Chapter 120 [VIP] Lifesaver (7)
Jin Lili turned around and walked out of the tent. He originally just wanted to go out for some fresh air, but he didn't expect to walk farther and farther.
It was so far away that we couldn't even hear any movement near the tent. All around us was endless darkness and silence, and only the occasional sounds of crickets and katydids chirping in the grass.
Maybe it was because of what Nan Yan said in her drunken dream, but Jin Lili felt confused and complicated for a moment. He even thought that maybe it would be nice to let go of his obsession and just live with Nan Yan.
Maybe the girl who saved him had already married, and she didn't come to see him just because she was afraid that he would disturb her, or maybe she didn't care about him at all, otherwise it would be impossible for her to be unwilling to see him for so long. Although she thought so in her mind, she felt a little unwilling in her heart...
He doesn't know what's wrong with him?
Just as Jin Lili was hesitating and struggling, a cool breeze suddenly blew around him, and the sound of someone's footsteps came from the grass. The sound was very light, but he still heard it.
Jin Lili frowned and was about to ask who the man was and why he was following him stealthily, but before he could say anything, there was a "whoosh" sound in the darkness, and a sharp arrow suddenly flew towards the direction where he was standing.
With the force of breaking through the air and carrying a fierce murderous intent.
Jin Li reacted quickly and turned around to dodge. Seeing that his attack missed, four or five assassins lurking in the dark immediately revealed their weapons and surrounded him with murderous intent.
Jin Li narrowed his eyes, his eyes were slightly cold, but his facial expression did not change. He stared coldly at the group of people around him, "Who are you? The emperor is out hunting, and you dare to come and assassinate him. Are you planning a rebellion?"
Several assassins were stunned when they heard this, obviously they didn't expect that they would be inexplicitly accused of treason in such a short time. They still understood the difference between assassinating a court minister and assassinating the current emperor, and they only killed the corrupt official in front of them at the request of their master.
The leading assassin saw everyone pause, and immediately swung his sword and shouted coldly, "You dog official, stop talking nonsense. We are here to eliminate harm for the people and to take your life!"
Without saying much, he started to attack Jin Xinli again. Several people beside him rushed forward at the same time. Jin Xinli frowned slightly and subconsciously took out a soft sword from his waist. The autumn hunting trip was full of dangers. How could he be completely unprepared? After all, there were too many people who wanted to kill him. But he didn't expect that there were people who dared to assassinate him even near the tent.
I don't know if this group of people went to the camp first, or followed him here directly. If they went to the camp first, then Yanyan...
Jin Yingli's eyes suddenly became dark and gloomy, and murderous intent flashed in his eyes. However, no matter how good his martial arts were, he could not defeat these four or five carefully trained assassins attacking at the same time. His arm was accidentally cut by the knife, and the blood instantly dyed his clothes red.
Jin Xinli rolled on the ground to avoid the attack on his chest, but just as he was concentrating on dealing with the assassin in front of him, a hidden weapon was shot out from behind him. Jin Xinli was not aware of it and thought he would be seriously injured today. Even if he didn't die, he would at least lose a layer of skin. However, he didn't expect that at this moment, a woman suddenly rushed out from behind him and blocked it for him without hesitation.
"careful!"
Jin Shili was thrown to the ground unexpectedly. He subconsciously hugged the woman in his arms. His eyes fell on a familiar face. He suddenly recognized that the woman was Li Nanyan's half-sister Li Qingrou. But he couldn't understand why she was so desperate to save him?
The assassin who was originally chasing saw that people were already rushing over, and he couldn't kill the official immediately. In order to avoid revealing his identity, he had to leave quickly.
Jin Li, who was standing by, was still a little dazed. The sticky wetness on his palms made him realize that the woman in his arms was badly injured. He almost subconsciously called her a few times.
"Wake up..."
Li Qingrou's face was pale with pain, and she wished she could lose consciousness, but the pain in her back made it difficult for her to faint. Her eyes fell on the ferocious man in front of her, and a miserable smile suddenly appeared on the corner of her mouth, "Why do you always look so ferocious every time I see you?"
