NCCnovel Chapter 269 Escape
Chapter 269 Escape
Chapter 269
Just as he had managed to escape the encirclement, the leader suddenly reached out and grabbed half of his sleeve. He struggled desperately, and although he broke free, a piece of his shirt was still torn off. Because of this momentary delay, the others around him reacted quickly, rushing forward like hungry wolves, punching him. Ye Yunxing fought hard, but he was outnumbered and soon received a fierce kick in the hind leg, and he fell to the ground involuntarily.
In an instant, fists rained down like raindrops. He could only protect his head tightly and was no longer able to resist.
As punches and kicks continued to rain down on him, his mind gradually became hazy, and the clamor outside became increasingly indistinct. After a long time, the attackers finally stopped. In this hazy state of consciousness, he vaguely heard their conversation.
"Brother, that girl named Chuntao said that she would give each of us 100 taels of silver after the matter was done. Is this true?" a voice asked expectantly.
"Haha," the man called Big Brother laughed heartily, "Of course it's true."
Then, someone else got excited and said loudly, "Oh, this is great! With these 100 taels of silver, we can all buy a small house and marry a wife. Maybe we can even have some money left over to go to the brothel a few more times."
There was a sudden chorus of agreement from all around.
The man from before continued to ask, "It looks like this kid was beaten badly by us. I don't know what kind of deep hatred Miss Chuntao has against him that made her so cruel. Could it be that this kid is fickle and has let the girl down, which made her angry?" As he said that, he kicked Ye Yunxing who was lying on the ground hard.
The eldest brother paid no attention to the man's actions. After all, Miss Chuntao had told him not to beat him to death, but only to teach him a lesson, so he didn't stop anyone from doing anything. When someone asked him about it, he just waved his hand and said nonchalantly, "The girl said that the boy's mother interfered and ruined the marriage between her daughter and the boy's eldest brother. This made her daughter unhappy, so she wanted to take her anger out on him."
"Hey, that's not right. Since he ruined the marriage between this kid's elder brother and Miss Chuntao, why should we beat him?" someone asked in confusion.
"Who knows?" another person continued.
"Maybe she couldn't bear to see her lover suffer, so she took it out on his brother. You know what, this little girl is really cruel." Someone looked at Ye Yunxing, who was lying in a miserable state on the ground, and said with pretended regret.
"Well." The eldest brother waved his hand impatiently, "Alright, alright, that kid has some silver in his arms. We've already done the job. Take out the silver, and you can all go back home quickly. Don't ruin this good thing."
When everyone heard what the eldest brother said, they stopped asking questions and shut up immediately.
Afterwards, Ye Yunxing felt someone forcefully pulling his body apart, forcibly yanking the bag of silver from his arms, and then leaving him alone.
After an unknown amount of time, Ye Yunxing slowly drifted into a deep sleep as he listened to the receding footsteps. He didn't know how much time had passed; it seemed like a very long time, yet it also seemed like only a moment. Ye Yunxing regained some consciousness amidst the rumble of thunder. He groggily opened his eyes, only to see the sky thick with dark clouds. Soon, bean-sized raindrops began to fall one after another, and the rain actually restored some clarity to his mind.
He opened his eyes, quietly feeling the falling raindrops, his heart filled with bitterness and discomfort. Recalling the conversations he heard before he fell into a coma, even though his reason told him that this could never have been done by his cousin Luo, he still couldn't help feeling sad in the current situation.
The rain was getting heavier, and he came to his senses, his eyes becoming determined. Regardless of whether this matter was true or not, it wouldn't be too late to ask about it after returning. The most urgent thing now was to leave here first. This place was not far from the alley entrance, but because of the rain, no one should come in.
He tried to stand, gritting his teeth and enduring the excruciating pain in his arms and shoulders. He finally managed to pull himself up halfway, only to find his leg giving out, unable to support his weight. He struggled to feel for his bleeding leg, recalling the image of someone bashing it with a stick. Judging by the current state, it must be broken. After repeated attempts, he could not stand. Finally, he could only weakly crouch on the ground, straining his strength to move forward, bit by bit.
