Chapter 129: Exchanging Hostages
In her mind, Bai Xiangxiu was continuously screaming ‘how unlucky!’ After all the trouble she’d gone to in order to slightly improve her situation while feeling faint at the sight of blood, she was unexpectedly met with those two great villains. Was it still possible to escape? She lowered her head, trying to diminish her presence to the bare minimum.
She’d thought that she would be discovered without a doubt, but who knew that these two would be mulling over something, and didn’t notice her.
Duan Yunying had truly been angered by Bai Xiangxiu. He still felt that his body had a stench even after bathing for half a day. And because Yaya’s poison had just been cured, she was still a little uncomfortable. Considering there were also various matters troubling her, she only thought of asking Duan Yunying, “Should we be exchanging hostages?”
“We naturally need to exchange hostages. But, I didn’t expect that he would really be willing exchange his wife for a concubine.” Duan Yunying smiled coldly. However, he had also guessed why Long Heng would do that, since that wife was probably every male’s pain! Although men were lusty, very few could stand their wife betraying them.
“This is too much of a bargain for Long Heng.” It was also too much of a bargain for that little concubine in there.
Duan Yunying nodded, smiling. “And so, this time, I’ll use the lovesick parasite.”
“Master, is this type of sacrifice truly right? She is only a promiscuous woman.” Yaya gritted her teeth. Even though she was prepared for it, she still wasn’t able to accept that the man she’d originally liked was going to get into bed with another woman.
Duan Yunying stood up. His thin lips under the peach blossom mask quirked slightly as he grabbed Yaya’s chin.
“Don’t speak as if you’re a holy virgin. How clean are you? No matter what, she will become my woman today. It’s best if you don’t talk badly of her in front of me. I despise seeing the fighting and scheming between women.” Duan Yunying left those words behind as he walked into the room that held Bai Xiangxiu.
However, Bai Xiangxiu had already seen everything. She had also heard of the use of that despicable thing, the lovesick parasite. It was something that could be placed inside the woman’s body through that most primitive of exercises between a man and a woman. Then, that parasite would be able to control a person’s thoughts, and even actions afterwards.
This was also why he’d faked being an innocent little white bunny, and always wanted to roll in the sheets with the female lead. Other than using it as a point of conflict between the male lead and the male supporting character while he waited in the shadows, he could also use it to control the female lead and kill the male lead in return when the latter’s guard was down. Presumably, after they did the deed themselves.
Bai Xiangxiu had read the novel, but had forgotten some of the more vague events. She had to use powers of correlation to recall the details, and had only remembered this when the parasite had been mentioned. She hadn’t expected that she would even replace the female lead in suffering through these types of things. Having someone think of pushing her down on a bed day in and day out was really nothing good.
Secondly, once they entered the room, they would discover that she had escaped and would immediately start searching for her. She couldn’t continue wearing this particular outfit anymore. Perhaps, she should change to another set?
She circled around for a while like a headless fly before finally seeing a clothing rack off to the side. Some of the guests’ clothing were hung on it. Because they had not fully dried, they hadn’t been taken inside. Bai Xiangxiu made use of the opportunity to select a piece of boy clothing that seemed a little short. She also tied her hair into the style of a boy. Only, she left quite a few stray hairs so that no one would notice her features.
She also made full use of the clothing she had just taken off. She used a bamboo stick to prop it up, making it seem like a person was hiding there under the concealment of the night.
This lodge had been completely rented by Duan Yunying, so if she wanted to leave, she needed to be extremely careful. She continued to walk in shadowy areas until she finally found that dog hole. Crawling through a dog hole was really a depressing act, but there was no other way. She had to do just that in order to live.
It was good that although the dog hole was small, it still was big enough for her to crawl out. There was a small alley outside. However, she still wasn’t safe even here.
She could hear people yelling from inside, “Over here!”
Well, they had found her quite quickly. Bai Xiangxiu hastily sprinted forward. Once she reached the outside, she could hide in the streets. The female lead had hid in this way, but the man had found her very quickly.
Be calm, be calm.
She ran and ran and then screeched to a halt when she noticed a courtyard door seemed unlocked. This might be an opportunity, and so she ducked inside and locked the door securely. She glanced around her. The moonlight streaming in illuminated a sheep pen, but the residents didn’t seem to have sheep, so it was filled with sticks and straw.
Bai Xiangxiu didn’t care if it was dirty or not, and squirmed straight into the pile of straw. The nights here were truly too cold. This was the only place she could hide. Of course, she couldn’t enter the rooms. No one would welcome her; this outsider who’d come in the middle of the night. As for Duan Yunying, he probably wasn’t expecting that she would be hiding instead of hurrying to escape. In this type of weather, hiding was equivalent to being frozen to death.
A woman in the rear court of a large residence couldn’t possibly have this type of courage.
But, Bai Xiangxiu did have that courage. She had some wilderness survival skills because she’d gone with colleagues to search for exotic plants a few times. They’d camp in the wilderness for two or three days, so she was completely different from those true noble misses.
But it truly was very cold right now. Even though she was hiding in the straw, she found herself incapable of sleeping. She was simply shivering too much. She was only thinking of how she would have the opportunity tomorrow to find Long Heng. Only at his side would she be safe.
“Long Heng…” She hugged her knees, and tried to remember everything that had happened to her thus far. Long Heng was actually quite good to her, but he wasn’t here now. She felt that she was actually more suitable for that type of life in the manor, but her future looked so dim right now!
She had no money, no subordinates, and a very attractive face. She reached out her hand to touch her face. I wonder if anyone would like me if it was ruined, or if the male lead would even look at me anymore? It seemed like the weight of the world had come crashing down on her in the span of a moment, and her true self had somehow awoken as well. She didn’t know if she should be happy or disconsolate.
She hid in the pile of straw until dawn of the next day before hauling her frozen body out. It was a good thing that the residents weren’t morning people, so she could slip out the corner door. But before that, slipping out was one thing, but just walking out like this would just be suspicious.
As Bai Xiangxiu let her eyes wander, she spotted a wheelbarrow. This is probably used to cart things! Perhaps I can use it to conceal myself. Thinking quickly, she randomly picked up some things and placed them into the wheelbarrow, quietly opening the door and pushing the wheelbarrow out.
That little wheelbarrow was already very dilapidated, so she needed to expend a lot of effort to push it. It also had wooden wheels, making it quite hard to push! After much grief from the wheelbarrow, she managed to push it onto the main streets. Even though there weren’t many people going to and fro right now, no one was really paying attention to her. Even though the wheelbarrow was really worn out, it was very convenient to use for impoverished folks.
Bai Xiangxiu had originally planned on pushing the wheelbarrow outside of the city and then finding ways to return to Red Maple Mountain Villa. But considering the effort she had already expended, she felt like her original goal would be a particularly insurmountable challenge.