FBC – Chapter 104 The Duke and His Son’s Sister-in-Law?

Mu Junyan held the sobbing girl in his arms tightly, heart aching beyond words.

This girl, usually so delicate and timid on the surface, was actually resilient at her core—unwilling to let fate dictate her life.

Aside from that rainy night, he had never seen her cry so heartbreakingly again—until now.

At this moment, her cloud-like hair was in disarray, most of the stage makeup on her face washed away by tears, revealing pale cheeks scratched and bruised. Blood stained both her face and hands, and her wrists bore dark red rope marks from being tightly bound.

The fact that she had hidden under the table on the stage meant she had tried to escape, only to be caught again.

The same girl who used to flinch at just a harsh look from him had dared to run from a den of criminals.

He couldn’t imagine what she had endured during the past few hours since her abduction.

Veins bulged at Mu Junyan’s temples as he lifted his hand to gently stroke her back, speaking softly to comfort her, “It’s all right now.”

Gu Hua lifted her tear-filled eyes and stared blankly at his handsome face. The eyes that were usually stern and aloof were now brimming with worry.

His warm palm lightly caressed her back, making her feel a real and reassuring warmth.

Only in this moment did she dare believe that she was truly saved—and in his arms.

There were so many things she wanted to say, but not a single word could come out.

The two of them sat silently, gazing at each other without speaking.

Ji Xuanyu stared at them fixedly, the knife still lodged in his chest feeling as though it had been twisted several more times.

Mu Junyan, sensing the hostile gaze, suddenly turned to look.

Just now, the man had risked his life to save Gu Hua. He had assumed Ji Xuanyu was just a passing hero and let down his guard. But if Gu Hua had stabbed him, there must be a reason.

Gu Hua also sensed that fierce stare, and when she turned her head to look, she was startled.

Instinctively, she hid behind Mu Junyan, clutching his arm tightly. Her voice trembled, tinged with sobs: “Your Grace, h-he’s the leader of those bandits. They called him ‘Young Master’. Last night, he… he ordered his men to… humiliate me.”

Mu Junyan’s anger exploded in an instant. He lowered his voice to comfort her, “Don’t be afraid, I’m here.”

Gu Hua nodded in relief.

Ji Xuanyu’s hand clenched tighter over his wound after hearing their exchange, blood gushing from between his fingers.

But the physical pain of the wound was nothing compared to the agony he felt watching this scene unfold.

This was the girl he had cherished with all his heart—the one he wanted to elope with, to start a new life together.

He had nearly lost his life and endured untold hardships to return to Bianjing, all for her.

To help her eliminate the Pei family and Gu Wanru, he had planned every step carefully, not hesitating to become a villain, drenching his hands in blood.

But the pain he now felt, deep in his bones, was far worse than the time he fell off a cliff and broke his bones.

Every breath he took now was like a thousand arrows piercing through him.

He thought of the first time he met Gu Hua.

It was a snowy day.

Little Gu Hua, tiny and frail, carried Gu Wanru’s school chest on her back, her waist bent low, struggling to follow behind Gu Wanru, who strutted proudly like a peacock.

A maid beside Gu Wanru held a paper umbrella over her.

Meanwhile, little Gu Hua’s head and shoulders were covered in a layer of glistening snowflakes, her pale face flushed red from the cold.

When she noticed his gaze, her deer-like eyes darted about in panic.

During class, Gu Wanru would doze off from boredom, while she knelt at the back, holding a book, reading diligently.

When the teacher asked questions, little Gu Hua would write the answers and secretly pass them to Gu Wanru.

Later on, he had secretly taught her how to read and write, and eventually, she could even compose poetry.

However, all the poems she composed ended up being credited to Gu Wanru.

Little Gu Hua was in a difficult situation, but she would do everything in her power to repay him.

For example, she once secretly hid a piece of pastry, keeping it warm in her bosom to give to him.

His mother had passed away early, and his father had raised him alone. Men weren’t good at caring for children—when his clothes tore, no one mended them.

Gu Hua noticed this and brought a sewing kit from home to the private school to mend his clothes. She even made him a pair of insoles—shoes with those insoles were especially warm in winter.

Later, Gu Wanru and Gu Hua stopped attending school, but he and Gu Hua still found ways to secretly meet.

At that time, he noticed that under Gu Hua’s fingernails there were always bruises. After his repeated questioning, Gu Hua finally broke down in tears and told him about how Concubine Pei and Gu Wanru had been abusing her.

