Chapter Ninety-Eight: Something One Must Eventually Go Through

After Chu Bing finished speaking, she was about to lead Big Black away.

She tried to shake off Ren Changfeng’s hand, but no matter how hard she tugged, she could not break free.

Chu Bing’s expression darkened. “Ren Changfeng, what do you mean by this? Are you planning to use force?”

A faint smile lingered on Ren Changfeng’s face, his brows full of indulgent tenderness, as though he could not feel even a trace of Chu Bing’s anger. “Red Sleeve, you know you’re angry with me over what happened before. Don’t be upset with me. I’ll give you the antidote right away, all right?”

The antidote?

If he had not mentioned it, Chu Bing would have forgotten that this man had drugged her in the first place.

But now that he had brought it up, old grudges and new ones surged up together.

“Friendly reminder, Host: the other side has the advantage in numbers and is highly skilled. Aside from swallowing your pride, you only have one path left.”

The system’s voice suddenly rang out. Chu Bing froze, then after a long silence asked, “What path?”

“Dying young.”

Chu Bing weighed it in her heart for two seconds. When she looked back at Ren Changfeng, her tone had instantly softened. “Lord Ren, I’m not angry with you. I’m just in a hurry to get back to the Li residence...”

Ren Changfeng stroked her hair, his expression pitying. “Red Sleeve, don’t be afraid. I know you were bullied by those people in the Li family. Don’t worry. From now on, I’ll protect you.”

Thank you, but I really don’t need that.

Chu Bing stared expressionlessly at Ren Changfeng before her. She really wanted to see what on earth was in this man’s head. Did he not understand human speech?

Ren Changfeng had already ordered his men to pitch camp.

Everyone was busy, yet Chu Bing could still feel those faint, furtive glances sweeping over her.

She looked down silently at Ren Changfeng’s hand, which was still gripping hers so tightly, and could not help weeping inwardly to the system. “System, why am I so unlucky?”

The system did not want to answer her.

Its original intention had merely been to have the host teach Li Haoran martial arts. Who knew it would get tangled up in so many things along the way? It felt as though it had nearly forgotten its real job.

Soon, the soldiers had finished setting up the tents. Ren Changfeng led Chu Bing toward the largest one. “We’ll stay together tonight, Red Sleeve. I have so much I want to say to you.”

Chu Bing looked stricken. “You’re not joking, are you?”

Ren Changfeng turned back, gazing at her affectionately. “Red Sleeve, I never joke with you. I want to marry you. I want to take care of you.”

Chu Bing’s heart gave a violent shudder, purely from fright. She hurriedly waved her hands and sincerely tried to dissuade him. “My lord, you really are flattering me too much. I’m only a servant. How could I ever be worthy of you?”

Ren Changfeng sighed, looking at her with a low, pleasing voice. “Red Sleeve, I used to think I liked you, so I wanted to take you as a concubine. But after what happened last time, I thought you had died. Only then did I understand my own heart. I cannot lose you. Now that I’ve finally gotten you back, though I cannot make you my principal wife, a secondary consort is still possible.”

His gaze was resolute, as though he were on the verge of swearing an oath to the heavens. “Rest assured, though it is only as a secondary consort, I can promise you this: in my residence, you will be no different from a principal wife. I will not let anyone harm you.”

Chu Bing felt nothing inside and even wanted to laugh.

She gave two awkward laughs.

A rush of wind sounded behind her. Ren Changfeng’s expression changed abruptly. He shoved Chu Bing aside, and a cold flying dagger came slicing straight toward his face before embedding itself in the ground.

Chu Bing’s heart jolted. What was going on? Was it an enemy of Ren Changfeng’s?

“Red Sleeve, hide!” Ren Changfeng said sternly, staring into the pitch-black forest.

Seeing this, Chu Bing took off running.

She gathered her skirt and drove herself forward with light-footed skill, vanishing quickly into the darkness. When Ren Changfeng looked back, he could only see the hem of her clothes disappearing into the woods. His face darkened. “Damn it!”

Chu Bing ran so hard she nearly forgot to breathe, biting down on her teeth and refusing to look back.

She was not going back to be Ren Changfeng’s secondary consort!

“Aw-oo...”

A donkey’s cry suddenly rang out. Chu Bing turned her head and saw Big Black beside her. Her steps faltered, and then she plunged straight into a huge pit.

“Damn it, Big Black!”

Chu Bing was so furious her face went green.

She had been set up by one of her own people—no, wait! By a donkey!

She tried to use light-footed skill to leap back up, but her ankle had twisted and was hurting terribly; she had no strength at all.

By the time Ren Changfeng caught up, all he saw was Chu Bing, seething in the pit.

He laughed aloud, then jumped down after her. Chu Bing instinctively retreated, but the pit was not large, and soon her back hit the cold wall.

Ren Changfeng noticed that her ankle was injured, crouched at once, and seized her leg. “You’re hurt? Does it hurt?”

His warm fingers pressed against the wound. It hurt, yet there was also an odd, indescribable comfort to it.

Chu Bing shrank back and tried to pull her foot away, but Ren Changfeng held on tightly and said calmly, “Don’t move, or you’ll make it worse.”

Chu Bing lowered her head and looked at him as he examined her with such earnest concentration. For a moment, she almost wondered if she had gone too far.

No. It was Ren Changfeng who had drugged her first! She had done nothing wrong!

“It looks like you won’t be able to walk for a few days,” Ren Changfeng said with a sigh. Before Chu Bing could react, he simply lifted her into his arms and, with a flick of his toes, used light-footed skill to leap out of the pit.

He carried her all the way back to camp, and everyone’s eyes fell on them.

“Prepare hot water. Let Miss Red Sleeve bathe.”

Chu Bing had fallen into the pit and was filthy from head to toe. She really did need a wash.

Ren Changfeng carried her into his tent and arranged for two female soldiers to help her.

When Chu Bing saw him leave, she finally let out a breath of relief and, with the women’s help, climbed into the bath.

She was not used to being served while bathing, however, and promptly sent the two of them away.

Once she was alone in the tent, she leaned back in the tub with a peaceful expression.

Today had truly exhausted her.

“Red Sleeve!”

Ren Changfeng’s voice suddenly sounded. He lifted the curtain and walked straight in.

Chu Bing stared, dumbfounded, and hurriedly shrank down into the tub until only her head remained above the water. Red-faced with fury, she glared at Ren Changfeng. “What are you doing coming in here? Did you not see that I’m bathing?”

Ren Changfeng was holding a set of clothes, smiling with expansive ease. “Didn’t you say you don’t like other people serving you? I came to help you bathe. These are the clothes I prepared for you. You can try them on later.”

“No need. Don’t come any closer!” Chu Bing cried out at once when she saw him moving toward her.

What was wrong with these men? Did none of them have even the slightest sense of propriety between men and women? One after another, they all wanted to help her bathe.

When Ren Changfeng saw Chu Bing’s wide eyes fixed on him, he assumed she was shy and chuckled softly. “What are you afraid of? Once we return to the capital, you’ll be my secondary consort. You’ll have to go through these things sooner or later.”

He walked toward her. His tall figure seemed to swallow her whole, and Chu Bing suddenly felt the air in the tent grow thin. She clutched her chest tightly and watched him warily.

Ren Changfeng stood before her, his gaze hot. “Red Sleeve, ever since we parted last time, I have been thinking of you. I have never missed anyone this much before. You are the only one...”

His hand reached toward Chu Bing’s face. As that hand drew nearer and nearer, gooseflesh rose over her skin, and she could not help shouting, “Get out of here!”