He leaned on the table, looking at her and smiling, revealing a row of white teeth and a squinty eye. She also leaned on the table, looking at him and smiling, revealing a squinty eye and a row of white teeth.
And so, for a long time...
He reached out and flicked her nose. She reached out to grab it, but he dodged. He seemed to be playing around and reached out to flick it again. She grabbed it again, and he flicked it again. Suddenly, she reached out with both hands and grabbed his hand in her palm. The warm touch made him slightly startled. Just as he was a little dazed, he saw her smile, revealing her gleaming white teeth, and suddenly pulled his finger into her mouth and bit it hard.
He was surprised, in pain, his face flushed, his neck bulging, grimacing, struggling frantically… After much effort, he finally managed to free his fingers from her teeth. He was jumping up and down, waving his hands and yelling, when he saw her laugh heartily, get up, open the door, and stride out, looking refreshed. But after only a few steps, she suddenly stopped. She scratched her hair, annoyed, and said, “That’s not right, this is my room. He should be the one leaving.”
He paused, forgetting the pain in his finger, and watching her retreating figure, he suddenly felt a strong urge...
She turned around and met his gaze directly, causing her to pause slightly in surprise. She had never imagined that Young Master Yi would look at her like that…
But it was only for a moment, as if it had just been her imagination, before she saw him pointing at her exaggeratedly and laughing loudly: "Fool, the biggest fool in the world! Hahaha!..."
Seeing him laughing so hard he was practically falling over, his fingertips still pointing at her with exaggerated gestures, she was so angry her eyebrows shot up. Suddenly, she jumped up and was right in front of him in the blink of an eye. She grabbed his finger with both hands and bit down hard on it again.
"Ah!..." A bloodcurdling scream, like a pig being slaughtered, echoed through the darkness. Startled, Young Master Qi, who was already asleep in the front yard, sat bolt upright, looking around blankly and asking, "Whose wife is giving birth?"
Without hesitation
Hua Wuduo was always independent and did things her own way. Naturally, she didn't say goodbye to Gongzi Yi and Gongzi Qi before leaving. She left before dawn the next day. The world was vast, and it always seemed she was alone. Sometimes she felt lonely, but more often she felt carefree and at ease. Her father came looking for her last night, asking where she planned to go. She told him the truth, and her father just smiled and said nothing more. Suddenly, he said somewhat listlessly, "Birds grow up and must spread their wings and fly high. You must walk your own path in the end." She was completely confused after hearing this, but her father had already left.
She was supposed to go south, but as she walked and played, she went wherever the scenery looked best, and before she knew it, she had gone off course and ended up walking several miles north.
Reaching the edge of a precipice, she realized she had taken the wrong path. Feeling tired, she leaped into a tree to rest. As she drank water and ate her rations, she heard the sound of horses' hooves. Looking in the direction of the sound, she saw a group of people riding horses galloping towards her, with a group of men in black wielding swords and knives rapidly pursuing them. This scene was strangely familiar—a chase in the martial world?
She was someone who enjoyed watching a spectacle, but that was about it. She stood silently in the tree until the riders drew near before she could see who was on horseback, and she was immediately taken aback. It was actually Young Master Yi?!
Nearby, Gongzi Yi and his companions were caught up by men in black. The guards protecting Gongzi Yi fought with the men in black, and Gongzi Yi and Gongzi Qi fought and retreated. Clearly, their opponents were extremely strong, and they had no choice but to run.
Both sides had several people. Besides Du Xiaoxi and Zhao Zhen, Gongzi Yi and Gongzi Qi's side had eight people. If Hua Wuduo remembered correctly, these eight people had followed Gongzi Yi closely in Jiangling.
These eight individuals were highly skilled in martial arts, unlike themselves, who relied on nimble footwork and special weapons like the Ten-Finger Golden Rings for shortcuts. These people possessed genuine skill. However, even they were clearly at a disadvantage. Two of the eight had already fallen, and the remaining six were injured to varying degrees. Meanwhile, dozens of their opponents had surrounded them, all dressed in black and masked. Their attacks were ruthless, swift, and their killing intent was evident. At first glance, these dozens of people were somewhat similar in clothing and build, making them difficult to distinguish.
Hua Wuduo was startled; Gongzi Yi had been attacked again. The situation was critical. She pondered for a moment but still had no solution. Just as she was getting anxious, she looked around and suddenly saw someone standing on a tree branch not far away, just like her. That person was dressed the same as the man in black below the tree, and his gaze was fixed on her!
