Chapter 363

Li Jingchuan woke up?

Although it's already late.

Li Qingluo still had to hurry out of the city before Duan Rongshi noticed.

But hearing that Li Jingchuan actually wanted to see her, she hesitated a moment, yet still decided to go.

Pure Bamboo Garden.

When Li Qingluo arrived, Li Jingchuan was taking medicine.

Seeing her come, he pushed the medicine bowl slightly aside with his hand.

"Go down."

The maidservant saw Li Qingluo, hastily rose to salute, then together with Que'er who had followed Li Qingluo, withdrew.

"Lu'er."

Li Jingchuan raised his head, gazing at Li Qingluo with a deep look, and gave a bitter twitch of the corners of his mouth.

"I have known you for a long time, but this is still the first time I truly confront my own identity with you."

"I want to formally introduce myself to you…… I should have the surname Li and the name Jingchuan."

"I think I am your long-lost illegitimate older brother."

"I'm very happy to see you, Lu'er."

Li Qingluo turned her head away, took several deep breaths, then turned her head back to look at him.

"So, you've been deceiving me all along?"

"From the first time we met in the Pei family's dungeon, did you already know who I was?"

Li Jingchuan: "No."

"West Market, the blacksmith's shop. Do you still remember?"

Li Qingluo then understood: "It's you!? You are the young master of that blacksmith shop!"

"Later, after you learned I was from the Li family, that's why you didn't want to accept my drawings?"

Li Jingchuan coughed a few times, steadied his breath, then slowly said: "Yes. Actually I greatly admire your talent; this is your natural gift, Lu'er."

"In this world, few people can, like you, draw what's in their heart the moment they put brush to paper."

"You were still a young lady who had never touched weapons or blades; how long had it been since your grandmother retrieved you? It's truly astonishing."

"Although your drawings were indeed somewhat ugly, your conceptual structure is truly a rare talent."

"At that time, I didn't know you were also a pitiful child. So, after learning you were from the Li family, I indeed thought to avoid involvement, and thus abandoned our agreement."

"This is my fault as an older brother; I apologize to you."

Saying this, he began to cough again.

Li Qingluo paused, walked over, and patted him on the back.

"After that, you repeatedly wanted to see me again—was it because you knew I was a daughter retrieved by the Li family, unfavored, and different from what you had in mind?"

Li Jingchuan nodded, "Yes…… cough, cough cough……"

"However, I thought you didn't want to see me, so afterward I stopped seeking you."

Li Qingluo: "Your people on the street arbitrarily stopped people, opening their mouths to demand I follow them—I had no idea who they were."

"Forget it, let's not talk about the past."

"You left a final testament yesterday; was it intentionally written for me to see?"

Li Jingchuan paused.

"I…… yes……"

"However, I had no intention of teasing you; I truly wanted to free myself."

Li Qingluo slowly lowered her hand, gave a silent cold laugh: "So you already knew I was the real Li Qingluo. When did you confirm it?"

Li Jingchuan sighed: "Yesterday, at that time I already knew."

"My mother, desperate to save her son, made a foolish choice."

"Lu'er, I couldn't stop her."

"But I also couldn't just watch her actually harm you. So I could only go along with your scheme…… let her realize the truth, and I could also find a chance to free myself."

Li Qingluo's heart instantly became a myriad of complex feelings.

"You came to see me today, wanting me to release your mother?"

"But she wants my life; you know I can't let her go."

Li Jingchuan: "So if I die, she won't think about it anymore."

Li Qingluo narrowed her eyes, suddenly furious: "Li Jingchuan, you have the resolve to die, but lack the will to live?"

"Do you think that with just your mother and uncle, you could really take my life?"

"You greatly underestimate me!"

Seeing her angry, Li Jingchuan raised his hand, then helplessly lowered it.

"Lu'er, I know, asking you to pretend nothing happened is difficult for you."

"But if I were to give you all the wealth and power I hold, could I exchange it for my mother's life?"

Li Qingluo: "Li Jingchuan, do you think I now lack money and influence?"

"If you want your mother to live, stop thinking about seeking death!"

"Remember, as long as you live, she can live that long."

"If you die, she will immediately follow you to the Yellow Springs."

Li Qingluo, having said that, turned and strode away.

Li Jingchuan, hearing her words, was momentarily overcome with emotion and tumbled from the bed.

Luo'er— Luo'er—

Li Qingluo did not turn back.

Li Qingluo angrily took Que'er and left Qingzhu Garden; after meeting Deng Mama at the gate, she got on the carriage and hurried out of the city.

Li Qingluo thought about Jingchuan's affairs, her mind vexed beyond measure.

This Zheng Wanxiu, relying on her status as incense master of the Lotus Sect, cannot appear again no matter what.

As for Jingchuan, she also did not know how to settle him.

Let him and Aunt Zheng leave Jinling together?

Looking at his frail physique, he probably won't survive this winter.

Keep him?

Forget it, let's talk about it when she returns.

Of course, if she can come back alive.

Zheng Mama: "Miss, where is De Shu supposed to meet us? We're about to leave the city, why haven't we seen him yet?"

Li Qingluo: "I already had him go to Yangzhou ahead of time."

Zheng Mama thought: This time the Old Lady has entrusted me with an important task, to watch what the miss is really up to, but… would I really offend the miss for the Old Lady's sake?

