Don’t be afraid
She spoke sadly, holding onto her arm, trembling as if a weak willow in the wind, shaking. It made Ye Youqing’s heart feel like a pool of water blooming, indescribable.
“Where does it hurt?” Ye Youqing looked at her.
“Everywhere hurts,” Ci Ke said, “Why did you come.”
She had deliberately ignored the hope of being rescued, telling herself repeatedly that no one would find her, until she saw Ye Youqing, then this consistent strength began to break.
No matter how distant and resolute her previous determination was, now standing in the forest before nightfall, it all seemed to vanish into thin air, disappearing without a trace.
But Ye Youqing couldn’t see her expression, thinking she was scared, which is why she kept bowing her head.
Just now was too urgent, so at this moment she finally had time to look around the surroundings. The ground was in chaos, with specks of blood on the grass and leaves. The burly man was lying on the ground in a twisted position, his upper body clothing torn open, revealing a well-bandaged wound on his waist.
Judging from the shape of the bloodstains, the wound didn’t seem shallow, but it wasn’t fatal. The blood marks on his forehead proved that he had passed out.
Luckily, Ye Youqing breathed a sigh of relief, but couldn’t help but be shocked by Ci Ke’s actions.
Ordinary women encountering such an accident would likely be at a loss and extremely fearful, but Ci Ke was able to injure the assassin severely without any martial skills, causing Ye Youqing to feel a sense of respect, as well as a bit of pity.
“Let me take a look.” Ye Youqing, seeing there was no immediate danger, reached out to touch Ci Ke’s skirt hem. Feeling Ci Ke’s slight retreat, she quickly said, “Don’t be afraid, just checking the wound.”
As soon as the words were spoken, she regretted it, thinking to herself why complicate things, what else could be done besides looking at the wound?
Unfortunately, once spoken, words cannot be taken back. Both of them blushed deeply, and in the end, Ci Ke sat against the tree trunk, exposing her legs in front of Ye Youqing.
Ye Youqing gently lifted the already muddy skirt hem, then rolled up the trousers to reveal two slender and fair calves resembling lotus roots, with visible bruising on them.
Ye Youqing bent her leg slightly and asked in a gentle tone, “Does it hurt?”
Ci Ke, with tears in her eyes, shook her head and did not look at the wound. Instead, she kept staring at Ye Youqing, even without realizing it herself.
“If it didn’t injure the bone, then it’s not too severe.” Ye Youqing nodded and asked, “Where else does it hurt?”
Ci Ke blinked her eyes, placed her hand in front of her, unbuttoned her clothes, and pulled down a side of her garment, revealing a delicate shoulder where a wound had been grazed, blood oozing from the abrasion on the skin, the flesh exposed from under the torn clothing, appearing quite gruesome.
Ye Youqing clicked her tongue and pulled out a strip of cloth from the corner of her own garment, wrapping the wound, softly saying, “There’s no medicine now, endure it for a while. Once we return to the palace, I’ll properly dress it.”
“Shouldn’t you go check on that assassin?” Ci Ke spoke, lifting her lashes, a hint of unaccountable grievance in her voice.
“Your wound is more important,” Ye Youqing casually remarked, not noticing Ci Ke’s momentary flicker of expression.
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After finishing the bandaging, Ye Youqing reached out to straighten Ci Ke’s clothes, fastened the buttons, then got up and walked over to the masked individual. She sighed softly, then pulled down the black cloth covering his face, revealing a plain, pockmarked face.
She proceeded to search him, finding nothing that could indicate his identity, which left her somewhat disappointed. However, she was relieved that Ci Ke was intelligent enough not to dispose of him directly, as that would have eliminated the only witness.
As long as there was a living person, she could always extract some information.
Contemplating this, Ye Youqing hesitated for a moment on whether to leave the person there or take him along, ultimately deciding to tie him up with two vines for easier transportation.
