Сhаpter 277: Тhе Firе Моth Party 9
Shеn Du wаs no benеvolent sоul whо wоuld indulgе сriminаls in escаping prison. Yet, throughout thе еntire inсident оf Wаng Вuzui аnd Mо Qiаnzhi’s рrisоn brеak, Shеn Du had apреarеd remarkablу passivе—so much sо thаt hе hаdn’t еvеn bоthered tо рursue thе blасk-clаd figure whо hаd fled with Mо Qiаnzhi.
While оthers might not understаnd the caраbilitiеs of thе Inner Guard, how соuld Zhu Yаn not knоw? Моrеоvеr, Shen Du, whо сommаnded thе Inner Guard, hаd direсt асcеss tо thе Еmpress abоve and wielded authоrity over рowerful ministеrs belоw. Нe wаs a man of iron resolve, sharp intellect, and unwavering determination—someone who never gave up until his goals were achieved. How could he simply let them go?
"You already guessed they would attempt a prison break, didn’t you?"
Zhu Yan rubbed the spot where the black-clad figure had struck her, muttering,
"You knew all along and didn’t tell me. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have gone to the prison with you. Ouch, it hurts."
"Hurts?" Shen Du immediately lowered his head to check. Only when he saw Zhu Yan gazing at him with her beautiful eyes, a hint of amusement hidden within, did he realize she was teasing him. He reached out and gently tapped the tip of her nose, sighing, "I didn’t want to tell you because your presence was what made them feel at ease."
If she hadn’t understood at first, Zhu Yan certainly did now. She wasn’t truly blaming him—Shen Du had his duties to uphold. How could he prioritize personal feelings? She had been somewhat unreasonable.
"That masked figure earlier felt somewhat familiar to me."
"How could he be familiar? You didn’t even see his face." Zhu Yan grumbled under her breath, which actually made Shen Du chuckle.
Seeing this, Zhu Yan’s lips curved into a smile as well. Ever since entering Yingzhou City, they had been in a state of high tension, with no time for casual conversation. Shen Du, exhausted as he was, had still done everything to protect her. She wasn’t made of stone—how could she not notice?
"You still smile the same way you did when we were young."
Shen Du didn’t respond. Instead, he pulled the person beside him closer, and the two walked side by side. "I felt a sense of familiarity when I fought him earlier."
"Don’t you think that smoke was familiar?" Shen Du prompted gently.
Zhu Yan studied him for a moment, sighed, and shook her head. "It is familiar, but her skills shouldn’t be this poor."
"Hmph, a defeated opponent, too cowardly to fight." Recalling their previous encounters, there had been no real suspense—just a few petty tricks.
Pan Chi, walking behind them, quickened his pace to catch up, but neither of the two ahead showed any intention of stopping. Gritting his teeth, he tried to speed up, but given his severe injuries and the earlier fight, how could he possibly keep up?
He could only curse Shen Du inwardly as he struggled to follow.
It was bad enough that Shen Du was cold and indifferent, showing no concern for others. But to drag Zhu Yan along without letting her wait for him—didn’t he know who had suffered additional injuries for his sake?
"Hmph, if it weren’t for my cleverness, using myself as bait to trick Mo Qianzhi into revealing their intentions…"
Pan Chi couldn’t continue. True, their intentions had been exposed, but after the exposure, they had simply fled. There wasn’t much to boast about.
"Hey? Where did those two go?"
How infuriating.
In the time it took him to vent his frustrations, he had already lost sight of them.
Their accommodations were arranged within the Yingzhou City government office, not far from the prison. After days of exhaustion, the two finally had a moment to rest. As soon as they sat down, weariness and soreness washed over them. Zhu Yan gently massaged her arms, thinking of Shen Du’s sleepless nights. Her gaze toward him couldn’t help but soften with concern.
Sensing her gaze, Shen Du looked back at her. Zhu Yan’s heart fluttered, and a faint blush spread across her cheeks.She could only guiltily turn her head to look elsewhere. "The wounds on your body must have gotten worse again, right?"
