Chapter 15: Confusion

Liu Changning usually disliked taking matters into her own hands, but unfortunately, the behavior of this couple before her, twisting black and white, offended her eyes.

The red whip lashed out, leaving no room for mercy.

As the whip fell on Liu Wangcai’s body, she bared her teeth and made to retaliate. However, her hand was tightly gripped by Liu Shi. The two exchanged glances, and Liu Shi shook his head at her, discreetly whispering something in her ear.

The fierce look on Liu Wangcai’s brawny face instantly disappeared. She looked up at the gathered clansmen, her peripheral vision inconspicuously sweeping over the pool of fresh blood on the blue stone road ahead. She covered her head and offered no further resistance.

Liu Shi was a perceptive person. He figured that the man his wife-master had provoked was most likely pregnant. Today, the two of them had baselessly slandered someone’s reputation in public, without any evidence.

Moreover, that man showed signs of a potential miscarriage. If this matter really went to the authorities, not only would his wife-master come out worse for wear, but she might also face murder charges. In that case, they probably wouldn’t get a share of the family property.

Thinking of this, he suddenly felt a sense of desolation. Despite his quick wit, he was defeated by a trouble-making wife-master.

The burning pain on his body, coupled with having to forcefully restrain the fat hand beside him, enduring the beating from the farm woman in front.

Liu Changning had always been clear about gratitude and grudges. Her convenient husband had been slapped once. These two should repay with ten lashes.

After finishing the beating, the two were already battered and bruised, rolling on the bluestone-paved road, wailing incessantly. About half of the onlookers were their clansmen, who now gathered around to check on their injuries, but none came forward to intervene.

Liu Changning stepped back, turned her head, and extended her left hand. Glancing at the wound on his abdomen, she asked in a flat voice, “Can you walk? I’ll help you to the medical center.”

Pei Yuanshao was slightly stunned, his gaze fixed on the callused hand before him.

Her palm wasn’t large, but her fingers were extremely long and slender, with rounded fingertips and clean, neatly trimmed, translucent nails.

Perhaps because of the fleeting moment when she had wielded the whip earlier, leaving a lingering oddness in his heart, or maybe because of the abdominal injury today, he rarely felt a sense of vulnerability.

The teardrop mole at the corner of Pei Yuanshao’s eye quivered. He looked away and, as if possessed, grasped the hand she extended.

Their fingers intertwined, palms slightly damp with sweat.

“No need to go to the medical center, I… we’ll go back to the village.” His voice lacked its usual arrogance, his tone deep. Although his words weren’t pleasant to hear, mixed with a nasal twang, they somehow sounded oddly soft.

Liu Changning didn’t respond, her tea-colored eyes staring steadily at him.

Pei Yuanshao involuntarily felt guilty and looked away. The image of her stepping in to teach those people a lesson for him flashed through his mind, and as if possessed, he opened his mouth, about to offer some explanation: “I…”

However, the person opposite merely glanced at him, lifted his arm, and placed it on her shoulder, showing no intention of pursuing the matter. She supported him as they slowly walked out of the crowd.

Pei Yuanshao pressed his lips together, staring at her hair whorl so close to his eyes, swallowing the unfinished words.

They were extremely close, and as they moved, her scorching heat transmitted through the thin summer clothes.

Never having been in such close proximity to a woman in his past life or this one, Pei Yuanshao’s body tensed, his breathing becoming heavier, his palms covered in sweat.

He parted his lips, his mouth dry. Suddenly, he felt the weather was unbearably hot.

He pressed hard on his abdomen, a look of confusion flashing across his ink-black eyes.

Today’s deliberate setup to let Pei Yunzhi’s assassins succeed was mainly to attract Chen Nianci’s attention.

Chen Nianci had always been paranoid, and his men had been watching him for over a month.

Today, he was injured by men in black, such a big event. Given Chen Nianci’s nature, he would surely investigate personally.

When he found out that the master of the men in black was the second prince of the Jin Feng Dynasty, even if he subsequently discovered that he was the exiled Long Di Qing, a deposed and dissolute waste, it might no longer pique his interest.

On the contrary, the enemy of an enemy is a friend.

