He didn’t hesitate at all. He stuffed the pheasant in his hand into his arrow pouch, slung his bow back over his shoulder, then carefully reached out, slipping one arm under Ye Mengyi’s knees and the other behind her back, lifting her into his arms.
She was very light—so light it made Lu Qingshan’s heart twitch.
This girl probably didn’t even weigh sixty jin (about 30 kg).
When Ye Mengyi was lifted, she briefly regained consciousness.
Leaning against the man’s warm, broad chest, she could clearly hear his steady, powerful heartbeat, as well as the faint scent of grass and wood mixed with the faint smell of prey on him.
It was a clean smell. Reassuring.
She slowly opened her eyes. Through her blurred vision, she could make out the man’s sharp jawline and his tightly pressed lips.
“Save… save me…”
She used up her last bit of strength, grabbing onto the edge of his clothing. Her voice was so weak it sounded like a mosquito’s hum.
Lu Qingshan lowered his head and met her misty, watery eyes.
Those eyes should have been timid and fearful, but at that moment, they carried a stubborn resilience—like a faint spark in the dark night, weak but unwilling to go out.
Something in his heart seemed to sting lightly.
“Don’t be afraid. I’ll take you home.”
His voice softened slightly, and his pace quickened.
The sun was gradually setting, dyeing half the sky red.
He carried her through the mountain path with long, steady strides, the wild grass flattening under his steps.
Leaning in his arms, Ye Mengyi felt his body warmth and listened to his steady footsteps. Her consciousness slowly began to fade again.
She didn’t know what kind of fate this “sending her home” would lead to.
And she didn’t know that this man named Lu Qingshan would become her strongest support in this strange era.
The mountain road was rough, but Lu Qingshan walked steadily, carefully avoiding bumps, afraid of jostling the girl in his arms.
Her head rested on his shoulder, strands of hair brushing against his neck, causing a faint itch.
He lowered his eyes to glance at her—pale little face, closed eyes, long eyelashes like two small fans. Quiet, almost unreal.
“Will the Ye family treat her well?”
A trace of doubt rose in Lu Qingshan’s heart.
Everyone in the village knew the Ye family matriarch favored some over others, and Feng Yan and Yang Yun were not kind people either. This girl likely suffered a lot there.
But on second thought, no matter what, they were still her family. They wouldn’t just watch her die.
Thinking this, he quickened his pace.
Half an hour later, the outline of the village came into view.
Scattered mud houses, curling smoke rising from chimneys, and a few elders chatting under an old locust tree at the entrance.
As Lu Qingshan carried Ye Mengyi into the village, he was quickly noticed.
“Isn’t that the Lu boy? Who’s he carrying?”
An elder with sharp eyes called out.
Lu Qingshan didn’t stop.
“It’s the Ye family’s Mengyi girl. She fell in the mountains. I’m taking her home,” he replied in a deep voice.
Hearing this, the villagers froze and stood up, looking at Ye Mengyi with pity.
“This child has a hard life.”
“Without parents, poor thing…”
“Hope the Ye family treats her injury…”
The murmurs followed him, but Lu Qingshan didn’t listen. He strode through the village toward the Ye household.
The Ye family lived in the center of the village, a courtyard-style mud-brick house divided into three sections: Ye Hu’s family in the east, Ye Ping’s family in the west, and the old matriarch in the middle.
At that moment, the Ye household courtyard was lively.
The old matriarch sat on the doorstep of the central courtyard, cracking melon seeds, while Feng Yan and Yang Yun sat beside her, talking animatedly.
Yang Yun’s sharp voice was especially piercing.
“Mother, you didn’t see it. The shepherd’s purse she picked today was so tender. Qing’an wanted to eat it, but she refused to give it—such an ungrateful girl!”
Feng Yan quickly agreed.
“Exactly! No parents, living off our family, wearing our clothes, and still so stubborn. I think she just needs a beating!”
The old matriarch spat out a melon seed shell and snorted.
“Hmph, that dead girl is nothing but a debt collector! When she comes back, I’ll break her legs!”
Yang Yun lowered her voice, eyes gleaming.
“I think keeping her is just a burden. When she grows up, we can just marry her off to some poor guy and collect some bride price.”
Feng Yan’s eyes lit up.
“That’s a good idea! She doesn’t have parents anyway. No need to treat her too well.”
Just as they were laughing, heavy footsteps came from outside the gate.
Then Lu Qingshan appeared at the entrance, carrying Ye Mengyi.
The sunset stretched his shadow long across the ground. In his arms, Ye Mengyi lay pale and motionless, looking almost lifeless.
The smiles in the courtyard froze instantly.
Yang Yun’s face turned deathly pale in an instant.
Her heart dropped.
When Ye Qing’an returned earlier, he only said he had pushed Ye Mengyi down a slope. She had thought the girl would only be lightly injured and crawl back later.
She never expected—
She never expected Lu Qingshan would bring her back like this… and so badly injured!
The old matriarch panicked as well and jumped up.
“Qingshan boy! What are you doing carrying that dead girl? What happened to her?!”
Lu Qingshan’s face was cold. His gaze swept across the three women, catching every trace of panic and guilt on their faces.
He said nothing at first, only carried Ye Mengyi inside and gently placed her on the old wooden bed in the courtyard.
Then he turned around.
Looking at their pale faces, he spoke in a low voice:
“Grandma Ye, Mengyi fell in the mountains. She hit the back of her head and bled a lot. I happened to pass by and brought her back. Hurry and call a doctor. If it’s any later, it might be too late.”
Silence fell instantly.
Feng Yan and Yang Yun exchanged uneasy glances.
Call a doctor?
That would cost money.
The old matriarch was furious, pointing at Ye Mengyi on the bed and cursing loudly:
“You disaster! You jinx! Why didn’t you just die up there? Now we have to waste money on a doctor—you’re a bottomless pit!”
The harsh words pierced the air.
Lu Qingshan’s brows tightened even more.
He finally understood—this family didn’t treat her like a human being at all.
On the bed, Ye Mengyi seemed to react to the shouting. Her fingers twitched slightly, and her eyelids trembled.
She wasn’t fully awake. Her mind was still in chaos, but those sharp curses still pierced her heart like a needle.
This was the original owner’s family.
This was the home she had depended on so desperately.
Ye Mengyi’s heart turned completely cold.