Where did it all go wrong? Was it when he sent that letter, and told her there was an escape? Or was it even earlier, when he held the Cotton Rose cream gently in his two hands, deep in thought? Or perhaps, were things already not meant to be from t...
Qingti and Xiaojiu rode their horses at top speed, side by side. With each galloping stride, they got further from the constraints of the royal palace. Qingti led them off the beaten path, through the forest to a route the palace troops were less likely to search for them. The trees were sparse and gave a sense of openness and freedom. The sky was a pale and lifeless gray, but it looked like it could start raining at any time.
Xiaojiu and Qingti had been riding since far before dawn, sneaking out of the palace when the sky was pitch black and the only lights were sporadic torches. Qingti was very cautious at that time, making sure to never lose sight of her, but also being very attentive to his surroundings. He was definitely worthy of being one of the best military generals of his generation. When she was with him, although she knew she was committing a huge fault, Xiaojiu didn't feel nearly as vulnerable as she thought she would.
It wasn't even dawn when they set out, and now it was early afternoon. They had been riding so long, Xiaojiu could feel the saddle bump her every time the horse took a stride. Although it was beginning to hurt, she dared not stop; even a moment's hesitation could land them in trouble. Thinking of trouble, she felt guilty for dragging a man like Ye Qingti into this mess. As they rode along, the trees became even more sparse, and the vegetation on the ground became more dense. When they finally came to a stop, it was in the middle of a seemingly boundless field of grass.
The grass was overgrown and completely unkempt. There were no signs that anybody had been here for a very long time; it looked like nature was able to do its thing here without any kind of interference. The only man-made thing as far as the eye could see was a tall, skinny wooden pole that was slowly being taken over by moss. In Qingti's eyes, this was a good sign; nobody would think to look for them here. He dismounted his horse, his long ponytail swinging behind him. As he tied the horses to the wooden pole by their loose reigns, he looked towards the west.
"Not far from here is a small rural village I came across one time when returning from a military exploit. They're completely cut off from the capital's affairs, so nobody will recognize us. The horses can't run much longer currently. If we leave them here and let them rest, the palace troops won't know what to think even if they come here. It's best if we go into the village on foot. We'll be there before sunset."
Xiaojiu looked into the distance. All she could see was an endless view of grass, wilderness, and gray sky. It was hard to believe there was a town within walking distance from this wild grassland. The overwhelming green made Xiaojiu feel a bit dizzy, and she clasped her head.
"Xiaojiu, what's wrong?"
"Nothing... I just have a bit of a headache." She smiled bitterly. "It seems the palace life had an impact on me."
Qingti looked at her with a worried expression. Slowly, he reached out his hand and touched Xiaojiu's wrist, trying to console her. She looked up at him in surprise. "If you want to take a rest, we can sit here for a bit longer."
"No, we shouldn't." Although not forcibly, she pulled her wrist out of his grasp. He grabbed at the empty air for a moment, before putting his hand down in a defeated manner. "We should get as far away from the capital as soon as possible. We shouldn't waste precious time." Xiaojiu began walking towards the west, still massaging her head.
Qingti opened his empty hand and looked at it helplessly. Knowing what happened in the past, he should've known all too well that Xiaojiu was right, but the only thing he could see was her immediate well-being. That being said, he couldn't bear to watch her suffer. Without any prior warning, he wrapped Xiaojiu's arm over his shoulder and hoisted her onto his back.
"Qingti, what are you doing? Put me down, don't burden yourself."
"If you were a burden to me, why would I be here, running away from the palace with you?"
Xiaojiu had nothing to say to that. She rested her head on him as he walked briskly through the tangled grass in total silence.
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