Looking at his sweetheart beside him, so well-behaved and lovely, Zhao Lie felt utterly exhilarated.
But the thought that she was still of slave status crossed his mind, and he wondered if something had happened for her to return alone this time.
Zhao Lie hesitated, wanting to ask but afraid of touching on something he shouldn’t. Yet not asking felt like an unbearable itch.
He made up his mind: he would ask her. If her family couldn’t help, he would step in himself and find a way to remove her slave status. Over the years, he had saved quite a bit of silver—surely enough for her Redemption.
Taking a few deep breaths, he cautiously asked, “Um, Ruyi, did something happen for you to come back this time? Do you need help? It’s such a long way, and you came alone—why didn’t you send word for Xu Ershu to come meet you?”
Seeing how careful he was, as if afraid to upset her, Xu Ruyi thought to herself that this person wasn’t so bad—her former self did have good friends.
Zhao Lie: Could it be that I’m interested in you as a person?
Xu Ruyi, in a rather good mood, replied casually, “I’ve redeemed myself. The young lady is getting married and moving to the capital, and the mistress didn’t want to bring too many people along. She announced that those who wished to redeem themselves could do so, so I took the opportunity. It all happened so suddenly that I didn’t have time to send word home.”
Hearing that his sweetheart had redeemed herself and was now free, Zhao Lie grew even more excited. “Really? That’s wonderful, Ruyi! Congratulations on your freedom!! Xu Ershu and the others will be so happy when they find out.”
Xu Ruyi smiled, her lips curving upward. “Yes, thank you!”
Gazing at that radiant, enchanting smile, like spring blossoms in full bloom, Zhao Lie felt a surge of warmth rush to his heart, his pulse pounding as if it might leap out of his throat!
His eyes widened, and he stood there dumbstruck, as if frozen by a spell.
In that moment, time seemed to stand still. The noise and bustle around him faded away, leaving only that dazzling smile and the sound of his own heartbeat, growing louder and clearer in his ears…
Xu Ruyi, walking ahead, noticed the sudden silence and grew puzzled. Turning around, she saw Zhao Lie lost in thought and found him rather silly. She called out twice, “Zhao Lie, Zhao Lie, what are you thinking about?”
Hearing her call, Zhao Lie snapped back to reality. “Ah! Oh, oh, it’s nothing, nothing. Let’s go, we’re almost there.” With that, he strode forward quickly, almost flying.
Xu Ruyi wondered if there was something wrong with him—he didn’t seem quite normal.
Seeing him walk so fast, she hurried to catch up. “Zhao Lie, Zhao Lie, slow down! I can’t keep up!”
Hearing Xu Ruyi’s call, Zhao Lie finally realized and quickly slowed his pace, a blush spreading across his cheeks.
He inwardly scolded himself for his earlier lapse but couldn’t contain his excitement.
Seeing his foolish demeanor, Xu Ruyi felt he might not be all that reliable. “Let’s go. How much longer until we arrive?”
“Soon, soon! Just a little farther ahead!” Noticing her look as if he were an idiot, Zhao Lie snapped back to his senses and immediately returned to normal.
Spotting the narrow path ahead, Xu Ruyi nodded and urged, “Alright, then let’s hurry!”
Afraid of making another fool of himself, Zhao Lie quickly said, “Okay, you walk ahead, and I’ll follow behind you.”
Walking one after the other, they soon passed through the narrow path and reached the main road. Xu Ruyi caught sight of the large willow tree at the village entrance.
Daliu Village was named after this large willow tree, which appeared to be at least a hundred years old and looked enormous even from a distance.
Just past noon, the village entrance was deserted, saving Xu Ruyi a lot of trouble—after all, being stared at by crowds would have been quite uncomfortable.
“Ruyi, let me take you to your house! You’ve been away for so long, you’ve probably forgotten where it is.” Worried that Xu Ruyi might not remember where her family home was, Zhao Lie quickly made the suggestion.
Xu Ruyi indeed had little recollection of where her original self’s home was located, so she nodded in agreement. “Alright, thank you for your help.”
“No trouble at all, no trouble at all! Why would it be any trouble?” Seeing her being so polite, Zhao Lie felt somewhat dejected inside, his entire demeanor wilting like a withered plant!
Xu Ruyi followed behind Zhao Lie, puzzled by how he suddenly drooped like a little puppy. She shook her head, thinking to herself that this guy was really odd, and decided it would be best to interact with him less in the future. With that thought, she stopped paying him any further attention.