Transmigrated into the Villain's Cannon Fodder Ex-Wife (Transmigrated into a Book) - Chapter 21

She suddenly felt restless and uneasy.

Noticing her unusual behavior, Yan Mingge lowered his voice and asked, 

“What’s wrong?”

Lin Chu’s heart was in chaos. How was she supposed to tell him that the barbarians were about to attack the city?

“The heavy snow… It must be hard for the soldiers guarding the city walls,” she said. In the original story, it was precisely because of this snowstorm and the banquet hosted by the General’s mansion that the defenses on the city walls were lax, allowing the barbarians to breach the city with ease.

She tried to bring up the topic to make Yan Mingge more alert.

Yan Mingge’s deep black eyes locked onto Lin Chu, seemingly puzzled by her sudden remark. He said calmly, “The general’s horn bow cannot be drawn, and the protectors’ iron armor cannot keep them warm. This has always been the way of Qiang City during winter.”

Lin Chu: “…”

It seemed her attempt wasn’t very effective.

Unwilling to give up, she pressed further, “What about the grasslands? With such heavy snow, the cattle and sheep must have nothing to graze on. The barbarians rely on herding for survival—how will they make it through the winter?”

If there’s no food in the grasslands, they would naturally risk everything to invade the city for resources.

A flicker of something flashed through Yan Mingge’s cold, deep eyes. The hand holding his reins tightened slightly. 

He replied, “You do think a lot.”

Lin Chu knew that Yan Mingge had grown cautious this time, and having achieved her goal, she played dumb. 

“I always think too much. Haven’t I even imagined myself going to the underworld?”

Yan Mingge glanced sideways at Lin Chu, his gaze unreadable.

Lin Chu felt a bit uneasy under his intense scrutiny, but Yan Mingge suddenly tightened his reins, bringing his horse to a stop. 

He said, “It’s been a while since I went to the army camp. I’ll go take a look today. You head back first.”

Lin Chu nodded and called out symbolically, “Be careful on the way.”

For a moment, it seemed that Yan Mingge’s lips curved into a faint smile because of her words.

He instructed the coachman, 

“Take her to the South Alley.”

The coachman, a local familiar with Yan Mingge, quickly agreed.

Lin Chu rested her chin on the window of the carriage and watched the scene. A strange sense of comfort arose within her, as if being cared for wasn’t so bad after all.

When Yan Mingge turned his horse around and passed by the carriage, he reached out and gently pressed her head back inside. 

“The wind is strong outside; don’t catch a cold.”

His palm was warm, and Lin Chu felt as if the heat lingered on her forehead.

She wanted to say something more to him but saw him snap his whip and gallop into the distant snowstorm.

Only when his figure became a tiny black dot in the distance and was no longer visible did Lin Chu sit back down inside the carriage.

The barbarians were expected to attack the city at night, but for such a massive army to travel from the grasslands to Qiang City would still take some time. Lin Chu was certain that as long as Yan Mingge sent scouts outside the city, they would discover the approaching barbarian forces.

Whether the battle could be avoided remained uncertain.

Lost in heavy thoughts, Lin Chu soon found herself at South Alley. As her carriage came to a halt, a blur of gray fur bolted from Aunt Song’s house, brushing against her skirt with excited barks.

It was Little Gray!
The dog had clearly been staying with Aunt Song while they were away.

Hearing the sound of the carriage wheels, Aunt Song stepped out of her home. When she saw Lin Chu, she hurriedly made her way over, her boots crunching through the snow. 

“Where have you two been? The other day, when I went to bring lunch to Old Song at the city wall, I passed by your place. Your courtyard looked like it had been ransacked, and there was blood all over! Old Song and I were terrified!”

She clasped Lin Chu’s hand, her eyes turning red. 

“We even reported it to the authorities, but it’s been half a month with no news. We thought something awful had happened to you.”

In this unfamiliar, ancient world where she had no family, Aunt Song’s genuine concern touched Lin Chu deeply. Squeezing the woman’s hands, Lin Chu reassured her with a vague explanation. 

“There was an accident at home, but luckily, a benefactor helped us. We’ve been staying with them for a while.”

Aunt Song’s sharp eyes darted toward the elegant carriage behind Lin Chu. Realizing the benefactor must be someone of great status, she didn’t pry further. Instead, she tugged Lin Chu toward her house. 

“It’s freezing—come inside and warm up by the fire.”

She even called out to the coachman, “Sir, why don’t you join us for some hot tea?”

The coachman politely declined, and once Lin Chu was safely inside South Alley, he drove the carriage away.

Inside Aunt Song’s living room, the warmth of the crackling fire was a welcome relief from the biting cold. Aunt Song busied herself adding more logs to the stove, even retrieving some firewood stored under the eaves to brighten the flames.

In one corner, nestled in a pile of straw, sat the hen Lin Chu had bought earlier. Several chicks peeked out from under its wings, chirping cheerfully. Their presence adding a touch of life to the otherwise bleak winter day.

