Chapter 116: The Fluttering Heart

Everyone had somewhat noticed Jiang Xuening, as she had been following Zhang Zhe closely since they left the prison. However, “he” was dressed casually, with a face covered in dirt, making it hard to see clearly in the dim light. Although “he” appeared small and had delicate features, the presence of Zhang Zhe deterred anyone from saying anything.

Even if some sharp-eyed individuals noticed something unusual, they wouldn’t mention it.

They only muttered to themselves: “I didn’t expect the Heavenly Sect to have such people. Officials are indeed particular, always needing someone by their side. I wonder if this is a girl in disguise or one of those delicate boys from the brothels.”

Everyone in the temple had their own thoughts, and no one commented on the small dispute earlier.

Soon, someone changed the topic.

Those who were imprisoned by the court each had their own skills. Once they started talking about their experiences, adding some embellishments, it became a lively story, more exciting than the tales told by storytellers under the bridge.

After delivering the cakes, the woman left with the basket, but the ten-year-old boy stayed, his eyes shining as he sat on the threshold, looking like he planned to stay and listen all night.

The Heavenly Sect members didn’t seem to mind him.

Jiang Xuening had noticed the boy early on, finding it unimaginable that there would be a ten-year-old in such a place. Was the Heavenly Sect now involving children too?

Listening to the tales of the powerful men who had escaped from the prison, Jiang Xuening drank enough water and, with half a bowl left, hesitated before offering it to Zhang Zhe.

Even sitting on the ground, he maintained a straight posture.

He turned and took the bowl, making Jiang Xuening’s heart skip a beat, but then he lowered his eyes and placed the bowl on the ground in front of him, saying softly, “I’m not thirsty.”

Zhang Zhe was still the same—rigid and unyielding!

Jiang Xuening huffed inwardly.

But then she thought, perhaps it was precisely his integrity and self-control that made her so uncontrollably drawn to him. He was entirely different from her, almost like someone standing in the light, making people look up to him, hard to reach. If Zhang Zhe ever became as frivolous as Xiao Dingfei, she probably wouldn’t like him as much.

Being unexpectedly involved in this prison break had disrupted her plans. However, being with Zhang Zhe made her feel that plans and expectations didn’t matter as much.

Having him by her side was the most important thing at the moment.

But for Zhang Zhe, it might not be the same. Since he was dealing closely with the Heavenly Sect, he must have some plans. Her presence would inevitably affect his schemes. Therefore, her first priority was to protect herself and not be a burden, and then to act according to the situation, especially since she had some knowledge about the Heavenly Sect from her previous life.

She just hoped things wouldn’t get too complicated this time.

Unconsciously, Jiang Xuening frowned.

In the dilapidated temple, someone was recounting their past: “I was just over twenty when a corrupt official, under the guise of court law, collected taxes for ten years in advance. I grabbed a butcher’s knife and stabbed him when his sedan chair passed by, spilling his guts on the ground. I ran for years, but was caught at Wulipu while eating wontons by an acquaintance who reported me to the authorities. I was thrown into the prison. But luck was on my side, and I got out in this mess!”

He couldn’t help but show some pride.

The boy sitting on the threshold couldn’t help but exclaim, drawing everyone’s attention.

It wasn’t surprise or shock.

It was pain.

The boy had been holding half a cake, listening and eating, but got so engrossed that he bit his finger instead of the cake, crying out in pain.

Everyone laughed.

“How did you bite your finger eating a cake?”

“How hungry are you?”

“Kid, how old are you? What’s your name? Are you in the Heavenly Sect too? It’s late, aren’t your parents worried?”

The boy slowly pulled his bitten finger back, touched his head, looking a bit shy but speaking crisply, “Just turned thirteen. No parents, no name. Everyone calls me ‘Xiao Bao,’ and you can too. Don’t be fooled by my age, I’ve been in the sect for three or four years!”

Everyone was surprised.

Xiao Bao, feeling proud, straightened his back and smiled. But as he was about to speak again, his stomach growled loudly, heard by many.

“Hahaha…”

Everyone laughed again.

At his age, he was growing and always hungry.

Especially after only eating half a cake.

Xiao Bao blushed, his topknot standing up, and buried his head in his knees.

At that moment, a rough, hoarse voice asked, “Still hungry?”

Xiao Bao looked up to see half a cake being handed to him.

The hand holding the cake was dirty, with wide palms, large knuckles, and covered in scars, mostly hidden by dirt.

