Heavy snow had fallen for a day and a night. The world was so blindingly white that even the sound of footsteps in the snow was muffled to a faint thud.
Lou Tingxue pulled his thin, plain white garment tightly around himself.
He did not know how long he had been fleeing through the wind and snow—long enough that his whole body felt nearly frozen solid.
The snow reached his ankles, and every step felt like treading on sharp ice. Yet, he dared not stop. Lou Tingxue had planned this long ago: as long as he could hold out until dawn when the wind and snow abated, he would find an opportunity to escape Zhu Dongfeng once and for all!
Just then, the sound of horse hooves accompanied by the barking of hounds echoed from a distance.
Lou Tingxue’s body instantly froze; it felt as though his blood had turned to ice.
His heart tightened, and he hurriedly sought refuge behind a dead tree stump, cautiously shrinking back.
Not far off, Zhu Dongfeng appeared on a fine horse, holding three large hounds on leashes.
The barking was terrifying, reverberating against his chest as the sound ground closer step by step through the wind and snow.
Lou Tingxue was shaking so hard even his fingertips trembled.
These dogs had an extraordinarily keen sense of smell; they could track down anything. If he stayed here, he would definitely be caught!
Thus, Lou Tingxue quickly scrambled up and fled cautiously, staying as low to the snowy ground as possible.
Yet, for some reason, the barking constantly echoed in his ears. No matter how far he ran, the hounds always kept pace, maintaining a distance that constantly teased him into thinking he wouldn’t be caught.
Lou Tingxue let out a deep sigh and collapsed onto the ground, completely abandoning all composure.
The barking grew closer and closer, mingled with the sound of horse hooves crunching through the snow.
It was not a chaotic pursuit, but a slow, deliberate rhythm, like a hunter closing in on exhausted prey.
“Why stopped running?” Zhu Dongfeng’s voice drifted over.
Lou Tingxue opened his eyes and looked at the man before him.
Through the swirling snow, Zhu Dongfeng sat atop a black horse, the hem of his dark cloak fluttering violently in the wind, holding three black hounds in his hand.
At that moment, snow rustled down from a tree branch, falling right onto Lou Tingxue’s neck and making him shudder from the cold.
Zhu Dongfeng did not dismount, merely looking down at Lou Tingxue from above.
He idly stroked the leash bound to the hounds and said, “Young Master Lou, I gave you an entire night. Unfortunately, you are truly disappointing—you couldn’t even run out of the Imperial Capital in a whole night.”
Lou Tingxue’s lips had turned dark purple from the cold as he said, “Zhu Dongfeng, leave a way out today so we can meet on good terms tomorrow. If you let me go today, when I make it big in the future and have money in my pockets, I will surely repay you.”
“Let you go?” Zhu Dongfeng let out a low chuckle, as if he had heard a joke.
The laugh echoed through the snow, carrying an even sharper chill as he added, “Young Master Lou, no one under the heavens is richer than I am. Regardless of how you fare in the future, I likely won’t ever need your assistance. It’s just that right now, I really don’t want to let you leave. Even if you turn to water, you must stay right under my nose.”
As Zhu Dongfeng spoke, he lightly patted the heads of the hounds.
The three hounds instantly pounced forward like arrows released from a bow string. Before Lou Tingxue could react, their front paws pinned his shoulders, and their cold noses pressed against his neck, carrying a threatening aura.
Lou Tingxue was forced to his knees in the snow, his knee cracking against the frozen soil, eliciting a muffled groan of pain.
Snow seeped into his collar and slid down his spine, making him shiver uncontrollably. Yet, all of this paled in comparison to the terrifying panic of facing the hounds.
Only then did Zhu Dongfeng dismount, stepping through the snow to stand before him. He bent down and pinched Lou Tingxue’s chin, forcing him to look up.
Lou Tingxue’s eyelashes were dusted with a layer of frost, and the bottoms of his eyes were flushed with stubborn resentment.
Zhu Dongfeng’s thumb rubbed his red, frozen chin with a force neither too light nor too heavy, yet it made Lou Tingxue feel as though his jawbone might shatter. He heard Zhu Dongfeng ask, “Why didn’t you think about the consequences when you ran?”
Lou Tingxue said nothing; he was so frozen he had nearly lost all sensation.
Zhu Dongfeng released his grip, then grabbed Lou Tingxue by the collar and tossed him straight over the back of his horse.
Lou Tingxue was thrown so hard he saw stars. The next moment, the steed beneath him bolted into a gallop.
Before long, they had returned to Fanlou.
With a yank of the reins by Zhu Dongfeng, Lou Tingxue slid to the ground, yet he didn’t move an inch—he had actually passed out on the journey back.
Yuwei, who had been anxiously waiting nearby, rushed forward and hurriedly helped Lou Tingxue up.
The moment she touched his ice-cold body, she froze in shock and said, “What happened? How is his body so cold? He’s going to freeze to death!”
Zhu Dongfeng merely snorted coldly and said, “What happened? He didn’t even know his way around, yet he dared to flee in the wind and snow for a whole night. He’s lucky he didn’t freeze to death. He won’t learn his lesson unless he suffers a bit!”
Yuwei removed her own fox-fur cloak and wrapped it around Lou Tingxue.
She then realized that Lou Tingxue was flushed red with a fever and said, “Now is not the time for this. Young Master Lou is unconscious and running a high fever—he must have caught a severe cold!”
Zhu Dongfeng paused for a moment, took a large step forward, and looked down. Sure enough, Lou Tingxue’s face was bright red with fever.
After a brief silence, he said coldly, “I let him stay in luxury, serving him fine food and drink every day, and even the fabric of his clothes is the most precious cloud-brocade in the Great Liang Dynasty. Yet he insists on running away—how utterly ungrateful!”
