The huge yard was filled with the fragrance of flowers, which came from the pear tree with flying petals. This was the backyard of the Zhengda Escort Agency and also Li Qiuxue's secret base, where she liked to play tricks on others and set up small traps. People from the Zhengda Escort Agency usually wouldn't come here to hang around, because if they weren't careful, they would be hit by a trap.
Li Bai Ze was the head of Zhengda Escort Agency, and Li Qiuxue was Li Bai Ze's only daughter. Madam Li died of illness when Li Qiuxue was three years old, and Li Bai Ze never remarried. He put all his love on Li Qiuxue, gave her the best life since she was a child, and let her fool around.
Li Qiuxue is also a person that Qingyang City cannot afford to offend. There are two reasons why she is not to be offended: the first is that behind her are Li Baize and the group of strong men from the escort agency; the second is that Li Qiuxue herself is a bold and arrogant young lady. As long as she likes, there is nothing she can't do.
In order to make herself look more like a member of the Zhengda Escort Agency, Li Qiuxue carried a sword with her since she was young, but that could not hide the fact that her kung fu was sloppy. At this moment, she raised the sword at her waist, ate a peach, and pushed open the door of the woodshed in the backyard.
Chu Shaoqin, who was locked in the woodshed, raised his head nervously, and a shadow fell on him.
Chu Shaoqin struggled, but because of the cloth stuffed in his mouth, he could only make whimpering sounds.
Li Qiuxue threw away the peach she had taken a few bites of, walked up to Chu Shaoqin with a wicked smile, and squatted down.
She took the rag out of Chu Shaoqin's mouth, but the hemp ropes that bound him still made him unable to move. Chu Shaoqin looked at Li Qiuxue, who had a smirk on her face, with fear and trepidation, while Li Qiuxue also looked at him in tattered clothes.
His shoes were torn and smelly, the big toe of his left foot was exposed, and his right foot was tightly clamped in a mousetrap.
"You rat, you dare to steal my family's food. You are asking for trouble." Li Qiuxue deliberately drew the sword at her waist, making a gesture to scare Chu Shaoqin.
Chu Shaoqin took a deep breath and tried his best to retreat backwards, only to find that there was a wall behind him.
"save……"
"If you dare to shout, I will poison you and make you mute!" Li Qiuxue pressed the sword into the scabbard, pursed her lips, raised her eyebrows, and threatened.
Chu Shaoqin quickly closed his mouth and pressed his entire back against the wall, not daring to move.
"I didn't mean to steal your food. I haven't eaten for several days and I'm really hungry. How about you let me go and I'll return you ten times the food later." After thinking for a while, Chu Shaoqin spoke tentatively, and Li Qiuxue looked at him with interest.
He was dishevelled and dressed like a beggar. He didn't look like someone who could pay her back ten times the amount of food. Even if he could, she wouldn't care about ten ears of corn.
"I don't care." Li Qiuxue snorted and stood up.
The original purpose of hanging corn on the pear tree was to catch mice, but she unexpectedly caught a person. This person sneaked into the backyard in the middle of the night to steal corn, and his foot was caught by her mousetrap. It was natural for her to tie him up.
"You're not going to send me to the government, are you?" Chu Shaoqin's face suddenly turned pale. The government was the place he feared the most right now. He had finally escaped from Yandu, so how could he go back to die?
"One piece of corn is not enough to send you to the government. I want to keep you for more interesting things."
"What do you want to do to me?" Chu Shaoqin breathed a sigh of relief, but her expression was that of a decent woman being humiliated.
Li Qiuxue looked at the light flickering in his dark eyes and couldn't help laughing.
"Hahaha, don't worry, I won't rape you." When Li Qiuxue opened her mouth to laugh, she smelled a sour odor. She followed the stench and sniffed Chu Shaoqin's body. Finally, she frowned in disgust, "Why do you stink worse than a toilet?"
Facing Li Qiuxue's approaching face, Chu Shaoqin leaned back somewhat awkwardly.
He had indeed not showered for a month, because he had been on the run and had forgotten everything except survival. If Li Qiuxue hadn't said that, he really wouldn't have noticed that he was emitting a foul odor all over his body.
"May I have your name?"
"My name is Bai Shaoqin." For some reason, he had to lie.
"Bai Shaoqin? Shaoqin? It seems that the crown prince of our Great Chu is also called Shaoqin..."
"It's the celebrity effect!" Chu Shaoqin quickly added.
Upon hearing this, Li Qiuxue looked him up and down, then lifted his chin and said, "My name is Li Qiuxue. From now on, I am your master. If I go east, you cannot go west. You must obey my command in everything."
Hearing this, Chu Shaoqin showed a stunned expression, but before he could agree, Li Qiuxue grabbed the hemp rope on the ground and dragged him out.
Chu Shaoqin's beggar clothes already had many holes in them, and now he felt a strong burning pain under his tattered clothes.
Li Qiuxue stopped at the well, she estimated the depth, and then threw Chu Shaoqin in. The screams echoing in the well were very shrill, and Chu Shaoqin didn't even know where this delicate-looking woman got so much strength.
