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墨書 Inktalez
In the deep of night, the back door of Xue's mansion was enveloped in tranquility, with moonlight cascading like water onto the ground.
Pan An hugged his arms, having sneezed for the fifth time in the cold wind. Just as he began to shiver, he finally heard a soft creak from the back door.
Xue Rongji peeked out, wrapped in a large cloak, and called softly, “Brother Tan Lang?”
“It’s me!” Pan An replied, his voice tinged with helplessness and fatigue. “Are you sure the person you like doesn’t have ulterior motives? Who meets a girl at this hour? This could tarnish your reputation; don’t you understand?”
He frowned deeply, concern etched on his face as he looked at Xue Rongji.
However, Xue Rongji merely chuckled, her innocent smile brightening her face. She patted the bundle in her arms and exclaimed excitedly, “Of course it has to be at this hour! Haven’t you heard that line from the play about running away at night? How can you run without it being dark?” As she spoke, she bounced over to Pan An, her eyes sparkling with anticipation for the unknown.
“Night… running away?” Pan An could hardly believe his ears; he widened his eyes in disbelief and asked, “Who are you running away with?”
“Of course with the person I like! Am I supposed to run away with you?” Xue Rongji said without hesitation as she grabbed his hand with surprising strength. “I’ve arranged to meet Brother A Qing tonight at a quarter past the hour of the dog in Sesame Alley. It wouldn’t be proper for a girl to walk alone at night; I can’t bring my maid along, so naturally, I had to call you!”
Suddenly, she tilted her head and gave Pan An a sweet smile that resembled flowers blooming in spring. “By the way, after looking at you for a while, you don’t seem as repulsive as before.”
“You…” Pan An gritted his teeth in frustration, his face flushing red and pale in turn, but he held back from speaking.
He thought to himself that this little girl must have been enchanted by some kind of man to be so foolishly intent on eloping. Bringing along such a large bundle of valuables was absurd. If she were truly running away with a lover, it might make sense; but what kind of man would lack such discernment as to elope with a girl of merely ten years?
With that thought, he took a deep breath to calm himself and shoved the small lantern marked with the character for Pan into her hands. “Since you say I’m repulsive, then you should just go off and elope by yourself. I won’t accompany you!” With that, he turned and disappeared into the thick darkness behind him, his steps quick and urgent as if some great beast were chasing him.
Xue Rongji stood frozen for a moment, staring blankly in the direction Pan An had gone, a flicker of disappointment crossing her eyes.
She glanced around at the pitch-black night and seemed to feel a hint of fear creeping in. Instinctively pulling her cloak tighter around her shoulders and clutching her bundle closer, she muttered softly to herself, “ Brother A Qing was right; those who are good-looking often have wicked hearts!” With a stomp of her foot to muster courage, she set off toward the west side of the city, her steps resolute yet trembling slightly.
Meanwhile, Pan An stealthily emerged from the shadows and cautiously followed her all the way to Sesame Alley.
Upon seeing what lay before him, he nearly choked on his anger.
There was indeed someone waiting for Xue Rongji, and it was a boy about his age.
The boy was big and stout, looking as plump as a pig, but what stood out even more was his tattered clothing, suggesting he was likely a vagrant from the area.
" Brother A Qing!" Xue Rongji greeted him joyfully, a happy smile lighting up his face, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
However, as soon as he reached the boy, the latter anxiously asked, "So, did no one follow you?" He looked around nervously, a hint of unease in his gaze.
Xue Rongji quickly shook his head and replied eagerly, "No, no! I tied up the maid in the room! By the time my father finds out tomorrow morning, we’ll be far away!"
"That's good!" The boy visibly relaxed, the tension on his face easing somewhat. He then shifted the conversation, asking, "Did you bring the silver?" His eyes glinted with greed as they fixated on the bundle in Xue Rongji's arms.
"I brought it! All my valuable things are right here!" Xue Rongji said while opening the bundle. The red agate and green jade sparkled under the moonlight, radiating an alluring glow.
From a distance, Pan An could see that the boy's greed intensified, as if he wanted to swallow all those jewels whole.
" Brother A Qing, with this silver, will it be enough for us to run away tonight and buy houses for those kids at the City God Temple? To buy them meat to eat?" Xue Rongji asked innocently, his eyes filled with dreams of the future.
"That’s enough!" The boy grinned widely, his chubby cheeks shaking with laughter. He quickly gathered up the bundle and looked at Xue Rongji with a smile. "Sister Rongji, let me thank you on behalf of everyone!"
A fleeting glint of ruthlessness crossed the boy's eyes for a moment, sending a chill down one's spine.
Pan An sensed something was wrong. Panic surged within him as beads of sweat formed on his forehead. In a moment of desperation, he shouted loudly, " Butler Xue found the young lady! Look quickly; she’s right here!"
Upon hearing this, the boy turned without hesitation and attempted to flee, nearly tripping over himself in his haste. Although Xue Rongji was still confused about what was happening, he tightly grabbed onto the boy's clothing and anxiously said, " Brother A Qing, aren’t we running away tonight? You’re going the wrong way; leaving the city is this way..."
"Get lost! Idiot! With so many jewels, why would we leave the city?"
The boy shoved Xue Rongji hard to the ground. Xue Rongji gasped as he fell onto the cold ground. The boy turned to leave in a hurry, eager to escape from that place.
Pan An rushed out immediately. His heart raced as he ran breathlessly toward Xue Rongji to help him up. Just as he bent down to assist her, something struck him hard on the back of his head. He let out a cry of pain as darkness engulfed him; he nearly fainted.
Xue Rongji was clearly stunned by the sudden turn of events before her. Her eyes widened in terror as she pointed a trembling finger at Pan An, asking, "Why are you hitting him?"
The young man sneered darkly, his expression twisted and menacing. He yanked the jade pendant from Pan An's waist and roughly tugged at his hair, pulling down the jade ring that held his hair in place. "Sister Rongji, such a naive and innocent young lady must not know that thieves never leave empty-handed! Seeing something so valuable, I have no reason to pass it up!"
"You..." Xue Rongji's gaze darkened as if she finally understood the situation. Suddenly, she sprang to her feet. Her eyes were filled with anger and defiance as she clenched her fists tightly, her knuckles turning white from the pressure.
Pan An covered the back of his head where warm liquid was seeping out with one hand while trying to shield her with the other. However, Xue Rongji forcefully broke free from his grasp. Worry filled his eyes as he shouted, "Don't be impulsive!"
In an instant, figures flashed by, accompanied by screams and the sound of jewels clattering to the ground.
Xue Rongji had grabbed A Qing by the collar, her eyes blazing with fury. She thrust her right knee forward, delivering a brutal blow to his groin.
A Qing let out a sharp cry of pain before clutching his lower body and hopping on one foot, his face contorted in agony.
"I'll show you what it means to call me an idiot! I'll show you what it means to hit someone with a brick! I'll teach you that thieves never leave empty-handed! I'll make you understand what it means to be naive and innocent!" Xue Rongji was clearly getting into it now; the more she fought, the more spirited she became. Her expression turned fierce like a little tiger as she ripped off her cloak and twisted it into a thick rope to strike at A Qing.
A Qing was in so much pain that he didn't even have time to pick up anything on the ground; he could only run away while covering his head and screaming.
Pan An stood frozen in place, instinctively covering his own groin. His face twitched as he suddenly felt a sense of relief that he hadn't acted on his earlier impulse to knock this girl out and take her home.
Otherwise, he would surely be the one suffering now. He silently marveled at how this young lady from a family of military generals truly had the spirit of a fierce tigress... uh, her style was certainly impressive!
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