Chapter 6.1

Plop!

With a thumping sound, Xiao Youning landed on top of a soft cushion. Before she could even fathom what was going on, she saw Ye Shen climb in right after. He sat down, seemingly calm, and collected a stark contrast to a panic-stricken her. Well, she couldn’t be blamed, after all, things had happened in the blink of the eye.

The carriage, from the moment it appeared to the moment it left, almost never stopped … rushing out through the crowd that surrounded and chased them like a speeding arrow. The swiftness of the coachman, the agility of the man boarding it was beyond excellent.

Even so, Yuan Guo who was in hot pursuit of the darting monk was just shy of catching up. In the final moment that the man threw her mistress in, she flung herself onto the shaft of the speeding carriage. Half her body hung to its side, legs dangling, as she was dragged mercilessly along. And yet, she stubbornly clung without a care for her life and left with them.

She turned her head to check and found their pursuers were hard on their heels. But the carriage was moving at lightning speed, making it harder for them to catch up. It wasn’t long when the cries of their pursuers grew fainter and fainter, eventually being replaced by the bolting hooves and hurtling wheels.

At that moment, Xiao Youning snapped out of her daze. Wanting to stand up, she firmly placed her palm on the carriage wall to support herself up. Right then, one of the wheels rolled over a small hole in the ground, the coach jolted all of a sudden. Thrown off-balance, she swiftly fell onto the floor.

Not far from her sat Ye Shen. His impassioned orbs silently observing her. He saw her struggle to stand up and her swift fall. Neither had he any intention of helping nor did he so much as bat an eyelid. He was so still, and cold that Xiao Youning wanted to doubt that the person who had just saved her from the fire pit was not the one who was before her now.

Xiao Youning lowered her eyes at his apathy and silence, one hand pressing on her ankle. Somehow, his coldness seemed to amplify the excruciating pain from hitting the carriage door frame. Just then she wasn’t able to steady her footing because of her injured foot.

“Miss! Are you okay?” Yuan Guo’s worried cry drifted in from outside.

The somewhat dejected Xiao Youning hurriedly answered, a surprised look in her eyes, “I’m fine.”

The situation earlier had been chaotic beyond belief. It was nothing like the time she had set afire her bridal chambers. Back then, she had been somewhat prepared, charting out her escape route in advance. This time though, she had the leisure nor luxury to react. Before she knew it, she had been thrust into the fray. As she held on to dear life, the safety of her maid never once crossed her mind. But as it turned out, she was here now … safe and sound. All in all, they had escaped the daunting experience without mishap!

“If you move again, I’ll throw you off!”

Xiao Youning’s words had just fallen, but it was Jian Yin’s warning that was heard. Yuan Guo wanted to climb into the carriage, the jolt had almost thrown her off. It was Jian Yin who had dragged the person back with one hand while steering the reins with the other. Naturally, there was no good temper.

Yuan Guo herself was no less terrified. Having just picked up her little life from the clutches of death, she almost lost it again. Clearly, she was still shaken because her sharp tongue didn’t even retort at being scolded.

The threat had made it to Xiao Youning’s ears too. She pretty much surmised what the anxious girl might have done. In order to reassure her and prevent further harm, she shouted out again: “Yuan Guo you sit tight, I’m fine, don’t worry!”

It was a while before she heard a response from Yuan Guo, albeit in a weak voice that was even less audible amid the bellowing night wind. Soon after, the inside of the carriage once again sank into silence. Stock still, Ye Shen sat in the rumbling cabin, evoking a feeling that this side was an unmoving mountain, unaffected by the worldly beings. Such a repressive aura only added to Xiao Youning’s stress, her pain intensified.

She pressed a hand to her ankle, pursed her lips, and suddenly raised her head to look at him. No matter what, he had saved her life, gratitude was in order. “Thank you, Daoist Priest, for saving me. Just then, what Daoist Priest said is true. I’m incapable of protecting myself and still said those words to you, it was indeed selfish. I want to ask Daoist Priest to take me out of here.”

As her words ended, her heart relaxed. She had wanted to say those words just a moment ago, but when the situation suddenly changed, she had swallowed them all back. She smiled at Ye Shen and sincerely said, “Thank you, Daoist.”

At last, there was a ripple in the serenity, Ye Shen’s gaze finally fell on her. The little girl had her face turned up, her facial features not at all clear in the darkness. Occasionally, the moonlight shone in through the gap in the curtains and fell on the side of her face, illuminating her radiant white skin. At the same time, the hazy light also reflected the water droplets hanging from her eyelashes in broken light.

Ye Shen’s eyebrows furrowed slightly. Wasn’t she frightened enough to cry?

A not-so-pleasant memory surfaced in his mind, and his face sank.

Xiao Youning noticed him looking over and, not knowing what he was thinking, wondering if he could be forgiving of her for having another plan. Just as she was thinking about it, a folding fan was stretched over. In the otherwise dark interior, its pendant- a braided red thread with a fluorescent white jade right under, was still striking.

With limpid eyes she stared at the slightly wobbling fan pendant, unsure as to what to do next. This was … Subconsciously, she reached out and grabbed the handle of the fan. Before she knew it, there came a tug, and she was yanked off the ground without a hitch. Finally, she was able to hold onto the wall and sit properly.