The Eunuch Has A Wife - Chapter 51

The sky darkened quickly, and the woman who came to cook for them arrived a bit late. A knock sounded at the door: “Young master, madam, dinner is ready.”

Bai Zhi thought for a moment and didn’t open the door directly. She let out a light cough, pretending to feel unwell, and said, “Madam and I have no appetite. Please leave the food in the kitchen.”

The woman outside acknowledged, and soon there was no more noise, suggesting she had left.

A flicker of unease passed through Bai Zhi’s eyes: “Wanwan, what should we do? I feel like even the woman who cooks for us is suspicious. And the fact that they sent that warning letter so brazenly means they’re confident we’re trapped. It must be someone from this village.”

They had only been in Song Village for two days and didn’t know anyone well.

Once suspicion arose, it felt like no one could be trusted.

Wei Ziwan’s face also showed unease: “Since the pigeon could fly to our window, it means whoever is behind this knows where we live. So it must be someone from Song Village, maybe even more than one person. To us, everyone here is a suspect.”

The best plan now was to leave this courtyard. If the person behind this couldn’t find them, they could survive the night.

But what about after that?

“It’s better to be safe than sorry. We should hide tonight. We can’t just sit here and wait for disaster.” Bai Zhi said, looking out the window. The sky outside was already dark.

There were still over two hours until midnight. That should be enough time to find a hiding place.

The biggest problem was that they couldn’t ask anyone for help.

After all, they had no idea who was behind this. If they tried to escape and ended up running straight into the enemy, it would be a disaster.

Wei Ziwan had also thought of this: “We can’t ask anyone for help tonight. It’s too risky. Tomorrow, we can gather everyone and observe their reactions. If we still can’t figure it out, we shouldn’t stay in this village any longer.”

Their movements tonight had to remain a secret to ensure their safety.

“Where should we go? There are probably guards at the village entrance.”

Bai Zhi clenched her fists, trying to calm herself and think. Both times they had left and returned to the village, they had seen guards at the entrance. There would surely be someone on duty at night.

Leaving the village wouldn’t be easy, but hiding in the village overnight was too dangerous.

They weren’t familiar with the area and wouldn’t be able to find a hiding spot quickly.

If they accidentally alerted the person in the shadows, they might not even make it to midnight.

Wei Ziwan pondered for a moment, then said firmly, “The most dangerous place is the safest. We won’t leave through the village entrance.”

“Do you mean we should go into the mountains from the back of the village?” Bai Zhi’s eyes lit up. That was right—they didn’t have to go through the entrance. They could go directly into the mountains from the back.

“Exactly. Although Qingshi Mountain isn’t huge, it’s big enough. Finding someone in the dark won’t be easy.” Wei Ziwan said, her expression relaxing slightly.

Once they made their decision, they quickly put on an extra layer of cotton clothing. The mountains were cold, especially on a winter night. Staying warm was crucial. They hoped to find a cave or something similar; otherwise, the cold night would be hard to endure.

When the night deepened and there were almost no lights outside, it was nearly 9 PM. Bai Zhi and Wei Ziwan checked the doors and windows again, then climbed out through the back window.

The moonlight seemed to carry a cold, eerie glow. After adjusting to the darkness, the two carefully made their way toward the mountains behind the village.

According to their plan, although the old clan leader at Qingshi Temple couldn’t be trusted, since nothing had happened on their first night, it was likely that the person behind this wouldn’t act within the temple.

Of course, they couldn’t rule out the possibility that the person might act out of desperation. If it was someone close to the old clan leader—or even the clan leader himself—they might still strike.

So they could hide near the temple. If anything went wrong, they could take the risk and seek help from the people inside.

There was only one path up the mountain. To avoid losing their way, they walked along one side of the trail.

Although avoiding the main path was more difficult, it added an extra layer of safety.

Bai Zhi tightly held Wei Ziwan’s hand. The two cautiously kept an eye on their surroundings and behind them, slowly making their way up the mountain under the cover of night.

There was almost no wind tonight, and the mountains were eerily silent.

Apart from their footsteps, the only sound was their increasingly heavy breathing as they climbed.

A little further up was Qingshi Temple. Bai Zhi relaxed her sweaty hand and stopped to whisper, “There seems to be a small cave here.”

Wei Ziwan softly acknowledged, and the two walked a few steps to the side. Sure enough, they found a shallow indentation in the mountain wall.

It wasn’t exactly a cave, but it would do.

Bai Zhi used her foot to gather some dry branches and leaves, then spread a small blanket on the ground. She took off the extra cotton coat she was wearing.

Wei Ziwan also removed her extra coat, and the two sat on the blanket, huddling close together.

They draped the two coats over themselves. Although it was still a bit chilly, they could manage.

Their bodies warmed up quickly as they pressed close together. Bai Zhi let out a soft sigh of relief. They should be able to make it through the night.

Wei Ziwan gently wrapped her arm around Bai Zhi’s and leaned her head on Bai Zhi’s shoulder.

The night was heavy, and a faint breeze began to stir. The mountains remained silent.

The two remained cautious and didn’t speak, making no sound.

Bai Zhi thought to herself that it was almost midnight. The person in the shadows couldn’t possibly have the ability to track them here, could they?

