Chapter 61: King Qi

She was so caught up in the chaos that blood stained her hands, sleeves, and chest. When she finally realized what had happened, she became frantic and stomped her feet in frustration, cursing at the silver fox man:
“You… you troublemaker! What am I supposed to do now? I still have to visit my friends, but how can I face anyone looking like this?”

The silver fox man stared at Mei Niang without moving, his lips tightly pressed together, not saying a word.

Outside the carriage, someone shouted loudly, “Master, are you alright? Do you have any orders?”
Meinang knew that the people outside must have heard her cursing and were wondering if they should punish her. Seeing the silver fox man’s exhausted, pale face, she realized he had lost too much blood and was weak.

She was actually scared that something might happen to him. If he died, the dozen or so bodyguards would definitely turn their anger toward her. They were in the wilderness, and killing a few insignificant people and throwing them into the snowdrifts was as easy as swatting ants.

Meinang glanced at the docile, scared to move Lian Sao, thinking of her three children and her own Heng Ge’er. She couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of sadness, Could it be that the heavens were this cruel? They let her die and be reborn, only to make her face death again so easily and drag innocent people down with her.

She bit her lip and leaned over to touch the silver fox man’s hand, face, and forehead. His condition was getting worse, his body too cold. She became anxious, staring into his eyes and speaking urgently:
“Did you deliberately hide how badly you’re hurt? You’ve lost so much blood how can I save you? You have to hang on! You can’t die, you can’t! If you die, your subordinates will kill me to bury me with you. I have unfinished business, elderly parents, young children, I’m not ready to die. Do you understand? Please, don’t do this to me.”

The silver fox man blinked, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “Isn’t it good to be buried with me? I’ll reward your family handsomely…”

“A fortune in gold and silver can’t compare to the warmth of family love. My mother would never trade me for your reward. I cherish my life and absolutely don’t want to die.”

The silver fox man sighed lightly. “Don’t worry, I won’t die. Go tell them to hurry up, once we reach Gui Yun Mountain Villa, they’ll let you go safely.”

Meinang quickly pulled back a corner of the carriage curtain and shouted at the attendants next to Lian Da, “Hurry up! Your master is badly hurt, he’s lost too much blood. If you don’t speed up, it will be too late!”

The attendants, upon hearing this, almost fell off their horses in panic. One of them quickly shouted to Xie:
“Can we ask Second Master Qin to step aside? I need to go check on my master.”

Meinang was about to agree when a cold, emotionless voice from behind made her freeze:
“What are you looking at? Hurry up and go!”

Xie gave a subtle look, and the attendants quickly snatched the whip from Lian Da’s hand, forcing him aside. They shook the reins forcefully, and the small carriage sped through the snow, the horse galloping at top speed. Someone gave Lian Da a horse, and he quickly mounted, following the carriage.

Meinang let out a relieved breath, “This is better. The way we were moving before was way too slow.”

The silver fox man looked at her, his eyes narrowing slightly. Meinang quickly waved her hand in front of his face, “Don’t sleep.”

The silver fox man smiled faintly, “Let me see.”

She pulled back the curtain. He glanced outside, lazily speaking, “We’re almost there, just a few miles away.”

Meinang hesitantly asked, “When we reach Gui Yun Mountain Villa, will you be saved?”

“I won’t die.”
“Is Gui Yun Mountain Villa your home? Do you have a physician there?”

“You’re asking too many questions.” The silver fox man replied tiredly.

Meinang looked at the increasing bloodstains on the cushions, feeling anxious. The silver fox man closed his eyes, and she hurried to the door, pulling back the curtain to shout,
“He’s passed out! Hurry up!”

The carriage reached the gates of Gui Yun Mountain Villa, the horse panting heavily, foaming at the mouth. Lian Da, who had raised the horse for many years, was heartbroken. As a group of people helped the silver fox man off the carriage, he kept patting the horse’s back and head, trying to say something comforting, but his voice choked, and he couldn’t get the words out.

