Chapter 576: 283 Good Rewards (First Watch of the Night)

“Young Master, we have been discovered,” Huai Qing put down the eavesdropping equipment, sighing.

Bo Yuxun stood at the window, looking at the bright moon at the horizon through the carved window, his tall and straight figure like a pine tree, his handsome face exuding a jade-like luster.

The man just smiled faintly upon hearing the words, his slender fingers tapping on the windowsill, like a butterfly settling on a flower branch.

Huai Qing stared at the man’s fingertips.

She had never seen more beautiful hands than the young master’s, more heroic than a woman’s, yet more delicate than a man’s rough hands; his fingers were like scallions, fair and slender, like a piece of jade carefully carved, perfect from every angle.

These were a pair of hands as beautiful as a work of art, and also a pair of hands that saved lives and healed wounds.

And now, these hands would pick up a sword for their beloved and hold it high against the enemy.

“Jiang Chunlan is from the intelligence world, always on guard. She will suspect us sooner or later.”

“So didn’t we startle the snake by hitting the grass?”

“The snake has to show its head before we can know where its lair is. You did very well tonight.”

As long as they could deceive Qin Qiuxi, it would be a success.

“So what are we going to do next?”

“Huai Qing, helping me this time is enough. What I’m going to do next is very dangerous and not suitable for you.”

“Young Master.” Huai Qing suddenly stood up, her fists clenched, a flash of resentment in her eyes.

Bo Yuxun frowned at her.

“Young Master, please let me join you. I have been learning non-stop every day during these years you have been away. I can do anything and will definitely be able to help you.”

Bo Yuxun quietly stared at her.

Huai Qing’s gaze was unwavering, and she didn’t back down.

She had a small, white face, but her eyebrows and eyes revealed a strong determination, like a little grass that sprouted out of the cracks in the rocks, never bowing its head despite the wind and rain.

Everyone has stories they cannot tell others, converging into the path they have to take in life. Even if the road is full of thorns, they have to keep moving forward.

Bo Yuxun didn’t ask why; he just asked, “Have you made up your mind?”

“Yes, Young Master, I have been prepared for a long time.”

Bo Yuxun nodded: “Qin Qiuxi will contact you again; report any news to me in time.”

Huai Qing closed the door and left.

She met Bo Yujiang at the corner.

“Miss,” Huai Qing bowed her head and greeted her before leaving.

“Did Qin Qiuxi give you a hard time tonight?” Bo Yujiang’s gentle voice came from behind.

Huai Qing turned around and respectfully said, “Miss Qin apologized to me.”

Bo Yujiang squinted her eyes, “This doesn’t seem like something she would do.”

“If there’s nothing else, Miss, I should go and take care of Madam for the night.” She left after finishing her statement.

Bo Yujiang stared at Huai Qing’s retreating figure, her eyes flickering with uncertainty.

She turned her head to look at the closed door in front of her. What were these two up to?

—-

After leaving the main room where Granny Bo resided, Huai Qing turned into the west ear room next door, which was closer to Granny Bo’s room for easier care.

The ear room was smaller than a normal wing room, but it was more than enough for her to live in.

After washing, Huai Qing wrapped her head in a towel and draped a bath towel around her chest, exposing her smooth shoulders.

Just then, the door to her room was knocked.

“Who is it?” she asked, quickly grabbing a coat to put on.

“Huai Qing, I suddenly remembered something that I forgot to tell you…” As the person finished speaking, they pushed open the door and walked in.

Huai Qing’s back faced the visitor, the ugly scar on her back terribly obvious, before being quickly covered by the coat.

Huai Qing turned around and frowned at the visitor, “Miss, what do you need from me so late?”

Bo Yujiang laughed, “I saw the weather forecast that tomorrow will be nice. If you have time, take Mother to a nearby park for a walk. It’s not good for the elderly to always stay at home.”

Was this matter worth the bother of the young lady?

Huai Qing respectfully replied, “Don’t worry, Miss. Taking care of Granny Bo is my duty.”

“I have always been at ease with your work; it’s getting late, so you should rest early.” With that, she closed the door and left.

Bo Yujiang walked along the corridor, the flickering light casting shadows on her face, that fleeting moment in her mind…

There was a large burn scar on Huai Qing’s back.

