Whеn shе hаd еntered аt nооn, shе hаd surveyed hеr surrоundings. Therе was a bustling mаrkеt nеаrbу.
Тhis was Shangjing, vеry close to the оutеr Greаt Wall. Shе nееdеd to knоw hоw mаnу dаys it wоuld take to rеаch thе outer Greаt Wall from hеre.
As lоng аs shе соuld еntеr the outеr Grеat Wаll аnd rеaсh Yunzhou, whеrе there wеrе morе Han Pеople, соntаcting hеr family would nоt bе diffiсult.
If she rеmеmbеrеd соrreсtlу, the Jun fаmily hаd cloth shоps in bоth Shunсhuаn and Хingсhuаn. Нowever, this shоrtcut would surely be еasily discоvered bу Yelü Liе, sо she wоuld have to take a longer route, heading east from within the outer Great Wall and entering through Shanhaiguan. But that would make her escape much more arduous.
She quietly pulled open the back door, only to gasp sharply—Duoluo Qi stood like a mountain, blocking the entrance.
"Young Lady Jun, are you going out?"
She bit her lower lip and remained silent.
"If you want to see the northern scenery, the Young Master will definitely take you when he returns! A young lady like you must not wander around alone. Some men here are quite rough; if they see you walking alone, many won’t hesitate to bully you. Especially since you are not a Liao People."
She turned back to her room. There would be an opportunity! She kept comforting herself. As she turned into the corridor leading to the side room, she suddenly stopped, her beautiful eyes fixed directly on the flower-viewing pavilion across the garden.
It was Yelü Lie! He had returned, and he had brought back a northern beauty. She was not dark and coarse but robust and delicate—the kind of beauty who matched Yelü Lie in both appearance and stature.
Dressed in a red fur robe, holding a red leather whip, with several red flowers pinned to her snow-white fur hat, her adoring gaze was fixed directly on Yelü Lie’s face. He sat leisurely on the railing, his expression deep as he looked back at her.
Heavens! What was she doing? Jun Qiluo tightened the collar of her cloak and asked herself in panic. What did it matter to her if he brought a woman back? Why did her heart ache? As if she had been slapped hard, or as if her heart were bleeding...
Wasn’t this a good situation? With a new target, her escape would be even smoother!
Holding her unsettled heart, she quickened her pace, hoping to hurry through the corridor back to her room, but...
"Hey! Who are you?" the beauty in the red fur robe called out to her in Khitan language, her tone haughty.
She simply pretended not to hear, as she "didn’t understand" Khitan language. Her steps didn’t stop, and she could have returned to her room after turning another corner. But even faster, she fell into Yelü Lie’s arms as he suddenly appeared.
With a spin, her waist was lifted, and she was seated on the high crossbeam lining the corridor, her feet dangling in the air. Jun Qiluo had never known she had a fear of heights, but now she did. Just seeing the stone pavement outside the corridor, which was three feet lower than the corridor floor, she instinctively clung to Yelü Lie’s shoulders and neck.
"Who is she?"
"She is..." He glanced at her with a smile before turning to tell the girl in Khitan language. "My lover."
She trembled all over. He turned back and gently stroked her face. "Are you cold?"
"Not cold!" She pushed his hand away, swayed slightly, and quickly clung to him again.
"I really enjoy seeing you like this." Yelü Lie released his hands, which had been supporting her waist, satisfied to see her holding onto him tightly.
"Let me down!" Her face pale, a faint sweat breaking out, she whispered in his ear, "I... I..."His gaze instantly softened like autumn water as he embraced her.
"Poor little thing."
"Lie-gege!" The girl in red couldn't help but pout coquettishly. She couldn't bear this neglect and his tenderness toward another woman!
"Qingdou, you should return to the palace!"
"No! I want to stay for dinner. I already asked the Empress Mother!" Yelü Qingdou clung to his arm, complaining unhappily: "Is she a cripple who can't walk? Why are you holding her!" If not for her beloved's presence, she would have already lashed out with her whip. This shameless commoner dared to nestle into Lie-gege's noble embrace!
