Big Boss – Chapter 66

Her acting skills

Between heaven and earth, it was all rain. The woman was drenched, her body slender like it had just been fished out of a lake. Her eyes were washed shut, and her pink lips resembled gemstones, standing out even more vividly in the rain.

Ye Youqing paused, staring at her blankly.

“Look at her right hand. It’s full of calluses. Only someone who has wielded a sword for many years would have such hands!” Ci Ke wiped away some unknown liquid from her face, her eyelids reddened.

Seeing Ye Youqing remain still, a chill ran up her back. She lowered her voice and choked out, “I’m not lying to you, I won’t lie to you anymore…”

Before she could finish speaking, a pair of hands suddenly wiped away the water obstructing her view. A person, taller than her, had approached without her noticing, using those smooth and soft hands, now cold from the rain, to wipe her face.

Ci Ke had been furious just moments ago. Now, soaked in the cold rain, her body trembled like a sieve. Ye Youqing felt as if her heart, too, was drenched and submerged in deep water.

“I know,” Ye Youqing said gently.

Ci Ke sniffed, her delicate nose twitching, her glass-like eyes staring at Ye Youqing, seemingly dazed.

Ye Youqing bent down to pick up the bamboo hat from the ground, lifted the veil on it, and placed it on Ci Ke’s head to shield her from the rain.

“You know?” Ci Ke murmured, though her body was shaking, her face flushed.

“When you shook your head at me yesterday, I touched her arm. How could I not see it?” Ye Youqing said softly.

“I mean, you know it’s me,” Ci Ke’s eyelashes were dotted with water droplets, which fell as she blinked.

Ye Youqing remained silent, implicitly acknowledging.

Ci Ke, slightly flustered, lowered her eyes and took two steps back, stepping into the muddy water and barely steadying herself. Her pink lips moved, “Since when?”

“A long time ago,” Ye Youqing replied.

Ci Ke widened her eyes at her, the whites reddened with blood vessels, her voice hoarse from crying, “You didn’t point it out because you were watching me for fun?”

“Why would I watch you for fun?” Ye Youqing was puzzled.

“I lied to you, so you must hate me,” Ci Ke’s mind was in turmoil. She clutched her right hand to her chest and turned to run, but Ye Youqing swiftly grabbed her long sleeve and pulled her back.

The woman started crying again, her evenly proportioned shoulders shaking continuously.

“I don’t hate you,” Ye Youqing softened her tone, speaking gently.

“I just couldn’t understand many things. I couldn’t understand why I felt sad when you admitted you were still using me, and I couldn’t understand why you lied to me in the Qiushui Palace or why you pretended to be someone else.”

“I admit I was a bit angry at first, thinking that since you didn’t want to face me, I would go along with it,” Ye Youqing sighed softly, “But that anger faded long ago.”

“You’re not angry with me anymore?” Ci Ke looked up, her eyes wet.

“No,” Ye Youqing shook her head, then smiled, “What about you?”

Ci Ke shook her head, “I’m sorry.”

The woman’s body shrank, and Ye Youqing suddenly felt a strange urge to hold her, who was shivering from the cold rain, in her arms and stroke her hair.

She resisted this impulse, only reaching out to touch her hat, “Me too.”

Ci Ke let out a faint sob left from crying, then pushed Ye Youqing, muttering, “Hurry back, your wound can’t get wet.”

Ye Youqing followed her push and stepped back. The heavy rain, which had come quickly, was now easing, turning into occasional drips. The previously obscured mountains and fields gradually came into view, freshly washed, like a vivid painting.

“Since you knew, why did you still bring her?” Ci Ke asked after steadying her breath.

Ye Youqing patiently explained what she had told Shi Li yesterday, and visibly, Ci Ke secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

“I thought you…” Ci Ke’s teeth grazed her lower lip, her voice barely audible, “had fallen for her.”

“Huh?” Ye Youqing was taken aback, touching her face in confusion.

“After all, that Lian’er is charming and knows how to please people. She’s tried every trick,” Ci Ke huffed, pinching her sleeve.