"Hmm." Shen Du's voice was indifferent as he beckoned to her.
Zhu Yan's knees were weak, and having just experienced a life-and-death moment in the prison cell, she really didn't want to move. So she shook her head. "If you have something to say, just say it. Do you want water? Or should I prepare bathwater for you?"
Shen Du frowned. Seeing that the mountain wouldn't come to him, he had to go to the mountain himself. He walked over and, without a word, picked Zhu Yan up and placed her on his lap.
"You..."
Two long, strong hands fell on her shoulders, swallowing all the harsh words she was about to utter. Then, the muscles in her shoulders and neck were kneaded by those powerful hands, and her tense body relaxed.
Comfortable!
"Shen... husband, I can do it myself." Comfortable as it was, being served by the White King of Hell made her very uneasy.
After saying this, Zhu Yan tried to slip down, but Shen Du pressed her back firmly and whispered, "Don't move."
Zhu Yan truly didn't dare to move. Shen Du's body was warm, so warm that her entire body felt hot. Those hands kneaded away the tense muscles, bringing waves of tingling numbness. Zhu Yan's body grew softer and softer. She wanted Shen Du to finish quickly, yet she also wished he would slow down.
The room was quiet, the hourglass turning over, with only the rustling sound of Shen Du's fingers pressing and kneading through the fabric of her clothes. Nothing else.
But Zhu Yan distinctly heard her own heart pounding like thunder, each beat louder than the last, almost bursting her eardrums, threatening to explode her body.
The temperature under Shen Du's hands grew increasingly hot. Finally sensing something amiss, he stopped kneading, turned Zhu Yan's body around, and examined her up and down. His crimson lips parted:
"Are you unwell?"
"Have you been frightened by the life-threatening situations these past few days?"
Burning up like this?
Hearing this, Zhu Yan was so embarrassed she wished she could disappear. She gently pushed away Shen Du's hand from her forehead, shook her head, and her eyes shimmered with shyness.
"It's nothing. The weather in June is too hot, and with us pressed so close together, it's naturally even hotter."
Zhu Yan had a delicate, pretty face—distant mountain brows, affectionate eyes, and soft red lips. Though Yingzhou was located on the frontier with harsh winds and sand, Zhu Yan's appearance remained unaffected, still delicate, fair, and lovely. Now, with her body burning hot, her skin took on a rosy hue, even more refreshing and sweet than the June peaches produced in Yingzhou City.
A sudden rush surged from Shen Du's lower abdomen straight to his head. When he looked at Zhu Yan again, his gaze changed color. He said in a hoarse voice:
"Since that's the case, then we should press even closer."
Zhu Yan: ... If it's already so hot, why press closer?
"Have you gotten heatstroke?" Then she felt the change in Shen Du's body and widened her beautiful eyes. "Are you carrying a short dagger? Why is it so uncomfortable?"
Shen Du shook his head. Zhu Yan was only sixteen, how could she understand such things? He suppressed his lingering thoughts with a surge of energy, and only after calming down a bit did he open his eyes.
Zhu Yan had been obediently still the whole time. Shen Du narrowed his eyes in satisfaction but felt a hint of grievance. "Why were you looking back earlier?"
Looking back?
Zhu Yan realized what he meant. "I wasn't looking back the whole time, only once."
She had wanted to look back to see if Pan Chi had caught up, but before she could see him, Shen Du had turned her head back. She felt so wronged.
"I don't know if Pan Chi has caught up. He was already injured and now hurt again. I'm worried..."
"Hmph!" Sure enough, Shen Du's expression darkened. He pinched her cheek. "Don't think about her."
Zhu Yan shook her head, wanting to explain, but Shen Du didn't want to bring up this person again and changed the subject. "Don't you want to know who that person in black was?"Sure enough, Zhu Yan's attention was captured, and she asked in return:
"So who is that person?"
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