“Hurry, Ongzhu, into the forest!” The guards fought off the black-clad assassins while protecting the carriage behind them.
Lu An gripped the reins and lashed the whip, driving the carriage deeper into the dense forest.
The narrow path was rugged, and the carriage jolted violently, tossing Su Baiyue around inside. Even her veiled hat fell off.
“Ongzhu! The horse can’t go any farther,” came Lu An’s anxious shout from outside.
Su Baiyue thought, Finally! Any further, and I would have been shaken to death.
“Ongzhu, my apologies.”
The thick felt hanging from the carriage was lifted, and Su Baiyue, seeing stars, was hoisted onto Lu An’s shoulder.
Su Baiyue: !!! Where’s my princess carry?!
Light as a feather, the ethereal beauty dressed in all white hung over the man’s shoulder like a long, fluffy tail, as though she weighed nothing at all—almost as if she belonged on his body.
Lu An sprinted down the mountain path, his long legs moving quickly, his slender frame tense as he ran, with the black-clad assassins close behind.
The guards who had caught up clashed with the assassins, giving Lu An the chance to take Su Baiyue down a side path, ducking into a small cave to narrowly avoid their pursuers.
“Ongzhu, with the situation so chaotic and the enemy unclear, I ask you to bear with me here for half a day.” The cave was small, barely enough to fit Lu An’s slim frame, let alone both of them.
Although Su Baiyue was as thin as a willow branch, it was still inevitable that Lu An pressed her into his chest.
The boy stood facing her, his back toward the cave entrance, while the dry vines and branches hanging from the opening helped conceal them from view.
Su Baiyue, having been slung over Lu An’s shoulder all the way, felt pain in her stomach from being squeezed. She curled up, pressing tightly against the cold rock wall behind her, not caring how dirty she got. Her face was as pale as a sheet.
“Ongzhu…” Although thin, Lu An was still a man. He lowered his gaze to the trembling figure of the “White Moonlight” beauty in his arms, and unable to resist, he cautiously extended his arm, gently encircling her.
Her disheveled clothes and frightened whimpers made her seem like a frightened kitten. Her snow-white, delicate face rested against his chest, soft and tender like the white sugar glutinous rice cakes he had made the other day—sweet, soft, and unbelievable.
Su Baiyue didn’t notice Lu An’s movements; she was busy thinking about her next lines.
In the book, Princess Ling Yun, as a proud and noble lady, would prioritize her own survival above all else in a disaster like this. With only herself and a mere stable boy, her chances of survival would increase if she kept him close. But if he abandoned her, she would surely perish.
Thus, the original Princess Ling Yun came up with a plan, offering Lu An a promise.
“As long as you return me safely to Weinan Palace, I’ll grant you a favor—be it wealth, jewels, or status, whatever you want. If I can do it, I won’t go back on my word.” Su Baiyue mimicked Princess Ling Yun’s tone as she spoke, moved to tears by her own performance.
Look at this acting! Cold yet enticing, seductive yet threatening, all rolled into one perfect delivery! What a brilliant star she was!
People live for such fleeting promises, running themselves ragged for status and reputation. Princess Ling Yun had grasped human nature’s weakness well, but she never imagined that this stable boy’s true desire was not material wealth—it was her.
“I… I want to marry Ongzhu.”
Of course! This delusional pigheaded fool!
Hearing Lu An’s raspy, barely controlled voice from above, Su Baiyue feigned shock, just as the original Princess had.
The male lead, truly, was bold. Any other man who dared take advantage of such a situation would have been hacked to pieces. But this was the male lead, and as such, he had the plot armor to make outrageous demands and still come out on top, humiliating everyone who doubted him.
Princess Ling Yun, after much internal deliberation, eventually agreed. But once they were safe, she returned to her cold, untouchable self, leaving the Weinan matriarch to hunt down and kill Lu An, while she gracefully married the Crown Prince. Truly, she played the role of a “cruel first love” to perfection.
“Mm.” Su Baiyue let out a reluctant hum, expressing her displeasure and unwilling compromise. Her slightly trembling brow and sharp gaze perfectly conveyed her disdain for Lu An’s delusional wish to marry above his station, like a toad lusting after a swan.
Overcome with joy, Lu An hugged her tightly.
“Cough… cough…” Poor Su Baiyue, with her fragile body, was almost suffocated by his iron grip, barely able to catch her breath.
“Ongzhu, I…” Lu An, flustered, began patting her back.
“Get away from me.” Su Baiyue quickly extended a finger and jabbed it into his chest, pushing him away with all her might.
Only then did Lu An remember that this princess had a severe case of cleanliness obsession.
But now, Su Baiyue was far from her usual ethereal self. Her once pristine white clothes were filthy, her delicate embroidered shoes caked with mud, and even her face—usually so pure and flawless—had somehow gotten smudged with dirt.
Lu An realized the dirt must have rubbed off from his chest.
Looking at the mud stain on her pale, jade-like face, and knowing it had come from him, the boy’s heart pounded uncontrollably.
He wanted… to dirty her more…
“What are you doing?” Su Baiyue shot him a fierce glare.
Lu An’s hand froze just half an inch from her cheek. He snapped out of his thoughts, met her cold gaze, and stammered, “You… you’re dirty…”
“Mind your own business.” Even if Princess Ling Yun had agreed to this stable boy’s audacious request, she would never let him touch her.
