Li Chenghuan didn’t understand. “By another method?”
Jiang Jinyue met her gaze. “If everyone flees, then it won’t count as fleeing anymore.”
Li Chenghuan still didn’t understand. How could everyone possibly flee together?
Lowering her voice, Jiang Jinyue explained: “If the entire procession becomes fugitives, then there are no more fugitives. The method I’m speaking of is having everyone change their identities, including the two bailiffs. Can you understand it this way?”
With a better option available, everyone would naturally cover for each other’s identities since nobody would be foolish enough to remain a convict or a fugitive. As for Boss Gu and Zhou Yuan, if things truly reached that point, they wouldn’t have a choice but to cooperate.
A sudden wave of realization washed over Li Chenghuan. So this was the kind of fleeing she meant! But what about their official identity documents?
As if seeing right through what she was thinking, Jiang Jinyue continued: “The premise for this method is that the empire has truly plunged into chaos, and Youlong County has genuinely rebelled.”
When that time came, with swarms of refugees everywhere, identity documents would be impossible to verify. Amidst such chaotic conditions, nobody would bother investigating further.
Li Chenghuan understood. Once she grasped that, she couldn’t help asking the crucial question: “Then what do you think the situation in Youlong County actually is? Has it truly rebelled?” If it was merely chaotic without a real rebellion, would they still need to “flee”?
Jiang Jinyue gave a slight shake of her head. She couldn’t be certain of Youlong County’s exact situation, which was why she needed to go and see for herself.
Within her line of sight, the young maiden’s furrowed brows and serious expression actually looked rather endearing.
Glancing down at the young maiden’s tightly clenched hands, Jiang Jinyue with utmost naturalness extended her hand, gently covering the top of the maiden’s fist: “Don’t worry yourself too much. Regardless of whether Youlong County has truly rebelled, it is already in chaos. We can simply wait for an opportunity and act accordingly.”
Li Chenghuan relaxed her fist, and the palm resting over the back of her hand drifted away as lightly as a feather, leaving behind nothing more than an imperceptible trace of lingering warmth.
She posed another doubt lingering in her heart: “Sister-in-law, if Youlong County hasn’t rebelled, are we still heading to the northern frontier?”
Just as the female lead had said before, if Youlong County was merely chaotic, heading further north would only take them farther from the capital into even greater chaos. In that case, should this exile journey still be carried on?
Jiang Jinyue glanced around. They were positioned at the very rear of the procession, and Old Madam Li and the others had tacitly moved a bit further away, so they didn’t strictly need to worry about others overhearing them.
However, now that the prisoners were basically all asleep, even if their conversation couldn’t be heard clearly, continuing to converse like this in the dead quiet of the night would still draw unnecessary attention.
“Follow me.”
Catching sight of them standing up, Old Madam Li’s eyes widened in sheer astonishment. They had finally finished talking! They were finally going to go get food!
Scrambling up in a single, fluid motion with a speed faster than anyone else, the old matriarch hurried to Jiang Jinyue’s side and whispered, “My good Yue’er, go and come back quickly. If there’s anything you need, just tell Chenghuan to handle it.”
Li Chengle also gazed longingly at Jiang Jinyue. She was so hungry; she still wanted to eat that Chinese-sausage steamed rice, along with that exceptionally sweet and refreshing water.
Nearby, upon seeing the grandmother and granddaughter’s behavior, Xie Yuwan felt a stirring of realization, followed immediately by a mix of fortune and guilt. She felt fortunate that she had mended past relations with Jiang Jinyue, which was why she now enjoyed such relative comfort.
Yet she felt guilty that she had accepted so many favors without any way to repay them…
“Jinyue, you and Chenghuan can rest assured. Leave things here to me,” Xie Yuwan said, feeling a genuine pang of unworthiness in her heart.
She would keep watch over the situation within the procession to ensure that if Jiang Jinyue and Li Chenghuan were away, they wouldn’t miss any critical news. Should any unexpected emergency arise, she would also risk her life to shield the members of the Li family.
Nodding toward them, Jiang Jinyue turned and departed alongside Li Chenghuan.
Mindful of the previous instance when Lu Baozhu had tailed them, the two of them walked swiftly while remaining vigilant of any movement behind and around them.
Yet they had barely walked a short distance before pitch-black darkness enveloped the surroundings, forcing Jiang Jinyue to slow her pace. The very next instant, her hand was unexpectedly caught.