Li Qiuxue deftly hung the other end of the hemp rope on the tree trunk and pulled it up and down regularly. Chu Shaoqin was like a stake driven into a well. After drinking a bellyful of water, he was hung upside down on the pear tree. When he regained consciousness, Li Qiuxue was sitting on a bench under the tree with her legs crossed, eating roasted chicken.
The aroma of roasted chicken mixed with the fragrance of flowers drifted into Chu Shaoqin's nose along with the wind. He swallowed his saliva after being hungry for a long time and stared at the roasted chicken in Li Qiuxue's hand motionlessly.
"Alas, it's hard to get fat by eating alone." Chu Shaoqin squirmed a few times and swayed in the air.
Upon hearing this, Li Qiuxue drew her sword, pierced the roasted chicken, and held it high for Chu Shaoqin to smell it, but when Chu Shaoqin was about to open his mouth to take a bite, she threw it into the well.
"You dare to say that the master is fat, I'll keep you here for another day." Li Qiuxue played with a bunch of long hair hanging on her right shoulder, and her light yellow cross-collar skirt fluttered in the wind. She looked at Chu Shaoqin's clothes that had been dried by the sun, nodded with satisfaction, and then turned and left.
"Hey, I will die if you do this, and when I die, no one will be your slave." Chu Shaoqin called out to Li Qiuxue, seemingly not intending to confront this young lady with a bad taste head-on.
Li Qiuxue paused for a moment, rubbed her chin, turned around, and seemed to think that what he said made sense.
When Chu Shaoqin saw her turn around, he immediately smiled ingratiatingly: "You are so beautiful, I am willing to be your slave for life, but you have to put me down and eat something first, right?"
"Then tell me, how good am I?"
"She is so beautiful that she can make fishes sink to the bottom of the water and geese fall to the ground, and she can shame the moon and flowers. She is comparable to Xi Shi and even more beautiful than Diao Chan. She is the most beautiful woman in the world!" If Chu Shaoqin could move his hands now, he would definitely give a thumbs up in an exaggerated way. After all, life is more important than lying.
Li Qiuxue raised her chin proudly and arrogantly. Chu Shaoqin's words made her very happy. She immediately drew her knife and cut the hemp rope tied to the tree. Chu Shaoqin fell straight to the ground with a flattering smile.
The pear blossoms all over the ground flew up, and Chu Shaoqin, who was dizzy from the fall, quickly untied himself, and then pried open the mousetrap on his foot, and his numb feet gradually regained consciousness. As soon as he raised his head, Li Qiuxue threw him a set of ill-fitting servant clothes.
After a while, Li Qiuxue looked at Chu Shaoqin, who had tied up his long hair and changed into clean clothes. After washing up, he turned out to be a handsome young man. Rather than saying he was handsome, it would be better to say that his eyebrows and eyes were clear, his facial features were distinct, and he looked a bit like a Westerner.
Although he was wearing a servant's coarse linen shirt, he exuded an extraordinary aura. Li Qiuxue didn't like to meddle in other people's affairs, so she didn't ask him where he came from. After all, it would be difficult for him to "go away" once he fell into her hands.
Based on the principle that if you want to eat you have to be self-reliant, Li Qiuxue tied Chu Shaoqin's hands with a hemp rope and dragged him deep into the woods like escorting a prisoner.
"Now we go hunting and eat whatever we catch."
"But how can I hunt if you tie my hands?"
"You are the bait, you don't need hands." Li Qiuxue said lightly, and Chu Shaoqin's face was full of shock. When Chu Shaoqin understood his situation, he was already tied tightly to a big tree.
"Hey, where are you going?" Chu Shaoqin watched Li Qiuxue walk away, feeling extremely frightened. In this deep forest, there were only large wild beasts. He really didn't believe that someone who couldn't even draw a sword properly could protect him.
What should he do? How could he die here without taking revenge?
"Li Qiuxue, please let me go. If I die, you will regret it for the rest of your life, because I am..." The rustling sound coming from behind the bushes touched Chu Shaoqin's heartstrings, and his voice stopped abruptly because he saw a tiger walking towards him in an elegant posture.
The tiger sniffed the scent of human flesh and walked towards him step by step. He struggled desperately but could not escape. The tiger quickened its pace and finally ran towards him.
"Ah——" A shrill scream echoed in the woods. Although Chu Shaoqin closed his eyes, all that appeared in his mind was the scene of himself being torn into pieces by the tiger.
"A tiger scared you like this, are you too timid?" Li Qiuxue patted Chu Shaoqin's face. He opened his eyes carefully. Li Qiuxue's contemptuous expression was reflected in his dark pupils, and the tiger had fallen into the deep pit that Li Qiuxue had dug in advance.
The tiger's crown was smashed by a huge rock that was originally hanging on a tall tree. Chu Shaoqin looked up along the broken rope and saw that the rope was cut from a distance, and the owner of the rope drew his sword and untied him.
Chu Shaoqin's legs went limp and he collapsed to the ground.
In the past twenty years, no woman had ever made him so miserable.
