He picked her up and laid her on his chest, his hands pounding her back hard. Lightning flashed like a dragon, thunder roared continuously above the head, and it was pitch black all around, with only bright white lights flashing continuously, illuminating everything between the sky and the earth with a pale white glow.
"Wake up, wake up, wake up!"
“Ahem…”
A slight cough suddenly sounded, but Zhuge Yue was shocked and grabbed Chu Qiao's shoulders to straighten her up. He stared at her closely and asked repeatedly, "Are you awake? Are you awake?"
Chu Qiao's cough was very light at first, but gradually it became more intense, and dark muddy water overflowed from her mouth and nose. Her cheeks were red, and she leaned against Zhuge Yue's arms, unable to speak, and could only cough one after another.
Even the sound of a cough sounded like heavenly music at this moment. The cold wind was like a knife, the rain was pouring down, and Zhuge Yue's strength was almost completely drained away in an instant. On this night when he was close to death, he suddenly didn't want to hide anything against his own will. He crossed his arms and hugged the woman tightly in his arms in the open wilderness.
"Your...family will...deal with you." A faint voice sounded in his arms. The voice was so small that it was blown to pieces by the wind in the wilderness in an instant. "Daxia...Zhao Yang...Zhao Che, none of them will let you go."
The rain was still falling, washing away the blood and mud on their bodies. A flash of lightning flashed overhead, allowing them to see each other's pale cheek more clearly.
"You will die! You know that you will die?" Chu Qiao's voice was hoarse and choked with sobs. Along the way, she knew he wanted to protect her, but now he was openly fighting with Zhao Yang's men. Didn't he know what consequences were waiting for him? "Who do you think you are?" She gritted her teeth and glared at him fiercely. "You killed my family and harmed me and Yan Xun. I wish I could kill you with a knife. The hatred between you and me is as deep as the sea and we cannot reconcile. Why did you save me?"
Zhuge Yue did not say anything, but just looked at her quietly. Chu Qiao's entanglement finally collapsed completely in the face of such a calm look. She had fought hard all the way and had been in danger of life and death several times. Now, on this rainy night, the high wall in her heart finally couldn't bear the weight and was broken by the conflicting emotions.
“Zhuge Yue, I owe you so much, what do you want me to do?” She closed her red and swollen eyes and let the tears flow down.
The ancient road is straight, straight from the way it came and then straight to the way it goes. It rains heavily, lightning flashes like dragons, and the night is as bright as day.
The fierce fighting lasted for nearly an hour on the busiest street in Amber County that day, but no soldiers showed up. This was enough to show who the mastermind behind the assassination was. Zhao Yang was different from the others. He had been bullied in the palace since he was young, which made him a cruel and ruthless person. He even dared to kill Zhuge Yue. With no other options, Zhuge Yue had to sneak around with the seriously injured Chu Qiao without contacting Yue Qi and the others.
That day, they joined a caravan heading to Tangjing, paid some silver, and asked to travel with the caravan as ordinary people.
After closing the door, Zhuge Yue said to Chu Qiao, “I heard that the owner of this caravan is named Liu Xi. Do you know this person?”
Chu Qiao frowned slightly and said in a deep voice: "I think we have met once."
"Let's go now." Zhuge Yue said decisively.
"Wait a minute!" Chu Qiao shouted hurriedly, "I only met him once from a distance. I didn't even see his face clearly, and we never spoke to each other. And it was many years ago."
Zhuge Yue frowned tightly. Chu Qiao naturally knew what he was worried about and said, "People outside will just treat us as ordinary people who are infected with the disease. We won't have the opportunity to see guests at all. As long as I am careful, nothing will happen."
"He is Liu Mingjun's nephew?"
"right."
Zhuge Yue pondered for a while, then slowly said, "The Liu family is considered a wealthy family in Xianyang. When I entered Xianyang City that day, I wondered if he was in the welcoming team."
Chu Qiao frowned slightly when she heard this. Zhuge Yue said, "Be careful. I will go to the market to buy a horse tomorrow morning, and then we will drive to Tangjing by ourselves."
Chu Qiao nodded. Her position at the moment was rather awkward. Liu Xi was Liu Mingjun's nephew, which made him a member of the Datong Guild. Since he was one of their own, if she recognized them, they would naturally settle her down and arrange for her to retreat back to Yanbei. But Zhuge Yue has no guards around him right now. If Liu Xi has evil intentions...
“You take a rest first,” Zhuge Yue said after putting Chu Qiao on the bed, “I’ll ask the waiter to prepare a few dishes. What do you want to eat?”
Chu Qiao shook her head and said, "Whatever."
Zhuge Yue turned around and said as he walked, “There is no other way. What can we eat in this shabby place?”
Chu Qiao was a little dazed as she watched the man disappear at the door. Then she pulled the corners of her mouth together and forced a weak smile.
With the power of the Zhuge family, I'm afraid that their family's contact locations and personnel are everywhere in the entire Simon Continent. As one of the families that control the lifeline of the empire, they definitely have more than just the political power that can be seen by the eyes.
How many of the hidden secrets in this world are controlled by the Zhuge family? How much is in the hands of the Wei clan? How many belong to the Zhao family of Daxia? Belongs to the Bian Tang Li family? Belongs to Huaisong Nalan? No one can clearly define it.
Chu Qiao knew that behind every aristocratic family there was a history of centuries of family struggle. Even if Zhao Zhengde had wiped out the Muhe family with great force, could it be certain that the Muhe family’s century-old business would be wiped out in the territory of Daxia?
