Actually.
Along this journey, it was not that he had never noticed anything unusual about Lu Dantao.
It was just that at the time, he was deeply trapped in the shadow brought by Pei Di, being clever only in his own mind, blinded by a single leaf. He attributed all her strange and inconceivable actions to Pei Di’s conspiracy.
Only today, from those astonishing words of hers, did he suddenly realize that she was not the original Lu Dantao at all.
If he had been able to calm down earlier and observe carefully, recalling everything that had happened before, he would have discovered—
Her every movement, every word she spoke, was practically shouting at him:
She was not Lu Dantao herself.
When they first met at the apothecary, she had acted as if she did not recognize him at all, yet could accurately identify his name.
When she was held hostage by him, she claimed to be Pei Di’s former fiancée, saying her entire family had fallen victim to Pei Di’s vicious hands, that they shared a common enemy, and used this to persuade him to cooperate.
Yet she could not even recognize what Pei Di looked like.
These two points alone were logically inconsistent.
And yet he had deceived himself, forcibly smoothing everything over.
Not to mention those remarks she would occasionally blurt out, things he had never heard before.
As the daughter of a third-rank high official, she could not even tell east from west, and paid no heed at all to propriety between men and women.
For example, right now, she had her hair loose and disheveled, tilting her head crookedly as she looked at him.
Any one of these behaviors was something no noble young lady of the capital would ever do.
She had never concealed it.
She was riddled with flaws from head to toe.
Lu Dantao tilted her head, watching the constantly shifting expressions on Xue Yao’s face. His gaze was fixed on her, yet he did not say a single word.
She frowned, stepped forward, and raised her hand to wave it in front of his eyes. “Hey.”
What was wrong with him all of a sudden?
Could it be that she had driven him mad?
She did not even say anything…
Xue Yao suddenly let out a cold laugh and lightly brushed her hand away.
Lu Dantao was startled and quickly withdrew her hand. “What are you doing?”
But then she saw his expression turn serious as he stared at her darkly for a moment before finally speaking:
“Miss Lu.”
“What?”
Lu Dantao glared at him, looking somewhat jumpy.
Hearing her justified retort and seeing her utterly clueless expression, a trace of mockery flickered across Xue Yao’s lips.
“Miss Lu, could you repeat the process of how you saved me that day?”
Lu Dantao felt puzzled.
Why did this person seem possessed by a ghost day after day?
Still, she answered, “At the time, I was being hunted down by Pei Di. To avoid him, I ran to the border. In the middle of the night, I passed by a mass grave and saw you half-dead, so I saved you along the way.”
After she finished speaking, Lu Dantao felt it was still not enough. It was rare for him to ask about it.
So she added another sentence, “You don’t know, I carried you back on my back. The night was so dark, the road so long. I was all alone, risking danger to bring you back.”
“If you still treat me coldly, can you really justify that?”
‘Is this how the Defender Duke’s Residence, the backing force of the male lead, repays a benefactor?!’
A trace of mockery flashed across Xue Yao’s eyes.
What she said was no different from before.
It seemed that the matter of saving him was indeed true.
But—
it also exposed a problem.
Her entire family had been killed, she had escaped alone, carrying money with her, traveling thousands of miles from the capital all the way to Shouzhou at the border, and just happened to pass by a mass grave, where she saved him.
Even if her family had been destroyed, why would she deliberately flee all the way to borderland Shouzhou?
It was obvious that she had come for him.
What did he have that was worth her scheming for?
The only thing he possessed was the secret of the Xue family’s former subordinates.
Thinking of this, a bitter smile appeared at the corner of Xue Yao’s lips.
How foolish he had been.
Because of Pei Di, he had turned a blind eye to such an obvious trap.
He had nearly been deceived by her and tricked into revealing clues about those former subordinates.
Lu Dantao watched his expression, and the more she looked, the more something felt off.
She lifted her head to look at the sky. The sun had only just begun to slant westward, and he was already getting all moody?
She leaned closer, tilting her head as she asked with concern, “What’s wrong with you?”
The young girl’s face suddenly drew close. The gloom in Xue Yao’s eyes had yet to dissipate. He shoved her away and strode forward without a word.
Lu Dantao clutched her chest and sucked in a sharp breath, thoroughly shocked. “Why are you being so fierce?”
She watched his departing figure, and her previously decent mood sank as well.
What kind of nerve had he suddenly gotten?
His temper was way too fiery.
Xue Yao said nothing, only kept walking forward.
Lu Dantao also said nothing, only kept following behind.
The two of them seemed to have returned to that initial state, one in front and one behind.
Lu Dantao bit her lip, glaring at his back.
Her heart felt like a drum washing machine, gloom, anger, and guilt all mixed together, spinning nonstop.
After hesitating for a while, she wanted to catch up and ask him clearly.
If he was really angry because of her earlier joke, or if she had accidentally touched on some sore spot of his, it was not like she could not apologize.
Although she did not feel that she had said anything wrong.
Who would have thought that after only taking a few steps to catch up, she saw him head straight toward the water. She had no choice but to stop and wait among the bushes.
