Aquí hay amor por trescientos taeles

Capítulo 24

She carefully applied the wound medicine, but then heard Qi Mo groan softly. She immediately stopped and asked, "What's wrong? Does it hurt a lot?"

Qi Mo's gaze was somber as he turned and asked, "When you were changing Sima Liuyun's dressing, were you touching him all over like this? Was he wearing any clothes?"

Yun Ran's face flushed slightly, then a look of displeasure crossed her expression. She tightened her grip, and Qi Mo groaned again, this time in pain.

He glanced back and saw that Yun Ran's expression was indifferent, and he couldn't tell whether she was happy or angry. But after he groaned in pain, her fingers brushed against his back and seemed to be much gentler. He couldn't help but smile slyly. Suddenly, he turned around and hugged her, pulling her into his arms.

Yun Ran exclaimed "Ah!" and reached out to push him away, but afraid of aggravating his back injury, she struggled a few times but couldn't break free. She then saw Xiao Douzi standing to the side with wide eyes and quickly said in a low voice with a red face, "What's wrong with you? Let me go."

Qi Mo smiled and said, "You must promise me that you will no longer change Sima Liuyun's medicine before I will let go." He then winked at Xiao Douzi.

Little Bean understood and giggled, "Let's go catch the fox spirit!" As he spoke, he pushed open the door and ran out.

Seeing that only she and Qi Mo were left in the room, Yun Ran felt her cheek against his bare chest, the strong scent of a man washing over her, and her heart grew increasingly anxious and flustered. Qi Mo chuckled softly, lowered his head and sucked on her earlobe, gently holding it between his teeth, murmuring in her ear, "Will you agree or not? If you don't, I'll bite you."

Suddenly, someone chuckled softly, "When did Chief Qi turn into a dog and learn to bite people?"

Qi Mo and Yun Ran looked in the direction of the sound and saw Wanwan leaning against the door, looking at them with a half-smile.

Qi Mo raised his eyebrows slightly, released Yun Ran, and said calmly, "Miss Wanwan really needs to correct her habit of eavesdropping."

Wanwan looked disdainful and curled her lip slightly, saying, "Chief Qi's penchant for poaching people's partners is probably no better than Wanwan's."

Qi Mo was somewhat taken aback by the hostility in her tone, which was quite different from her usual smooth personality. Wanwan stepped forward and pulled Yun Ran up, saying with a smile, "Since Boss Qi has the strength to bite, his injuries are probably not serious. Let Miss Yun come back to my room to rest."

Without waiting for Qi Mo's reply, he pulled Yun Ran away.

The two returned to the room next to Sima Liuyun's. Wanwan closed the door and saw Yunran with her hair slightly disheveled and looking dazed. She couldn't help but shake her head and sigh, "It's only been a few days. Why are you so intimate with Sect Leader Qi? Don't forget that he once forced you..."

Yun Ran's cheeks were still flushed, and she lowered her eyelashes and said in a low voice, "But he didn't know that day..." She stopped abruptly halfway through her sentence, glared at Wanwan, and said angrily, "What's it to you now?"

Wanwan chuckled and said leisurely, "It's none of my business, but it must concern Young Master Sima. As his fiancée, you must remember to uphold the virtues of a woman and not get too close to other men."

Yun Ran felt a surge of anger, realizing that Wanwan was the culprit who had revealed her identity. Her eyebrows furrowed, and she was about to confront her. Wanwan had already swiftly floated out of the room, turning back to smile, "I'm going to the kitchen now to bring back Young Master Sima's medicine. You're not allowed to take this opportunity to get intimate with Sect Leader Qi again."

Sima Liuyun and Qi Mo were seriously injured, and the group had no choice but to rest in the inn for several days. Fortunately, the Dragon Guard did not come looking for them.

Over the past few days, Qi Mo's back wound has gradually healed. Sima Liuyun's injuries are also improving day by day, and he is already able to get out of bed and walk. Yun Ran is afraid that he will bring up the topic from that day again, so she tries her best to avoid being alone with him. Sima Liuyun is a perceptive person and has already noticed something is wrong. Feeling uneasy, he dares not mention the matter of their engagement to her.

Although Qi Mo tried his best to create opportunities to spend time with Yun Ran, Wan Wan seemed determined to interfere, always sticking close to Yun Ran, which only made Qi Mo feel more troubled.

After dinner that evening, Qi Mo, taking advantage of Wanwan's inattention, coughed lightly and winked at Yun Ran.

