Chapter 8
"Little girl, are you up yet?" Lin Qiang knocked on the door again.
Yuan Qiong felt both ashamed and angry when she thought about what happened last night, and her desire to kill was extremely strong.
His innocence has been ruined by this shameless scoundrel, how can he act like nothing happened!
"Why aren't you saying anything?" Lin Qiang, unaware of Yuan Qiong's thoughts swirling inside, assumed she was still unwell and knocked on the wooden door a few more times: "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine." Yuan Qiong knew she couldn't drag this out any longer, so she forced herself to calm down, concealed her murderous intent, and went to open the door.
As the sound of light footsteps approached, Yuan Qiong, pale-faced, opened the door with a creak and coughed lightly, clutching her chest.
Lin Qiang reached out to help her up: "You look so haggard, has your injury gotten worse?"
This bandit actually dared to lay a hand on me?! Yuan Qiong's neck turned red with anger in an instant, and she shoved him away forcefully: "Don't touch me!"
Huh? Lin Qiang was a little confused. Are all kids who lose their jobs at a young age so eccentric?
He sighed inwardly, "That little girl is really short-tempered." He took a few steps inside, looked up and glanced around at the simple side room, which contained only a stone bed and a few stools.
"Your place is too simple and not suitable for recuperating. Let's move to the village."
"I'm not going!"
"Not going?" Lin Qiang frowned. "Why?"
"Don't you know about the strict separation of men and women, Chief?!" Yuan Qiong snapped at him, unable to contain her anger. "Aren't you just bullying me, an orphan with no one to rely on?! Do you think it makes Chief feel accomplished to humiliate me?!"
After yelling about the excruciating pain in her chest, she immediately curled up into a shrimp, which made Lin Qiang feel extremely sorry for her, but he didn't dare to touch her.
"Strict separation between men and women?" Lin Qiang slapped his forehead, realizing how many rules there were in ancient times! Fearing she might misunderstand, he quickly explained, "Don't worry, I'll arrange a room for you when we get to the village."
Is this just about the room? Doesn't he care about what happened last night?
Not only did he hug her, but he also took advantage of her unconscious state to undress her and remove her shoes! Doesn't he feel ashamed to do such a despicable and shameless thing?!
"You! You...you..."
"Big pig's trotter?" For some reason, these four words suddenly flashed through Lin Qiang's mind. It seemed like women in his past life liked to curse men like that...
In the end, Yuan Qiong still didn't utter a curse. Lin Qiang looked around the side room again and still felt it wasn't suitable for living. He knew this girl wouldn't budge, so he grinned and made a hugging gesture: "If you say you won't go again, then I'll carry you there!"
"Shameless scoundrel!" Her fox-like eyes nearly widened. Seeing that the bandit seemed about to attack, she immediately backed down, gritting her teeth and saying, "Don't touch me! I'll walk myself!"
"Okay." Lin Qiang's smile widened.
It's okay for her to be wary of him now; after a while, she'll be able to see that he doesn't mean any harm.
Yuan Qiong emerged from the side room with a pale face, and upon looking up, she saw Yuan Liu Niang trembling like a frightened rabbit.
She followed behind Lin Qiang, got the rest of the medicine from Granny Tian, and then deliberately stopped as she passed by her.
“Miss Yuan, the chief and the brothers in the village are all good people, you don’t need to be afraid.”
She knelt down and took Yuan Liu Niang's hand, her pale face full of sincerity: "In this world, nothing matters more than life and death. As long as you live, you can do whatever you want."
Yuan Liu Niang looked up and met her gaze. The panic in her eyes gradually faded, and her clarity slowly returned.
"I believe you can do it."
Yuan Qiong wrote a word in her palm without making a sound, then stood up. She looked extremely weak, her thin body appearing as if she could collapse at any moment.
"You silly girl..." Lin Qiang saw her little movements, but just sighed, took a step forward, and picked her up in his arms: "You're injured like this yourself, and you still have the mood to care about others."
This time, Yuan Qiong did not refuse, and even took the initiative to wrap her arms around his neck: "Take me to the village, I want to rest."
"Okay." Lin Qiang immediately picked her up and walked out, instructing his subordinates, "Take Yuan Liu Niang to the valley first, I will follow later."
"Yes, boss."
Yuan Qiong turned her head, her gaze passing over Lin Qiang's broad shoulders and landing on Yuan Liu Niang. This time, I'll help you. I hope you won't disappoint me.
Yuan Liuniang watched the burly man with the little girl walk further and further away, the warmth of her touch still lingering in her palm. Her expression gradually calmed, and she became more clear-headed than ever before. If a little girl like Wang Yao could be so calm, how could she, someone who had lived two lives, so easily lose her composure?
She's a time traveler, how could she be outdone by an ancient native!
Turning her head, Yuan Liuniang said to Lao Liu, "I will go to the valley with you, but please allow me to go back to my room to change my clothes first."
*
Yuan Qiong ignored everything that had happened behind her. Nestled in Lin Qiang's arms, she suddenly remembered the night before, when she had cried herself to sleep and a warm voice had told her, "From now on, I'll be your support..."
rely on?
These two words are really interesting.
Suddenly, she lowered her head and made a bold move! She put her ear to the bandit's chest to listen to his heartbeat.
"Thump!"
"Thump!"
"Thump!"
Slow yet powerful, completely different from her heartbeat.
