Qinghu drove the carriage quietly, and soon they arrived at a quiet abandoned wharf.
He looked around alertly. It was not until he was sure that the two of them were followed by no one that he jumped out of the carriage and picked up Lin Mengya, who had fallen asleep, from the carriage.
Fortunately, Baili Rui had added some sleep-enhancing supplements in the detoxifying pills.
Otherwise, Lin Mengya, who was laden with worries, would not have fallen asleep so easily.
After looking around and determining the direction, Qinghu tapped his tiptoe on the ground, flew into the air and gently landed on a boat.
Then he bent down and got into the cabin without greeting the boatman.
On the shore, someone had come out to get rid of the small carriage they took to come here.
As soon as the boatman tapped the tip of the paddle on the shore, the boat immediately left on the river.
A moment later, the abandoned dock fell silent again, as if no one had ever come here.
“You’ve woken up? What do you want to eat? Are you thirsty?” There came Qinghu’s voice.
Lin Mengya, who didn’t know how long she had slept, gradually woke up.
She opened her eyes and saw Qinghu in front of her.
She shook her head. She, who recently had a poor appetite and usually ate porridge and some side dishes, now had no appetite at all.
“Where are we?” She asked.
Baili Rui’s sedative pills were quite effective. She was taken to the boat by Qinghu without realizing it.
She looked up at the slightly shaky ceiling painted with flowers and birds.
However, the cabin was quite spacious and furnished with all kinds of furniture, looking like a modern luxurious cruise ship.
“We’ve traveled for a day and a night, but you slept soundly and didn’t realize it. Rest assured. I’ve rented this painted pleasure boat in the name of someone else, and it sails fast. What’s more, he won’t expect us to travel in such a high-profile way,” Qinghu said with his usual frivolous smile
However, Lin Mengya found him particularly miserable.
Those ignorant of Lin Mengya’s current condition didn’t have to face her fear.
But Qinghu had to accompany her to go through all this again.
She only felt sorry for him.
“I’m sorry for bringing you here.” As she said, she reached out her arms, put them around Qinghu’s neck and pressed her cool and smooth forehead against his forehead, with her eyes filled with sadness.
“It doesn’t matter. I volunteer to come with you. In this world, you are my only family member. I’m the only one who can come with you,” Qinghu said.
His feelings for her had long developed into an affection for a family member.
He considered Lin Mengya as his younger sister and his daughter. This was the first time in his life that he had considered someone as his treasure.
He could hardly feel like a human, so he only had feelings for her.
“Fox, I can’t cry,” she whispered in his ear in a helpless tone.
Qinghu grabbed her shoulders, only to see that there was not even a tear in her sorrowful eyes.
He asked, “How come? Don’t the detoxifying pills Baili Rui gave have some effect?”
For the first time, Qinghu’s eyes were filled with unease and panic.
Lin Mengya shook her head slightly and didn’t seem to be surprised by this at all.
“Yes, they have, but they can only ease my pain. Now, I can still manage to make some relatively expansive gestures, but I seem to be incapable of something like crying.” As Lin Mengya said, she raised her hand.
Only then did Qinghu find that she was as clumsy as a child.
Her face seemed to be stiff. Apart from her fluid eyes, she even experienced difficulty in doing simple expressions.
“Don’t be afraid. We’ll be there soon. Rest assured. I’ll definitely cure you!” Qinghu said, holding her tightly in his arms.
Even Qinghu did not expect her condition would worsen so quickly that even the detoxifying pills made by Baili Rui could not improve her condition.
He was panic-stricken.
“I’m not afraid, so you don’t have to be afraid either,” Lin Mengya said and closed her eyes, feeling that she seemed to be turning into a piece of wood bit by bit.
Then what about her life? Was she going to die quietly or return to normal in the end?
She didn’t dare think about it, and she was too weak to think about it at the moment.
With Qinghu’s company, the journey became less dull.
Compared to the last trip during which they were tired with running about, this time, she and Qinghu seemed to be on a sightseeing tour.
Every day, Qinghu held her in his arms, and they watched the sunrise and sunset outside. He told her about the local customs and practices on both sides of the river. Although she repeatedly affirmed that she could still walk now, after her legs suddenly went weak and she collapsed in front of Qinghu, he insisted on carrying her every time they went out.
