The cold wind howled, and the road was bumpy at night. Yu Shu did not know how far they had run. She sat behind Xue Rui, her arms tightly wrapped around his waist. Her fingers were numb from the cold. Not only was she cold, but she was also full of hesitation.
"We're almost there!" Jin Ke led the way in front. They had already prepared an escape route. Close to the riverbank, there was a small boat hidden in the weeds. It was just big enough for the five of them.
Xue Rui got off the horse and carried the frozen Yu Shu down. He held her hands together and took a few deep breaths of warm air. Then, he pulled her to a sheltered place and ran to help Jin Ke and Zhao Xiaozhu lift the boat out.
"Cough, cough." Yun Hua walked to Yu Shu's side. A wine pouch appeared in his hand. He handed it to Yu Shu and gestured to her, "Drink, drink more."
Yu Shu gritted her chattering teeth and took the wine pouch without another word. She gulped it down. The hot liquid burned her throat, and her body finally felt warm.
On the riverbank, Xue Rui and the others had just pushed the boat into the water. The wide river surface was covered in a layer of cold blue. The rich hue made people feel danger for no reason. Traveling by water in this weather, they would be frozen to death if they were not careful. However, they had no other choice. Only by traveling by water could they escape from the imperial court's soldiers.
Yu Shu and Yun Hua were the same. They did not believe that the Great Tidian would let them live. However, because she was still in Yun Hua's hands, they had no choice but to let them escape a distance first. Once they lost the protective talisman that was Yu Shu, the Great Tidian would definitely order for them to be killed.
"You can leave with us." Yun Hua seemed to have seen through her thoughts. There was a hidden temptation in his broken voice. "I already know about the matter between you and Shi Ning. After we escape to the border town and settle down, I will make the decision to let the two of you get married."
This was a very tempting proposal. After obtaining the "Book of Mystic Fairy's Six Rens", she would no longer have any misgivings. The next step would be to obtain the Heaven's Will Tai Bone. It was easy to imagine what Yu Shu would face when she returned to the capital.
Going far away with Xue Rui had become her only way out. However, did the Great Teacher not consider this point? He dared to let her go because he was confident that she would eventually return to the capital and back into the palm of his hand.
Going back would mean parting with him, and parting would be their last farewell.
Yu Shu clutched the wineskin tightly. She knew that she was in a desperate situation, and her heart was filled with sorrow. She looked at Xue Rui's busy figure, and her eyes suddenly felt a little sore. She was a person who never cried, but at this moment, she could not help but want to cry.
"Senior Martial Brother," she suppressed her nasal voice and forced a smile. She said to Yun Hua, "You lied to me once, and you want to lie to me a second time? Do you think I don't know what you are thinking? You can't kill me because of my big brother, but you don't want me to go back and be used by the Great Teacher, so you want to coax me to go with you, right?"
Hearing a trace of resentment in her words, Yun Hua said, "You are right. I don't want Zhu Muzhao to obtain the Heaven's Will Tai Bone because your child with Jing Chen is my grandson. If you don't go with us, are you going back to the capital to die for Jing Chen?"
Yu Shu said coldly, "If I don't go back to the capital, am I going to be like you, a heartless person who abandons his family and son?"
In the darkness, they could not see each other's expressions clearly. Her words seemed to have poked at Yun Hua's scar, and he fell silent. Yu Shu did not regret saying those harsh words. Yun Hua wanted to kill her earlier, and it was impossible for her not to bear a grudge. If it were not for Xue Rui's vow to live and die with her, if Yun Hua really wanted to fight the Great Teacher head-on, she would have been a dead person by now.
In this short period of time, Xue Rui and the others had already packed up. They called for Yun Hua and her to board the boat first. Jin Ke drove the horses far away, and Zhao Xiaozhu and Xue Rui cleaned up the traces on the shore. Only then did they work together to escape from this place.
