No Longer Escaping (ABO) - Chapter 20

“Don’t stop me, I’m going to beat her to a pulp!”

If Xiao Wen hadn’t held Zhang Long back, he would have punched Yang Lulong in the face. Yang Lulong stood there, her mouth open, not knowing how to explain the situation to them. She looked at Wan Niang in a panic, asking for help.

Wan Niang gave her a look of blame. If it wasn’t for her, these two wouldn’t have found out about their relationship so soon.

“Stop,” Wan Niang said, and Zhang Long immediately calmed down.

“Wan Niang, did this lecher do anything to you? Don’t be scared! Brother Zhang, Xiao Wen, and everyone in the village will stand up for you.” It was clear that it wouldn’t be easy to quell his anger.

“You’ve misunderstood. We’re…” Wan Niang was at a loss for words, not knowing how to describe their relationship.

“We have feelings for each other,” Yang Lulong said, now clever again, answering for Wan Niang.

But Zhang Long pointed at her fiercely. “You shut up. I’m only listening to Wan Niang. You don’t have a say in this!”

Yang Lulong immediately shut her mouth and stopped talking.

“She’s right. And… we’re getting married. We just haven’t chosen a date yet and didn’t want to tell everyone so soon,” Wan Niang said, and Yang Lulong, unable to speak, nodded along with her.

“The reason she went on that escort mission was to earn money to propose to Wan Niang,” Xiao Wen chimed in.

“You knew? Then why didn’t you tell me earlier?” Zhang Long asked with a tone of blame. Was he the last to know?

“With your temper, if I had told you, wouldn’t you have come here and tried to kill Xiao Yang? It’s better for Wan Niang to tell you herself,” Xiao Wen said, letting go of him and putting the attention back on him.

“What did you two come here for?” Now that the misunderstanding was cleared up, Wan Niang looked at them helplessly.

“It’s Cui’er. She got herself hurt again.”

“She’s always getting into trouble. She went hunting on the mountain by herself and broke her leg. If I hadn’t been chopping firewood there, a wild dog might have dragged her away.”

“Wait for me. I’ll get my medicine,” Wan Niang said, going to get her medical kit.

Yang Lulong wanted to follow them, but Wan Niang stopped her. “Stay here and watch the house.”

Zhang Long also gave her a warning look that said, “Watch yourself.”

Yang Lulong was left behind and was not happy about it. The annoying little dog kept pulling on her clothes.

They arrived at Old Man Li’s house. Li Cui’er was lying in bed, frowning and sweating, looking like she was in a lot of pain.

Wan Niang went to the bedside to examine her leg. She figured it was a fracture and needed to be bandaged with medicine.

“I’m sorry, Wan Niang. I’m always causing you trouble,” Li Cui’er said, embarrassed, as Wan Niang bandaged her up.

“You know that? Wouldn’t it be better if you just caused less trouble?” Xiao Wen said, lecturing her.

“If I had been more careful, I wouldn’t have fallen…” Li Cui’er mumbled, completely unaware of what she had done wrong.

Old Man Li came in with freshly brewed tea and handed a cup to everyone.

“Old Man Li, you’re the same. You always let her get into trouble. It’s either this or that,” Zhang Long said, blowing on his tea.

“How can I stop her? With her temper, I couldn’t hold her back with ten cows,” Old Man Li said, looking at his granddaughter with helplessness. She was a Kun Ze, but she was more rambunctious than a Qian Yuan. He knew in his heart that his precious granddaughter had always been like this. She wanted to be a Qian Yuan, but fate didn’t agree and still made her a Kun Ze. He felt guilty and could only spoil her.

••••

It was dusk…

Xiao Hua and Er Ni went to Wan Niang’s house to see the puppy, and Xiao Wen took the opportunity to take Sister Fang for a walk by the river.

It was almost autumn, but the grass by the river was still lush and green. They arrived at the river. “Xiao Wen, I want to sit on the grass,” Sister Fang said softly, looking up at Xiao Wen, who was pushing her from behind.

Xiao Wen listened to her. She lifted her from her wheelchair and gently placed her on the grass. She sat down next to her.

Sister Fang was looking at the sunset, with half of it already hidden behind the mountains.

Xiao Wen suddenly laid her head on Sister Fang’s lap. “I’m tired. I want to lie down for a while.”

“Mmm…” Sister Fang looked down at the head resting on her lap. Her legs were completely numb. She reached out and gently stroked her hair. Her thoughts unconsciously went back to the past…

At that time, her family was traveling and encountered a landslide. She was the only one who survived. Her family’s bodies were never found; they were all buried under the rocks. When she returned to the village, the villagers helped her with a funeral for her family. At that time, she had just come of age and was alone, a Kun Ze. She didn’t know what she would do in the future. Just as she was feeling helpless, Xiao Wen came to her and told her that she would protect her from now on.

She looked at this child, who was so much younger than her and hadn’t even come of age yet, saying that she would protect her. Her sad heart felt a little comforted.

Xiao Wen was an orphan. The villagers found her in a baby carrier at the entrance of the village and brought her back. Every family took turns feeding her until she grew up. Xiao Wen had truly been raised by the kindness of the whole village, which was why she was the first to befriend Wan Niang when she first arrived. Sister Fang used to feel sorry for her and was especially good to her. She would always share the good things from her home with Xiao Wen, which her family would scold her for.