"You are really the most special young lady I have ever met." After the tiger incident, Chu Shaoqin clearly understood two things. First, he might not be able to escape from Li Qiuxue's clutches; second, if he did not learn to please Li Qiuxue, his life might be in danger at any time.
"Of course."
Li Qiuxue shook her head and walked ahead, the bell on her wrist jingling.
From that day on, the sound of the bell became Chu Shaoqin's nightmare.
If being nearly eaten by a tiger was the beginning of Chu Shaoqin's nightmare, then eating raw tiger meat was the most exciting part of this nightmare. Chu Shaoqin, who had never eaten anything dirty since childhood, had never thought that he would tear raw meat with his bare hands under Li Qiuxue's long whip.
"Is tiger meat delicious?" Li Qiuxue said this while stroking the long whip in her hand. The courtyard, which was usually deserted, was crowded with servants, and the words "inhumane" were written on their faces. But no one dared to stop Li Qiuxue from forcing Chu Shaoqin to eat raw tiger meat. They sympathized with her, but at the same time they were worried that they would be the next person to be sympathized with.
"Delicious!" Chu Shaoqin said these two words with tears in his eyes and nodded. However, when he swallowed the bloody tiger meat with difficulty, the resistance of his stomach made him spit out the food from his mouth.
"Why vomit when it's delicious?" Li Qiuxue frowned and looked at Chu Shaoqin with dissatisfaction.
His expression seemed to be in pain, his brows were twisted into a ball, but he tried hard to suppress his instinctive nausea and continued to bite the raw meat and swallow it. Li Qiuxue liked to see such a stubborn expression, after all, it was not fun to see someone who knelt down and begged for mercy too easily.
"Xiao Li, move the tiger meat to the kitchen." Li Qiuxue squatted down, stretched out her hand to smooth Chu Shaoqin's frown, and the bell on her wrist jingled.
Chu Shaoqin looked at her in surprise, not knowing how she would treat him the next moment. But she only said one sentence: "In the future, if you want to eat something, go to the kitchen and cook it yourself."
Chu Shaoqin looked at Li Qiuxue's back in astonishment as she turned and left. The silk ribbon on her skirt was gently lifted, and her embroidered shoes with peony patterns stepped over the threshold, gradually moving farther and farther away until they disappeared from Chu Shaoqin's sight.
Chu Shaoqin turned his back and began to vomit, as if he was trying his best to vomit out the raw meat he had eaten. The servants who were watching also dispersed, and Xiao Li, who had transferred the tiger meat to the kitchen, led him to the kitchen.
Chu Shaoqin not only didn't know how to cook, he had never seen a clay stove or firewood. So he used all his strength to light the fire, and then spent an afternoon frying a dish of black tiger meat. White smoke began to come out of the kitchen of Zhengda Escort Agency, and the servants hurriedly brought buckets of water to put out the fire. When Li Qiuxue heard about this, she hung Chu Shaoqin on the pear tree without saying a word, letting him reflect in the cold wind.
The next day.
Li Qiuxue stretched as she walked to the yard. The pear blossoms were in full bloom in March, and the fluttering petals were fragrant in the wind. Li Qiuxue closed her eyes and took a deep breath of fresh air, seemingly completely ignoring the people dangling in the air.
"Li Qiuxue, you've left me hanging here for a whole night, isn't it time to let me down?"
"You dare to call the master's full name? I'll keep you hanging for another day." Li Qiuxue's bad temper started to flare up again. She pouted and shook her head, ready to leave the yard.
Seeing this, Chu Shaoqin quickly changed his words and shouted, "Master Li, I was wrong. Please be magnanimous and let me go."
Li Qiuxue turned around with satisfaction. When she smiled, there were two dimples on the sides of her mouth, which looked particularly cute, but was very different from her personality.
"I ask you, if I want the stars in the sky, can you pick them for me?" Li Qiuxue looked up at Chu Shaoqin with her hands behind her back, the fox fur robe she was wearing fluttering slightly in the wind. Qingyang City is surrounded by mountains, and it is still chilly in early spring, with occasional wind and snow.
Chu Shaoqin's expression showed that he had given up, and Li Qiuxue derived the answer from that expression. She lowered her eyes in disappointment, and the arrogance she had just felt was replaced by an inexplicable sadness.
Sure enough, he couldn't do it. No one can pick the stars from the sky, right?
"Yes, I can. I can pick as many as you want." Chu Shaoqin didn't know whether he agreed to her because he didn't want to hang on the tree anymore or because he didn't want to see her lost look.
"Really?" Li Qiuxue raised her head again. This time, she untied Chu Shaoqin herself and slowly put him to the ground.
"I'm going to pick stars now, but you can't follow me, otherwise I won't be able to pick them. You just wait for me under this tree, and I'll come back to find you when I pick the stars." Chu Shaoqin originally just wanted to coax her and then take the opportunity to escape, but when he saw her tears in her eyes but a happy smile, his heart trembled slightly.
Li Qiuxue might be more innocent than he thought. Although she was arrogant, willful and unreasonable, she was very trusting of others.