Jin Ke wore a straw cape and was rowing the boat at the bow. Yun Hua, Zhao Xiaozhu, Xue Rui, and Yu Shu were all hiding in the cabin. The cabin was small and narrow, and if they stood up, they would have to bump into each other. The roof could block the wind, but it could not block the cold. The few of them were so cold that their lips turned blue. Fortunately, there was a stove to keep them warm, and it was better than nothing.
Zhao Xiaozhu squatted by the stove to boil water. He was fiddling with the stove, planning to make tea to drink. As he busied himself, he peeked at the two people who were huddled together on the opposite side. Xue Rui wrapped Yu Shu in a quilt and hugged her tightly in his arms. She rested her head on his shoulder, and his chest pressed against her face. It was a gentle and loving scene. This kind of intimacy was not something that a brother and sister could have.
Yun Hua was covered with another quilt. His eyes were closed, and no one knew what he was thinking. Zhao Xiaozhu looked at his adoptive father's pale face and coughed. He pretended to be relaxed and said to Xue Rui and Yu Shu, "Neither of you have been to the border town, right?
Let me tell you, that place is much more interesting than the capital city. Even the food and clothes are different. Have you seen camels? Have you seen the Gobi Desert? Later on, I will bring you to the Gobi Desert to ride on camels to watch the sunset. At night, we will set up our tents and drink around the fire for the whole night. The emperor is far away, and no one will be able to stop us. I will roast a tender lamb for you, that taste, tsk tsk … "
Once Zhao Xiaozhu started talking, he could not shut up. Yu Shu and Xue Rui listened quietly. No one interrupted him. Under the quilt, the two pairs of hands were tightly held together. Gradually, there was warmth.
After an unknown amount of time, Zhao Xiaozhu suddenly stopped talking. Yun Hua opened his eyes and saw that the two of them had fallen asleep in each other's arms. He sighed silently. There was a moment of hesitation in his eyes, but he quickly calmed down.
Just like this, the ship sailed for an entire night, and it docked once before daybreak. Jin Ke ran to a nearby village to buy a few inconspicuous clothes, and he asked Yu Shu and Xue Rui to change into them. After that, they disguised themselves and sank the ship, and then they hitched a carriage to continue their journey.
They traveled for two days and two nights, bypassing the area around Taiyuan. On the evening of the third day, they arrived at a small town. Yun Hua was helped down from the carriage by Jin Ke. He looked up at the sky and said after a while, "Let's stay for the night. It's snowing at night."
So they found an inn in the town to stay. It was only the tenth day of the first lunar month. The commoners had not come out from the New Year. There was only a shopkeeper and a waiter in the inn. The cook had gone home for the New Year, so the backyard was empty. They simply asked for four rooms in one go. Other than Zhao Xiaozhu, who shared a room with Yun Hua so that it would be convenient to take care of him, the others had their own rooms.
The carriage was pulled into the backyard. Jin Ke unloaded the carriage and asked the waiter to feed the horses. He called Zhao Xiaozhu to make the bed and he went to chop firewood to boil water. Yu Shu saw that they were busy, so she wanted to go up and help, but who knew that Xue Rui would pull her back and bring her into the room. He pressed her down on the bed, took off her boots, and wrapped her tightly in a blanket.
"Lie down and don't move. I'll go look for something to eat."
Along the way, Yu Shu's lips were full of dry skin. The men were fine, but she was a girl with delicate skin and tender flesh. Her hands and feet had long been frozen and cracked. Her feet were swollen, painful and itchy. She endured it and did not make a sound. It did not mean that Xue Rui did not know.
He asked the shopkeeper in front of him. Before the sky turned dark, he found a medicine shop and made some frostbite medicine. He also bought a few ounces of red dates and cloud ginger. When he returned to the inn, he went into the kitchen.
Jin Ke came in with a pile of firewood. When he saw Xue Rui squatting by the stove, he quickly put down the things and went forward to help him. "Let me do it. You can go and rest."
