Chapter 13 Cousin Wutongyu, you'd better not keep testing me...
The wind outside the cave made the flames flicker erratically.
His straightforward admission surprised Cui Yiluo, but a moment later she smiled, her cheeks as pink as peaches, as if she were shy: "I only ever took shelter from the rain in the cave with my cousin."
Jiang Yunjin was taken aback: "You didn't take shelter from the rain with anyone else before?"
Cui Yiluo's eyes sparkled in the dim light, looking incredibly sincere: "No, this is the first time I've done this with you, cousin."
Jiang Yunjin looked at her face through the clusters of flames, remaining silent as usual, his eyes gradually darkening.
He's unhappy again. Cui Yiluo suppressed her smugness and skillfully gave him a sweet and standard smile.
Did you only shelter from the rain with him? Of course not.
When she was twelve, she and a boy once took shelter from the rain in a cave.
Cui Yiluo wouldn't tell anyone, because it was the most miserable and wretched day of her life, even if telling it might garner sympathy.
Besides, it was dark then, and the place was in the middle of nowhere, unlike today where there were dry branches in the cave and no flint. Neither she nor the boy could see each other's faces clearly until the end, and even if they were face to face today, the boy wouldn't recognize her.
No one will know about this.
A few raindrops were carried into the cave by the wind, and for a moment Cui Yiluo felt as if she had drifted back to the rain curtain of that day.
In the height of spring, when the forsythia is in full bloom, the mountains and fields are covered in a pale yellow hue.
While on a spring outing, her younger brother deliberately trampled on the flower wreath she had made, so she had to go to a nearby place and pick another forsythia.
When they returned, the place was deserted.
The reason her stepmother, Yao, abandoned her in the mountains was because Cui Yiluo secretly gave money to the guqin master, begging him to teach her properly. The guqin master, following his stepmother's instructions, only pretended to teach for show and didn't actually impart any real skills. But seeing how pitiful Cui Yiluo was, and having given her a sum of savings, he finally agreed.
That day, she was lost in the dimly lit mountains, surrounded by howling wolves and torrential rain. As she struggled to move forward, she discovered a cave and encountered the boy who was also taking shelter from the rain inside.
He taught her a lot. He told her that Yao didn't actually want her to die. Losing her limbs, being kidnapped, or even just suffering a little hardship would have given her a chance to vent her anger. Her father's indifference towards her only emboldened Yao, revealing his cold-hearted and cowardly nature.
Once she returns, all she needs to do is make a big fuss about it, and Yao will surely compromise for the sake of her reputation built up over the years. She can also use this opportunity to get back the few shops under her deceased mother's name.
Those shops later became the main source of Cui Yiluo's wealth.
Although she helped him out, they were both deeply mired in their own problems. He had lost all will to live and had planned to find a wide-open, open place to die.
As night fell, he escorted her to the foot of the mountain. She made sure he wouldn't commit suicide before leaving, never getting a clear look at his face.
She gave him only the forsythia flowers that were tucked in her hair and had been soaked by the rain.
Forsythia symbolizes hope, new life, and resilience; it represents life that blooms freely even after enduring the harsh winter.
Despite what she had gone through, she didn't want to see that boy again. They knew each other's secrets and were not suited to meet again.
The faint crackling sound of burning dry branches was exceptionally clear in the quiet cave, pulling Cui Yiluo back to her senses.
The man opposite him remained silent, the flame flickering in his half-closed dark eyes. His thin eyelids concealed his emotions, making them impossible to discern.
Even sitting on a rock, the young man, raised in a noble family, maintained an upright posture. Yet, for a moment, Cui Yiluo inexplicably sensed a touch of loneliness and loss.
Recalling the past, Cui Yiluo's heart became heavy, and she lost the mood to tease him any further.
The cave fell silent again, with only the sound of the wind outside.
Cui Yiluo's half-wet riding clothes had been partially dried by the blazing fire. She walked to the cave entrance and saw that the rain outside had subsided, with only drizzle remaining in the air.
"Cousin, we can go now."
Jiang Yunjin glanced outside the cave, hummed in agreement, and stood up.
On the way down the mountain, Jiang Yunjin was absent-minded and almost stepped into a pothole. Cui Yiluo secretly glanced at him a few more times.
No wonder he's been in a daze until now. He's always been a gentleman, and before he only injured the thieves to repel them, but today he killed them with a single blow.
Because of a sudden realization, he unusually allowed her to wipe his face, but once he regained his senses, he still wished he could stay at least three feet away from her.
It was completely dark, but by the light of the bright moon, Cui Yiluo could see that the place ahead was where they had tied up their horses, as the rugged mountain path wound downwards.
She quickened her pace involuntarily, and suddenly her arm tightened around her.
Jiang Yunjin pulled her into the bushes nearby.
He moved so quickly that she was pulled down to a squatting position before she could react. She stumbled and bumped straight into the man's arms. She instinctively straightened her body to maintain her balance, then suddenly relaxed and fell down, turning her face slightly with the momentum.
Her soft, crimson lips brushed lightly against the man's cold, resolute profile, the touch fleeting.
A sudden disturbance occurred in the tranquil forest, causing the hand supporting her to pause for several breaths before regaining its senses, supporting her body, and helping her to squat down steadily.
