Chapter 4

The wind whistled past her face, and the sharp leaves of the forest shrubs continuously slashed at Li Mianyu’s legs. The pain made her gasp for air; her eyes were brimming with clear light, and her face was drenched.

She kept her eyes wide open, yet she could see nothing. Still, she dared not stop. The barking of the dogs seemed to be right behind her.

Suddenly, a sharp pain pierced the sole of Li Mianyu’s foot. Unable to bear it, she twisted her ankle and lunged forward.

She whimpered, breathless, and cried out helplessly, "Yan Shi... Yan Shi!"

But there was no response from behind. A dog lunged at her, and Li Mianyu retreated in terror, kicking out at it. The dog barked wildly and bit into the hem of her robe. "Go away! Go away!" Her hand brushed against a stone; she grabbed it and flung it toward the dog.

The dog loosened its grip, but more dogs were in pursuit.

Terrified and ignoring the pain, Li Mianyu scrambled to her feet and turned to run.

Before she had taken two steps, a figure lunged from the side, hoisted her onto his shoulder, and began to run.

Accustomed to being carried by Yan Shi, Li Mianyu’s first reaction was one of relief. Thinking it was him, she finally broke down into sobs. "Why did you take so long to come!"

"Your Highness!"

At the same moment, a strained shout from her imperial guard came from just a few paces behind.

Li Mianyu’s body stiffened instantly. She didn't dare move. The person carrying her was not Yan Shi!

After the initial shock, she reacted violently, struggling with all her might. The man carrying her was taller and broader than Yan Shi, and her legs were pinned down so tightly she could not move an inch.

"Yan Shi!" Li Mianyu’s voice trembled.

Yan Shi had been fighting his way through, having just killed two guards, which had left him trailing behind. He scanned the surroundings, leaped onto a nearby tree, pushed off with his toes, and flipped through the air to give chase. He lunged at the guard with his soft sword.

The guard reacted with lightning speed, dodging to the side. But Yan Shi’s movements were strange and agile; he entangled the guard with incredible speed. Though he was still carrying the Princess, the guard took a sword slash to the shoulder. Seemingly enraged, the guard ignored the wound and pressed forward with a series of heavy, powerful strikes.

Yan Shi could not match his strength, but he was nimble. He bent backward, sweeping his sword toward the guard’s legs.

The guard hurriedly dodged. In that split second of evasion, Yan Shi had already sprung up, driving another strike toward the guard’s throat. The guard was horrified and instinctively pulled Li Mianyu in front of him to block the blade.

Yan Shi seemed to have anticipated this; his sword had already shifted trajectory. His other hand reached out, and the moment the guard’s guard wavered, he grabbed Li Mianyu’s arm and snatched her away. He was incredibly fast; the moment he pulled her to safety, he struck again. The guard parried with his sword, using his strength to hack at Yan Shi’s arm.

Both were wounded by the blades, but Yan Shi fought with a death-defying ferocity. His sword strikes were fierce and wild. As he lunged forward, the tip of his blade inches from the guard’s neck, the guard retreated a step.

That was the moment. Like a great roc taking flight, Yan Shi leaped forward, carrying Li Mianyu, and drove his sword through the guard’s throat.

Li Mianyu was held in Yan Shi’s one-armed embrace. Her hands were tightly clasped around his neck, but her face was suddenly splattered with a few drops of hot blood. Unsure if it belonged to Yan Shi or the enemy, her heart filled with dread. She cried out, "Yan Shi!"

"I am here," Yan Shi replied, catching his breath.

With incredible speed, he hoisted Li Mianyu back onto his shoulder and turned into the depths of the forest.

Yan Shi’s light-body technique was superb; he vanished into the night in an instant.

Li Mianyu’s heart raced. Though she could see nothing, she smelled the iron scent of blood on Yan Shi. Fear and worry gripped her, and she bit her lip hard, suppressing her emotions.

Yan Shi seemed tireless, leaping through the mountain woods with Li Mianyu on his shoulder.

Li Mianyu, however, lacked his stamina. She did not know how long they had been away from the creek, but she felt a heavy, dull ache in her lower abdomen... she needed to relieve herself.

She gritted her teeth in silence, but as Yan Shi ran, her abdomen would gently bump against his back. She felt as though she would lose all face at any moment.

After another of Yan Shi’s leaps, Li Mianyu said in a small, trembling voice, "I need to... change my clothes..."

Yan Shi heard her and faltered. He looked left and right, carried her to a tree, and waited until he had listened carefully to the surroundings before setting her down.

Li Mianyu’s feet were injured; she couldn't stand upon landing and had to lean on Yan Shi to keep her balance. She quickly pushed him away, let go, and said bashfully, "Go a few steps further."

Yan Shi obeyed, retreating a few steps and turning his back.

