For the first time, Shen Mingzhu lost the desire to retort when she heard Xie Lang scolding her. She didn't even know how to respond, so she stood there stunned. This time it was her fault. She had underestimated the enemy, been too careless in her actions, and was just...
When Shen Mingzhu was sitting on the dead leaves just now, she kept replaying the events in her mind. In the end, she found that what she had done seemed right, but actually she had been wrong from the very beginning.
"Forget it."
Looking at the person in front of him, Xie Lang noticed a bloodstain on his hand. Then he remembered that Shen Mingzhu's leg seemed to be injured too. So he frowned and was about to set off again.
Shen Mingzhu's nose felt sour. She stood up and softly said towards the outside, "Xie Lang, I'm here."
The night was deep. Only the occasional sound of dead branches breaking underfoot and the calls of unknown birds could be heard.
When Xie Lang heard Shen Mingzhu's voice, he thought it was just an illusion. So he sighed, rubbed his ears, and subconsciously looked in the direction where the voice came from.
The next moment, he stood there still.
He gasped sharply and stared at Shen Mingzhu with wide eyes.
Shen Mingzhu felt like crying even more. She took a step forward and stood in front of Xie Lang. Looking at his disheveled appearance, completely different from his usual calm self, with some dry grass on his head and his hair in a mess, he stared blankly at her.
"I'm sorry."
Shen Mingzhu choked with sobs and couldn't speak. For the first time, she wiped her eyes with red - rimmed eyes and stood there stupidly in front of Xie Lang, not daring to move.
"You!"
Xie Lang took a deep breath sharply. He wanted to scold Shen Mingzhu severely, but when he opened his mouth, he paused. "Shen Mingzhu! Is your foot okay?"
After saying that, he hurriedly squatted down. Seeing that Shen Mingzhu had limped a bit when she walked over just now, Xie Lang's heart sank even more, and his face instantly turned extremely ugly.
Shen Mingzhu couldn't speak.
"You!"
The moment he saw the wound, Xie Lang's heart trembled violently. He looked up at Shen Mingzhu deeply.
All Shen Mingzhu felt now was guilt. When she looked at Xie Lang, she was at a loss for words. She just kept explaining, "It's okay. I'm okay. I've already applied the medicine. I'm sorry..."
Xie Lang looked at it for a few times. After finding that the medicine had really been applied, he said fiercely to Shen Mingzhu, "You've got quite some skills, huh?"
Shen Mingzhu bit her lip. "I left you a letter. I'm sorry. I should have just said it directly."
Xie Lang was stunned when he heard this and said, "Letter?"
Shen Mingzhu gritted her teeth and looked at his expression. She found that there was only confusion and a belated fear on Xie Lang's face. "Shen Mingzhu."
He looked at Shen Mingzhu deeply. "It seems that you really deserve this fall this time."
Shen Mingzhu didn't know why Xie Lang didn't blame her. Seeing that he didn't say anything, she felt extremely stifled in her heart and kept saying, "It's all my fault. Just scold me."
Xie Lang saw Shen Mingzhu in such a vulnerable state for the first time. The little anger in his heart had completely disappeared.
He sighed deeply.
How could he blame Shen Mingzhu? Shen Mingzhu was only seventeen. If it weren't for the accident of her elder brother, she would probably still be a little princess living a care - free life, not having to consider so many things.
Xie Lang always remembered that a long time ago at a banquet, from a great distance, he saw Shen Mingzhu standing at the back, watching the excitement with folded arms and a lively smile on her face, showing no sign of the current calmness.
In the past three years, there were fewer and fewer people around Shen Mingzhu who could help her. She couldn't even find a reliable elder to guide her. Sometimes Xie Lang was extremely indulgent to her and even showed a bit of weakness, because he knew that it was very difficult for Shen Mingzhu to trust others now, especially someone like himself who seemed difficult to deal with.
"What should I scold you for?"
Xie Lang sighed again. Looking at Shen Mingzhu, he said, "Since things have come to this, if scolding you could solve the problem, I would have opened my mouth the moment I saw you."
[Alas, this idiot Shen Mingzhu! Just wait until we get back and see how I'll teach her a lesson!]
[I'm so angry! I'm so angry!!! I can understand that Shen Mingzhu doesn't trust anyone now, but I'm still so angry!]
[Forget it. She even left me a letter, although it didn't reach me in the end.]
Shen Mingzhu couldn't tell what she was feeling at the moment. So when she looked at Xie Lang, she felt even sadder and held back her tears.
"Let's hide here for a while first. It's almost dawn. We'll go back slowly later."
[Shen Mingzhu's foot is like this. She should rest for a while. It's easy to hit it while riding a horse. Alas.]
Just as Shen Mingzhu was about to speak, she heard Xie Lang continue, "Stop talking. Just sit down. I'm afraid I'll really scold you."
"Tell me."
Xie Lang tied the horse to one side and followed Shen Mingzhu into the small cave. Looking at her, he said, "How did you manage to be so stupid as to fall into the trap step by step?"
Shen Mingzhu was silent for a moment and then told the whole story from beginning to end.
Xie Lang looked at her half - smiling and said, "Where has your usual smartness gone?"
Shen Mingzhu didn't say a word and subconsciously turned her head, not daring to meet his eyes.
"You really deserve this this time. There are so many people staring at you in the dark." Xie Lang said with a sneer. His eyes were fixed on Shen Mingzhu. "I think you'll see what you want after you get back."
Shen Mingzhu knew that she would definitely be able to expose a lot of people this time. But now she was in such a mess, and she had even involved Xie Lang.
According to the plan, this could be regarded as a great victory.
But when Shen Mingzhu thought about how anxious Xie Lang had been when looking for her, she couldn't say a word.
"You..."
Xie Lang felt a headache just looking at Shen Mingzhu. He said, "I really don't know what to say about you, Shen Mingzhu."
Shen Mingzhu hung her head. Chun Tao, who was beside them, had already left sensibly and didn't follow them in. She was sitting outside keeping watch.
"Do you know?" Xie Lang said. Looking at Shen Mingzhu with a solemn look in his eyes, "You were just like a reckless man this time. If something had happened to you, all the previous plans would have been in vain! If you're gone, what's the use of all those things!"
Shen Mingzhu subconsciously looked up at him. When she caught a glimpse of the worry and anger in Xie Lang's eyes, her heart tightened.
It had been a long time since someone had looked at her like this.
Shen Mingzhu admitted that her actions were indeed too impulsive now. "Yes."
She responded and then continued, "I won't be so impulsive next time."
Xie Lang was both angry and amused by Shen Mingzhu. He said, "What next time? Do you still dare to have a next time?"
During their conversations, it was rare for Xie Lang to dominate and lecture Shen Mingzhu like this.
So looking at the docility in Shen Mingzhu's eyes, Xie Lang didn't know what to say for a moment.
"Forget it." Xie Lang felt that he had sighed all his life's anger today. He sighed deeply again and then continued, "Go back and think carefully about what's going on."
"Moreover."
Xie Lang frowned and continued the topic they had not finished just now. Looking at her, he said, "Shen Mingzhu, no matter how stupid you are, it shouldn't be that even the little maid serving you has a problem."
"You left me a letter, right?"
Shen Mingzhu stood there still, and all the color drained from her face.