Li Xinyue grimaced in pain. Due to the onset of the poison, her body felt weak and she slumped against his shoulder, staggering.
Chu Junyi was squatting down to squeeze the blood out of her wound and had to bear most of her weight, so it was quite strenuous for him to maintain the squatting position.
Li Xinyue couldn't move her limbs; only her eyes could roll nimbly. She rolled her eyes and focused on the man who was concentrating intently. Then she recalled the question Mu Rongxiu had asked, and her heart was filled with mixed emotions.
"Chu Junyi, you're a good person."
Chu Junyi sneered, "Should a good person be bullied by you?"
Li Xinyue closed her eyes briefly, feeling that this conversation was going nowhere. "I didn't mean that. I'm just sincerely admiring you, which means your character has been recognized by me."
Chu Junyi was so angry that he laughed. After laughing, he really wanted to just leave her there and let Mu Rongxiu come to her rescue!
"Yes, I'm a good person. And you're just a jerk! If you were a man, you'd definitely be a scumbag!"
Li Xinyue moved her lips as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she said nothing. Only her weak but stubborn look silently protested against the word "scumbag".
So what kind of feelings did she have for Chu Junyi?
As she was thinking, she suddenly realized something was off. "Chu Junyi, don't tell me you like me?"
Only when one had feelings of love would they do anything for the other person. Just like how she had caught a snake bare - handed for Mu Rongxiu, and Chu Junyi had fallen into this big pit for her.
Chu Junyi laughed, but his smile looked even worse than crying. "Did you just figure it out?"
Li Xinyue's eyelashes fluttered. A soft corner of her heart seemed to be collapsing.
She fell silent.
But Chu Junyi wouldn't allow her to evade this question any longer. It was okay if she didn't know before, but now that she knew and still wanted to escape, that would be going too far!
"Li Xinyue, how long do you still want to escape? Do you really want to watch me fight with Mu Rongxiu before you're willing to make a choice?"
Li Xinyue's red lips moved. She felt a bit heart - rending. "That's not necessary. I'm just suspicious. Do you really know what love is? Don't you think you might just be lusting after my body because of that night and thus mistaking it for love.
You can try with another woman if you don't believe me..."
"Li Xinyue! Who are you insulting! Do you think I, Chu Junyi, am that kind of lecherous person?" Chu Junyi was so angry that he stood up. As a result, Li Xinyue, who was leaning on his shoulder, fell to the ground face - first. She couldn't move at all and was like a dead fish.
Chu Junyi was both angry and amused.
Li Xinyue, "..."
Most of Chu Junyi's anger faded. He picked up the water bag on the ground, tore off a piece of his clothes, dipped it in water, then picked her up and sat her on his lap on the small stool. As he wiped her face, he looked down at her.
"Li Xinyue, then give me a chance too."
Li Xinyue's heart was in turmoil. Suddenly, she didn't know how to answer. A straightforward rejection seemed hurtful, but giving meaningless hope was also painful.
After much thought, she finally came up with a less - hurtful answer. "But you're my teacher. This... isn't appropriate, right?"
"Didn't you stop coming to class a long time ago? That means we're no longer in that teacher - student relationship." So they could start a new relationship.
The evening tutoring sessions didn't count!
That was just him, out of humanitarianism, helping to enrich her meager knowledge.
Li Xinyue, "..." His words made so much sense that she was speechless.
After a long while, she stammered out her true feelings.
"Do you know why the Emperor held the imperial examination?"
He replied, "It's to select scholars from poor families and break the monopoly of the noble families."
"Right. So, you're like a moving target. How can I dare to marry you, huh? Can you guarantee that your wife and children won't be involved in the court struggles in the future?
And can you guarantee how far you'll go in your career?"
Chu Junyi nodded. "It's reasonable. Then if, one day, I can stand on top of the world. Will Your Highness deign to look at me?"
Li Xinyue felt a pang of sadness and wanted to cry.
This guy was putting himself too low.
What was so good about her that was worth him doing this?
People in the streets all called her the willful princess and spread all sorts of bad rumors about her.
Over time, even she herself thought she was a scumbag.
Why did he have to do this!
Tears welled up in her eyes. To avoid him noticing, she closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep.
Chu Junyi thought she was trying to escape again and angrily gave a light pat on her back.
Li Xinyue almost shed tears.
"Let's talk about it when you really achieve great success. But don't make me wait too long. I won't agree if I become an old maid with no one wanting me!"
"Does that mean you've agreed?"
Li Xinyue didn't answer. She didn't know if this counted as agreement or not.
She only knew that if Mu Rongxiu also agreed, then she'd really be a scumbag.
Alas! She was getting more and more annoyed!
"Chu Junyi."
"Hmm."
"The only thing I can promise is that from now on, I won't quarrel with you anymore. You pursue your official career, and I'll be the princess."
As for the rest, it was up to fate.
"Okay." Even if there was only a tiny glimmer of hope, he would hold on to it tightly.
An unexpected spring rain started to fall.
The torrential rain poured into the pit, and the water rose above Chu Junyi's feet.
Chu Junyi had no choice but to stand up and pick her up as well.
Li Xinyue caught a cold and kept coughing. Her voice hoarse, she said, "We'd better think of a way to get out of here." Waiting for rescue wasn't a good idea.
Speaking of rescue, she remembered this pit and felt it necessary to explain. "This big pit probably wasn't dug by Jing Bai. Maybe it was a trap set by hunters in the early years and then abandoned."
Chu Junyi nodded and estimated the height of the pit.
"This is probably a deep pit formed by natural causes like an earthquake. You sit here for a while. I'll be back soon."
He carried Li Xinyue back to the small stool. Afraid that her feet would be in the water, he put several small stools together and let her lie flat on them.
He drew out his sword, leaped up, and prepared to cut out some steps.
Since the pit was very deep and the height that one could jump with light - footed skills was limited, once the limit was exceeded, one had to rely on external objects as a take - off point and make multiple consecutive jumps to get out.
Li Xinyue opened her eyes. Outside her line of sight, in the heavy rain, a figure was like a celestial being flying from the sky, ascending step by step with outstanding grace.
In a blink of an eye, he had jumped out of the pit using the mud steps and then leaped back down to take her away.
Li Xinyue instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck and stared blankly at him.
A moment later, she felt her body sink. Looking back, she saw that she had been carried out of the pit by Chu Junyi and was standing in the forest again.
The rain pattered on the trees and flowers, flowing through their hair and clothes. It was like an invisible force that kneaded and merged these two incompatible people together.
Li Xinyue's thoughts were in a mess.
"Your Highness, are you okay?" Hongxiu held an umbrella and led the people from the princess's mansion, trotting over.
Mu Rongxiu was also among them. He held an umbrella in his hand, but water was still dripping from his body. He didn't seem any luckier than Li Xinyue and the others.
Li Xinyue came back to her senses and shook her head.
Hongxiu blamed herself for not following to protect the princess and making her frightened. Then she took the princess from Chu Junyi's arms.
The people from the princess's mansion surrounded her and took her out of the mountain.
Li Xinyue looked back and saw Chu Junyi still standing there, staring blankly at his hands. Hoarsely, she called out to him, "Come with us!"
A smile curved Chu Junyi's lips, and he strode over.
Li Xinyue fell silent again, but the corners of her mouth lifted slightly.
Suddenly, Mu Rongxiu chased up from the side. After what seemed like deep thought, he said, "I agree."
Li Xinyue's eyelashes fluttered.