"You must pick the stars back. I will wait for you no matter how long it takes." Li Qiuxue sat under the tree seriously. She looked at Chu Shaoqin with joy. "Go pick the stars!"
Chu Shaoqin was stunned for a moment, nodded hurriedly, then turned around and wanted to leave Zhengda Escort Agency.
"Stop!" Li Qiuxue called out to him when he was about to push open the back door.
Did she see through his lies?
Chu Shaoqin was thinking, and cold sweat gradually appeared on his forehead. But Li Qiuxue generously handed all the silver coins she had to him: "Take these, just in case you need them."
Chu Shaoqin took the silver and was secretly delighted, as he now even had enough money for the journey.
"Then I'm going to pick stars!" Chu Shaoqin pushed open the door to the backyard and walked away.
Although he didn't know why Li Qiuxue insisted on getting the stars in the sky, how could he pick them? It was more important to take the opportunity to escape, after all, there were more important things waiting for him to do.
But would that silly girl Li Qiuxue really sit under the tree waiting for him?
Chu Shaoqin hesitated until the evening. Before he decided to leave Qingyang City, he secretly came to the backyard wall of Zhengda Escort Agency. Through the gap in the back door, he saw Li Qiuxue sitting on a tall tree branch, swinging her legs. She hummed a ballad and looked at the red sun gradually disappearing in the sky.
"Miss, you haven't eaten for a day. Come down and eat something first! That Chu Shaoqin can't pick the stars in the sky. He is lying to you." Xiao Li under the tree looked at Li Qiuxue worriedly.
Xiao Li is the servant in charge of kitchen affairs. He also watched Li Qiuxue grow up. He knew that Chu Shaoqin lied to the young lady in order to escape, but he didn't expect that the young lady actually believed it.
"He will definitely come back. I'll wait here."
Is she really waiting? Chu Shaoqin didn't know whether Li Qiuxue was stupid or naive. No one could pick the stars from the sky. He lied to her, so why did she believe him?
But what if she believed him? He couldn't stay here for long.
Chu Shaoqin sighed, turned and left.
The rain was not so heavy that she needed an umbrella, but it moistened everything and stained Li Qiuxue's clothes and hair. The spring rain continued. Looking up, the night sky was covered by dark clouds. When the wind blew, she could see the moonlight, but she could not see the stars. Li Qiuxue blinked her eyes and looked at the night sky above the pear tree.
Why hasn't Chu Shaoqin come back yet? Did he really tell a lie to escape? Is it true that no one can pick the stars in the sky?
The longer you wait, the more disappointed you become. Li Qiuxue went from being excited and expectant at the beginning to feeling disappointed and sad now. Chu Shaoqin was not related to her in any way, he was just a passer-by whom she couldn't let go. Now that he had money and a way out, how could he come back to find her?
"Mom, do you think he will come back?" Li Qiuxue stretched out her hand and spread out her five fingers. She looked at the starless night sky through her fingers, as if she was talking to the air.
The cold night wind blew over her, and she shivered involuntarily. Along with this shiver came Chu Shaoqin, who pushed open the backyard gate and ran in. He was holding a large lantern in his arms, and the lantern was wrapped in a layer of linen. He was shivering with cold, and the moment he ran into the yard, he quickly closed the gate to isolate the cold wind from the yard.
"I brought the stars back!" Chu Shaoqin looked up at Li Qiuxue. She was about to jump down. Chu Shaoqin quickly stretched out a hand and made a "don't jump down" gesture. "Just sit there and don't jump down, or the stars will be scared away."
"Then I'll pull you up." Li Qiuxue lowered the rope hanging on the tree branch, while Chu Shaoqin tied the big lantern in his arms and climbed up the tree trunk with clumsy movements and sat down.
He originally planned to run away with the money, but he could not forget Li Qiuxue's expectant eyes, because with that look, he could not be a liar who ran away.
When Chu Shaoqin opened the linen cloth outside the lantern, fireflies flew out from the small opening, and countless lights illuminated the pear tree. Fireflies soon filled the entire yard, their light flickering, just as beautiful as the stars twinkling in the night sky.
Chu Shaoqin had caught these fireflies in the mountains. He had only wanted to cross the mountains and leave Qingyang City, but he saw these glowing insects at night. He followed them and found the fireflies' nest. The fireflies that filled the entire cave were like the stars in the sky. At that moment, he forgot his fate of fleeing and only wanted to bring these "stars" to Li Qiuxue.
"It's stars, so many stars." Li Qiuxue clapped her hands, her bright eyes flashing, and the crisp sound of bells became extremely beautiful in the night.
Chu Shaoqin looked at her happily smiling profile from afar. Although she had a bad temper and a strange personality, she was innocent and simple.
"Why do you want the stars in the sky?" Chu Shaoqin couldn't help but ask this question.
"My mother died of illness when I was three years old. I always miss her, but I can't see her. At that time, my father said that my mother turned into stars in the sky and she would watch me grow up from a faraway place. But I still miss my mother. I want to pick the stars, just like my mother coming back to me."