Following the hand, he saw a man in dirty prison clothes sitting next to him.

Even though most of his body was in the shadows, it was clear he was tall and burly. It wasn’t until he spoke that everyone noticed him.

Xiao Bao, usually sharp and with a good memory, was stunned.

He had no impression of this man.

Probably imprisoned for too long without speaking to anyone, his voice was like a rusty knife on a whetstone, unpleasant to hear.

His hair was too long, covering his face.

At first glance, he seemed ordinary.

Xiao Bao instinctively took the cake and thanked him.

Zhang Zhe, who hadn’t eaten his cake, seemed to want to offer it but silently withdrew his hand, his gaze on the unnoticed man.

Jiang Xuening glanced at Zhang Zhe, smiled slightly, then looked back at Xiao Bao.

But when she saw the boy’s finger, she paused.

Xiao Bao sat near the edge, away from the fire. But when he reached for the cake, the firelight illuminated his finger.

Jiang Xuening noticed a small black mark on the side of his ring finger, quickly covered by other fingers. She couldn’t tell if it was a blood blister, birthmark, or some other mark.

She looked at her own ring finger, recalling how they used to practice writing with brushes, often getting ink stains on that side.

Xiao Bao didn’t seem like a literate child.

Her eyes flickered with thoughts, but she kept them to herself, not asking or revealing anything.

The man in the corner finally drew attention because of the cake incident.

Wearing prison clothes, he must have been from the prison.

But aside from the Heavenly Sect members who came to break out the prisoners, everyone else in the temple had come from the prison, and none of them recognized this man or knew where he came from.

Someone, curious, cupped his hands and asked for his name.

Unexpectedly, the man who had earlier mocked Zhang Zhe for wiping the bowl like a woman stared at the disheveled man for a long time. His sturdy body trembled!

The half-eaten cake fell from his hand.

His voice was full of fear as he stood up and pointed at the man, saying, “Meng… Meng… Meng Yang!”

Meng Yang?!

The name caused a stir!

Those who knew it gasped, and those sitting near Meng Yang recoiled in horror, unable to control their instinctive reaction.

A circle quickly formed around him.

Jiang Xuening’s eyelid twitched at the scene.

The name “Meng Yang” was unfamiliar to her, but seeing everyone’s reaction, she knew he was no ordinary person. These were all hardened criminals from the prison.

Who among them hadn’t killed?

Yet they reacted to this man as if seeing a demon, with a fear that came from deep within!

How terrifying must this man be?

Zhang Zhe’s gaze had been on Meng Yang earlier. Whether he recognized him before or not was unclear, but he showed no reaction when others named him.

The others were different.

The bandits who had boasted about their crimes fell silent, some even respectfully cupping their hands towards Meng Yang: “We didn’t know Meng Yishi was here. Our apologies!”

There was a noticeable pause when they called him “Meng Yishi.”

They didn’t know how to address him.

Yishi (righteous hero)?

If someone could kill over fifty people in their own family with a knife after returning from a monastery and still be called “righteous,” then no one in this world would dare call themselves “evil”!

Meng Yang seemed to chuckle, leaning back without moving his hair from his face, closing his eyes and ignoring everyone.

The crowd felt awkward and fearful.

Even in prison, there was a hierarchy. Good people couldn’t rank themselves, but someone as evil as Meng Yang would be at the top among villains.

At this moment, Huang Qian, the Heavenly Sect leader who had gone out earlier, returned with a grim face. He looked around and finally focused on Zhang Zhe: “There’s no news from our brothers at the east gate. We sent people to check along the way, but no one has arrived. Something must have happened. After discussing with our brothers, we decided to rest here for the night since Master Zhang is with us. Tomorrow morning, our support will arrive, and we will head to our branch in Tongzhou. It’s safer there. Those who escaped can take water routes to various places from there. What do you all think?”

The prisoners said nothing, some looking at Zhang Zhe and others at Meng Yang.

Under these circumstances, they had no say.

Meng Yang remained motionless.

Zhang Zhe heard “Tongzhou branch” and knew this trip would yield results. He nodded calmly: “Since we’ve left the capital, we’ll follow the sect leader’s plan.”

So everyone rested where they were.

But space was limited and inconvenient.

Behind a wall in the temple’s back hall were two small rooms. One had half a bed that could barely be used. Zhang Zhe calmly asked for it.

Everyone’s gaze naturally fell on him and Jiang Xuening.

No one objected.