The cave was tight, and Lu An was forced to shuffle halfway outside.
Fortunately, the black-clad assassins didn’t find them.
As the sky darkened, the deep mountain forest grew more dangerous, with wild animals prowling nearby, drawn by the scent of blood.
To avoid giving away their location, Lu An dared not light a fire to ward off the beasts. Instead, he dragged a large stone to block the entrance, sealing them in the cramped cave even further.
“Move over…” In the pitch-black darkness, Su Baiyue could clearly feel Lu An’s hot breath against her neck.
Their bodies were pressed so closely together that Lu An could smell the faint fragrance emanating from Su Baiyue’s skin—a scent that haunted his dreams every night, leading him to ecstasy.
“There’s no more room, Ongzhu,” Lu An’s hoarse voice came from beside her. Sitting on the ground, he curled his long legs around Su Baiyue’s small, shrimp-like figure, trapping her completely in his embrace. They were stuck together, like a pastry stuffed with red bean paste, leaving no space between them.
Su Baiyue blinked in the dark. Stretching out her arm, she found she could easily touch the rock behind Lu An’s back.
It really was too tight—there was no more room.
In the narrow cave, their breaths mingled, but Su Baiyue, unaware of any strange atmosphere, drooped her eyelids, knowing that her beauty sleep time had arrived.
Lu An noticed her breathing slowing—exactly the same pattern as when she usually slept.
She fell asleep, even in this situation.
Lu An couldn’t help but curl his lips. He bent down slightly, his chin brushing lightly against her silky black hair.
The pure, untouchable beauty was now lying in his arms. Lu An felt a rush of excitement; he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep at all tonight.
Her hair, smooth and fragrant like fine silk, tickled his chin. Lu An closed his eyes, his arms, which had been hovering loosely around her, slowly tightened, drawing Su Baiyue closer.
Her body was slender, so delicate that it seemed as though a single squeeze would make her melt like snow.
In her dreams, Su Baiyue smelled the sweet scent of pastries. Smacking her lips, she thought, Ah, sleep is the best, with so many cakes to eat.
After spending the night feasting on dream pastries, Su Baiyue woke up with drool on her face, her body stiff from being curled up all night.
“Ugh…” A groan escaped her throat.
“Ongzhu?” A hoarse voice whispered near her ear, tinged with a secret hope.
Su Baiyue moved, and the warmth in front of her suddenly retreated.
She shivered and looked up. The boy, who had just stood up, now stood tall at the cave entrance, blocking most of the mountain wind, looking down at her. “Ongzhu, the people from Weinan Palace have arrived.”
Su Baiyue blinked, her gaze lowering slightly.
Seeing her eyes drift downward, Lu An quickly covered himself and turned away, his face flushed red.
Su Baiyue calmly noted that this was a normal morning occurrence for men, telling him there was no need to be embarrassed. But those palace maidens sure had sharp eyes—they had been right about his “potential,” after all! The future official female lead and his harem were in for a treat.
“Ongzhu!” Jing Wen’s anxious shout echoed from not far ahead.
Su Baiyue quickly composed herself, adopting her usual aloof demeanor. But as she stood up, her legs buckled, and she fell into the stable boy’s arms.
The quick-witted stable boy caught her just in time.
For a moment, Su Baiyue thought she had lost all feeling in her legs.
Lu An grunted softly, the sound a mix of pain and something else.
“My dear Ling’er!” Lady Weinan’s wailing voice rang through the forest like a funeral dirge.
Lu An stiffened and immediately let go of Su Baiyue. Luckily, she was able to stand on her own by then.
Lady Weinan had been so frantic with worry over Su Baiyue’s ordeal in the mountains that she had come herself to search for her beloved daughter.
When she saw Su Baiyue standing at the cave entrance, filthy, pale, and completely devoid of her usual divine elegance, she couldn’t help but burst into loud, undignified sobs as she ran toward her, utterly forgetting her composure.
Su Baiyue, mindful of her cold and unattainable persona, used her dirty sleeve to poke Lady Weinan’s shoulder with a branch, successfully halting her advance.
Lady Weinan’s tears welled up in her eyes, leaving her feeling deeply wronged.
Sniff sniff.
Su Baiyue felt a pang of guilt.
“Lady Weinan, let’s get Ongzhu into the carriage quickly. This cold weather will harm her if we don’t move fast,” the old maid standing nearby quickly intervened to ease the awkward situation.
“Yes, yes, hurry to the carriage, hurry!” Lady Weinan quickly agreed. “Where’s the sedan chair? Bring it here quickly!”
Four strong maids swiftly carried a sedan chair, draped with fine curtains, down the mountain slope as if walking on flat ground. They placed Su Baiyue inside, the epitome of luxury.
Sitting in the chair, Su Baiyue couldn’t help but feel like a decadent playboy. The combination of the old maids’ faces and the gloomy atmosphere of the mountain forest added to this strange sense of detachment.
Composing herself, Su Baiyue boarded the sedan chair without looking back, following Lady Weinan as they left.
Lu An, silently trailing behind, was blown by the cold mountain wind, his slender figure looking even thinner. But despite his trembling, the flush of excitement on his face couldn’t be hidden.