Therefore, this assassination attempt was within his expectations, and the areas where the assassin’s sword had pierced were all carefully calculated by him.

Although the abdominal sword wound looked frightening, it hadn’t actually damaged any vital organs. But now his emotions were in turmoil. Could something have gone wrong? Had the assassin’s sword reached his heart?

While hesitating, he had already been helped out of the alley by that person.

The sensation of skin contact made his cherry lips press into a straight line, desperately trying to straighten his back to create some distance between them. But with the slightest movement, the blood seeping from his abdominal wound increased.

The woman beside him seemed to notice. She turned her head to look, her brows slightly furrowed, her gaze sweeping over the trail of fresh blood drops, her tone not particularly pleasant: “If you really don’t want to go to the medical center for treatment, then stop moving around.”

She raised an eyebrow, a look of understanding crossing her face, and said coldly and mockingly, “Don’t worry, I said before, I have no other intentions towards you. I definitely won’t take advantage of you this time.”

After speaking, she continued to support him as they walked forward. Only when moving again did her steps unconsciously slow down, maintaining distance from his body except for the contact at their arms.

With the increased distance, his heart indeed felt somewhat better, though for some reason, there was a hint of sourness in his chest.

Pei Yuanshao narrowed his eyes, ignoring the inexplicable sense of loss rising in his heart, and said pretentiously, “It’s good that you know!”

He had thought she might argue with him again, but all the way, apart from hearing the even breathing of the person beside him, there was no response.

This stifling feeling in his chest persisted all the way.

When he came to his senses, Liu Changning had brought him to stop in front of the Yunlai Inn at the right side of the neighboring alley entrance.

Pei Yuanshao’s eyes showed surprise.

“Your wound needs to be treated. If we return to the village now, even if we hire an ox cart, it will inevitably be bumpy. So, how about staying in town today?”

Liu Changning turned her head. Although her tone was consultative, her feet didn’t stop. As she spoke, she had already supported him across the threshold of the inn.

The waitress was wiping sweat with a handkerchief at that moment. Seeing guests enter, she quickly came forward to greet them.

“Guests, are you looking to stay?”

Liu Changning nodded, “Two upper rooms!”

The waitress eyed her suspiciously. The woman at the door was dressed in coarse cloth, looking like a farmer. She didn’t seem like a distinguished guest, yet she asked for two upper rooms right away, quite presumptuous.

She wiped the sweat from her forehead with the handkerchief, smiling, “Well, it’s unfortunate, but due to the recent Northern Rong invasion, there have been many more guests staying in town lately. Now our inn only has one upper room left. Would you like to…”

Liu Changning’s brows furrowed slightly. The weather was already stuffy, and now she was supporting an injured person. Although it was a pity to maintain distance, there were still places where their skin touched. Her body was covered in sweat, and her shoulders had even developed a heat rash.

A look of disgust flashed across her tea-colored eyes, and she replied without hesitation, “One room is fine.”

She then took out a piece of broken silver from her purse and handed it over.

The smile in the waitress’s eyes became much more genuine. She stepped forward eagerly, took the silver, and said warmly, “Alright, guests, you’ll be staying in room Tian 3, on the second floor, far right. I’ll show you two the way.”

Liu Changning nodded without saying much, supporting Pei Yuanshao as they followed the waitress upstairs.

At the door, she instructed the waitress to bring food and hot water before closing the wooden door.

***

The person he finds displeasing in this life turns out to be his cherished wife-master in previous life…

Xie Zhi and Fang Xianxing who had known each other for less than three days through a blind date sat in the same car in front of the civil affairs bureau. They had a disagreement and failed to get married.

Xie Zhi immediately took out his phone, slid through his contacts, and randomly selected the next marriage candidate.

The woman snatched his phone and hung up. Looking at his phone wallpaper, she awkwardly changed the subject: “An ancient painting, eh? It looks pretty good, it’s just that the person in the painting looks a bit like me.”

When he heard this, he sarcastically mocked her for being so delusional, completely unaware that, the person in front of him was the reincarnation of Wen Ru, the famous prime minister of Yuan Shun whom he most admired…

The female CEO who doesn’t want to get married with a divorce agreement in hand × The male archaeological researcher who will only get married if he’s sure he can get divorced