The villagers all liked Xiao Wen and thought she would go on to achieve great things. They had even planned to raise money for her to take the official examination, but when Xiao Wen became a Zhong Yong, no one mentioned it again.

Even though she had become a Zhong Yong, Xiao Wen didn’t give up on herself. She still felt like she should have been a Qian Yuan. She hadn’t changed at all and was still as cheerful and lively as before. After Sister Fang’s family died, Xiao Wen moved in with her.

Everything was peaceful until Wu Yu’s arrival, which completely shattered their quiet lives.

Xiao Wen felt a strong hostility toward Wu Yu. She knew in her heart that this person was not good. But Sister Fang didn’t think so. It was her first time meeting a Qian Yuan, and as a Kun Ze in her prime, she couldn’t resist. When she first met Wu Yu, she did have a crush on him, but everything changed that night…

Her estrus period arrived. Wu Yu showed his true colors. He raped her against her will and also formed a bond with her. Strangely, Xiao Wen seemed to disappear after that night. She didn’t see her again until she came back from her near-death experience.

When she opened her eyes, she saw Xiao Wen’s tear-streaked face. Xiao Wen hugged her tightly. She couldn’t walk, and she was told she was pregnant. She really wanted to run away, but Xiao Wen stayed by her side. Xiao Wen told her that if she left, she didn’t know how she would live.

That night was a scar on Xiao Wen’s heart. She had always blamed herself. If she hadn’t gone out that day, if she had come back a little earlier, the tragedy might not have happened. She had seen an unkempt Wu Yu walk out of Sister Fang’s room. She was furious and charged at him to hit him, but she was just a Zhong Yong and no match for a strong Qian Yuan. Wu Yu kicked her to the ground. Her anger made her ignore the pain. She got up again and again to fight Wu Yu, but he kicked her down again and again. Wu Yu kept kicking her, mocking her the whole time. “You’re a useless Zhong Yong. Do you really think you can protect her?”

He kept kicking her, hitting her until she was too weak to fight back.

“You were so arrogant when you first came. Why aren’t you arrogant now? Huh? Keep being arrogant!”

“A Kun Ze is born to be a Qian Yuan’s thing. Do you think you can compete with me? You’re useless. Maybe you can be a Qian Yuan in your next life! I can do whoever I want. Do you know how much of a slut your Sister Fang is under me? Can you smell her? Smell her hard! Let me tell you, you’ll never be able to smell it. Only I can!”

Her mouth and nose were filled with the taste of bl00d. She didn’t care about the pain in her body, but his words were like sharp knives, stabbing at her weak heart again and again.

If the villagers hadn’t arrived, Wu Yu would have beaten Xiao Wen to death.

She was taken to Wan Niang’s house to be treated. For the next few days, she didn’t leave her room. She stayed inside, full of self-pity and blaming herself for not protecting Sister Fang.

When the villagers came to Wan Niang, begging her to save Sister Fang, Xiao Wen finally left her room. She rushed out of Wan Niang’s house as fast as she could and went to the place where they were getting married. She saw Sister Fang surrounded by people, her face pale, with bl00d seeping from the corner of her mouth. She knelt down beside her, feeling more and more guilty. She had promised to protect Sister Fang, but she had let her get hurt again and again. She begged Wan Niang to save Sister Fang, promising to find any herbs she needed.

Thankfully, Sister Fang was saved. From that day on, Xiao Wen stayed by Sister Fang’s side. When Sister Fang was down, she would find ways to cheer her up, be with her, and protect her. Perhaps it was out of love, or perhaps it was out of guilt.

At that time, Sister Fang thought Xiao Wen’s promise to protect her was just a child’s joke. But for Xiao Wen, those words were deeply imprinted on her heart. She would spend her entire life fulfilling that promise.

They were like best friends, like family, accompanying and protecting each other.

“Xiao Wen…”

“Mmm?”

“It’s getting dark.”

“Then let’s go back…”

••••

Wan Niang was sewing a beautiful red cloth by lamplight.

Yang Lulong rested her chin on her hand and watched her. “I was going to ask a tailor to make a wedding dress, but the person asked for too much money. I tried to bargain, but they wouldn’t, and they kicked me out.”

Wan Niang smiled as she listened to her stories.

“I also asked Zhang Sao to help, but she said the fabric was too valuable and she was afraid of ruining it.”

Wan Niang didn’t say anything and just quietly sewed while listening to her.

“I even went to Li Cui’er, but she didn’t know how to sew at all and even stole the pastries I bought.”

Hearing this, Wan Niang laughed even harder. It turned out the pastries that Old Man Li had served them today came from her. Li Cui’er must have lied and told Old Man Li that she had bought them herself.

Seeing her laugh so happily, Yang Lulong laughed with her. Wan Niang looked at her, so silly, telling all her embarrassing stories and still so happy…

She put down her needle and took a deep breath. There had been so many things to do during the day that she only had this time after dinner to make the clothes. She looked at her progress. It would probably take a few more days to finish.

She put away the cloth and looked at the person sleeping soundly on the table. She mischievously pinched her nose, preventing her from breathing.

The sudden action woke Yang Lulong up. She stretched with a hint of displeasure and rubbed her tired eyes.

“If you’re so sleepy, why don’t you go to bed first?” Wan Niang asked, looking at her helplessly.

“Waiting for you…”