Zhong Li followed Lu Wuxie through the secret door and descended the stairs inside. A chill wind surged up from the soles of her feet.
"This is the rowing level," Lu Wuxie said, holding a torch to illuminate their surroundings.
Zhong Li followed the light and saw that they had reached the engine room of the lower deck. She could faintly hear the sound of gears turning in the darkness.
"They shouldn't find us here for a while. Let's find a hidden corner to hide," Lu Wuxie said, stepping over the keel of the ship and moving deeper inside.
They walked for about half a cup of tea's time, and when they could no longer hear the surrounding clamor, they stopped.
The cold wind howled with the sea waves on the vast ocean, occasionally accompanied by the spray of water hitting the cabin, making dull thuds against the wooden floor.
Zhong Li and Lu Wuxie were somewhat weary from their escape. Unconsciously, they leaned against each other and began to doze off.
Fortunately, Lu Wuxie's outer cloak was still large enough for both of them. Zhong Li didn't feel the cabin floor to be too dark or cold. Just as she was about to shift into a more comfortable position and continue dreaming, she faintly heard a man murmuring.
She turned to look at Lu Wuxie beside her and saw that his brows were furrowed and his expression was pained. She quickly placed her hand on his forehead to test his temperature.
Only after confirming that he didn't have a fever did her heart finally settle.
As soon as her hand withdrew, Lu Wuxie suddenly grabbed her hand and held it tightly, saying, "Don't go, it's so warm, don't go!"
Zhong Li was startled and looked at the hand he was holding. Before the Xie family case, she had accidentally discovered that Lu Wuxie's hands were often cold. At first, she thought it was because he hadn't worn enough clothes that day. Today, she was sure he was afraid of the cold.
Thinking of this, she gently moved closer to him, pulling more than half of the cloak covering her over him. She even specially tucked in the parts around the collar and cuffs that were prone to drafts.
But...
Zhong Li found that no matter how attentively she cared for him, Lu Wuxie's hands were like ice, and he couldn't warm them up.
Could it be some stubborn ailment?
With this thought, she took his cold arm and began to feel his pulse.
Zhong Li's brows were knitted into a twist, but she couldn't find anything unusual about Lu Wuxie's body.
"Cold, so cold!" Lu Wuxie was still murmuring, and the hand holding hers began to weaken.
"Young Master, Young Master!" Zhong Li thought to herself that something was wrong and patted his cheek, calling out in a low voice.
After a while, Lu Wuxie seemed to slowly regain consciousness. He looked at Zhong Li with hazy eyes and said, "Li'er?"
Zhong Li nodded. Before she could ask if he was feeling unwell, Lu Wuxie closed his eyes again, a bitter smile appearing on his lips. "Am I going to freeze to death again? Even Li'er appears in my hallucinations this time?"
Zhong Li was stunned by Lu Wuxie's words. What did he mean by freezing to death again? Had he died before?
"Lu Wuxie, Lu Wuxie!" She no longer cared if anyone was still looking for them outside. She grabbed Lu Wuxie's shoulders with both hands, shaking him forcefully while shouting.
Finally, through her repeated calls, Lu Wuxie slowly regained consciousness. He frowned, looking at the worried woman in front of him, then lowered his gaze to the clothes wrapped around him. Outside was his robe, riddled with holes from the darts, and inside he was wearing a small women's shawl.
He seemed to understand something. He had relapsed.
"Li'er, just now I..."
"You're awake, that's great. Do you know I almost thought you were going to faint like this?" Zhong Li said, biting her lower lip, her eyes slightly moist. Her stubborn yet wronged expression was deeply touching.
"Li'er, I'm sorry. I should have told you about this in advance. Actually, I..."
"Lu Wuxie, I know you are on this ship!"
As Lu Wuxie spoke, a shout came from outside.
Zhong Li and Lu Wuxie froze simultaneously, turning their heads to look around for the source of the sound.
Lu Wuxie's eyes were sharp. He saw a missing plank diagonally opposite them, and the voice came from there.
The two of them got up, walked to the gap in the plank, and looked out.
On the first deck, a crowd had gathered, most of them crew members in Beichuan Gang attire.
"Lu Wuxie, I advise you to surrender obediently. Otherwise, I won't spare any of these people's lives!"
After the voice finished, the people in Beichuan Gang crew attire slowly spread out. Standing surrounded by them were several men and women dressed as commoners. Lu Wuxie and Zhong Li recognized the leading couple; they were the Zhao couple they had rescued earlier.
"Lu Wuxie, I know you can see me. I'll give you one cup of tea's time to come out quickly, or else..."
"Ah! No... no!" As the man finished speaking, Madam Zhao was dragged out and thrown onto the deck. A knife was then held against her throat.
"Young Master!" Zhong Li frowned, looking at the person giving orders from behind the crowd. What kind of fiend was Xie Kun, the leader of the Beichuan Gang, to be so shameless and cruel.
Lu Wuxie frowned, looking at Madam Zhao, who kept pleading, and the other commoners who were crying. Just as he was about to say something to Zhong Li,
Zhong Li spoke first, "Xie Kun already knows that you and I are together. Moreover, it's not beneficial for him if I, an official of the Dali Temple, escape. Therefore, Lu Wuxie, don't think that you can solve this matter alone by going out."
Lu Wuxie looked at the woman speaking with conviction and sighed, swallowing the words he was about to say. "Li'er, think carefully. If you go out..."
"I've thought about it. At worst, I'll just die," Zhong Li said with feigned ease, moving past him towards the direction they came from. "I have a prince of a country and the most handsome man in Jincheng accompanying me. What regrets could I have?"
Lu Wuxie followed her, looking at her slender yet determined back. He remembered the first time he saw her, her seemingly humble yet defiant and cold demeanor had deeply attracted him. After spending time together, he realized she was actually a warm-hearted person on the inside, despite her cold exterior. And now...
His eyes curved. She was like a righteous heroine who was also good at comforting others, making him seem rather petty.
"Lu Wuxie..."
"I'm here!" As Xie Kun's voice rang out, Lu Wuxie's voice responded.
Simultaneously, all the Beichuan Gang members looked towards the source of the sound. Lu Wuxie and Zhong Li slowly appeared on the deck.
"Clap, clap, clap!" The quiet deck, accompanied by the sound of waves, was filled only with the sound of applause.
"They all say that Prince Lu is dissolute, arrogant, and unrestrained. I thought you were a coward, but I didn't expect that the seed born of Xie Yunxia would have some backbone."
When Lu Wuxie heard someone mention his mother, he raised his eyes along the crowd to the highest point.
When he saw the man sitting in the imperial chair by the sail, his pupils contracted rapidly. "It's you, Xie Yun Kun!"