Chapter 4, Section 004: She ran towards the firelight.
In fact, Lin Wan did not realize how affectionate she appeared to others at this moment.
She just felt that matchmaking was something she couldn't escape no matter what, so why not follow her heart and pursue what she desired?
"Miss, could it be that Young Master Lu already has someone he loves?" Tao Hong asked cautiously.
"..."
Tao Hong was still somewhat worried: "We've been together for so long, yet Young Master Lu remains indifferent to you. Could it be that he's already..."
“Impossible.” Lin Wan smiled. “Look at him, he seems so aloof from women. How could he have ever been a virgin? Look at his cousins who have already married and taken concubines; their behavior is completely different.”
"On the contrary, I think that Young Master Lu is just someone who came from a Buddhist temple. With such a beautiful young woman by his side, he is still pure and abstinent. He is really blind and does not know how to appreciate beauty."
Peach Blossom: "Yes, young master is indeed blind due to an eye disease. So, young lady, are you going to give up?"
"I won't give up. The day his eyes are healed will come. Hua Yisheng said he'll be able to see again soon, and when that happens, he'll definitely care about me."
"You're interested in him, but we don't even know who he is. Is that really okay? Could it be that he's deliberately deceiving us because you seem kind-hearted?"
"How could a young master from an ordinary family be so badly injured by thieves? Could he have offended someone he shouldn't have? Will this implicate us?"
Lin Wan's eyes were silent.
She wasn't unaware of these considerations; rather, she simply chose not to think about them.
If we want a long future ahead, these are things we must consider.
"I'll ask again tomorrow."
She looked at the bowl of medicine on the table, which had long since gone cold, and said slowly, "My mother is no longer here, and you're becoming more and more like that aunt in the family, worrying about my affairs so much. But don't worry, I know what to do."
"girl……"
"If he really has no interest, I won't force him. It hasn't even started yet, so don't worry so much."
—
The night was cool and still.
Lu Liangyu sat in the room for a long time.
Until there was no more sound outside the corridor.
With a rustling sound from the windowsill, Shen Rongshi nimbly climbed through the window and entered.
The moment she landed, Shen Rongshi clearly sensed that something was wrong in the room. She saw Lu Liangyu sitting quietly to the side, rubbing the handkerchief stained with medicine on her hand by the candlelight.
"...Did I come at the wrong time?" Shen Rongshi tentatively took two steps back towards the window. "Should I come later?"
Lu Liangyu whispered, "Come back."
“Okay,” Shen Rongshi immediately rushed to him with a fawning expression. “Look how loyal I am. If you tell me to go east, Your Highness, I would never dare to go west.”
He completely ignored Shen Rongshi's sweet talk and said leisurely, "Didn't I tell you to keep an eye on people? Why are you here again?"
“Things have changed!” Shen Rongshi said, his expression hardening. “We had spies in Shili Valley, but last night we received an urgent report that the convoy transporting relief grain did not follow the original route. Instead, they boarded an official boat and took the waterway towards Shu.”
Upon hearing this, Lu Liangyu raised an eyebrow and scoffed, "Fool! The relief grain has been loaded onto the ship, but there are many bends in the inland waterways. It's likely that it has been switched on the way and you don't even know it."
"Then... what should we do?"
Shen Rong had worked by his side for a long time and had never been so careless and made such a mistake. This time, he let him handle things, but he made such a big oversight and was anxious and didn't know what to do.
Lu Liangyu's tone was as cold as iron: "How could you be so negligent as to allow an inside traitor to infiltrate your ranks without your knowledge? Think carefully, which people did you entrust with carrying out the Prince of Jin's secret order?"
"...It's him?!"
"Catch him immediately, or he'll probably escape overnight after sending the message," Lu Liangyu said sternly. "We must set off before dawn at the latest. They're traveling by water, so we must intercept them before they enter the inland rivers. Any later, and things might change again."
"Understood, I'll head back right away."
Shen Rongshi turned to leave, but was stopped by Lu Liangyu.
Lu Liangyu removed the veil binding her eyes, struggled to lift her eyelids, and vaguely saw the faint candlelight through her hazy vision.
"Your eyes..."
"I can see a little bit now." Lu Liangyu held the silk blindfold she had just taken off. Although her vision was still not very clear, it was much better than before.
Shen Rongshi was delighted: "It seems that it was a wise move for me to send a message to the Sage of Medicine Hua to come over."
"Send a message back to the capital, and have someone go to the Imperial Hospital in the palace to get the secret scar-removing and beautifying cream from the imperial physicians and send it to her."
Shen Rong looked him over several times, but ultimately didn't ask any more questions and simply agreed.
He had to leave immediately to make arrangements, and before leaving, he mentioned that there were bodyguards left at the inn to protect him: "Although I can see a little, my eyesight has only just recovered, and I'm afraid my vision is not very good. If there is a surprise attack, the bodyguards can keep me safe."
Lu Liangyu remained silent, but did not refuse the arrangement.
-
Night falls.
Lin Wan tossed and turned in her sleep, plagued by nightmares.
I dreamt that she was standing on the edge of a cliff, with the surging river flowing below.
She stared in shock at Lu Liangyu, who had fallen into the river in the previous scene, and wanted to rush forward to save him, but was blocked by a raging fire that fell from the sky.
