TSWRLM -Chapter 28 A Mole

Madam Wang stayed with Chun Xi all night.

Just before dawn, there was a soft knock at the gate—three light raps.

The sound wasn’t loud, and the others were fast asleep, undisturbed. Madam Wang carried Chun Xi out of the room.

At the alley’s entrance stood a carriage, and Liu Fengyuan, cloaked in black, waited silently nearby.

It was still dark; the carriage lamps were unlit. Liu Fengyuan’s face was shrouded in shadow, losing the warmth and gentleness of daylight, giving off a subtle, sinister air.

As soon as Madam Wang arrived, Liu Fengyuan immediately lifted Chun Xi into the carriage.

The sudden lightness on her back made Madam Wang instinctively speak:

“Young Master Liu, my A-Xi has had a hard life. Please, you must treat her well and not mistreat her.”

The carriage curtain fell, blocking the view.

Liu Fengyuan didn’t respond. The coachman handed Madam Wang a silver note for five hundred taels.

Madam Wang’s expression stiffened for a moment, but she eventually took the note.

Once the carriage disappeared into the night, she wiped her eyes and turned back home.

She had already inquired about Liu Fengyuan’s identity—there was no falsifying it. Her A-Xi was smart; she wouldn’t be bullied.

With the second young master’s leg recovering, perhaps the wedding would bring good fortune, and Liu Fengyuan’s grandmother might recover as well. Then Liu Fengyuan could soon bring A-Xi back.

By taking this route, if A-Xi developed feelings for Liu Fengyuan, she would naturally understand that her mother’s actions had been well-intentioned.

A mother and daughter held no grudges overnight.

Half an hour later, the sky brightened, and the heavy city gates slowly opened.

The carriage passed inspection and left the city smoothly. Several miles later, it stopped.

Liu Fengyuan got out, and after a short while, someone else joined him.

Chun Xi immediately recognized the familiar scent of medicinal herbs.

For the past three years, she had applied medicine to his feet and body daily. She knew the smell intimately.

Chun Xi was stunned. The next moment, a warm palm caressed her cheek, followed by Wei Lingze’s deep voice: “I didn’t expect I’d have to resort to this to keep you by my side.”

“…Who could possibly imagine this?”

The second young master of the Wei family, to be married in less than two months, coaxing a respectable young woman into being his concubine through indirect means.

Who would believe it without seeing it firsthand?

Would the Wei family ancestors’ coffins even be able to bear this?

Chun Xi held her breath, afraid to open her eyes. Luckily, Wei Lingze only touched her face briefly before stepping down from the carriage.

Liu Fengyuan whispered: “Miss Chun Xi didn’t willingly come with me. What if she wakes up and tries to run?”

“Tell her it was my idea for you to bring her,” Wei Lingze replied, recalling Chun Xi’s earlier efforts to distance herself. He added after a pause: “Her family is in Hanjing. She won’t run. I’ve arranged people in Yuxian to meet you. Just follow them when the time comes.”

Liu Fengyuan relaxed and said cheerfully: “Rest assured, Young Master. I won’t let you down.”

Wei Lingze left quickly, and Liu Fengyuan climbed back into the carriage.

After a while, drowsiness hit him. He yawned and leaned against the carriage wall, about to nap, when he suddenly locked eyes with a pair of striking, round, bright eyes.

They were lively and expressive. When they smiled, they curved like a crescent moon—just like the girl who had handed him sweet water four years ago.

Wait!

How was she awake now?

Realizing the situation, Liu Fengyuan tried to stop the carriage, but Chun Xi sprang upright with lightning speed, delivering a sharp hand strike to his neck.

“…His sweet-water girl packs a punch!”

Liu Fengyuan was knocked unconscious. Chun Xi applied the same treatment to the coachman, then stripped both of their clothes and kicked them off the carriage.

She put on the coachman’s clothing and drove the carriage to Yuxian by evening.

She sold the carriage for ten taels, spent three taels on firecrackers, and another three taels to hire small street urchins to toss the firecrackers into the inn rooms where her rescuers waited.

Listening to the crackling, Chun Xi smirked.

Four taels remained. She planned to rest at an inn, regain her strength, and then return to settle scores.

Just as she crossed a street, a hand suddenly reached out from an alley and grabbed her.

Startled, Chun Xi instinctively thrust her knees upward. A familiar voice exploded in her ear:

“Don’t be afraid. It’s me.”

Master Shen?

Chun Xi froze and, under the serene moonlight, recognized Shen Qingyuan’s face.

His brows were furrowed, lips pale, and she soon smelled the metallic scent of blood.

“Sir, you’re injured?”

Chun Xi asked, astonished.

Footsteps approached in the street.

“Sorry,” Shen Qingyuan said quickly, gripping Chun Xi by the waist and lifting her close, burying his face near her neck.

The sudden warmth sent goosebumps across her skin, which had never been touched by a man before.

Her mind blanked briefly, but a glance toward the alley revealed figures approaching with large swords. She quickly regained her senses, removed her hair tie, letting her hair fall freely.

“Sir, someone’s coming! Don’t—people will think it’s indecent~”

Despite saying “shy,” Chun Xi clung closer to Shen Qingyuan’s neck.

The alley was narrow and dark, moonlight scarce. Their figures merged, heavy breaths filling the space, sparking all sorts of imaginations.

A disturbance came from another street, and the approaching threat retreated.

Chun Xi exhaled, but didn’t linger.

She quickly handed Shen Qingyuan Liu Fengyuan’s clothes: “Quick, change into this. Shall we go to an inn or the government office?”

“To the inn,” he replied.

While speaking, Chun Xi removed his hair crown and restyled his hair.

Yuxian was the closest county to Hanjing, bustling and full of inns. After only two streets, Chun Xi and Shen Qingyuan found one and checked in.

When hot water and food arrived, Chun Xi immediately secured the door and went to his bedside.

Shen Qingyuan’s complexion was even paler than before, as if death were imminent. Chun Xi frowned: “Sir, you can’t die. If you do, I won’t be able to explain anything.”

“I won’t die. It’s just a minor injury. Don’t worry. Turn away—I’ll handle it myself.”

“You’re at death’s door. Stop pretending to be strong.”

Chun Xi reached to remove his clothes. She had learned some pharmacology at the Wei household; she could bandage his wound.

Liu Fengyuan’s clothes were small, and Shen Qingyuan’s loose garments were easy to strip. His chest, muscular and defined, was revealed.

Chun Xi gasped—not out of desire, but because a long gash ran across his waist, skin torn, blood flowing freely.

Just looking at it hurt.

A “minor” injury? A severe one would send him straight to the underworld!

She shot him a sharp glare.

Shen Qingyuan, unusually guilty, coughed lightly: “The wound isn’t deep. I also carry high-quality healing medicine. It’ll be fine.”

Chun Xi found the medicine and carefully applied it.

The pain made Shen Qingyuan tense, and the blood flowed faster.

Trying to distract him, Chun Xi blurted: “Sir, you have a mole on your left chest.”

“….”

“….”