Chapter 12

Wei Chi Li was suddenly aware of something and raised her leg to kicked Xin Ran out of the door.

She strokes her forehead. So close, this had nearly been exposed. She said in her heart.

Liu Luo Yi opened her eyes and looked around. In that instant, she was a little absentminded as she does not know her current whereabouts.

The bed underneath was incredibly soft, and she was covered with a thick quilt. A layer of sweat formed on her forehead and her body felt better as if she was floating in the clouds.

At that moment, she suspected that she had already died.

Suddenly, someone reached out a hand from the side and wrap around her shoulders gently. She then sat up involuntarily and slowly leaned against the bedpost.

Instantly, her mood jumped for joy and her heart gradually filled with an indescribable feeling.

Although this joyful feeling was short.

“Do you still have a fever?” That person placed a warm back of the hand on her forehead. Liu Lou Yi shrunk back subconsciously, and her body shuddered numbly.

“Sorry.” Wei Chi Li withdrew her hand and put it behind her back, looking a little uncomfortable. 

At this time, she had used internal force to lower her voice so as to prevent Liu Luo Yi from recognising it.

But she did not dare to say much. She took out the food prepared beforehand and placed it in front of Liu Luo Yi silently.

Liu Luo Yi did not say anything. The two of them seemed to have formed a tacit understanding. She lowered her head and ate those rare plain congee and small dishes, raising her eyes from time to time to looked at Wei Chi Li.

A pair of almond eyes were misty as if she were afraid that she would abandon her.

Looking at her cautious attitude, Wei Chi Li felt a sudden pain somewhere in her heart.

The plain congee embellished with chopped green onions was sweet and fragrant. Liu Luo Yi took a mouthful after mouthful as her tears rolled down her jaw and seeped into the exquisite, embroidered quilt.

“Thank you.” Liu Luo Yi said.

After she had finished eating, Wei Chi Li half-squatted down and deepened her voice: “How is your body?”

Liu Lou Yi said nothing. After a while, she suddenly said softly: “Can I see what you look like?”

She had this sudden, strong selfish thought to want to take a last look at this light before she entered hell once again

Hearing this, Wei Chi Li was stunned, she subconsciously placed her hand on her mask, but stopped moving. If she were to let her know now that she was the most hated woman in her life, she does not know what her mood would be like.

It would be better to stay in the dark forever.

Liu Luo Yi lowered her eyes to conceal the momentary loneliness. Then she raised her head and wiped off the tears on her face and her eyes were filled with unswerving determination.

“I have to go back.” She said.

Wei Chi Li was taken aback and was a little confused. She was silent for a moment and asked: “Why?”

“If I leave, he will definitely hurt Chang’er.” Liu Luo Yi said. She seemed to suddenly realize something and struggled to get out of bed but almost fell because of the weakness in her legs.

Although Wei Chi Li was a little frustrated, she could not ignore it, so she stepped forward to support her steadily.

“Have you decided? In the future, I will not come again.” Wei Chi Li sounded a little low spirit.

She still has her own things to do. Once she was assured that she would not die horribly like the original owner, she would find a way to leave here.

At this time, Liu Luo Yi almost stuck closely to Wei Chi Li’s chest so, she took a step back uncomfortably. Faint powder coloured her cheeks, no longer looking like a porcelain doll.

She covered her thumping heart in a daze, feeling that the other party’s smell was familiar.

“You do not know how terrifying he is. That day when he came with the officials to searched and confiscated our house, he had people beat Chang’er half to death in front of me……”

Liu Luo Yi choked with sobs as both her hands clutched Wei Chi Li’s sleeves.

“Chang’er is just a youth. He has been weak since he was a child and could not resist so many people. He was pressed down in front of me and called out Ah Jie(!). I knelt and begged everyone, but I was incompetent and could not save him. I can only watch him being dragged away. Now, he saw that Chang’er was good-looking, so he imprisoned Chang’er. I do not know what else he will do to him.”

(!)阿姐 Ah Jie: a more affectionate term – ‘sister’

Liu Luo Yi seemed to be unable to speak anymore. Her body suddenly softened, her shoulders trembling lightly like a butterfly wings.

Wei Chi Li was confused by the sudden shock. There was a ‘Hum’ in her mind and was boiled with rage.

What kind of scumbag could do such a thing to his beloved woman? Even the bandits on top of the mountain would still have a trace of humanity. As a scholar, his thinking was so terrifying to this extent.

Moreover, he had attacked youth almost half his age, ignoring human relations!

