A Stolen Romance - Chapter 14

Chapter 14: A Beating and a Drink

‘Thump—thump—thump’ The sound of a stick hitting flesh through a burlap sack echoed in the night.

The ‘gentle beauty,’ Shi Yuning, was dressed in black. Her sleeves were rolled up slightly, revealing a strong, smooth arm. In her round, plump hands, she tightly gripped a stick as thick as her arm, lifting it high and bringing it down with force.

Thump, thump, thump.

The burlap sack on the ground let out muffled whimpers and twisted continuously, scurrying around like a headless fly. But it couldn’t escape the precise blows of the stick.

Qiang Di and Qin Xiao stood at the alley entrance. They exchanged a look, seeing the assassins positioned everywhere, and figured there was no danger. The two slowly moved closer, whispering to each other.

“I really misjudged things before. I thought women from the south were gentle, but looking at how Miss Shi beats people, I can’t see a hint of gentleness.”

Qin Xiao grew up in the north, where most women were tough. She had heard a lot about southern women, and they were often compared to northern women. Now she realized that not all southern women were gentle; it was just a stereotype.

“I really like Miss Shi’s personality,” Qiang Di said with a smile, glancing back at her master. “Look, our master’s eyes are practically shooting out stars.”

Qin Xiao followed her gaze, and it was true.

The moonlight seemed to gather in Xie Zhaoran’s eyes. She stood to the side, a smile on her face, watching Shi Yuning tenderly, her eyes shining brightly.

In their northern lands, there was a saying: when a person likes another, their eyes start to sparkle with stars. Qin Xiao had never understood what that meant, but now she did.

She looked again at the oblivious Shi Yuning, who was grunting and beating the person in the sack. For the first time, she felt worried for her master.

When would Miss Shi ever notice her master’s feelings?

This was Shi Yuning’s first time giving someone a beating so thoroughly. At first, she hesitated, but as she went on, her hands seemed to develop a memory of their own. She felt as if she were back in her village. She used to do the same thing when washing clothes by the river, swinging a laundry paddle, and pounding away, blow after blow.

Inside the sack, Prince Yu’s mouth was tightly gagged. All his initial curses and later pleas for mercy were reduced to muffled whimpers. Through the tiny holes in the sack, he could vaguely see two people outside, but they didn’t say a word, just beat him mercilessly.

He couldn’t even guess who was so audacious as to abduct him on the street. Prince Yu’s veins bulged with pain, and he was covered in sweat. His hands and feet were tied, and the more he struggled, the tighter the ropes became, cutting into his flesh.

He was sure the people outside were trying to beat him to death. He struggled to scream ‘help,’ but his mouth was so tightly gagged that only ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ could be heard.

Suddenly, the stick on his body stopped and pressed firmly against his back.

Shi Yuning used the stick as a walking stick to support her exhausted body and wiped the sweat from her neck. She then saw a handkerchief appear before her eyes.

She looked up. Xie Zhaoran mouthed the words, “Wipe your face.”

Shi Yuning unceremoniously took the handkerchief, wiped the sweat from her face that was exposed by the mask, and then leaned in, standing on her tiptoes to whisper in Xie Zhaoran’s ear.

“I’m done. I’m too tired.”

“Why don’t you take over.”

Xie Zhaoran’s body went stiff!

She uncomfortably pinched her earlobe. When Shi Yuning spoke, her warm breath felt like a small tongue, burrowing straight into her ear. It made her ear itch and burn.

And what Shi Yuning said was so similar to what she had read in storybooks!

She instantly felt uneasy.

Shi Yuning panted heavily, thinking that beating someone up was hard work. Seeing Xie Zhaoran standing there staring blankly at the sack, not responding for a long time, she nudged Xie Zhaoran’s waist with her elbow.

Xie Zhaoran snapped out of her wandering thoughts. She clenched her hand inside her sleeve and, imitating Shi Yuning, leaned in close to her ear. “What do you want to do with him?”

Shi Yuning pulled back a little. Xie Zhaoran had touched her earlobe when she spoke, and it felt warm. She looked down at the person on the ground, thought for a moment, and then leaned in close to Xie Zhaoran’s ear again, whispering.

“Break his leg and throw him back.”

Xie Zhaoran’s hand inside her sleeve clenched instantly and then relaxed as Shi Yuning pulled away.

“Alright. You rest. I’ll take care of it.”