Upon seeing the person's gaze clearly, Hua Wuduo felt that the person looked somewhat familiar, but for a moment he couldn't recall who it was.
Hua Wuduo is skilled at disguise, but no matter how he disguises himself, he knows in his heart that if he doesn't deliberately conceal himself, people who know him well will still recognize him easily because of his eyes, posture, and some unchanging features.
The reason why Hua Wuduo was easily recognized by Liu Xiu, Wu Yi, Wu Qi and others was that she never deliberately concealed her behavior, expression, eyes, physical characteristics and the ten gold rings on her wrists and fingers.
At that moment, the person's eyes changed instantly. At first glance, they seemed somewhat familiar, but then they became unfamiliar again. Hua Wuduo had a feeling that she knew this person, but she couldn't remember who it was for a moment.
Hua Wuduo leaped down from the tree, instantly appearing beside Gongzi Yi. She blocked the black-clad man's fierce attack, forcing him back a step. She told Gongzi Yi, "Close your eyes, hold your breath." Just as they closed their eyes, she suddenly hurled something… The black-clad man instantly covered his eyes in pain, dust billowing around them. Taking advantage of the moment, Hua Wuduo shouted to Gongzi Yi, "Run!"
She pulled Gongzi Yi and ran as fast as she could, but at that moment, the man in black on the tree fell down and blocked their way.
A thick cloud of smoke filled the air, and many people coughed, halting the fighting. The object Hua Wuduo had thrown was called a "Blinding Bomb," crafted by Tang Ye. Tang Ye had thrown the same thing during the attack on Luoyang. It wasn't poisonous, only causing red, swollen, and painful eyes, making it difficult to open them. However, since Tang Ye was the one throwing it, it was hard to believe it wasn't poisonous. That's why, that night, when Tang Ye threw it, those people retreated hastily due to the excruciating pain in their eyes. Now, with Hua Wuduo throwing it, the effect was less pronounced. Tang Ye had four Blinding Bombs in total, and Hua Wuduo had taken them all after that day, for use in escaping if they couldn't win. Because the item was easy to make, Tang Ye didn't hesitate to give her the four he carried.
Gongzi Qi was not seriously injured for the time being. Their target was only Gongzi Yi. Hua Wuduo analyzed the pros and cons in his mind. No matter who was in front of him, at this moment, Hua Wuduo stepped in front of Gongzi Yi without thinking and said to him, "I'll deal with this person. You run!"
Gongzi Yi hesitated for a moment, then said, "Be careful."
Hua Wuduo stared intently at the man in black, putting on the golden rings on his fingers.
Gongzi Yi spurred his horse and galloped out of the woods.
Although Hua Wuduo's martial arts skills had recovered, they were not fully restored. The aura of the man in black told her that she was no match for him in her current state, so she simply stood and stared at him. If he didn't move, she wouldn't move either; stalling for time was the best strategy.
She didn't know how long she could hold off the men in black, but as long as Gongzi Yi could get as far away as possible, that would be enough. That was the only thought in her mind.
Even if he couldn't win, he wouldn't be in mortal danger; the Ten-Finger Golden Rings were an extremely powerful weapon. A needle could kill with a single acupuncture point, and a single touch of the silk thread would draw blood. It was both offensive and defensive; even the most skilled martial artist would find it difficult to deal with such a strange weapon. Hua Wuduo knew this and only hoped to stall for time; if things got really bad, he could always run away.
Seeing that Young Master Yi had left, the man in black knew that Hua Wuduo was trying to stall for time, so he suddenly attacked, striking Hua Wuduo with a palm. The man in black's moves were fierce, each step a deadly strike, but Hua Wuduo was agile and her weapon unique, so the man in black couldn't do anything to her for the time being. However, not long after, Hua Wuduo felt a tightness in her chest, her breathing became sluggish, and several times her strength failed to reach the silver needles, the silver threads breaking off midway. Faced with the relentless advance of the man in black, she could only retreat, dodging with her agile footwork. The man in black, having no intention of fighting, forced her back several times and then tried to pursue the direction Gongzi Yi had left in, but was once again entangled by Hua Wuduo. Finally, the man in black grew impatient, his gaze changing as he unleashed a series of deadly attacks. Hua Wuduo retreated rapidly, and the man in black suddenly struck out with a palm strike, aiming straight for her chest. To dodge the palm, Hua Wuduo exerted her strength and flew backward, leaping several meters, causing the man in black to miss her target. Just then, she suddenly saw a man riding towards her, and cried out in terror, "Wuduo!"
