Bai Ruozhu wished she could sprout wings and fly back to Beiyu City. She was constantly worrying about Dengdeng and the others back home. But seeing how perilous Jiang Yichun’s situation was, how could she leave him with peace of mind?
"No, at least let me help you neutralize the poison first." She snapped, bristling in opposition right away.
Jiang Yichun offered a bitter smile. "This poison can’t be easily dealt with. Even if you had the means, we don’t have the necessary medicinal materials on hand right now. The priority is to notify my teacher. Deputy Prime Minister Li Yi has blocked all routes in an attempt to capture me, but he hasn’t taken you into account. As long as you manage to return to Beiyu City and find my teacher and Meng Liangshen, I’ll truly be safe."
Bai Ruozhu had no choice but to admit he was right. Even though she was by his side, constantly on the run, she couldn’t truly help him. If they ran into pursuers, she was more likely to become a burden to him.
She thought for a moment, saying, "They should be suspicious of Doctor Zhuhua by now, it might not be easy for me to leave either."
Jiang Yichun reached into his robe and pulled out a thin mask to display to Bai Ruozhu. "If I help you put this on, you shouldn’t have anything to fear. Unless you come across Li Yi himself or a particularly skilled expert, no one should see through your disguise."
Bai Ruozhu reached out and began to examine the mask. "Wow, this is the legendary human skin mask, right? It’s so much more effective than my amateur disguise skills."
A small sense of pride sparked in Jiang Yichun. He took the mask and was about to put it on her when Bai Ruozhu stopped him.
"Not so fast. I’ll wear it when I leave tomorrow." Bai Ruozhu admitted she didn’t want to face Jiang Yichun with a face not her own.
Jiang Yichun, however, shook his head in frustration. "I still hope you can leave as soon as possible. It’s simply too dangerous for you to be on the run with me."
Bai Ruozhu didn’t answer him. Instead, she began drawing circles in the ground with her toe, finally voicing her concerns. "You say that even if I inform your teacher and Mister Meng, without solid evidence, they wouldn’t be able to take down Deputy Prime Minister Li, right? Even if your teacher comes to pick you up personally, wouldn’t the Deputy Prime Minister still try to strike?"
"If my guess is right, he should have the tattoo of the Turkic Royal Family on him. I’ll have my teacher confirm it first. Also, even if I do return to Beiyu City, I might have to lay low in a hideout for a while, unless we manage to bring Deputy Prime Minister Li to justice."
Saying this, he gently pulled Bai Ruozhu’s hand closer, pressing his lips to her fingertips with an apologetic smile. "I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to wait for me a little longer."
The past few days’ efforts had led to the sprouting of a stubble on his chin. The contact of his unshaven face tickled her hand, stirring an unexplainable feeling inside her.
"As long as you’re safe, that’s what matters most." Bai Ruozhu said without hesitating.
Jiang Yichun held her tightly in his arms, whispering softly, "You too must take care of yourself. Don’t push yourself on the way back, protect yourself. If there’s danger, you can give me up; I’ll have my own ways to escape."
Listening to his powerful heartbeat, she felt all her stress dissolve. But as she felt the tension in his body rise, she couldn’t suppress a laugh, reminded of that unforgettable moment last night in the secret chamber when they had been interrupted.
"Why are you laughing? If you continue, I’ll eat you up." Jiang Yichun pulled her up to face him, their eyes locked with each other.
Bai Ruozhu couldn’t control her laughter. His words sounded too similar to a popular milk advertisement from her past life. The one where a small boy arrogantly said, "Keep looking and I’ll drink you!"
"You’re still laughing? Are you waiting for me to teach you a lesson?" Jiang Yichun warned, glowering at her.
Repressing her giggles, Bai Ruozhu suddenly felt change in Jiang Yichun’s expression. Grabbing her, he whispered urgently, "Be quiet!"
The two hid deeper in the cave. Cursing her luck, Bai Ruozhu thought, can’t they even catch a break? Why were more people coming?
Fortunately, this time it was only two mountain bandits who were grumbling while on a search mission.
"What’s the point of us searching in this cold weather? I bet that man doesn’t even want to hide in our mountains. He’s probably hiding somewhere warm by now." One of them chuckled, "If it were me, I would definitely be easing the chill with my sweet Zhuhua. Her warm buns are so comforting!"
The bandit accompanying him joined in the laughter. "Stop daydreaming about Zhuhua. Pull yourself together. The man we’re after is a tough one. Let’s not get ourselves killed."
"I told you, our boss is out of his mind. Even if we find the man, what can we do? We are no match for him. Aren’t we just marching to our deaths?" One of the bandits voiced his displeasure.
"Didn’t our boss mention that the man is poisoned and injured? That and we also have signal flares. What need is there to fear?" As the other was saying this, he noticed the cave where Bai Ruozhu and Jiang Yichun were hiding. Pointing it out he said, "Let’s check that cave over there. We can’t afford to miss any hiding spot."
The two of them took steptoward the cave. Meanwhile, Jiang Yichun had prepared his hidden weapon, ready to strike as soon as they entered.
"Never mind, let’s not go. Who knows if we might encounter a bear!" The bandit who had suggested to check reverted his decision and turned away abruptly. His companion quickly followed suit.
Bai Ruozhu and Jiang Yichun exchanged a glance; the fellow had noticed their traces. This was someone who knew how to adapt in a crisis.
Jiang Yichun quickly darted out of the cave, took out two hidden weapons and tossed them. The two bandits fell to the ground without the chance to even scream. One of them held a signal flare. Had Jiang Yichun been a half-second slower, the signal would have been launched!
Bai Ruozhu didn’t follow. Inside the cave, she had a natural barrier, alleviating the need for him to protect her.
Picking up the signal flare, Jiang Yichun went back into the cave, softly asking Bai Ruozhu, "Were you scared?"
Bai Ruozhu shook her head,> "How could I be? Did you forget how I knocked out those three villains who tried to rob me last night?"
Jiang Yichun couldn’t help but laugh. "Indeed, they were out of luck the moment they crossed paths with you. Be sure to prepare the poison properly. It can help protect you during your journey."
Seeing him take out the human-skin mask, Bai Ruozhu nodded her agreement. "Now, I’ll help you with the facial disguise. As soon as it’s done, we’ll head down the mountain. Batianzhai is strictly managed. They count their headcount at certain intervals every day. We won’t be able to hide for long."
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Highly recommending my friend’s great work, Shang Yuyan’s "Sweet Love: The Affectionate Schoolmaster’s 33 Pursuits".
Synopsis: She, in the eyes of the world is the favored third daughter of G City’s top-tier Yang Family, but beneath the mask, she is simply an adopted child. He, the eldest grandson of the Li family’s direct lineage, endures years of scheming from his wicked stepmother and seven years of lying low. What kind of sparks will fly when prideful her meets him? They fall in love at first sight in high school, deeply infatuated seven years later, still passionately in love ten years later with no end in sight.