Nowadays the miss has no Grandma Mama by her side.

If I work hard, can I not completely replace Deng Mama's former position?

Zheng Mama was still thinking when Li Qingluo herself asked her: "Has Zhang Mama been looking for you?"

Zheng Mama jumped in fright: "Miss, I will definitely obey you. If you forbid me to speak, I will absolutely not tell the Old Lady a single word!"

Li Qingluo: …

What she wanted to ask was originally not this.

It seems Grandma is anxious.

Li Qingluo felt very guilty, but her current situation is not even clear to herself, making it impossible to be frank with Grandma.

Everything, let's talk about it after tomorrow.

Li Qingluo: "Alright, I heard you're an expert at counter‑tracking?"

"I want you to conceal my whereabouts this time, so that even Prince Su's people cannot find where I actually went."

After leaving the city, the carriage sped toward the outskirts; Li Qingluo lifted the carriage curtain, blew in the cool wind, and felt a sense of loss in her heart.

Li Qingluo this time indeed deceived Pei Lao Furen.

Because she was never going to Yangzhou.

She spread this rumor, deceiving not only Pei Lao Furen but also needing to deceive Duan Rongshi.

Li Qingluo now sat in the carriage; aside from a faint undulation in her heart, there was nothing else abnormal.

The faint undulation is also because the driver of the carriage is Sha Yi.

And he is a man.

Li Qingluo bitterly self‑mocked; she had already guessed what poison she had been afflicted with and what it was related to.

Blood‑lust disease.

She can only smell the blood scent of the opposite sex.

She will become frenzied and greedy like a monster, sucking human blood.

She will become a living, breathing monster.

She never imagined that one day she too would become involved with this.

Zuliya, indeed a fine stratagem.

So how could she dare to really meet Duan Rongshi again?

Last night's proactive closeness was merely her extreme regret and farewell to him.

Tonight's Gui Garden rendezvous is even more his pretense to deceive him.

She fears that tonight she will turn into a monster like the butterfly and Pei Lao Guogong, becoming utterly unrecognizable, no longer herself.

She must flee Jinling City, distancing herself from anyone she might harm.

After tonight passes and tomorrow arrives, if she still has moments of lucidity, she will then understand exactly what condition she is in.

By then she will know what choice she ought to make.

Miss, what's wrong with you?

You look as if you're quite sorrowful.

Has something happened?

Li Qingluo: "Good Que'er, you will find out soon."

Granny, once we reach the mountain base, let Sha Yi stop the carriage.

Sha Yi watched Li Qingluo and her entourage of three go up the mountain, feeling quite puzzled.

Miss, truly you don't want your subordinate to follow?

You three… when will you come down the mountain? Your subordinate will come to fetch you then.

Li Qingluo did not turn back: "Keep an eye on Zuliyah and Zheng Wanxiu; when the time comes, I myself will come to find you."

Having gone up the mountain, Li Qingluo only drank water and ate some dry rations midway, then continued onward without stopping.

Before night fell, she successfully found the cave where she and Duan Rongshi had previously taken shelter.

This place remains just as it was before, except that it has shifted from winter to summer.

The snow on the mountain has long melted, leaving only a myriad of green blossoms and wild fruits everywhere.

Altogether, it is yet another picture of a paradisiacal utopia's beautiful scenery.

The stream outside the cave flowed gently.

In the clear stream where the bottom could be seen, there were also schools of fish swimming back and forth.

And inside the cave, there were still the ashes of the fire she and Duan Rongshi had burned earlier.

No one had accidentally intruded here anymore.

Que'er and Deng Mama looked around, asking, "Miss, just where is this place?"

"What are we doing here?"

Li Qingluo: "For these two days, we will stay here and not go anywhere."

Que'er and Zheng Mama exchanged glances, puzzled and uncomprehending.

Li Qingluo looked at them sternly and repeatedly urged: "This matter, this place, for these two days only we three master and servants may be present. If someone accidentally intrudes, I will hold you two accountable—can you manage that?"

Que'er: "Miss, if hunters come, we servants will just drive them away."

"But if our own people come looking..."

Li Qingluo: "Do you need me to teach you?"

Que'er quickly said: "All right, I will lead them all away, and certainly not let them discover the miss!"

Li Qingluo: "Remember, for these two days, you must absolutely not let anyone find me."

"Especially you, Zheng Mama. Can you do that?"

Zheng Mama shivered, forcing a dry smile: "Miss, rest assured, this old servant will certainly not disappoint you."

Li Qingluo sighed inwardly: If it were Deng Mama, she wouldn't worry. But having interacted with Zheng Mama only briefly, she still needs to continue testing her.

She could only reiterate: "Remember, anyone who abandons me, Li Qingluo, for any reason, I will never employ again for life."

Soon, it was the zi hour (midnight) of the seventh night.

The fire in the cave had only a weak ember.

Li Qingluo, who wasn't sleepy anyway, was sitting cross-legged on a stone, meditating.

Suddenly, she felt as if her chest had been split open and her heart seized, forcing her eyes to snap open with a "hah."

Immediately, she painfully clutched her chest.

She felt as if she were about to be torn apart alive.

Que'er heard the commotion, just got up, and saw her own miss let out a "wah" and spit out a mouthful of black blood.