Seeing his mysterious expression, Yun Ran felt puzzled but didn't know what he meant. When she looked at him again, Qi Mo had already gotten up and lazily walked back to his room.

After a while, Xiaodouzi came skipping over with a dough figurine in his hand, looked up and said, "I want to eat persimmons."

Yun Ran frowned and said, "Where are we going to find persimmons for you to eat right now?"

Little Bean pointed outside the door and said, "They sell them over there."

Wanwan was carrying a bowl of medicine when she heard this and laughed and scolded, "You little rascal, you're always thinking of ways to trick people into taking you out to play. Miss Yun, why don't you take him out and buy a couple of things, so that this kid won't keep making a fuss and refusing to sleep at night."

Yun Ran led Xiao Douzi out of the inn and was looking around when Xiao Douzi tugged at her sleeve and said with a grin, "My good brother said you should wait for him under the fifth big tree from the west outside the town." With that, he clutched the dough figurine and wobbled back to the inn.

Yun Ran knew that Qi Mo had Xiao Douzi deliver the message so that Wanwan wouldn't suspect anything, and she couldn't help but chuckle to herself. Although she felt that the two of them didn't need to meet so secretly, she had been annoyed by Wanwan's pestering lately, so she didn't hesitate and used her lightness skill to run out of town.

Little Bean stepped into the inn and saw Wanwan sitting in the lobby waiting. He waved the dough figurine in his hand at her, giggled, and ran back to his room in a flash.

Wanwan chuckled and muttered, "You brat." She rolled her eyes, picked up the medicine bowl beside her, walked a few steps to Sima Liuyun's room, and gently pushed open the door.

A single lamp flickered dimly in the room. Sima Liuyun stood alone with his back to the door, gazing silently out the window, lost in thought.

Wanwan stared at his slender back for a moment before softly calling out, "Young Master Sima, it's time to take your medicine."

Sima Liuyun turned around and smiled slightly at her, then drank the bowl of medicine. Wanwan handed her a candied fruit and smiled, saying, "I bought this in town today. You can eat one after you finish your medicine."

Sima Liuyun couldn't help but laugh and say, "I'm not afraid of hardship." But thinking of Wanwan's good intentions, he still took the candied fruit and put it in his mouth.

Seeing his gloomy expression, Wanwan deliberately asked, "Now that Young Master Sima has found Miss Yun, your happy event must not be far off, right?"

Sima Liuyun remained silent and did not answer. After a long while, he sighed softly.

Wanwan's gaze shifted, and she asked, "Young Master Sima, don't you want to marry Miss Yun?"

Sima Liuyun gave a wry smile and said softly, "Of course I would love to, but I feel... she doesn't seem to want to marry me."

Wanwan said "Oh," and asked, "How did Young Master Sima know this?"

Sima Liuyun said in a low voice, "She has been deliberately avoiding me these days, can't you tell?"

Wanwan paced back and forth in the room a few times, then turned her head and chuckled, "Her avoiding you doesn't necessarily mean she has no feelings for you; perhaps there are other reasons."

Sima Liuyun looked up at Wanwan with a puzzled expression.

Wanwan lowered her gaze and slowly said, "If a woman loses her virginity before marriage, she will inevitably be looked down upon and despised by the world. Young Master Sima's knowledge and vision are far beyond those of ordinary men. I wonder if he would mind that his wife is not a virgin?"

Sima Liuyun's heart skipped a beat, and he said in a deep voice, "You mean, Ranmei, she..." He thought of Yunran's wandering and helpless state in the martial world over the past year. If she hadn't encountered some unforeseen event, why would she have refused to acknowledge him? He couldn't help but murmur to himself, blaming himself, "Why didn't I find her sooner!"

Wanwan stared intently at his expression and asked, "Now that Young Master Sima knows the truth, won't you look down on Miss Yun because of it?"

Sima Liuyun said, "She is the one I love. Besides, the fault does not lie with her. I will only love and cherish her even more. How could I despise her?"

Wanwan stared at him, speechless, and slowly curved her lips into a smile. She said softly, "Sima Liuyun, I knew I was right about you." She composed herself and added, "Miss Yun is waiting for you under the fifth big tree from the west outside the town. Go find her now."

Sima Liuyun was both surprised and delighted, and asked, "Did she send you to ask me those questions just now?"

Wanwan lowered her eyelashes, gave a soft "hmm," and said slowly, "The reason Miss Yun acted this way was to ask Sect Leader Qi to save you. Young Master Sima, you mustn't let her kindness go to waste."