The mountain forest was dangerous at night, and with blood on the man’s body, if his head were to be gnawed off by some wild beast, wouldn’t all efforts be in vain?
“How did you find me?” Ci Ke had already gotten up and walked over to her side, reaching for a vine to help, but Ye Youqing snatched it back.
“You have wounds on you, and the trek has not been easy,” Ye Youqing said as she walked downhill, “I rode a horse into the mountain forest but found no way into the depths, so I had to dismount and hike up the mountain on foot. Luckily, this fool left plenty of traces along the way, which led me to you.”
She spoke casually, but Ci Ke, looking at the scratches on her face and hands from branches, pursed her lips and silently muttered, “Liar.”
Then she took small steps to catch up with Ye Youqing, quietly pinching the hem of Ye Youqing’s hanging garment with her hand. The silhouette of the woman in front was equally beautiful and young, but walking behind her, for some inexplicable reason, the howling of wild beasts could no longer be heard.
Relying on her memory of the way she came and the direction of the setting sun, Ye Youqing judged the path back to the residence. She quickened her pace, going downhill was less strenuous than going uphill, and the speed increased because some parts of the path involved not just walking.
But also rolling.
As Ye Youqing pushed the man, who had drifted in and out of consciousness, down the slope for what seemed like the umpteenth time, she finally heard Ci Ke’s somewhat joyful exclamation, “Ye Youqing, look!”
Wiping the sweat from her face, Ye Youqing raised her eyes at the words and saw, under the moonlight amidst the dark green trees, two patches of mane revealing two horses there, nuzzling each other affectionately.
While the master was busy with life and death struggles, these two horses were engaged in a love affair. Ye Youqing silently cursed, as she leaned against a tree and jumped down the slope in front of her. She reached out to grasp the reins of the two horses, pulling them out of the thicket and back onto the path.
Starting from this point, one could faintly see the forest path cleared by hunters, with occasional branches that posed no problem for riding horses.
Feeling a weight lifted off her shoulders, Ye Youqing reached out to assist Ci Ke. Watching the woman approach with a joyful expression in her eyes, Ye Youqing’s own bright eyes became more lively.
“Now, I have to rely on you again,” Ye Youqing said earnestly, masking her shyness. She helped Ci Ke onto one of the horses, then exerted great effort to tie the masked man to the saddle of the other horse. Finally, she swung a long leg over and sat behind Ci Ke with a push, but this time without holding onto her waist.
Instead, after hesitating for a moment, her hands bypassed Ci Ke and took hold of the reins, pulling them halfway into her hands.
The fragrance of powder clung to Ye Youqing’s embrace, the woman’s long hair fluttering in the wind. However, upon contact with Ye Youqing, her body stiffened in an instant.
“Let’s go,” Ye Youqing coughed uncomfortably and spoke.
Ci Ke reached out to grab the reins, urging the horse forward a few steps before suddenly releasing them, grasping Ye Youqing’s wrist instead. Her palm was slightly sweaty as she placed Ye Youqing’s arm around her waist.
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“Hold on tight,” her voice was soft, smooth, and ethereal, “what if you fall off.”
Following her instructions, Ye Youqing tightened her right arm, feeling the other’s stiff yet warm waist. She then reached out to grasp the reins of the other horse.
With Ci Ke exerting force with her legs, upon hearing a crisp “Drive” from the woman, the two horses galloped with all four hooves, running through the forest under the occasional shimmering moonlight.
The horse galloped swiftly, occasionally dodging some obstructing branches. Perhaps due to the intense adrenaline, Ye Youqing did not find this ride as unbearable as before, although she still retched a few times, but far from the previous severity.
As the light of day grew brighter, the tree shadows gradually thinned out. After passing through a lush area, they saw the light of several torches ahead. Upon hearing the sound of hoofbeats, those torch lights flickered and quickly converged towards the two.
Initially cautious, Ye Youqing relaxed upon recognizing the dark blue armor worn by their approaching figures, realizing they were imperial guards. She allowed them to encircle them without resistance.
