In the palace of the Yong Kingdom.
"What did you say?!" The cold and stunning woman roared, then, as if unable to believe it, she muttered to herself in a daze, "The Emperor actually fell off a cliff with that cheap woman together, alone... I won't allow it..."
The palace servant who was reporting pursed his lips, unsure whether to remind her that compared to the Emperor being alone with a strange woman, the fact that he 'fell' off the cliff seemed far more serious.
---Divider Line---
Looking up, one could see only tall, lush, and vigorous trees, occasionally accompanied by the chirping of birds and insects, presenting a scene of pristine natural ecology.
If only I had read more survival guides before dying, Zhou Shengsheng thought, as she had no clue which direction to go now.
Especially with a heavy man to carry.
Ming Siran's face was as pale as a ghost, his sword-like eyebrows furrowed tightly, completely devoid of his usual air of supremacy, instead looking somewhat frail.
Worried that he might bleed to death, Zhou Shengsheng eventually relented and helped stop his bleeding.
Of course, the material used to bandage the wound was torn from Ming Siran's own clothes.
Originally, Zhou Shengsheng had planned to look for the female lead in the vicinity or simply wait in place for rescue.
But after hearing the distant growls of what sounded like carnivorous animals, she decided not to sit around and wait.
Although she hadn't felt it when they fell, looking up now, the height of the cliff was far beyond her expectations, obscured by thin clouds and mist.
Naturally, Zhou Shengsheng couldn't carry Ming Siran by herself, but fortunately, there were sturdy vines not far away. She tied herself to him, carefully avoiding his more serious injuries, so that even if she lost her grip, they wouldn't fall.
The forest hadn't been developed by humans, and the waist-high grass and intertwined tree roots made her progress difficult. After an unknown amount of time, as the sun was about to set, Zhou Shengsheng's shoulders trembled uncontrollably, and her legs shook incessantly. After her ninety-ninth thought of ditching Ming Siran, she saw a wisp of smoke rising in the sky ahead.
Although faint and barely noticeable, that smoke was Zhou Shengsheng's beacon of hope!
Fixating on the distant smoke, Zhou Shengsheng felt a surge of strength and quickened her pace toward it.
Although she didn't hold much hope for finding residents here, encountering anyone would be better than nothing.
Who knew why the compass Pang had given her wasn't working in this godforsaken place.
Perhaps it was the male lead's aura at work, but when Zhou Shengsheng saw the small fenced hut in the distance, she suddenly found Ming Siran less annoying.
"Is anyone there?!" she called out, her hoarse voice even surprising herself.
Only then did she realize how parched her throat was.
She shouted several times, and when she approached the hut, someone finally opened the door.
Seeing the man's hoe and wary eyes, Zhou Shengsheng immediately raised a hand to show her harmlessness.
The man paused upon seeing Zhou Shengsheng's battered appearance, apparently not expecting a girl carrying someone.
"Husband, who is it?" Hearing her husband's delay, the woman inside peeked out.
"Oh my..." she exclaimed in surprise.
---Second Divider Line---
"You're quite lucky, little girl, to fall from such a height and come out unscathed," the woman marveled after hearing Zhou Shengsheng's story.
Through introductions, Zhou Shengsheng learned that the middle-aged woman was named Liu Ai, and her husband was Da Niu. Years ago, their hometown was ravaged by a plague, and they fled here, eventually discovering this self-sufficient paradise and settling down.
According to her, this was the first time she had seen outsiders in all these years.
"Do you know the way out?" Zhou Shengsheng asked.
Liu Ai patted her hand reassuringly: "Don't worry, Miss Shengsheng. Once your husband recovers, Da Niu will guide you out. We know this place well."
Realizing she had misunderstood, Zhou Shengsheng hesitated for a moment before correcting her: "Actually, you've got it wrong. We're not in that kind of relationship."
Liu Ai gave her a look that said, "No need to explain, I understand."
Although Zhou Shengsheng explained that she was traveling with a caravan to the Yong Kingdom when they were attacked by bandits and accidentally fell off the cliff, the man's dirty but luxurious clothes suggested they were a pair of star-crossed lovers who had eloped due to family opposition and were being pursued.
Ah, young people...
Zhou Shengsheng didn't know what she had imagined, but from her expression, it seemed like a clichéd tale. She decided not to ask.
The couple was accommodated in a room usually used for storage, which Da Niu cleaned up for Zhou Shengsheng and Ming Siran to rest.
Still worried about the female lead, Zhou Shengsheng couldn't help but sigh.
Liu Ai, seeing this, assumed she was concerned about her husband's health.
Just as she was about to offer some comfort, a thunderous cough suddenly erupted from the thatched hut on the far left.
Liu Ai's expression changed, and without saying anything to Zhou Shengsheng, she hurried away.
Zhou Shengsheng pondered for a moment; that sounded like a child's voice.
Having been taken in, she felt she should offer some help in return.
Aside from the hairpin given by Duan Fusheng, she had nothing valuable left, as her luggage had been left in the carriage.
Thinking this, Zhou Shengsheng's gaze suddenly fell on the pale and unconscious Ming Siran lying on the bed.
Just as she was about to act, she suddenly heard a woman's crying outside. Without hesitation, Zhou Shengsheng pushed the door open and stepped out.
Liu Ai's thatched hut had three rooms, but the one on the far left looked oddly new.
Approaching, the crying became clearer, and Zhou Shengsheng confirmed it was Liu Ai's voice.
After knocking on the door, the crying abruptly stopped, as if forcibly suppressing her grief.
"Miss Shengsheng, what is it?" Liu Ai opened the door, her eyes still red, the pain in them not yet faded.
"Auntie, what's wrong? Maybe I can help," Zhou Shengsheng asked with concern.
Liu Ai shook her head; it was hopeless, something even the old doctor from the village couldn't cure. How could Zhou Shengsheng, a young girl, possibly help?
Though not expecting Zhou Shengsheng to be of any assistance, Liu Ai still stepped aside to let her in.
Inside, Da Niu, a burly man, sat slumped beside the bed like a broken reed.
On the bed lay a pale, emaciated boy of about ten, his legs swollen to an unnatural size, purple-red and covered with hard, pustule-like sores, looking quite terrifying.
Liu Ai, fearing she might be scared, was about to explain that the illness wasn't contagious.
But Zhou Shengsheng turned around, her dark, warm eyes meeting hers, and softly said, "I can treat this."