Li Qiuxue reached out and caught a firefly. When she slowly opened her palm, the firefly flashed and flew away into the distance.
Chu Shaoqin stared at her fluorescent face and vaguely thought of his deceased mother. When his mother was alive, she would take him to fly kites. They would sit on the high eaves and count the stars, listening to the night wind blowing through the deserted courtyard. Later, his mother was framed and died, and he could no longer rely on such an embrace to act like a spoiled child.
Perhaps his biological mother is also in heaven watching over him and blessing him.
"After people die, their souls will turn into tiny glowing fireflies. The fireflies will follow the moon and then turn into stars in the sky." Chu Shaoqin looked at the groups of fireflies flying into the night sky. They were like a deep galaxy, casting mottled light all over the yard.
"Look, the stars are out, and the one closest to the moon must be my mother." Li Qiuxue pointed to the dark clouds blown away by the wind, and the stars in the night sky finally came out.
"A-choo!" Chu Shaoqin, who was lightly dressed, shuddered. The cold wind in the middle of the night was bone-chilling. Li Qiuxue untied the fox fur robe she was wearing and gave him half of it. Chu Shaoqin was startled, but because of the cold, he did not refuse Li Qiuxue's kindness.
He shrank his shoulders, moved his butt and sat side by side with Li Qiuxue. Li Qiuxue had a faint scent of pear blossoms on her body, and the scent spread from the ends of her hair to Chu Shaoqin's nose, gradually driving away the coldness on his body. Li Qiuxue looked up at the fireflies and leaned her head on Chu Shaoqin's shoulder. She seemed a little sleepy, and soon she fell asleep leaning on Chu Shaoqin's shoulder. Chu Shaoqin called her name softly, and when she didn't respond, he prepared to sneak away.
The sound of the bell was clear and crisp, and Chu Shaoqin stopped running as soon as he raised his hand. At some point, Li Qiuxue had tied his left hand with an iron rope, and the other end of the rope was buckled on the bracelet on her wrist. She seemed to have seen through Chu Shaoqin's mind and had already laid a trap.
Chu Shaoqin sighed and sat back quietly, fearing that the bell would ring again and wake Li Qiuxue. He was not worried about disturbing her sleep, but worried that he would be hung on the tree to enjoy the night view.
Dreams are silent, like a drop of water falling on a calm lake, causing ripples to spread out.
In Li Qiuxue's dream, her mother smiled gently. She rested her head on her mother's thigh and shook the bell on her wrist. The embroidery in her mother's hand was very delicate, and the colorful threads wove happiness stitch by stitch. But in Chu Shaoqin's dream, it was another scene -
"Your Highness, this is what the Emperor asked me to give you before he left. You must keep it well. Go quickly!" Kong Jing handed an ordinary jade pendant to Chu Shaoqin.
They stood on a cliff with no way out, and below the cliff was a rushing waterfall. The shackles on Chu Shaoqin were cut off, and Kong Jing took him out of the palace from the prison where he was imprisoned. They fled all the way, and the assassins sent by Chu Ji to silence them followed them all the way. Kong Jing was the emperor's most trusted personal guard during his lifetime. He was a martial arts expert, but he was also seriously injured when the enemy was outnumbered.
"No, let's go together."
"Your Highness, I am seriously injured and I am afraid I will become a burden to you." Kong Jing supported his body with a long sword, and scarlet blood flowed down his arm. He was barely breathing, but he used his unyielding will to support himself from falling down. "I am afraid that I can no longer accompany Your Highness. Your Highness, you must live. Only by living can you come back for revenge!"
"Kong Jing!" When Chu Shaoqin was pushed into the water by Kong Jing, a feather arrow pierced Kong Jing's body. The blood dripping from the feather arrow splashed on Chu Shaoqin's face. He stretched out his hand to save Kong Jing, but could only let the rushing water carry him away.
That day, he lost his only relative in the world, and also the only person he trusted in the world. The freezing cold water was like a knife, making him remember clearly the deep pain and unforgettable hatred.
One day he will come back and make those who took everything from him live a life worse than death!
The cold rain splashed on Chu Shaoqin's face. He tried to open his eyes. He didn't know how long he had been unconscious on the shore. After waking up, he immediately fumbled around on his body, and the jade pendant fell out of his arms.
Chu Shaoqin picked up the jade pendant and held it tightly in his palm. When he saw the jade pendant, he would remember that his father was framed and Kong Jing died in front of him. Hatred seemed to crush the jade pendant, and now, Chu Shaoqin had to survive.
He picked up a peeling tree trunk and supported himself to continue his escape. The wind and snow in February were still biting, but he was thin. He kept moving forward in the wind and snow, eating the snow on the ground when he was hungry and thirsty. The belief that he had to survive supported him to cross Longshan Mountain and come to Qingyang City. However, he was exhausted and finally collapsed in front of the city gate.
He was rescued by a few beggars, who dragged him to a sheltered alley and kindly fed him some porridge given by others. After regaining consciousness, Chu Shaoqin became a beggar. In order to express his gratitude to the beggars who saved his life, he gave them his only valuable jade hairpin. Before leaving, Chu Shaoqin exchanged clothes with the beggars who saved him, and he became a complete beggar with dishevelled hair.