But Li Mianyu suddenly heard something scurrying nearby and screamed in fright, "Yan Shi! You—you should come back a little closer!"

Yan Shi didn't speak; he stepped back two paces and tapped his sword against the ground to make a sound, letting her know exactly where he was.

Li Mianyu fidgeted for a while, but the pressure in her abdomen was unbearable. With a flushed face, she lifted her skirt, braced herself against the tree, and slowly squatted down while enduring the pain.

In the night, the sound of the babbling stream seemed incredibly clear.

Thinking of the guard so close by, shameful tears welled in Li Mianyu’s eyes. She buried her face in her knees for a moment, but not daring to linger, she stood up for the first time without washing.

After the incident at the bath, she dared not ask to go to the creek to clean or change clothes, for fear of delaying them.

"I am done," Li Mianyu said in a low voice.

Yan Shi returned to her side and crouched down. Li Mianyu cast aside her shame, closed her eyes, and climbed onto his back. Their escape began anew, and finally, as dawn broke, they emerged from the forest to a road.

Li Mianyu could finally see. She noticed that Yan Shi’s clothes were soaked through with blood, and her heart panicked. "Y-Yan Shi... are you alright?"

"I am fine." The youth’s voice was somewhat hoarse, yet remained calm.

Li Mianyu thought, how could anyone lose so much blood and be fine? She was terrified that Yan Shi might die.

If Yan Shi died, what would she do?

"I can see now. I can see the blood on you. Yan Shi, you won't die, will you?" As she spoke, her voice began to sob.

"I will not." The youth was a man of few words, but his two-word reply was firm and resolute.

He refused to say anything more, and Li Mianyu remained panicked and afraid, clutching the neck of her young guard. "Then... where are we going?"

Yan Shi was silent for a moment. "By the Emperor’s command, I am to take the Princess to a safe place to hide."

But with the rebels hunting her, where was safe? Li Mianyu felt the road ahead was bleak. The surroundings were quiet, and she was suddenly reminded of how she had been seen naked by so many soldiers the night before. Even now, under her outer robe, she was bare, wearing nothing, having been held by that thief.

The collapse and despair of the previous night surged within her again. As she blinked, tears streamed down her cheeks.

She sobbed quietly, the humiliation threatening to drown her.

Yan Shi’s neck was soon dampened by her hot tears. He said nothing, only scanning the road for travelers and trying to discern where they were and where they could find refuge.

"We are going to Nanqing Temple," he decided after a moment.

Li Mianyu had never heard of Nanqing Temple. She only knew of Daci'an Temple, the royal temple she had visited to pray for her father and mother.

She choked out, "I don't want to go too far from the capital. Perhaps Grandfather can regain control of the situation soon; perhaps he will come to find me."

Her voice sounded fragile, trembling—unlike the indignation she had shown when she refused to enter the vegetable barrel yesterday.

Yan Shi moved steadily along the narrow path, his breathing slightly labored but his voice calm. "Nanqing Temple is not far. It will be easier to learn about the situation in the capital from there."

Li Mianyu said nothing, but more water fell onto Yan Shi’s neck, mingling with his sweat as it trickled down.

Yan Shi was quiet for a while, then suddenly said, "I killed all the soldiers who saw you."

Li Mianyu, who had been weeping silently, paused. She slowly lifted her head from the young guard’s shoulder and asked weakly, "You killed them all?"

"I killed them all," Yan Shi said in a matter-of-fact tone. "Except for me."

Li Mianyu: "..." She remembered how, at the last moment, Yan Shi had shielded her and wrapped her in his own robe. Tears and snot bubbled up again.

If anyone had seen clearly, it was her guard.

But he was the guard her grandfather had given her; he was her man. He wouldn't tell anyone... besides, Yan Shi was so strong, his martial arts so formidable, she couldn't deal with him now.

She choked out, "Forget it!"

The youth replied quickly: "I have already forgotten."

Li Mianyu was taken aback. Did a guard’s memory work so poorly? Or was she just a piece of wood in Yan Shi’s eyes, not worth remembering?

A surge of resentment flared in her heart, and she glared at the back of Yan Shi’s head. But she wiped her eyes and said nothing more.

In such a wretched state, she didn't want anyone to remember!

Yan Shi seemed very familiar with Nanqing Temple. By the time the day was fully bright, he had carried Li Mianyu up a small hill, and there, halfway up, was indeed a small temple.

Compared to Daci'an Temple, this one was small and dilapidated, its exterior paint long since peeled away.

Li Mianyu thought Yan Shi would knock on the door, but instead, he leaped over the back wall with her on his back. Landing lightly, he led her through the familiar grounds to a dormitory at the back.

The door to the room was unlocked. Pushing it open, she found it fully furnished.

