Xie Lang tried his best to piece together the truth. He put the hairpin into his bosom and continued walking forward. This guard belonged to Shen Mingzhu, but in the end, the person who had her hairpin was killed.
Xie Lang instinctively guessed that it might have been Shen Mingzhu who did it. Could it be that she only noticed something was wrong with her guard when she got here?
Thinking this way, he felt a bit relieved. He got up and continued walking inside, quickening his pace and not daring to miss any details.
Xie Lang felt as if his heart was being fried in a pan. It was burning and hurting badly. Just thinking about that blood - stained twig made it impossible for him to calm down.
As time ticked by, Xie Lang became so tense that he felt numb. His hands even felt a bit stiff and cold.
Where on earth was Shen Mingzhu?
...
When Shen Mingzhu woke up, there was no one around.
She felt sore and exhausted all over. She just couldn't sit up, so she could only lie there and wait for Chuntao to come back.
Today's situation had really gotten out of control. The person behind this was greedy but a bit lacking in ability. Shen Mingzhu was just glad that she wasn't so arrogant as to make no preparations at all.
At the latest by tomorrow, her people would surely find her.
But... what about Xie Lang?
Shen Mingzhu instinctively didn't dare to think about it. She had left a message for Xie Lang, saying that she would come back early after the matter was done and would be back at the White Horse Temple before dark at the latest. Now it seemed impossible.
She unconsciously rubbed the cuffs of her sleeves. Her mood was complicated, and the feeling of unease welled up bit by bit. If Xie Lang kept waiting for her and couldn't find her, how worried he would be!
For the first time, Shen Mingzhu felt regretful that she hadn't told Xie Lang everything. If she had, maybe she wouldn't be in such a mess now. She wondered what Xie Lang was doing at this moment.
After a while, Shen Mingzhu felt a bit stronger. She propped herself up and sat up, instinctively looking outside.
She must have been drugged when she got close to that guard. Fortunately, Chuntao hadn't been too close to the guard. Otherwise, both of them would have been lying here now, which would have been very dangerous.
Since she was unconscious, Chuntao couldn't have gone too far.
Just as she was thinking this, Shen Mingzhu saw the grass covering the front of the cave being pushed aside. Chuntao's face was covered in dust. Seeing Shen Mingzhu awake and sitting there, she immediately asked anxiously, "Your Highness, how are you?"
Then she said to Shen Mingzhu, "I just went around to take a look. There's no sign of human habitation around here. This is deep in the forest, so we'd better not go out tonight."
After she finished speaking, she pointed to a pile of dead branches beside her and said, "I still have a few fire - starters on me. It gets cold at night in the mountains. If we can't bear it, we'll start a fire."
Shen Mingzhu felt guilty. Looking at her, she said, "You've worked hard."
Chuntao smiled when she heard this. Looking at Shen Mingzhu, she said, "Your Highness, what are you saying? It's most important that you get better soon."
Seeing that Shen Mingzhu's face wasn't as pale as when they first arrived, Chuntao secretly let out a sigh of relief. Looking at Shen Mingzhu, she said, "Your Highness, let me check your wound again."
Chuntao stepped forward and lifted Shen Mingzhu's skirt. Seeing that the wound on her foot wasn't as swollen as it was at first, she took out the medicine again. After applying it, she continued, "We still need to ask a doctor to take a good look when we get back."
Letting out a sigh, the two looked at each other, and a hint of indescribable melancholy flashed in their eyes.
Today's incident was really unexpected. Shen Mingzhu and Chuntao had never been in such a mess before. For a moment, they didn't know what to say, so they started to close their eyes and rest.
The effects of the drug on Shen Mingzhu hadn't completely worn off. After closing her eyes, she felt sleepy again, so she dozed off.
When she opened her eyes again, it was completely dark.
Chuntao had been keeping an eye on Shen Mingzhu. Seeing this, she immediately asked, "Your Highness, are you feeling better?"
Shen Mingzhu nodded and said to Chuntao, "The effects of the drug on me should be almost gone. You go and rest quickly. I'll keep watch."
Just as Chuntao was about to object, Shen Mingzhu said, "Quick, close your eyes."
