The maid, alerted by Xu Caitong’s earlier cries, lifted the curtain just in time to see the motionless figure of the other maid on the ground, which made her scream in terror, “Help! Someone’s been hurt! Come quickly!” In an instant, the courtyard was lit up, and guards armed with weapons appeared from all directions. Liu Bugun, holding Xu Caitong tightly, dashed towards the wall. The servants behind him shouted and chased after him. Feeling the wind at his back, Liu Bugun dodged a swinging stick, grabbed it, and with a swift kick, knocked down the servant behind him. He then wielded the stick, creating a wind with his movements, all while managing to keep Xu Caitong safe and fend off the servants.
“Kill him, kill him!” Yang Kun, brandishing a steel knife, shouted from amidst the group of servants. Liu Bugun, not wanting to linger, pulled out a handful of stones from his pocket, threw them forward, hitting several guards, and then leaped onto the wall, escaping from Yang’s mansion with Xu Caitong.
After a series of jumps across rooftops and through narrow alleys, they ended up in what seemed like a garden. The shouts of the pursuing servants faded as they passed by outside the wall. Liu Bugun sighed in relief and looked at Xu Caitong, who was glaring at him. He removed the black cloth from his face, wiped the sweat from his brow, and released her acupressure points. Xu Caitong, now free, immediately raised her hand to slap him. “Rogue, you’re despicable!” she exclaimed, angry at his earlier liberties.
“What do you want?” Liu Bugun quickly caught her hand. “Rogue!” She was unsure if he was a good or bad person, fearing she had just escaped one danger only to fall into another. “Who’s a rogue? Be reasonable. I am your…” Liu Bugun started to say he was her future husband but stopped, unsure of why she had left home. “You are my what?” Xu Caitong, still struggling, demanded. “Your savior. If it weren’t for me, you would have been violated by that scoundrel. Miss Xu, shouldn’t you thank me instead of hitting me?” Liu Bugun had seen Xu Caitong several times at the Xu residence, though always in secret, her image was deeply imprinted in his soul; he loved her.