Yan Shi carried Li Mianyu to the bamboo bed, tidied it slightly, and set her down.

Li Mianyu’s calves were bare, peeking out from beneath her robe, covered in scratches. Her soles were bloody. Looking down, she felt a dull ache begin to spread, and her eyes filled with tears once more. Her legs felt stiff and she dared not move.

Yan Shi crouched by the bed and looked.

"It hurts so much." Li Mianyu looked at him with teary eyes. When her gaze fell on his blood-soaked clothes and his pale face, she couldn't bring herself to complain further. "Yan Shi, you’ve lost so much blood. You really won't die, will you?" she asked, nervously gripping his sleeve.

Yan Shi shook his head. "I will not," he said again. He stood up. "Your Highness, please wait."

Without another word, he walked out.

Li Mianyu sat on the bed, looking down at her injured feet, her heart heavy. Suddenly, her gaze fixed on her own chest, and her face turned crimson. The outer robe she had used to wipe her body the night before was moon-white and quite translucent. She was not wearing a bodice, and her figure was faintly visible.

Yan Shi’s footsteps sounded as he returned. Feeling her gaze, he looked up.

Li Mianyu met a pair of clear, dark eyes, as deep and still as an abyss. It was then she realized her guard was remarkably handsome, with a fine, straight bridge of a nose—sharp yet striking, like a nimble, beautiful cat of the wild.

His appearance was no less impressive than Cui Yunqi’s.

Li Mianyu thought of how she had been pressed against his back all night with only a thin layer of soft silk between them, and a belated sense of shame overwhelmed her. But the more embarrassed she felt, the more imperious her face became. She glared at Yan Shi.

Yan Shi was unfazed. He brought the basin of water to the bed, took a small, tightly wrapped cloth parcel from his tunic, and opened it to reveal gauze and a bottle of medicinal powder. He tore a strip of gauze, dipped it in water, and looked at Li Mianyu.

His eyes held an unspoken inquiry, which Li Mianyu understood.

With only the two of them, Li Mianyu clutched her chest tightly, her face burning. "Just clean the wounds. You are not allowed to touch anywhere else."

Yan Shi nodded, lowered his head, and grasped her ankles with his rough fingers, resting them on his lap as he lifted her skirt slightly.

Li Mianyu suddenly remembered she was wearing nothing underneath, and her face grew even redder. She tried to pull her legs back, but Yan Shi held her knees firmly. "Don't move."

She was about to scold him, but as he began to clean her wounds with the wet gauze, the pain robbed her of the strength to reprimand him. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she let out a whimper, scolding, "Be gentle!"

But her voice rose in a tone that sounded more like a spoiled, resentful pout.

Thinking his touch was too heavy, Yan Shi became even gentler. Yet Li Mianyu continued to whine and complain, scolding him from time to time with a voice that was both furious and tearful. As a result, cleaning the wounds, which should have been quick, took a long time.

Once he finished, Yan Shi let out a long breath, picked up the basin, and stood up. "Your Highness, I will step out now."

Li Mianyu also exhaled, nodding her head while keeping her gaze lowered. Then, remembering something, she looked up and hesitated. "Is there no one in this temple?"

"There is only one abbot. He goes on pilgrimages every so often and leaves frequently to beg for alms. The temple is often empty."

After Yan Shi finished speaking, seeing that Li Mianyu had no further questions, he turned to leave. However, his body swayed slightly as he turned, though he quickly regained his balance and walked out steadily.

As soon as he closed the door, she bent down, opened the parcel on the floor, found some clothes, and quickly stripped off her outer robe, putting on her bodice and undergarments one by one.

Once dressed, Li Mianyu finally relaxed. She found a hair ribbon, tied her hair loosely, and lay back down. Exhaustion washed over her. She was tired and hungry, and rubbing her stomach, she didn't have the strength to call for Yan Shi, so she closed her eyes, intending to sleep for a while.

But she couldn't sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she thought of Auntie Qingling, her grandfather, and Cui Yunqi. She wondered if he would be worried and come looking for her once he discovered she was missing.

He was such a gentle, kind person; he would surely be worried.

Li Mianyu furrowed her brows and turned over. Suddenly, she heard a loud crash outside. She bolted upright, eyes wide, and called out nervously, "Yan Shi?"

There was no response.

Li Mianyu called twice more, but Yan Shi still did not answer. Panic rose in her heart. She climbed off the bed, but the moment her feet touched the ground, the pain made her stumble, and she fell back onto the bed.

Biting her lip, she reached into the parcel, found a pair of shoes, carefully slipped them on, and stood up, gritting her teeth against the pain.

Li Mianyu finally made it to the door. She pulled it open and saw Yan Shi lying unconscious by the well, shirtless, with his blood-stained clothes tossed carelessly to the side.