Sima Liuyun was stunned for a moment, then felt a pang of pain and regret. He only wanted to see Yun Ran as soon as possible, so he hurriedly said, "Thank you," and then strode out the door.

☆、38. Parting Ways

Yun Ran headed west out of town and waited under the fifth big tree as instructed. She waited for a long time, but Qi Mo did not arrive.

Just as she was getting impatient, she suddenly heard the rumbling of wheels in the distance, and a horse-drawn carriage was coming along the road toward the town.

In the darkness of night, Yun Ran could vaguely see several riders guarding the carriage. Knowing that the newcomers were no ordinary people, she leaped onto a treetop and secretly peered into the distance.

The carriage drew closer, and from afar, a deep voice could be heard asking, "Shall we rest in the town ahead tonight and wait for Steward Ling to arrive and meet us tomorrow morning? What does Your Highness think?"

A moment later, a man's listless voice came from inside the car: "Let's do as Commander Zheng says."

Yun Ran's heart skipped a beat when she heard the voice. She recognized the person in the car as Qin Luo. Thinking of how she had been humiliated and nearly died at his hands in the mansion in Lezhou City, and how Tian'er had been cruelly tortured to death by him, her heart was filled with rage. She thought to herself: What a small world! This villain has also come here. Today, I will settle all my old and new scores with him!

She looked closely and saw that there were eight people in total, including the coachman and the accompanying guards. She guessed that they were the guards sent by Wen Huaifeng to escort Qin Luo back to the capital. At this time, Yun Ran's arm injury had healed, so she was not afraid of these guards. She lightly stroked the hilt of the Broken Scale Sword at her waist, a cold smile appeared on her lips, and she reached into her bosom to take out a hidden weapon. She held her breath, gathered her energy, and prepared to fire.

Not long after, the carriage passed under the trees. With a flick of Yun Ran's wrist, several tiny steel needles flashed from the shadows and silently pierced the backs of the heads of the three guards and the driver. Before they could utter a sound, all four died instantly.

Commander Zheng and the other three were startled to see their companion fall to the ground. They heard a faint hissing sound coming from above and quickly jumped off their horses to dodge. However, they could not see the source of the hidden weapon in the darkness. They cried out in pain as they were hit by the steel needles.

Commander Zheng felt a sharp pain in his arm, knowing that the steel needle was deeply embedded in the bone and that the person who launched the hidden weapon was certainly highly skilled. He gritted his teeth, pulled out his steel knife to protect himself, and shouted, "The assassin is hiding in the tree! Everyone, grab your weapons and be careful of hidden weapons!"

As they were speaking, a dark shadow flashed among the treetops, and a person lightly leaped down to the ground.

Commander Zheng saw that the assassin was beautiful, with a cold and fierce expression and a murderous aura between her brows. She was the woman that Lord Wen was determined to capture. He exclaimed in surprise, "You female thief, how dare you! You kidnapped the wanted criminal Sima Liuyun, and now you want to assassinate the young marquis!"

Yun Ran sneered, her figure blurred, she passed him and rushed towards the other three guards.

The three men were suddenly struck by a black, broken sword. They raised their weapons to parry, but all of them felt their hands go light as their weapons were silently sliced in half. Taking advantage of their momentary panic, Yun Ran pressed her attack and killed the three guards one by one.

Seeing the situation was dire, Commander Zheng disregarded his duty to protect his troops and leaped onto his horse to flee. Yun Ran had already caught up, wielding the Broken Scale Sword and severing his right arm. Commander Zheng screamed in agony and tumbled off his horse. Yun Ran stepped forward and delivered the final blow, instantly ending his life.

She glanced at the corpses scattered on the ground, her expression unchanged, then turned and walked towards the carriage, gently lifting the curtain.

Under the moonlight, Qin Luo, with a splint wrapped around his wrist, leaned against the wall of the room, his eyes filled with resentment, panting as he met her gaze.

It turned out that Qin Luo had suffered severe internal injuries after Qi Mo broke his wrist with a powerful blow, sending him flying several feet. He had recuperated in Lezhou for a few days, but worried that staying away from the capital for too long would arouse the suspicion of Marquis Chang Le, so he hurriedly took a carriage back to the capital. His injuries had not yet healed, and he was already terrified when he heard the assassin kill eight guards in an instant. When he saw that the assassin was Yun Ran, his heart sank even further, and he knew that he would most likely die today.

Yun Ran's eyes were filled with murderous intent. She leaned over and pulled him out of the car. She stared at him coldly for a moment, then thrust out the Broken Scale Sword, piercing through his right shoulder.

