I don’t know how to ride a horse
The two of them fell silent, and Ye Youqing calmly added firewood. The aroma of roasted chicken grew stronger, mixing with the scent of grass, making it even more mouth-watering.
Suddenly, Ci Ke’s stomach growled, and she quickly covered it, her cheeks blushing slightly, and she shifted her body towards the darkness.
Ye Youqing, with keen ears, naturally heard the sound clearly. She reached for the bundle that had already sagged beside her, rummaged for a while, and took out a package of cakes wrapped in oil paper, as well as a new water pouch, and handed them to Ci Ke.
The woman did not take it, but her face in the shadow turned even redder, not out of embarrassment, but more like indignation.
Every time she passively accepted his goodwill, Ci Ke seemed to have this expression, and Ye Youqing thought about it thoughtfully.
“Chicken is used to lure foxes and raccoons. I only have dry rations,” Ye Youqing said lightly, then stuffed the cake into Ci Ke’s hand. “You are injured and need to replenish your strength.”
With that, she did not look at her anymore, simply closed her eyes to rest. She had slowly come to realize that the senses, vision, and even physical strength of this body were more than a match for her modern self.
This was probably because she had made some progress during the two years she trained under Shi Li, but in the nearly ten years since, she had lived the life of a young lady in seclusion. Aside from the basic skills ingrained in her bones, she had long forgotten most of the rest, and it was hard to bring them out.
If there was a chance, she needed to find Shi Li and relearn martial arts, as an extra guarantee.
She heard the sound of small, hurried munching coming from across from her, as if someone was starving. The movements were quick and eager, like a certain kind of animal feeding. Ye Youqing found herself imagining this animal, and a slight smile crept across her face.
Suddenly, there was a rustling sound behind her, and Ye Youqing quickly opened her eyes, stood up, and turned around. At the same time, Ci Ke also felt the hairpin on her head.
“Aiya…” a weak voice sounded, and a white ball rolled out from the dark bushes in front of them, as if it had leaked filling, with dirt and grass sticking to its black and yellow fur.
“Ah!” Ye Youqing suddenly exclaimed, setting down the stone she had unconsciously picked up and took a step forward, reaching out her hand.
It was the snow fox!
The snow fox paid no attention to her outstretched hand. Instead, it wobbled over to the roasted chicken as if in its own world, pulled down the golden-brown chicken from the rack, and greedily began to munch on it, occasionally making snuffling sounds.
Ye Youqing finally saw the fox. Feeling relieved, she smiled, “Indeed, it’s not afraid of people.”
Ci Ke took her hand down from her head, looked at the fox for a moment, and suddenly spoke, “Did you come here to catch the fox?”
Ye Youqing nodded.
“How did Miss Ye know that General Qin would use the snow fox as a gift?” Ci Ke asked, her eyes slightly narrowed, giving off a flirtatious vibe in the firelight, making her seem almost fox-like.
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It was a rather intrusive suspicion.
Ye Youqing’s heart skipped a beat, but she maintained her composure and said, “I want to gain the Empress Dowager’s appreciation at the birthday banquet, so I have to do some research. What does it have to do with Qin Wang?”
Ci Ke looked at her for a moment before shifting her gaze away.
A thin layer of sweat broke out on Ye Youqing’s back. She thought to herself, “This Zhou Ci Ke really is cunning and astute. She’s smart, even frighteningly so.”
She suddenly began to question how she had received the strange wound on her leg.
Meanwhile, the snow fox had finished eating and was now nudging Ci Ke’s leg, asking for water. Ci Ke seemed to dislike the furry creature and shrunk back in distaste. Annoyed by the nudge, she finally tilted the water pouch downwards and let a few drops of water into the fox’s mouth.
The fox wagged its tail happily, making a whimpering sound.
Ci Ke’s expression softened, her delicate and slightly upturned nose casting a shadow from the flickering firelight on her face. With her head slightly lowered, she lightly touched the furry head of the fox with her soft and slender fingertips.
“She’s a bit fierce, but she’s really beautiful,” Ye Youqing couldn’t help but tilt her head slightly.
The snow fox seemed unsatisfied and accidentally bumped into Ci Ke’s wound. The woman suddenly frowned, let out a soft cry of pain, and Ye Youqing quickly reached out and grabbed the nape of the fox’s neck, lifting it up.
“You naughty little fox, not listening will earn you punishment,” Ye Youqing looked at the whimpering fox, a corner of her lips curling up, making her appear even more charming.
Ci Ke instinctively recoiled, a hint of fear passing through her eyes.
Ye Youqing blinked, only then realizing what had happened, quickly shutting her mouth and pretending not to have seen anything. She stuffed the entire fox into the package and tied it up briskly, leaving only its furry head attempting to struggle.
The atmosphere became somewhat awkward as Ye Youqing fiddled with the thread that had been caught on her by branches.
At that moment, there was a crisp sound, as if a branch had been stepped on, breaking the current silence. It was followed by the distant sound of footsteps.
