“Whoosh!”
A swift arrow pierced straight through the black-clad assailant who had been about to attack her, sending him collapsing to the ground instantly.
She was momentarily stunned. Looking up, she saw it was Huo Jin. He had arrived with a team of archers.
“Whoosh! Whoosh!”
Another volley of arrows followed.
Dozens of arrows shot toward the black-clad figures, and within moments, several of them fell, struck by the projectiles.
Seeing this, the leader of the black-clad group hastily shouted to his subordinates, “Retreat!”
In an instant, the black-clad figures scattered and fled in all directions. Those who failed to escape in time were subdued by the men Huo Jin had brought with him.
“Father!”
Huo Rui had been overjoyed at the sight of Huo Jin, but upon seeing his father’s ink-black expression, he grew apprehensive. It’s over—Father is definitely going to punish me when we get back.
Ignoring his son’s inner turmoil, Huo Jin walked up to Luo Chaoyan and asked, “Are you alright?”
“I twisted my ankle,” Luo Chaoyan replied honestly.
Huo Jin nodded. “Given the urgency of the situation, Fourth Miss, I must apologize for the impropriety.”
Luo Chaoyan was puzzled, but before she could react, he slid one arm under her knees and the other around her waist, lifting her into his embrace. Instinctively, her hands went around his neck.
Their eyes met, and both stiffened slightly.
Su Yi approached them, winking and teasing, “Brother Huo, your Hero saving the beauty might have been a bit late, but you made it in the end.”
“Thank you for your assistance in this matter,” Huo Jin said.
Su Yi waved a hand dismissively, his expression full of amusement. “This marriage of yours has attracted quite a few ‘peach blossom debts,’ don’t you think, Fourth Miss?”
Luo Chaoyan rolled her eyes inwardly. Everyone in Jingdu praised him as gentle and refined, but it was all a facade. This guy was clearly a frivolous troublemaker who loved stirring up drama.
She glanced up at Huo Jin and noticed his furrowed brow. Ah! He really is exceptional—even his frown is strikingly handsome. It’s no surprise he has peach blossom debts, but involving an innocent like her made her think less of him.
She nodded with a sigh. “Ah! Since ancient times, people have said that beauties bring trouble, but I think that’s too narrow-minded. In my opinion, exceptionally outstanding and handsome men should be included in that category as well.”
Huo Jin looked down at her and said, “Don’t talk nonsense.”
“Pfft!”
“Haha! Fourth Miss, that’s a fresh perspective, and I quite agree,” Su Yi chuckled mockingly. “So, Fourth Miss, do you have any countermeasures in mind?”
Seeing his exaggerated expressions and gleeful demeanor, Luo Chaoyan thought he resembled a little devil. The more she looked at him, the more annoyed she felt. Deliberately adopting a serious tone, she said, “Lord Huo is as upright as the breeze and the moon. I believe even the most dazzling ‘peach blossoms’ would not sway him, unlike some preening peacocks.”
Noticing her look of disdain when she mentioned “peacocks,” Huo Jin’s lips twitched slightly.
“Tsk!”
Su Yi, who considered himself a dashing gentleman, chose to ignore her “peacock” remark and feigned confusion. “Fourth Miss, you’re not even married yet, and you’re already defending Brother Huo so fiercely? Could it be that you’ve secretly admired him all along?”
Hah! Admire my foot.
Luo Chaoyan suddenly scrutinized him from head to toe with a serious expression, as if hesitating to speak.
“What is it, Fourth Miss? Have you suddenly realized that I’m just as handsome as Brother Huo?” Su Yi raised an eyebrow.
Luo Chaoyan nodded emphatically. “Young Master Su, I’ve noticed that you’re even more beautiful than most women.”
Su Yi choked, his previously smug expression freezing on his face.
“I heard from my uncle that beyond the frontier, there are women with enchanting figures who can captivate men with just a fleeting glance. Young Master Su, I think if you were to dress in women’s attire, you wouldn’t be inferior to those women.”
“You…”
Su Yi laughed in exasperation, “You little girl really hold a grudge, don’t you? And here I just saved you all.”
Huo Rui chimed in at this moment, “Uncle Yi, this woman also smashed the bad guy’s eyes earlier, saving you.”
Su Yi lightly tapped his forehead with a paper fan, “Alright, you’re family, so as an outsider, I can’t win against you.”
Huo Rui and Luo Chaoyan exchanged a glance, then turned away from each other in mutual disdain.
Huo Jin said, “We should head back now.”
He instructed his subordinates to take the black-clad men back for interrogation, then lifted the person in his arms and began walking down the mountain.
Huo Rui, following behind, felt a pang of bitterness. In his memory, his father had rarely held him like that.
Su Yi took his small hand and patted his head, “What’s wrong? Afraid your father will punish you when we return? I can give you some advice.”
Huo Rui, who had been feeling down, eagerly asked, “What method?”
“A hero is often trapped by beauty. Just ask your future stepmother to plead for you.”
“Uncle Yi, what kind of terrible idea is that!” Huo Rui pouted, “That woman would never be kind enough to plead for me. Besides, Father has always been firm in his decisions—no one’s pleas would work.”
Su Yi said with a profound expression, “You’re still young, you don’t understand!” He hadn’t missed the slight curl of Huo Jin’s lips earlier because of the girl’s words. In the future, it might not be so clear who’s really calling the shots! Just wait and see! Of course, he absolutely wouldn’t admit that it was because the girl’s teasing remarks had amused him.
At the side gate of the temple
Fengli and Bai Mu waited anxiously, their worries easing only when they saw Huo Jin returning with the others.
After escaping, they had rushed back to the temple to report to Old Madam Huo and ask her to send help. Coincidentally, they encountered Huo Jin, who had come to escort Old Madam Huo back to the residence. They quickly informed him of the situation. Fearing that Old Madam Huo would become overly anxious and her health would suffer, Huo Jin instructed them to keep quiet and wait at the temple for news. Then, he led a team hurriedly to the back mountain.
“Miss, what happened? Are you alright?” Fengli asked anxiously.
Luo Chaoyan reassured her, “I’m fine, just twisted my ankle.”
Huo Jin gently set her down and looked at her, saying, “Rest well and recover. I will investigate today’s incident thoroughly and give you an explanation.”
So he wanted her not to dwell on it!
Luo Chaoyan nodded slightly, “Then I’ll trouble Lord Huo with this.” In truth, it was impossible not to feel resentful. Her family was of modest status—could they withstand the conflicts among Jingdu’s powerful families? Thinking about the endless troubles that might arise in the future, she regretted not giving that little demon a few more beatings earlier.
“By the way, there were two groups chasing us. The first was targeting the young master, and the second came with a portrait of me. Lord Huo might want to consider… uh… which young lady might be interested in marrying into your family.”
Huo Jin frowned, his gaze shifting to Huo Rui, who had been hanging his head like a quail the entire way. Seeming to recall something, his expression turned cold. “I understand. You should go back and rest now.”
After watching their group depart, Luo Chaoyan had Fengli and Yun Mo support her back to the side chamber to rest. Her energy was truly depleted today—the physical exertion had been excessive.
After washing up, Fengli fetched some medicated wine for bruises from a young monk at the temple and applied it to her.
“Miss, this might sting a bit. Please bear with it.”
Luo Chaoyan looked at her swollen ankle, gritted her teeth, and nodded.
Seeing her wince in pain, Fengli felt a pang of sympathy. “Miss, don’t you think your fate clashes with Jingdu’s?” So many misfortunes.
“You’re wrong. It’s my fate that clashes with Huo Rui’s,” Luo Chaoyan sighed.