webnovelvip Chapter 41 Am I really unlucky and bringing bad luck to you?
Chapter 41 Am I really unlucky and bringing bad luck to you?
Qin Rushan didn't speak, but his large, muddy hand gripped Li Xianglian's wrist tightly.
The rough pad of his thumb rubbed hard against the bloody mark left by the hemp rope, causing Li Xianglian a sharp pain in her skin, but she could also clearly feel the lingering murderous aura emanating from the man.
"Why are you crying?"
Qin Rushan's voice was terribly hoarse, as if he had a mouthful of sand in his mouth.
Ignoring the dirt on his hands, he wiped it directly onto her face, making the two tear streaks even more blurred. "In this world, if evil people don't get their comeuppance, I'll become the King of Hell. But this time, fists alone won't do; I'll use my brain. I'll make them spit out every bone they've swallowed, along with its flesh and blood!"
Li Xianglian was stunned by his ruthlessness, staring blankly at him with tears still on her face.
This man usually appears to be just a rough, hardworking guy who occasionally acts tough.
But now, in this dark woodshed, he was hunched over, his muscles taut, looking like a lone wolf wounded in the mountains, yet fixated on the throat of its prey.
"What...what can you do?"
She sobbed slightly. Although her heart was still pounding, looking at his face made her feel inexplicably less panicked.
Qin Rushan didn't rush to explain in detail.
He shifted his body with some effort, the movement aggravating the injury on his back, causing his brow to twitch and his Adam's apple to bob as he forced back a muffled groan.
He pulled a slightly flattened oil paper package from the pocket of his coat, which was pressed against his skin.
The oiled paper was soaked in grease, turning black, and had some red stains on it that he couldn't tell if they were mud or blood. But he had always kept this thing close to his heart, and it was still steaming when he took it out.
He peeled off the oil paper layer by layer, his movements slow and his fingers trembling slightly.
Inside was a golden-brown sesame flatbread filled with thick braised pork. The fat seeped into the bread, and the overpowering aroma of the meat instantly exploded in the musty woodshed.
"Eat first."
He held the sesame seed cake to her lips, his tone curt, "I bought this on the way back from the county town, and I've kept it with me; it hasn't gotten cold. You haven't eaten or drunk anything all day; how can your body take it? If you don't eat your fill, how will you have the energy to watch the opera tomorrow?"
Li Xianglian looked at the sesame seed cake, and her stomach growled loudly, much to her dismay.
She was really starving; she had been tormented since the afternoon and hadn't even had a sip of water.
But by the dim moonlight, she could see that Qin Rushan's lips were dry and peeling, his face was bloodless and covered in dust.
The smell of blood on his back wafted straight into her nose.
"You eat...you've lost so much blood..." She pushed the sesame seed cake back, her hands trembling. "I'm not hungry, you eat..."
"Stop talking nonsense."
Qin Rushan's brows furrowed deeply. He shoved the sesame seed cake into her mouth, silencing her. "I'm made of iron, this little bit of blood is nothing. Eat it! If you starve, I'll be the one who feels bad! Eat!"
The sesame seed cake was pressed firmly against my jaw.
With tears in her eyes, Li Xianglian opened her mouth and took a small bite under the gaze of those fierce and anxious eyes.
The outer skin is crispy, and the meat inside is braised until tender and flavorful, with a savory aroma.
This was the most delicious thing she had ever eaten in her life, and also the hardest thing to swallow.
She ate while tears streamed down her face, the tears mixing with the sesame seeds and oil, creating a salty taste that made one's heart tremble.
Qin Rushan knelt in front of her, not minding his legs going numb, and watched her swallow the sesame seed cake bite by bite until she had eaten every last crumb.
He then stretched out his calloused hand and, without any hesitation, used the pad of his thumb to wipe the grease from the corner of her mouth.
Her fingertips were rough, scratching her skin until it turned red.
"Are you full?"
Li Xianglian nodded with red eyes.
"Listen carefully once you're full."
Qin Rushan leaned forward, and the smell of blood, sweat, and soap instantly enveloped her.
He lowered his head, his lips almost touching her ear, and his voice was so low that only the two of them could hear it.
"They'll come to take you tomorrow. Don't make a fuss or resist. Just go along with them."
Li Xianglian's body stiffened abruptly, her eyes widened, and she instinctively wanted to shout out.
Qin Rushan quickly covered her mouth with his large hand.
"Shh-"
His eyes shone frighteningly in the darkness, and there was no hint of a joke in them. "Shut up, or we'll all be finished if we attract people. Let me finish what I have to say."
Li Xianglian whimpered twice in his palm, then forced herself to calm down and nodded.
Qin Rushan then released her hand, moved closer, and quickly whispered the crazy and audacious plan into her ear.
As he spoke, Li Xianglian's terrified expression slowly changed.
It was a chill that seeped from the very marrow of my bones, which then transformed into a kind of resolute exhilaration.
"Did you understand?" Qin Rushan said, then stepped back half an inch and stared into her eyes.
Li Xianglian bit her lower lip until it turned white, and finally nodded heavily.
In that instant, her heart, which had been hanging on the edge of an abyss, finally found peace.
This man is incredibly bold.
This is like dancing on the edge of a knife; it involves scheming against the Zhao family, the Li family, and that butcher Zhang. One wrong move and it's all over.
But she believed him.
"I understand."
Li Xianglian sniffed, her voice still hoarse but much steadyer, "I'll listen to you. As long as you're here, I'm not afraid of anything."
Looking at her obedient appearance, Qin Rushan felt as if his softest spot in his heart had been pinched hard, a mixture of sourness and swelling.
He wanted to reach out and touch her face, but he pulled his hand back halfway, afraid that the mud on his hands would get her dirty.
The wind outside picked up, making the broken door of the woodshed rattle loudly.
The dogs in the distant village barked twice more, sounding eerie.
"I have to go."
Qin Rushan glanced back at the small window where moonlight shone through, his eyes bloodshot.
He was injured, and every moment he stayed there increased the danger.
If they get caught, tonight's performance will be for nothing, and both of them will be implicated.
Li Xianglian panicked and instinctively grabbed the hem of his clothes.
The coarse cloth clothes were already stiff and sticky from being soaked in blood, and they felt uncomfortable to hold.
"Like a mountain..."
Qin Rushan paused.
He didn't turn around, but his back muscles tensed up suddenly. Then he turned around and, without any warning, pulled the person into a tight embrace.
This time, he showed no restraint whatsoever.
The wound on his back was torn open, causing him to gasp in pain, but his grip tightened even more, as if he wanted to meld the woman in his arms into his very bones.
He lowered his head and pressed his lips firmly against those lips that haunted his dreams.
There was not a trace of gentleness.
This was a kiss that tasted of blood, earth, and salty tears.
His stubble pricked her face painfully, and his tongue forcefully pried open her teeth, like a wild beast marking its territory—urgent, rude, yet affectionate.
Li Xianglian was slightly dizzy from the kisses, her body as soft as mud. She could only cling tightly to his broad, hot shoulders and respond clumsily.
After a long while, Qin Rushan finally released her, panting heavily.
Their foreheads were pressed tightly together, their breathing became erratic, and a burning heat mingled in the cold woodshed.
"Rushan..." Li Xianglian gasped for breath, tears still clinging to the corners of her eyes. Looking at the wounded man before her in the moonlight, the grievances in her heart suddenly burst forth.
"Why is it so hard for us to be together?"
Her voice was trembling, "When other people are dating, it's just a matter of whether their families approve. But when it comes to us, it's always this or that, and it even involves bloodshed... Am I really unlucky, bringing you bad luck?"