Yun Xi let her emotions run wild. It seemed that only in this way could she forget the fear before her eyes and bid farewell to this life.
However, what awaited her was not the bone - chilling pain on her body, but utter silence, a deathly stillness.
Was she already dead?
Thinking of the torture and pain she endured at the end of her previous life, Yun Xi thought that God had finally shown mercy and allowed her a quick end in this life.
But soon, she noticed something was amiss.
If she were dead, why was she still curled up in this narrow compartment, and why did her abdomen still throb faintly? Souls were supposed to be devoid of sensations!
Just as Yun Xi was filled with doubts, she suddenly heard a loud "clank". A heavy object hit the wooden board, and a face suddenly came into view, hideous and with terrified eyes.
"Ah!"
Yun Xi was greatly frightened and let out a shrill scream.
The face on the floor dragged itself away until it disappeared.
Then, Yun Xi felt a sudden bright light. A strikingly handsome but furiously scowling face suddenly crashed into her sight!
"I told you to stay obediently in the capital. Why didn't you listen?"
Qi Rong was furious. His eyes were sinister as he stared at her disheveled state and pale little face. He wanted to spank her hard, but the next moment, he pulled her tightly into his arms!
Just thinking that he had almost lost her forever made him as manic and blood - thirsty as a wild beast. He wanted to tear apart and devour all the living things in front of him, to destroy everything!
"It hurts so much!"
Yun Xi sobbed. Tears welled up in her eyes instantly. She didn't know if it was because of the pain or because she had seen him.
Qi Rong had originally intended to teach her a lesson, but seeing her looking so pitiful with pale lips, he immediately lost his temper.
Restraining the anger in his chest, Qi Rong loosened his grip. He sat on the edge of the bed with her in his arms and carefully examined her. His voice was cold but couldn't hide his concern:
"Where are you hurt?"
Like a wronged child who had suddenly found a protector, Yun Xi pouted and sniffled as she pointed to her right abdomen:
"Here. I hurt my ribs."
She had read medical books and roughly knew the structure of the human body.
Recalling the moment when she jumped out of the carriage, she felt as if her right rib had hit the carriage shaft, and she heard a crisp cracking sound.
"How was Qi Yu taking care of you?!"
Qi Rong frowned tightly. Since he couldn't vent his anger on her, he could only take it out on others.
"What are you doing?"
Seeing Qi Rong's hand suddenly reach into her clothes, Yun Xi's face instantly flushed red. She slapped away his big hand and tightly covered her collar, glaring at him warily.
"It's this critical moment, and you're still being shy. Which inch of your body haven't I seen?"
Yun Xi was stunned. Her pupils dilated. Just as she was about to ask when he had secretly seen her body, Qi Rong, worried about her injury, ignored her resistance and instantly pinned her hands behind her back. His big hand also slipped into her undergarment.
"Qi Rong, you bastard!"
Feeling Qi Rong's long, slightly calloused hand pressing against her skin and even gently caressing it, a sense of shame instantly welled up in Yun Xi's heart.
Seeing her struggling, Qi Rong was worried that she would get injured again, so he even clamped her legs together. He casually replied:
"Yes, I'm a bastard. You can scold me as much as you like. But don't move around. You might hurt your internal organs."
He initially judged that she had broken two ribs on her right abdomen. But seeing that she still had good vitality, fortunately, her internal organs were not injured. Even so, it made his anger boil, and he couldn't help but want to kill someone!
Seeing that after Qi Rong finished feeling her right side, his big hand moved to the left side and still showed no sign of stopping. It even moved up to an indecent place. Yun Xi was extremely angry, and her face turned red with rage.
"I hate you!"
Tears streamed down her face. She felt that this was Qi Rong's punishment for her, deliberately humiliating her.
But at this moment, Qi Rong withdrew his hand. He gently hugged her onto his lap, sighed, and kissed away her tears.
"I've heard you say that you hate me before."
"I also hate myself for being so lenient with you before and not tying you tightly by my side!"
Now that she was injured, all he could do was regret. It was of no avail.
That deep sense of powerlessness and the fear of almost losing her made all his rationality vanish in an instant. He just wanted to tie up her hands and feet and embed her into his own body!
Qi Rong took out a medicine bottle he had prepared in his bosom. He selected one kind of medicine and fed it to Yun Xi.
"You've broken two ribs. It'll take a long time for you to recover. During this period, you'll obediently follow me back to Lingchuan. Don't come to Longchang again!"
Yun Xi was surprised. She hadn't even recovered from Qi Rong's previous words. Hearing this, she immediately shook her head.
"No. I don't know if my father is alive or dead. I have to go and see."
Yun Xi was extremely worried and had already prepared for the worst. So, she wouldn't go back until she saw her father!
Looking at her stubborn little face, Qi Rong frowned coldly:
"Your father is fine. He's just hiding."
"Hiding?"
Yun Xi's gaze froze, but she didn't doubt Qi Rong's words. However, thinking that she had almost been killed just now, she instantly realized that her father was also in danger.
Otherwise, why would he hide?
"I'm not leaving."
Yun Xi shook her head. She wanted to see her father alive if he was alive and see his body if he was dead. She would never leave her father in danger and stand by!
"What can you do if you go?"
Seeing her stubbornness, Qi Rong couldn't help but get angry.
As long as she was okay, he didn't care about others' lives or deaths! Moreover, that person was Yun Sheng!
"I..."
Yun Xi was momentarily speechless. Her gaze involuntarily swept around the room, and she noticed two corpses piled up in the corner. If Qi Rong hadn't arrived in time, the one who would have died would have been her!
Thinking of this, a sense of despair welled up in Yun Xi's heart.
She knew that her ability was limited, and she could barely take care of herself. Now that she was injured, she might even become a burden to her father. But if she just left like this and was separated from her father forever, even if she managed to survive, it would surely become a lifelong pain for her!
"He's my father. If we're going to die, we'll die together!"
Yun Xi wiped away her tears and said what was truly on her mind. Qi Rong's face darkened. He looked at her coldly and repeated:
"Remember, your life is mine! And it only belongs to me!"
If she dared to die with someone else behind his back, he would first cut that person into a thousand pieces!
Yun Xi lowered her head, and sadness was hard to hide in her eyes.
"Qi Rong, you go. I can't implicate you anymore..."
No matter how thick - skinned she was, she knew how much Qi Rong hated her father. So, she would never ask him for help and make him embarrassed!
Hearing her words as if she were bidding farewell, Qi Rong was so angry that he laughed instead. He reached out and pinched her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes:
"You've already implicated me!"
He was now completely occupied by her. He felt uncomfortable all over if he didn't see her for a few days. If he lost her, he was afraid he would never be happy again in this life!
She had caused him so much pain. Did she think she could just walk away unscathed?!
Hearing Qi Rong's words, Yun Xi was shocked. Only then did she suddenly remember that he should be overseeing the work in Lingchuan at the moment. However, he had left his post without permission for her sake.
If the emperor punished him for this, the consequences would be unimaginable!