In the eyes of others, Xi Fuhong was acting coy, and Luo Qingcheng thought so too.
Suddenly, an inexplicable restlessness surged into her heart, and she gripped the reins tightly, her knuckles cracking.
Her face remained expressionless as she looked away, pulled the reins, and turned towards Chen Tanghe.
“Don’t talk nonsense, my riding skills aren’t bad,” Xi Fuhong muttered to herself after Luo Qingcheng walked away, feeling frustrated.
Although she didn’t have much Jianghu experience, she wasn’t a novice at riding alone.
She didn’t have many strengths, and it would be unfair if people thought she was a burden.
Shi Cuiyan listened to her grumbling complaints, feeling a sweetness in her heart.
She wrapped her arms around Xi Fuhong, kissed her on the red mark on her lips with a loud smack.
“Stop it!” Xi Fuhong pushed back with her elbow, but Shi Cuiyan kept leaning in.
“Really! It’s all because Xi Fuhong is too cute.
One kiss isn’t enough, let me kiss you a few more times,” Shi Cuiyan said with an innocent smile, pretending to go in for more kisses, but was suddenly stopped by a sharp gaze.
She looked up to see Luo Qingcheng staring at them from a distance, clearly keeping an eye on the “villain.”
“Hehe,” Shi Cuiyan sat up properly and stopped teasing Xi Fuhong, saying leisurely, “She’s looking at me like that, tsk, Cui Ling Long isn’t a grave-loving ghost, does she want to kill me?”
“What?” Xi Fuhong turned her head sensitively upon hearing the muttering behind her.
Shi Cuiyan looked down at Xi Fuhong’s anxious face, pecked her on the nose, and said with a smile, “It’s nothing, let’s go.”
Unable to resist Shi Cuiyan, Xi Fuhong had to ride with her.
Along the way, Luo Qingcheng stayed close to Chen Tanghe, while Shi Cuiyan kept a distance from them.
She watched Luo Qingcheng and the leader discuss something, their expressions growing colder, and Shi Cuiyan instinctively tightened her grip around Xi Fuhong’s waist, feeling a sense of foreboding.
In the evening, the four of them took a shortcut through the mountains instead of the main road, intending to camp in the wild.
Chen Tanghe looked up at the darkening sky and found a relatively flat area to call for Shi Cuiyan to rest.
Xi Fuhong sat by the newly lit fire, playing with a small stick in her hand, occasionally glancing at Chen Tanghe and Luo Qingcheng standing under a tree.
She didn’t know what they were talking about, but Leader Chen seemed very agitated.
“Xi Fuhong, you’re looking at the leader with such longing eyes, your sister will get jealous,” Shi Cuiyan said with a laugh, sitting down next to Xi Fuhong.
“I’m not looking at him like that! You’re talking nonsense!!” Xi Fuhong jumped up in fright, only to be pulled back down by Shi Cuiyan.
“Alright, I know you’re not, just joking,” Shi Cuiyan said, rubbing her ears, wondering why Xi Fuhong was so easily startled.
She turned her head to look at the two under the tree, thoughtfully playing with her hair.
It wasn’t hard to notice that Chen Tanghe and Luo Qingcheng seemed to have differing opinions, but what they were arguing about was unknown.
“Xi Fuhong, do you want the Tiger Dragon Cave treasure?” Shi Cuiyan stopped her actions and asked.
Xi Fuhong quickly shook her head, “I don’t want the treasure, I just want to return to Granny quickly.”
Originally, she only brought the Black Dragon ring, and now both rings were in Chen Tanghe’s hands, fulfilling her duty.
However, she couldn’t leave because of Luo Qingcheng.
The Tiger Dragon Cave treasure wasn’t her concern.
Shi Cuiyan laughed lightly, remembering that Xi Fuhong was just a child from Fog Valley, uninterested in wealth, only caring about a simple life and her benefactor, the grave-loving ghost.
“Xi Fuhong,” Shi Cuiyan whispered in her ear, “let’s escape?”
“What?! You…” Xi Fuhong widened her eyes, then covered her mouth to stifle a scream, turning to make sure Luo Qingcheng wasn’t looking before releasing her hand, “Don’t joke, Luo Family Head said to wait for the treasure to open before letting me go.
If we escape and Granny gets hunted by the Righteous Path, what then?”
“Silly girl, do you really think Luo Family Head will let you go?” Shi Cuiyan raised an eyebrow.
Xi Fuhong was stunned.