She then realized that she had used too much force and had flown off the edge of the cliff where she had just landed. She had no more strength to continue, and if she fell, she would fall into the bottomless abyss and never be able to get out again.
Startled, she looked in terror at the young master Xiu riding towards her. "Xiu..." she cried out in panic and helplessness, realizing that she was falling rapidly with no foothold. At that moment, she felt utterly hopeless. But the young master Xiu, without a second thought, spurred his horse toward her and plunged into the abyss with her.
The man in black also witnessed this scene. He paused for a moment at the edge of the cliff, his gaze darkened, and he turned to continue chasing after the direction in which Young Master Yi had fled.
Just as Gongzi Qi escaped the dust and smoke, he witnessed the scene before him. He froze on the spot, momentarily forgetting that he was still in danger. But it was only for a moment. Once he came to his senses, he immediately turned his horse around and galloped away. The group of men in black followed in pursuit, their figures disappearing into the forest one after another.
A short while later, Liu Shun and several guards arrived at the cliff edge. They saw several people still fighting there. He recognized Zhao Zhen and Du Xiaoxi among them, but didn't go to help. Then, the men in black seemed to give up the fight and retreated. Liu Shun assumed they had simply retreated, but in reality, they had heard a summons and fled north, with Du Xiaoxi and Zhao Zhen following in their wake. Liu Shun couldn't find his young master, so he grabbed Du Xiaoxi and asked him what had happened and where his young master was.
Du Xiaoxi had no time to pay attention to Liu Shun, but she couldn't break free from his pull, so she pointed to the edge of the cliff and said, "He jumped down."
"What?" Liu Shun didn't react for a moment, perhaps because he heard it too clearly and didn't want to believe it. Du Xiaoxi was pulled by him, and worried about Gongzi Yi's safety, so she hurriedly said, "A woman fell down, and your young master followed her on horseback and jumped down." Because Hua Wuduo was wearing a mask that was different from usual, and the mask was always changing, Du Xiaoxi naturally didn't recognize her. Although he had seen her briefly at the Li family wedding, he was too anxious about Gongzi Yi's safety to remember her.
Liu Shun understood this time and froze on the spot for a moment. Du Xiaoxi broke free from his grasp and rode away.
Before Du Xiaoxi had gone far, Liu Shun fell off his horse. The Liu family guards accompanying him, upon hearing Du Xiaoxi's words, all looked frightened and jumped off their horses to help the somewhat weak-legged Liu Shun to the edge of the cliff. There was a piece of cloth left on a bush at the edge of the cliff, which was the same material as the clothes that Young Master Xiu was wearing. Liu Shun immediately knelt down and looked down the cliff, shouting repeatedly, "Young Master! Young Master!..." The guards also shouted, but there was no echo at all.
The cliffs were bottomless, and the valley was densely wooded; Liu Xiu and Hua Wuduo were nowhere to be seen. Only the sound of the wind, like the low cry of a crane, could be heard passing by.
At the moment of falling, Hua Wuduo was so shocked that her mind went blank. She only felt herself falling continuously, and the speed was getting faster and faster. In front of her, she clearly saw Gongzi Xiu leaping down on his horse. In an instant, it felt as if something had struck her heart heavily.
Gongzi Xiu's expression was exceptionally clear and real at this moment. He was terrified, as if he had lost some precious treasure that he could not lose, a treasure even more important than his own life. He plummeted down rapidly, without hesitation or looking back, until he touched her outstretched hand and pulled her into his arms!
The branches scratched at his skin, causing sharp pain. Even with his best efforts to protect her, he couldn't shield her completely. He tried to cling to the withered branches, but they kept breaking fragilely. His hands were covered in blood, which splattered onto her face.
She held him tightly, her mind instantly calming down. She shot out a silver thread from her hand, which wrapped around the withered branch, gradually slowing her descent.
With a loud crack and thud, Gongzi Xiu's horse fell to the ground, its carcass impaled on a tree branch, the branch piercing its entire body. The horse's flesh had already been torn apart by dry branches, now a bloody mess, a gruesome sight.