"Father!" Chu Shaoqin woke up from a nightmare, but when he woke up, Li Qiuxue was no longer by his side.
Fortunately, she was not there, otherwise his address would definitely cause Li Qiuxue to pester him. He now needed to hide his identity and could not allow any accidents to happen.
But what about Li Qiuxue? Did she think it through and plan to let him go?
Chu Shaoqin looked around and there was no one else in the yard except him.
We have to leave here quickly while Li Qiuxue is not here.
Chu Shaoqin rolled his eyes and jumped from the tree, but what he never expected was that he did not land steadily on the ground, but was hanging upside down on the tree.
"Bai Shaoqin, Bai Shaoqin, why can't you learn your lesson? I clearly told you that I am your master. If I tell you to go west, you cannot go east. Do you want to come down from the tree without my permission, or do you want to sneak away when I'm not around?" Li Qiuxue's voice came from the corridor.
She changed into a green silk dress and combed her hair into a beautiful Chaoyun Jinxiang bun. The green jade flower on her hairpin matched her long dress. Chu Shaoqin guessed that she dressed up carefully to meet someone. Before he could speak, a group of men's voices came from the corridor outside the yard.
"Captain Li is really amazing. He beat the bandits who wanted to rob the escort."
"With Li Baotou here, the Zhengda Escort Agency has a bright future!"
"Okay, okay, stop praising me. Where is my Xue'er? Has she not caused any trouble for me recently?"
"The young lady has been very well behaved recently and has not gone out to cause trouble, but..." Xiao Li said with a smile, and stopped at the end of the corridor near the backyard.
"Daddy, you're finally back." Li Qiuxue's face was filled with a sweet smile, and two cute dimples appeared on her lips.
She ran towards Li Baize and held his strong arm affectionately.
Li Baize's beard was covered with water droplets, like melting frost. He pinched Li Qiuxue's cheek, and Li Qiuxue saw that his hands were a little cold, so she hurriedly helped him warm them up, saying, "Daddy doesn't take care of his body."
Chu Shaoqin looked at this heartwarming scene, feeling somewhat touched and envious.
"Xue'er, what's going on with that man?" Li Baize quickly noticed Chu Shaoqin. He walked forward, drew his knife and cut the rope.
Chu Shaoqin screamed and fell vertically to the ground. At this moment, he deeply understood the saying "like father, like daughter".
Li Qiuxue pointed at Chu Shaoqin lying on the ground and claimed that he was the servant she bought. She also praised him in front of Li Baize, saying that he was very capable and would definitely become a good follower to Li Baize in the future.
Li Bai Ze looked at the seemingly frail Chu Shao Qin, and seemed to doubt what Li Qiu Xue said. But seeing Li Qiu Xue praising him with great joy, as a father he could not let his daughter be unhappy, so he smiled and nodded to accept Chu Shao Qin.
Chu Shaoqin wanted to explain, but when he looked up at the father and daughter, he gave up. Li Baize standing in front of him was not only fat, but also had three big swords. Behind him was a group of men as strong as him. Killing him would be like crushing an ant. Instead of escaping from here, it is better to use them to protect yourself.
"Hey, that's not right. If he is so good, why did you hang him on the tree?" Li Baize suddenly felt confused, and Xiao Li also retreated to a place where he could not see him with an embarrassed look on his face.
Li Qiuxue was stumped by Li Bai Ze's question and couldn't think of a suitable reason.
"Master Li said she wanted to teach me martial arts, and said she would start by hanging me upside down, so she hung me on a tree." Chu Shaoqin rolled his eyes and provided the best answer.
Seeing him winking at her, Li Qiuxue quickly agreed, "Yes, yes, that's right."
"With your mediocre skills, you can only bully a few servants. If you want to learn real skills, you have to learn from me!" Li Baize grabbed Chu Shaoqin and slapped him on the shoulder a few times. Each time, Chu Shaoqin felt like he was carrying a thousand pounds and fell down involuntarily. Then, Chu Shaoqin was dragged by Li Baize to another place.
The backyard bypasses the corridor and leads to the main hall of the Zhengda Escort Agency. The hall that can be seen from the main hall and the main gate forms a circular structure. Inside the hall and the main hall is an open space where the escort agency's personnel conduct drills every day.
Chu Shaoqin used to be lazy and could neither do literature nor martial arts. Under Li Baize's abnormal training, he soon fell ill. But Li Qiuxue did not let him off. During the days when he was sick, he could always see some strange animal corpses in his medicine soup. Whenever he finished drinking the medicine and saw those disgusting animal corpses at the bottom of the bowl, he would always dig his throat and vomit.
Besides, Li Qiuxue also loved to send him delicious food, but if he didn't accept it, he would put a knife on his neck. If he accepted it, he would either have diarrhea or vomit. What's worse, in order to improve his physical fitness, Li Baize would kick open his door at dawn every day and drag him to the mountains for a morning run with his bare chest.
