Chapter 472 Cornered

Chapter 472: Cornered

Cheng Ge's voice nearly cracked from fright. He was about to run downstairs when his hand, having just touched the door bolt, retracted.

Heavy footsteps thundered from outside the door, as if about to stomp straight through the floorboards.

He pressed himself against the crack of the door and peered out—several guards were surging up from the stairwell.

The leader waved his hand, and the men fanned out toward the private rooms on either side.

Zhou Zhan's voice drifted in from outside, every word crystal clear: "Search every room, one by one. I will have that scoundrel caught!"

Cheng Ge's heart lurched. He quickly shoved the bolt back into place.

Dahuang crouched at his feet, looking up at him, tail no longer wagging.

Cheng Ge bent down, cupped the dog's furry head in both hands, and straightened it so those big eyes faced him directly.

Dahuang's eyes darted around, tongue lolling to the side, looking utterly innocent.

"Go downstairs," Cheng Ge said in a low voice, each word deliberate. "Distract him first. Extra chicken leg when you get back."

Dahuang let out a bark, then immediately turned and slipped through the door crack, its fluffy tail giving one last wag by the doorframe before disappearing.

Before long, a burst of barking echoed up from the first floor, followed by Zhou Zhan's voice: "Go! Follow that yellow dog!"

Without a second thought, Cheng Ge turned and strode to the window. He pushed it open and glanced left and right.

Without hesitation, he swung a leg over the sill and climbed out, toes finding purchase on the ledge, fingers gripping the cracks in the wall as he inched his way down.

Wind rushed into his sleeves, billowing his robes. He glanced down.

A little over ten feet to the ground—not too high. He wouldn't die from the fall.

Just as he was about to drop, he caught a glimpse of the window beside him sliding open.

It opened slowly, silently, as if it had been waiting there all along.

Cheng Ge turned his head.

Yun Xunyu leaned half-against the window frame, white hair spilling over his shoulders, catching the candlelight with an inexplicable coolness.

He wore a pale moon-white night robe, collar hanging loose, revealing a sliver of pale collarbone.

The corners of his lips curved upward—a light smile, eyes crinkling playfully, utterly lacking in seriousness.

He simply leaned there by the window, watching Cheng Ge, as if he had been waiting a long time.

"Where might my dear Qingqing be off to?"

As he spoke, he reached out and lightly hooked a finger through the jade belt at Cheng Ge's waist.

Cheng Ge's brain buzzed with a deafening roar. "What the hell—!"

He let go and dropped.

He staggered on landing, jumped up, and ran as if a pack of wild dogs were chasing him.

The moment Cheng Ge hit the ground, he was off in a dead sprint, boots pounding on the bluestone pavement, exploding through the alley.

He burst out of the alley, about to cut onto the main street, when a sudden shout exploded behind him—"There he is! After him!"

Cheng Ge: "!!!" His heart nearly leaped out of his chest. He whipped his head around—several guards were already pouring out of the alley.

He didn't bother to watch where he was going. He plunged into the crowd, knocking over a street vendor with a carrying pole. The vendor's rattles rolled all over the ground, clattering.

He didn't even have time to yell "sorry" as he darted into a narrow alley, then out again, dodging and weaving, running until he was gasping for air.

He'd just rounded a corner when he saw a few people standing up ahead.

Zhou Yinyun, dressed in black fighting gear with a sword at his hip, was blocking the street with his men.

Cheng Ge skidded to a halt.

Zhou Yinyun had already spotted him, his voice sharp with barely suppressed excitement: "Cheng Muyu! The young lord has spotted you!"

Fuck! Cheng Ge turned and bolted, legs pumping furiously, boots nearly catching fire.

He turned onto West Avenue—a long, straight street that seemed to go on forever.

The footsteps behind him grew closer and more numerous, as if they were about to trample the whole street to pieces.

He was out of breath, about to turn into a side street, when a figure suddenly popped out in front of him.

He couldn't brake in time and crashed straight into them, a dull pain shooting through his forehead. "Ow...!"

The person staggered back a step from the impact but steadied himself and grabbed Cheng Ge's arm.

Cheng Ge raised his head. Lin Nanshu stood in front of him, frowning slightly, about to ask something.

"Yuli—!" Cheng Ge didn't think. He grabbed Lin Nanshu's wrist and yanked him along as he ran.

Lin Nanshu: "??!"

He was pulled off balance, and before he could process what was happening, he was already being dragged several steps.

"Muyu—!" His voice was swallowed by the wind. Cheng Ge couldn't make it out, focused only on charging forward.

The pursuers' footsteps grew closer, their shouts rolling in waves: "Over there! Don't let him get away!"

