"Come back," Duke Ning shouted loudly at Meng Jiangming, who was about to leave.
Meng Jiangming turned back to Duke Ning and said, "Father, your son is going to save Princess Xingyue. This place is left to you."
"Princess Xingyue doesn't need you at all. Come back here," Duke Ning said.
Meng Jiangming was taken aback and looked at Duke Ning, saying, "Father, why would you say such a thing?"
Duke Ning looked at Meng Jiangming and said coldly, "You have no skills. How do you plan to save Princess Xingyue? If you go, it will be good enough if you don't cause trouble for Princess Xingyue. You should stay here obediently and protect your mother and cousin."
Meng Jiangming found that he was unable to retort for a moment.
"Jiangming, your father is right. You will only trouble Princess Xingyue if you go. Hurry and hide in the carriage. With your father here, we are safe," Madam Jiang said quickly.
Meng Jiangming stood there, feeling an indescribable sadness.
"Hurry and get in." Duke Ning suddenly grabbed Meng Jiangming by his collar and shoved him into the carriage.
Meng Jiangming sat in the carriage, looking out the window at the men in black surrounding it. At this moment, how he wished he could rush out and tell his father that he was going to save Princess Xingyue. But the words reached his lips, yet he ultimately did not say them, because his father was right. He had no martial arts, and going would only cause trouble.
He was useless. Yes, he was indeed useless.
"Cousin."
Meng Jiangming stiffened slightly. He looked up and saw a pair of delicate, pleading eyes. "Cousin," he forced a strained smile.
Jiang Xiuyi reached out and tugged at Meng Jiangming's sleeve, saying, "Cousin, don't worry. Princess Xingyue is brave and resourceful; she will surely be safe. Besides, she has Young Marquis Ji by her side."
Meng Jiangming's body trembled. He suddenly remembered that Princess Xingyue had flown out to relieve Ji Wuran. She insisted on being brave, and for Ji Wuran, she disregarded his and his parents' safety. Were they not her family?
Jiang Xiuyi said softly, "Cousin, don't overthink it. Princess Xingyue is highly skilled in martial arts. She is just afraid that Young Marquis Ji is in danger."
The speaker was unintentional, but the listener took it to heart. Meng Jiangming's heart sank. Ji Wuran's words still echoed in his mind. The thought of Princess Xingyue possibly being alone with Ji Wuran made his heart ache terribly.
"Cousin," Jiang Xiuyi called out when she saw Meng Jiangming lost in thought.
Meng Jiangming looked up at Jiang Xiuyi. Jiang Xiuyi looked at him with delicate vulnerability, her eyes full of him. This made him feel a little better, knowing at least someone was wholeheartedly reliant on him.
He reached out and held Jiang Xiuyi's hand, saying, "Xiuyi, when we return to the capital, I will give you a proper status."
Jiang Xiuyi's body trembled. Her heart was filled with immense joy. She wondered how long she had waited for these words. However, she did not show it. She said, "Cousin, this cannot be rushed. Your wedding with Princess Xingyue has not even been a month. It doesn't seem right to take me in now."
Upon hearing this, Meng Jiangming's gaze turned cold. "Cousin, don't be afraid. She doesn't care at all."
Since she didn't care, then it wouldn't matter who he took in or when he took her in.
Jiang Xiuyi rested her head on Meng Jiangming's shoulder and said, "Thank you, cousin. The Jiang family is gone, and you are all I have."
Meng Jiangming patted Jiang Xiuyi's hand and said, "From now on, I will be your support. You don't need to fear anyone."
Jiang Xiuyi rejoiced inwardly. She hadn't expected to obtain Meng Jiangming's promise so easily, having prepared so much. She hadn't expected it to be so simple. Men still preferred delicate people, those they could protect.
If it continued like this, she would firmly hold her cousin's heart.
Xue Xingyue looked at Ji Wuran, who was already pale beside her, and quickened her Qinggong. She was certain these people were after her. If she left, perhaps Duke Ning's side would be safer.
However, now carrying an injured Ji Wuran, it was not easy to completely shake off these pursuers.
Seeing that the black-clothed men were about to catch up, she was considering where to go when Ji Wuran's voice suddenly reached her ears, "There's a cave not far ahead. Go there."
Xue Xingyue didn't have time to ask Ji Wuran how he knew. She quickened her Qinggong towards the front and indeed found a cave, very well-hidden. If Ji Wuran hadn't warned her in advance, she might not have known about it at all.
She pushed aside the grass and entered the cave, then covered the entrance with grass. She and Ji Wuran hid behind the bushes. Seeing the black-clothed men searching around, Ji Wuran suddenly pulled her further inside.
Until the footsteps outside grew distant, she tried to pull her hand away, only to find that she couldn't break free from Ji Wuran's grip on her wrist.
She instinctively looked at Ji Wuran's face and found that his complexion was even paler, his lips tinged with a purple hue.
She reached out to feel his breath and found that he was still breathing, inexplicably relieved.
Since she couldn't break free, she didn't bother trying anymore. She lay down on the other side, circulated her internal energy, and without knowing when, drowsiness overcame her, and she fell asleep.
She woke up from hunger. When she awoke, the cave was completely dark. She lifted her slightly numb hand and found that her wrist was still being held. "Ji Wuran."
There was no response. She reached out to touch Ji Wuran's forehead and found he had a high fever.
This wouldn't do. Thinking this, Xue Xingyue pressed Ji Wuran's pressure points, withdrew her hand, and stood up. She walked out of the cave and found that it was also pitch black outside. Dimly, she could see the faint green glow in the forest – the eyes of wild beasts.
Xue Xingyue didn't dare to go far. Fortunately, there was a wild fruit tree nearby. She picked some wild fruits and gathered some dry branches before returning to the cave.
Fortunately, when she was in Zhen Wuguan, she often went hunting with Feng Wu and others and then made fires to roast meat. So, these things were not difficult for her at all.
Soon, she had started a fire. She turned her head to look at Ji Wuran leaning against the rock wall.
His face was very pale, as white as snow.
She stepped forward, trying to wake him up, but he seemed not to hear her, remaining motionless.
She pushed the campfire closer to him. After roasting for a while, she noticed that his complexion seemed less pale than before. She then picked up a wild fruit and took a bite, almost spitting it out. It was incredibly bitter.
But to fill her stomach, she had to force herself to swallow it.
"Ji Wuran," she called out again, but Ji Wuran seemed to be asleep, showing no response. Da Feng Novel Network.
Recalling the wound on his back, she turned Ji Wuran's back towards her and saw that the wound had changed color. She took out the antidote she carried, took out a pill, and fed it to Ji Wuran.
However, no matter how she tried to feed him, his teeth were tightly clenched, and she couldn't get the pill in.