What is this man really thinking? Is he really only attracted to her looks?
"Big Black Beard, you said yesterday that you would release my servant, is that true?"
"Really." Lin Qiang chuckled. "Once you're settled in the village, I'll have them come and take care of you."
"Hmm." With servants, she would have an extra layer of protection.
Back in the village, Lin Qiang first placed Yuan Qiong on the couch in his room, and then ordered his men to tidy up the empty room next door.
"You can rest here for the morning and wait for me to return from the valley."
In Lin Qiang's room, the soft couch was next to the desk. When Yuan Qiong got up, she happened to see a piece of paper on the desk with characters missing strokes. She might not recognize the other characters, but Yuwen was the imperial surname, which only members of the royal family could use, so she recognized it at a glance.
"What's that?" She pointed to the note on the table, which contained the characters Lin Qiang had written down that he wanted to stay away from.
“This…” He immediately put the note away: “It’s nothing important, I just wrote it down casually.”
Are you kidding me?
Yuan Qiong didn't believe it at all! How could something unimportant carry the surname of royalty?
She coughed twice more, clutched her chest, and whispered, "Boss, would you mind letting me take a look?"
Her delicate appearance made it impossible for Lin Qiang to refuse.
Actually... it wouldn't hurt for this girl to take a look, would it?
He was a negligent father in his previous life, so how could he disappoint Wang Yao again in this one? Besides, she's a destitute orphan who can only rely on him in the future, so seeing him shouldn't be a big problem.
Thinking of this, he handed over the note and instructed, "These are a few names. Write them down. Avoid these people in the future, so you don't accidentally lose your life."
She couldn't understand several of the words, so she asked, "Who are these people? Why is the boss so wary of them?"
Lin Qiang stepped forward, took the note, and sat down on the edge of the couch, saying to her, "The first people you should never get close to are Yuan Liuniang and Prince Cheng, Yuwen Zhe. Whoever gets involved with either of them will be doomed. Then there's Zhao Shixian. This person has extremely bad character and will surely come to a bad end. A young girl like you must be careful to guard against such hypocrites and not be deceived by them."
"The others are General Guan Xiao, Prince Han Yuwen Ting, Butcher Hong Xin, Yuan Su Hui, the head of the Yuan family, his granddaughter Yuan Qiong, and all people with the surname Yuan. If you see these people, run away, run as far away as possible!"
"..." Yuan Qiong was completely confused.
Some of these people are world-renowned, while others are unheard of. What the hell is that butcher? How can he be compared to her grandfather?
Why did you run away when you saw these people?
"You don't understand now, but you will in a few years. When the city gate catches fire, the fish in the moat suffer; we are the fish in the moat. When gods fight, mortals suffer; we are the mortals."
Yuan Qiong seemed to be thinking: "What does the chief mean?"
"Remember what I told you yesterday about the impending change in a few years? These people are like jackals and tigers, coveting the lion's position!"
As soon as he said that, Yuan Qiong's eyes immediately turned strange.
Could it be that there's some kind of expert in this small mountain stronghold? Otherwise, why would this big-bearded man say such a thing?
"Where did the chief hear these things from?"
"This isn't something a little girl like you should worry about. Just be obedient, and I won't hurt you." Lin Qiang ruffled her hair and stood up. "I'm going to the valley now. You get some rest, and I'll tell you a story when I get back."
All those fairy tales I didn't tell my daughter, I can tell to Yao in the future~ Mr. Lin's loving fatherly heart is itching to do so.
He left in high spirits, leaving Yuan Qiong, lost in thought, lying back on the soft couch.
can't read.
This is her biggest feeling so far.
If the bearded man had designs on her, she hadn't detected any lust in his eyes at all. If he didn't have designs on her, then why did he treat her like that?
As she thought of the note she had just received, a conspiracy theory suddenly popped into her mind.
Could it be that this bearded man is an informant for some organization?! Knowing she would pass by, he deliberately ambushed her at the foot of the cliff and kidnapped her?!
No, no, no, it's not.
She then dismissed her own guess.
If the bearded man with the black beard knew her true identity, he wouldn't dare to treat her so lightly, even if he had a hundred lives!
So why is that?
Yuan Qiong suddenly stood up and decided to conduct a thorough search of the room with the black beard to see if she could find any clues.
*
On the other side, Yuan Liu Niang said she was going back to her room to get some clothes, but as she passed the kitchen, she suddenly rushed in and grabbed a kitchen knife when no one was looking. Lao Liu couldn't stop her in time, and she decisively cut her own leg.
"You bandits, if you dare to push me again, next time I'll not cut my legs, I'll cut my own neck!" she said bitterly.
Wang Yao had just reminded her that nothing mattered except life and death. This meant that the bearded man needed her now and wouldn't let her die, only torture her.
Yuan Qiong just sent away the most skilled martial artist, the bearded man with the black beard, to give her an opportunity. Now, whether she succeeds or not depends on herself!
The more afraid she was, the more ferocious the bandits became. But if she threatened to kill herself, they would hesitate to harm her.
Thinking of all this, Yuan Liuniang gave a bitter smile. Now she actually had to hurt herself to save her life. How pathetic.
Author's Note: I worked overtime until 1 a.m. today, and my mind was foggy. I don't even know what I wrote. Please bear with it. I will revise it if I feel it is not suitable after I finish these few days of work.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com