Ye Hui smiled softly, picked up the water jug, took a few small sips, and put it down. The water was scarce, so they had to save it. Horse blood could quench thirst, but it was too pungent. Drinking too much would be unbearable for both humans and horses.
Everyone ate a bit of food and rested. Xiaolu went out to drive the cart to the foot of a sandy mountain, letting the horses avoid the scorching sun. Then he entered the car, and everyone lay down to sleep until evening.
The desert was active with animals at night. Qin Yuhang walked around and killed a huge python with his long sword, asking Xiaolu to fetch charcoal from the car. The men cleaned the python, lit the charcoal, and roasted the python meat. They collected the python blood in a basin, and after it coagulated and settled, everyone shared the water on top.
After eating and drinking, they continued their journey.
When they had gone far, a man on horseback arrived at their previous resting place – Li Weichen. He didn’t rest long before mounting his horse and following the wheel tracks westward.
He had fled from a marriage without a specific destination, but he was drawn to that woman and wanted to follow her.
My dear, I want to soak in the water a bit longer. Later, could you come to the shore and bring me a clean set of clothes from the package?”
“My dear, you’re not planning to change clothes in the water, are you?” Qin Yuhang, feeling relieved, looked completely comfortable, his joy evident on his face: “I’ll carry you to the shore to change. One is your servant who doesn’t need to be concerned, and the other I’ll tell to close his eyes. Later, I’ll hunt a mountain chicken to nourish you and help you regain the weight you’ve lost from traveling.”
“I want to soak a bit longer, you go ashore first!” She had been exposed to wind and sand for days, and rarely had the chance to bathe so thoroughly – how could she be willing to leave so quickly?
“Don’t soak too long, just call me if you need anything.”
Qin Yuhang had to give up, came ashore, had Xiaolu bring the package, and dressed neatly. Walking to the cooking fire, he saw there was nothing good to eat. He turned and took his sword, planning to hunt a mountain chicken or yellow goat to nourish his wife.
Ye Hui watched her husband walk away, playing alone in the water, stretching her lotus-like arms and making dance-like poses.
She had learned synchronized swimming for a few years when she was young, and was later noticed by the provincial team, but she found it too difficult and gave up. Fortunately, her parents were open-minded, believing that learning skills was about self-enrichment, not suffering.
The lake water was excellent, clean and refreshing, unlike modern pools with bleach and chemicals harmful to eyes and skin.
Ye Hui was enjoying herself, extending her hands and legs, performing various difficult moves. Suddenly, she flipped upside down, her legs rotating in a circle, creating an extremely elegant pose.
Synchronized swimming, also known as water ballet, is an artistic water sport that would amaze anyone who sees it. “Lotus emerging from clear water” perfectly describes these beautiful girls.
Ye Hui emerged from the water, brushing back her tangled hair. Suddenly, she felt her waist tighten, a pair of arms pulling her into a broad embrace, a strong masculine scent filling her nostrils. She thought it was her husband, but turning her head, she was stunned – the man holding her had a face she had never seen before.
Even more awkward was that they were both completely naked, skin touching, causing him to tremble.
How could there be another man in the lake? Ye Hui panicked, about to scream, but in the next second, she was forcefully kissed, her delicate teeth pried open, his tongue entangling with her soft tongue. One large hand held her in place, the other caressing her body, cupping and kneading her breast when it reached there.
The man was incredibly strong, his hands like pincers.
Ye Hui couldn’t move at all, gasping for breath from the kiss, nearly suffocating. From the organ pressing against her lower abdomen, she knew she might be about to be assaulted, her eyes showing humiliation, mumbling, hoping her husband on the shore would hear and come to her rescue.
The man finished kissing her, covering her mouth to prevent her from sending any distress signal.
He gave a mocking look, whispering: “Next time you’re intimate with your husband, be sure to check if there are outsiders around. Holding your breath in the water grass for so long could kill you.”
Could he have seen everything? Ye Hui thought in terror, never expecting to encounter someone in this uninhabited small oasis in the desert. Why didn’t her husband, usually so alert, notice? Unless this man’s skills were superior to her husband’s?
Despite his heightened desire, the man did not assault her, which somewhat reassured her.
☆、15 Senior Brother
“If you promise not to call out, I’ll let you go,” he said, not afraid of anyone threatening him, just finding complications troublesome.
The man’s pupils appeared dark brown in the sunlight, deep and cold.
Ye Hui quickly nodded. Facing this man radiating danger, she knew screaming would cost her life before her husband could arrive, and she didn’t want her husband to see such an embarrassing scene.
“What’s your name?” The man released his grip, his expression shifting, looking her up and down as if inspecting merchandise.
“Ye Hui,” she answered softly, uncomfortable with his uninhibited gaze, crossing her arms and lowering her head, trembling. Deep down, she understood she wasn’t as afraid as she appeared. Resisting such a strong opponent would be futile; her best strategy was to use a woman’s innate advantages to soften his hard heart.
“The ‘Ye’ as in leaf, the ‘Hui’ from ‘wise and beautiful’?”
She slowly nodded, trying to appear pitiful. Perhaps from genuine fear, a crystal-clear tear rolled down her cheek when she glanced up.
The man looked at her crystal-clear tearful eyes – she seemed only fifteen or sixteen. Her delicate skin bore bruises from his earlier rough handling. He turned, retrieved an oil-cloth package from the water grass, opened it, found a small porcelain bottle, and applied some ointment to her bruised areas.
“Massage the ointment a bit so it penetrates the skin, and it’ll heal faster.” He gently rubbed with his fingertips – it had been over a decade since he’d been this gentle with anyone, having coldly observed the world since narrowly escaping death years ago.
“Move your hands, you have bruises on your chest too. I’ll apply ointment there.”
Ye Hui trembled, holding herself tighter.
The man frowned, separating her arms from her chest. Her delicate breasts were marked with his fingerprints. Seeing these obvious bruises, he suddenly despised his own loss of control.
His fingers applying ointment made his breathing quicken. He wanted to hold her tightly but knew restraint was crucial – he couldn’t frighten her, or everything would be meaningless.
“Apply it again tomorrow morning, and it’ll mostly heal,” the man said, suppressing his rising desire, handing her the remaining ointment.
“My name is Huangfu Zeduan. Remember this name.”
The man found an oil-cloth package in the water grass, casually throwing on clothes, not caring about the wet droplets, and walked towards the opposite shore with his sword.
Ye Hui crouched down, hiding herself in the water, afraid that the man might turn back. She was not interested in his name, it was none of her business; after today, they would never meet again! Just as she was thinking this, a voice came from the shore:
“We will meet again soon.”
The man reached the shore and strode towards a small grove of trees to the north. His tall, upright body cast a shadow on the ground, creating an oppressive atmosphere.
