly, then smirked and carried her further inside. "He was shot off the cliff by the guards, and his body was never found."
The person in his arms visibly trembled, and then she couldn't help but cry again, her tears quickly soaking his clothes.
He suddenly felt a surge of irritation. Everything was clearly under his control, but her scalding tears inexplicably ignited a fire within him.
He kicked open the main gate, carried her into the bedroom, and then let go of her, throwing her onto the bed.
Mu Yulu instinctively tried to hide in the corner of the bed, but he grabbed her ankle.
He then took the opportunity to lean in and pin her down.
He took in the terrified look on her face, which made her seem like a frightened little rabbit or a flower ravaged by rain—so fragile and vulnerable, yet with a touch of stubbornness.
His anger turned into pity, and he leaned down to kiss her lips.
The kiss was brief, just a fleeting touch on her lips before moving to her forehead and gently landing on her face.
His cold lips met her hot tears, and both of them trembled slightly at that moment. She reached out to push him away, but her hands pressed against his chest, and she couldn't muster any strength.
He ignored her resistance, and seemed even more excited by it. He intensified his exploitation of her softness, yet remained restrained, never going any further.
He simply kissed away her tears again and again.
Finally, she was so exhausted that she didn't even have the strength to cry anymore. She collapsed weakly on the bed, turned her head to the side, and closed her eyes.
Mu Qinhan straightened up at this moment and asked her in a hoarse voice, "Stop crying?"
She heard his question, but didn't want to pay any attention to him. She just tilted her head and closed her eyes, not even wanting to look at him.
Mu Qinhan wasn't annoyed. He leaned down again and pressed his cool lips to her ear: "You are mine."
Do you know what this means?
"This means that your life, everything you have, including your tears, can only belong to me."
A hot breath brushed past her ear, carrying a chillingly gentle threat: "Be good, and don't shed tears for strangers anymore."
After saying that, he tried to get up and leave, but she grabbed his collar and said in a hoarse voice, "My life has always been in my own hands."
Mu Qinhan chuckled softly, then suddenly asked an unrelated question: "Where are your two personal maids, who are like sisters to you? Why didn't they come to the Prince's mansion with you?"
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