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墨書 Inktalez
Ye Xiaohan took a deep breath, trying to calm herself as quickly as possible.
She perked up her ears again to listen; they were starting to discuss plans to hunt down Gu Bei. After a while, she felt it was time to leave. Staying any longer might raise suspicion.
Though she wanted to hear more, she restrained herself and left the place.
After deliberately wandering around for a bit, Ye Xiaohan finally returned to her room.
The news that Gu Bei was still alive lifted a significant burden from her heart. As long as he was alive, there were more possibilities ahead.
Now she began to worry about her own situation. After confirming that Gu Bei had escaped, staying here no longer held any meaning for her.
Moreover, she had no desire to remain. From what she had overheard, although Gu Bei was alive and had managed to escape, he was injured.
Ye Xiaohan didn't know how serious his injuries were, but just the thought of Gu Bei fleeing with an injured body made her heart ache.
She needed to find Gu Bei quickly.
Anxiety began to creep in; the patience she had maintained while lurking had completely evaporated in that moment. She was eager to leave.
However, the problem was that although this Bandit Hideout was different from what she had heard—appearing quite peaceful—the rumors weren't entirely false.
These people were indeed desperate outlaws; they had killed before, and among their ranks were violent individuals like Zhao Ren who relished bloodshed. They had indeed attacked Gu Bei.
A hideout like this wouldn't be as easy to enter and exit as a tourist spot. Especially given its geographical features, it was easy to defend but hard to breach—once inside, getting out would be nearly impossible.
For Ye Xiaohan, escaping this Bandit Hideout seemed almost like an impossible task.
Especially since she was the fiancée of Zhao Ren, everyone's eyes were on her. No matter where she went, she was the center of attention, and there was no way to escape the gaze of the entire Bandit Hideout.
Ye Xiaohan felt frustrated.
Now it was Gu Bei who was outside while she was trapped inside.
What made her even more anxious was that the day of the wedding was approaching quickly; the time to get married was just around the corner.
There was no way she could actually marry Zhao Ren; this had always been a delaying tactic. But if she couldn't manage to escape before the wedding, she would truly be in trouble.
The thought that she might really not be able to get away made Ye Xiaohan feel restless. Her emotions were so evident that even those around her noticed. To cover it up, she could only lie and say it was because she was nervous about getting married.
The people in the village laughed, "Getting married is a good thing! The bride is so shy; what's there to be nervous about? Rou, why don't you take Miss Ye out for a walk to relax her?"
A girl nearby agreed.
Rou was someone from the village sent to take care of Ye Xiaohan. While it was labeled as care, both sides understood it was essentially a form of surveillance.
After all, one side consisted of wanted criminals by the Government Office, while the other side comprised sudden outsiders; neither could truly trust the other right away.
Even though Ye Xiaohan had been brought back by Zhao Ren, the villagers welcomed her while simultaneously keeping an eye on her.
This kind of vigilance made Ye Xiaohan feel almost paralyzed.
Going out for a walk would be good; it would help her familiarize herself with the terrain. Although someone was watching from behind, it was better than doing nothing at all.
"Miss Ye, how about we go for a walk by the river? It's cool near the water," Rou suggested as she followed Ye Xiaohan.
Wherever they went, it made no difference to Ye Xiaohan; she wasn't here to relax. "Sure, let's go by the river," she replied.
Rou walked alongside her, chattering away cheerfully.
Ye Xiaohan was in no mood for conversation, responding only half-heartedly.
"Miss Ye, come look! There are fish here!" Rou exclaimed, standing on the riverbank and waving excitedly at Ye Xiaohan.
At that moment, Ye Xiaohan didn't even feel like eating fish and had no desire to see any. But with Rou urging her on, she reluctantly approached.
"Where? I don't see any fish," Ye Xiaohan leaned over the edge, only spotting the clear water and the drifting aquatic plants below; nothing else caught her eye.
Rou's voice came from behind her: "Why not jump in? Then you'll find them."
Her tone was cold and ominous, completely different from her usual demeanor. Ye Xiaohan felt a chill run down her spine, but it was too late.
