CHAPTER 360: CHAPTER 322: NO ONE CAN LEAVE

Between us, this is not a transaction!

These words, he almost squeezed out through clenched teeth from the depths of his heart, each word seemed like a nail, piercing into the tightly bound bodies of both of them.

But Shang Ruyi didn’t even flicker her gaze.

She just looked at him quietly, and after a long time, slowly said: "It doesn’t matter anymore."

After speaking, she closed her eyes once again.

Yet, even with her eyes closed, she could still feel Yu Wenye’s scorching gaze staring at her, almost burning her skin; moreover, his breath, heavy and fiery, brushed against her cheek, making her shiver uncontrollably.

However, she kept her eyes shut, never meeting his gaze.

And thus she didn’t see the struggle and pain in his eyes at that moment.

She didn’t know how long it had passed before she felt the grip on her chin slowly loosen, though he never used much force or hurt her, but when he released his hands, Shang Ruyi felt a sudden surge of heat well up to her eyes, as if something hurt terribly, causing her tears to lose control.

She could only bite her lip, refusing to cry in front of him again.

"Shang Ruyi,"

After some time had passed, Yu Wenye’s husky voice echoed in her ear, he seemed to lean down and spoke directly into her ear, word by word: "The things between us have never been just up to you to decide."

"..."

"A transaction isn’t something that can be done alone."

"..."

"There are still words left unsaid between us. Until then, you, me, none of us can just walk away."

Having said that, he slowly straightened up, looking down at the pale-faced girl lying in bed, who seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep and lay motionless, yet the long lashes bore one or two bright teardrops, trembling lightly. He sighed slightly and turned to leave.

Yet Shang Ruyi on the bed kept her eyes tightly shut, never looking at him again.

And thus, she was rescued in a daze and brought onto this ship, whose full details remained unknown to her even now. Her abnormal weakness left her without the strength to get out of bed for several consecutive days, let alone to figure out the surrounding environment and the current situation.

She was like an empty burlap sack lying on the bed every day, waiting for Tushere to come care for her.

And Yu Wenye, did not come again.

Actually, it was not bad that he didn’t come. The two had reached this point, although not having a falling out, nor becoming hostile, indeed had no necessity to face each other anymore. Yet each day, Tushere would bring a bowl of medicine, a Shang Ruyi who felt no injuries nor illness did not think she needed to drink it, but Tushere was more insistent than ever, only saying, "It’s ordered by Master."

Shang Ruyi couldn’t help but look at her with doubt—when did this girl start obeying Yu Wenye’s words so much?

Although she wasn’t aware of Yu Wenye’s relationship with herself, this girl had always been one to fiercely protect her master, even if in the past Yu Wenye treated her with slight coldness, she would nag all day about it, guarding against Chang Wan as if against a thief. But now, she was instead aiding Yu Wenye.

Shang Ruyi could only smile wryly.

When Tushere once again brought that bowl of rich, bitter medicinal soup before her, she finally couldn’t bear it, furrowing her brow: "I can’t drink it."

Tushere advised: "Miss, this medicine is good for you."

Shang Ruyi glanced at her, said: "I have no injuries, nor illness, why do you keep giving me medicine?"

"..."

"I’ve been drinking this medicine for several days now, yet still feel weak. What exactly is this medicine curing?"

"..."

"She’er, what exactly are you hiding from me."

Upon hearing these words, Tushere’s eyes flickered, seeming unsure how to respond. At this moment, a soft cough echoed from the half-open door, then someone walked past, either a servant or maid busying with something fleetingly.

But Tushere immediately seemed to think of something and said: "What could I possibly be hiding from Miss?"

"Then this medicine—?"

"This medicine is to calm the mind and ease the spirit. In recent days, the ship has been moving very fast, the people below one by one have been seasick, unable to work, some can’t even sleep well. This medicine treats that."

"Really?"

Tushere asserted forcefully: "Of course!"

Shang Ruyi looked at her for a while.

Indeed, she could not think of any reason for Tushere to deceive her, moreover she had heard them say the ship was moving quickly, the kitchen staff seasick, even causing meals to spill.

Only then did Shang Ruyi silently accept the small bowl and slowly drank down the bitter herbal soup.

Tushere watched from the side as Shang Ruyi drank down those medicinal soups without a change in expression, feeling as if a knife was cutting through her heart, causing her eyes to turn slightly red. But as soon as Shang Ruyi finished drinking the medicine, she immediately masked it, bowed her head, took the empty bowl, brought tea for her to rinse her mouth, then brought dried fruit to her lips to clear her mouth.

