Chapter 6 Dilemma
Chapter Summary: Life goes by very quickly.
Liu Shiyu shifted her gaze from Xu Luchuan's puzzled face and called out loudly towards the outside of the carriage, "Lian Yue, let's go!"
Lian Yue received the order and drove the carriage slowly forward. Lian Xing followed closely behind on Xu Luchuan's horse.
Inside the carriage, Liu Shiyu leaned against the soft couch, looking utterly bored. She tilted her head and lazily yawned, seemingly preparing to fall asleep again. Xu Luchuan stopped her, saying, "Don't sleep, Liu Shiyu! Untie me."
"No." Liu Shiyu pressed her face against the satin surface of the soft couch as if she were being unreasonable. "I'm afraid you'll retaliate against me for how you were just now. So, I can only ask you to tie me up a little longer."
After Liu Shiyu finished speaking, she closed her eyes tightly.
"Despicable woman." Now that Xu Luchuan had exposed himself to her, he no longer needed to care about rules and decorum, and thus felt quite relaxed. He shifted his body with difficulty. "Get up and untie yourself right now, or you won't get a good night's sleep."
"Xiao Lü, you're so noisy!" Liu Shiyu covered her ears upon seeing this. Xu Luchuan, however, refused to give up and continued to disturb her peaceful dream, "If you think it's noisy, then untie it for me."
Liu Shiyu reluctantly got up and sat cross-legged, then reluctantly opened her eyes to look at the inescapable knot on Xu Luchuan's body. But after looking at it carefully for a long time, she could only manage to utter, "I don't know how to untie this."
Xu Luchuan glanced at Liu Shiyu and asked suspiciously, "Is it that you don't know how, or that you're unwilling?"
"Why would I lie to you!" Liu Shiyu crossed her arms and muttered under her breath, "...No good deed goes unpunished."
Good deeds go unrewarded? Wasn't it all her fault that things have escalated to this point? And now she's the one feeling wronged. Who can she tell her grievances to? Xu Luchuan was about to retort when the carriage suddenly began to jolt violently.
This caused Xu Luchuan, who was already off-balance, to completely lose control and involuntarily fall backward. But falling down wasn't the problem; the problem was that he landed right on Liu Shiyu's crossed legs.
That's good, the two of them won't have to argue anymore.
Xu Luchuan lay awkwardly on Liu Shiyu's lap, unable to move. Liu Shiyu's back was stiff, and she didn't know what to do with her arms that had just relaxed.
The atmosphere inside the carriage instantly plummeted to freezing point.
Xu Luchuan was utterly unable to describe his feelings at that moment. He had never imagined that after eight years of living a law-abiding life in Liyang, meeting Liu Shiyu in just two days would feel like living a lifetime...
After a while, seeing that Xu Luchuan showed no intention of getting up, Liu Shiyu asked in a deep voice, "Xu Luchuan, how long are you planning to lie here? Can you get up first?"
"Get up?" Xu Luchuan sneered. "Liu Shiyu, have you ever considered that it's not that I don't want to get up, but that I simply can't?"
Hearing this, Liu Shiyu realized what was happening and quickly helped Xu Luchuan up, then pushed him away. However, the road was quite rugged, and with Liu Shiyu's push, Xu Luchuan swayed and fell backward before he could regain his balance.
Seeing this, Liu Shiyu frantically stretched out her hands and pushed him away again. This continued repeatedly, Xu Luchuan being pushed around like a roly-poly toy.
"Liu Shiyu!" Xu Luchuan roared suddenly, startling Liu Shiyu, who stopped moving by supporting his back with her palm. "What?"
"Have you made enough of a scene?" Xu Luchuan asked sternly, his words accusing.
Upon hearing this, Liu Shiyu slowly released her grip, lowered her eyes, and said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to push you; I was just afraid you would fall again."
With his back to Liu Shiyu, Xu Luchuan couldn't see her expression, but he could sense her dejection. Realizing he had spoken too harshly, Xu Luchuan replied in a deep voice, "If you don't want me to fall down again, untie this knot quickly."
Liu Shiyu raised his head, reached out and touched the knot that seemed to be in a deadly knot, and immediately said in a loud voice, "Lian Yue, bring in a knife."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a short sword pierced through the bamboo curtain and fell in. Without a word, Liu Shiyu picked up the sword and quickly began to cut the ropes binding Xu Luchuan. The sword was sharp; with a swift stroke, the life-threatening knots were severed.
Xu Luchuan relaxed, loosened his wrists, but his eyes unconsciously looked back.
Liu Shiyu, holding up her short sword, noticed Xu Luchuan looking at her and quickly smiled with narrowed eyes, "No need to thank me, you're welcome."