Suddenly, a powerful force shoved her forward. There was nothing but air in front of her—no way to brace herself—and she was helpless as the force propelled her into the river.
"Rou, what are you doing?" Ye Xiaohan splashed around in the water. "Pull me up! I can't swim!"
Hearing this, Rou's smile grew even brighter. "Can't swim? Perfect! That's exactly what I wanted—you to drown!"
"Why!" Ye Xiaohan stared at her in disbelief. "I have no grudge against you! Why are you doing this to me?"
Rou's smile slowly faded, replaced by a fierce anger. "Why? You still have the nerve to ask why?"
She pointed an accusing finger at Ye Xiaohan and shouted, "The Second-in-Command has never liked any girl for so many years! I've been waiting for him to notice me!"
She angrily said, "And what about you! You just appeared, and the Second-in-Command is going to marry you! On what grounds! I’ve known him longer and liked him more than you!"
My!
Ye Xiaohan was frantically complaining in her heart, thinking she must have exposed something and was being sentenced to death. Or perhaps she had inadvertently offended Rou, leading to this retaliation.
She never expected it was for such a bizarre reason! Ye Xiaohan was utterly speechless.
"Rou, you misunderstood. My relationship with the Second-in-Command is not what you think; I don’t like him at all!" Ye Xiaohan choked on a mouthful of water but still insisted on shouting towards the shore.
If you like him, go ahead and take him! She didn’t want a murderer like Zhao Ren at all! Ye Xiaohan wanted to say this to Rou, but she could no longer speak smoothly; struggling in the water had left her flustered.
Upon hearing Ye Xiaohan's explanation, Rou's expression grew even uglier.
"What do you mean? You look down on the Second-in-Command?" Rou shouted angrily. "The fact that the Second-in-Command even noticed you is pure luck on your part, and you dare to be picky!"
"Help, help... help!" Ye Xiaohan could no longer argue with Rou; she was about to sink.
Rou watched Ye Xiaohan desperately struggling in the water and couldn’t help but burst into laughter. "Even if you scream your lungs out, no one will come to save you!"
She crouched down, enjoying Ye Xiaohan's frantic struggle as if it were her last moments: "You know, this place is part of a forbidden area; no one will come until you die and turn to bones. The Second-in-Command won’t even know you're here!"
"Please! Rou, save me... glub glub..." Ye Xiaohan's words were cut short as she began to sink, her struggles gradually ceasing.
Rou touched her own face sweetly and said, "As long as you die, the Second-in-Command won’t be bothered by strange women anymore. From now on, it will only be me by his side; I am the only one truly suited for him!"
She grew louder and finally burst into laughter, casting a disdainful glance at Ye Xiaohan, who was slowly sinking to the riverbed, before leaving in a fit of laughter.
Behind her, Ye Xiaohan was completely still, quietly submerged in the water, not moving at all.
A gentle breeze swept across the calm surface of the lake, creating rippling circles.
Suddenly, Ye Xiaohan's limbs stirred beneath the water. In the deserted forbidden area, she flipped over and began to leisurely swim, her movements graceful like a mermaid from a legend.
Underwater, Ye Xiaohan opened her eyes and glanced towards the direction where Rou had just left.
Who would have thought that our modern children excel in all aspects—morality, intelligence, physical fitness, aesthetics, and labor? Swimming lessons have long been popularized!
Once, in an effort to improve her health, Ye Xiaohan had learned to swim and ended up winning a city championship by accident. How could she possibly be afraid of water?
When Rou had pushed her into the water earlier, Ye Xiaohan pretended not to know how to swim to increase her chances of escape, successfully deceiving Rou.
Ye Xiaohan gave herself ten thumbs up for her quick thinking.
Seeing that Rou had already left, Ye Xiaohan flipped over in the water, planning to surface.
Suddenly, a figure burst forth from the distant thicket and quickly jumped into the river, swimming towards her.
In shock followed by exhilaration, Ye Xiaohan recognized at a glance that it was Gu Bei!
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