Understanding her words, Ye Youqing couldn’t help but chuckle, quickly covering it with a cough, but Ci Ke noticed and looked at her disapprovingly.

“No matter how charming she is, I’ve seen you, so I don’t find her appealing,” Ye Youqing said honestly, standing still. “Besides, haven’t you used all those tricks too?”

She turned to look at Ci Ke, whose cheeks were now a deep red from her words, her face clean and bright, without a trace of makeup, yet stunningly beautiful.

Ye Youqing’s mind spun, and she quickly turned back, walking briskly towards the teahouse.

At that moment, she was suddenly grateful that her face was still covered with disguise, hiding her true expression.

Before entering, Ye Youqing lowered Ci Ke’s veil again. If Lian’er was truly a member of the imperial family, she might have seen Ci Ke before. To prevent Ci Ke from being targeted, it was best not to reveal her face.

The two stepped over the worm-eaten threshold into the dilapidated teahouse. Lian’er, who had been warming her hands by the fire with a cup of hot tea, quickly stood up and approached timidly, looking at Ye Youqing, “Young Master, why were you gone so long, forgetting both your raincoat and hat?”

“Had to deal with something,” Ye Youqing said, naturally taking the tea from her hand and handing it to Ci Ke, speaking softly, “You must be freezing. Hold this to warm up.”

Ci Ke accepted the tea, the warmth spreading from her hands, driving away the chill that made her shiver. Under her veil, a barely noticeable smile formed at the corners of her lips, her eyes sparkling.

Lian’er, left with empty hands, had a fleeting stiff expression before lowering her eyes and going back to the fire to fetch another cup of hot water, handing it to Ye Youqing, “Young Master, warm yourself too.”

Ye Youqing smiled politely, moving to the fire to warm herself. The wood was somewhat damp, the fire not very strong, but it crackled softly, filling the small brick house with the scent of smoke.

“Young Master, Miss, these are dry clothes. There’s a room in the back. Change quickly to avoid catching a cold,” Ma Xiao said hurriedly, stuffing two sets of clothes into Ye Youqing and Ci Ke’s hands.

“You go first,” Ye Youqing said to Ci Ke.

Ci Ke nodded and walked into the room, the atmosphere between the two visibly changing, causing the others to exchange knowing glances. Shi Li sat cross-legged by the fire, smiling as she added more wood.

After everyone had changed clothes, Ma Da cooked some hot porridge for them to drink. The sky outside cleared, and a beam of sunlight broke through the clouds, piercing the almost dust-free air like a column.

There were shining water droplets everywhere, and a faint rainbow hung in the sky, dreamlike and surreal.

A few people quickly cleaned up the campfire and bundles, led the horse-drawn carriage and horses out from under the shed, checked everything, and then set off northward.

“Young Master.” Just as Ye Youqing was about to get into the carriage, she heard Ci Ke’s soft and pleasant voice behind her. Then, those clean fingernails appeared in front of Ye Youqing’s chest, tidying up her unbuttoned collar.

Ci Ke glanced at the stunned Lian’er on the carriage, then gracefully turned her waist and mounted her horse.

“Could she speak before?” Lian’er softly asked Ma Xiao beside her.

“Of course, the young lady has been with the master since childhood,” Ma Xiao, being shrewd, lied without batting an eye. “It’s just that she’s cold-natured and doesn’t usually like to talk.”

Lian’er responded with an “oh,” glancing sideways at Ci Ke, noticing her slightly furrowed brows filled with worry.

Ye Youqing heard their conversation clearly but pretended not to. She cracked the whip, and the carriage rolled through the mud, heading towards the edge of the rainbow.

This time, there were no more incidents on the road, and it didn’t rain again. The next two days were sunny, and they smoothly approached Weizhou. The further northwest they went, the more complex the terrain became, with mountains and plains interspersed, often stirring up dust.

Along the roadside, tall rocks loomed, cliffs extended to the sky, and occasionally, you could see a stretch of yellow sand being swept away by strong winds into the unknown distance.

In this region, the cities they passed were no longer as prosperous, mainly relying on farming. Due to their distance from the capital, the government’s influence was also weaker, and there were no signs of government presence in several towns.

