Untouchable Lovers-Chapter 210 - 190 The Wasteland of the Storm (4)
Chapter 210 -190: The Wasteland of the Storm (4)
Chapter 210 -190: The Wasteland of the Storm (4)
The tapping on the door was neither light nor forceful, a round and crisp sound that seemed to ripple outward in circles like waves.
Upon opening the door to find Huan Yuan, Chu Yu was somewhat surprised, but after a mere moment’s pause, he quickly stepped aside, “Please come in, Princess.”
Once seated inside, a glance at Chu Yu’s nails showed a tinge of blue, likely from the cold wind on her walk, so he pushed the brass hand warmer on the table towards her to warm her hands.
Chu Yu nodded in thanks and unceremoniously grasped it. Her body slightly hunched, she placed her hands flat on the table and seemed at a loss for what to say.
Chu Yu’s unexpected visit made Huan Yuan feel slightly uneasy. He wasn’t initially aware of the tunnel digging plan, but being clever, after seeing Amman and Liu Sang frequent Chu Yu’s place and the digging of ponds everywhere in the mansion, he roughly guessed what Chu Yu was up to.
Because he paid attention, he knew that the Chu Yu of now was different from before, which kept him from falling into the wrong speculation about sensual affairs like others might.
As for the task of acting like a mole, Huan Yuan really had no expertise, being primarily a scholar. The swordsmanship he learned couldn’t even best Liu Sang, so such physically demanding work wasn’t exactly his forte. He occasionally had Liu Sang come over to inform him about the layout of the mansion, which was to remind them not to mistake the direction and position.
That Huan Yuan was in the know was within Chu Yu’s expectations. I know what you are doing, and you know that I know what you are doing, this unspoken understanding was thus maintained for many days. Chu Yu did not broach the subject first, and Huan Yuan never inquired, passing the time reading in the mansion until today when Chu Yu came to visit at night.
Though his current life wasn’t much different from when he was confined by the Princess, the Huan Yuan who had seen the world was very different from his past self. At the very least, his vision had clearly improved. Upon seeing Chu Yu, he keenly sensed that she seemed troubled, and that trouble gave him a vague bad premonition.
Had something happened?
Huan Yuan quietly observed Chu Yu. Upon closer scrutiny, it didn’t seem like the tunnel had been discovered, nor did there appear to be any danger. Instead, there was a bit of anxiety and reluctance.
Realizing that she had been silent for too long, Chu Yu released the hand warmer and looked earnestly at Huan Yuan. This handsome, elegantly mannered young man had originally been saved by her, and she had given him a space of freedom. However, later on, to a significant extent, it was she who relied on him. Without Huan Yuan, her current situation would probably be much worse.
Huan Yuan had become quite reliable without her realizing it. When she first met him, he was stubborn and proud, but now, he was a shoulder to lean on when perplexed.
Liu Se was too greedy, Liu Sang too young, Amman too simple-minded. The only one with exceptional abilities and a clear will, who also had no ill intentions, was probably Huan Yuan.
He might not match Rong Zhi, but she didn’t need him to compete with Rong Zhi. She just needed him to protect the others in the Princess Mansion in her stead.
“Huan Yuan,” Chu Yu began slowly, recounting her orders to Amman and another to dig the tunnel. While doing so, she carefully considered her next words, “You should know all of this, right?”
Huan Yuan pressed his lips together, his soft, glowing lips forming a very graceful line, “Has the Princess resolved to leave?” He asked directly about her plans for the future, instead of offering elaborate strategies like Rong Zhi would have. In a sense, Rong Zhi tended to lead, while Huan Yuan was more inclined to cooperate.
Perhaps because of this, Huan Yuan lacked some of Rong Zhi’s decisiveness and fierce strength.
Finding herself unconsciously comparing the two men, Chu Yu quickly interrupted her thoughts. She was in front of Huan Yuan, yet thinking of Rong Zhi—this was truly disrespectful to Huan Yuan.
“Yes, I am resolved to leave,” Chu Yu said, clearing her throat, taking the matter seriously. She had little attachment to the power and wealth of the Princess Mansion, and besides, known death awaited her ahead; if there was anything she couldn’t let go of, it was Huan Yuan and the others.
She had to leave, but before doing so, she had to arrange everyone else’s future. After leaving the Princess Mansion, how to safely get out of the city, how to evade the possible pursuit by Liu Ziyue and He Ji, where to go next, how to settle down in a new place, and how to earn a living in the future…
Chu Yu had thought there was plenty of time to consider these issues since the tunnel wasn’t finished and there were still two months to go. However, her sudden decision made everything urgent and made her regret a bit upon reflection.
