Having said that, she lifted her skirt and ran out in a flash.
They said they would try to find a solution, but Chu Wan really had no way.
She locked herself in her room for most of the day and finally managed to write a letter to Wang Hongbo for help.
Before evening, I received a reply. Wang Hongbo invited Chu Wan to meet at Qingyun Teahouse in Dongcheng. However, it would be inconvenient for a man and a woman to be alone together. He would bring Junheng along and ask her to invite a close female friend to go with them.
The following day, Chu Wan and Qiao Sheng went as agreed.
The four met in a private room and shared their thoughts on Wushuang's ordeal.
The most impatient of them all, Chu Wan, spoke first: "I want to go and bring Shuangshuang back. She can stay at my house. It's too hard staying in the temple. They don't even have meat to eat..."
She used to occasionally accompany her grandmother to temples to pray for blessings, knowing that monks and nuns were all vegetarians. Not only did she not eat, but everyone entering the temple was also forbidden from eating. Although some vegetarian dishes tasted quite good, they all revolved around vegetables and tofu. Wushuang didn't have any other hobbies besides enjoying good food. Just thinking about her staying in the temple for a month made her feel sorry for her.
“I’m afraid that’s not appropriate,” Junheng said. “We all know that Shuangshuang is wronged, but since Uncle has made this arrangement, even if we have different opinions, we can’t secretly oppose him.”
Qiao Sheng naturally sided with her beloved: "Brother Jun is right. We don't know what Uncle Jun's plans are. What if we end up sabotaging things instead of helping?"
She briefly recounted what had happened after she ran away from home. After Junheng met her, he managed to send a letter to Qiao Gang, who immediately wrote back to General Qiao and his wife in the capital, falsely claiming that he had arranged for Qiao Sheng to return to Beijing with Junheng. In this way, he preserved his daughter's dignity and reputation.
“You see, fathers are always thinking about their children. We should trust Uncle Jun,” she concluded.
The old King Ying had passed away while Chu Wan was still in her mother's womb. No matter how great her father's love was, she felt nothing. She only asked with a tearful voice, her little face contorted with distress, "Then...then you won't take care of Shuangshuang?" Just then, the waiter entered the room to serve tea. She pointed her little hand to the tea tray, "We're enjoying pre-Qingming Longjing tea here, while Shuangshuang is in the temple, drinking only tea dregs. Waaah..."
"Don't rush to cry." Wang Hongbo took out a handkerchief and handed it to her. "Although we can't bring her back, it shouldn't hurt to go and see her. A round trip, a few private words, and a whole day is enough."
The four then agreed to set off early the next morning.
Wang Hongbo and Junheng are men, and their families don't have much discipline, so there's no need for them to be specifically instructed.
Qiao Sheng told her grandmother that she and Chu Wan were going on a trip, and that the Prince of Ying's mansion would send guards to protect them. Half-truth, half-lie, and she easily passed the test.
As for Chu Wan, Chu Yao was nowhere to be seen when she returned home that day. He still hadn't returned when she went out. She didn't even bother to ask her brother for permission. She swaggered out the front door with Mantianxue in her hand, and none of the servants in the entire mansion dared to stop her.
The Jun family ancestral temple was located in the eastern suburbs of Shanghai, a journey of only an hour by fast horse. For Qiao Sheng, Jun Heng, and Wang Hongbo, this distance was a piece of cake. But for Chu Wan, it was undoubtedly as difficult as climbing the Shu Road to heaven.
In less than a quarter of an hour, she went from keeping pace with everyone to gradually falling behind and eventually being left far behind.
Upon seeing this, Wang Hongbo turned his horse around and went to accompany her.
As they approached, they saw that Chu Wan's eyes were red and brimming with tears. Her two small hands, which should have been holding the reins at the same time, were raised to her face alternately, and then she would puff out her little mouth and breathe into her palms.
"What happened to your hand?" Wang Hongbo asked.
Chu Wan was so engrossed in playing her instrument that she didn't notice the approaching hordes of people. Startled, she quickly hid her hands behind her back and stammered, "N-nothing, let's hurry on our way."
Wang Hongbo wasn't so easily fooled. With a flick of his whip, he wrapped it around her wrist and pulled her towards him.
Several skin chafed areas were visible on Chu Wan's fair and delicate palms, with blood seeping from the most severe spots.
"Why didn't you say you were injured?" Wang Hongbo frowned.
"I'm afraid I'll delay everyone's journey..." Chu Wan couldn't hold back her tears any longer after he shouted at her.
"Don't cry." Wang Hongbo scratched the back of his head helplessly and explained repeatedly. In his haste, he didn't pay attention to whether his words were inappropriate. "I'm not scolding you. I'm worried about Shuangshuang's situation, but I also feel sorry for you because you're hurt."
Heartache?
Chu Wan's face flushed slightly.
Bo said he felt sorry for her.
She has a childlike heart and loves to be loved and pampered, so she immediately stopped crying and started smiling.
Why is my heart beating a little fast?
Were you too tired from running the marathon all day?
While Chu Wan was distracted, Wang Hongbo had already taken out some medicine from his pocket and bandaged her wounds.
"Alright, alright, it doesn't hurt anymore," Chu Wan urged him softly. "Let's hurry on our way."
"No rush," Wang Hongbo replied.
He took the water-filled sheepskin bag off the saddle, then pulled a short-handled dagger from his boots and swiftly slashed the side of the bag, tearing open the sheepskin and instantly spilling water all over the ground.
Chu Wan was a little dumbfounded, and gently reminded him, "Brother Bo, all the water has been wasted."
Isn't this water supposed to last a day?
"There's no other way." Wang Hongbo carried the sheepskin to dry in the wind.
Chu Wan bit her fingertip, even more confused about the situation.
The autumn weather was cool and dry, and the inside of the sheepskin dried out quickly. Wang Hongbo took Chu Wan's small hand, held it up to the sheepskin for a while, and then used a dagger to cut a few times on the sheepskin. The sheepskin broke apart, and he took out a piece and wrapped it around Chu Wan's right hand.
"It may not be particularly convenient or comfortable, but the sheepskin is soft and can protect your palms, which is better than holding the reins directly."
After saying that, he wrapped up Chu Wan's left hand as well.
Chapter List 118 | 7.115.116.117
Chapter 117:
Qiao Sheng and Jun Shu were walking ahead when they glanced back and realized that Chu Wan and Wang Hongbo were nowhere to be seen. As they returned to look for them, they witnessed this scene.
"Wanwan, look how considerate Hongbo is to you. If you can marry him in the future, you'll be the luckiest person ever." Qiao Sheng always loved to joke, so she naturally wouldn't miss the opportunity to tease her little cousin.