As she spoke, the meteor hammer, which had been held in her other hand, suddenly shot out with the force of a thunderclap. With just one blow, the sack on the ground changed shape.

Along with the sound of bones shattering, a piercing scream echoed through the night.

Nearby, a flurry of panicked dog barks erupted, likely startled by the scream.

Xie Zhaoran gave a cold glance and waved for Qiang Di and the others to come over. She instructed them to throw the person back into Prince Yu’s mansion.

In front of the Prince’s mansion, the guards were gathered with their hunting dogs.

“Hurry up! If we don’t find Prince Yu today, we’ll all be dead by sunrise tomorrow!” The chief guard shouted, his face pale. Seeing that everyone was ready, he ordered his men to split into groups with the hunting dogs and search every corner of the capital until they found him.

He was still shaken by what had happened. They had just left the palace and hadn’t even reached Jinming Street when a group of men in black rushed out and overpowered all of them in a flash. They brazenly abducted Prince Yu right in front of them.

If anything happened to Prince Yu, none of them would live.

The guards had just finished dividing up their search areas when a carriage suddenly sped toward them, threw a sack at them without a word, and then sped off again.

The people in front were caught off guard!

The chief guard had a bad feeling and rushed forward to untie the sack.

He opened it and saw the abducted Prince Yu!

His hands were tied, his mouth was stuffed with a rag, and his face was bruised and swollen. His eyes were tightly shut, his forehead was covered in a network of bulging veins and sweat, and his expression was one of extreme pain. He looked like he was in terrible shape.

“Someone, get help! Your Highness, are you alright?”

“Quick, get the imperial physician! Find a doctor!”

“Hurry! If anything happens to Prince Yu, we’re all dead!”

The chief guard shouted in a panic, and the Prince’s mansion was thrown into chaos.

Shi Yuning didn’t get to see this scene. After they were done, Xie Zhaoran said she would take her home.

Dong—dong—dong

When Xie Zhaoran took Shi Yuning to the wall of the Shi residence, the third night watch bell was ringing.

“I can’t believe it’s this late. Tonight was truly unforgettable,” Shi Yuning said sincerely. This could probably be considered the most thrilling night of her life.

“What should we do? I don’t want to go to sleep just like this.”

“How about we find a place to have a drink?”

Shi Yuning’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she looked at Xie Zhaoran. If she went to bed now, she would definitely have insomnia.

Her eyes were so bright, as if all the stars in the sky had slipped in and settled there. Her dark pupils looked straight at Xie Zhaoran through the twilight, with a smile in them and a clear reflection of Xie Zhaoran.

Being looked at by those eyes, Xie Zhaoran felt that even if Shi Yuning said she wanted to drink poison, she would refuse, of course.

But drinking? That was definitely acceptable.

“Follow me.”

Seeing Xie Zhaoran take her back to the Lan Yue Tower, Shi Yuning thought they would drink inside.

Instead, Xie Zhaoran pulled two jars of wine from the familiar elegant room and took her straight up to the roof of the Lan Yue Tower.

Although the Lan Yue Tower only had two floors, each floor was five to six meters high, making the total height over ten meters. It was said that if not for the city’s rules that buildings couldn’t be taller than the drum tower, the Lan Yue Tower would have been a few stories taller.

Shi Yuning felt that this height was enough. Any higher and her legs might turn to jelly. If Xie Zhaoran hadn’t been with her, she would have never dared to come up here.

Xie Zhaoran handed one of the jars to Shi Yuning, and with her free hand, she lifted her robes and wiped away the dust on the roof ridge before Shi Yuning sat down.

Shi Yuning paused. “Thank you.”

After they both sat down, Shi Yuning was the first to open the red paper lid on the wine jar. A rich wine aroma wafted out.

“What kind of wine is this? It smells so good,” Shi Yuning sniffed hard, feeling as if the scent alone could make her drunk.

“Shao Chun wine.”

Xie Zhaoran also opened her jar and drank directly from the edge. Since the jar’s mouth was quite wide, a small amount of wine trickled down the corner of Xie Zhaoran’s mouth.

Shi Yuning’s gaze followed the crystal-clear liquid as it slid down and disappeared into Xie Zhaoran’s collar. She unconsciously swallowed as Xie Zhaoran drank.

Shi Yuning quickly looked away and took a big gulp herself.

“Ooh, it’s so strong.”

Shi Yuning had only ever drunk sweet wines like plum wine and osmanthus wine at home. She had never tried such a strong liquor before. After one sip, it felt as if her throat and lungs were on fire.