Even though the bitterness was suppressed in the mouth, the medicinal smell permeating the small room made it somewhat suffocating.

Shang Ruyi couldn’t help but say: "She’er, open the window, let in some air."

Tushere immediately replied: "No."

"Why?"

Shang Ruyi was somewhat puzzled. These days she was too weak to get out of bed, it was understandable she knew nothing of the outside situation, but Tushere wouldn’t even let her open the window, only saying she feared catching a cold in the wind. But even so weak she was, it shouldn’t have reached the point where she couldn’t even see a breath of wind for so many days.

Seeing Shang Ruyi’s puzzled expression again, Tushere thought for a moment and quickly said, "Didn’t I just say, these days the ship is moving especially fast, the wind on the river is strong."

"..."

"Miss, you are still very weak. If you catch a cold from the wind, it will really be troublesome."

Shang Ruyi couldn’t help but frown.

Drinking medicine because the ship is fast, not opening windows because the ship is fast—just how fast is the ship moving?

She asked, "Is the ship moving so fast because Wang Shaoji and the others are chasing us from behind?"

Tushere hurriedly shook her head, "No, they didn’t chase us out of Jiangdu Palace. When the master took you out of the city, it went smoothly."

"Then why is the ship moving so fast?"

"..."

This time, Tushere glanced at her, with an obvious sense of difficulty in her eyes.

Shang Ruyi asked, "Why exactly?"

Tushere was silent for a moment, then finally, as if she couldn’t hold back, softly said, "Because we heard that Wang Shaoji and his men have already proclaimed to the world, saying—"

"Saying what?"

"Saying that you, Miss—murdered the Emperor, calling everyone to punish you together."

"...!"

It was like a bolt from the blue, striking heavily on her head. Shang Ruyi was suddenly frozen.

Regicide...

These two words, like a sharp sword, pierced deeply into her heart.

It took her a while to draw herself back from the tearing pain and look at Tushere, "So, the ship is moving so fast because—"

Tushere said, "The master is worried that those who hear the news along the way will quickly come to trouble us. We must return to the Duke as soon as possible, only then can you be protected."

"..."

"So we’ve been traveling day and night recently, to get ahead of this news."

Speaking of this, Tushere looked at her cautiously, hesitated for a long time, and asked softly, "Miss, did you really murder the Emperor?"

"..."

Shang Ruyi didn’t answer her.

It wasn’t that she couldn’t answer, but at that moment, all her strength was drained, and she felt hollowed out, leaning weakly against the bed, her face pale as paper, cold sweat pouring down, so weak that she seemed on the verge of fainting.

Tushere was frightened and hurriedly said, "Miss, I won’t ask anymore."

"..."

Shang Ruyi looked up at her, trying to muster a calm expression to reassure her, but at this moment, even that energy was gone.

She just lowered her eyelids, after a while, said softly, "I want to rest."

Tushere dared not say anything more, quickly helped her lie down, carefully covered her with a quilt, and then left her room.

But even lying down, Shang Ruyi’s mind remained unsettled. On the contrary, as the weariness like a tidal wave engulfed her, the bloody memories that had haunted her these days surged back. In an instant, it was as if she returned to that vast, cold Bright Hall, opening her eyes to see a sword in her hand glinting with cold light.

At this moment, she suddenly began to tremble.

Then, she watched as the hand holding the sword with her slowly exerted strength, raising the long sword to his own throat. As the sword’s cold light swept past, he smiled at her.

Immediately, the smile was obscured by the sudden rising blood mist.

And that blood mist grew thicker and thicker, eventually turning into a vast sea of blood, overwhelming Shang Ruyi. She felt her mind shattering, letting out a painful cry, "No—"

It was already too late.

That person, within the sea of blood, slowly fell.

His smile grew deeper, the blood scent stronger, as her life seemed consumed by this sea of blood.

She struggled in the sea of blood, nearly suffocated by the pain, on the brink of death, her hands waving desperately as if trying to grasp that person, or something that could save her, but she caught nothing, watching helplessly as she was about to be engulfed by the blood sea.

At that moment, a warm large hand suddenly grabbed her.

"Ruyi!"

A familiar deep voice sounded by her ear. Shang Ruyi, like a drowning person finally finding a lifeline, clutched that hand desperately, clinging to it entirely, and was immediately enveloped tightly into the person’s embrace, that warm hug emitting a reassuring aura, enclosing her completely.

"It’s okay, it’s okay..."

He kept saying by her ear, hugging her tightly with one hand and gently stroking her back with the other, as if to brush away the despair brought from the depths of the nightmare.

Shang Ruyi trembled, finally finding calmness in his embrace.