Chapter 33: A Trapped Beast Still Fights
Chapter 33: Chapter 33: A Trapped Beast Still Fights
Startled, the guards hastily took a step back. If they were caught in such a compromising position, they wouldn’t be able to explain themselves.
Given her disheveled state, they didn’t even dare look at her directly. Liang Wan intentionally leaned in, her red lips curving upward. "The Master is tired and needs to replenish his strength. Do you want to accompany me to the kitchen?"
The guards kept silent and continued backing away.
Liang Wan scoffed lightly and walked past them. "If you’re worried, then follow me!"
Her soft, coquettish voice made their hearts race in panic. Wang Su ruled his subordinates with an iron fist. He despised betrayal above all else, and laying a finger on his concubine was a pure death wish.
"Liang Ji shouldn’t make things difficult for them. I will accompany you."
Distracted, Liang Wan misstepped, sending a piercing pain through her ankle. She sharply inhaled. "This damned old hag!" she thought. "Of all the times to show up, she had to come now!"
Grinding her back teeth, Liang Wan slowly turned around and offered the newcomer a faint smile. "Momo, you’ve come at the perfect time. The Master drank quite a bit of wine, and just now, he..."
She blushed and paused. "I don’t really know the way to the kitchen, so I was just asking these good guards to show me the way!"
As she spoke, she cast a shy glance at the guard beside her.
The guard immediately panicked. "No, we didn’t—"
"Enough. You all go back. I will take Liang Ji."
Momo grabbed her arm, glaring at her with pure malice. "I will give Liang Ji a piece of advice. Do not flirt around the moment the Master is out of sight. Do you really think he is unaware of what you do?
"Do you know what would have happened to you today if you had been found out to not be a virgin? Now that you have entered the Sikong Mansion, Liang Ji had best learn her place and behave!"
While the old woman lectured her, Liang Wan quickly scanned their surroundings.
"The Master only finds you a novelty right now. Once that novelty wears off, you’ll end up just like the previous—"
Suddenly, the woman beside her went utterly limp and collapsed to the ground, her voice cutting off.
Liang Wan withdrew her hand and glanced back. This was a blind spot; the guards couldn’t see them here. Before leaving, she endured the pain in her foot to deliver a vicious kick to the unconscious woman on the ground.
Because of her injured ankle, she struggled as she hiked up her skirts and ran, quickly breaking into a heavy sweat. It had been a long time since she last visited the Sikong Mansion. She could only rely on her childhood memories to navigate toward the spot where she used to climb the wall.
Once a maid found the unconscious Momo, they would come after her. Or worse, Wang Su might have already woken up. Liang Wan constantly looked over her shoulder as she fled.
THUD.
Liang Wan crashed solidly into a wall of a person. Just as she was about to fall flat on her back, a tight grip around her waist pulled her back.
Before a gasp could escape her lips, the person clamped a hand over her mouth.
"Don’t be afraid. It’s me."
Seeing the person clearly, Liang Wan froze in sheer shock.
Wang Tingyue!
"Are you hurt anywhere?"
Under the moonlight, she could see that Wang Tingyue’s eyes were red.
She knew this wasn’t the time to cry, but for some reason, she couldn’t hold back her tears. It was as if the towering walls she had built around her heart had completely crumbled in an instant. Deep down, she was truly terrified.
Unable to speak, Liang Wan could only shake her head vigorously, tears streaming down her face.
"I’ll help you," Wang Tingyue said, his voice muffled with emotion.
Without another word, he scooped her up into his arms and bolted toward the outer courtyard.
Liang Wan wrapped her arms around his neck, looking at his profile through her tear-blurred vision. He was just the same as before. No matter what she wanted to do, he would always accompany her without asking a single question.
For a brief moment, she had the illusion that they were back in their childhood, with him leading her to dodge the chasing servants as they tried to sneak out of the estate.
But unfortunately, they were no longer children!
Shouts were already echoing in the distance. She had been discovered, much faster than she had anticipated.
Liang Wan grabbed Wang Tingyue’s collar. "Put me down!"