After all, he was simple and honest. He knew that it was their fault for deceiving Xue Rui this time. Xue Rui did not even look at him during the whole journey. Jin Ke secretly complained. He was afraid that Xue Rui would bear a grudge against him. How could he not please him when he had the chance?
Xue Rui didn't argue with him. He stood up and let him add firewood to the fire. He took two bowls and first soaked the medicinal ingredients in vinegar. Jin Ke often traveled the jianghu and was experienced and knowledgeable. When he saw the vinegar medicine, he knew that it was a folk prescription for frostbite. Seeing that the other's hands were clean, he guessed that the other's feet were frozen, so he fawned and said,
"When the water boils, I will soak your feet first."
Xue Rui looked at him coldly. Jin Ke didn't dare to say anything else and obediently boiled the water. Xue Rui turned around and went to the room to find a teapot. When the water boiled, he first boiled a pot of red dates and cloud ginger tea. Then he poured a large basin of hot water and brought it into Yu Shu's room.
Zhao Xiaozhu hid on the side and only squeezed into the kitchen when she saw him go out. She stood next to Jin Ke and bumped his shoulder. She whispered, "Eldest Brother, did you see it?"
Jin Ke frowned, "What?"
Zhao Xiaozhu stuck out two thumbs up and winked at him, "Second Brother and Miss Yu are like this."
Jin Ke had a bitter expression on his face. Of course he could see it. Otherwise, why would he be worried? It had to be known that he had almost killed Yu Shu in front of Xue Rui. How could Xue Rui not be angry at him?
"Get lost, you know a lot. If you have the time to gossip, don't you want to eat? Hurry up and find some rice and noodles! "
Zhao Xiaozhu was scolded for no reason and dejectedly went to find the innkeeper to ask for ingredients. Inside the room, Xue Rui sat at the head of Yu Shu's bed. He used hot water to wash a handkerchief and was about to wipe her face. Yu Shu's face was scraped and she didn't want him to look at her ugly appearance, so she stretched out her hand and said,
"I'll wash it myself."
Xue Rui took the opportunity to pull her hand. When he looked down, he saw that her knuckles were red and swollen. Some of them had small cracks and blood scabs. He didn't say a word as he gently wiped her palm and the back of her hand clean and stuffed them back into the quilt.
Yu Shu couldn't dissuade him and could only let him serve her once. However, after washing her hands and face, she saw that he brought a wooden basin over and rolled up her sleeves to test the water temperature. He wanted her to stretch out her feet, but she refused to do so no matter what.
"How can I ask you to wash my feet? No, no, no." Yu Shu didn't know whether to laugh or cry as she pushed him, "Go out, I'll soak myself."
Xue Rui squatted by her bed and raised his head to look at her, "A daughter's feet can only be seen and touched by her husband. In my heart, you're my wife. I won't marry anyone but you."
Yu Shu was a little absent-minded. His tone was too serious, and his gaze was too sincere. So much so that his words didn't sound like a confession to her, but more like a vow. She should have replied with, "I won't marry anyone but you," but her mouth felt like it was glued to paste. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't open her mouth.
However, when she saw his gaze gradually darkening, she couldn't bear it. Although she didn't speak, she stretched out her feet and placed them on his knees. His pair of dark and bright eyes instantly lit up.
After washing her feet, Xue Rui applied chilblain medicine on her hands and feet. He watched her drink a big bowl of red date cloud ginger tea before he closed the door and left.
Jin Ke and Zhao Xiaozhu were still cooking in the kitchen. Xue Rui went to the guest room opposite. Yun Hua had changed into a clean set of cotton-padded clothes and was sitting on the bed. He held a cup of steaming hot tea in his hands and covered himself with half a blanket. It was obvious that his two foster sons had taken good care of him.
Xue Rui did not beat around the bush. He went straight to the point and asked him, "What are your plans?" He did not believe that Yun Hua would leave everything behind and live in seclusion in Border Town.