Watching the tiny girl cry so heartbreakingly tore his heart apart.

From that day on, he made up his mind to save up money and take Gu Hua away from that den of wolves and tigers.

He didn’t know why, but their last secret meeting had been discovered.

Ji Xuanyu stared fiercely at Mu Junyan, his eyes full of hatred. His hand gripped the dagger, slowly pulling it out—fresh blood gushed once again.

Chi Yu and his men rushed over and glanced at Ji Xuanyu.

Chi Yan frowned and leaned close to Mu Junyan’s ear, whispering a few words.

Mu Junyan’s lips curled, and he nodded. “So it was him. Take him back.”

Chi Yan was just about to step forward when, suddenly, cries of battle erupted. A group of men wielding blades charged down from mid-mountain.

It turned out that when Lu Laosan and his group were retreating, they suddenly saw the young master riding from the cliff’s edge and sensed something was wrong. Could it be that the young master didn’t want to give up the hostage and had gone back to snatch her?

They immediately sent word to their base and called for reinforcements while they themselves turned back to launch a counterattack.

Because they were afraid Mu Junyan’s group would notice, they abandoned their carts and snuck back on foot, which caused a delay.

The mountain path was extremely narrow—barely enough for a single-person cart. On one side was a steep cliff, and on the other, a deep chasm.

Numbers meant little there; it was hard to maneuver.

Lu Laosan and his men charged in recklessly, engaging in close combat with Chi Yan’s group, but even with more Black Armored Guards arriving behind, they couldn’t break through.

The enemy managed to snatch Ji Xuanyu away. Seeing the blood covering his chest, they asked anxiously, “Young Master, how are you?”

Ji Xuanyu, upon seeing their arrival, relaxed and fainted from excessive blood loss.

Lu Laosan caught sight of Gu Hua’s bloodstained hands and his eyes went red with rage. “You hurt him again! You wretched woman! I won’t let you off!”

Lu Laosan and his men were familiar with the terrain, and being a group of brutes, the fight ended up deadlocked.

Stones along the cliff edge were dislodged and fell—danger loomed.

Mu Junyan frowned and retreated while holding Gu Hua close.

All he wanted now was to ensure Gu Hua’s safe retreat.

This was not a place for prolonged confrontation.

Ji Xuanyu, who was being carried away by his men, was jostled awake. Opening his eyes and seeing Lu Laosan’s group still fighting, he quickly ordered, “Retreat!”

“Young Master, that wretched woman hurt you!”

“I said retreat! Obey!” Ji Xuanyu roared. The exertion made his wound throb in agony.

The man figured the young master wanted to preserve their strength and quickly blew a whistle.

Hearing the retreat signal, Lu Laosan glared fiercely at Gu Hua and waved his hand. “Go!”

“Don’t pursue cornered enemies!” Mu Junyan stopped his men and carried the limp Gu Hua in his arms.

He didn’t want to create more complications. Although this person was most likely the Western Region spy they had been investigating, after all, the local patrol bureau was responsible for law and order. If he intervened too obviously, it might alert certain people.

“Chi Yan, let the patrol bureau continue the investigation. We’re leaving.”

As Mu Junyan carried Gu Hua in his arms, he suddenly noticed her body trembling.

He lowered his head and asked with concern, “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

Only now that she let her guard down did Gu Hua feel the soreness all over her body. She was also wounded in many places and felt muddled and weak.

His voice sounded distant to her as she weakly shook her head. “No…”

Mu Junyan frowned, seeing her flushed face—she seemed to have a fever.

Just then, the patrol bureau arrived with a carriage. Mu Junyan carried her over, and the patrol officer nearly popped his eyes out in shock.

Wasn’t this… the Duke Yongguo’s son’s sister-in-law?

Why was… the Duke himself holding her?

Mu Junyan gave him a cool glance. The man immediately lowered his head in fear and hurriedly explained, “My horse was too slow and couldn’t keep up with your warhorse, Your Grace.”

“These bandits are not ordinary. Investigate thoroughly. The Yichun Courtyard in the city is also under your jurisdiction now—verify every identity. Don’t miss a single suspect.”

“Y-yes, of course.” The officer wiped the sweat from his forehead and dared not look up again.

This was truly astonishing—the Duke involved with his son’s sister-in-law?

He should’ve let the carriage go first.

He should’ve walked even slower.