Li Chenghuan clasped her hand, her tone laced with a smile: “Sister-in-law, watch this.” With that, she switched on the flashlight.
A sudden, brilliant beam of light pierced the darkness ahead. Jiang Jinyue first blinked against the glare, then froze in utter astonishment. What kind of divine miracle was this!
Holding something unknown in her hand, the young maiden was actually capable of emitting such dazzling illumination, lighting up the ground beneath their feet with absolute clarity and bringing the path ahead into unobstructed view.
“Sister-in-law, this is a flashlight—it’s used for illumination.” Li Chenghuan gave her hand a slight sway. She had been rewarded with this flashlight several days ago, and it was finally getting a chance to serve its purpose.
Recovering her wits, Jiang Jinyue disbelief-strickenly stretched out her palm, watching it turn translucent-red under the beam of light, casting a faint shadow alongside it.
It was truly light—even brighter than the flame of a candle!
“Does this object not require kindling a fire?”
Li Chenghuan nodded: “The flashlight runs on electricity and doesn’t rely on fire. Electricity is… well, in short, it’s what allows it to emit this kind of light.”
Things that didn’t exist in this era were genuinely difficult to explain and impossible to clarify in a brief moment, so she simply omitted the details.
Sensing that the other person didn’t wish to elaborate further, Jiang Jinyue didn’t probe deeply into what exactly “electricity” was, but…
“My mood just now didn’t feel particularly joyful.” Her experiences from the past few times had told her that the young maiden’s miraculous ability to conjure items out of thin air was intimately tied to her emotional state.
Because of this, she had also comfortably accepted everything Li Chenghuan produced, knowing that she herself was an indispensable link in that chain. Yet this time, there had been no such emotion.
The mere thought that Li Chenghuan’s miraculous ability might not require her involvement at all sent a wave of quiet panic fluttering through Jiang Jinyue’s chest.
Li Chenghuan offered a light smile: “I actually got this back when you gave me that corn bun, I just hadn’t taken it out yet.”
Pondering this thoughtfully, Jiang Jinyue’s pupils deepened: “Then what can you produce right now?”
Without missing a beat, Li Chenghuan reeled off the list like a treasured inventory: “There are glazed glass cups, ceramic bowls, fever medication, coconut water, fruit candies, half a pot of Chinese-sausage steamed rice, a case of green plum wine, two submachine guns, and over two hundred bullets.”
Gazing fixedly at her, Jiang Jinyue halted her footsteps unconsciously.
“Sister-in-law, that’s currently everything.” Having finished her inventory and sensing they had walked far enough, Li Chenghuan clicked off the flashlight, lest anyone actually follow them and track them down via the beam.
As darkness instantly swallowed them up once more, Jiang Jinyue’s gaze turned profound. That was everything—she had told her everything without reservation.
In this very moment, she seemed to feel the weight of Li Chenghuan’s trust. Discerning that the young maiden was harboring no concealment, a sense of guilt welled up inside her.
Compared to the young maiden’s directness and openness, she herself had always been far less candid…
[Female lead’s darkening value decreases by three, rewarded with one Wild Ox submachine gun]
Li Chenghuan: ！！！
Ah, ah, ah! Another submachine gun! She was truly going to lose her mind—could they just straight-up launch a rebellion already?!
“Sister-in-law, did your mood suddenly turn good?” Moving a fraction closer, she asked with a mix of excitement and curiosity.
Jiang Jinyue slowly curled her lips: “What is it this time?” Her characteristically cold, aloof voice carried a trace of unexpected tenderness.
Beneath the heavy veil of night, Li Chenghuan couldn’t make out the woman’s expression, yet from that rare, tender tone, she sensed the other party’s fine mood.
The cold-beauty sister-in-law must be smiling right now, and when she smiled she must look utterly gorgeous…
With that thought, the image of the female lead with smiling brows and eyes involuntarily surfaced in her mind—resembling fields of frost and snow melting away in a split second, revealing a charming, intoxicating, and vibrant spring scene.
“Chenghuan?”
The young maiden’s silence had lasted a little too long, prompting Jiang Jinyue to reach out with the impulse to gently stroke her hair. Driven by an unaccountable urge, halfway through the motion her hand dipped slightly lower, softly cupping the young maiden’s lower jaw, with her thumb coming to rest precisely across her soft lips.
Unthinkingly, Li Chenghuan parted her lips, brushing against the other person’s chilled fingertips, before freezing entirely in place.
？？？
What on earth was happening?!