Jiang Yichun pulled her into the secret passage, and quickly sealed the door up again.
"We’ll hide here for now, but I don’t think we can stay for long. This place was built by my master. I’m afraid those chasing after me might discover this place." Jiang Yichun spoke as he pulled Bai Ruozhu deeper into the secret passage.
The passage was dark, and Jiang Yichun didn’t have a torch. He was simply trying to strike a light.
Suddenly, there was a squeak, and a dark shadow scurried past Bai Ruozhu’s feet. Startled, Bai Ruozhu instinctively leapt up, clinging tightly on to Jiang Yichun.
"Don’t worry, it’s just a rat." Jiang Yichun patted her back, chuckling lightly. His other hand instinctively moved to support her from below, steadying her as she clung on to him.
Bai Ruozhu immediately blushed. She wasn’t really afraid of rats, but her heightened state of alertness caused her to react strongly at the sudden appearance of one. Without thinking, she clung onto Jiang Yichun beside her.
But now she realized, the position she was in, hanging onto him like a koala, was quite suggestive. Fearful of the rat biting her feet, Bai Ruozhu instinctively lifted her feet, tightening her grip around his waist.
The light Jiang Yichun had managed to strike dropped to the ground, quickly dying out. His strong hands cradled her, and despite her embarrassment, Bai Ruozhu tried to disentangle herself. He, however, held her more tightly, not letting her down.
"Stay still! You climbed up on your own, you know," Jiang Yichun managed to say, his voice raspy, as if he was on fire.
Not just in his throat, but fire that spread throughout his body.
In the darkness, there was a sudden sound, and Bai Ruozhu felt herself being lifted a bit higher. At this, she knew Jiang Yichun had resumed his usual size.
"Does transforming back and forth hurt?" she asked quickly, cringing at the sound of his transformation.
Jiang Yichun didn’t answer, only to pinch her, saying, "You definitely won’t like it in that form."
When Jiang Yichun pinched her, Bai Ruozhu couldn’t help but let out a small moan. She unintentionally swallowed and was taken aback by his remark, which made her cough uncontrollably. How bizarre it would be if she choked on her own saliva.
Suppressing her laughter, Bai Ruozhu realized he must have been hurting. Yet he bore the pain just because he didn’t want to upset her by staying in the form she might dislike. Touched by this, Bai Ruozhu tightened her arms around his neck.
Jiang Yichun, unable to hold it any longer, picked her up, her legs around his waist, and began to kiss and nibble on her neck.
In the pitch-black secret room, the two of them couldn’t see each other, they could only hear each other’s heavy breathing.
He gently let her down and kissed her lips. Their kiss was sweet and lingering, softer yet more passionate than the last. After a while, he let go of her lips, rested his forehead against hers, and whispered, "May I?"
Bai Ruozhu trembled slightly, feeling the heat radiating off his body. How could she not understand his intentions at that moment?
She was a bit scared, due to her subconscious fear that her first time would hurt. But then she thought of the fact that she had already given birth, and felt somewhat foolish for still having such fears.
While she was lost in her thoughts, Jiang Yichun set her down and reluctantly moved his hands away from her. He bent down to pick up the light and reignited it.
"I got carried away. Whether I can make it out alive is still unknown. I can’t implicate you anymore." The flickering firelight illuminated his face, and Bai Ruozhu could clearly see the loneliness in his eyes.
Her heart filled with compassion, and she rushed over and clung to his waist, softly saying, "I don’t care about any of that. Since I’m here, I won’t let anyone harm you!"
"You’re a fool. Do you know the kind of trouble I’ve gotten into? You should never have come." Jiang Yichun couldn’t help but wrap one arm around her, stroking her hair gently.
He continued to speak, "We were nearly wiped out. Not only because Batianzhai has the backing of the Turkic Country, but also because I stumbled upon..."
He paused. He hesitated, fearing that knowing too much would endanger Bai Ruozhu.
"What secret did you discover? Is there a spy close to you in a high position, so that’s why you can’t show yourself?" Bai Ruozhu’s heart pounded as she tightened her grip on his waist, rapidly firing off questions.
Jiang Yichun’s expression froze for a moment. After a brief pause, he forced a helpless smile, "You’re too clever. I didn’t even say anything, and you’ve already guessed most of it."
"So, don’t even think about keeping me in the dark. Otherwise, I will investigate it myself. If you don’t want me to run into potential dangers blind, then you better confess everything," Bai Ruozhu said, a hint of smugness in her tone.
Jiang Yichun lit the oil lamp on the wall with the light he was holding, then blew out the light in his hand. Meanwhile, Bai Ruozhu clung to his waist as if she was glued to him. As he moved a few steps to the side, she followed, sticking close to him.
He laughed bitterly and picked her up again. Bai Ruozhu cried out, surprised at his audacity to lift her by the neck again.
The next second, Jiang Yichun planted a hard kiss on her mouth. The sudden, forceful kiss made her lips puff up. The pain made her furrow her brows, yet he deliberately made a loud smacking sound, seeming unusually pleased.
"I accidentally discovered that the Right Minister of the Tongzheng Office has been meeting with people from the Turkic country, and they have been colluding for years. You know that my master is the Left Minister, the same rank as the Right Minister. But before I could deliver the information to him, I was found out. Since then, the situation has escalated, and now, they are determined to kill me to silence the matter."
Jiang Yichun let out a bitter laugh as he talked, "Now, all exit routes have been blocked. Getting in touch with my master is extremely difficult. Although my senior brother is here, he is surrounded by people from the Right Minister. I can’t meet him. The moment I do, they could harm him immediately."
Bai Ruozhu’s heart pounded rapidly. No wonder he had to hide. As she anticipated, it indeed was a spy with a high position.
"Ruozhu, I’ve always wanted you, but..." He looked at her, his eyes filled with affection and desire, but also with a touch of helplessness.
"Given the current situation, whether I can make it out alive is uncertain. A man like me, who lives on borrowed time, can’t drag you down." He wrapped his arms around her as he spoke, "If I can settle this matter, I promise I’ll propose to you. I want you to be my wife."
Bai Ruozhu felt as if her heart was being cut by a sharp blade. She let go of his waist, reached up and hooked her arm around his neck. Standing on her toes, she looked into his eyes and said, "I don’t care about today or tomorrow, or what will happen next. Even if you can’t survive this, I still want to be with you. I would even bear a child for you."
After speaking, she leaned in for a kiss, taking the initiative like never before...
----
Whatever you don’t understand, just use your imagination!