She moved her arm away from Wei Ziwan’s grasp.

Her hand gently stroked Wei Ziwan’s head, then moved down, softly pulling her into an embrace, gradually tightening her arms.

Even though they were spending the night in the mountains, even though their fate was uncertain, Bai Zhi felt an unusual sense of contentment at this moment.

If only she could hold the person in her arms like this forever.

Wei Ziwan obediently leaned closer into Bai Zhi’s embrace, a faint smile curling at the corners of her lips.

At that moment, Bai Zhi sniffled and leaned closer to Wei Ziwan’s ear, whispering softly, “Wanwan, what perfume are you wearing? It smells so nice.”

Wei Ziwan’s lips curled into another smile, but in the next instant, her breath hitched, and her heart began to race.

She stiffly turned her head, her voice trembling as she asked, “I’m not wearing any perfume. Are you?”

Bai Zhi’s spine went cold, and her face filled with horror. They had fallen into a trap.

The two locked eyes in the dim light of the night, both seeing the fear reflected in each other’s gaze.

Wei Ziwan suddenly remembered something and whispered in alarm, “It was that carriage driver.”

No wonder something had felt off earlier. Although the day had been clear, when the carriage had stopped abruptly, it felt like a few drops of water had landed on them.

Now she understood—it must have been some kind of tracking perfume. That was why the pigeon had flown to their window, which had a small gap.

That was why the person in the shadows had sent the warning letter ahead of time.

It wasn’t arrogance—it was deliberate. They had been lured out of Song Village.

So the village was safe. They had outsmarted themselves and walked right into a trap.

Bai Zhi had also realized this: “It’s already past 9 PM, almost midnight. There’s no time to go back to Song Village.”

The person in the shadows might already be looking for them, or even close by.

Wei Ziwan suddenly leaned away and sniffed at her own clothes, then quickly moved closer to Bai Zhi, sniffing her as well.

“The scent on you is very faint. Most of the perfume must have been sprayed on me. Take off your coat, quickly.”

“What about you?” Bai Zhi hurriedly began removing her coat, but when she saw Wei Ziwan wasn’t doing the same, she instinctively asked.

Wei Ziwan’s voice was calm: “There’s no time to go back down the mountain. Give me your coat and hurry to Qingshi Temple to ask the old clan leader for help. I’ll wait here for you.”

“No, it’s too dangerous. You go. I’ll stay here.” Bai Zhi refused without hesitation.

“If you take off your coat, the scent on you will be almost gone. But the scent on me is too strong. Even if I take off my coat, it won’t help.” Wei Ziwan said, taking Bai Zhi’s coat from her. Her tone was resolute.

The crescent moon hung in the sky, its cold, pale light casting faint shadows on their faces, barely illuminating their expressions.

Bai Zhi gripped the coat tightly, unwilling to let go. The lingering warmth on the coat hadn’t yet dissipated, but with only a single layer of clothing left, the cold quickly seeped into her.

She bit her lip: “Let’s go together.” Her voice was stubborn, her hands still clutching the coat.

Wei Ziwan’s tone suddenly turned stern: “If we waste any more time, neither of us will make it. There’s still some time before midnight. Don’t you want to know who’s behind this? If you run fast enough, we can turn the tables and trap them.”

Bai Zhi fell silent, still holding the coat.

There were too many uncertainties. What if the person in the shadows arrived just after she left?

Or what if she found the old clan leader but didn’t make it back in time, and the person found Wei Ziwan?

She didn’t dare to gamble.

Wei Ziwan’s gaze was steady as she looked at Bai Zhi and said slowly, “Husband, calm down. Don’t waste any more time. Go.”

With that, she tugged firmly at the coat in Bai Zhi’s hands.

Bai Zhi’s eyes flickered with hesitation, but in the end, they were filled with anxiety and torment.

She glanced down at the ground, then let go of the coat. She reached out and grasped Wei Ziwan’s slightly cold fingers, her voice trembling: “In this lifetime, I’ll only hold your hand, Wei Ziwan.”

With that, she turned and ran toward the mountain path.

Once on the path, she didn’t dare to pause for even a moment. Bai Zhi ran with all her might, heading toward Qingshi Temple.

Behind her, Wei Ziwan’s figure was already out of sight. The wind had finally picked up, blowing at her feet, but she couldn’t feel the cold.

Bai Zhi clenched her teeth, taking two or three steps at a time.

Her foot slipped, and her knee seemed to lose all sensation of pain, replaced only by a sharp, icy chill.

She quickly got up and continued climbing, her legs numb, driven only by the need to keep running.

The howling wind filled her ears, as if it had stolen her hearing. All she could see was the path ahead, her feet moving mechanically, step by step.

The wind rustled through the trees. Wei Ziwan hugged the coat tightly and slowly sat down, wrapping her arms around her knees.

She let out a silent, bitter laugh. Being alone was so cold.

She didn’t know how much time had passed when suddenly, a strange sound filled the air.

Something was flying toward her, flapping its wings and circling above her head.

Wei Ziwan’s heart skipped a beat. She glanced in the direction Bai Zhi had gone.

All she saw were the shadows of trees, dancing like monstrous beasts ready to devour her.