“Since he likes that ruined room so much, lock him up in there! Seal the doors and windows completely—don’t even let a single mosquito in! I want to see if he’s willing to yield!” Zhu Dongfeng said angrily.
As night deepened, the candle light outside the courtyard flickered dimly in the night wind, and a light knock sounded at the door.
Lou Tingxue opened his eyes with great effort, seeing Yuwei walk in carrying a bowl of warm plain porridge.
She placed the food box on the table, skillfully set out the bowl and chopsticks, and looked at the sickly Lou Tingxue lying on the bed with a sigh: “Young Master Lou, why go through all this?”
Lou Tingxue said nothing. Having suffered a fever all day, he was still somewhat dazed upon waking.
A troubled expression appeared on Yuwei’s face, but she gritted her teeth and tried to persuade him: “Young Master Lou, I know you feel wronged, but as things stand, stop thinking about leaving. Master will not let you go.”
Lou Tingxue looked up at her, remaining silent.
Yuwei sighed and softened her tone, adding, “Think about it, Young Master Lou. Master’s wealth rivals nations. If you are willing to stay and become his wife, you will live a life of luxury and fine dining from now on. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”
“If you insist on fleeing, with Young Master Zhu’s temperament, you won’t be able to escape anyway, and you will only end up being punished in the end,” Yuwei advised earnestly.
Lou Tingxue’s voice was hoarse and weak as he replied, “I am straight. I won’t marry a man.”
Yuwei countered, “Young Master Lou is a Kunze, and so handsome. There are plenty of men in this world who would want to marry you. Even if you are unwilling now, you will be in the future. Since that’s the case, why not choose the best man as your husband while you are young and attractive?”
Before Lou Tingxue could speak, Yuwei advised further, “Young Master Lou, with such an earnest personality, wandering the world alone isn’t easy. If you follow Master, you will at least have someone to rely on and won’t have to wander aimlessly anymore.”
“I know you feel wronged, but in this world, how can there be so many perfect outcomes? A person’s life is all about trade-offs, all to choose a safer path.”
Lou Tingxue raised his eyes, without a trace of hesitation in them.
He was straight. He would not marry a man, he did not like men, and he had never thought of relying on anyone—in the future, he would be his own support.
Yet, on second thought, he was currently trapped here, empty-handed, and powerless to resist. Zhu Dongfeng kept a very strict watch on him; fighting head-on would only lead to disadvantage. Rather than remaining at a stalemate like this, it would be better to compromise for now and calm Zhu Dongfeng down first.
Once the decision was made, Lou Tingxue suppressed the resistance deep in his heart.
He nodded gently, making his voice soft and putting on an air of resignation: “I understand. Thank you for the reminder, Miss Yuwei. I won’t think about leaving anymore, and I will follow Proprietor Zhu’s arrangements from now on.”
Seeing him yield, Yuwei showed a look of relief and said, “It’s good that you can see reason, Young Master! This is the wise choice!”
Yuwei served Lou Tingxue the warm porridge and then happily walked out the door.
Listening to the sound of the door being locked outside, the submissiveness on Lou Tingxue’s face vanished instantly.
His earlier obedience and compromise were merely a temporary strategy. He was waiting for an opportunity when Zhu Dongfeng lowered his guard; as long as he caught it, he could escape this place completely.
Leaving the courtyard, Yuwei went straight to Zhu Dongfeng’s study.
Zhu Dongfeng was looking down, washing his hands.
The sleeves of his moon-white embroidered robe were rolled up, revealing a pair of lean wrists. His movements were unhurried, his expression calm and unruffled, looking exceptionally striking.
The more Yuwei looked, the more she felt her Master and Young Master Lou were a perfect match.
She bowed in greeting and spoke with joy in her tone, “Master, I have already advised Young Master Lou. He has come around and promised not to think about leaving anymore, willing to stay and follow Master’s arrangements.”
Zhu Dongfeng gave a light chuckle, gently drying the water droplets on his palm with a silk handkerchief.
He did not look up, his voice as calm as still water, showing not a hint of surprise: “He won’t accept his fate.”
The smile on Yuwei’s face froze instantly, and she looked up in complete confusion: “How do you know this, Master? Young Master Lou spoke very earnestly just now; he seemed to have really come around, not fake at all.”
She truly could not understand how Zhu Dongfeng could be so certain without seeing it for himself.
Having wiped his hands, Zhu Dongfeng handed the silk handkerchief back to Wen Xiao beside him.
Only then did he look up, an ambiguous smile in his eyes. His tone was extremely firm, yet he offered no explanation: “I just know.”
Zhu Dongfeng knew Lou Tingxue’s character all too well.
Lou Tingxue was someone obsessed with freedom, possessed of a deeply rooted earnestness and stubbornness. How could such a person easily bow his head and accept his fate?
Therefore, Lou Tingxue’s obedient compliance was merely another form of patient disguise, designed to wait for the day he lowered his guard so he could flee without looking back.
Quite an interesting person indeed.
Zhu Dongfeng couldn’t help but smile slightly. Lou Tingxue knew how to adapt to the situation, making him far more interesting than anyone he had met before.
If Lou Tingxue were a Qianyuan, he would undoubtedly be a formidable rival. What a pity, however, that Lou Tingxue was a Kunze.
Yuwei stood frozen in place, still puzzled.
Looking at Zhu Dongfeng, the confusion in her heart deepened—it felt as if there were many hidden battles taking place between her Master and Young Master Lou that she simply couldn’t understand.
Zhu Dongfeng merely instructed, “Keep a close eye on Lou Tingxue for me. He is not an obedient person and must be plotting something else in his mind. But as long as we don’t let him leave Fanlou, no matter how full of schemes he is, he will have nowhere to use them.”