As he led Jiang Xuening to the back room, people exchanged knowing glances: Even now, he doesn’t forget that—what good fortune!

*

The dilapidated temple seemed to have been used by others before or by previous Heavenly Sect members. The back room was simple but had a bed that could barely fit someone lying down.

It was messy.

Zhang Zhe said nothing and tidied up.

Jiang Xuening watched in a daze.

When Zhang Zhe finished and turned around, she remembered she hadn’t told him about Xiao Bao and started to speak: “Master Zhang, just now I—”

Zhang Zhe gently shook his head at her.

He pointed outside where voices could still be heard faintly.

Jiang Xuening understood—walls have ears.

She felt troubled but then extended her right hand, pointing to a small spot on her ring finger’s left side. She mimicked holding a pen and then indicated someone shorter than herself with her hand before making a topknot gesture on her head.

Her gestures were somewhat confusing.

Zhang Zhe looked at her for a while and seemed to understand her meaning, nodding.

It wasn’t a good time to talk, but seeing him nod, Jiang Xuening felt strangely reassured that he understood her gestures and smiled.

However, there was only one bed.

She felt a bit awkward and unsure of what to do.

Zhang Zhe’s voice was very low as he said, “Second Miss, you sleep here. I’ll stay at the door.”

In the dim room, his eyes and voice were both very subdued. His silent, cold face showed nothing else, only a thin outline illuminated by the moonlight through the broken window, cutting into Jiang Xuening’s heart like a knife.

It was the same in her previous life.

They had finally found a place to stay, but she was the empress, and he was an official, so naturally, only she had a place to sleep.

At that time, she had no feelings for him.

She went to sleep, not caring about his well-being outside. Exhausted, she slept soundly until morning, waking to see the faint light of dawn coming through the window.

She stretched and opened the door.

Then she saw him.

The stubborn man sat on a chair against the wall, his eyes closed. His dark official robe was damp with morning mist, making it look even darker, and he seemed cold.

She thought he was asleep. But as she opened the door, Zhang Zhe’s half-closed eyes opened and looked at her. He had probably sat there all night. His eyelashes were covered with dew, but his dark eyes were clear, reflecting her image.

It was a beautiful morning.

The mist was light.

The dawn light was faint.

As the empress, standing in the eyes of this loyal official, the walls she had built around her heart crumbled, and something gently held her, making her unable to break free.

In the darkness, Jiang Xuening boldly looked at him, unafraid of anyone seeing her hidden secrets.

She opened her mouth, not wanting him to stay up all night again.

But she said, “Master, wait until I fall asleep before you go out, okay?”

“……”

Zhang Zhe couldn’t refuse.

She lay down with her clothes on, facing the wall, her back to Zhang Zhe, her heart swelling with thoughts.

She thought she could sleep for a while and then have Zhang Zhe wake her so he could sleep.

But too much had happened that night, and she was exhausted, just like that night in her previous life. She felt dazed, and as soon as her head touched the old pillow, she fell asleep.

Zhang Zhe sat beside her, listening to her breathing gradually become steady.

She was asleep.

In her sleep, the girl curled up, feeling cold. He took off his outer robe and silently walked over, gently covering her with it.

The rough edge of the robe accidentally touched her neck.

She unconsciously reached out and gently scratched, naturally turning over halfway.

The air was filled with a sweet fragrance.

Zhang Zhe, still in the act of covering her, saw her up close in the dim light: her closed eyes, delicate nose, and soft lips.

How could someone so afraid of pain, suffering, and death dare to harm herself for him…

He wanted to ask her if it hurt.

But he didn’t dare.

In that moment, all the emotions in Zhang Zhe’s chest surged like a burning fire, making his heart ache.

A voice tempted him.

He gradually moved closer to her, his cheek almost touching hers, his lips almost touching hers.

But just before they touched, a loud sound in his mind jolted him, making him retreat!

In the darkness, he breathed heavily, restraining himself.

As he stepped back, he realized what he had almost done and broke into a cold sweat, feeling a deep sense of fear: How could he have such presumptuous thoughts!

Zhang Zhe’s chest heaved as he left the room, giving himself a slap.

The light sound echoed.

He closed his eyes briefly, the wind outside clearing his mind.

Everyone outside was asleep in the corners.

It was silent.

Only Meng Yang sat by the fire, hearing the noise, turning to look at him. Seeing the handprint on Zhang Zhe’s cold face, Meng Yang raised an eyebrow, his expression becoming strange.

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