Ye Youqing felt much more at ease. On a scorching afternoon, they stepped into the tall city gates of Weizhou.

Weizhou City was not small, with a moat outside its walls. Although the city walls were weathered, they still stood tall. However, there were no sentries on top, giving it an abandoned look.

The construction inside the city was not as good as other cities, everything was rather old. The houses were severely eroded, and the ground was not paved with blue stones but with hard, thick yellow earth, trampled by pedestrians, occasionally littered with donkey dung and chicken droppings, crushed by ox carts.

The streets were narrow with many twists and turns. Since the west side was close to Liupan Mountain, the terrain was uneven, with alleys often climbing up and then suddenly descending. The houses were also of varying heights. But fortunately, the sky was clear, and the mountain tops were green due to the summer season, making the place look vibrant.

There were also scattered shops along the roadside, but mostly selling necessities, rarely any luxurious fabrics or restaurants like in the capital. At this time, there were not many people on the streets.

At first, Ye Youqing thought the lack of people was due to everyone working in the fields during the day, but the closer they got to the city center, the more she felt something was off.

“Young Master, don’t you think this Weizhou City seems to be devoid of men?” Ma Xiao, squatting on the carriage, whispered in Ye Youqing’s ear.

Ma Xiao’s words suddenly enlightened Ye Youqing, making her nod. That was indeed the issue. Looking around, whether leading cattle or carrying baskets, almost all were women laboring.

The few people looked around in surprise. When they passed by the government office, they found that the usually imposing gate was tightly shut, as if no one was there.

Ye Youqing shook her head and said, “Let’s find a place to rest first, and then inquire about the situation.”

The passersby stared at Ye Youqing and Ma Da, whispering among themselves, their sympathetic expressions making Ye Youqing feel very uncomfortable.

It felt as if she were Tang Sanzang entering the Kingdom of Women.

Ye Youqing quickly covered her face, took out a map from her sleeve, and handed it to Shi Li, who had caught up on horseback. Shi Li took the map, looked at it, pointed to a small road beside the main road, and led the way to turn.

There were even fewer people on the small road. The doors of every house were shut, and the God of Wealth paintings on the doors were so weather-beaten that they were no longer recognizable.

The carriage stopped at an inconspicuous house. The door was an ordinary wooden one, but it was locked, with dust on the lock, looking like it had been uninhabited for a long time.

“We’re here.” Shi Li said, dismounting and taking the key from Ye Youqing to unlock the door. The group streamed in one by one.

Inside, there was a different world. The yard was large, with the house forming a square. Walking through the main hall, there was another small square yard. Two drought willows grew, their branches extending over the eaves, swaying in the summer breeze.

Ye Youqing nodded in satisfaction. She had secretly sent someone to buy this place long ago, anticipating that one day they might reach Weizhou and wouldn’t be without a place to stay.

“Wow, such a nice place!” Ma Xiao joyfully touched the carved wooden door, then entered the house, praising the simple yet exquisite furnishings.

“Everyone has had a long journey, let’s rest quickly. There should be some rice and flour in the kitchen cellar. Ma Da, go check.” Ye Youqing said, pushing open the doors of the house and looking around, “Meanwhile, let’s assign the rooms so we can rest early.”

Shi Li opened the door to the main room and said, “Young Master, you stay in this room.”

With that, she walked in to inspect, finding nothing unusual, but she opened another small door next to the main room, raising an eyebrow, “There’s another bedroom here, though it’s a bit small and might be cramped. However, it’s close to the main room, making it convenient to take care of the master.”

Upon hearing this, Lian’er walked over with light steps and said softly, “Young Master, I am but a slave. Let this slave repay your kindness by serving you.”

Due to the rain the other day, Ye Youqing’s wound had become somewhat infected and was festering. Knowing she couldn’t let this woman get too close, she was about to refuse when Ci Ke, having tied up the reins, walked over.

“Young Master,” she said softly, intentionally making her voice timid and clutching her sleeve with her fingers. “I’ve always stayed by your side. If I’m not close to you in this eerie and deserted place, I’ll… I’ll be afraid…”