"Shameless. If it weren't for you, would I have fallen to this state?" Xu Luchuan withdrew his gaze again. "Liu Shiyu, what exactly is the meaning of you kidnapping me? What is the meaning of making me pretend to be your lover and sending me to Guangling? If you don't explain yourself clearly today, I will no longer help you."
Liu Shiyu put down her short sword and was about to explain when the carriage slowly came to a stop. Lian Yue then lifted the bamboo curtain and said, "Your Highness...Miss, we've arrived."
"Understood." Liu Shiyu lowered her eyes slightly, preparing to get up and leave. Seeing that Liu Shiyu didn't answer, Xu Luchuan grabbed her arm. Liu Shiyu turned her head, their eyes meeting. "Don't worry, I'll explain everything clearly. Come with me."
Xu Luchuan stared at the person before him, momentarily lost in thought, and slowly released his grip. He then followed Liu Shiyu down from the carriage.
After getting off the car, Xu Luchuan realized that he was in a quiet mountain bamboo garden, not the bustling city of Guangling. He frowned and said, "This is not Guangling."
“This is Fushan,” Liu Shiyu said, walking towards the bamboo garden.
Xu Luchuan scanned his surroundings, only to find that the black-clad youth who had kidnapped him was nowhere to be seen. Xu Luchuan stood warily in place, staring at Liu Shiyu's departing figure, and tentatively asked, "Why did you bring me here?"
"Why? Why are you here..." Liu Shiyu suddenly stopped and slowly put her hands behind her back. "Young Master Xu, guess why?"
As they spoke, a chilling wind ruffled Xu Luchuan's white brocade robe. The oppressive darkness around him gradually made him uneasy. It seemed he had underestimated her, ultimately deceived by her delicate facade. Her fangs were about to be revealed; it seemed Liu Shiyu was about to…
"Of course it's for dinner!" Liu Shiyu turned around with a smile, the lamplight from the bamboo house behind her casting even shadows on her shoulders. Noticing that something was wrong with Xu Luchuan, she opened her eyes wide and looked at him, "Xiao Lü, what's wrong! You look so pale?"
"Eat?" Xu Luchuan looked at this godforsaken place with utter astonishment. He still couldn't easily believe her nonsense.
Liu Shiyu nodded and walked back to Xu Luchuan's side, replying, "Yes, I heard that there's a particularly delicious roasted meat place in Fushan. So I specially asked Lian Yue to come and try it. It seems that this place also offers accommodation. It's only about ten miles from here to Guangling, so let's rest here for today."
People would go out of their way just to eat roasted pork.
Xu Luchuan did seem like the kind of person Princess Yuanzhang would do, but things were different now; she was now the renowned Princess Protector of the Nation. Liu Shiyu's imposing demeanor from yesterday was still vivid in his mind, but her carefree and easygoing manner today was completely different.
Staring at the person in front of him, Xu Luchuan couldn't tell the difference between the real and the fake for a moment.
Seeing Xu Luchuan dawdling, Liu Shiyu reached out and tugged at his sleeve, pulling him forward. "Xiao Lü, hurry up. You've been running around all day, aren't you hungry? I'm starving. Didn't you want me to explain? Let's eat and talk, talk and eat..."
"Let go, I can walk by myself." Xu Luchuan shook off Liu Shiyu and then added, "Also, don't call me Xiao Lü anymore."
"Why not? We've always called you that before," Liu Shiyu asked, puzzled. Xu Luchuan, however, had a way to deal with her: "If you keep calling me that, I'll start calling you Princess Longevity Peach from now on."
Upon hearing the nickname "Princess Longevity Peach," Liu Shiyu immediately composed himself and said, "Yes, Young Master Xu."
Xu Luchuan, smelling the aroma of meat wafting from the bamboo garden, flicked his sleeves and walked away; he was actually starving himself. Liu Shiyu, seeing this, followed after him.
The two entered the bamboo garden one after the other.
Upon seeing the two distinguished guests enter, the manager of Zhuyuan Inn hurriedly stepped forward and respectfully asked, "Gentlemen, would you like a meal or a room?"
"To grab a bite." "To stay at an inn."
Xu Luchuan and Liu Shiyu spoke almost in unison, but each said something different, leaving the shopkeeper in a dilemma.
"Are you two here for a meal or to stay overnight?"
Xu Luchuan wanted to answer, but Liu Shiyu blocked him from behind. She quickly spoke up, "Manager, could you please give us a large, soft, superior room? We'll put our things down and then come out for a bite to eat."
Upon hearing this, Xu Luchuan stared at Liu Shiyu in disbelief. What was this woman planning to do? A superior room? A large and soft bed? Could it be that she lured me here to…
"Alright, please wait a moment." The shopkeeper nodded and left.
When Liu Shiyu turned around again, she found Xu Luchuan standing there, pale-faced and stunned. She couldn't help but ask, "Xiao Lü, you look so pale... are you really alright?"
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