The power of the Zhuge family is by no means inferior to that of Yan Xun on the Yanbei Plateau, and as an orthodox family of the empire, they have a political status that Yanbei cannot reach.
Hidden behind the tens of thousands of family soldiers are the family members who have been subtly planted in the empire by this aristocratic family over the years, the officials of all ranks in the Ministry of Personnel who are densely packed with the surname Zhuge, the roads built by money, the hearts of the people bought by power, the forces bound by interests, and the groups that have control over the leverage.
Yanbei openly rebelled, so all of Yanbei stood on the opposite side of the empire. But one can imagine, if one day, the Zhuge family rebelled, if they were given time to plan, if they were allowed to prepare like Yan Bei and raise the banner of rebellion, then what a devastating disaster the Zhao family would face!
Therefore, with the power of the Zhuge Family and Zhuge Yue’s position in the family, no matter where he was, as long as he raised his arm and called out, a large number of the family’s children and confidants would be gathered in an instant. But Zhuge Yue obviously had no such intention. He simply carefully concealed his identity along the way and personally took care of her food and daily life, but he never notified his family or waited for the actions of his subordinates.
Perhaps, he was afraid that the person who came was not his direct descendant and would reveal Chu Qiao's identity, which would then be used by the family's opponents to make a big fuss.
Chu Qiao sneered coldly, mocking her own Tai Chi Push Hands-style self-deception. She knew very well what the reason was for everything that happened, but she was unwilling to admit it or face it. So, she closed her eyes to escape, quietly waiting for time to pass.
Maybe, he just wanted to be with me in a relatively peaceful environment. He was not the young master of the Zhuge family, and I didn't have to stand behind Yan Xun. They are just ordinary people in this world, with no confrontation, no hatred, no irreconcilable contradictions, and no responsibilities that are so realistic that they cannot be avoided.
Such an opportunity may only come once in their lifetime.
Chu Qiao slowly closed her eyes, hoping to fall asleep quickly. Some things were too dangerous to think about. She understood everything, but could not respond.
They all have their own paths to take in this world. From the very beginning, they have been standing at two starting points. Over the past eight years, they have gone further and further away from each other. As a person, you should be calm and rational.
Chu Qiao felt weak all over and fell asleep after a while. Before going to sleep, she laughed at herself. Why bother thinking so much? At least for now, she still couldn't draw a clear line between them.
When Zhuge Yue came back, Chu Qiao had already fallen into a deep sleep. The air was filled with her shallow breathing and the faint fragrance of a girl's home. Zhuge Yue was carrying a large tray with a pile of dishes and a pot of wine.
He set the table, sat down, and poured a glass of wine.
The shop is not big, but the dishes are delicious. Even with the lid closed, there is still a rich aroma wafting out and into your nose. The wine is mellow, clear and transparent with a strong aroma. After taking a sip, my whole body warms up.
The setting sun was fiery red, casting its light in, illuminating his body and casting a long silhouette on the ground.
He just sat there, drinking slowly. The sun gradually set, the lights on the street came on, and people came and went, making the street very lively. Then after a while, the market finally dispersed and the whole city became quiet. Under the pitch-black sky, everyone fell asleep except him. He didn't turn on the light, didn't speak, and sat quietly in the darkness like a sculpture, with only his arms moving back and forth between the wine jug and the wine glass.
Chu Qiao woke up in the middle of the night, and her head felt as painful as if it was hit by thousands of hammers at once. She wanted to drink some water in her sleepy state, but noticed the shadow in the darkness.
Her first reaction was to touch the dagger on her calf. Even in such a weak state, she still jumped up instantly like an agile leopard.
However, she quickly came to her senses, put down the dagger in a daze, looked at the man in the darkness, and asked in confusion: "Zhuge Yue?"
"Yeah." She was answered with a light nasal voice. The man seemed to have drunk a lot of wine, and the room was full of alcohol. "Would you like some water?"
Chu Qiao nodded, but suddenly remembered that he couldn't see her nodding. Just as she was about to speak, a glass of water was handed to her mouth.
She took it and it felt warm to the touch, even a little hot. The cup was small, but Chu Qiao held it with both hands. After taking a sip, she licked her dry lips. Her voice was hoarse from just waking up, and she whispered, "Why don't you light the lamp?"
The room was so quiet that one could even hear the gurgling sound of the liquor rolling over the man's Adam's apple. After a long time, a faint voice slowly rang out, "It's good to keep it black."
Chu Qiao asked seriously, "Zhuge Yue, when will you be willing to call me Chu Qiao?"
The man snorted coldly: "You are dreaming."
"You are too paranoid." Chu Qiao suddenly laughed at herself and said, "Actually, I am the same as you. I am also very paranoid. So once I make up my mind, I will not change it."
Zhuge Yue did not speak. Chu Qiao seemed to be in a good mood tonight. She continued in a very light voice, "In fact, you are not a bad person. Although you are a little lonely, cruel, and lack sympathy, and, well, you are annoying when you have a gloomy face, that's all. But who in this world is not cruel? Who has not had blood on their hands? This is how the world is. If you don't eat others, others will eat you. Until now, I still remember... I can’t remember how many lives I have taken. Zhuge Yue, do you remember clearly? ” As soon as the words fell, Chu Qiao asked herself and answered, “You should know the number. You are a superior person. The people you killed with your own hands are nothing more than some servants who offended you. But I can’t remember clearly. In the past six months, more people have died in my hands than the people who have spoken to me in my life. Every time I raised my knife and fell, it was a head. The blood in their chests was always boiling hot, spraying on my face, as hot as burning coals.