CHAPTER 12

When Yi Qiancheng woke up, the sky was completely dark.

He felt the sharp pain in his shoulder and furrowed his brow ever so slightly. For a moment, he was confused. The ground beneath him was hard, and he couldn’t immediately recall where he was.
Then, the sound of soft breathing reached his ears. Turning his head, he saw the faint moonlight falling on Lian Sheng’s profile, casting a small shadow. She was curled up, hugging her knees, fast asleep.

It was only then that Yi Qiancheng remembered their current situation—

He had been pursuing the black-clad men who appeared in Qihuang Mountain. To pull Lian Sheng back, he had fallen off the cliff with her. At the last moment, he found this stone cave and used the momentum to push himself and Lian Sheng into it.

As his memory returned, Yi Qiancheng felt even more bewildered.

Since it was nighttime, and the only other person alive was asleep, he maintained his dazed expression and reflected on his own actions—

He had grabbed Lian Sheng and fallen off the cliff with her. He’d grabbed her... Turning his head again, he looked at the woman sleeping soundly beside him.

Why on earth had he grabbed her?

His mind blanked out for a moment, and then he remembered that right before they fell, Lian Sheng had timidly called out, “Husband.”

Before he realized it, his body had moved faster than his thoughts, and he had reached out to hold her.

Yi Qiancheng felt something was deeply wrong with him. He was a young man in his prime—had his body already stopped obeying his brain? Why would he save that woman? Oh, right, she was a woman from Yingtong, so that must be why he saved her.

After slowly finding this excuse, his gaze lingered on her again.

Though the night was dark, the moonlight was brilliant.

The light streamed through the cave entrance, falling on both of them. Lian Sheng looked disheveled, her clothes in disarray. The hairstyle she had meticulously arranged in the morning had completely unraveled, leaving her hair cascading down her back.

Now, hugging her knees, her hair spilled softly over her back. Yet, in a place like this, she was sleeping surprisingly peacefully. Her long lashes, like two tiny fans, rested gently on her cheeks. Her slightly parted lips revealed half of her face buried in her arms. She looked pitiful yet endearing.

Yi Qiancheng felt that something was seriously wrong with him today. She was so close, and he actually thought... the sleeping Lian Sheng looked...

Damn beautiful!

Exactly his type—neither too seductive nor too delicate. She was just right.

In Yi Qiancheng’s mind, his mother always had a delicate and pitiful look. She was soft and gentle all her life but ultimately chose to jump from the city wall. Yi Qiancheng didn’t see this as bravery. His mother’s world had revolved solely around his father, leaving her so fragile that she abandoned him, a child not yet of age, and his sickly younger sister, choosing to escape everything through death.

From that day on, Yi Qiancheng decided his future wife could never be weak.

Yet, as fate would have it, he ended up marrying the daughter of his enemy. Before he could begin his revenge, he almost lost his life because of her.

Perhaps his gaze had been too intense because Lian Sheng’s lashes trembled slightly before she opened her eyes.

Their gazes locked.

Lian Sheng seemed stunned for a moment, then extended her hand... and touched Yi Qiancheng’s forehead. Yi Qiancheng didn’t avoid her touch. Today had already been bizarre enough, and Lian Sheng didn’t seem fully awake. He wanted to see what she intended to do.

“No fever,” she muttered softly, her eyes dazed as they met his again.

“Ah... You’re awake!” Her gaze finally cleared up.

Yi Qiancheng twitched the corner of his mouth. She still seemed a bit out of it, not even addressing him as “Husband” anymore. So, her usual display of admiration for him was all an act, wasn’t it?

The two sat in silence. Yi Qiancheng shifted his gaze away with a look of disdain.

Lian Sheng assumed he was bothered by her disheveled appearance. Feeling a bit wronged, she pouted and shifted her gaze to his shoulder.

Good—there were no signs of bleeding.

“Husband, how will we get back up?” Lian Sheng asked softly. This was a pressing issue. While the cave had water, there was no food. They couldn’t possibly eat the grass growing around them.

According to their original plan, they were supposed to rescue Yi Huan and settle her down before returning to Yingtong. Concerned about her brother’s safety, Lian Sheng was the most anxious of the two.

“My personal guards will come down to find me. Be patient and wait. If you’re in such a hurry, try climbing up yourself.”

