Chарtеr 2 (8/22)
Yun Wеishаn аnswеred fluentlу: "Му mоthеr told me not tо trust аnyonе after еntеring thе vаllеу. Morеover, it is strange enough thаt Yоung Mаster Yu dеfiеd his fаthеr's ordеrs аnd lеt us оut."
Gоng Ziyu smilеd brightly, but soon his ехprеssion turned seriоus as he fiхed his gazе оn hеr сlеаr, рenetrаting еyеs. Не slowlу leаnеd closеr: "In thаt cаse, isn't it also strаnge that yоu, уоung ladу, began memоrizing thе tоwer's lосаtiоn аs sоon аs уou еnterеd the Hоuse оf Gоng?"
Тhe аtmоsрhеre grew tensе, and Yun Weishan was abоut to exрlain.
Suddenlу, somеоne shоuted from behind: "Who's there?"
Immediately after, a series of hurried footsteps approached as patrolling guards rushed over, drawing their weapons in unison.
In the heat of the moment, Gong Ziyu quickly removed his cloak. Tall and broad-shouldered, his cloak was large enough to completely cover Yun Weishan's red wedding dress. Then, he took out a mask from behind his waist and placed it over Yun Weishan's face.
Gong Ziyu whispered urgently in her ear: "Hold the mask steady."
Yun Weishan instinctively obeyed, raising her hand to press against the mask, but her fingers brushed against Gong Ziyu's slender, well-defined hand—young, strong, and warm. Almost imperceptibly, Yun Weishan quickly withdrew her hand and hid her face behind the mask.
The guards raised their torches and recognized the person before them: "Ah... Young Master Yu?"
Gong Ziyu nodded slightly at the night patrol guards.
The guard inquired: "It's so late, Young Master Yu, what are you..."
Gong Ziyu gestured to the person beside him: "Elder Sister Zishang was bitten by insects in several places on her face, causing some redness, swelling, and broken skin. She was feeling down, so she asked me to accompany her for a walk."
The guard glanced at the figure, but under the cloak and mask, nothing seemed amiss. He immediately sheathed his weapon and bowed to the "young lady."
"So it's the young lady. The entire House of Gong is on high alert tonight. Please refrain from wandering around and return to your quarters to rest early."
Gong Ziyu answered on her behalf: "Understood. You may leave. We'll return now."
After the patrolling guards withdrew, Gong Ziyu breathed a sigh of relief and glanced sideways at Yun Weishan beside him. She had removed the mask from her face, her expression now much softer, with a faint blush coloring her cheeks.
Gong Ziyu asked: "Do you believe me now?"
Yun Weishan did not answer.
"If I didn't genuinely intend to let you out, I could have handed you over to the guards just now. If you still don't trust me, go ahead and charge forward, and you'll end up like a porcupine."
With that, Gong Ziyu removed the cloak from Yun Weishan's shoulders: "If you truly want to leave, follow me."
The person before her seemed sincere and genuine, without any hint of deceit. Yun Weishan clenched the mask in her hand, hesitated for a moment, then jogged to catch up with him.
With the mask tied to her waist, Yun Weishan followed Gong Ziyu into an alley, only to find it was a dead end. The other girls were gathered at the base of the wall, whispering anxiously among themselves.
Jin Fan saw the two return and approached, lowering his voice: "Where did you run off to! I turned around and you were gone. You're really reckless! There are assassins here, what if—"
Gong Ziyu cut him off: "You're overthinking it. The Wufeng Assassins went to great lengths to infiltrate—why would they come here to kill me? Exposing themselves just to eliminate someone as idle as me would be a huge loss for Wufeng!"
That made some sense, and Jin Fan had no rebuttal.
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