Wang Tingyue ignored her.
"Do you know what you’re doing?" Liang Wan demanded, her tone frantic. "You’ll be killed!"
The mere thought of Wang Su threatening to slay him with a single sword strike sent an uncontrollable chill through her entire body.
"Then so be it. I should have done this a long time ago." Wang Tingyue looked down and smiled at her.
Memories from two lifetimes overlapped in her mind. He had said those exact words right before he died in her previous life.
Liang Wan’s heart ached with a dense, piercing pain, as if pricked by thousands of needles. She shook her head. Wang Tingyue knew absolutely nothing of what was to come, but she knew it all too well. Having been given a second chance at life, her only wish was for him to live well.
Liang Wan struggled to jump out of his embrace. Caught off guard by her desperate shove, Wang Tingyue lost his balance, and the two of them tumbled to the ground together.
The approaching footsteps of the guards grew louder. Ignoring his disheveled state, Wang Tingyue scrambled up and half-carried, half-dragged her to her feet. "Awan, do you remember when we used to walk this path as kids? In a moment, just keep following this trail straight ahead. I’ve already taken care of the people in front."
So it wasn’t a coincidence. He had come specifically to save her? A bitter, overwhelming sorrow swelled in Liang Wan’s chest.
"I kept hoping you could wait for me a little longer—wait until I was capable enough to take you away. But..." He stared at her intently, his voice low and hoarse. "I’m sorry. I haven’t been a good Brother. I didn’t take good care of you, and I even blamed you..."
Red-eyed, Liang Wan shook her head. She knew all too well how difficult his situation was.
"Awan, I’m sorry." Wang Tingyue gently patted her head. "Go, now!"
Liang Wan stood frozen, her eyes welling with tears.
He refused to look at her anymore. "Leave!"
Torchlight was already visible in the distance. Burning with anxiety, Wang Tingyue pressed her. "Staying here will only hold me back! I can fight without holding back if you’re not here, and I’ll actually have a chance of winning. Even if I can’t beat them, it will be easier for me to escape on my own. Now go!"
Seeing her still rooted to the spot, he suppressed his frustration and pushed her forward again. "Stop dawdling!"
Liang Wan looked up at the shifting torches. She could practically foresee what would happen next. If they were caught, they would suffer a fate worse than death, stripped of any chance to fight back.
She wiped her tears. "Wang Tingyue, you have to promise me you’ll find a chance to escape!"
Seeing that she was no longer resisting, Wang Tingyue let out a breath of relief. "Hurry!"
"You promised me! Don’t go back on your word!"
Wang Tingyue nodded, his gaze exceptionally gentle. "I won’t."
Liang Wan took one last look at him. Ignoring the excruciating pain in her foot, she turned and sprinted away. He had bought them this time, and she could not let his sacrifice go to waste.
Before long, the sounds of fighting erupted behind her. The person leading the pursuit wasn’t Wang Su, but Wang Yansheng, Wang Su’s legitimate son.
Tears cascaded down Liang Wan’s cheeks, but she didn’t dare look back.
The path ahead was pitch-black. She stumbled along uneven ground, falling countless times, practically crawling and rolling her way forward. Only one thought echoed in her mind: escaping was the only way they both had a chance to survive!
She didn’t know how long she ran until she spotted the corner of the wall from her memories.
Hidden behind a massive plantain tree was a concealed dog hole—a secret known only to the two of them. Liang Wan crouched down and swept the tall grass aside. Just before crawling through, she caught sight of swirling torches in the distance out of the corner of her eye. They had caught up!
Without a second thought, she ducked and crawled through. The deserted street held nothing but her solitary shadow. The clamor from within the walls was drawing nearer.
If she blindly ran out into the main street, she would undoubtedly be caught. Liang Wan glanced toward the corner. She didn’t just need to lose the pursuing government soldiers; she also had to avoid the patrolling city guards.
Her only option was to hide first and figure out a plan later.
Having made up her mind, Liang Wan dashed toward the corner. Unexpectedly, an arm thrust out of nowhere, blocking her path.
"It’s so late. Where are you going?"