Seeing the pursuit nearly upon them, Cheng Ge pulled Lin Nanshu aside, ducking behind a stall selling veils.

He grabbed Lin Nanshu's arm and slung it over his own shoulder, burying his face into the man's chest, hiding most of his features.

With his other hand, he snatched a red veil from the stall and clutched it, pretending to browse.

The lantern light from the street cast down, bright and clear, illuminating both their silhouettes in sharp detail.

He pitched his voice high and soft, speaking in a delicate falsetto: "Boss, this veil isn't bad. How much is it?"

The stall owner was a woman in her thirties, a silk flower pinned in her hair, head bowed as she sorted through her goods. She didn't look up.

"Fifteen wen. If you like it, sir, you may take one home."

She finished speaking, then looked up with a smile—and froze the moment she saw Cheng Ge's face.

Her expression stiffened, mouth opening and closing, opening and closing, her eyes screaming "you again."

Cheng Ge paid her expression no mind, ears straining for the sounds behind him.

Lin Nanshu stood beside him, his body slightly tense, his gaze locked on the top of Cheng Ge's head, unwavering.

The footsteps of the pursuers thundered past the stall, and someone shouted, "He went that way! After him!"

Cheng Ge held his breath, waiting until the sound faded before letting out a long exhale.

He counted out a handful of copper coins from his pouch and plopped them down on the stall.

The coins clattered against the wooden board, jingling a few times before rolling to a stop.

"This one's coming apart," he said with complete confidence. "Ten coins'll do!"

"There he is!" A shout erupted from behind.

Cheng Ge: "!!!"

He whipped his head around—one of the pursuers who had just run past had somehow circled back and was pointing straight at them, shouting.

He grabbed Lin Nanshu's wrist and bolted, not forgetting to holler at the stall owner, "I'll be back next time!"

Stall owner: "???"

The two of them sprinted down the street, the hems of their robes getting tangled up. People on the street were knocked aside left and right, curses chasing them down the whole way.

The pursuers behind them wouldn't let up, their shouts surging wave after wave: "Stop! Don't run!"

Cheng Ge was gasping for air, running so hard he was about to keel over.

Lin Nanshu was dragged along without a word, just running along with him.

After three streets and four turns, the footsteps behind them hadn't lost them—they were getting closer.

Cheng Ge glanced back and saw the pursuers' torches already lighting up half the street. He swore under his breath.

Gritting his teeth, Cheng Ge hauled Lin Nanshu into a side alley.

The walls on both sides were tall, blocking out the lantern light from the street, leaving only a sliver of moonlight spilling down from above.

He pulled Lin Nanshu a few steps deeper, then turned and wrapped an arm around his waist, pulling him in.

Lin Nanshu stumbled, his whole body pitching forward, and before he could react, he had Cheng Ge backed against the wall.

The footsteps of the pursuers grew closer, their shouts almost at the mouth of the alley.

Cheng Ge snatched up the red veil and draped it over Lin Nanshu's head.

The veil spread open like a crimson cloud, drifting down to cover most of Lin Nanshu's face.

Before Lin Nanshu could react, Cheng Ge lifted a corner of the veil and ducked under.

The veil fell, wrapping them both.

Cheng Ge looped his arms around Lin Nanshu's neck, pulling him down, and pressed his lips to his.

Lin Nanshu: "!!!"

The moment the veil dropped, Cheng Ge's lips were on his.

His palm clamped directly onto the back of Lin Nanshu's head, fingers threading into his hair, pulling his head closer.

Lin Nanshu's body went rigid, like a stone suddenly hurled onto shore—stiff as a board, breathless, frozen solid.

His fingers curled at his sides, knuckles whitening, as if under a spell. Only his lashes trembled, brushing against Cheng Ge's cheekbone with each flutter, tickling in a way that made his heart itch.

Cheng Ge's fingers tightened, gripping the hair at the back of Lin Nanshu's head, tilting his head to a better angle.

He tilted his head slightly, his nose brushing against Lin Nanshu's, his lips moving from the lower lip to the upper, nibbling gently.

His tongue traced along the curve of the lip, feeling Lin Nanshu's mouth part just a sliver.

A warm breath seeped through the gap, spilling onto his lips—warm and wet.

Lin Nanshu heard his own heartbeat, thumping like a drum.

Cheng Ge's lips slid from Lin Nanshu's upper lip back to the lower, his tongue pressing against the inside of the lip, venturing deeper.

That patch of skin was impossibly thin, letting him feel the warmth of the teeth beneath, his tongue brushing against them with a faint, soft sound.

The pursuers' footsteps were at the mouth of the alley, someone shouting, "Check here too!"

Lin Nanshu's eyes were half-open, his lips kissed red, with a faint ring of teeth marks along the lower edge. They glistened wet, shimmering in the red glow of the veil.