“Husband, wherever you go, I’ll follow. I’ll wait with you.”

Unless she sprouted wings, climbing such a high cliff would certainly result in her death!

“Husband, does it still hurt?” She glanced at the scratches on his face, her gaze complicated.

Yi Qiancheng suddenly remembered something. He assessed the injuries on his body, then narrowed his eyes dangerously.

“Did you undress me?”

Lian Sheng felt that if she admitted to it, Yi Qiancheng would, with whatever strength he had left, strangle her on the spot.

But Yi Qiancheng wasn’t a fool. His wounds had been cleaned and bandaged—it was impossible for him not to notice.

Lian Sheng remained silent for a moment before looking at Yi Qiancheng with teary eyes. “Husband, I’m hurt. My waist hurts so much.”

Yi Qiancheng didn’t know what to say. After a pause, he finally muttered coldly, “Serves you right.”

It was clear he didn’t want to hear her admit, “Yes, Husband, I stripped you while you were unconscious.”

As he imagined that scene, he inexplicably felt a mix of embarrassment and... excitement.

Yi Qiancheng concluded he wasn’t in the right state of mind. While he followed her lead in changing the topic, the troublesome woman didn’t stop there. She asked again, “Husband, are you cold?”

He thought bitterly, If I say yes, are you going to snuggle up and warm me?

What a chaotic day and an even more chaotic night of jumbled thoughts. He decided not to answer her and simply closed his eyes to avoid talking.

After a while, the sound of rustling reached his ears. He felt something soft and warm settle over him, accompanied by a faint, sweet scent that lingered around his nose.

Yi Qiancheng’s eyes snapped open, and he grabbed her wrist.

“What are you doing?”

“Husband, you’re seriously injured. I was afraid you’d feel cold.”

“I don’t need it. Put it back on.”

Lian Sheng had taken off her outer garment and draped it over Yi Qiancheng. This time, she was being genuine. After all, if Yi Qiancheng’s injuries worsened from catching a cold, there would be no way for them to return to Yingtong quickly.

When Yi Qiancheng woke up, it was already completely dark.

He felt a sharp pain in his shoulder and furrowed his brows ever so slightly. He was momentarily disoriented, unable to immediately recall where he was. Beneath him, the ground was hard and uncomfortable.

The sound of soft breathing reached his ears. He turned his head and saw Lian Sheng asleep beside him, her arms hugging her knees. The faint moonlight fell on her profile, casting a delicate silhouette.

Then, it all came back to Yi Qiancheng.

He had been pursuing a black-clad figure spotted in the depths of Qihuang Mountain. In his attempt to grab hold of Lian Sheng, they had both fallen off a cliff. At the last moment, he found this cave and used the force of their fall to push both of them inside.

Now fully awake, Yi Qiancheng was even more bewildered.

It was night, and the only other living person was asleep beside him. He stared blankly, trying to make sense of what he had done.

He had grabbed Lian Sheng and held onto her as they plummeted off the cliff.

Gripped by this realization, he turned to look again at the woman sleeping soundly.

Why on earth had he grabbed her?

His mind went blank for a moment. Then, he remembered her timidly calling out, “Husband,” just before they fell.

And then, without thinking, his body had acted faster than his mind, and he had reached out to hold her.

Yi Qiancheng felt deeply unsettled. As a young man, was his body betraying him now, refusing to obey his rational thoughts? Why would he save this woman? Oh, right—she was from Yingdong. That must be the reason.

He finally came up with a justification. Even so, his gaze lingered on her.

Though the night was dark, the moonlight was exceptionally clear.

The light filtered into the cave and landed perfectly on the two of them. Lian Sheng looked disheveled, her clothes in disarray. The neat bun she had styled that morning was now completely undone, and her long black hair cascaded freely down her back.

Huddled there with her knees hugged to her chest, she looked oddly peaceful despite their circumstances. Her eyelashes, like two small fans, rested softly on her face. Her lips were slightly parted, half her face buried in her arms. She looked pitiful yet endearing.

Yi Qiancheng thought that he must have truly lost his mind today. She was so close to him, and he found himself thinking that the sleeping Lian Sheng…

Was stunning.

Exactly his type. Not overly seductive, but with just enough vulnerability to evoke tenderness.