These words shocked Jin Lili. For a moment, he didn't understand why she would say such a thing.
It was obvious that they had never had any contact, and he was sure that there was nothing wrong with his memory. When he went to the Li Mansion before, he was very polite to her half-sister because of Li Nanyan, but why would she say such things now?
Jin Lili's fingers were trembled slightly, and he suddenly felt a palpitation in his heart, as if something was struggling to break out of the mist, and he subconsciously grabbed Li Qingrou's shoulders.
"What did you say? Why do you say that? What do you know?"
When Li Qingrou heard what he said, she felt the mist in her eyes getting heavier. She looked up at him, tears rolling down her cheeks without her knowing when, and she couldn't stop feeling disappointed. "It turns out you had forgotten me a long time ago."
She shook her head, her voice becoming weak. "Forget it. It's good to forget it. Then I won't have any extravagant hopes. After all, saving your life on the farm was just a piece of cake. It's not a big deal at all."
When Jin Lili heard her words and looked at the pale face in his arms, he seemed to understand everything at that moment.
His chest was trembling slightly and his heart was beating like a drum. He didn't know whether he was nervous or excited. He just felt that his emotions were confused and he didn't know what to say.
Only the strength of the person in my arms kept tightening, as if I had finally found my most important treasure.
It was her, it was her! But why, why didn't she keep the jade pendant?
Jin Lili held her hand tightly. He was excited and happy at the moment. He asked subconsciously, "It's you! It's you, right? The girl who saved me, took care of me, bandaged my wounds, and secretly brought me food in the woodshed that night was you, right?"
"But why, why didn't you keep the jade pendant I left for you? I have been looking for you, hoping to find you through the jade pendant!"
Li Qingrou suddenly stared at him blankly, with obvious confusion in her wet eyes, "What jade pendant? I have never received a jade pendant from you."
Jin Lili's expression paused for a moment. He looked down at the person in his arms, and seeing the confused and hypocritical look on her face, he suddenly asked, "Don't you know that I left you a jade pendant?"
Li Qingrou shook her head in certainty, her eyes blank.
Jin Lili looked at her like this, and for some reason, his chest suddenly felt oppressive and blocked. "The arrow wound on my body was too serious at the time, and the wound was too deeply poisoned, causing temporary blindness in my eyes. Later, the guards came in advance, and for safety reasons, I had to go back to detoxify and heal my wounds."
"Before I left, I was worried that you would be anxious and sad if you didn't see me when you came back, so I left a jade pendant in the haystack. I will come back to find you after your injury heals."
Jin Li squeezed her palm tightly and looked at her with burning eyes, "Do you really have no impression at all?"
"Later, I saw the jade pendant on Li Nanyan. At first, I thought she was my savior, so I took extra care of her. But after we got engaged, I found out that she wasn't my savior. I always thought you gave her the jade pendant. Why didn't you know about this?"
He described what happened afterwards in great detail from beginning to end, hoping to see a look of understanding in her eyes, but unfortunately, she was kept in the dark from beginning to end.
Li Qingrou tried hard to recall what happened that day. The more she thought about it, the more she felt wronged. Tears welled up in her eyes. She finally shook her head helplessly, "I didn't receive any jade pendant."
"On the day you left, my elder sister's maid secretly told me that I was meeting a man in the woodshed. I really had no choice but to ask the maid to inform you to leave early, but I didn't expect that the maid was intercepted on the way! Later, Li Nanyan heard the maid's complaint and rushed into the woodshed with a group of servants in anger. They searched the woodshed randomly, but did not find any man. I don't know what happened after that..."
At this point, she felt a little down, as if she was sad that neither of them had said goodbye, and at the same time, she felt an uncontrollable sense of disappointment.
"When the storm had passed, I went to the woodshed to secretly visit you again. But the place was empty and there was nothing left."
"That's when I realized that you must have left early." Li Qingrou looked up at him and spoke slowly, "If you really left behind a jade pendant as a token, it was probably taken away by Li Nanyan during the search."