The tip of the Broken Scale Sword was bladeless, and when it pierced into the body, a short hook extended, causing extreme pain. Qin Luo, being quite stubborn, gritted her teeth and did not utter a sound, but her face was already deathly pale.

Yun Ran drew the Broken Scale Sword, watching the blood spill from the hook onto the ground. A cold glint flashed in her eyes as she whispered, "The next strike will be for Tian'er." She swiftly swung the sword, aiming for his heart.

Qin Luo closed his eyes to await death. Just then, a sharp sound pierced the quiet night. A hidden weapon flew from the side and struck the sword, knocking the Broken Scale Sword several inches off course.

Yun Ran's sword thrust went astray, her arm tingling slightly. The hidden weapon had been sliced in two by the Broken Scale Sword and lay to the side.

She felt a strange familiarity with the shape and force of the hidden weapon, and blurted out, "Qi Mo?"

A man coughed lightly and slowly approached from the shadows of the trees. Tall and elegant, he was none other than Qi Mo.

Yun Ran paused for a moment, then asked, "When did you arrive?"

Qi Mo's eyes flickered uncertainly as he said calmly, "So you were here. I've been looking for you for quite a while."

Yun Ran felt puzzled, but she didn't have time to ask him. She thrust her sword at Qin Luo again.

Qi Mo frowned, and with lightning speed, he drew his sword and struck diagonally, using the blade of the Broken Scale Sword to block her longsword.

Yun Ran angrily said, "What are you doing!"

Qi Mo coughed and said, "You also suspected that Tian'er's death was framed by someone else against Qin Luo..."

Yun Ran interrupted him angrily, saying, "Even if Tian'er hadn't died at his hands, I would still kill this villain!" As she spoke, she exerted her strength in her hand, and with a flick of her wrist, she had already cut Qi Mo's longsword in half. The Broken Scale Sword then slashed towards Qin Luo's abdomen.

Qi Mo's expression changed, and he suddenly lunged forward, grabbed Yun Ran's wrist, and snatched the Broken Scale Sword from her hand. He gently advised, "We haven't found out the truth yet, so don't act rashly to avoid causing more trouble."

Yun Ran stared at him intently, biting her lip as she said, "He humiliated me so much that day, why...why won't you let me kill him?"

A hint of embarrassment flashed across Qi Mo's face. He avoided her gaze, turned back, and said coldly, "Young Marquis, why aren't you leaving? Are you waiting to be slaughtered?"

Qin Luo's face was deathly pale. Hearing this, she suppressed her excruciating pain, got up, and continued to bleed from her shoulder. She staggered away step by step.

With her pulse point blocked, Yun Ran lost all her strength and could only watch helplessly as Qin Luo slowly disappeared into the distant bushes, powerless to stop her.

Seeing her lips tremble and her face turn ashen, Qi Mo knew she was extremely angry. He also felt guilty and pulled Yun Ran into his arms, holding her and whispering, "Don't be angry. I stopped you from killing him because..."

Seeing his slight hesitation, Yun Ran stopped speaking and coldly asked, "Why don't you continue? It's because killing him won't bring any benefits, and it will also incur the wrath of Marquis Chang Le. Since you're with me, this will be very disadvantageous for you. Is that right?"

Qi Mo looked down at her, sighed, and said, "Why are you always so wary of me? Why don't you trust me?"

Yun Ran remained silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, "You are always calculating and never show your true feelings to others. How can anyone trust you?"

Qi Mo was taken aback, then heard her slowly say, "If the wound on your back had really worsened a few days ago, how could it have healed so quickly? Since you were able to apply medicine to your arm to scare away those soldiers that day, you must have also been able to use medicine on your wound to fake a serious injury, hoping to distract me and prevent me from taking care of Sima Liuyun, but I..."

Yun Ran's voice trailed off, her heart filled with turmoil. She knew perfectly well that Qi Mo's actions stemmed from his affection for her, which was why she hadn't exposed him that day. However, ever since she met Qi Mo and was framed by him in the Su Yunjin matter, she had harbored resentment towards him and remained wary of him at all times. Although everything he did afterward was not malicious towards her, he always seemed to be profiting from it, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

During their time together, Qi Mo had showered her with care and attention, and while she had fallen for him, she had never dared to give him her true feelings, partly because she was wary of his mercenary nature. Today, Qi Mo's decision to let Qin Luo go only made her more hesitant.

Qi Mo looked down and saw her conflicted expression, so he frowned and asked, "Is it because of this that you don't want to see me by the river tonight? Then what exactly is it...?"