The rough gravel on the ground cut through his clothes like a sharp blade, and trickles of blood oozed out, then slowly flowed away with the water. Relying on his unyielding will, he finally managed to crawl out of the alley before his strength ran out.
He lay on the ground, gasping for breath, when he suddenly heard the clatter of horse hooves and the rolling of wheels in the rain. With great effort, he raised his head and saw a carriage speeding toward him in the distance. At that moment, his tense nerves relaxed, and he fainted. In his final moments, before consciousness faded, he silently lamented the excruciating pain of a broken leg.
.........
Luo Shuiyao never expected that when she turned over the dirty and bloody person on the ground and lifted the hair that was stuck to his face, she would see a familiar face.
She was momentarily filled with disbelief. Ye Yunxing should have been staying in the Marquis' Mansion, so why was he here? Could this man in front of her be just a stranger with a similar appearance? But after a closer look at his clothes, even though they were now tattered, they were clearly the same clothes he had worn when they parted.
She quickly dismissed the thought that popped up in her mind. No, this is Ye Yunxing!
She immediately knelt beside Ye Yunxing anxiously, reaching out to pull him up, patting his face anxiously, and calling out anxiously: "Second brother, second brother, why are you here? Are you okay?"
However, Ye Yunxing closed his eyes and his body did not move at all.
Luo Shuiyao was suddenly startled, and an ominous premonition instantly surged into her heart. Her hands trembled uncontrollably, and she slowly placed her hands on the pulse on Ye Yunxing's neck.
Fortunately, there is still a pulse.
She breathed a sigh of relief and quickly lifted up Ye Yunxing's upper body. At this time, Chun Xing and Chun Tao also came behind her, including the driver who drove the carriage over for unknown reasons.
Chun Tao was horrified at the sight. She only took a quick glance and didn't dare to look any further. But Chun Xing was brave and stepped forward without hesitation, intending to help Luo Shuiyao carry the man. Unexpectedly, as soon as she got closer and saw the man's face clearly, her eyes widened and she screamed in shock, "Prince!"
Chun Tao was also startled when she heard this. She ignored her fear and hurried forward. Upon closer inspection, she saw that it was indeed the prince. A look of astonishment crossed her face as she murmured, "Why is the prince here? Why is he injured like this?"
Luo Shuiyao quickly stopped her from asking questions and said anxiously, "Alright, wait until he wakes up before asking these questions."
Then he said to Chun Xing, "Help me carry him onto the carriage. We have to go back and get a doctor for him. He's seriously injured."
"Yes, Miss," Chun Xing quickly replied. Previously, she had only carefully supported Ye Yunxing's shoulders, following the Miss's strength. But now, hearing the Miss's words, her panic and confusion suddenly became clear. She then placed one arm around Ye Yunxing's shoulders and the other under his knees, lifting him up with a slight push.
Luo Shuiyao was trying to hold someone up, but Chun Xing suddenly exerted force, and her efforts were in vain. She was startled to see that Chun Xing's petite figure easily lifted Ye Yunxing, who was much taller than her, and was already walking towards the carriage. She was stunned for a moment, then remembered that Chun Xing was very strong, which she had forgotten in her anxiety.
At this moment, she did not care about anything else and quickly stood up and pulled up Chun Tao, whose legs were weak with fear. The two followed Chun Xing and, with the help of the coachman, took some effort to place Ye Yunxing into the carriage.
Luo Shuiyao's hair was now disheveled and stuck to her cheeks. Rainwater dripped down her chin, and her clothes were soaked through, clinging to her body, making her look disheveled. But she didn't care about that at all. She hurriedly raised her sleeves and wiped her face a few times, trying to clear her vision. Because of the previous action, she was breathing heavily, her eyes fixed on Ye Yunxing, not daring to relax for a moment, always keeping an eye on his situation.
Chun Tao saw this and immediately became flustered. She searched the carriage for a while but couldn't find what she wanted. She only found a cloak that she had brought for Luo Shuiyao when she left. She put the cloak aside, took out a handkerchief from her bosom and handed it to Luo Shuiyao.
Luo Shuiyao took it and thanked Chuntao subconsciously. Then she took the handkerchief and walked forward to gently wipe the rain from Ye Yunxing's face. When she touched the dark wound at the corner of his lip, Ye Yunxing subconsciously turned his head to avoid it. Luo Shuiyao looked at the wound, pursed her lips, and then withdrew her hand.