What secret was she hiding?——

Huai Qing locked the door and turned to face the full-length mirror, taking off her coat with her back to the mirror.

She gathered her long hair in front of her chest and looked into the mirror.

In the mirror, she could clearly see the graceful curves of her body, but from her scapula down to her waist, about two-thirds of the area was covered in winding, horrifying scars, akin to the terrifying and ugly back of a toad.

Her fingers gently traced the uneven scars as her eyes seemed to reflect a raging fire.

The fire lasted three days and three nights, burning down the entire forest as well.

Power is such a wonderful thing.

It can turn an arsonist murderer into a natural disaster, and transform a sinister profiteer into a respected noble lady in high society.

How ironic!

After closing her robe, Huai Qing walked to the window. On the window sill was a potted tree, its gnarled branches resembling an open umbrella, though its leaves had fallen, leaving only bare twigs in the winter.

Wrapped around these gray, naked branches was a slender vine, so thin that it almost seemed to be relying on the tree for support, like a dodder flower.

“Our homeland is gone forever, but you’ve always been by my side,” she said as she gently stroked the vine. “When will you bloom?”

That day, presumably, was not far off.

——

That night, while some people had a sleepless night and others were plagued by nightmares, there were also some who slumbered peacefully.

In the bed, Liu Muxue tossed and turned, spreading her limbs like a big “X” and occupying all four corners of the bed.

She smacked her lips in her sleep, murmuring, “Delicious… Nanny Cui, come with me.”

Liu Muxue woke up with the urge to urinate, grumbling as she climbed out of bed and exited the living room. She caught a glimpse of a silhouette on the balcony’s glass door.

Startled, she immediately lost the urge to pee.

Picking up a lamp from the corner, Liu Muxue carefully approached the figure.

“Are you… are you a human or a ghost?”

It was only after turning on the balcony light that she realized it was Ming Jing, sitting with straight back and legs crossed, seemingly asleep. However, her fingers were methodically counting her Buddhist beads.

“So, you’re cultivating immortality instead of sleeping at night?” Liu Muxue let out a sigh of relief, just as the urge to urinate returned. She rushed hurriedly into the bathroom.

With a refreshed feeling, Liu Muxue came out of the bathroom and slowly exhaled a breath, only to be nearly stabbed by the cold wind as she opened the balcony door. She quickly retreated back into the living room and closed the door.

Glancing at the figure on the balcony, wearing a thin long skirt and sitting as still as an ancient monk, Liu Muxue shuddered unconsciously.

“Immortal cultivators are truly different.” After saying that, she quickly dove back into her warm bed.

The deep night, the biting wind.

The night sky spread like a plate, the stars arranged like pieces on a chessboard.

In the endless black of night, who were the pawns on the chessboard, and who were the players?

As the political and cultural center of the country, even the Jingzhou train station was bustling late into the night.

Two men in black were navigating through the crowd, seemingly in search of someone.

She watched quietly from the darkness.

Suddenly, someone bumped into her. Catching a glimpse of the person stumbling backward, she saw a belly that was too big for its own good, exposed under the light.

Her gaze sharpened as she reached out with one hand to grab the woman’s waist and pull her steady.

The woman had a pair of heartbreakingly beautiful eyes, filled with panic and fear, so much so that anyone who saw them would feel their heart aching.

“Thank you, brother.” The woman hastily covered her belly with her coat, her eyes anxiously scanning the surroundings.

When she saw the men in black slowly approaching, the woman’s beautiful face turned an ashen white, filled with despair.

But she refused to accept her fate, seeking hope even in desperate situations, for she had someone more important to protect.

At that moment, she saw a pure lotus emerging from the mud, sacred and elegant, exuding a captivating aroma.

Her gaze fell on the woman’s belly. “Why do they want to catch you?”

The woman hesitated for a moment before giving a bitter smile. “It’s because I…”

With danger approaching, explanations were no longer important.

“Come with me.” She took the woman’s hand and led her into the darkness.

It seemed that fate had already planted a seed when she, filled with compassion, risked exposure to take the woman’s hand that night.

Karma is a cycle.

Good begets good, and evil begets evil.

“Amitofo.”