Yun Hua patted the side of the bed. Xue Rui walked to his side and sat down. There was an oil lamp at the head of the bed. Yun Hua relied on the few inches of light to scrutinize Xue Rui.
He slowly opened his mouth and said, "Let's go to Border Town first and hide for two or three years."
Xue Rui sneered and said, "First, there's the hatred of killing my father. Now, there's the hatred of stealing my wife. You want me to hide and be a coward?"
"The hatred of killing my father … The hatred of stealing my wife?" Yun Hua muttered. In this world, if there was anything that one could not tolerate, it would be nothing more than these two things. The accusation of killing his father was because of Xue Zao. Zhu Muzhao had personally admitted that he was the one who killed him. The accusation of stealing his wife was because of Yu Shu. She and Xue Rui had promised to marry each other, but they could not live together. It was also because of Zhu Muzhao's coercion.
With such a deep hatred, as a man of indomitable spirit, how could Xue Rui be willing to hide and drag out an ignoble existence?
Yun Hua did not know what to do. He was afraid that Xue Rui had the idea of risking his life to return to the capital. So, he became serious. "If you want to take revenge, I will naturally not stop you. But if you want to throw an egg against a rock and die, I will never agree to it. With your current situation, if you want to seek revenge from Zhu Muzhao, it is no different from an ant trying to shake a tree. I know that you are reluctant to part with Yu Shu and do not want to be separated from her. But if you follow her back to the capital, she can keep her life, but you will only have a dead end. It is better for both of you to go your separate ways and live your own lives. "
"You can rest assured that I will not return to the capital at this time." Xue Rui furrowed his eyebrows and said in a deep voice, "When I return to the capital, it will be the time for me to take my revenge."
When Yun Hua saw him like this, he felt both gratified and guilty. He reached out and patted his shoulder. He said, "No matter what, I will help you."
Xue Rui did not dodge. After he was comforted, he got up and refilled a cup of hot tea for him. Yun Hua was a little overwhelmed by the favor. Then, he saw his son tuck the corner of the blanket for him with an expressionless face. He bent over and got closer to him.
He asked in a low voice, "Did you really get the Book of Fantasy Fairy's Six Rens?"
Yun Hua was stunned. Before he could answer, Xue Rui retreated. A pair of intelligent eyes fell on his face. After a while, he turned around and left with his master.
.....
There was meat and vegetables for dinner. After being hungry for a few days, Yu Shu finally had a hot meal. Xue Rui kept putting food into her bowl and adding soup. Jin Ke's cooking skills were really good. They caught a pheasant on the road. He stewed it into a pot of chicken soup, and most of it went into her stomach.
After the meal, a waiter cleaned up the dishes, and they went back to their rooms to rest. Yu Shu extinguished the oil lamp and lay on the bed. She listened to the movements next door and distinguished the sound of Xue Rui pouring tea. When it was completely quiet on the other side of the wall, she slowly closed her eyes.
The wind outside the window sounded like crying. In the darkness, Yu Shu suddenly opened her eyes and sat up from the bed. She fumbled to put on her shoes and put a blanket on her body. She walked step by step to the door, opened and closed it, and then walked step by step to the door next door. She bent two fingers and gently knocked on the door.
"Big brother, are you asleep?"
In the room, Xue Rui heard her calling at the door, so he hurriedly turned on the light. He didn't even bother to put on his clothes as he took large strides to open the door for her. The cold wind gushed in, and she hugged the blanket with disheveled hair as she stood pitifully outside the door. Without saying a word, he pulled her in and shut the door tightly.
"It's so cold outside. Why did you come out?" Xue Rui took her to his bed and sat down. It was not because he was impulsive, but because the guest room was simple and small. There was only such a place in the small room for people to sit.
Yu Shu blinked her eyes and whispered, "I can't sleep alone."