Liu Luo Yi suddenly pushed Wei Chi Li away. She wiped away the tears on her face with her sleeves and take a few steps back, looking out the window.

“I will settle my debts with him someday. In the future, please stop interfering.” Liu Luo Yi said.

Wei Chi Li has yet to come out from her initial shock and fell into confusion again. She quickly stepped forward and blurted out: “I can help you.”

“No. You have nothing to do with this matter.” Liu Luo Yi turned her head towards Wei Chi Li. Her eyes stayed on the bloody wound for a moment and then looked away immediately.

“I do not need your help either.”

Before Wei Chi Li could continue the conversation, she opened the door and walked down quickly. With a cold expression, like 2 different people, seems to have restored that cold look.

If one looked closely, her fists were clenched extremely tightly, and her palms were bleeding.

The door opened again, Xin Ran walked in like a cat and with a puzzled expression: “Princess, why did you let her go again?”

Wei Chi Li did not say anything as she flung her sleeves and turned to sit down hard. She knew that the male lead was mentally disabled, but the original book had never stated that he was so perverted.

At first, she only had sympathy and compassion, but just now she had the impulse to take Liu Luo Yi away. She does not know what was wrong with her usual rational self.

With a palm, Wei Chi Li smacked the bed, hearing a ‘bang’ sound and the bed collapsed. She was unprepared and so, her buttock landed on the ground.

The light gauze hanging on the bedpost fell straight down and covered her head.

Wei Chi Li was already angry, and now there was more smoke coming out from her head. She struggled to get up and then kicked the broken bed before calming down.

Xin Ran covered her mouth and laughed happily.

“Princess, are we going back to the mansion?”

“Of course, we are going back to the mansion. The money is in the hands of the others, where else can I go!” Wei Chi Li was upset and walked out with heavy footsteps and bumped into the innkeeper.

The Innkeeper was an old man with a white beard. He poked his head forward, glancing at the room and had almost twisted his neck when he turned around and said trembling: “At night guest is really, extremely violent.”

Wei Chi Li could understand what his word meant but does not know how to rebut. Her face reddened, as she quickly took the purse from Xin Ran and stuffed it into the old man’s hand and ran away.

After returning to the mansion, she devoured the roast goose before calming down.

“How is she?” Wei Chi Li could not help asking.

“The sister who went to carry water said that Liu Luo Yi was released from confinement by the young master and dragged out to work.” Xin Ran sighed.

Although she did not like this woman who had snatched the princess’s man, upon hearing that she had suffered all these tortures, her heart could not bear it.

Wei Chi Li hummed indifferently.

Liu Luo Yi was originally soft on the outside, strong on the inside. She was born proud and stubborn and does not want to drag others down. Moreover, the younger brother was still in Lu Yun Kui’s hands, so her choice was reasonable.

Putting it bluntly, she was a stranger and so she has neither the obligation nor the time to help her solve everything.

It was just that for some reason, Wei Chi Li was feeling a little uncomfortable in her heart.

She shook her head, cracked the goose bone in her hand and bite a piece off and chewed.

Coincidentally, Xin Ran asked at this moment: “Princess, just now Young master sent a messenger here to ask you to accompany him to GuanNan marquis’s birthday banquet in two days’ time. Saying that there will be many high-ranking officials, so you should dress more solemnly.”

Hearing this, Wei Chi Li snorted. ‘Ordering her to accompany him’. If it were not for her title as the princess of Northern Territory, a small official like him was not worthy of the GuanNan marquis ‘s invitation.

“Not going.” Wei Chi Li said.

“Not going is good too. I have heard that the young master is bringing Liu Luo Yi there. It is upsetting if we were to go and see this. So, it is better to relax in the mansion.” Xin Ran said cheerfully.

“Hold on!” Wei Chi suddenly stopped her, “Do I have clothes that is more solemn?”

Face slap(!) often came quickly. 2 days later, Wei Chi Li was dressed properly and strolled around at the door lazily.

(!)打脸 Da Lian: Face slap. same meaning as slapping own’s mouth. It refers to the words and deeds before and after are totally differently.

She did not have any solemn clothes, so she chose a less gaudy dress reluctantly. She was too lazy to tie a chignon hairstyle, so she simply tied a ponytail high up on her head. There were some tiny colourful hemp ribbons filled with elegant foreign land feels.