As she said this, her tone could hardly conceal her resentment towards her eldest sister. Since ancient times, the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children had been clear, and no matter in terms of status or anything else, as long as she was in the Li Mansion, Li Nanyan would always be superior to her. No matter what she did, she could never compare to Li Nanyan, that stupid young lady who only had looks but no brains.
She had teased her and made her look foolish in front of others, but that was because she was not smart enough. When provoked, she would become closer to others than to her own sisters. It was only natural for her to teach her a lesson.
Besides, what she did were just minor things that only brought some bad reputation to her, and she never hurt her in any real sense.
But what about her! She really didn't understand why, why did someone even want to snatch that jade pendant from her?
She obviously already has everything, why did someone take away the only thing that originally belonged to her without a word?
Jin Xinli finally understood now that everything was connected. The Li Qingrou in front of him was the girl who saved him. It was only her from beginning to end.
But why?
He felt as if his chest was blocked by something, and the pain was so severe that he couldn't help but ask, "Why, why didn't you come to me? Since you knew that I was the one you saved, why didn't you tell me when I visited the Li Mansion later?"
Li Qingrou raised her eyes and looked at the man in front of her. There was a hint of tenderness in her eyes, but she didn't see deep into them. She asked softly, "I'll tell you...what happens next?"
"I was willing to save you at the time, but I didn't want to see someone who was trying to survive die like this. I saved your life without ever thinking of getting anything from you. As long as you can survive, I have done a good deed. What's more, it was just a piece of cake at the time."
She leaned her cheek gently on Jin Lili's chest and listened to the dull sound from his heart, "I'm not a person who repays favors. Besides, you and Li Nanyan were already together at that time, how could I go up to disturb you again..."
Jin Lili's chest trembled slightly. For a moment, her face seemed to overlap with the one he had always imagined in his mind. The woman who saved him in the darkness should be as gentle and quiet as her.
But when he heard her mention Nan Yan later, Jin Linli's breathing suddenly stopped for a moment, and Nan Yan's face immediately appeared in his mind.
The look on her face when she was playful, the look on her face when she came to him for help after being pecked by a goose, the look on her face when she was fighting with the snow lion in the Jin Mansion, and the look on her face when she was drunk and slept obediently in his arms...there were many more.
There were countless memories. Whenever he thought of her, his heart would feel indescribably soft, and the corners of his mouth would subconsciously curl into a slight arc.
It was at this moment that Li Qingrou saw the tenderness that flashed across his face, which made her more certain that the man in front of her was not completely devoid of affection for her elder sister Li Nanyue.
Tears immediately filled her eyes, and she struggled to get out of his arms, "Master Jin, please let me go. This is the best outcome for us now. You and Li Nanyan are already engaged, and the person you like now is also her. There is no need to hold on to the life-saving grace in the past."
"I came to you just to make things clear. From now on, let's pretend we don't know each other. Otherwise, your fiancée will be unhappy again, Master Jin..."
Jin Linli, who was still hesitating, suddenly came to his senses after hearing these words. He looked at Li Qingrou in front of him, memories kept turning over in his mind, and his thoughts became more and more confused, especially when he saw the tear overflowing from her eyes. Jin Linli felt his heart suddenly throbbing, and his hand subconsciously grabbed her wrist.
How can I pretend I don't know you? How can I do that?
He had been looking for her for so long. She was the woman he had fallen in love with from the very beginning. He had always liked the woman who silently took care of him in the dark. If it weren't for that misunderstanding, they would have been together a long time ago.
How can we act as if nothing happened?
It would have been fine if he hadn't looked for her before, but now he has found her, and this is the second time she has saved him. How could he let go willingly?
He was unwilling to accept this. The person who had moved him from the beginning to the end was only her, the woman in front of him.
He still remembers the feeling of helplessness and panic in the dark, the feeling of despair. It was she who stayed by his side, treated his wounds, and accompanied him through the lonely scene. It was not Li Nanyan! Not that fake one.
Not even the woman who had been deceiving him from the beginning!
