The cold air made Bai Ruozhu involuntarily shiver, just as she was starting to recover her senses, she felt a sudden throbbing pain. Dammit...
Bai Ruozhu widened her eyes; her face instantly reddened. Even through the black and yellow mask she wore, one could easily tell that she had flushed all the way to her ears.
Jiang Yichun suddenly halted as if he had frozen; yet, this pause only lasted a second. His eyes grew darker as if a storm was brewing within them.
"Ah..." Bai Ruozhu gasped, her face growing hotter. She panicked and attempted to push his head away, but he refused to budge as if possessed, remaining unmoved no matter how much she pushed.
Bai Ruozhu felt as if she was going insane. How could he do this? It was utterly mortifying!
After a while, Jiang Yichun finally released Bai Ruozhu. He took a few deep breathes to calm himself down. Now was not the time, nor was it convenient. Spies could come at any minute.
He stood upright, pulling her into his embrace, allowing her head to rest on his chest. His voice rough, he stated, "This is your punishment for disobeying me and running into danger."
Bai Ruozhu grew angry upon hearing this. She tried to stand upright and rebuke him, but he held her tight, refusing to let go.
Feeling resentful, she mumbled against his chest, "Fine, I was disobedient. I’m leaving now, never to appear before you again. You’d better not come to bother me in the future!"
How had she spent these past days? Physically exhausted, mentally even more so. On one hand, she was worried about his safety and scared she couldn’t find him, on the other hand, she was tormented by her feelings of homesickness, guilt towards her family, and her children. Even in her past life, she had never found herself in such a situation.
Finally found him, and he dares to complain about her?
At her words, Jiang Yichun held her even tighter, whispering in her ear, "You’ve come, and I won’t let you go for the rest of my life."
For the rest of my life... Bai Ruozhu trembled at his words, her previously risen bitterness faded away.
Looking up at him, she asked, "Were you seriously injured? When I took your pulse, I noticed that several of your meridians were damaged. Don’t fool around. I should take a good look at you."
Jiang Yichun used his chin to press her head down, as if refusing to let her look up at him.
"It’s a poisoning. My cultivation is blocked," he whispered softly.
Bai Ruozhu attempted to look up at him yet was again pushed down. She suddenly understood: he must feel embarrassed by the mess his hair and face had become and didn’t want her to see him like this.
She couldn’t help but smile, yet pretended to be irritated. "Why won’t you let me look up? Are you disgusted by my skin that has turned black and yellow? Hmph, in another ten or twenty years I will become old and look just like this. You’re already disgusted with me now, and you said ’for the rest of your life’?"
Hearing this, Jiang Yichun hurriedly awkwardly let her go, looking at her earnestly, "When have I ever been disgusted by you? Couldn’t you tell how much I missed you and desired you just now?"
Bai Ruozhu’s face reddened once more. If she had known he would say something so crude, she wouldn’t have teased him.
Spotting her flushed face, Jiang Yichun felt a heat surge in his chest. He moved his lips towards hers, landing another passionate and wild kiss...
Bai Ruozhu felt as if she was going insane. The yearning welling inside of her made her feel too sheepish to face him, yet she couldn’t bring herself to close her eyes. She wanted to keep staring at him, fearing he would vanish from her sight.
After a long time, the two separated, gasping for breaths. Jiang Yichun’s eyes suddenly narrowed, a cold light glinting within them.
Bai Ruozhu felt a pang of fear in her heart. Had someone arrived? She dared not to speak out loud. Indeed, Jiang Yichun looked at her and made a gesture indicating silence, before pulling her into the dark corner of the room.
Not long after, a faint sound was heard from outside the window. If Bai Ruozhu didn’t have exceptional hearing, she wouldn’t have been able to sense someone lurking outside.
The person seemed unsure of the situation inside. After hesitating for a while, a thin bamboo tube was stealthily extended into the room, and soon, smoke drifted inside.
Jiang Yichun reached out to cover Bai Ruozhu’s nose. His hand was dirty and somewhat smelly, but when she was close to him, Bai Ruozhu still smelled that familiar scent of him. It was like the faint smell of bamboo leaves.
This scent comforted her, and her previously tense state slowly relaxed.
She had smelled this scent before, right after she gave birth. Only later did she find out that he didn’t shy away from saving her when she fainted due to a massive hemorrhage. Moreover, the faint scent that lingered around him whenever he approached her brought her peace of mind and made her fearless, even in dangerous situations.
After some time, the person outside gently opened the window. However, because it was old, it creaked audibly, even though the person’s movements were exceedingly gentle. This sound was especially clear in the silent night.
A shadow jumped inside and inspected the room.
Jiang Yichun observed him closely, waiting until no one else was outside. He moved his finger, throwing a hidden weapon at the man in black.
The man in black groaned, falling to the ground. Jiang Yichun moved quickly to prevent him from collapsing loudly.
Jiang Yichun put the man on the ground, removed his face mask, and took a look. The man had a very ordinary look, so ordinary that there was nothing distinct about him.
Bai Ruozhu walked over and whispered, "Who is he? Was he targeting you, or me?"
"It was more likely you. If someone came for me, their ability wouldn’t be only at this level," replied Jiang Yichun in a low voice.
"Then..." Bai Ruozhu wanted to ask something else, but Jiang Yichun stood up, "We better not stay here for long. Let’s leave together."
Once he finished speaking, his body made cracking sounds as he transformed back into the skinny beggar. He then held Bai Ruozhu’s waist as they leapt out of the window, disappearing into the night in a blink.
Bai Ruozhu was so scared that she almost screamed out loud. She’d never experienced bungee jumping in her previous life, but she figured it must have felt similar to this. She dared not scream, only tightly hugging Jiang Yichun’s waist, pressing her face onto his chest. Listening to the comforting rhythm of his heartbeat, she gradually calmed down.
Jiang Yichun zigzagged erratically, only reaching a small alley after a while. He then climbed into a civilian residence.
Once inside, he moved Bai Ruozhu further in, then reached out to touch an old box in the room several times. A hidden door opened in the wall. It was surprising to discover there was a secret passage hidden in this shabby civilian residence.
----
Also, I would like to recommend my good friend, MS Fuzi’s work, "Divine Doctor Abandoned Woman: Ghost Emperor’s Beast-controlling Mad Concubine". It’s a great read. Fantasy lovers should not miss out!
Summary:
At the age of 13, the silly girl of the Ye family was reborn!
Having the extraordinary Divine Cauldron and Spiritual Plant Space, she was no longer the waste girl everyone trampled on!
Peerless medical skills? Even divine doctors had to step aside. Spiritual beasts seek contracts, but sorry, the Beast God calls her boss.
Trashy dad, you dare to abandon your wife and daughter, she’ll cause your family to shatter. Worldly people, trample and bully her, and she will return it a hundredfold!
This time, she returns as the king, but unfortunately crosses paths with him.
Though he is cold-blooded and ruthless Ghost Emperor, he transforms into a harmless hostage of the enemy country...