Chapter 3 Danger “You lied to me first.”

Chapter 3: Danger "You're the one who lied first."

Zhong Yao averted her gaze, only remembering after the fact that the man before her was injured and couldn't see her. Hesitating for a moment, she turned back and began to sneak a look at Xie Chi.

She realized this man was indeed very handsome. Beneath high-set eyebrows were a pair of alluring eyes, yet they didn't appear lecherous. Perhaps it was due to his high nose bridge, thin lips, and the splash of blood on his cheekbone that instead lent him a sharp, unruly air.

Just going by his face, he was certainly handsome—far more so than that bastard she was supposed to marry.

But her mother had privately told her that when choosing a man, besides looking at his face, one must also consider his build...

Zhong Yao's gaze drifted downward from Xie Chi's pronounced Adam's apple.

Xie Chi was sitting with his back against the cave wall, knees bent, so his full height was hard to tell. However, Zhong Yao remembered when she helped him into the cave; she had been so scared that she stayed close, her head only reaching his shoulder.

As for the rest... his chest was obscured by disheveled clothing, you couldn't see much, but his waistline was quite distinct—narrow—and his bent legs were long...

"Satisfied?"

Xie Chi's voice startled Zhong Yao. She hastily turned her face away, bobbing her head. "Satisfied, satisfied..."

It was only after she said it that she realized what she had said. Blushing, she shook her head. "No, not satisfied..."

"What don't you like?"

Zhong Yao wanted to say, *how could she decide a matter as important as marriage on her own?*

Moreover, she didn't like this man's personality either. He politely addressed her as "Miss," thanked her, and seemed courteous and refined on the surface, but in reality, he was very cold. Not only did he not comfort her, but his words were really just telling her to shut up...

Wait!

Zhong Yao finally realized her train of thought had been derailed. But after thinking for a moment and stealing another glance at Xie Chi, she still answered, "Then can you guarantee your family won't dislike me?"

"No," Xie Chi said. "But I can guarantee you won't be mistreated."

Zhong Yao thought for a moment and asked again, "Can you guarantee the household finances will be entirely at my disposal?"

Xie Chi replied, "As long as you don't do anything foolish."

"No fooling around with other women?"

"Agreed."

"Why are your answers getting shorter and shorter? Are you losing patience with me again?"

Xie Chi: "...No."

"Yes, you are." Zhong Yao glanced at him, whined softly. "You're so impatient, not gentle at all. After marriage, you definitely wouldn't be able to endure being hit without hitting back or scolded without retorting."

Xie Chi paused, then retorted, "Are you sure you're looking for a husband, not a servant?"

"Never mind that. You definitely can't do it anyway."

"No, I can't," Xie Chi said. "I won't tolerate..."

Before he could finish, he was suddenly pushed. Zhong Yao said angrily, "You really were lying to me! Scoundrel! Two-timer! Shameless!"

Her outburst was sudden, and her physical action came without warning. Though her strength wasn't particularly great, Xie Chi, weakened by the drug and completely unprepared, was nearly shoved headfirst to the ground.

No one had ever dared to be so disrespectful to Xie Chi. His expression froze, his gaze icy as it shot toward Zhong Yao.

The blood on his face already gave him a sharp edge. Now, with his impatience and anger undisguised, he looked menacing and frightening. Even his injured eyes, which struggled to focus, seemed dark and heavy, almost capable of pinning someone to the spot.

But Zhong Yao wasn't afraid at all. She even glared back.

After glaring for a while, she suddenly giggled. As she laughed, her body softened, and she leaned crookedly toward Xie Chi, tugging at his sleeve, cooing sweetly, "Are you angry? I was just teasing you."

Seeing that Xie Chi still wore a murderously cold expression, she finally realized he didn't find it funny.

Zhong Yao stopped laughing.

She stiffened for a moment, released his sleeve, and shrank back, hugging her knees and sitting properly by herself.

After sitting for a while, she stole a glance at Xie Chi. Seeing he still looked like he wanted to kill someone, her lips quivered, and she said plaintively, "You lied to me first... You actually hate me. Talking about marrying me was just a trick to make me not die, to make me keep taking care of you... You haven't even told me your name or background..."

Xie Chi did indeed dislike her.

And he had absolutely no intention of marrying her.

He just wanted this girl to behave and be obedient. As for the marriage, once they reached the capital, he could find hundreds of talented young men to charm her, making her voluntarily give up the idea of marrying him.

If not for being stranded in the wilderness with no one else around, Xie Chi wouldn't have even glanced at this kind of delicate young lady who only knew how to weep.

But he wasn't so helpless that he needed Zhong Yao.

Xie Chi's patience was completely exhausted. He didn't bother reprimanding Zhong Yao for her rudeness, but he also stopped pretending. He said coldly, "Good that you know. Also, if you want to die, go die somewhere far away. Don't bother me."

With that, he closed his eyes again, his expression cold.

The rustling wind, the noisy rain, and even the occasional unknown sounds were more pleasant than that soft, clingy female voice.

Yet that voice was the hardest to escape.

"...I hate you..." Zhong Yao spoke again, her tone delicate yet tinged with resentment, whining and buzzing.

