Becoming the Villain's Discarded Wife
Chapter 374: Forced to Eavesdrop

Chapter 374: Chapter 374: Forced to Eavesdrop

Within just two days, they had already covered half of the journey. Nanzhi and Shen Wenchen were sitting on the donkey cart marvelling at the rapidly receding scenery around them.

Was this donkey capable of running a hundred yards?

The elder leisurely sat at the front of the cart, one hand holding a pancake, the other hand grasping a skewer of toffee caramel, enjoying his food immensely.

"Lads, I can tell that you’re capable fellows." The old man chuckled, not remotely disturbed by his potential mismatch with his external appearance.

"You’re too kind, sir," Shen Wenchen responded modestly, and after some hesitation, finally voiced the question that had been plaguing him.

"May I know who you truly are, and how your identity relates to my peculiar past experience?"

Shen Wenchen put his inquiry delicately, refrained from asking directly about the situation following his fainting spell on the roadside back then.

If Nanzhi was able to return to that alternate world, she could argue that it was because she truly belonged there, but what about him?

How had he ended up there without any reasonable cause?

"It was destiny," the old man glanced at Shen Wenchen, shaking his head while proffering some wisdom.

"However, that lad’s unreliable actions might eventually lead to trouble. You two should be careful, especially you, young miss," he finished, directing a meaningful look at Nanzhi.

Nanzhi felt a sense of unease and nodded in acknowledgment.

Before Xiaohe left last time, he had warned her to be careful, saying that she had already been marked.

Nanzhi knew that she didn’t belong to this world. For the past few months, her heart had always been in a state of unease, unable to find any peaceful relief.

Now with this "Teacher Wu’s" remark, her anxiety certainly increased.

Nobody was ever completely fearless of death, especially when she now possessed so many things from which she couldn’t bear to part.

"Remember, young miss, if your heart sways, you will be exposed. But if you stand upright, many will turn a blind eye and focus on others," the old man admonished.

"I appreciate your guidance, sir," Nanzhi replied gratefully.

"All I ask is for you to treat me to a good meal when we finish this journey," the old man tossed the last piece of pancake crumb into his mouth, then finally free, he spanked the donkey’s behind.

"Good boy, run faster!"

The donkey neighed, lifted its hooves, and surprisingly broke into a gallop, resembling a thousand-mile horse.

It wasn’t until the third day near dusk while they were preparing to cook around a bonfire, that they heard a rustling noise from the nearby shrubbery.

Nanzhi was the first to pull Yuanbao into her arms, closely followed by the old man while Shen Wenchen took a defensive stand holding his sword.

"Xiaoqi, if you’re not interested in Yuanbao, stay away from her! But if you have the slightest bit of interest, stop wearing that cold face all the time!" Chi Sheng’s face lost its usual nonchalance as he expressed his anger, his brows furrowed and veins throbbing. The way he looked at Xiaoqi seemed as though he wished to tear him apart.

No matter how Xiaoqi treated Yuanbao in the past, Chi Sheng had never said a word.

Considering they were both still kids, discussing anything about love was premature.

Moreover, it had always been his daughter who fussed over Xiaoqi, he had nothing to voice out. At best, he thought that once Xiaoqi grew up, he would take Yueyue along when they part their ways.

But now, he had come back from a trip only to find his daughter missing!

And Xiaoqi was clueless, and his second son has lost consciousness from testing some medicine.

It’s been two days since they set out and they haven’t found a trace of his daughter yet.

Qing Fenghan was located deep within the mountains. If they were lucky, she might just have got lost. If not, she might have already been seized by a famished wolf.

"Master, I... I just want to repay the favor."

Xiaoqi pressed his lips tight, a childhood innocence yet lingering on his face bore an incongruity with the hardships he’d suffered.

"You’re not here to repay a favor, you just want to cure your sister’s sickness at our Qing Fenghan," Chi Sheng’s brows weighed with exhaustion. He had told this a long time ago, that the promises made by that Daoist couldn’t be trusted. Now, they don’t even know where to find Yuanbao.

"Boss..."

Little Xiaoqi’s face turned pale, fearing that they might be driven out.

He could manage to leave, but Yueyue couldn’t due to her illness. If they were to leave Qing Fenghan, she might not survive the month.

"Enough, you can leave."

Chi Sheng waved his hand, not carrying on the conversation.

Xiaoqi was just a kid.

In spite of his experiences, he was only nine years old. Chi Sheng couldn’t bring himself to be harsh with a child.

As soon as Yuanbao heard her father’s and Xiaoqi’s voices, her eyes lit up, she bounced around trying to get to them.

But after overhearing their conversation, she abruptly stopped struggling.

Feeling Xiaoqi turn listless in her arms, Nanzhi felt a pang of heartache. She could only pat her back gently in a comforting manner.

Everything was peaceful until suddenly, the donkey sneezed. The noise echoed loudly in the woods.

Chi Sheng was about to leave when he heard the noise. His eyes darkening, he held the sword even tighter.

His martial arts skills might not be superior but were enough to fend off a couple of petty thieves.

Xiaoqi’s face tightened, but as soon as he saw the people behind the bushes, he froze.

Yuanbao seemed thinner and paler, her sharply defined chin now clearly visible.

The little girl didn’t show her usual zealous enthusiasm upon seeing him. Perhaps because she had overhead their conversation, she now looked at him, disappointment etched across her face.

"Yuanbao?" Upon seeing his noticeably thinner daughter, Chi Sheng nearly dropped the sword in his hand.

But when he looked at Shen Wenchen, he froze momentarily.

The manner in which the man held his sword and his hostile aura reminded him of something.

The man was a government official.

An official who had killed many people.

"Dad," Yuanbao smiled albeit with struggle. It was more heartbreaking than crying.

Upon confirming it was indeed Chi Sheng and Xiaoqi, Nanzhi released Yuanbao and gave them a nod as a greeting.

"Where have you been?" Instead of dealing with Shen Wenchen, Chi Sheng sheathed his sword and held Yuanbao in his arms.

"I’m sorry, dad, for making you worry," muttered Yuanbao. She looked at Xiaoqi, about to say something but then closed her mouth.

She didn’t like Brother Xiaoqi anymore!

She won’t tell Brother Xiaoqi about finding the ginseng!

"Don’t worry, as long as you’re back," Shen Wenchen held Yuanbao tightly in his arms, afraid that all of this was just a dream.

"You can’t do this again, understood?"

He had been busy recently with the household registration matters of the villagers, unintentionally neglecting Yuanbao.

When he came back a few days ago and found Yuanbao missing, he felt like his heart had been ripped out, feeling void.

"I know," Yuanbao nodded, rubbing away the tears at the corner of her eyes while snuggling against Chi Sheng.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.