Yun Zhi kept observing Gu Qingtong and Yun Qian’s expressions. The woman showed little reaction, but the worry in Yun Qian’s eyes was hard to ignore. This woman had a much greater impact than Qing Chu.
Gu Qingtong had seen Yun Qian before, but this conflicted and uneasy expression was new to her.
Yun Qian knew that anything he said would provoke Yun Zhi and potentially harm him, so he remained silent, slowly sipping the clear wine.
Yun Zhi chuckled and said nothing, drinking in sync with Yun Qian.
Gu Qingtong watched the two drinking, the atmosphere strange and their expressions odd. Suddenly, Yun Zhi fell onto her, immobilizing her. She glared at Yun Qian.
Yun Qian smiled faintly, pushing Yun Zhi aside onto the ground, and picked up Gu Qingtong: “Qing Qing, I didn’t expect to meet you like this.”
With the border war ongoing, no one had time to mess with Zhi Wang, and the governor’s residence was understaffed. Yun Qian carried her out as if no one was around.
Even the two maids who noticed something unusual didn’t dare to stop him, instead going to check on Zhi Wang, only to find him already unconscious.
“What should I call you? Yun Leshi?” Gu Qingtong looked at him without any fear, raising an eyebrow.
“You can call me A Yan,” he replied.
“Are you a prince of Yun Qiong Kingdom?” Gu Qingtong asked after a moment of silence.
“No,” he answered.
“Not a prince?”
“The current emperor of Yun Qiong Kingdom is my uncle. My father is the Li Wang, and I’m just a small county king.”
“But I heard Zhi Wang refer to himself as ‘this king’.”
“Oh, he was more powerful before and had already been granted the title of king,” Yun Qian said casually.
“Why did you leave Yun Qiong, and why have you returned now?” she asked.
“Zhi Wang and I had a falling out over a woman. Feeling guilty, I left. But I unexpectedly met you in Yuan Zhao Kingdom and stayed there for five years. Unfortunately, you didn’t love me, and I was about to give up when you appeared before me again,” Yun Qian paused, looking at the dark sky. “This must be fate.”
Gu Qingtong felt awkward: “You’re quite frank with me.”
“Zhi Wang can’t compete with me. When I return to the capital, I’ll marry you. Since we’re to be husband and wife, I naturally must be honest with you.”
“Nonsense!” Gu Qingtong quickly responded.
Yun Yan no longer responded, already carrying her out of the governor’s mansion, where a horse-drawn carriage was waiting outside.
Gu Qingtong boarded the carriage, hearing Yun Yan instruct the coachman to head out of the city, and knew his words were true. Was she to escape from Yun Zhi’s hands only to be taken back to Yunqiong Capital by Yun Yan, continuing their entanglement?
Gu Qingtong did not want to be entangled with him, but did she have any other choice? She looked at her feet and laughed helplessly.
Yun Yan glanced at her feet and smiled: “You don’t need to worry. When we return to the capital, I’ll find the best doctor to treat you, ensuring no lingering illness.”
“You’re quite confident now,” Gu Qingtong noticed that he was completely different from the musician at Huahaoyueyuan Pavilion, though still just as obsessive.
The coachman was fast, already leaving Lanca City and heading south.
Gu Qingtong, seeing him silent, caught sight of the whip wounds on the back of his hand, inflicted by Yun Zhi that day, now unbound and covered with a thick layer of dried blood, looking somewhat horrifying.
Yun Yan noticed her expression change and tugged at his sleeve to cover it: “It’s nothing, it’ll be better in a few days.”
Gu Qingtong was silent for a moment before asking: “Do you know how Liang Luoxian is?
Yun Yan was stunned hearing Liang Luoxian’s name, then his expression turned cold: “Her affairs have nothing to do with me.”
“You and her…”
“Shut up!”
Gu Qingtong didn’t expect to provoke him so easily. Liang Luoxian had impersonated her to deceive him and was pregnant with his child, which was surely his disgrace. Now that he had returned to Yunqiong, those years in Yuanchao Country were probably unspeakable for him.
Yun Yan saw her shrink her neck, seemingly scared by his loud voice, and sighed: “I didn’t mean to.”
Gu Qingtong had her own thoughts and turned away, no longer engaging with him. She lifted the carriage curtain to look outside; besides the lantern at the front of the carriage illuminating the path, there was no other light. “Why are we leaving the city at night? I’m tired and haven’t properly rested for several days. I want to find a place to sleep peacefully.” She thought that if she could drag things out on the road, perhaps Yu Rong might still come to rescue her. If they reached the capital, it would be much harder, and the further they were from Xibei City, the more difficult escape would be.
Yun Yan saw the darkness under her eyes and knew she must have crossed Qinmeng Peak to reach the border, clearly exhausted. But he couldn’t stop: “Qingqing, just endure a few more days. Once we’re out of Yun Zhi’s control, we’ll find a place to rest properly.”
Hearing this, Gu Qingtong had nothing more to say and closed her eyes, ignoring him.
Yun Yan saw her return to her previous indifferent attitude and bitterly smiled: she was still heartless towards him, speaking a few more words to him was just to probe for information.
Gu Qingtong jolted with him in the carriage for half a day until noon the next day when they finally found an inn to fill their stomachs. She sat in the inn, eating her meal in small bites, looking around, hoping for something unexpected to happen.
Heaven might still favor her, and something unexpected did occur – someone kicked open the door and restrained Yun Yan.
However, this unexpected event didn’t seem good, as the one who kicked in and stopped Yun Yan was the Zhi Wang – who had caught up after the effects of his sedative wore off.
Zhi Wang knocked him down with one punch, causing him to cough up a large mouthful of blood.
The inn’s other patrons were scared away, and Zhi Wang’s men were blocked outside. Only Gu Qingtong sat at the table, watching Yun Yan being beaten black and blue by Yun Zhi without being able to fight back. Finally, Zhi Wang stopped, but continued cursing, seemingly reminiscing about their past.
Yun Zhi was beaten until his nose was bleeding profusely. He wiped his face with a horizontal hand, and when he turned his head, he saw that Yun Yan’s anger had dissipated, his expression calm as if nothing had happened.
He suddenly saw a touch of crimson at the corner of the table.
As Yun Yan was about to stand up, Yun Zhi suddenly leaped forward and strode to Gu Qingtong’s side, grabbing her neck: “Yun Yan, I’ll strangle her right now and have her accompany Qing Chu in death.”
“Are you crazy!” Yun Yan’s expression changed dramatically, never expecting Yun Zhi to be so mad for Qing Chu, unable to distinguish right from wrong.
“I am crazy! I’ve been crazy since Qing Chu died! I’ll kill her!” Yun Zhi saw the fear and rage in Yun Yan’s eyes, feeling particularly pleased.
Gu Qingtong was choked, unable to move, only desperately clutching his wrists with her hands. But her strength was no match for a strong young man, her face turning deep red.
Yun Yan wanted to step forward, but Yun Zhi drew a dagger from his waist and held it to her face.
Gu Qingtong saw the cold glint and, unable to stand, her body kept sinking. Yun Zhi had forgotten she couldn’t stand and thought she was resisting, raising his dagger to stab.
Yun Yan’s eyes widened, about to rush forward when suddenly a short arrow shot through the window, piercing Yun Zhi’s wrist.
“Qing Qing!”
Yun Zhi cried out in pain and pushed Gu Qingtong away. Before Yun Yan could see who had arrived, Gu Qingtong was taken out the window, with a man anxiously calling her “Qing Qing”.
He ran to the window, but they had vanished.