A month passed in the blink of an eye. During this month, Chu Shaoqin absorbed all the abuse from his father and daughter and began to become stronger, no longer the weak and frail boy. Li Baize taught him some boxing and kicking skills, and told him that the body and limbs are the best and most primitive weapons of human beings, sharper than any other weapons. Before learning to use weapons, one must first learn to control his limbs.
Chu Shaoqin remembered Li Baize's teachings and gradually regarded him as his best teacher. He began to get used to running in the cold wind and swimming in the freezing stream. The number of times he got sick gradually decreased, and he no longer needed Li Baize's supervision. He carefully observed the things and everyone around him. He needed to become stronger and also needed to know himself and the enemy.
At the end of March, Zhengda Escort Agency received a convoy. The convoy was to escort a painting, and the person who brought the painting repeatedly asked that it must be escorted to Xue's house intact. The painting was priceless, but the rough men in the escort agency did not know how to appreciate it. After receiving the business, they celebrated with a drink. The reward for this convoy was not cheap, enough to cover the agency's expenses for three months.
"Shaoqin, you've been in our escort agency for about a month. It's time to take you out on a escort mission." Li Baize, who was drinking so much that he was impromptu, patted Chu Shaoqin on the shoulder.
This time, Chu Shaoqin did not bend down because of Li Baize's strength. When he heard that Li Baize wanted to take him on a long journey, his eyes immediately lit up. He nodded in agreement and raised his wine bowl to toast Li Baize.
"Dad, I want to go too." Li Qiuxue noticed Chu Shaoqin's change and ran to Li Baize. Chu Shaoqin's thoughts could not escape her eyes. He must want to take the opportunity to slip away, so she had to follow him no matter what and keep a close eye on this mouse.
"Xue'er, why are you joining in the fun? Escorting is a man's job. You're a virgin, so just stay home and be a good girl. Look at Miss Lin next door, she's good at singing and dancing, and is proficient in everything from playing the piano, chess, calligraphy and painting. Look at you, a girl running around everywhere all day long, and carrying a sword, aren't you afraid that you won't be able to get married in the future?" Li Baize teased.
Li Qiuxue pouted sullenly and ran back to her boudoir. Chu Shaoqin finally breathed a sigh of relief. If Li Qiuxue didn't follow him, it would not be difficult for him to escape from the Zhengda Escort Agency.
The next day, it snowed in Qingyang City. Although it was early April, this town surrounded by mountains was still a bit cold.
There were dozens of people standing at the entrance of the Zhengda Escort Agency, and there were no women in their team. Li Baize looked up at the vast sky, with snowflakes flying everywhere. Xiao Li, who stayed behind to guard the escort agency, came out and asked him if he needed to wait until the snow stopped before setting off.
"This little bit of snow is not a problem. What are you doing, Xue'er? Why don't you come out to see dad off?"
"The eldest lady is still sulking, she has closed the door and refuses to come out."
"Forget about this girl. When I'm not around, keep an eye on her for me and don't let her cause trouble."
"Pear Biaotou, don't worry, I will definitely keep a good eye on her."
"Let's go!" Li Bai Ze shouted, and the other people from the escort agency began to follow the carriage.
The coachman was Chu Shaoqin. Although Li Baize didn't say it, he was worried that Chu Shaoqin would run away halfway, so he arranged Chu Shaoqin to be in the front of the carriage so that he could observe his movements at any time.
The snow was getting heavier, and the flag of the Zhengda Escort Agency was fluttering in the wind. The escort team, far away from the bustling downtown of Qingyang City, was blinded by the snow. The heavy snow covered the road ahead and half of the wheels. The guide could no longer tell the direction with his eyes, so he took out the compass in his arms and began to tell the direction.
"Captain Li, the snow seems to be getting heavier, what should we do?" The person leading the way raised his arm to block the wind and snow blowing towards his face, and looked back at Li Bai Ze behind him. The people walking with Li Bai Ze could hardly move, and the height of the heavy snow was almost reaching their knees.
"Is there any shelter ahead? Find a place to stop and avoid the wind and snow." Li Bai Ze's voice was blown away by the wind.
Chu Shaoqin tried to open his eyes and looked for shelter in the blizzard. He saw a huge rock not far away, which must be able to block the wind and snow. He whipped the horse and headed in that direction, while the other people from the escort agency also pushed the carriage behind. The carriage soon stopped behind the huge rock. With the shelter of the huge rock, the carriage and the escort team were protected.
"Why did the carriage stop? Are we here?" Li Qiuxue, who was sleeping in the carriage, was awakened by the shaking of the carriage. She excitedly lifted the curtain and stuck her head out. The first person to see Li Qiuxue was Chu Shaoqin, who was sitting in front of the carriage. He was surprised at first, then sighed. He felt that Li Qiuxue would not give up, and sure enough, she secretly followed him out.
"Xue'er, why are you here?" Li Bai Ze thought he had seen it wrong. He rubbed his eyes a few times before he confirmed that the person who got out of the carriage was Li Qiuxue.
Li Qiuxue held onto Li Baize's arm and shook him, shouting, "Daddy, I've already followed you halfway, just take me with you. You see, it's snowing so hard, it's very dangerous for me to go back, right?"
