However, when she looked closely, that smile was gone again.
“What is it? What are you looking at? Is there something on my face?” Lou Qingyun saw that her expression seemed strange, so he tugged his lips into a weak smile as he asked.
Tang Doudou rubbed her eyes and was amazed to discover that Lou Qingyun who she had seen standing just a moment earlier was still sitting in his original spot like before. He was not standing, but weakly laying there.
“You, how come I saw you stand up earlier?” Tang Doudou asked reflexively.
A trace of darkness flashed through Lou Qingyun’s eyes, but it was hidden very deeply. “Oh? Really? I think it must be that Alliance Head Li’s eyes had blurred due to the flickering flames.”
“Eyes blurred…?” Tang Doudou muttered a little. Her head felt swollen and uncomfortable, so she didn’t look deeply into this matter. Instead, she asked Lou Qingyun, “Do I press this rock piece down? It’s not dangerous, right?”
“This large palace has long fallen into disrepair. Even if the switch is dangerous, the mechanisms probably no longer work. You don’t have to worry.”
“Then do you think the switch to get us out will still work? If it doesn’t, we’re dead for sure,” Tang Doudou said worriedly.
Lou Qingyun replied, “Just try it first.”
He sure didn’t mind!
Tang Doudou silently criticized, then reached out to press that rock, praying that it wasn’t a dangerous switch.
Kacha!
After the rock was pressed down, a slight sound echoed throughout the spacious palace. However, no dangers headed towards them.
Tang Doudou and Lou Qingyun shared a look before Tang Doudou said, “It seems to be the exit switch?”
“Probably.” When Lou Qingyun said this, he seemed a little hesitant.
When Tang Doudou heard that they could get out, she couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to his hesitation. Laughing ecstatically, she headed towards Lou Qingyun. “Haha, looks like this Alliance Head’s luck is not too bad ah! Let’s go, big Young Master Lou!”
As she spoke, she bent down to help Lou Qingyun up. However, she wasn’t able to immediately help him up. Tang Doudou lifted her eyes to look at him strangely. “Lou Qingyun, you…”
Tang Doudou’s tone was displeased and a bunch of expletives shot out in her heart: Damned your great uncle for hitting pressure points! What the hell!? Once she got out, she must make Xiao Bai teach her how to strike pressure points. Otherwise, she’ll end up always getting her pressure points pressed by other people. This taste is seriously indescribable!
Her entire body was paralyzed and she could only watch helplessly as Lou Qingyun stood up as if he was completely unharmed. In passing, he pushed her to the ground, then towered above her, looking down on her. Exposing that slightly familiar, sinister smile, he said, “Alliance Head Li, my apologies.”
Meow ah! This bastard was also a bad guy ah!
“Could it be that big Young Master Lou is sad about those couple ten thousand taels? I can’t believe you’re taking it seriously, I was just joking about it. I wouldn’t really demand your money.”
Tang Doudou couldn’t figure out why Lou Qingyun would turn traitor right before the battle. The only reason she could think of was the matter she had brought up earlier of exchanging for his life with money. As long as it’s a matter that could be solved with money, it wasn’t anything troublesome.
Tang Doudou supplemented again. “As long as big Young Master Lou helps me unseal my pressure points, it’s fine if you want me to give you several ten thousand taels when we get out. Everything is up for proper discussion.”
Lou Qingyun wasn’t moved by this. He felt about on the wall for a long time and found something that caused him to become elated.
“Haha, Alliance Head Li, I really must thank you this time!”
Thank your family’s dammed granny!
Tang Doudou put on a fake smile as she said, “Looks like big Young Master Lou has found what you desired. Congratulations ah! In such a joyous occasion, why not let me go so we can celebrate a little together?”
“No need, ben xiao ye naturally has people to celebrate with. Haha…” Lou Qingyun dug out a square iron box from the wall and weighed it in his palm for a little while. Then he smiled even more happily as he looked at it, nodded, then put it in his broad sleeve, satisfied. “As for Alliance Head Li, you’ve also helped ben xiao ye quite a lot. Ben xiao ye can’t really bear to kill you… After all, I’m not a vicious and merciless person either. So just stay here and hope that Baili Yu will be able to find you before this entire palace burns up!”
“Hahaha…”
As Lou Qingyun laughed loudly, the passageway Tang Doudou opened with the stone switch slowly appeared in front of the two. Lou Qingyun swept a glance at the raging fire in the palace. “Alliance Head Li should pray for luck. Ben xiao ye will be leaving first!”
After he finished speaking, he strode into that passageway with large steps and soon disappeared into the darkness.
Tang Doudou was left behind alone with a helpless expression on her face. As expected, one shouldn’t act too much like Mary Sue. In such a rare occasion where her kindness flared up, this was the kind of retribution she got.
“Cough! Cough!”
The fire became increasingly intense and the passageway had automatically closed after Lou Qingyun walked through so the oxygen was speedily being consumed by the flames. Tang Doudou was finding it more and more difficult to breathe. As she violently coughed, her lungs felt as if they were being burned by fire as well, it was unbearably painful.
The most damned part of this was that Lou Qingyun had hit her pressure points, so she couldn’t even cover her nose and mouth. She could only allow the thick smoke to drill into her lungs, causing her to choke so much that tears were coughed out.
Damned your great uncles, Lou Qingyun, couldn’t you have just ended me with one slash? What grudge… what hatred was there between them that he wanted her to burn alive!? He seriously has no humanity!
“Cough cough cough… Baili Yu, you damned fox, hurry and save me ah. If you don’t come now, you’re going to become a widow ah!” She had never thought that at this point, she would actually start hoping that Baili Yu would come save her. Recalling the last couple times he had managed to arrive just in time to save her from calamity, Tang Doudou vowed that if he still arrived with such perfect timing this time, she definitely won’t bite him anymore!