Meinang, now in a cloak, had already gotten off the carriage and stood to the side, not paying attention to how they handled the silver fox man. She gazed inside the gates of Gui Yun Mountain Villa.

A handsome young man in white, with a refined and elegant demeanor, quickly walked out from the gates. He first saw Meinang, stopped in his tracks, looked her up and down, and then his gaze lingered on her face for about two or three seconds before he walked toward the silver fox man and bent down to examine his injuries. Xie had already sent word, and the required medicines were ready. The young man in white waved his hand, and his attendants began to carry the silver fox man inside. However, he woke up and began looking around:
“Wait, where’s Qin…?”

Xie immediately came over and bowed, inviting Meinang, “Thanks to Second Master Qin, we’ve made it here. Please, come inside for a sit, have some hot tea.”

Meinang felt uneasy, unsure of what to do. Was this Gui Yun Mountain Villa really where Zhang Jing Yun and Ling Xu Zi lived? The silver fox man had a noble status but was known for his temper. She didn’t want to get involved with such a person. Her subconscious refused to ask for information, preferring to wait for them to leave before slowly inquiring.

The silver fox man clenched his lips tightly and stared at Meinang, as if afraid she would refuse to enter the villa. His blood-soaked robes dripped on the snow, and those around him were visibly shocked, but he didn’t care.

Xie gulped nervously and invited her again, but Meinang refused: “I still have matters to attend to. I won’t disturb you. I’ll visit another day when I’m free.”

She turned and gave the silver fox man a bow from a distance, “Take care, and may we meet again.”

She then walked back to the carriage. Just as Lian Da was about to help her get on, the silver fox man shouted:
“Wait!”

Meinang turned around. The silver fox man frowned and said, “What do you want? I can give you anything.”

Meinang was stunned for a moment before replying, “I want nothing. I just want to leave safely.”

The silver fox man smiled bitterly, “Who would dare stop you from leaving safely? What I mean is—you should change your carriage and clothes.”

Meinang quickly waved her hand, “It’s fine. My carriage is sturdy, and the horse is good… As for my clothes, I can wash them when I get home. I must take my leave now. Goodbye.”

The longer she stayed, the more uneasy she felt. This place seemed like a man’s world, the air filled with masculine energy. More men dressed in splendid black robes, resembling soldiers, gathered around, watching. Meinang couldn’t stand their gazes and nearly raised her sleeve to cover her face, wanting to escape and get in the carriage.

The silver fox man began to lose his temper again, shouting, “What are you idiots doing here? Get back inside!”

As he yelled, Meinang had already climbed into the carriage. Suddenly, she heard someone call: “Please wait, Young Master Qin.”

She turned and saw the handsome young man in white again.

He smiled and raised his hand in a bow, speaking softly, “Please, Young Master Qin, take your time. Someone will accompany you on your way.”

Meinang looked at him with confusion, thinking his voice sounded familiar. Suddenly, her eyes brightened, and she opened her mouth to call out, but the young man lightly shook his head. She understood, quickly returning the bow and replying,
“Thank you for the reminder. I will be careful on my journey.”

Xie hurried over, bowing and pleading, “Second Master Qin, please, can you rest inside for a while? If you leave like this, my master will punish us. He hasn’t let anyone treat his wounds, and the blood is still flowing. What should we do?”

Meinang glanced over and saw that the silver fox man was being carried inside. She clicked her tongue in frustration he was quite handsome, but his temper was terrible. If he hadn’t found a good place to be born, he would have been ignored by everyone.

The silver fox man nodded to the white-clad young man and, in his usual arrogant tone, said to Mei Niang:
“My name is Zhao Bao. I’ll be staying at Gui Yun Mountain Villa until next spring.”

Meinang, who had finally found the person she was looking for and received confirmation, was so excited she didn’t pay much attention to the silver fox man’s voice or his presence.

Meinang couldn’t stop smiling as she got into the carriage, looking forward to her journey back to safety. She had finally received the confirmation she was hoping for and could now start making the necessary arrangements.