After finally waiting for him to come out, she was just about to speak when she saw him turn and walk into the forest again. She quickly called out to stop him, “Where are you going?”
Then she immediately found an excuse, “I need to bathe too.”
Xue Yao turned back. “Then bathe.”
Lu Dantao puffed up her cheeks. “Shouldn’t you stand guard?”
Xue Yao tilted his head. “Why?”
“Didn’t you promise me at noon?” Lu Dantao grew anxious enough to stomp her foot. “How can you go back on your word like this!”
He promised her at noon?
At noon, had he not only agreed to her so-called ally terms? Had there ever been any agreement that he would stand guard while she bathed?
Besides, with her identity now in question, what alliance was there to speak of?
Xue Yao turned back and quietly looked toward Lu Dantao.
The setting sun filtered through the leaves, casting even Lu Dantao’s face in a layer of golden light.
He could not help but frown. This woman, how had she managed to look exactly the same as Lu Dantao?
Could there really be such similar people in this world?
Or perhaps it was truly that thing rumored in the martial world… a human skin mask.
Xue Yao had once heard that there were people in the martial world who were highly skilled in the art of disguise.
With nothing more than a thin mask, they could imitate another person, even replace them entirely.
But a mask was still a mask. No matter how refined, there would be flaws, and that flaw lay at the edge hidden behind the ear, along the hairline.
Yet just now, when suspicion suddenly arose by the riverside, he had deliberately examined behind Lu Dantao’s ear, but had not found anything unusual.
Xue Yao narrowed his eyes. It must have been because that patch of skin was too fair, and under the sunlight, it had dazzled his eyes, causing him not to see clearly for a moment.
For some reason today, everything he looked at seemed to carry a layer of white light.
He fell into his own thoughts, standing still without moving.
Lu Dantao, however, grew more and more annoyed the longer she looked at him.
Unreliable and untrustworthy.
Clearly, he had said the two of them were allies, promised not to lose his temper at her, and said he would wait for her.
Yet now he was acting like this again.
She stomped hard on the grass, venting all her frustration under her feet. No longer looking at Xue Yao, she walked off on her own and sat down on a large rock nearby.
Xue Yao’s gaze swept across Lu Dantao’s face. The wildflower behind her ear wobbled precariously due to her vigorous movements, swayed a few times, then lightly fell to the ground.
His line of sight passed over the fallen flower and returned to her ear.
That small patch of jade-like skin was now completely covered by her dark hair, hidden tightly from view.
It seemed that if he wanted to see clearly, he would have to get close.
He touched the medicine in his hidden pouch, the one Lu Dantao had stolen from the shadow guards last night, and suddenly spoke, “I went to catch a rabbit for you.”
“Aren’t you hungry?”
Lu Dantao shot him a glance. “I’m not hungry.”
“I can eat wild fruit.”
“I already threw those fruits away.”
“Why did you throw them away?”
Xue Yao gave a reason she could least accept. “When I bent down to retrieve the corpse, my clothes were also soaked by the river.”
Lu Dantao: …
“I can pick them myself.”
Xue Yao fell silent for a moment, then stood up. “Fine.”
“Then go pick them yourself.”
Seeing that he really stood up with a cold expression, Lu Dantao’s almond eyes widened, her face full of disbelief.
He, he, he… what exactly was he trying to do?!
She took a deep breath. The little figure in her heart jumped up and down, cursing wildly: ‘Bastard. Scumbag.’
Night fell quickly in the deep mountains.
Her anger had only reached halfway when the setting sun had already sunk rapidly.
Towering ancient trees blocked out the light, and the forest darkened in an instant.
She felt a bit at a loss, pressing her lips together as she looked in the direction where Xue Yao had left.
For a brief moment, she wanted to get up and go find him.
But very quickly, she restrained herself and sat still.
She had not done anything wrong. He was the one who lost his temper.
Even if she had really angered him with a joke, he could have just said it directly instead of resorting to this kind of cold treatment.
She despised people who used cold violence the most.
Especially men!
She muttered to herself for a short while when familiar footsteps came from the forest.
Lu Dantao glanced back and saw that it was him. She gave a soft snort, turned her head away, and put on a “can’t be bothered with you” attitude.
Xue Yao curled his lips slightly and did not pay her any attention.
He simply went about his own business, washing and cleaning the rabbit, then starting a fire to roast the meat.
The firelight flickered, warming the body all over.
Along with it came the aroma of roasting meat.
Lu Dantao sniffed lightly and looked over.
She was not hungry. She did not eat game.
She was just taking a look, seeing how Xue Yao handled this rabbit.
She saw a plump-looking rabbit skewered on a wooden stick, its skin already roasted to a golden brown, looking crisp and appetizing.
Lu Dantao secretly glanced at Xue Yao. Taking advantage of his inattention, she quietly shifted forward a bit.
She edged closer to the fire, wanting to see clearly how that layer of skin was roasted.
Unexpectedly… her eyes met his.
She widened her eyes. What was he looking at?
It was not like she liked eating crispy skin anyway. She only liked tender meat, alright?