But regret as she might, Chu Yu had no intention of stopping. She simply couldn’t wait any longer. Even if she had to stay here a while longer, she would do so until she got the bracelet.
Huan Yuan’s lips curved slightly as he lowered his head towards Chu Yu, “I do have a way, but first, I must ask the Princess to pardon my transgression.”
“`
He said atonement before anything else, so Chu Yu knew there must be some trick up his sleeve. At this moment, no matter what wrongdoings Huan Yuan had committed, she couldn’t be bothered to pursue them and simply waved her hand and said, “Go ahead.”
Huan Yuan lowered his eyes and said in a soft voice, “I did something without informing the Princess. When the Princess ordered people to settle down their houses in various places, I secretly dispatched a few more people to settle down elsewhere.”
Although Chu Yu was quite tolerant and trusting of him, it was indeed impossible for Huan Yuan to completely bet his future on her trust and tolerance. So, after he gained real power, Huan Yuan carefully did one thing, which was to leave himself a perfect escape route should Chu Yu ever turn her face against him.
From bribing people for convenient escape to planning the escape route and settling down in a place, everything was arranged quietly without a sound. This was not arranged by Chu Yu herself, therefore Yue Jiefei did not know about it, and it also couldn’t be unearthed by Liu Ziyue when he tried to dig out her multiple contingency plans during the last conflict.
After Huan Yuan quietly finished speaking, he fell silent, and a terrible silence once again descended between them.
After a long while, Chu Yu hugged the brass hand warmer into her arms, repeatedly rubbing her fingers that were getting cold, and asked softly, “Why did you tell me?” She had been kept in the dark about this matter, and if Huan Yuan had chosen not to say anything, she would never have found out. He could have just left on his own if he wanted to escape, and there was absolutely no need for him to reveal these things to her.
Huan Yuan, somewhat at a loss, shook his head. He had been keeping his eyes downcast the whole time, avoiding looking at Chu Yu and not trying to imagine her expression at the moment.
This was his last card, and now that he had laid it all out, it was as if he had completely offered his life in a gesture of sacrifice. If Chu Yu decided to deal with him as a result, he could not resist, not at all.
“Why?” Huan Yuan muttered, “Maybe I wanted to trust you?”
The contingency plan he had was born out of his inability to fully trust Chu Yu. However, upon seeing her earnest distress and truly worried eyes just a moment ago, he suddenly felt a strong sense of unease and inexplicably laid out all his carefully made plans. After he spoke, he did not regret it.
Chu Yu put down the brass hand warmer.
Noticing her action, Huan Yuan finally couldn’t help but lift his eyelids, but Chu Yu turned her face away, and there was a faint tremble in her voice, “Thank you for being willing to trust me.”
To Chu Yu, Huan Yuan’s action of creating a backup plan was completely understandable. She had no concept in her mind about the need for absolute obedience and honesty between master and servant. However, Huan Yuan’s final confession was so significant she couldn’t ignore it.
It wasn’t just because it conveniently resolved her imminent problem, but she understood what Huan Yuan’s openness meant—it meant he was completely vulnerable in front of her, that she could hurt him at any moment, and he couldn’t fight back or defend himself.
Unlike the younger Liu Sang, different from Amman who was not that thoughtful, and certainly unlike Liu Se who did not care about humbly depending on others for survival, Chu Yu had witnessed Huan Yuan’s pride. She knew how much he longed for freedom, how he had been humiliated and hurt, how careful and circumspect he was, not easily trusting people, and how rarely he was this defenseless.
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But now he had backed down to this extent.
On this earth, in this person, how precious complete trust was.
Chu Yu never thought that it was natural for someone to make sacrifices for her. When someone treated her with sincerity, she felt it and remembered it. The weight of Huan Yuan’s genuine intention was unimaginable, causing a sour pain to sting into Chu Yu’s nose.
She almost cried because of it, feeling a bit embarrassed, but mostly she was overwhelmed.
Added up, she already owed him too much.
As long as she had Huan Yuan’s backup plan, Chu Yu felt quite relieved. Even if she disappeared immediately, others could still rely on Huan Yuan.
But this only increased her debt, one that she could never repay.
Then came the next day.
The Banquet at Hongmen.