Li Bai Ze couldn't persuade Li Qiu Xue, so he had to agree to take her with him. Li Qiu Xue, who got what she wanted, smiled triumphantly at Chu Shao Qin, then turned back to the carriage to get her fur coat.
The bonfire could not be lit in the snowstorm, so the escort team trapped in the blizzard had to gather together to drink and warm themselves up. The snowstorm was getting stronger and stronger, and it seemed that there was no intention to stop. The boulder several feet high was a little shaky, and Li Baize, who realized that something was wrong, had to bite the bullet and lead the escort team to move forward.
As expected, the boulder fell down half a minute after they left, stirring up large flakes of snow. Li Baize breathed a sigh of relief. They were walking on a slope, which was covered with snow. The wheels of the carriage clattered and tilted to the side. The frightened horse neighed and raised its front hooves high. The clothes and food in the carriage were shaken out of the window and fell down the slope. Li Qiuxue, who was originally in the carriage, was pulled out by Chu Shaoqin, but her eyes stayed on the painting in the carriage.
"Shao Qin, take Xue'er away from the carriage quickly!" Li Baize's voice was loud and harsh in the wind and snow.
Chu Shaoqin was about to reach out to pull Li Qiuxue out, but Li Qiuxue shook his hand off, turned around and grabbed the scroll that was about to fall out of the car window and down the slope.
"That was a close call." Li Qiuxue hid the scroll tightly in her arms, but unexpectedly the next moment the rope of the carriage broke, and the carriage lost balance and threw Li Qiuxue out.
"Li Qiuxue!" Chu Shaoqin hurriedly jumped towards Li Qiuxue and grabbed her hand tightly. He hugged her waist tightly, and the two of them fell into the white valley together, with the blizzard and the shouts of the escort team behind them.
Chu Shaoqin just kept protecting Li Qiuxue in his arms, and the two rolled down the highest slope of the valley to the bottom. The dead branches covered by the heavy snow cut Chu Shaoqin's sleeves, and the cold air froze the cracked wound, making it impossible to feel the pain.
When Chu Shaoqin rolled to the bottom of the valley with Li Qiuxue in his arms, the carriage that rolled down with him broke into pieces in another place. Dry food and some miscellaneous items were scattered all over the ground, but were soon covered by the heavy snow.
"Li Qiuxue? Li Qiuxue?" Chu Shaoqin called out to the unconscious Li Qiuxue. She held her hands over her chest, protecting the scroll in her arms.
What on earth was she doing? Was she willing to sacrifice her life just to protect the convoy?
Chu Shaoqin looked around and a cave caught his attention. He took Li Qiuxue's hand, carried her on his shoulders, and walked towards the cave .
When Li Qiuxue woke up, Chu Shaoqin was sitting shirtless at the entrance of the cave, treating his wounds. He had multiple cuts on his body, and because of his fair skin, the bloodstains looked even brighter. He chewed up some herbs and applied them to the wounds, then bandaged them with strips of cloth torn from his clothes.
He frowned every time he tore a piece of cloth, as if the action hurt him. Li Qiuxue stared at him, remembering that he also frowned when he fell into the valley, hugged her tightly in his arms, and used his body to protect her.
"Li Qiu... No, Miss Li, are you awake?" Chu Shaoqin was a little flattered when he saw Li Qiuxue coming forward to bandage his wound.
"Since you saved me, I allow you to call me Li Qiuxue from now on."
Chu Shaoqin couldn't help laughing, thinking that Li Qiuxue must like him calling her by her name, but she couldn't let go of her pride, so she had to say even such a simple sentence in a roundabout way.
"why are you laughing?"
Li Qiuxue deliberately used some force when tying the knot, and Chu Shaoqin gritted his teeth in pain.
"You knew there was danger, so why didn't you give up the painting?"
"The most important thing for us escorts is credibility. Since we have accepted other people's escorts and received their money, we should be responsible for the escorted items." Li Qiuxue's eyes sparkled when she said this.
Chu Shaoqin didn't expect that this unruly and headstrong young lady also had such a responsible side. He didn't seem to dislike her so much, and even had a strange feeling.
"Remember in the future that life is always more important than reputation. People only have one life. If you lose it, reputation will become meaningless." Chu Shaoqin bandaged his wound and put on his clothes. The wind and snow outside began to subside. He got up and went out to find some dead branches buried in the snow, and returned to the cave to light them with a tinder.
He and Li Qiuxue were wrapped in the same fur coat, and they stayed in front of the blazing fire to keep warm. The firelight illuminated the cave, and Li Qiuxue rested her head sleepily on Chu Shaoqin's shoulder. She felt that Chu Shaoqin had a stubbornness, and that stubbornness was like a torch in winter, warming her heart.
Chu Shaoqin was startled, and he tilted his head slightly to look at Li Qiuxue's peaceful sleeping face, and a faint smile appeared on the corner of his lips. He sniffed the faint fragrance of her hair, gently leaned towards her head, and slowly lowered his eyelids.