CHAPTER 122: CHAPTER 122 WHY DID YOU COME BACK SO LATE

The space inside the cave wasn’t very large, and she had already inspected every visible area. She hadn’t found any other mechanisms or secret chambers, nor did she want to expend more effort searching.

However, since she had discovered the place herself, she felt she deserved some reward. To avoid detection, she first stored the topmost layer of chests into her space. Only then did she collect the six chests from the layer below.

Using her mind, she opened the six chests stored in her space. Seeing they contained gold bars, silver coins, and jewelry, just as she had thought, she then returned the chests from the topmost layer to their original spot.

She didn’t want to harbor useless items or dangerous goods in her space, nor did she intend to greedily take everything.

She checked that the chests were returned properly, ensuring there was no trace of tampering so she wouldn’t need to disguise them further. Then, she turned and walked out.

Without lingering, she returned directly to the cave entrance. Using Qinggong and the protrusions on the cave wall for leverage, she leaped out in a few jumps.

To prevent others from discovering this place, she camouflaged the area meticulously. Just to be safe, she also left marks along the way.

Of course, those marks were recognizable only to herself and him; after all, they were created by the two of them together.

Remembering the past brought a sourness to her heart. She wondered whether he would truly come with her and where he might be now?

Observing the darkening sky, she sighed inwardly, collected her thoughts, and sprinted down the mountain.

By the time she reached the base of the mountain, the sky had completely darkened.

She quickly took out a basket filled with various herbs from her space and then shouldered it, heading towards her lodging.

But she hadn’t walked far when she saw a light approaching.

Even from a distance, she heard Liu Chenglin’s voice, "Chu Zhiqing, is that you?"

Yunyi quickly responded, "It’s me. You..."

She was about to ask ’What are you doing here?’ when she noticed another person following him.

It was only when they got closer that she recognized him as the man she had saved before in Beijing.

But the man didn’t speak. Instead, he walked forward, took the basket from her back, and stood to the side.

Not only was Yunyi puzzled, but even Liu Chenglin kept glancing at his boss. Boss, what are you doing? he wondered.

Seeing his boss frown, Liu Chenglin withdrew his scrutinizing gaze and quickly asked Yunyi, "Chu Zhiqing, why are you back so late?"

Yunyi glanced at them and, fearing that the walls might have ears, said, "It’s my first time collecting herbs in the mountains. I lost track of time."

Liu Chenglin noticed something unusual in Yunyi’s expression. Huo Jingrui, who had been watching Yunyi intently, naturally noticed it too. "Let’s go," Huo Jingrui said.

They hadn’t interacted much, but there was an unspoken understanding between them. Huo Jingrui led the way, Yunyi followed close behind, and Liu Chenglin brought up the rear.

Huo Jingrui himself didn’t know what was happening to him. He had been asking around for the girl’s whereabouts, rationalizing his unusual behavior as merely wanting to find his lifesaver. But upon seeing the girl again, he realized he was losing even more control over his heart. After finishing his work the night before, he had been constantly thinking about how to find an opportunity to approach her. It wasn’t until he reached Liu Chenglin’s place that he learned the girl had delivered medicine and then gone up the mountain. He had been restless all day, worrying about her, afraid she might encounter trouble on the mountain. They had all come down from the mountain, only to realize that the young lady hadn’t returned yet. As dusk approached, he had to exert immense effort to suppress the urge to go up the mountain and look for her. But he really couldn’t wait any longer. So, under the pretext of concern for the injured, he had Liu Chenglin go up the mountain to search for her. Thankfully, the young lady had returned safely.