Moreover, after learning a certain treatment from somewhere, he massaged her limbs with a kind of medicinal oil every day.
Lin Mengya had to admit that his massage, coupled with the help of Baili Rui’s detoxifying pills, greatly improved the gradual stiffening of her body.
Knowing that Qinghu was upset, she tried to ask some relaxing questions so as to ease the depressing atmosphere between them.
If she really died, at least she could leave him a joyful memory.
At night, it was quiet on the river, and only the sounds caused by paddling could be heard.
Lin Mengya leaned against the window, stared at the big and round moon outside with fascination and asked, “Qinghu, are we arriving in Yang City tomorrow morning?”
“Yes, we will arrive at dawn. When the time comes, we will disembark to buy some things. What about you? Do you want to come with us?” Sitting in front of her, Qinghu said, while massaging her calf with his warm palms.
These days it had become a necessary thing for him to do before he went to bed.
Although he knew that Lin Mengya was in poor condition, he still thought that he should do something for her.
“Of course I want to go. Baizhi told me that there is various delicious food in Yang City. She has looked forward to coming here to enjoy the food since her childhood. As a foodie, she regards this place as the holy land,” Lin Mengya said.
At the thought of Baizhi, who was gluttonous and adorable, she looked cheerful.
They had grown up together, and Baizhi had suffered a lot because of her.
Later, after their lives got better, Baizhi asked for nothing other than a lot of delicious food.
It was great to have such a simple and real wish.
“I’ll take you to have a taste tomorrow, and you can bring them here in the future. Alas, why are the members of your courtyard all foodies? They must take after you,” Qinghu said with a smile, while finishing his massage.
He put his hand gently on an acupoint on Lin Mengya’s calf and pressed it hard.
However, she, who could still feel pain a few days ago, now felt nothing at all.
He was gloomy with worry again. If her condition continued worsening, it would be difficult to tell if she could stay alive until they arrived at the Nation of Dongxia.
“Well, go to bed early. We’ll disembark tomorrow morning,” he said composedly, and then put Lin Mengya’s calf back and carried her back to the bed.
Lin Mengya was tired. As soon as she rested her head on the pillow, she fell asleep.
Qinghu stared at Lin Mengya, who was sleeping, with a complicated look in his eyes for a long while before looking away.
He made up his mind to save her at all costs!
Then he seemed to have heard something. He stood up alertly and got out of the cabin in the blink of an eye.
He looked warily at the figure, that had just shown up on the deck with a burst of chilling air.
However, the black shadow was unaffected. Instead, he stood there quietly like an owl.
“I don’t want to fight with you. Don’t worry. I mean no harm to the woman inside. I just want to tell you something,” the man dressed in a black robe said in an unexpectedly hoarse voice.
Nevertheless, Qinghu did not relax even a little because of the man’s explanation.
“Why are you here?” He asked.
No matter how hard the man tried to hide his intention, Qinghu could still tell it.
The man was not surprised at all, but he did not intend to reveal his identity.
“I’m here to tell you that the Third Elder has found out about the secret of the woman. However, the head is practicing in seclusion now, so he hasn’t learned it yet. You’d better take her to a place, where no one can find her, for her sake. In this way, maybe you can save her life. Otherwise, do you think you can protect her?” The man said.
Qinghu’s pupils contracted instantly.
He didn’t expect that the secret he had kept for so long would be found out.
In that instant, he glared at the man with rage and murderous intent in his eyes.
“Don’t look at me like that. I didn’t do it. Besides, I’m not so stupid as to use this kind of information to gain their trust. Maybe there’s a mole around you. But rest assured. I’ve just covered it up for you. After all, the legend is just a legend, and no one knows if it’s true or not. You’d better take care.” The black shadow disappeared even before finishing his last sentence.
No one other than Qinghu had seen the figure, let alone know what their words meant.
“What should come has finally come?” Qinghu murmured.
If possible, he would rather keep the secret from Lin Mengya during his lifetime.
That was a cruel and bloodthirsty secret.
However, if the head were to find out about this, it would probably cause a calamity.
Qinghu showed a helpless look, thinking what he should do to keep her away from this conflict.