"Ah! I can't bear to let her walk! Besides, she's so light it's as if she could fly."
"I'm not heavy either! Why don't you hold me?" She tugged hard at his hand; if that woman dared to lean into her cousin's arms again, she really would strike. Using the limited Chinese vocabulary she knew, she pointed at Jun Qiluo and said, "You, get lost."
"Qingdou—I'm going to get angry!" Yelü Lie's expression darkened.
"You're angry with me because of that woman!" Yelü Qingdou screamed, raising her red whip and swinging it, aiming to scar the woman's face. Apart from that face, she had nothing to offer!
Crack!
She struck Yelü Lie's arm as he blocked the blow, drawing blood on his left arm and tearing his clothes. He snatched her whip. "Outrageous!"
"You... you... I'm going to tell the Emperor!" Princess Qingdou stamped her foot furiously, tears as large as beans falling.
"Duoluo Qi, escort the princess back to the palace!"
"Yes!" Duoluo Qi hurried over.
But Princess Qingdou had already rushed toward the main gate.
Silently, he carried her back to the room.
"Young Master... your arm!" Dong Yin gasped softly, quickly fetching the medicine chest.
After setting her down, Yelü Lie looked at his left arm and licked the blood; that girl deserved a good beating, growing more arrogant and willful by the day!
"Young Master, let this servant apply medicine for you..."
"No need, you may leave." He waved Dong Yin away.
Jun Qiluo looked at him with some understanding.
"You deliberately showed affection to me in front of her! To make her think you have someone in your heart?" This explained his unusual tenderness earlier. It was truly laughable that she had felt dizzy from it.
Yelü Lie glanced at her indifferently, walking alone to the table. He rolled up his sleeve and immersed his left arm in water, washing away the flowing blood. She always had a way of interpreting his kindness with a reasonable yet ulterior motive. If he wanted to control his anger, he had to ignore her questions. She was an exceptionally intelligent woman—clever, worldly, clear in love and hate, never forgiving those who wronged her, and never believing anyone would be good to another without reason. She truly lived up to the Jun family name; it was also because of her shrewd business acumen that she was so formidable.
Yet, it was precisely her tenacity, aloof pride, and unwavering will that truly captivated him.
Her stunning beauty upon first sight was a sensory delight; but if she had been weak or devoid of personality, perhaps he wouldn't have even wanted to touch her.In his twenty-five years of life, women had never held an important place for him—they were even insignificant. Every year, countless beautiful women were offered as tribute from various countries, and the Khan would bestow them upon the tribal Yilidongs, but he had never accepted any. Though Jun Qiluo’s beauty was rare, it was by no means unique. He had seen several women who could rival her, yet none had stirred in him the desire to possess her.
She was a contradictory combination, possessing a fragile form yet displaying a resilience stronger than any other woman! That strength of will could almost rival his own as a man. Only such a woman could survive proudly in the harsh northern climate with her delicate body.
She was a winter plum blossom, less splendid than peonies, less delicate than roses, yet uniquely capable of blooming defiantly amidst frost and snow. Small, elegantly understated, she did not compete with other flowers for spring’s favor or sing praises to the autumn moon, standing alone against the frost and snow.
Such a woman possessed a precious heart. He wanted to win her heart, and he was determined to do so, even if it took a lifetime—he would have no regrets.
She stared at his arm. It seemed he had no intention of applying medicine, sitting instead in his chair and watching her, as if pondering something.
She twisted her fingers, her gaze involuntarily drifting back to his arm. The blood was flowing again! Was he deliberately trying to act heroic?
Even a body of steel and iron was still made of flesh—how could an injury not hurt?
Or was it that the wound inflicted by that girl was one he couldn’t bear to let heal too quickly?
"How many years have you been dressing as a man?" he asked, surprising her with the question.
Jun Qiluo hesitated for a moment before replying, "Four years."
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