Didn’t they say they’d release me after the treasure opened? Could it be… Luo Family Head lied?
Seeing her troubled expression, Shi Cuiyan felt both amused and exasperated.
She was only guessing, but seeing Luo Qingcheng’s obsession with Xi Fuhong, she couldn’t help but be suspicious.
Would Luo Qingcheng really let Xi Fuhong go after the Tiger Dragon Cave opened? She feared Luo Family Head would find another reason to keep her.
What exactly did Luo Qingcheng want? It was hard to say.
“Let’s escape?” Shi Cuiyan took Xi Fuhong’s hand and asked seriously.
Despite her hesitation, Xi Fuhong nodded in agreement.
Perhaps Shi Cuiyan’s concerns were valid.
If Luo Family Head didn’t let her go after the treasure opened, no one would come to save her.
The two stood up to leave, catching Luo Qingcheng’s attention.
Although she was talking to Chen Tanghe, her eyes occasionally glanced at the two by the fire, and her usually calm heart began to stir.
“Where are you going?” Luo Qingcheng interrupted Chen Tanghe, stepping forward and asking coldly.
Shi Cuiyan turned back with a smile, shielding Xi Fuhong behind her, “Don’t worry, we’re just going to pick some fruit.
Didn’t we see a fruit grove on the way? Xi Fuhong said she wanted some, and as her sister, I have to oblige.”
Luo Qingcheng didn’t reply, just stared at Xi Fuhong’s shrinking figure.
Chen Tanghe frowned and stepped forward to block Luo Qingcheng’s view.
Seeing this, Shi Cuiyan confidently led Xi Fuhong away quickly.
It seemed Chen Tanghe also noticed Luo Qingcheng’s intentions, and their discussions along the way were likely about Xi Fuhong.
“Is this… really okay?” Xi Fuhong asked uneasily, looking back but seeing no one following.
“What are you worried about? I’m Cui Ling Long.
Once we pass that orchard, I’ll take you far away,” Shi Cuiyan said confidently, her steps light.
She pondered where to take Xi Fuhong after escaping Luo Qingcheng’s grasp.
Returning to Miaojiang seemed too dull, so perhaps they should explore Zhongyuan first.
Compared to Shi Cuiyan’s ease, Xi Fuhong’s steps grew heavier, a sense of guilt washing over her.
She looked up at Shi Cuiyan, who appeared like a Little Fairy under the moonlight, her every move filled with spirit.
The carefree Jianghu lifestyle infected Xi Fuhong, and she held Shi Cuiyan’s soft hand, her heart gradually calming.
Maybe, it really would be okay?
“Xi Fuhong, from here on, it’s going to be a bumpy ride,” Shi Cuiyan said, and before she finished, she picked Xi Fuhong up horizontally.
Xi Fuhong was startled, instinctively wrapping her arms around Shi Cuiyan’s neck, her body enveloped in a sweet fragrance.
Looking up, she saw Shi Cuiyan’s lips curve into a soft smile, her bright eyes forming crescent moons.
“If I’m too heavy, you don’t have to force yourself,” Xi Fuhong said awkwardly, worried that Shi Cuiyan, being a woman like her, would tire from carrying her over mountains.
But she didn’t know that Jianghu martial artists were different from ordinary people.
With martial arts, even carrying a man wouldn’t be a problem.
“Ah, you are a bit heavy,” Shi Cuiyan teased, her mischievous nature unchanged.
“Then put me down, I can walk,” Xi Fuhong said, her cheeks heating up with embarrassment, struggling in Shi Cuiyan’s arms. But Shi Cuiyan only held her tighter.
Every time she saw Xi Fuhong’s flushed cheeks and embarrassed expression, her heart felt like it was being tickled by a kitten, making her want to kiss her.
“Xi Fuhong, you’re just too lovable,” Shi Cuiyan sighed with a sudden sense of affection.
Xi Fuhong frowned.
Lovable? She never intended to be lovable.
Shi Cuiyan didn’t explain further, taking a deep breath and leaping onto the branches.
The dense forest was perfect for escaping, and to avoid Chen Tanghe’s pursuit, Shi Cuiyan used all her martial skills to take Xi Fuhong away.
Fortunately, she had learned a set of light skills from her master, making it easy to escape and evade, earning her the title of Jianghu’s best at running away.
Listening to the wind whistling past her ears, Xi Fuhong squinted her eyes, shivering from the cold.
They had crossed hundreds of branches and run for more than half an hour, yet all she saw was a sea of green trees, with the sky above…