Their gazes locked, and the mockery in Xue Yao’s eyes was far too obvious.
Lu Dantao could not hold back and spoke first, “It’s cold in this forest. Can’t I warm myself by the fire?”
Xue Yao curled his lips slightly. “I didn’t say a word.”
Lu Dantao bit her lip: …
She just felt very cold.
The deep mountain forest was indeed cold.
The woods were silent, with only the faint rustling hum of insects coming from somewhere unseen.
Suddenly, a crack sounded from the fire.
Xue Yao’s tangled thoughts were interrupted. He lifted his eyes from the flames.
Before his gaze could even reach Lu Dantao, he had already heard her voice:
“Fine.”
Xue Yao: “…?”
His gaze moved upward, only to see Lu Dantao half-turned, looking at him with an aloof posture.
Xue Yao frowned. That expression of hers… felt strangely familiar.
Then he heard her, maintaining that cool and detached demeanor, give a barely noticeable nod:
“Acceptable.”
“What is acceptable?”
“Since you sincerely invited me to eat…” Lu Dantao imitated Xue Yao’s usual tone, speaking coldly, “acceptable.”
Xue Yao: …
When had he ever invited her to eat?
But.
He lowered his head to look at the wild rabbit on the wooden rack, drugged and roasted to a fragrant perfection.
That was not important.
Xue Yao lowered his gaze. As long as she ate it, his goal would be achieved.
If he wanted to remove her human skin mask, he first had to knock Lu Dantao unconscious to make things easier.
Xue Yao said nothing. He simply cut off the portion of the rabbit meat that had been laced with the drug and handed it over.
Lu Dantao secretly swallowed, just about to take a big bite, when from the corner of her eye she noticed that Xue Yao was watching her.
No.
She had to maintain her aloof image.
She turned her body as if she did not care at all. Seeing that Xue Yao could no longer clearly see her movements, she first tore off the crispy skin she disliked the most, then began nibbling the meat in small bites.
*
The moon hung high, and all things were silent.
Xue Yao looked at Lu Dantao, who was leaning against the tree ahead, her head already tilted to one side.
After waiting quietly for a moment, he slowly stood up, walked over to her side, and crouched down.
The young girl’s face was illuminated by the firelight.
Perhaps due to the constant traveling along the way, Lu Dantao now looked a bit more slender than when he had first seen her two days ago upon waking.
Xue Yao’s gaze shifted slightly, falling to the edge of her jaw.
He gently lifted her hair and carefully looked behind her ear. It was still as he had seen during the day, fair and clean, without any flaws.
Xue Yao narrowed his eyes, his expression turning slightly stern. He reached out and lightly pinched her cheek, his thumb pressing along the edge of her jaw as he carefully felt along it.
The touch was soft and delicate, without any protrusions.
His brows furrowed tighter and tighter.
His fingertip slowly moved upward, brushing over that soft, plump cheek—
The sensation was gentle, slightly springy, firm and smooth.
There were no scars, no creases, smoother than the finest satin in the palace.
Xue Yao slowly withdrew his hand and lowered his gaze.
There was no human skin mask.
He studied Lu Dantao, who had her eyes tightly shut, fast asleep, as if deep in thought.
If it was not a human skin mask…
then the only remaining explanation was—
that there truly existed two people in this world who looked this alike.
But Xue Yao was unwilling to believe this conjecture from the bottom of his heart.
There was no other reason.
It was simply because of Lu Dantao’s earlier discourse by the river about the layering of water.
The density, the weight, the bloating of corpses she had mentioned.
All of it was something he had never heard before.
As for his own knowledge, Xue Yao had never belittled it.
The high-ranking families of the capital possessed deep foundations in classical learning and scholarship. Although the Xue family was a military household, it was no exception.
This was both a fact and an unspoken rule.
Even if the Defender Duke’s Residence did not agree with it, as long as they remained in court, they had to follow the general trend.
If even he had never heard of it…
Xue Yao withdrew his dagger and slowly sat back beneath the tree, his fingers unconsciously rubbing together, as if trying to wipe away the lingering soft, delicate sensation left on his fingertips.
He slowly let out a breath of turbid air and closed his eyes.
If the possibility of lookalikes was excluded, then only one final explanation remained—
possession through a borrowed corpse.
The chill in the mountains deepened, and moonlight poured down.
The young man’s slender figure was stretched long in the firelight, his lean body half concealed in the shadows of the tree trunk.
His phoenix eyes lifted slightly, his deep gaze passing through the flickering firelight and settling on the girl who was sleeping with her back to him.
Could it really be possession through a borrowed corpse?
The fire suddenly cracked loudly.
Lu Dantao’s heart trembled along with it.
She did her best to ignore the intense gaze behind her, slowly opening her eyes at an extremely slow pace, holding her breath.
Her palms were clenched tightly, yet she did not dare move in the slightest.
Her heart pounded like thunder. Her whole being turned into a screaming chicken, shrieking wildly over the drumbeat of her heart—
‘He!’
‘He he he!’
‘He actually secretly touched my cheek!’