Xin Ran was standing beside the carriage, looking, and admiring Wei Chi Li in her heart. To her, her princess’s appearance was one of the best-looking ones. Not to mention, that valiant aura belonging to the vast land was incomparable to these weak central plain’s women.

Back in the Northern Territory, when the princess had just turned 16, she had made those young men in the Northern Territory missed and dreamed about her.

But why the young master does not like the princess? She really does not understand.

The door opened. Lu Yun Kui was wearing a dark blue brocade robe with a large cloak. With those handsome eyebrows, he was quite like a silver jade plant. He raised his eyes and saw Wei Chi Li then he curled the corner of his lip and stepped forward with a smile.

He stuck out his distinctive knuckled hand and said gently: “Li’er, let me help you up onto the horse.”

Wei Chi Li passed by his hand straight away and looked behind him. Liu Luo Yi was wearing a light blue servant dress, standing there expressionless. There was no injury on her face, but Wei Chi Li’s sharp eyes saw that exposed wrist.

There were a few sporadic blood stains on it.

She glanced at the gentle, elegant Lu Yun Kui and her back felt a chill. This man was terrifying.

Lu Yun Kui did not mind Wei Chi Li’s avoidance as he took Wei Chi Li’s hand gently and walked towards the carriage. Suddenly, a slender figure was pulled down from it and was pushed towards Liu Luo Yi.

Liu Luo Yi who was still apathetic, suddenly opened her eyes wide. She quickly rushed forward, grabbed his arm, and hugged him tightly.

“Chang’er, are you okay, Chang’er!”

So, this turns out to be Liu Wen Chang. Based on the book description, he does not seem much different. He was a thin and frail youth in white clothes, with red lips and white teeth, a pair of peach blossom eyes which was misty like it had always held tears in it.

As far as looks were concerned, it was like he was carved out of the same mould as Liu Luo Yi, both were like the person in a painting. One was like a lonely swan in the sky, another was like a canoe in the sea. If it were not for that overly slender and weak body, he would be an elegant youth.

He pursed his lips and called out in an extremely low voice: “Ah Jie.”

“Did he do anything to you? Chang’er, Ah Jie is useless and failed to protect you.” Liu Luo Yi held back her tears forcefully as she held onto Liu Wen Chang’s hand, refusing to let go.

Liu Yun Kui pulled Wei Chi Li to one side and watched with a playful expression as though he was watching a good show. Wei Chi Li was extremely uncomfortable when he touched her, and she pull out her hand and rubbed it on the carriage crazily.

Lu Yun Kui seemed to have seen enough as he strode over and placed his hand on Liu Wen Chang’s shoulder. The smile on Liu Wen Chang’s face disappeared immediately as he stiffened his body in horror and tried to move back desperately.

That fear was visible to the naked eye.

Seeing this, Wei Chi Li squinted her eyes as her fists were feeling itchy.

“Will you still run away with others?” Lu Yun Kui looked at Liu Luo Yi with a smile.

Liu Luo Yi looked at Liu Wen Chang as she held back her tears forcefully and shook her head.

“Will you be obedient in the future? If you dare to defy me, you will know what is waiting for him.” Liu Yun Kui smiled even more happily as he placed both his hands on Liu Wen Chang’s shoulder and massaged lightly. Liu Wen Chang lowered his head and sobbed, almost fainting.

Liu Luo Yi clenched her fists, lowered her head, and gritted her teeth: “Yes.”

“So good. Li’er, let us get onto the carriage.” Lu Yun Kui has gotten a satisfactory answer and his good mood was visible to the naked eyes. As long as Liu Luo Yi had agreed not to run away, he would have nothing to fear.

All he needs to do was to use a little trick on this stupid princess beside him, and she would be devoted to him again. 

With this thought, Lu Yun Kui reached out his hand to hold Wei Chi Li again. He helped her up the carriage politely and said to the pageboy behind him: “Let those 2 runs at the back, be sure to watch them carefully. If you lose any of them, I will hold you accountable.”

Wei Chi Li was so angry that she was about to crush her silver teeth. She glanced at Liu Luo Yi worriedly, but the other party did not look up at her at all.

After that, Wei Chi Li stepped up onto the carriage and sat down.

Lu Yun Kui sat beside her and suddenly reached out to embrace her shoulder. Due to the swaying carriage, she was pushed down to the carriage wall, with one hand still lying near her ears and was wrapped in his arms.

He leaned close to Wei Chi Li and breathe out beside her ears.

“Li’er, are you still angry with me for not looking for you these days?”

Wei Chi Li clenched her fists tightly.