sjar Chapter 628 Saved a Big Trouble
Chapter 628 Saved a Big Trouble
The carriage traveled through the mountains and rivers of Jiangnan. The willows on both sides of the official road sprouted new green leaves, and when the wind blew, the willow catkins danced like snowflakes.
Far from the hustle and bustle and scheming of the capital, Gu Junze and Chu Ruohan lived a comfortable life.
Gu Junze changed out of his brocade robe and into an ordinary blue cloth gown. He lost the imposing aura of the Duke of Zhenguo and gained a more unruly air of a江湖人 (jianghu person, a person of the martial arts world).
He drove the car himself, the reins in his hand as steady as if he held the command seal of a thousand troops.
Chu Ruohan leaned against the carriage door, holding a book in her hand, but her eyes were not on the book. Instead, she was looking at her husband's broad back, a smile playing on her lips.
"I never would have guessed that our great general would do this."
Gu Junze didn't turn around, his voice laced with amusement: "What can't I do in military campaigns?"
As evening approached, the two found a beautiful spot nestled against the mountains and beside the water to stop.
Gu Junze skillfully started a fire, then went to the stream and deftly gutted the fish, skewered them with branches, and roasted them over the fire.
Watching his skillful movements, Chu Ruohan realized that this time, unlike their first long trip when Gu Junze was stumped by the fish, it seemed he had practiced his fishing skills extensively in private...
Before long, the aroma of the fish wafted out, and the skin was roasted to a golden brown and crispy, sizzling with oil.
He handed the first grilled fish to Chu Ruohan, while he continued grilling the rest.
Chu Ruohan took a bite; the fish was fresh and tender, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, cooked to perfection.
She looked at the man in front of her, who was intently staring at the fire and sprinkling salt he carried with him onto the fish, and felt a little unreal.
In the capital, he was the Duke of Zhenguo, whose word was law, and a living Yama who instilled fear in all officials.
But here, he is just her husband, a man who will grill fish for her and set up her tent so that not a single breeze can get in.
"What's wrong?" Gu Junze noticed her gaze and looked up.
The light from the campfire shone on his sharply defined face, and the flickering flames ignited two warm glows in his deep eyes.
"It's nothing," Chu Ruohan shook her head and smiled, "It's just that I feel like you're a peacock spreading its tail feathers."
Gu Junze raised an eyebrow.
"Show me all your skills and try to please me," Chu Ruohan added slowly, taking another bite of fish.
Gu Junze chuckled softly, the sound particularly pleasant in the quiet night.
"Being able to please the lady is my skill."
The two enjoyed the long-lost tranquility and time alone together until they arrived at a place called "Yanxia Town".
The town, with its blue-tiled roofs and white walls, nestled along the water, possesses a picturesque charm.
Just as the two were about to drive into town to find an inn to rest, a series of chaotic footsteps suddenly came from ahead, mixed with a woman's screams and a man's vulgarities.
"Little beauty, don't run away!"
"Follow these big shots, and you're guaranteed to live a life of luxury!"
Several thugs dressed in a shabby style were seen chasing a young girl.
The girl was about sixteen or seventeen years old, wearing a faded coarse cloth skirt with patches in some places.
Her hair was disheveled, her face was covered in dust, and she was stumbling forward, her face full of terror.
Just as she twisted her ankle and was about to fall, the thugs behind her immediately pounced on her.
Chu Ruohan's brows had just furrowed.
Gu Junze beside him had already made a move.
He didn't even use a weapon; his figure was like a ghost, and he was in front of the thugs in an instant.
All that could be heard were a few muffled groans and the cracking sound of bones dislocating.
In the blink of an eye, those thugs who were just moments before were lying on the ground crying and screaming, scrambling away as they ran.
The whole process was very quick!
Liu Yingying collapsed to the ground, still shaken.
She slowly raised her head and looked at the man who had saved her.
The man was tall and straight like a pine tree, with a cold and stern face and unfathomable eyes.
He was dressed in the most ordinary clothes, but the murderous aura and noble air that emanated from his very bones could not be concealed.
The girl's heart skipped a beat, and her cheeks inexplicably flushed.
Chu Ruohan stepped down from the carriage, walked to her side, and asked gently, "Miss, are you alright?"
Liu Yingying then came to her senses, quickly got up from the ground, and was about to kneel down in front of Chu Ruohan and Gu Junze.
"Thank you so much for your help, my benefactor and your wife!"
Chu Ruohan helped her up and took out a few taels of silver from her sleeve and handed it to her: "Take this money and find a place to settle down."
Liu Yingying looked at the silver, but shook her head violently. She walked past Chu Ruohan and knelt down in front of Gu Junze with a "plop".
She raised her small, tear-streaked face, her eyes filled with admiration and determination.
"My benefactor's kindness is beyond my ability to repay. I only wish to follow you, to serve you as your servant!"
Gu Junze's brows furrowed instantly. He hated this kind of tearful nagging the most, and was about to refuse.
Chu Ruohan, however, took the initiative and helped Liu Yingying up with a smile.
She glanced at her husband's face, which was almost frozen, and a mischievous glint flashed in her eyes.
Chu Ruohan deliberately spoke in a troubled yet sympathetic tone, "Husband, look at this girl's sincerity, she's so pitiful."
"When we're traveling, we need someone to serve us tea and water."
"Why don't we... take her in?"
Gu Junze's face turned completely dark.
His cold gaze swept over Chu Ruohan, his eyes seeming to say: Try saying that again.
Liu Yingying, however, failed to see the undercurrents between the couple. She simply thought the lady was kind-hearted and was immediately moved to tears, repeatedly praising her as "the lady is kind-hearted."
Chu Ruohan was in a great mood and took Liu Yingying's hand. "Come on, let's go into town. I'll find you a place to wash up and change your clothes first."
As she spoke, she pulled Liu Yingying forward, completely ignoring the Duke of Zhenguo behind her, whose aura had already plummeted to freezing point.
As expected, Chu Ruohan kept her word and stayed at the best inn in Yanxia Town.
She not only booked a private superior room for Liu Yingying, but also instructed the waiter to bring her hot water and a brand new set of clothes.
They even thoughtfully asked the restaurant to prepare some light meals, as if they wanted to keep the person by their side for a long time.
Gu Junze had a dark expression on his face from beginning to end.
He sat at the octagonal table in the room, with a cup of tea that had long since gone cold in front of him.
His long, slender fingers gripped the celadon teacup, his knuckles turning white from the force, as if he were about to crush the cup at any moment.
The air pressure in the entire room was so low that water could drip from it.
After settling everything in, Chu Ruohan leisurely strolled back to her room.
As soon as she opened the door, she was met with her husband's eyes, which were filled with "I'm very unhappy".
She burst out laughing.
"what happened?"
She sat down opposite him, poured herself a cup of hot tea, and slowly blew on it.
"Our mighty Duke Zhenguo, who can command a million soldiers by himself, would he be afraid of being bothered by a little girl who can't even kill a chicken?"