Alone, can't sleep. Xue Rui was stunned when he heard this. At any rate, he'd lived a romantic life, so how could he be unable to understand the meaning behind these words? But the person who spoke these words was Yu Shu, and it caused him to be at a loss for what to do.
Seeing him in a daze, Yu Shu secretly clenched her teeth. She pretended that he did not understand, so she thickened her face and said, "It's cold at night, let's squeeze together."
When she finished speaking, she felt her face burning. In her two lives, this was the first time she was so shameless. She even brought the blanket over, determined to sleep with him tonight.
When Xue Rui saw her like this, how could he bear to refuse her? He laughed and sighed, then rubbed her hair before bending over to remove her shoes. "Then you lie on the inside, I'll lie on the outside."
"En." Yu Shu curled up her blanket and shyly climbed inside to lie down. Xue Rui checked the door and window before he also went to bed. He shook off his blanket and covered her with one layer before he lay down. This way, although they were lying on the same bed, there was a blanket between them.
There was only one pillow, so he gave it to Yu Shu. He used his arm as a pillow and looked at her softly, "Sleep, I'll watch over you."
The lamp on the bedside was lit, but the light was not as bright as his eyes. Yu Shu stretched out a finger and moved it from his forehead to the bridge of his nose. She copied the outline of his face and wanted to remember this face in her heart.
Xue Rui indulged her every move. He resisted the urge to pull her into his arms and knead her into his bones. He allowed her fingers to caress his lips and lift his chin.
Yu Shu leaned over and quickly kissed him. Xue Rui chuckled and caught her finger to his lips. He also pecked it. The slightly sour medicine on her hand did not smell good, but he was reluctant to let go.
"Does your hand still hurt?"
"It doesn't hurt anymore."
"What about your feet?"
"It doesn't hurt anymore."
"Are you cold?"
Such a simple answer, even though it didn't mean anything, made Yu Shu's heart beat faster and faster. It invisibly gave her courage and made her let go of her reservations. She just wanted to be closer to him, even closer.
"Cold." She lifted the inner layer of the blanket and crawled into his bed. Before he could react, she reached out and hugged his waist, burying her face in his chest. She only had a layer of clothing on her body. Under the thin material, it was clear that her body was burning hot. Sticking to him like this, it was simply burning him.
"Big Brother, we are husband and wife when we share the same bed. I only have you in my heart." Her voice was bitter.
Xue Rui's heart fiercely pounded. He was still able to act like a gentleman earlier, yet at this moment, he'd forgotten all propriety, and his ears droned. When he returned to his senses, he'd already tightly embraced her. He held onto her back with one hand and held up her head with the other, then he impatiently bit her lips and covered the heavens and the earth as they intertwined, and they kissed to the point both of them were unable to catch their breaths.
"Ah Shu …" He buried his head in her neck. His breathing was uneven and he was trembling slightly, as if he was trying his best to restrain himself. His moist breath drilled into her ears, "Wait for me. After I finish, I will come to pick you up and let you marry me."
Yu Shu's heart trembled and her eyes became wet. On the way to escape, he did not ask her to stay, nor did he ask her to make a choice between him and her family. It was not because he did not want her to go with him, but because he understood her too well. So, he could not even ask her to stay. He was not afraid that she would refuse, but he was afraid that she would be put in a difficult position.
This kind of care, how could she not love him? She wanted to give her life to him, but she had a large family behind her. There were more than a dozen lives, so she could not do as she pleased. She could only bear the pain and part with him.
She also understood him. How could he let go of his father's death? This time, he left to make a comeback in the future. If he wanted her to wait, then she would go back and wait for him. Whether it was three or five years, or ten or twenty years, with this hope, she believed that they would meet again one day.
"Okay." She wrapped her arms around his neck and fiercely bit his shoulder. Her tears silently fell, "Don't lie to me. I will wait for you to marry me."
With this promise, it was better than a thousand words. Both of their hearts were at ease.
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