“Miss Ye? Miss Ci Ke!” the lead guard shouted loudly, though his expression remained tense. He turned back and gestured towards a distance, “It’s the two ladies!”
“Please accompany us back to the palace, ladies!” the guard held the torch in front of him and respectfully greeted them with a clasped fist.
“This is…” the guard looked at the masked man on the other horse, frothing at the mouth from the jolting ride, his eyes narrowing, “Men, an assassin is here! Quickly, take him to the palace and report to His Majesty!”
“How is the palace?” Ci Ke spoke, and Ye Youqing could sense the tension in her leaning forward.
“The Emperor is furious. Half of the military forces have been deployed to surround the palace and search. He also ordered that if the person is not found, all those who were negligent today will be taken to the Ministry of Justice for punishment,” the guard replied truthfully. “The mountain forest is dangerous, it’s better for the two of you to come back with us quickly.”
Realizing the elaborate response was not solely for them, Ye Youqing’s heart sank, furrowing her brows, “Search for whom?”
“The Noble Consort,” the guard answered.
Ci Ke’s body went weak, almost falling off the horse, and Ye Youqing quickly reached out to steady her, her voice turning cold, “The Noble Consort was fine when I left. What has happened to her now?”
“You are not aware, Miss,” the guard looked troubled, “Afterward, dozens of skilled fighters emerged from the forest. The number of guards left at the scene was already limited, unable to handle the situation, resulting in many injuries and casualties, causing the team to scatter.”
“The assassins went straight for the Noble Consort. The guards protecting her were no match, and with no reinforcements in sight, they had no choice but to flee with the Noble Consort. They disappeared in their escape, and their whereabouts are still unknown,” the guard sighed. “The Emperor has urgently mobilized manpower from the capital to conduct a thorough search of the surrounding mountains and forests, but the Noble Consort has not been found.”
“Aunt…” Ci Ke finally regained her strength and suddenly tightened the reins, suppressing the trembling in her voice, “Where did they go?”
“It is said they headed east. The eastern region is also mountainous, and despite the extensive search by the imperial guards, there has been no news,” the guard spoke in a low voice. “The two ladies should quickly return to the palace with us. The Noble Consort has good fortune on her side and will be unharmed.”
“What do you mean unharmed!” Ci Ke suddenly exclaimed, her voice almost breaking, “If no one finds her, how can she be unharmed!”
After her words, she abruptly pulled on the reins, catching the guards off guard, causing them to be scattered by the sudden lift of the horses’ hooves.
Ye Youqing also almost fell off her horse. In the urgency of the moment, she suddenly remembered something and quickly grabbed Ci Ke’s hand, whispering in her ear, “Wait, if you don’t have a clue, where will you go to search!”
“But I can’t just sit idle.” Ci Ke said anxiously.
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Ye Youqing had never seen Ci Ke in such a panicked state. She could only firmly hold onto both her hand and the reins, soothing her down.
Her voice remained calm as usual, gradually calming down the confused and agitated woman in her arms.
“Are there cliffs nearby?” Ye Youqing turned back when she noticed Ci Ke no longer in a rush to leave, and raised her voice to address the disheveled guards.
The lead guard, finally stabilizing himself, pointed south with a torch and said, “This area is surrounded by mountains on three sides. The peak to the south is the highest, with a cliff at the top.”
“Inform His Majesty to send more people there. If nothing unexpected happens, the Noble Consort should be there,” Ye Youqing quickly stated, then met Ci Ke’s eyes as she turned to face her, noticing even the corners of her eyes were red.
Ye Youqing couldn’t bear to see such a look in her eyes, as if…
As if she was the only one left, and Ci Ke had wholeheartedly entrusted herself to her.
“Don’t be afraid, I’ll go with you.” In the end, Ye Youqing couldn’t resist her soft heart, sighed, patted her shoulder, and made a slightly grim joke, “Drive.”