He should like the woman in front of him, from the beginning it was her, Jin Lili repeated it several times in his heart, not knowing whether it was the most real thought in his heart, or he was trying to convince himself? He grabbed Li Qingrou's wrist tightly and said anxiously, "The person I like from beginning to end is only you. I always thought that Li Nanyan was my savior, so I took extra care of her, and that's why I came to propose marriage later, but from beginning to end, the only person I have ever been moved by is the girl in the woodshed who silently took care of me."
Jin Li stared at the person in front of him with burning eyes, holding her shoulders tightly with both hands.
"I won't give up on you. I've made up my mind. After the Autumn Hunt is over, I will go to the Li Mansion to break off the engagement. The person I want to marry has always been you. Are you willing to give me this chance?"
After Jin Lili finished speaking, the struggle of the person in his arms finally stopped. For a moment, she thought there was something wrong with her hearing and looked at him in disbelief.
"Is what you said... true?"
Her eyes were sparkling with tears, and her eyes were dazed. Suddenly, tears slid down her face silently, "Have you really, from the beginning to the end, the person you have liked... all along has been me?"
Jin Li's chest choked for a moment, and his eyes fell on the expectant face of the man in front of him.
In just a moment, Jin Lili felt as if his heart was pricked by something, very subtle and dense. But before he could figure out what it was, Li Qingrou in front of him fell into a coma because she could not bear the pain from the wound.
"Li Qingrou..."
Jin Li called her name subconsciously.
"Wake up?" He reached out and pinched her philtrum again, but the person in his arms still did not respond.
Jin Linli was really anxious now, and hurriedly picked up the unconscious Li Qingrou. His mood at the moment was really confused and complicated, and he was completely unable to think deeply about the suffocating and uncomfortable feeling that suddenly appeared in his heart.
He carried the man directly to his tent.
…
Jin Xinli carried Li Qingrou all the way back to the camp. Fortunately, it was dark by then and no one saw them. However, when the servants in the camp saw Jin Xinli covered in blood, their faces suddenly changed. "Sir, you are injured."
Jin Lili carried the person directly into the inner tent next to him, and said anxiously as he walked, "I am fine, Jin Wu, there is no accident in the tent, right?"
In fact, as early as when Jin Lili came in, he found that the tent was heavily guarded. Nothing should have happened, otherwise it would not be so quiet. But he was still a little nervous and couldn't help asking one more question.
Jin Wu knew that his master was probably asking about the safety of Miss Li, so he quickly replied, "Miss Li's tent has always been guarded by a maid, and other places are also watched by guards. There is nothing unusual for the time being."
Jin Lili finally relaxed, and then he remembered something, and quickly instructed the people around him, "Okay, don't make my assassination a public matter for the time being, and immediately have the Imperial Guards send more people around the palace to ensure His Majesty's safety!"
"Also, the emperor is stubborn and hunting is in full swing right now. We must not let this matter disturb the emperor's interest. Otherwise, if the emperor gets angry, everyone in the palace will be held accountable. Do you remember?"
The guards around him all responded in unison, "Yes"
After Jin Lili gave these instructions, he quickly shouted to Jin Wu beside him, "Go and invite the imperial physician. Hurry up and take my official seal to invite the imperial physician. Tell him that I accidentally fell off my horse and broke my arm. It hurts so much now. Hurry and invite the doctor!"
Jin Wu immediately left after receiving the order, but when he left, he saw the woman in his master's arms. Wasn't that Miss Li's concubine sister? How could the master be with this woman? They were also injured in the assassination.
After giving all the instructions, Jin Li finally breathed a sigh of relief and asked the maid in the house to clean Li Qingrou's wound first.
A moment later, the imperial physician came with a medicine box. After a round of examination, he found out that Li Qingrou had only suffered minor injuries. Fortunately, the hidden weapon was not coated with poison, so her life was not in danger.
However, the wound is quite deep, so it still needs to be carefully treated, otherwise it will easily rupture and become infected.
Jin Lili gave a death order to ensure that Miss Li was safe and sound, and the imperial physician could only obey the order honestly, but he was still puzzled in his heart. Didn't they say that Master Jin fell off his horse and broke his arm? How come a woman was injured?