The thought that without Gongzi Xiu, she might have turned into a horse in an instant made Hua Wuduo tremble uncontrollably. Gongzi Xiu noticed her fear, held her tightly, and gently stroked her hair again and again, murmuring softly, "Thank goodness, thank goodness..."
At this moment, the two clung to a nearby branch and stood embracing each other. Hua Wuduo buried her entire body in Gongzi Xiu's arms, leaving no gap between them. At this moment, she felt not only the safety and warmth she had felt before, but also something else that made her nostalgic and want to hold on tightly.
************
Fortunately for Hua, although she fell off the cliff, the pack on her back did not fall off. It contained some dry food, her disguise tools, and some commonly used medicines.
Her injuries weren't serious, just scratches. However, Gongzi Xiu had several rather severe scratches on his hands and back. Fortunately, she carried high-quality medicine with her, which, once applied to him, should heal completely in a few days. Although this medicine was designed to prevent scarring, Gongzi Xiu's hand injuries were quite severe, and it was likely that some marks would still remain. Gongzi Xiu didn't seem to care, but Hua Wuduo felt a pang of sadness every time she changed his dressings.
There was also a package on Gongzi Xiu's horse, the contents of which were unknown. Hua Wuduo did not feel comfortable asking. On the horse were also his longsword, his usual bow, and black and white feathered arrows, which Gongzi Xiu took down along with the quiver.
Before leaving, he stroked the mane of the dead horse again and again. Hua Wuduo remembered that on the first day of school at Nanshu Academy, the horse that Gongzi Xiu rode was this very one. This horse must have been with him for many years.
Hua Wuduo said, "Why don't we take it off the branch and bury it?"
Young Master Xiu shook his head, lowered his hand, and said, "Let's go."
A stream flowed through the valley, and wild game roamed the mountains. The two followed the stream, hoping to find a way out. But as they went on, they discovered that the mountain path was uneven, surrounded by trees, and the path seemed to disappear more and more. The stream was formed by many forks, and when they encountered a fork in the road, they had to rely on their intuition to find their way.
The journey with Gongzi Xiu was not difficult. Although they would sleep in the open at night, with the sky as their blanket and the ground as their bed, he was by their side. He gathered firewood and hunted wild game, while she was in charge of roasting it. The two shared the food and ate with relish. When they got tired, they would stop to rest. At night, the dew was heavy in the deep valley, and he was afraid that she would get cold, so he always remembered to gather firewood and provide her with a place to snuggle and keep warm.
These days, Hua Wuduo has not worn a mask. Originally, Gongzi Xiu had seen her true face. Now that she is in a deep valley with no outsiders, she is spared the trouble of having to smear medicinal mud on her face at night.
Gongzi Xiu was never a man of many words, but for some reason, he made her feel warm and comfortable. She didn't have to pretend or hide her feelings in front of him; she could say whatever she wanted. Even if he occasionally swore, it only made him laugh and feel a little helpless.
His gaze was always gentle, making Hua Wuduo feel warm and cozy at all times. She even felt that continuing like this wouldn't be so bad.
Gongzi Xiu shared the same thought, even feeling that it would be wonderful if this road had no end. So, when they encountered several forks in the road, they unanimously chose the path that seemed least like the exit.
They walked and stopped along the way. With nothing else to do, Hua Wuduo asked Gongzi Xiu why he had jumped down after him.
He covered his eyes but did not answer.
She didn't give up, asking him again and again. Although she had a rough idea of the answer, she still wanted to hear it from his own mouth.
He finally spoke: "I can't watch you die in front of me."
Hua Wuduo suddenly realized that she, too, couldn't bear to see Gongzi Xiu die before her eyes. Putting herself in his shoes, she thought it made sense and accepted the answer. But then, upon further reflection, she realized something was amiss. If Gongzi Xiu had jumped first that day, would she have risked her life to follow? This question remained unanswered for days. Then, unwilling to give up, she pressed him for an answer. He smiled and countered, "What else could it be?"
On the third day at the bottom of the valley, Hua Wuduo noticed that the stream water had become warmer, the surrounding scenery had changed, the climate was gradually becoming more humid, and he could occasionally see green bamboo. Just as he was wondering which way to go at a fork in the road, he spotted a green snake slithering along. It wasn't unusual for snakes to be found in the mountains, given the abundance of snakes, insects, and rodents; however, Hua Wuduo happened to encounter this snake. He was always a glutton, and snake meat was delicious. Having eaten too much dry, roasted meat these past few days, he was craving tender snake meat. Seeing the snake's shadow in the distance, he darted towards it. The snake, very alert, sensed the approaching danger and instantly darted into the depths of the forest.