The green grass was wet with rainwater. Although they moved gently, a few drops of rain still fell, rolling down the woman's snow-white neck and into the depths of her clothes. Cui Yiluo couldn't help but tremble. The strong hand supporting her waist immediately tightened its grip on her slender waist as if she had been electrocuted, but quickly withdrew it in the next instant.
Cui Yiluo innocently raised her eyelashes slightly. The man in front of her appeared even more refined and elegant under the cool moonlight, but his slightly disordered aura shattered this facade.
She mouthed, "I'm so sorry, cousin."
Seemingly furious, Jiang Yunjin lowered his narrow eyes, refusing to look at her, and pursed his thin lips into a sharp line, ignoring her completely.
A kiss, and he gets this angry. He was clearly different now than when she wiped his face; he seemed to have calmed down, but his extremely angry expression was still amusing.
Just as she was about to press her advantage, he seemed to hear her thoughts, and silently uttered two words: "Someone's here."
Just as she finished speaking, the sound of light hooves came from outside the bushes. It sounded like there were about ten people who stopped outside the bushes where Cui Yiluo and the other person were squatting.
Cui Yiluo immediately held her breath.
Immediately afterwards, a chilling male voice rang out: "Have you killed everyone?"
Like a black, venomous snake, it slowly crawled up my back from my ankle.
Cui Yiluo turned her head slightly, trying to peek out through the small gap, but her view was almost completely blocked by the grass.
Unlike the palace, where there are people specifically to trim the trees, the forests in Yueshan are overgrown with grass, growing tall and dense. Although outsiders cannot see Cui Yiluo and her companion, Cui Yiluo cannot see outside either.
Voices continued to ring out from outside the bushes: "Reporting to the commander, apart from those who are still useful, all the others who were incompetent have been dealt with, and their eyeballs have been removed and prepared for the Red Slaves."
"Where is he? We've lost him?"
The subordinate's voice was as uneasy as a rusty millstone: "I...I just saw her and Lord Jiang heading this way, but for some reason I only saw their horses..."
"Since your eyeballs are useless, you might as well feed them to the Red Slave."
The man's voice was neither loud nor soft, as if he were just talking about something mundane, yet it sent chills down one's spine.
With a loud thud, the subordinate kowtowed repeatedly, pleading, "Please, Commander, give me another chance."
"You're not asking for me, but for Your Highness."
The subordinate's voice trembled even more violently, as if his whole body was shaking, "Commander, His Highness... please, Commander, save me..."
The man addressed as the commander paused for a moment, as if he had noticed something.
Hiding in the bushes, Cui Yiluo's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly gave Jiang Yunjin a look.
The pale moonlight shone on the grass behind them, completely obscuring Jiang Yunjin's face in shadow. His handsome profile cast an even deeper shadow on half of his face, giving her a reassuring look.
Cui Yiluo was slightly taken aback. There were more than a dozen assassins outside, yet she could remain so calm and composed. No wonder she was able to rise to the position of Grand Secretary at such a young age.
She was racking her brains when the other person's voice suddenly rang out:
"There's a cave over there. The horse is here, so the people can't have gone far. Come with me to search!"
"yes!"
The sound of horses' hooves hurried by.
Only after the sound of horses' hooves had completely faded away did Cui Yiluo and the other woman stand up from the bushes.
Seeing Jiang Yunjin's sullen face, clearly still bothered by her kissing him earlier, Cui Yilu blinked, her expression innocent: "Cousin, I didn't mean to kiss you just now, don't be angry."
Jiang Yunjin's handsome face turned cold. "Not on purpose?"
Cui Yiluo replied sincerely, "Of course not."
Her stunningly beautiful face wore an innocent and pure expression, making it hard for anyone not to feel soft-hearted. But Jiang Yunjin's dark eyes remained deep and unwavering, like a rock that could not be breached.
Under his oppressive gaze, Cui Yiluo looked back calmly, then her eyes widened slightly as if she had discovered something. Biting her lip, she hesitated and said, "Cousin, you have some of my lipstick on your face. Should I wipe it off for you? It wouldn't be good if someone saw it and misunderstood that there was something between you and me."
She was about to raise her hand to touch his face when he nimbly dodged her touch.
His gaze darkened completely, gathering countless shadows.
"I've told you many times, you shouldn't do this anymore."
His voice was low and menacing, and a subtle pressure emanated from him.
Cui Yiluo seemed oblivious, tilting her head back to ask, "Why would you think I kissed you intentionally, cousin?"
Jiang Yunjin paused for a moment, then his brows furrowed tightly.
Perhaps he hadn't expected her to be so direct, making it seem as if he was just being presumptuous.
She pressed, "Cousin?"
His dark, sword-like eyebrows furrowed, and he looked at her with a sharp gaze.
"Cousin, you'd better not keep testing my limits."
Once this is over, he shouldn't have any further entanglements with her, not even the slightest.
He walked past her and strode away.
He easily found the spot she had just kissed and gently stroked it, the faint red color instantly turning onto his fingertips.
The sharp wind he stirred up lifted Cui Yiluo's hair, which gently brushed against her butterfly-like eyelashes before falling softly back down.
When pushed to the limit, Cui Yiluo chuckled silently, as if she had finally lost her temper. Her beautiful eyes, reflecting the stars in the dim moonlight, revealed a hint of sharpness.
But cousin, whether it's right or wrong isn't up to you to decide.
A word from the author:
A Luo: Cousin, I didn't mean to [poor face] (inner monologue: You'll do it again next time)
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