No Longer Escaping (ABO) - Chapter 59

Qiao Lan’s last memory was of Ma Zhifeng’s worried face; after that, she lost consciousness.

When she woke up again, everyone was in the room, deeply concerned about her condition.

Wan Niang sat by the bed taking her pulse. After confirming several times that Qiao Lan’s body was out of major danger, she said to Ma Zhifeng, who was standing nearby: “She just suffered a slight disturbance to the fetus. Combined with her recent mental unrest, she will be fine after resting for a while.”

Qiao Lan happened to hear Wan Niang’s words. Feeling guilty that she had delayed their journey, she said apologetically, “I’m so sorry… it’s all my fault for holding you all up…”

“That’s not true…” Wan Niang told her.

“It was that man being unreasonable, making such a scene and causing you to suffer a disturbed pregnancy,” Yang Lulong added supportively.

“Get some good rest; we won’t disturb you further.”

After Wan Niang and the others left, only Qiao Lan and Ma Zhifeng remained in the room.

Ma Zhifeng slowly sat down where Wan Niang had been sitting. She gently took Qiao Lan’s hand. “If only I had told you sooner,” she said, caressing Qiao Lan’s cheek. “I actually wanted to see along this road if I could find a suitable place to settle down, just you and me.”

“But… would you like that kind of life? What if you get bored one day?”

“The old me might not have thought about living this way, but I met you, and I want to give you a stable life.” Her gaze as she looked at Qiao Lan was full of sincerity.

Looking into her eyes, Qiao Lan couldn’t help but feel a sting in her nose as tears welled up. She lowered her head and wiped away the tears that were about to fall, then met Ma Zhifeng’s eyes again. “Is that true? You aren’t forcing yourself just to take care of me?”

“I’m not forcing myself. If anything, I’ve been forcing you by making you run around with me.” After saying this, she gave a tender kiss to the back of Qiao Lan’s hand, clasping it within her own. “I was too stubborn before, thinking I would never want this kind of life—until I met you. Only then did I realize that I have a desire stronger than living a thrill-seeking life, and that is to be with you.”

Hearing this soulful confession, the haze lingering in Qiao Lan’s heart was swept away; their love for each other was mutual.

Overcome with emotion, Qiao Lan could no longer control her tears, but being too shy to let Ma Zhifeng see, she turned her body away to secretly wipe them.

Ma Zhifeng was a bit surprised by Qiao Lan’s reaction, but then she saw Qiao Lan slowly move to one side, clearing a space for her.

A smile touched her lips as she kicked off her boots and lay down on the bed with her. She took Qiao Lan into her arms under the quilt and gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead. “Get some good sleep. I’m here with you.”

Wan Niang was brewing herbal medicine to stabilize Qiao Lan’s pregnancy. Yang Lulong felt a bit bored waiting nearby, so she thought she would take a walk by the lake.

She happened to run into Lu Shu, who seemed to be staring at the lake in a daze; Mo Dou was lying obediently asleep by his side.

When Yang Lulong approached them, Mo Dou only lazily raised his head to glance at her before going back to sleep.

“Are you alright?” she asked tentatively as she sat down next to Lu Shu.

“I guess… honestly, I expected this would happen sooner or later…” Even as he spoke, he couldn’t hide the disappointment in his tone.

“…” Yang Lulong didn’t know what to say to comfort him, so she could only lower her head and look at her own reflection in the water.

“We only met when we were children. Back then my parents were still alive… she often came to my house with her parents. Her brother was just like that back then; as soon as he saw the two of us playing together, he’d come over to cause trouble.” Recalling the fun of his childhood, a smile finally appeared on Lu Shu’s face. “Until my mother passed away and my father lost his spirit—our family declined. She and I were just childhood playmates at best…”

“So what are your plans for the future?”

“Since the engagement is void, I have no more shackles. I want to wander around other places. I think the world is big enough that someone will surely like the houses I build. I also want to find more skilled masters to learn from.” Speaking of his ambitions, Lu Shu’s eyes sparkled, but thinking of his current penniless state, he added bashfully: “Of course, that’s for after I’ve saved up enough money…”

Seeing that he wasn’t wallowing in self-pity, Yang Lulong felt happy for him.

“Someone will definitely like the houses you build—many people, in fact.”

“I hope so…”

A festive atmosphere shrouded the Li residence.

