Ye Zhinan scratched her head. A blush crept up her face, and she stood there awkwardly.
She must have been out of her mind.
When Li Feilong was teasing her, he must have seen through her identity.
Thinking of Lu Yanlai's action of putting an arm around her, she suddenly had an epiphany.
It turned out that everyone had seen through her, but they were just playing along with her.
She lowered her head, wishing she could find a hole to crawl into.
"Let's go. Didn't you want to hear the story between me and Li Feilong?"
At the mention of gossip, Ye Zhinan instantly perked up.
Qin Yihuai wanted to step forward and remind them, but when he met Li Feilong's teasing smile, he swallowed back the words he wanted to say.
Lu Yanlai was straightforward and didn't seem to be a fussy person.
So he just let them be.
Ye Zhinan lay on the bed, and Lu Yanlai sat beside her, slowly telling the long - buried story.
"I met the chief in the market."
Lu Yanlai was the daughter of a convicted official and was exiled to the northern border.
The two met in the market, and Li Feilong fell in love with her at first sight and pursued her relentlessly.
However, the Lu family was a noble family and looked down on bandits.
But Li Feilong became more determined in the face of setbacks. No matter how many times the Lu family refused, he just wouldn't give up.
"Originally, my father had relented. But unexpectedly, our family was attacked by bandits. My father and younger brother were crushed to death by ore, and my mother fell into the river by accident."
She was like a lost soul. She managed to escape secretly and survived.
Li Feilong, who had heard the news, took her up the mountain and saved her life.
Her happy event was bought with the mourning of the entire Lu family.
"So we've been married for many years, but we've never had a wedding ceremony."
Lu Yanlai put away her smile, and her face was clouded with inescapable sorrow.
Ye Zhinan felt sympathetic, but after thinking about it carefully, she found the experience too familiar.
It was too similar to what happened to her own father and brother.
"They'll be happy in heaven seeing you living a good life."
Ye Zhinan put her hand on Lu Yanlai's back and comforted her softly.
She didn't dare to ask in detail. Moreover, it had been many years, and it was probably just a coincidence.
Lu Yanlai wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.
Suddenly, the door was opened from the outside, and the figure of Little Winter Melon Sprite ran in.
He nestled in Lu Yanlai's arms and sweetly coquettishly.
"Mom, Dad's snoring is too loud. Xiaohu can't sleep."
Ye Zhinan wisely went back to the side room, leaving the space for the mother - son pair.
As soon as she stepped out, she heard a noise by the window.
Ye Zhinan lowered her head and smiled faintly, then quietly went out.
Sure enough, Qin Yihuai stood in the middle of the yard with his hands behind his back.
The cold moonlight shone on him, making him look even more handsome.
She tiptoed over, planning to scare him. But unexpectedly, the person in front of her suddenly turned around.
She gasped in surprise.
"Why did you come here?"
"I was worried about you, so I came to check on you."
The heart that Ye Zhinan had tried hard to calm down became active again, pounding like a wild deer.
It seemed that she had developed different feelings for Qin Yihuai.
Maybe she was too nervous to notice that his tightly - clenched palm was also full of sweat.
"Xiaohu is not Li Feilong's biological son. Don't mention it in front of the child."
Ye Zhinan opened her mouth in surprise but quickly regained her composure.
Come to think of it, no matter how well - maintained Lu Yanlai was, there would still be some signs if she had given birth.
If Xiaohu was adopted, it would make sense.
"This matter is very dangerous. If possible, I want you to go down the mountain."
Go down the mountain?
Absolutely impossible!
She had gone to great lengths to come up the mountain, and now she was about to help the people in the stockade cure their illnesses.
Going down the mountain now would be like ruining all her efforts from the day before.
"I disagree."
"Then stay on the mountain. I'll let you know as soon as there's any progress."
Ye Zhinan didn't expect him to agree so readily. Instead, she felt a bit uncomfortable.
"Aren't you going to argue with me?"
"Arguing with you is useless, so I'm finding an escape route for you in advance."
Ye Zhinan smacked her lips. For a moment, she couldn't think of a retort.
Qin Yihuai knew her too well. Every frown, every smile, every move of hers was within his expectation.
Before, he deliberately tried not to notice Ye Zhinan.
Later, he found that caring about someone couldn't be hidden.
"All the specific plans are on this paper. Remember to burn it after you've read it. It's getting late. Go back and rest early."
Qin Yihuai handed her a piece of paper. Faintly, his handwriting could be seen.
Ye Zhinan went back to her room. It wasn't until she closed the door that she heard the footsteps fading away.
She carefully opened the letter paper. After reading it, she was in a daze for a long time.
"This game of chess has been set up on a grand scale..."
Early the next morning, Ye Zhinan heard people shouting outside.
She suddenly remembered the plan from last night, immediately sat up, threw on a piece of clothing casually, and rushed outside.
Qin Yihuai had already led people and was about to leave. Ye Yingfeng also put on his long - lost battle armor, which glowed coldly in the early - morning sunlight.
Ye Zhinan shivered. She didn't know if it was because of the cold or fear.
"Be careful."
Her voice was muffled as she tried hard to hold back her tears.
She knew that if this matter succeeded, they would share the blessings.
If it failed, they might be executed and their families exterminated.
Qin Yihuai took off his cloak and put it on her.
The familiar, refreshing scent surrounded her, making her inexplicably at ease.
"Don't worry. We'll definitely come back safely."
Ye Zhinan nodded heavily with tears in her eyes.
This time, it was her turn to trust him.
Ye Zhinan sat in the yard, her eyes unfocused. She didn't know how long she had been in a daze.
Lu Yanlai walked up to her and gently patted her on the shoulder.
"Don't worry. Although it's dangerous, the plan is well - thought - out, and with the support of the officers and soldiers, it'll surely be all right."
Ye Zhinan just nodded numbly. She knew that things wouldn't be so simple.
The county magistrate was not only corrupt. During his many years in office, he had colluded with neighboring countries.
He secretly smuggled food and reported the situation in the northern border.
What he wanted was not just the position of the prefect, but to create an opening for the enemy country to attack.
Shen Beiting had been biding his time for three years, waiting for the opportunity to wipe them all out.
"But who could have thought that something would go wrong with the officers and soldiers at the last minute? Otherwise, it wouldn't have..."
It wouldn't have cost the lives of the people in the stockade to buy time.
Ye Zhinan heaved a heavy sigh, slowly poured herself a cup of wine, and drank it in one gulp.
Shen Beiting didn't want to make peace with the mountain bandits at this critical moment. But the officers and soldiers were ambushed, and many were killed or injured. Even if they came, they would be at the end of their strength.
They sent a message at full speed. Even so, it would take a day and a night.
The opportunity didn't wait for them, so they had to ask Li Feilong for help.
Most of the people in the stockade made a living by their martial arts skills and had some foundation.
They would definitely be able to protect themselves.
This was also the reason why Shen Beiting chose Fushou Mountain.
"The people in the stockade hate the county magistrate. They're willing to go through fire and water. Qin Yihuai didn't let us tell you because he was afraid you'd blame yourself."
Ye Zhinan shook her head and turned to look at Lu Yanlai with determination in her eyes.
"He promised me that he would bring the people back safely."