The footsteps were heavy and slow, clearly belonging to two strong men who must have followed the fox’s trail.
Ye Youqing quickly stood up, with one hand holding the package and the other scooping up a pile of prepared soil and grass, throwing it all onto the bonfire. The flames that had been burning fiercely just a moment ago quickly died down.
Oh no, she had thought that the two of them would find it difficult to escape the trap, but they had found some way to climb out from the bottom of that ten-foot deep pit!
It was hard to completely conceal the ash from the firewood, so she tried to make it less noticeable. Ye Youqing started running back the way she came, but after only two steps, she stopped in her tracks.
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She slowly turned around and saw Ci Ke still sitting in the same spot, wrapped in her outer garment, hugging her knees and looking ahead calmly, as if she was absolutely certain that Ye Youqing wouldn’t leave her behind.
“She’s just a malicious supporting female character. Even if she has reasons, I’ve helped her so many times, I’ve done my best,” Ye Youqing thought to herself.
But she was, after all, a woman and she was injured. It’s hard to say how those two men would treat her. They might leave her behind, or it could be worse.
Ye Youqing let out a short sigh and then turned around, quickly rushing to Ci Ke. She shoved the package containing the fox into Ci Ke’s arms.
Ci Ke was startled by her actions, and then looked at the little eyes of the fox that was staring at her, feeling a bit at a loss.
“You do—”
“Come up,” Ye Youqing interrupted her, calmly saying. She then reached out, grabbed Ci Ke’s shoulder, and helped her to stand unsteadily. Then, she held her left arm and turned around, presenting her shoulder to her.
Ci Ke suddenly trembled, clutching the snow fox’s neck tightly, nearly choking it.
But before she could hesitate, Ye Youqing had already forcefully grabbed her other arm. The woman’s strength was much greater than hers, but with a tug and a pull, she had already collapsed onto Ye Youqing.
Ye Youqing’s hair fluttered around her face, emitting a pleasant fragrance, not the smell of cosmetics, and quite different from what she remembered. Although her shoulder was strong, it was also slender and soft. The warmth seeped through her clothes, subtly spreading towards her heart.
In a daze, Ci Ke found herself being carried by Ye Youqing, weaving through the dark forest. They occasionally stepped on some crisp branches, and the two men, perhaps hearing the commotion, followed closely behind.
Under normal circumstances, Ye Youqing helping her again would have been a big joke, let alone carrying her, a servant, and running through the wilderness.
Ci Ke closed her eyes, hiding the struggle within.
Ye Youqing didn’t know what Ci Ke was thinking, and she didn’t have time to think about it. Even if she had good stamina, she was still a woman who hadn’t exercised in a long time. How could she outrun two men who had been in battles, especially while carrying Ci Ke on her back?
Her breathing had become very rapid, and her steps were becoming chaotic.
“I have to learn martial arts from Shi Li again when I get back,” she thought, panting heavily.
“Run towards the lake, they’re on horseback,” Ci Ke, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly spoke. Her breath sprayed onto Ye Youqing’s neck, causing a warm tingling sensation.
Ye Youqing paused for a moment, then without hesitation, turned and ran towards the large lake.
In the darkness of the night, the lake looked like a huge eye, reflecting the moon in the sky. The surrounding mountains and forests pressed menacingly towards the two of them, resembling a sleeping beast, instilling fear in their hearts.
Fortunately, once they ran out of the forest, a misty light shone down from the sky. The ground was a bit slippery, and they stumbled occasionally. But Ci Ke, who was behind her, seemed to be holding back the whole time. Even when Ye Youqing almost threw her off, she never once touched Ye Youqing.
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Ci Ke was indeed telling the truth. Tied to a short tree by the lake were three horses, two lying down and another snorting at them.
Ye Youqing’s legs felt like they were filled with lead. She bent over, gasping for air, and then let go of Ci Ke. The sound of birds chirping came from the forest behind them, and it seemed like the two of them were about to give chase.
Ci Ke, limping on one leg, quickly untied the reins and used the saddle to hoist herself onto the horse. But before she could turn around to look, another figure had likewise grabbed the reins and settled behind her.
The soothing fragrance of the woman quickly enveloped her, and Ci Ke suddenly widened her eyes. After restraining herself for a while, she used her soft and charming voice to say, “Miss Ye, if there’s another horse, why sit behind me?”
Ye Youqing looked down, feeling a bit scared of the height, then she embraced Ci Ke’s supple waist, finding it too thin and not tight enough, so she pressed forward, even resting her chin on Ci Ke’s shoulder.
In her heart, she vaguely thought that this woman looked thin, but the places where she held her were soft enough.
As soon as Ci Ke was touched, she suddenly took in a breath of cold air, her body tensed sharply, and she bit down hard on her lip.
Then she heard the woman behind her, with a clear and pleasant voice, shamelessly say, “I don’t know how to ride a horse.”
