Ye Xiaoxian was dazzled by the bright sunlight as she walked out of the prison. Having been suffocated for days in jail, she could finally get a breath of fresh air outside.

  Xiao Baoshan was there waiting for her. Bathed in sunlight, he was tall and handsome, smiling as gently as a spring breeze.

  “Baoshan……” Ye Xiaoxian ran towards him but paused halfway. She was afraid that her smell would disgust him.

  Seeing that, he strode over to her at once.

  “Baoshan, don’t get close to me. I’m dirty and smelly!” she said hastily.

  Xiao Baoshan smiled and didn’t stop. Then, he held her hand in his firmly. “Let’s go home together!”


  Ye Xiaoxian tried her best not to be too close to him as they walked home together.

  The news that she had been released spread throughout the county. Li Hongmei, Liu Qianqian, Xiao Tieshu and Xiao Tongshu all came to celebrate her return. Li Hongmei set several tables to hold a welcoming dinner for Ye Xiaoxian, set off firecrackers and let her stride over a brazier to dispel any bad luck.

  After Ye Xiaoxian had cleaned herself up, she enjoyed the feast with her family and friends.

  Liu Qianqian asked her whether she had been frightened in prison.

  Ye Xiaoxian said, “No. You were helping me all the time, so I was not afraid at all.”


  After saying that, she took a glance at Xiao Baoshan who had given her the greatest support. Just then, Xiao Baoshan’s eyes met hers. But they looked profound, not as joyful as she had expected.

  What is weighing on his mind?

  That night, Ye Xiaoxian and Xiao Baoshan lay in bed together with their fingers entwined. For a long while, they remained silent. Ye Xiaoxian didn’t know what to say. She was still in a trance after so many days in custody. At the same time, Xiao Baoshan was preoccupied with his own thoughts. He had been wordless since Ye Xiaoxian was released, though his eyes were always fixed on her.

  At this moment, he turned over and held Ye Xiaoxian gently in his arm, but he still showed no intention of speaking.

  “Baoshan, are you hiding something from me?” Ye Xiaoxian asked.

  He smiled softly. “My love, I might have a long trip in a couple of days.”


  “Well, to deliver goods?”


  Xiao Baoshan didn’t answer.

  She gave up the question and asked another. “When will you come back?”


  He still evaded the question. Come back? He also wondered whether he could come back or not.

  Ye Xiaoxian kept asking, “Baoshan, did you beg someone you shouldn’t beg or do something you shouldn’t do just to save me?”


  Suddenly, he rolled over and put his weight on her like a tired beast.

  Ye Xiaoxian told herself that she must have overthought it all. The provincial governor didn’t look like someone that would force people to do anything excessive. Then, she put her confusion aside and enjoyed this fleshly indulgence with her whole heart.

  Ming Wei General’s Office in the capital.

  This was the mansion of a fourth-ranked general, where Qian Qi held a post.

  He was 35 years old and about 6 feet 2 inches tall. One year ago, he returned from the northern battlefield to nurse his injuries. Since the tension of war was eased, he had been staying in the capital.

  One day, when he was strolling around the backyard with a caged bird, his subordinate reported, “General Qian, we’ve found Xiao Baoshan!”


  “Xiao Baoshan?” Qian Qi was astonished. “Do you mean the previous senior commandant of the cavalry?”


  “Yes!”


  “How did you get this information? Where is he?” Qian Qi asked.

  “He’s in Qinghe county. Several days ago, the provincial governor reported that Xiao Baoshan had ordered him to handle a case for him using a military token.”


  Qian Qi rubbed his chin, lost in thought. Then, a sneer crossed his face. “All right. Now that he doesn’t want to be a cowardly turtle anymore, we can let him be a rabbit, a fleeing rabbit!”