Chapter 11: The Innocent Little Lotus of the Demon Sect
In theory, falling off a cliff should result in a rapid descent, but after the initial drop, An Ran noticed that the speed had significantly slowed down. It didn’t make sense. Given how high the cliff was and the combined weight of two people, the speed should have continued to increase. Yet, the sound of wind rushing past her ears was noticeably softer now.
An Ran, full of curiosity, dared not open her eyes or move. She clung tightly to Shen Yu, listening to his heartbeat to reassure herself that she was still alive.
After what felt like a long ti, she suddenly felt a pull, as though sothing was causing her to lean forward.
“Shen Yu, what’s happening? Why am I tilting towards you?” An Ran asked, her voice trembling with uncertainty.
“Maybe the wind is blowing you in my direction. Just hold on tighter, so you don’t get blown away,” Shen Yu answered, lying through his teeth.
“Oh, okay, I’ll hold on even tighter. I don’t want to be separated from you,” An Ran replied, nodding obediently.
Since their fall had slowed, An Ran figured Shen Yu had done sothing to control their descent. She tightened her grip and buried her head further into his chest, seeking comfort.
Shen Yu couldn’t help but smile widely at An Ran’s trusting gesture.
After a while, An Ran began to notice that the wind sounded different. It was no longer rushing past her, and she realized sothing was under her feet.
I’m standing… How am I standing? Shouldn’t I have crashed and beco a pile of mush by now? An Ran thought, still in shock.
“Did you want to beco a pile of mush? I’m sorry to disappoint you, but it seems you won’t get your wish. Should we jump again and try harder this ti?” Shen Yu suggested mischievously.
“Jump again? Beco a pile of mush!” An Ran absentmindedly repeated, the words swirling around in her head.
“No, no, I don’t want to be a pile of mush! I’m still young, with so much life ahead of . There are so many delicious things I haven’t even tried yet! I think it’s better to stay alive,” she suddenly blurted out, realizing that they had survived the fall.
“Good to hear. Staying alive is definitely the better option, Ran Ran,” Shen Yu said, laughing softly as he watched her shake her head against his chest.
“Ran Ran, would you mind letting go of now? You’ve ssed up my clothes,” Shen Yu teased, noticing that An Ran hadn’t released him yet.
Startled, An Ran looked up to see Shen Yu’s playful smile, and she imdiately stepped back, retreating two big steps.
“I’m sorry, Shen Yu, I didn’t an to!” She apologized quickly, embarrassed.
What is happening? This is so humiliating! And why does he act like I violated him? His shirt is ssy because of , and yet he acts like he’s the one being wronged. Does he not realize I’m the one embarrassed here? An Ran fud silently. How dare he!
“If you wanted to do sothing to , Ran Ran, we should find a safer place to do it. Let’s leave here first,” Shen Yu suggested with a smirk.
Do sothing to you? As if! Who would want to do anything to you? An Ran ntally cursed, wishing she could slap so sense into him. The only reason I’m even dealing with you is because of the mission. Otherwise, I wouldn’t even look your way!
“Yes, let’s go, Shen Yu. This place is dark, and I’m scared,” An Ran said obediently, hiding her annoyance behind a calm deanor.
“I was only joking, but you took seriously. Are you that eager to do sothing for ?” Shen Yu teased, suppressing his laughter.
An Ran’s face froze, and she lowered her head in silence. She had no words to counter him, and trying to explain would only make things worse.
I’ve survived a near-death experience. I don’t want to die from frustration.
“Ran Ran, are you feeling shy? Don’t worry, Shen Yu won’t tell anyone. No matter what you want to do to , it’ll be our little secret,” Shen Yu added, enjoying her reaction a little too much.
An Ran felt her patience crumbling.
Why didn’t I just die from the fall? Dealing with Shen Yu’s tornt is worse than death.
“Alright, Ran Ran, hold my hand. I’ll get us out of here,” Shen Yu said, finally deciding to stop teasing her.
Why does this feel like there’s a hidden aning in his words? An Ran wondered as Shen Yu pulled her along.
She followed a few steps behind him, lost in thought about his previous comnts. Sothing felt off, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
As she glanced up, she noticed sothing unusual hanging from Shen Yu’s back—a pair of folded glider wings.
So that’s how we survived the fall, An Ran thought, realizing that Shen Yu had been using a glider to control their descent.
Shen Yu’s glider had a long fra that reached down to his feet, and given that he was over six feet tall, the wingspan when fully extended must have been enormous. An Ran reasoned that it was more than capable of supporting both of them during the fall.