Today was a day of great joy for the Li family: the wedding day of their daughter, Li Wuyue.

To accommodate Li Wuyue’s condition, Master Li had only invited his closest friends and relatives. On Dujuan’s side, only her brother and another man came to attend.

Dujuan, who was already in a bad mood, was even angrier that her brother had brought that man along. If it weren’t for this man, her brother wouldn’t have become the way he was—valuing money above all else. No, more accurately, he was obsessed with pleasing this man with wealth, even at the cost of selling out his own sister.

Silly brother, truly blinded by love.

The Li family assumed the man was the lover of Dujuan’s brother, but his true identity was known only to Dujuan and her brother—the leader of the Sparrow Gang, a notorious gang of thieves.

Chunxiang Pavilion was their headquarters. Not only did they traffic in Kun Ze, but they also stole from everyone—from wealthy merchants down to poor peasants—squeezing out any bit of profit they could.

If a rich person was robbed, they just considered it bad luck, but for a poor person, being robbed meant the destruction of their family. It was for this reason that the Sparrow Gang was loathed.

In the bridal chamber, Dujuan wore a gown of rose-red. A veil hid her made-up face. People say marriage is one of life’s great milestones, but Dujuan felt no nervousness or trepidation; it was as if she had already foreseen everything that was about to happen.

In her hand, she squeezed the letter her brother had given her before he left, hesitating whether to open it now.

Truthfully, she still held onto a shred of hope for her brother, thinking he surely wouldn’t do something so cold-hearted. She hoped the letter might contain an apology or an expression of guilt.

With this expectation, she lifted her red veil and opened the envelope. After reading the contents, that hope turned into ashes, vanishing into the air like waste paper thrown into a fire.

“Keep an eye on the Li family’s movements. — Brother”

Seeing these command-like words, anger rose in Dujuan’s heart. she tore the letter to shreds in one go. Feeling that wasn’t enough, she crumpled the scraps into a ball and threw it forcefully into a lonely corner.

She finally understood. All that talk about “marrying into a wealthy family for a better life” was just a way to turn her into an informant planted in the Li family. Of course—how could the leader of the Sparrow Gang pass up such a golden opportunity?

Having learned the truth, Dujuan had no heart to deal with her wedding night. She pulled off the festive red veil and threw it carelessly to the floor without a hint of distress.

She lay down on the bed, curled into a ball of grievance, and pulled the quilt over herself. Even though she wasn’t sleepy, she forced her eyes shut. Her breath was filled with a sour, stinging sensation as she kept her eyes closed tight to keep the tears from falling.

She urged herself to fall asleep as quickly as possible and stop thinking about this.

Meanwhile, facing various friends and relatives who were both congratulating and offering toasts, Li Wuyue was at a loss. She didn’t understand drinking, and the crowding people filled her with panic. The hand holding her wine cup trembled, and her heart pounded.

Mr. Li naturally understood his daughter’s condition. He took on all the wine offered by the relatives and found a gap to send his daughter back to the bridal chamber, while he and his wife handled the persistent crowd.

Li Wuyue arrived at the bridal chamber door and pushed it open gently. Seeing the bright red veil lying pitifully on the floor by the bed, she stepped forward, picked it up, and placed it on the table. She glanced at the bed and, seeing that Dujuan appeared to be asleep, she extinguished the candles, allowing darkness to fill the room. She tiptoed to the bedside and fumbled her way onto the bed. Afraid of waking Dujuan, she didn’t even pull the quilt over herself but lay there in her wedding robes with her back to Dujuan.

In fact, Dujuan was not asleep. When the door was pushed open by Li Wuyue, she knew she had returned, and she felt her lie down beside her. Dujuan sighed softly and pulled the quilt she was under to share a part of it with her.

In the darkness, the two were silent, showing none of the typical affection of newlyweds.

After a while, the noisy sounds outside gradually faded; the banquet had likely ended.

Li Wuyue quietly turned her body and looked at Dujuan’s silhouette. Noticing that the hair ornaments had not yet been removed, she reached out and helped her take out the gold and silver hairpins one by one, then smoothed out her ink-like hair with her hand.

Under her touch, Dujuan’s anger seemed to dissipate a little. She turned around to face Li Wuyue; at this very moment, it seemed the only person she could rely on was her.

To Li Wuyue’s astonishment, Dujuan leaned into her embrace…