The night was quiet. The mountains were so quiet that it made one's heart feel cold. From time to time, there would be one or two strange sounds, like the calls of some unknown animals, which made Shen Mingzhu tense up and not dare to relax.
After a while, the temperature gradually dropped. Shen Mingzhu felt that the mountain dew became instantly heavy. Although it was summer, she was so cold that she could hardly breathe. There were even faint water droplets on her sleeves.
She shook her sleeves but still didn't dare to start a fire.
The night was dead silent.
Shen Mingzhu sat quietly with her knees hugged. Suddenly, she heard a faint noise, so she reached out and gently patted the sleepy Chuntao.
The two looked at each other sharply, and they both saw the panic in each other's eyes.
"Crunch."
Shen Mingzhu heard the faint sound of a small dry twig being stepped on on the ground. The originally faint sound was amplified infinitely by the darkness. Shen Mingzhu instinctively grabbed the cuffs of her sleeve tightly, and there was a hint of solemnity in her eyes.
She hoped not to be discovered.
The footsteps approached and then gradually moved away. Shen Mingzhu was glad that she hadn't lit the pile of firewood just now. Otherwise, she would surely be facing a fierce battle now.
Not far away, Xie Lang led his horse and continued walking forward. Occasionally, when he saw a footprint, he would squat down and carefully compare it in the moonlight.
When he reached a tree, he frowned looking at the footprint there. He instinctively felt that Shen Mingzhu had been here.
Wait, there was someone around!
The next moment, a man in black suddenly sprang out from somewhere. The dagger in his hand was sharp, shining coldly in the darkness, and he stabbed at Xie Lang fiercely.
Xie Lang barely managed to dodge. He instinctively turned to the side, and the reins of the horse slipped from his hand. He reached out and firmly grasped the man's wrist, quickly snatched the knife, and then neatly slit his throat, covering his mouth tightly to prevent him from making a sound.
"You!"
The man struggled violently before he fell. When he fell, there was a dull thud.
Xie Lang frowned and rummaged through the man's body.
On the other side, Shen Mingzhu heard the footsteps that had moved away gradually approaching again. Suddenly, she broke out in a cold sweat.
After hearing a few muffled groans, the footsteps disappeared completely, and a faint smell of blood wafted into her nostrils.
Shen Mingzhu instinctively glanced at Chuntao, and her eyes were full of tension.
Someone had made a move! Who could it be!
Shen Mingzhu was so nervous that her fingertips were cold. She hugged her knees and didn't dare to move.
The person who could quietly subdue someone within a few moves must be extremely skilled. Shen Mingzhu didn't dare to take the risk of guessing whether the person outside was one of her own. She could only obediently hide and wait until more people came to look for her tomorrow before making a sound.
But...
Shen Mingzhu continued to listen to the movement outside. She felt that the person got up again, and there seemed to be something following him. He let out a long sigh, and the voice was familiar.
Could it be Xie Lang!
But if it was Xie Lang, how could he have come in alone!
In the darkness, Shen Mingzhu suddenly widened her eyes. Listening to the soft footsteps, she still couldn't be sure. She just pricked up her ears and didn't dare to miss a single sound.
Was the person outside really Xie Lang? Was he injured?
Shen Mingzhu could hardly contain her emotions. But seeing Chuntao beside her, she was afraid of mistaking the person, so she didn't dare to make a move at all. She tried hard to suppress her gradually heavy breathing.
The footsteps were getting closer and closer. Shen Mingzhu instinctively held her breath. Suddenly, she heard the footsteps stop. It seemed that the person had noticed something.
Was the person outside really Xie Lang?
Chuntao was already holding the dagger in her hand nervously. She moved forward a little, but was pulled back by Shen Mingzhu beside her. Shen Mingzhu gave her a look.
She didn't understand what Shen Mingzhu meant, but she obediently took a small step back.
Shen Mingzhu looked solemn, and a hint of indescribable excitement welled up in her heart.
The next moment, there was another long sigh.
Shen Mingzhu was silent for a moment, and then heard a tired sigh.
"Shen Mingzhu, you fool."
Shen Mingzhu: "..."