The Scheming of a Prosperous Age

  Last night when I bullied her, she was still spirited and vigorous, but now she's become weak and sickly, needing to be supported while walking. Can the difference really be so great in just one night?

  Or rather...

  Her eyes sparkled as she quickly squatted down beside him. Seeing that there was no one around, she carefully asked: "Do you want to pretend to be weak in front of them so they'll let their guard down and then make a move to escape?"

  He gazed at her intently for a long time before suddenly saying something that seemed unrelated: "You're really different from how you used to be."

  Jiuyin was startled by his words, afraid that he would discover she wasn't the Jiuyin he used to know, his lover. When he ran away, she didn't want him to take her with him. She coughed lightly and said, "People change, the moon waxes and wanes, haven't you heard?"

  He just stared at her with an exploratory gaze without speaking, she hooked the corner of her mouth and smiled lightly: "You haven't answered my question yet."

  Zhan Qingcheng withdrew his gaze, placed his large palm on her small hand, and stood up with her support: "Am I weak or not, Feng Chenye can tell at a glance, why pretend?"

  Jiǔ yīn què yòu bù dǒng le, ruò bú shì jiǎ zhuāng, tā wèi shén me yào zhè yàng? Jiù xiàng gāng qián qǐ lái nà bān, jū rán hái yào zì jǐ cháng fú.

  English Translation:

  The nine sounds were incomprehensible again, if he wasn't pretending, why would he do this? Just like earlier when he got up, he even needed to support himself.

  He met her puzzled gaze with a downward glance, his thin lips moving slightly, and he had the urge to smile: "Since there's a free servant girl, it would be a waste not to use her."

  Having said that, he released her hand and stepped forward into the dense forest.

  Jiuyin was stunned for half a day before she finally understood what he meant. She had wanted to blow up, but seeing his elegant and refined back figure, all the scolding words were swallowed back.

  What a beautiful man... Even if I'm just a maid, being able to be his maid is also the blessing of several lifetimes.

  She took two steps forward and asked in a low voice: "Where are you going?"

  Convenient.

  Two simple words made the footsteps of Jiu Yin suddenly stop, she looked around and saw no one watching her, then she lifted up her skirt and hastily walked towards another dense forest.

  Thinking that she shouldn't be seen by others, she walked as far as possible until she felt the location was secret and safe enough, then she pulled up her skirt and squatted down.

  After things are done, hurry up and pack your clothes, return by the original road.

  She had been walking for a long time, but still couldn't find the War Inclined City. She couldn't even find the road she had just walked on. She was actually lost!

  After walking in the woods for a while, I still couldn't find the road I came from earlier. With a few parts of panic in my heart, there were also a few parts of excitement and joy.

  Although getting lost isn't a good thing, surprisingly no one in the convoy is looking for her. Does that mean she has successfully escaped their control?

  But the city is still in their hands...

  She searched for another half day, but still couldn't tell where she was, and after thinking about it for a long time, she was also afraid that she would get lost in the wilderness and be attacked by wolves and beasts at night. After hesitating for a while, she finally called out softly:

  "Qīng chéng, qīng chéng nǐ zài nǎ? Qīng chéng..."

  Translation: "Over the city, over the city where are you? Over the city..."

  In the quiet and dense forest, there was no sound of response.

  Zhan Qingcheng was no longer by her side, she had unknowingly wandered far away in her own exploration just now.

  "Over the city, over the city... I am Jiu Yin, over the city..." In the woods, several frightened birds flew overhead, their shrill cries adding to the eerie and frightening atmosphere of this place.

  It's already terrifying in broad daylight, let alone at night...

  She shivered involuntarily, and the thought of being left alone in the dark at such a late hour made her blood freeze instantly, and a chill ran down her spine.

  She didn't want to be left behind. If she were alone and couldn't tell directions, she was afraid that sooner or later she would die in this wilderness.

  "Overwhelming the city, overwhelming the city..."

  The uneasy cry stopped abruptly when she caught a glimpse of the figure sitting under the big tree not far away, with a faint greenish tint on its pure white body. Jiuyin was startled and hastily retreated several steps.

  This person has been sitting here all along, yet it's as if she didn't have any breath at all. She called out for a long time and still didn't discover his presence!