His impression of his mother came unbidden. She had always been gentle and frail, an image of delicate beauty. Yet she had resolutely leapt from the city walls, ending her life.

Yi Qiancheng did not see her act as courageous. His mother’s entire world had revolved around his father, to the point where she left her underage son and sickly daughter behind, choosing to escape everything through such a drastic means.

From that day on, Yi Qiancheng had vowed that his future wife would never be weak.

And yet, through a twist of fate, he had married the daughter of his enemy. Before he could even begin exacting revenge, he had almost lost his life because of her.

Perhaps his gaze was too intense. Lian Sheng’s eyelashes fluttered, and she opened her eyes.

Their gazes locked.

Lian Sheng seemed dazed for a moment. Then, she stretched out her hand… to touch Yi Qiancheng’s forehead. He didn’t move, curious to see what she intended to do.

“No fever,” she murmured softly, her gaze once again meeting his.

“Oh… You’re awake!” she finally said as her expression cleared.

Yi Qiancheng twitched the corner of his mouth. She must not have fully regained her senses; she wasn’t even addressing him as “Husband” anymore. So, all that affection she usually displayed toward him—was it just an act?

The two of them fell into an awkward silence. Yi Qiancheng turned his face away in visible disdain.

Lian Sheng assumed it was because she looked unkempt, with her hair disheveled. Pouting slightly, she lowered her gaze to his injured shoulder.

Thankfully, there was no fresh blood seeping through.

“Husband, how will we get back up?” Lian Sheng asked quietly. This was a pressing issue. Although the cave had water, there was no food, and they certainly couldn’t survive by eating the grass around them.

Besides, their original plan had been to retrieve Yi Huan and settle her safely before returning to Yingdong. She needed to ensure her brother’s safety. Now trapped here, it was Lian Sheng who was most anxious.

“My personal guards will definitely come to find me. Be patient. If you’re in a hurry, you can always try climbing up yourself.”

“Wherever my husband goes, I go. I’ll wait with you.”

Unless she grew wings, climbing that cliff was a death sentence!

“Does it still hurt, Husband?” She looked at the scratches on his face, her expression complicated.

Yi Qiancheng suddenly thought of something. Testing his body, he realized his wounds had been cleaned and bandaged. His eyes narrowed dangerously.

“You undressed me?”

Lian Sheng knew that admitting it would likely provoke Yi Qiancheng into strangling her to death with the one working finger he had left.

But Yi Qiancheng wasn’t stupid. He had eyes and could see that his wounds had been treated.

Lian Sheng remained silent for a moment before looking at him with teary eyes. “Husband, I’m hurt. My back hurts terribly.”

Yi Qiancheng didn’t know how to respond. After a long pause, he muttered two words, “Serves you right.”

Clearly, he didn’t want Lian Sheng to confirm: Yes, Husband, I saw everything while you were unconscious.

Imagining that scene left Yi Qiancheng with an odd mix of shame and… excitement.

He decided he was seriously unwell.

Meanwhile, that troublemaker of a woman wouldn’t stop. She asked again, “Husband, are you cold?”

His sharp thought was, If I were cold, would you come over and warm me up?

What a chaotic day and an even more nonsensical night. He refused to engage with her further, shutting his eyes in silence.

A while later, the soft rustling of fabric reached his ears. Something warm and fragrant fell gently over him, its sweetness enveloping his senses.

Yi Qiancheng’s eyes flew open, and he grabbed her wrist.

“What are you doing?”

“You’re injured, Husband. I’m worried you’ll get cold.”

“I don’t need it. Put it back on!”

Lian Sheng had draped her outer robe over him. This time, she was genuinely concerned. If Yi Qiancheng caught a chill while injured, their return to Yingdong would be even more delayed.

But Yi Qiancheng was resolute. She had no choice but to put her robe back on. Looking at him sincerely, she said, “Husband, thank you.”

“Thank you for not abandoning me, for not letting me fall to my death at the bottom of that cliff.”

Yi Qiancheng fell into a suspicious silence, turning his head away.

After expressing her gratitude, Lian Sheng felt slightly relieved. Seeing Yi Qiancheng’s reaction, she almost thought—if she didn’t already know how devious and twisted he was—that he might be… shy.

The night passed without further conversation.