“Slow down. This wine can make you drunk easily,” Xie Zhaoran said with a smile. “Lan Yue Tower has many good wines. If you like, I’ll take you to try them all next time.”

“Okay!”

At this moment, Shi Yuning had a strange feeling of being in a martial arts novel. Maybe it was Xie Zhaoran’s cheerful smile, the moonlight, or their view from the rooftop.

She once heard a storyteller in a teahouse talking about legends of the jianghu. She had forgotten which great hero said it.

He said that as long as your heart is free, anywhere is the jianghu.

“Oh, right. What was that elegant room all about?” Shi Yuning had been curious about that room having clothes that fit both of them, and now wine.

“In the capital, some wealthy noble families have their own rooms in the Lan Yue Tower.”

Xie Zhaoran knew that Shi Yuning wasn’t aware of these hidden luxuries among the aristocracy in the capital. She gave a simple explanation: for the convenience of hosting guests or having a safe place to talk, many nobles would book a room in the Lan Yue Tower for a long period of time.

Shi Yuning drank her wine and listened as Xie Zhaoran told her about the things in the capital that she didn’t know. The only time she had been to the Lan Yue Tower was when her father brought her and her mother to see the world. She never thought that Xie Zhaoran had a room here all year round.

“What are you looking at me for?” Xie Zhaoran said with a smile, clinking her jar against Shi Yuning’s.

The smile on Xie Zhaoran’s face in the moonlight was like a hibiscus slowly blooming in a clear stream, and Shi Yuning couldn’t tear her eyes away.

“You’re so beautiful.”

Shi Yuning thought back to the first time she saw Xie Zhaoran in the palace.

At that time, Xie Zhaoran was wearing a complicated crimson court dress with blooming begonias on it. The long hem of her skirt unfurled around her feet.

Shi Yuning, who was unfamiliar with court etiquette, was making a fool of herself. Xie Zhaoran was the first one to walk over and help her up.

At that moment, when she saw Xie Zhaoran, her heart skipped a beat, just like it did now. She just thought, how could there be such a beautiful woman in this world?

Her beauty was different from other women in the capital. Her eyes were wider than usual, with sharp, delicate inner corners and slightly upturned outer corners. This should have given her a seductive and sultry look. Instead, because of her unique gaze, she possessed an air of mystery that made people unable to see through her.

Her nose bridge was high, but her nose was delicate, giving her an effortless, heroic elegance.

This unique气质, combined with her unparalleled, exquisite features, made Xie Zhaoran’s beauty distinct, a transcendental and magnificent peerless style.

Shi Yuning felt that no amount of praise could do justice to Xie Zhaoran.

“What’s wrong? Am I so beautiful that I’ve left you stunned?”

Xie Zhaoran pursed her lips and gently poked Shi Yuning’s slightly reddened nose with her free hand, finally bringing the stunned woman back to her senses.

“I really am stunned,” Shi Yuning said honestly. “The first time I saw you, I was a little shocked. I couldn’t believe there was such a beautiful woman in the world.”

“At that time, I really wanted to be friends with you so I could look at you every day. It must be a beautiful thing to do.”

Shi Yuning laughed foolishly, feeling as if she sounded like a scoundrel teasing a young woman.

Knowing that Xie Zhaoran hadn’t disliked her all along, her feelings of hurt and frustration vanished.

Shi Yuning let out a small burp, smiling傻傻地, and held up her wine jar to clink it against Xie Zhaoran’s. “After we finish this jar, we’ll be good friends!”

She felt that from the assassination attempt at the hunting grounds to their escape and finally punishing Prince Yu, they had been through so many things together. Their relationship could now surely be called a friendship.

A friendship of life and death, no less.

Shi Yuning was very happy. Her face was flushed, her eyes were hazy, and she lifted the wine jar and took another big gulp.

She didn’t even bother to wipe the wine that spilled from her lips. Seeing that Xie Zhaoran was just sitting there, she nudged her arm with her elbow.

“Why aren’t you drinking? Don’t you want to be my friend?”

Xie Zhaoran stared deeply at Shi Yuning. She was laughing foolishly, her face flushed with a crimson glow all the way to her eyes. She was a dazzling sight.

Xie Zhaoran’s hand holding the wine jar suddenly dropped, the wine inside sloshing violently, just like her eyes, which were soaked in moonlight and shimmering with silver light.

“But I don’t just want to be your friend!” she said.

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