Perhaps because he was injured and then caught in the rain, his body became hypothermic. Ye Yunxing's lips turned pale, and although he was unconscious, his body couldn't stop shaking.
Luo Shuiyao picked up Chuntao's cloak, which had been placed aside, and wrapped it around Ye Yunxing's neck. While the cloak was large for her, Ye Yunxing's height prevented her from fully extending it in the carriage, but it still didn't completely cover him. Seeing his still-shivering body, Luo Shuiyao gritted her teeth and cradled his exposed lower legs in her arms, trying to warm him. She knew removing the wet clothes might be better, but this was ancient times after all, where strict gender separation was highly valued. There was no such thing as a gender-neutral doctor, so she still needed to be careful.
Seeing this, Chun Xing and Chun Tao hurriedly tried to step forward and hold her back, saying, "Miss, let this servant come."
After all, this scene seemed a bit too outrageous, and they were afraid that outsiders would see it and ruin their young lady's reputation. Moreover, their young lady's relationship with the eldest son was still unclear, and if rumors of her involvement with the prince were to spread, their young lady's reputation would be ruined.
They were different. As servants, they weren't necessarily so particular. Not only would no one notice their actions, but even if they did, it was their duty to serve their masters diligently. Even if someone criticized them, they were just two servants. In the eyes of the world, they didn't need to worry about their reputation; as long as they served their masters well, they had fulfilled their duties.
Luo Shuiyao was startled by their eager expressions. Seeing that the two of them wanted to push her away, she understood what they meant and let go after a moment's hesitation. She naturally appreciated the maid's consideration for her, and her reputation was also important and could not be used to make a fuss.
She thought for a moment and said, "Warm him up first, and then let him go when we get to the Marquis' Mansion. Don't let anyone see. Do you understand?"
Chun Xing and Chun Tao looked at each other, their eyes full of emotion. They nodded repeatedly and answered in unison: "This servant knows."
After that, the two of them cautiously approached, taking Luo Shuiyao's place, and tried their best to use their bodies to keep Ye Yunxing warm. Even though they felt a little cold from the rain, their hearts were warm. They were once again extremely grateful to the Marquis for assigning them to the young lady. In this capital, there were many masters who cared about their servants, but after all, it was rare to find such a young lady. As a maid, how lucky they were to meet such a master who cared about her servants and treated them as close as her own.
.........
At this time, the Marquis's residence was also in a state of chaos. The Marquis's wife frowned, her face filled with anxiety. Seeing the courtyard manager arrive, she ignored the heavy rain and hurried forward to ask, "Have you found the prince and Miss Luo?"
The steward shook his head, then nodded, looking at the Marquis' wife, hesitant to speak. Seeing his behavior, the Marquis' wife was furious and said, "If you have something to say, please tell me as soon as possible. If the two masters are in danger, I will skin you alive!"
The steward trembled with fear and stammered, "Madam, the people we sent out haven't reported back yet, but we've sent more people to search everywhere. However... there's still one matter that needs your decision."
The steward was a little scared at first, and his words were halting, but he finally stopped hesitating and mustered up the courage to speak out. He raised his head slightly and stole a glance at the Marquis's wife. Seeing that she was furious, but waiting for him to continue, he continued, "I have gathered all the servants in the mansion and questioned them carefully, and only then did I find out that someone had seen Miss Luo and the Crown Prince."
At this point, he paused again, looked at the servants around him, and then continued, "There is just one thing I'm not sure whether I should say."
The Marquis's wife naturally saw the reason why he was so hesitant, so she waved her hand to let the servants around her leave, leaving only Nanny Sang by her side.
Seeing this, the steward continued, "When I was asking around, a servant said that after leaving the dining hall, Miss Luo and the Crown Prince sat together in the garden for a long time. Afterwards, the two separated, and the Crown Prince returned to the courtyard. A short while later, Miss Luo left the mansion and quickly sent someone to deliver a message to the Crown Prince. The servants in Cuizhu Courtyard didn't know what the letter contained, but they only know that the Crown Prince hurried out after receiving it."