No, it’s that she definitely won’t avoid him out of dislike.
“Wuuuwuu, Baili Yu, hurry up and come ah! I don’t want to die yet…”
“I haven’t eaten all the delicacies in the world, I haven’t slept with all the beautiful men in the world, I still haven’t earned a lot and a lot of money…”
Fire, everywhere was fire!
Tang Doudou watched as those flames crawled up from her feet and slithered upwards along her garment like little snakes. The painful stinging of the burns caused her to inhale sharply on reflex to alleviate that sensation. However, all she inhaled was ash and smoke, causing her to feel even worse.
“Master, there’s someone below!”
Suddenly, the hatchway above Tang Doudou’s head was opened and someone cried out in alarm.
This voice was no doubt like music from heaven to Tang Doudou right now. She looked up in wild joy and saw several figures standing around the hatchway through the flying smoke and ash. However, none of the figures were familiar to her.
She didn’t care about that though and strained her throat to cry for help, “Save…”
However, her throat was too dry. After calling out a raspy ‘save’, she wasn’t able to emit any more sounds. She could only look above anxiously, not knowing if they had heard her voice or not.
If they didn’t hear her, wouldn’t it be…
Just as she thought to here, the light above her head suddenly dimmed as if the hatchway had been closed again.
Tang Doudou despaired. Looks like they hadn’t heard her. They probably thought she had already been burned to death since she hadn’t moved…
As she saw the flames rise up in front of her in preparation to completely submerge her, she gave up hope and slowly closed her eyes. Aiy, I really hope that this was all just a dream. That when she opened her eyes again, sunlight would be shining on her in the hotel…
How great that would be.
Suddenly, an ice-cold hand pulled her up and brought her into a familiar embrace. A low, hoarse voice transmitted over from above her head. “I came late.”
It was Baili Yu!
Tang Doudou abruptly opened her eyes, the sunlight from the hotel completely vaporizing. A pair of exceptionally beautiful eyes gradually cleared and focused.
Baili Yu’s eyes were filled with endless pity and heartache with repressed light leaping in the depths of his pupils.
When he saw Tang Doudou’s dazed large eyes on her blackened face, eyes that were dull without spirit like a broken glass doll, Baili Yu’s heart violently clutched. He felt so much pain he couldn’t breathe.
He also felt endless regret. It was all because he had been too careless.
He thought that with him here, no one would dare to touch her. He never expected that right after she ran out, she had disappeared without trace in a blink. He had overturned the entire Rutaceae Pavilion searching for her and looked through the entirety of Huai City, yet he still didn’t find her.
Beneath his rage, he felt endless panic as if he would never be able to breathe again if he didn’t find that person.
He felt so terrible he couldn’t sleep at all. Finally, news came that an earthquake had occurred on the outskirts of Huai City. Holding onto the thought that he definitely couldn’t take any chances, he hurried over with subordinates.
Fortunately, he had discovered her here.
Fortunately, he hadn’t come too late.
Fortunately, he had found her…
Boom!
Yet at this moment, the ground beneath their feet started shaking violently as if it was about to collapse. It seemed like there was something that wanted to make everything inside the burning palace collapse down, the situation was extremely dangerous.
In the middle of the sea of flames, Baili Yu’s figure slightly swayed as he carried Tang Doudou. His eyes suddenly fixated on the enormous hole in the center of the palace, his expression couldn’t be made out clearly in the flames. What was that?
However, what was important right now was the condition of Tang Doudou’s injuries. It looks like only her feet were slightly injured, but in this closed environment, her internal organs were probably heavily damaged. If she didn’t get treatment right away, the consequences would be serious.
As Baili Yu thought of this, he hugged Tang Doudou and flew up through the hatchway. After he landed, he instructed a subordinate, “Go find Bai gongzi and bring him over.”
After that subordinate indicated his understanding, he hurriedly left.
Baili Yu rushed back to Plum Garden with Tang Doudou in his arms. Bai Feiyun seemed to arrive right at the next moment. When he saw Tang Doudou laying on the bed, he also became extremely anxious. Grabbing Baili Yu, he asked, “What exactly is the meaning of this!?”
Baili Yu didn’t reply to his words and simply said calmly, “Look at the conditions of her injuries first.”
When her injuries were brought up, Bai Feiyun finally reacted and went to check Tang Doudou’s pulse.
“How is it? Will she be alright?” Baili Yu asked worriedly.
Bai Feiyun examined her carefully before saying, “It’s nothing severe, She was just overly startled and fell unconscious temporarily.”
Only then did Baili Yu let out a breath of relief. “That’s good…”
“This Bai will be so bold as to ask Baili gongzi one question: What happened to my family’s Alliance Head?”
“The events happened too suddenly. I, too, was surprised by the turn of events. I’m very sorry…”
Baili Yu’s reply caused Bai Feiyun to be stunned for quite a while. He never expected that this aloof and remote person who had always placed himself above the common populace would apologize so sincerely. Bai Feiyun was silent for a long while before he said, “Her injuries are not serious. I must ask Baili gongzi to find a servant to help change her clothes and clean her wounds so that I can apply medicine. Afterwards, all she will need is a good rest.”
“Alright!”
Baili Yu walked out of the room and soon returned with Qing Yin following anxiously behind him.
“Qing Yun, help wash Alliance Head Li clean. You must clean her thoroughly, understood?” Baili Yu said with a grave expression.
Qing Yin didn’t need Baili Yu’s exhorting at all. When Qing Yin saw Tang Doudou’s appearance, she hastily instructed the servant girls to prepare the washing materials, then started washing Tang Doudou.
__________