Hua Wuduo was not about to let it go easily, so he followed the green snake into the depths of the mountains and forests.
When Gongzi Xiu saw her running after a snake, he didn't ask any questions and just followed closely behind her.
The snake was clearly a local, familiar with the area, and took advantage of Hua Wuduo and Gongzi Xiu being outsiders. It crawled and slithered along the way, and because of the surrounding bushes and tall grass, Hua Wuduo and Gongzi Xiu had a hard time chasing it, but they did not give up. Hua Wuduo turned around and smiled at Gongzi Xiu, and they both felt playful and found the snake chase quite interesting, having already forgotten the way they came.
The green snake was about half a zhang long and moved swiftly. When Hua Wuduo caught up with it, it found a cave nearby and disappeared.
Seeing the green snake disappear, Hua Wuduo had no choice but to stop and turn back to Gongzi Xiu, saying, "It's over, it still got away. Dinner is ruined."
Young Master Xiu smiled and said, "Even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake. Let's just forget about it."
Hua Wuduo chuckled and said, "Then what do you want to eat?"
Young Master Xiu said, "Let's find a place to rest for the night first, and then make further plans."
Hua Wuduo nodded and said, "Okay."
Instead of turning back, they both began searching for a place to rest for the night nearby. There was still some time before sunset, and as they walked, they came across a stream again. They smiled at each other and continued walking along the stream, eventually arriving at a natural bamboo forest.
Neither of them expected that there was a hidden paradise in the desolate valley. The place was filled with lush bamboo forests, unlike the secluded forest path they had walked on a few days ago. The ground was covered with bamboo leaves, indicating that no one had ever been here before. Birdsong filled the air, and the air was fresh and natural, like a paradise on earth. The two flew onto the bamboo branches and used their light-footed skills to fly through the bamboo forest. In the distance, they saw an open space.
Upon arriving at the open space, they saw a thin mist swirling around them, with spring water gushing from the ground. After being washed by sand and gravel, the water gathered into a shallow pool surrounded by natural pebbles. The water in the pool was just warm to the touch. The area was surrounded by mountains on three sides, and the bamboo forest they had come from on the other side was right there. It turned out that they had come to the source of the stream, deep in the mountains.
It's obvious they've completely gone down the wrong path.
Hua Wuduo pointed to the place and laughed, "It's quite a good place to live in seclusion."
It was just a casual remark, but unexpectedly, Gongzi Xiu looked at her with a deep, shimmering gaze that stirred her heart inexplicably. Then she heard him say softly, "It would be nice to have a bamboo house."
His eyes flashed, and he said, "How about we rest here tonight and then go find a way out of the valley?"
Hua Wuduo nodded.
Young Master Xiu was clearly in no hurry to leave. Hua Wuduo was even less in a hurry. They said it would be one day, but they were still here the next day.
A Love Story Under the Moon
They are not in a hurry, but many people are in a hurry for them.
At this moment, Luoyang was in complete chaos.
After learning that Hua Wuduo and Gongzi Xiu had both fallen off a cliff, groups of people went down into the valley to search for them. Apart from the people from the Liu family, whose identities were known, the identities of the others were unknown. They encountered each other several times and even fought.
Liu Shun personally led his men down to the bottom of the valley and found the horse's carcass. However, they did not find Gongzi Xiu's body, which relieved him. He figured that Gongzi was not dead and must have found his own way out. He sent out several groups of people to search the valley, but because there were too many forks in the road, they found nothing after several attempts.
Gongzi Yi and Gongzi Qi left Luoyang in a rather disheveled state that day. Gongzi Yi was injured, but his life was not in danger. Later, he met up with Gongzi Qi and returned to the capital. On the way, Gongzi Qi mentioned that Hua Wuduo and Gongzi Xiu had fallen off a cliff. Gongzi Qi remained silent for a long time and seemed unwilling to speak. The two of them returned to the capital in silence.
Hua Wuduo and Gongzi Xiu searched the area thoroughly but found no exit. Four days had passed, and they still hadn't left. Hua Wuduo tried to make some simple tableware out of bamboo. He had just finished making a pair of bamboo chopsticks and proudly showed them to Gongzi Xiu.