Her voice was grating, and she was annoyingly talkative, going on and on.

"I hate you, but I know you're a good person. Otherwise, those bandits wouldn't have treated you like that... I can keep taking care of you. And you promise me, when the bad guys come, you'll definitely break my neck before the wolves bite me to death, okay? Make sure it's a clean 'crack.' I'm afraid of pain..."

"Shut up!"

Zhong Yao shut up—briefly. Then, the whimpering sounds started up again in the cave.

Xie Chi felt his head was about to explode.

"Quiet," he said.

Just as he ignored Zhong Yao, she completely ignored him too. Her crying paused briefly, then quickly resumed as if deliberately defying him.

"Quiet!" Xie Chi's expression darkened. "There's movement outside."

Zhong Yao went silent the instant he finished speaking. She listened motionlessly for a long time. Just as she thought Xie Chi was lying to her, she finally heard, amidst the chaotic rain, the sound of barking dogs coming from somewhere, along with a faint, drawn-out sound like the wind or a whistle.

Her face paled. Trembling, she crawled over to Xie Chi and shakily reached for his sleeve.

In Xie Chi's field of vision, it was like a hazy, fog-like mass shrinking beside him.

He let out a scornful, pitiless laugh. "That's just dogs barking, not wolves that will bite your neck off. What are you afraid of?"

Zhong Yao paid no mind to his mockery. Her voice trembled, as faint as a mosquito's hum, pleading, "Dogs or wolves, just remember to break my neck before they charge in. Please remember..."

Xie Chi didn’t want to hear her voice anymore, nor did he expect her to be of any use. He threatened coldly, “If you say one more word, I’ll break your arms and legs and make you watch as wild beasts devour you.”

Zhong Yao immediately fell completely silent.

Xie Chi added, “Hide.”

Zhong Yao nodded shakily, clutching the sharp stone she had specifically found for suicide, and stumbled toward the darkest corner at the back of the cave.

Once hidden, she remained motionless, even deliberately slowing her breathing.

The cave was too dim, and Xie Chi’s vision was impaired. If he hadn’t known in advance that she was hiding there, he would never have noticed another person inside.

Apart from the sounds of wind and rain, the cave was utterly silent.

Perhaps affected by the rain, the barking of dogs drifted near and far in the quiet downpour. About a quarter of an hour later, with a rustling sound, the light at the cave entrance suddenly brightened, and a dark figure rushed in like a gust of wind.

Zhong Yao’s heart nearly leaped out of her chest.

She knew hiding wasn’t ideal, but she truly felt she couldn’t be of any help. She wasn’t like that blind man—he couldn’t see anything, was dazed and sluggish, yet he still managed to turn the tables on and kill those four bandits.

She was even less useful than the stones she had laid out in the cave beforehand. At least they could make noise, giving away the vicious dog’s position, allowing him to pick up the knife he had taken from the bandits on the carriage at the right time and cut down the vicious dog—

He didn’t swing the knife!

He was pinned down by the vicious dog!

Hidden in the shadows, Zhong Yao watched as the vicious dog opened its jaws to bite Xie Chi’s neck. Her mind went blank. Yet, in the next moment, a piercing howl rang out. With a thud, the vicious dog was kicked away like discarded trash, crashing against the stone wall before rolling down, twitching in agony.

Xie Chi slowly stood up, using the knife for support.

Fresh blood still glistened on the blade.

He flicked his gaze toward the shadow in the corner, almost blending into the stone wall, and said, “Don’t move.”

Zhong Yao hurriedly retracted the foot she had taken a step with, curling up again, motionless.

However, the men outside assumed his words were meant for them.

“You’re quite skilled, young master.”

Three men entered with knives—two tall and fierce-looking, one short and scholarly. The latter spoke. After entering, he glanced at the dying vicious dog nearby, then fixed his gaze on Xie Chi, hesitating before asking, “Can you see now?”

Xie Chi raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Why don’t you come and test it?”

The short man scrutinized him carefully, cautiously taking half a step back, then asked again, “Where’s the girl?”

Xie Chi replied, “What do you think?”

No one took the delicate Zhong Yao seriously. The short man didn’t care either, only feeling regretful—after all, that girl had delicate skin and tender flesh, and was quite beautiful.

“There are plenty of beauties. I’ll just grab a few more for the Third-in-command later,” one of the tall bandits said.

The short man, the Third-in-command, nodded approvingly.

Uncertain of Xie Chi’s condition, the three men were wary and didn’t act rashly. After a tense standoff, the Third-in-command shot a glance at the two bandits. The three of them spread out, and as they moved, the loose stones underfoot made noise.

The Third-in-command heard it, his eyes darting around as he began to shrug off his outer coat.

Xie Chi couldn’t see such subtle movements, but Zhong Yao in the corner saw it clearly.

At first, she didn’t understand the Third-in-command’s intention. It wasn’t until the two tall men pretended to attack that the Third-in-command threw his outer garment.

The garment fluttered like a fleeting shadow, causing Xie Chi’s gaze to shift slightly.

The Third-in-command burst into loud laughter.