Moreover, this woman slept openly in Lord Jin's tent. This was a bit too impolite.
But it was obvious that these matters were not something that he, a royal physician, could comment on. The old royal physician shook his head and prescribed some pain-relieving prescriptions for Miss Li. After making sure that there was nothing serious, he turned around and left with his medicine box.
On the other side, Jin Linli asked the maid to boil the medicine. After feeding it to Li Qingrou, the frowning and sleeping woman on the couch finally calmed down a lot, and even her brows gradually relaxed.
Seeing Li Qingrou like this, Jin Linli finally felt relieved. He had been busy all night and only now did he finally have some time to sort out his emotions.
The stuffy air and smell of medicine in the room suddenly made Jin Lili feel a little tired. His mind was in a mess and he was upset. His chest seemed to be blocked by a huge rock and he didn't know what to do.
He walked out of the tent subconsciously. He originally just wanted to get some fresh air, but he walked to the tent where Nan Yan was sleeping without realizing it. The maids on both sides were about to greet and salute, but were waved away by Jin Lili.
When he opened the curtain, he saw a figure sleeping soundly on the bed. His eyes were unconsciously focused on her. He saw that she restlessly kicked off the quilt, and both her hands were exposed.
He took a few steps closer, looking deeply at her. Perhaps because she was still drunk, there was still a faint red on both sides of her cheeks. Her black hair covered her face, as if she had been dyed with rouge. I don't know what she was dreaming about, but she was still murmuring softly...
It was not until this moment that Jin Xinli truly understood why she always strictly forbade him to have any contact with her half sister, and why she always spoke ill of her half sister in front of him!
And why was it that every time she mentioned that half sister, she always had an attitude of disgust and disdain? And why was it that every time he accidentally met her half sister at the Li Mansion, she always looked nervous and guilty... There were traces of all this.
Everything is clear now.
It turns out that she knew everything from beginning to end!
She knew that the person who saved him was her half-sister, and she shamelessly took the jade pendant for herself. But this was not the end of it. She was also afraid that her half-sister would come into contact with him and expose the truth, so she never let him meet Li Qingrou.
This is her true face.
Jin Lili suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of depression and a hint of obvious anger in his chest. She had kept it a secret from him for so long, and had done so many things in private that disgusted him.
He used to think she was innocent and harmless. Although she was a little arrogant and willful, her nature was not bad. But now, which of the things she did did not make him feel mocking and disgusted?
It was really disgusting. The funny thing was that for a moment, he was still hesitant and even thought that it might be a good idea to just go with the flow and live with her for the rest of her life...
But he knew everything she did!
Jin Xinli stared at the woman in front of him intently. Suddenly, he slowly stretched out his hand and directly pinched the other person's chin. His force was a bit strong, which made Nan Yan hum uncomfortably in her sleep.
She opened her eyes hazily, and vaguely saw that it was him, and fell asleep with peace of mind. However, in her dream, her hands entangled with his palms, and then rubbed them gently on her cheeks.
"Jin Lili, can you please be gentler..."
Her voice was still sleepy and had a strong nasal tone.
When Jin Xinli saw her defenseless look, his originally cold and deep gaze suddenly paused, and then he directly pulled back the hand that she was holding in her arms.
Regardless, he had made up his mind.
After the autumn hunt is over, he will come to cancel the engagement. Li Nanyan is Li Nanyan. No matter how she disguises herself, she is not the girl he fell in love with at first. He will not give up just like that, and he will not compromise just to make the best of a bad situation.
Thinking of this, Jin Lili covered her with the quilt, then turned around and left the tent, not wanting to look at her again.
Nan Yan, who was lying on the bed in the room, rubbed her chin which was pinched and hurt. She couldn't help but curse inwardly, "Asshole", for bullying her while she was asleep, and not using any strength at all.
She vaguely smelled blood in the air, and sure enough, when she woke up from her sleep, the original plot had already happened.
It seems that Jin Xinli has completely known the truth and found her real savior, so can she now find someone else to torment?
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