The raging fire grew stronger and stronger, and even though she was deep in her dream, she was almost burned; the burning pain was real.
"Girl, girl, wake up!"
In her dream, Lu Liangyu had already been swept away by the river and disappeared without a trace. Lin Wan suddenly opened her eyes and saw Tao Hong looking extremely anxious.
"Girl, hurry, there's a fire!"
Lin Wan had just woken up from a nightmare and was still not fully awake. She was in a daze when Tao Hong grabbed her and pulled her out of the room.
What came into view was flames shooting into the sky, accompanied by the clamor of gongs and drums. Flames burst forth from the kitchen on the first floor and, with the help of the wind, suddenly surged up to the second floor.
The air was thick with pungent smoke, and the flames stung my eyes so much I couldn't open them.
Peach Blossom gripped her hand tightly, dodged the beams that had been broken by the flames, and rushed out of the inn.
Outside the inn's main gate, a large group of people were gathered, all of whom had escaped from the inn.
Even the patrol teams in Bianzhou City were alarmed, and troops were being mobilized to fight the fire, with young and strong men joining the firefighting efforts.
"Look around, everyone! Is there anyone you know who hasn't escaped from the inn?" the innkeeper, his face covered in soot and charcoal, shouted, prompting the shop assistants who had escaped to quickly look for people.
Everyone looked around.
Lin Wan was anxiously searching for Lu Liangyu, but among the chaotic figures... he was nowhere to be found.
Turning his head to look at the inn where thick black smoke billowed into the sky and flames engulfed it, he... was still inside!
She lifted her foot and ran towards the firelight.
"Girl! Where are you going!"
"He's blind, I have to save him!"
Lin Wan forcefully pried open Tao Hong's hands that were tightly gripping her, pushed through the crowd, and rushed frantically into the flames.
"Who was that who ran in just now? They're asking for it!" someone shouted.
The first floor of the inn was completely burned to the ground, and the stairs leading to the second floor had also been burned through. Thick black smoke choked our mouths and noses.
Lin Wan covered her mouth and nose with one hand, trying her best to find a way to get to the second floor through the flames.
"Crack—Boom!"
A beam high above, wreathed in flames, hurtled straight down on Lin Wan.
It was about to hit her.
Suddenly, a burly man grabbed her and pulled her away.
The beam crashed to the ground, sending countless sparks flying. She couldn't dodge in time and was injured on the cheek again by the sparks and fragments.
"Ah!" A piercing pain shot straight to my brain.
After the burly man, covered in soot, pulled her out of the fire, he shouted angrily, "If you want to die, get lost and stop causing trouble here."
Her throat was choked by the thick smoke, and she couldn't stop coughing. She pressed her chest and looked helplessly at the inn engulfed in flames.
Tao Hong held her firmly, not daring to relax, and comforted her: "Young Master Lu must have escaped to another place. Don't be afraid, you'll see him soon."
But the person beside her did not respond. Tao Hong looked up at her and saw that her face was covered with soot, and the wound that was gradually healing had been burned by sparks again.
Her face was filled with horror and panic, and tears of heartbreak streamed down her soot-covered face as she stared blankly at the inn engulfed in flames.
Thick black smoke blended into the pitch-black sky, along with the pungent smell, shooting straight into the night sky like an endless abyss, burying her first and most beautiful feelings.
As dawn broke, the fire gradually died down, dark clouds loomed over Bianzhou City, and a light drizzle began to fall.
The wind picked up, extinguishing the last embers of fire clinging to the broken wood and debris.
The inn was completely burned down, leaving only charred ruins on the ground.
The innkeeper and the patrol team were negotiating matters after the fire. People who had escaped from the inn gathered in twos and threes, talking about the sudden fire.
"It scared me to death! Luckily I couldn't sleep last night, so I was able to escape so quickly."
"How could a fire suddenly start? Isn't someone supposed to be on watch at night?"
"I don't know either. I was in the room putting the baby to sleep when I heard a commotion outside. I rushed out to see what was going on, and thankfully, I managed to pick up the baby and run away."
"Before the fire started, I heard a loud crashing sound coming from the east side of the second floor. Did you hear that?"
After the fire was extinguished, people began to walk into the inn, trying to find any surviving items.
Supported by Tao Hong, Lin Wan walked step by step toward the burned-out room. The pungent smell and charred remains filled the air, but she did not see him.
Looking around, all traces of his existence had been burned away without a trace.
Beneath the dark ruins of the wooden table, a faint glimmer of white shines.
Lin Wan squatted down and forcefully moved the broken wooden table aside, revealing a patch of bright white.
It was a jade pendant he always wore at his waist, carved with the character "陆" and decorated with magnolia flower patterns.
Lin Wan carefully picked it up, holding it tremblingly in her hands, her eyes gradually becoming misty: "Since I didn't see him, perhaps he has already been rescued."
Tao Hong saw her tears sliding down her cheeks, wetting the wounds burned by the sparks, the festering blood mingling with the tears, and felt a pang of heartache. She patiently comforted her, "Miss, your facial injury is not important. If the young master's eye disease heals, he will also hope to see your injury heal."
She gripped the jade pendant tightly in her hand, her expression blank for a moment, as if something had left silently.
A note from the author:
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