Both of them looked rather grim. They quickly retraced their steps along the previous markings. Although Qin Lan hadn't noticed anything else after that, just thinking about Nie Rong's markings and Qin Huailian, who still remained missing, made them feel a bit uneasy.
It wasn't long before they got out of the mountain. By now, the moon had moved to the western side of the night sky. According to the time, dawn would break in just an hour. They quickly made their way to the vicinity of the camp and saw that everyone in the camp was still asleep. It was extremely quiet all around; not even the sound of crickets could be heard. The two sentries couldn't hold on any longer and had slumped against the rocks, sound asleep. After all, they had to continue their journey the next day and needed to be in good spirits.
Qin Lan and Qin Huaiqiu didn't make any more noise. They crouched low, observing the terrain as they slipped in from another direction.
The young soldier beside the carriage was still under the influence of the sleeping drug. Qin Huaiqiu walked up to him and made a face. Seeing that he didn't wake up and even smacked his lips in his sleep, Qin Huaiqiu felt much better. He turned to look at Qin Lan and said, "We still have a while before we set off. Do you want to come up and sleep?"
Qin Lan shook her head and replied, "I'll just sit outside for a while."
"Alright then." Qin Huaiqiu yawned and said, "We still have half a day's journey today. If you get sleepy, just come back to the carriage."
"Okay." Qin Lan nodded.
After saying that, Qin Huaiqiu didn't bother with her anymore. He got into the carriage and lifted the curtain.
In an instant, his movements suddenly froze.
In the darkness, a tall figure was sitting in his carriage. He was dressed in a black robe embroidered with coiling dragons. His hair was loose, and his hands were quietly resting on his knees, without any extra movements. Although he was sitting upright, the overall impression he gave Qin Huaiqiu was that he was on the verge of an outburst.
It was Sikong Ting.
Qin Huaiqiu took a step back. His voice was timid and trembling as he murmured, "Your Majesty..."
Outside the carriage, Qin Lan was so frightened that she stood there stock - still.
After saying that, the person in the carriage slowly raised his head. Behind his disheveled hair, Qin Huaiqiu saw a pair of blood - shot eyes.
"... Where have you been?" Sikong Ting's voice was deep and hoarse, but it carried an unassailable interrogation.
"I... Your concubine..." Qin Huaiqiu felt as if he had been scrutinized a hundred times over by Sikong Ting's gaze in an instant. His whole body went stiff. Under Sikong Ting's stare, he couldn't even lift a finger.
Sikong Ting stared at him, and the anxiety in his heart suddenly disappeared, replaced by extreme helplessness and anger.
He knew that the Imperial Concubine De was avoiding him and even planning to leave the palace. So he had tossed and turned all night and finally couldn't resist coming to take a look. He had dismissed everyone. He originally planned to just take a quick look and leave, but when he reached the carriage of the Imperial Concubine De, he only saw a soldier lying unconscious beside the rock, and the carriage with the lifted curtain was empty.
At that moment, he couldn't describe how he felt. He only felt a blaze of anger rising from his abdomen. The raging flames burned up to his throat but then collided with an iceberg and instantly melted into gas and dissipated.
He dejectedly walked into the carriage, looked at the cold cushions, and sat down.
The sense of failure he had never felt before swept over him again, like a basin of cold water being poured directly on his head. He wanted to get angry and directly send the imperial guards to search, but in the end, he did nothing. He just sat quietly in the carriage, his eyes wide open, waiting for an unknown answer.
"Come here." Sikong Ting said in a deep voice.
Qin Huaiqiu felt as if his feet were rooted to the ground and couldn't move.
Sikong Ting stared at him, propped himself up on his knees, and stood up, walking towards him step by step.
Qin Huaiqiu only felt that Sikong Ting was surrounded by a menacing aura. The look on his face as he stared at him was as if he wanted to tear him apart and devour him. Instinctively, he wanted to take a step back, but unexpectedly, Sikong Ting grabbed his arm. Before he could react, his face slammed into Sikong Ting's hard chest.
... What?
Qin Huaiqiu stared with wide eyes in Sikong Ting's arms, his mind a complete blank.
Sikong Ting reached out a hand, supporting the back of his head, and then gently exerted force, as if he wanted to meld him into his own body.
Qin Huaiqiu was being hugged so tightly by him that he could hardly breathe, so he couldn't help struggling and saying, "Your Majesty... Your concubine can't breathe..."
Sikong Ting turned a deaf ear. He lowered his head, and his lips brushed against Qin Huaiqiu's ear as he softly said, "Did you run out on your own?"
Qin Huaiqiu's movements instantly froze. He was like a log, allowing Sikong Ting to hold him but not daring to move at all.
"Or did your maid take you out?" Sikong Ting's tone was very soft, but his words carried a sharp killing intent.
Qin Huaiqiu struggled to turn his head from his embrace and looked at Qin Lan, who was kneeling on one side with her head down, fear in his eyes.
"Then if I kill her, will you never run away again?" Sikong Ting opened his mouth and took Qin Huaiqiu's earlobe into his mouth. His tongue kissed the soft flesh, followed the curve to find his ear canal, and the wet and burning tongue covered it with aggression and dominance. He could feel Qin Huaiqiu in his arms tremble slightly, but because of fear, he didn't dare to move an inch.
He let go of him and then buried his head in his neck.
The skin on Qin Huaiqiu's neck was smooth and delicate, with a thin layer of sweat due to fear. Sikong Ting's throat moved, and his eyes showed emotions he had never revealed before.
Sikong Ting opened his mouth, like a wild beast's obsession with its prey. There was madness in his eyes. Without hesitation, he aimed at Qin Huaiqiu's carotid artery—
Although Qin Huaiqiu was so intimidated by him now, he still felt a difference.
It was different from the time when he was threatened with a sword. That weak but self - righteous Qin Huailian had disappeared. Now the person in his arms was this one, the Imperial Concubine De who had been in the palace for these days.
The wild beast loosened its jaws, and a little blood flowed out, trickling down Qin Huaiqiu's smooth neck and into his collar.
"No..." Qin Huaiqiu was trembling all over. He gritted his teeth and looked at Qin Lan, who was kneeling on the ground and didn't dare to raise her head. Although he was extremely scared, his tone didn't sound weak: "It wasn't Qin Lan. It was your concubine who ran out on her own."
The hand with which Sikong Ting was holding him was like an iron chain, pinning him down so that he couldn't move. He struggled a bit, then raised his head to look at Sikong Ting and said, "What do you want to do? Don't involve others."
"Others? Hmph..." Sikong Ting sneered and grabbed Qin Huaiqiu's arm, pulling him out of the carriage.
"What are you doing?" Qin Huaiqiu struggled desperately, but his strength was nothing compared to Sikong Ting, who was a few years older.
Seeing this, Qin Lan quickly stood up and chased after them a few steps, urgently shouting, "Your Majesty! The Imperial Concubine... "
"From today on, the Imperial Concubine De will live with me." Sikong Ting turned to look at Qin Lan, his gaze sharp: "Do you understand?"