His breath finally returned, his chest heaving deeply, each breath deeper than usual.

Cheng Ge gazed at that face, his thumb sliding from the back of Lin Nanshu's head to behind his ear.

His fingertip traced the shell of the ear, feeling that patch of skin burning hot.

"Yuli..."

But then Lin Nanshu moved.

His arm lifted, wrapping around Cheng Ge's waist, his palm pressing against his back, pulling him in with a firm but gentle pressure.

Cheng Ge was pulled forward, their chests colliding with a muffled thud.

Lin Nanshu tilted his head, adjusting the angle, and his lips met his again.

This time, it was different.

His movements were slow, as if unwrapping something fragile—a stark contrast to Cheng Ge's fierce intensity moments before.

His palm traced a slow, soothing path across Cheng Ge's back, as if comforting him, as if answering him.

Then his other hand rose, fingers threading through the hair at Cheng Ge's temple, his fingertips pressing against the scalp with gentle pressure.

His lips moved from Cheng Ge's upper lip to the lower, nibbling gently, as if tasting something.

The motion was featherlight, like a dragonfly skimming water, yet carried an unyielding certainty, just like Cheng Ge's kiss moments before.

Cheng Ge's mind went blank.

The torchlight from the alley's mouth filtered through two layers of veil, falling across their overlapping faces, shadows flickering.

Cheng Ge heard the footsteps drawing nearer, only a few steps away.

His body instinctively tensed, but Lin Nanshu's palm stayed pressed against his back, steady.

Lin Nanshu's lips parted for a moment, just an inch away, their breath still mingling.

His eyes were half-lidded, lashes lowered, casting a faint shadow in the veil's red glow.

He looked at Cheng Ge, his gaze heavy as a winter lake, cracked open by a spring breeze, exposing the churning currents underneath.

Torchlight swept across, falling on Lin Nanshu's back, warming the pale blue of his robe into a soft glow.

Two guards stood at the alley's mouth, holding torches, peering inside.

What they saw was this: deep in the alley, two figures intertwined, a red veil draped over them, their faces indistinct.

The one on the outside was tall and lanky, shielding the person in front of him completely in his embrace.

They pressed so close that from the alley's entrance, not a sliver of space showed between them, their posture making clear they had no intention of parting.

The two guards exchanged a glance. The younger one's face went bright red, his torch hand trembling, the flame flickering.

The older one frowned, muttering under his breath: "This is..."

The younger guard tugged his companion's sleeve, lowering his voice: "Let's go, let's go. Don't look."

The older guard started to say something, but the younger one was already turning and walking away, muttering under his breath: "In the middle of the night, coming here... absolutely shameless."

His voice wasn't loud, but the alley was quiet, and every word carried clearly.

The torchlight moved away from the alley's mouth, and the footsteps faded into the distance, disappearing at the end of the long street.

The alley fell silent again, leaving only the faint, distant thud of the night watchman's drum, steady and muffled, as if striking against one's heart.

After a long moment, Cheng Ge stirred.

The veil still hung over both their heads, the red gauze filtering the moonlight into a warm, hazy glow, like a thin layer of blood-red mist.

Their faces were so close that their breaths still tangled together, impossible to tell apart.

He could see Lin Nanshu's eyes, right there, with a tiny reflection of himself in each pupil.

He raised his hand, pinching the edge of the veil with his fingertips, and gently lifted it.

The red gauze peeled back inch by inch from Lin Nanshu's face—first the bridge of his nose, then the arch of his brow, then his forehead.

The motion was slow, as unhurried as lifting a bride's veil.

Moonlight slipped through the gap, falling on Lin Nanshu's face and tracing his features clearly.

Cheng Ge looked at that face and suddenly smiled. His lips moved in, pressing a light kiss to the tip of Lin Nanshu's nose.

"They're gone," he said, his voice still rough. "Let's head back."

Lin Nanshu looked at him, saying nothing.

His gaze moved from Cheng Ge's eyes to his lips, then back up to his eyes.

After a long moment, he gave a slight nod, the motion so small it was barely perceptible.

Cheng Ge let his arm drop from around Lin Nanshu's neck and stepped back.

The veil slipped from their heads, drifting to the ground, spreading over the blue stone slabs.

With the moonlight no longer blocked, it poured down, casting their shadows back onto the wall.

Night wind rushed in from the alley's mouth, cool against their faces, slowly dissipating the lingering warmth.

Cheng Ge turned, about to head toward the alley's exit, when his steps suddenly halted.

Lin Nanshu looked up, following his gaze.

A figure blocked the alley's mouth, tall as a mountain, nearly blotting out all the light from the street beyond.

"Support me for love and electricity—!"