But wait… gliders exist now? she thought, puzzled by how smoothly they had descended without any jolts or turbulence. Clearly, Shen Yu was highly skilled—this wasn’t sothing he had just picked up.
“Ran Ran, interested in the wings? I’ll take them off for you to examine when we have ti,” Shen Yu called back when he noticed she had stopped walking and was staring at the glider absentmindedly.
“Ah… no, no! There’s no need, Shen Yu. I’m not curious!” An Ran quickly corrected herself, rembering their earlier conversation. Even if she was curious, she decided it was better not to pry too much into Shen Yu’s affairs.
“No need to be shy. Just let know when you want to see them. I don’t mind,” Shen Yu replied, a little disappointed but still playful.
“We’ll talk about it later. Let’s focus on getting out of here before Qin Yuan’s n catch up,” An Ran said, urging him forward while brushing off the subject.
She says she’s not curious, but I know Ran Ran is always full of curiosity, Shen Yu thought, amused.
Although he didn’t say it out loud, he agreed that their safety ca first, so he quickened his pace, pulling her along. As they moved forward, the trees beca fewer, and the tall grasses that had surrounded them earlier began to thin out. It seed like they were nearing the edge of the forest.
Even though it felt like they were close, the reality was different. Traversing the mountain had taken longer than expected, and it wasn’t until dawn that they finally reached the main road.
“Shen Yu! We made it out! Haha, we did it!” An Ran cried out in excitent, tugging Shen Yu towards the main road as she spotted it up ahead.
“Slow down, Ran Ran. Don’t rush, or you’ll trip. Besides, people are watching. Let’s keep a low profile,” Shen Yu said, allowing her to pull him along while still cautioning her.
An Ran’s excitent dimd slightly at his words. Ever since last night, whenever Shen Yu spoke, it always seed to carry a hidden aning that made her think twice. His playful comnts from before had left a lasting impression.
“Okay, low profile it is. Whatever you say, Shen Yu,” An Ran replied, agreeing out loud while ntally blaming Shen Yu for corrupting her innocent thoughts.
I’m still young! My mind is pure! She reminded herself.
Ran Ran really understands what I’m saying. She’s always so sharp, Shen Yu thought, secretly praising her for catching on. Even though they seed to be thinking on different wavelengths, they sohow managed to be in sync on the key points.
Hand in hand, the two made their way towards the main road. Once they were on the road, there weren’t many people around, just a few farrs heading to town to sell eggs or vegetables.
“Shen Yu, I’m exhausted. Can we flag down a cart?” An Ran asked, her tone filled with fatigue. After all the ordeals of the previous day—getting injured, jumping off a cliff, and walking non-stop for hours—she couldn’t take much more.
“I know you’re tired, Ran Ran, but we can’t take one of their carts. It would only put them in danger. We’ll be in town soon. Just hold on a little longer,” Shen Yu said sympathetically, knowing how hard it was for her, but unwilling to risk getting innocent people involved.
“Why can’t we take a cart? I can’t go on anymore. This is too much…” An Ran whined, tears welling up in her eyes as exhaustion and frustration overwheld her.
I should’ve stayed at Jianhai Manor. There was food, drinks, and servants to take care of . What am I even doing out here?
Before Shen Yu could scold her for being difficult, he saw her starting to cry and imdiately swallowed his words. Instead, he walked over and scooped her up into his arms.
“Ah! Put down! I can walk, I swear!” An Ran protested, embarrassed.
“Ran Ran, you’d better stay still, or you’ll end up getting hurt even more. If you wanted to carry you, you could’ve just said so. I don’t mind carrying you the whole way,” Shen Yu teased, though he tightened his hold on her to make sure she didn’t slip.
An Ran wanted to retort, Who asked you to carry ? but her body betrayed her, and her hands instinctively wrapped around his neck to steady herself.
Seeing her cling to him, Shen Yu’s mood instantly brightened. Look at her—she’s clearly enjoying this more than she’s letting on.
So adorable, he thought, feeling pleased.
They continued walking for another half-hour before finally reaching the town.
“Okay, we’re here now. You can put down, Shen Yu,” An Ran said, her face burning with embarrassnt. They were already standing outside a tavern, and she desperately wanted to get down.
Earlier, when they had reached the town’s gates, An Ran had asked him to set her down, but Shen Yu refused, saying they were almost there. Now, standing at the entrance to the tavern, she couldn’t believe how much attention they had drawn. People must be gossiping about her by now.
Shen Yu, on the other hand, seed entirely unfazed, as if carrying her the whole way had been no big deal.
He’s too much! An Ran fud, wondering what rumors were already spreading about them.
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