“Why didn’t Brother Yan come back with you?” Aunt Song asked, rubbing her frostbitten hands as she sat down beside Lin Chu.

“He went to check on the army camp,” Lin Chu replied.

Aunt Song nodded, a smile spreading across her face. 

“Now that Brother Yan’s recovered, your family’s days will surely get better.”

Lin Chu’s mind, however, was consumed by the imminent barbarian attack. Even if Yan Mingge had pieced together the danger, Qiang City’s military power was entirely under the Commander’s control. Could he really change the tide of fate?

She recalled the book’s chilling description of Qiang City drenched in blood and frost, with no survivors.

Strangers were one thing, but what about Aunt Song? Her warm smile weighed heavily on Lin Chu’s heart.

Noticing Lin Chu’s low spirits, Aunt Song asked gently, “Mrs. Yan, what’s wrong?”

Startled, Lin Chu shook her head and deflected, 

“It’s nothing.”

Aunt Song wasn’t convinced. Guessing it might be a quarrel between the couple, she offered some insight. 

“Brother Yan doesn’t have the best reputation outside, but as someone who’s known him for five years, I can tell you he has a good heart. He may be quiet, but he remembers those who treat him well. That year, when he was injured in the army, I made him a bowl of egg noodles since he had no one to care for him. When he recovered, he fetched water for us for a whole year. He’s someone who repays kindness.”

Lin Chu nodded, her thoughts complicated as she processed Aunt Song’s words. She made an excuse about needing to tidy up at home and left to clear her head.

As she approached the courtyard gate, the sound of galloping hooves interrupted her thoughts.

She looked up to see a lone rider cutting through the snowstorm. The horse came to a dramatic halt before her, rearing up briefly before settling.

Yan Mingge sat atop the horse, his expression cold and stern. Frost clung to his brows, making him look like a warrior carved from ice.

Lin Chu stared at him in surprise. 

“Why are you back so soon?”

Without a word, Yan Mingge leaned down, effortlessly grabbing Lin Chu by the waist and lifting her onto the horse.

Caught off guard, Lin Chu yelped. Before she could protest, he snapped the reins, and the horse surged forward into the storm.

Seated awkwardly in front of Yan Mingge, Lin Chu avoided the biting wind, but the ride was rough. She kept bumping into his armor, bruising her forehead and nose.

Looking up at his tense jawline, she couldn’t help but ask, 

“Where are you taking me?”

“To the inn. A carriage is ready to take you to Yao City,” Yan Mingge’s voice was cold, scattered by the howling wind.

Yao City—a fortified stronghold nearly impossible for the barbarians to breach. He had clearly uncovered their movements.

Without thinking, Lin Chu blurted, 

“What about you?”

Yan Mingge’s gaze dropped to her, his usually indifferent eyes now unsettlingly deep.

Lin Chu’s heart skipped a beat. Cursing him silently for being both cold and alluring, she feigned ignorance. 

“Did something happen?”

“There’s going to be a battle,” he replied flatly, as though it were a trivial matter.

Lin Chu pressed, “Will we win?”

This time, he didn’t answer.

Her chest tightened. Was it truly impossible to change the story’s tragic ending?

Yan Mingge’s hand rested lightly on her head, ruffling her hair. 

“Don’t overthink. Just go to Yao City.”

She bit her lip. 

“The Commander hasn’t evacuated the citizens?”

He remained silent.

Lin Chu guessed the Commander had ignored Yan Mingge, a mere centurion, and that the city’s defenses were idle. Qiang City would only react when the barbarians were at their gates.

The horse raced through the snow, and soon they arrived at the inn. Two carriages waited outside. Jiang Wanxue stood in front of one, holding Han Junye’s hand, her expression sour.

Yan Mingge dismounted and helped Lin Chu down, setting her into the second carriage.

“Leave through the North Gate as quickly as possible,” he instructed the coachman, a young soldier named Shi Liu.

The coachman was the young soldier who had helped carry water before. He looked stern and said, “Don’t worry, Brother Yan, I will definitely send my sister-in-law to Yao City safely.”

The maid urged Jiang Wanxue, “Mrs. Han, it’s time to go inside the carriage.”

Jiang Wanxue didn’t know what had happened. She just thought that Yan Mingge knew her feelings for the Sixth Prince, so he wanted to send her back to the capital. After all, Yao City was the only way back to the capital.

Jiang Wanxue hesitated, glaring at Yan Mingge before reluctantly boarding her own carriage with Han Junye.

Once the carriages set off, Yan Mingge mounted his horse again. A maid called out after him, “Please bring His Highness back safely!”

“Of course,” he replied before galloping away.

Lin Chu’s heart raced. By nightfall, Qiang City would become a city of the dead…

After traveling some distance, Shi Liu suddenly shouted,  “Where are you going?”

Lin Chu lifted the curtain. Jiang Wanxue’s carriage had turned down a road toward the General’s residence instead of heading to the North Gate.

Lin Chu gripped the wood of the window tightly and ordered Shi Liu in a deep voice. 

“Take the South Alley route!”