RPDPHW Chapter 12

Underneath the steep slope, Gu Qingyin was pressing on Zhong Shujin. By the moonlight, she met the beautiful eyes of the person beneath her.

At this moment, Gu Qingyin’s heart was pounding incessantly.

Apart from the tension brought by the Qingyang Sect disciples above, there seemed to be another reason for this intense heartbeat.

Gu Qingyin blinked, trying to calm her disordered breath. Noticing that the person beneath her seemed to have a somewhat dazed look, apparently fixated on their closely pressed lips, Gu Qingyin couldn’t help but swallow and awkwardly lifted her head.

Once she left Zhong Shujin’s lips, she pretended to be calm and asked, “Are you okay?”

Earlier, Gu Qingyin was afraid that if Zhong Shujin continued screaming, it would attract the attention of the people above. However, she didn’t have an extra hand to cover Zhong Shujin’s mouth. In her haste, she could only kiss Zhong Shujin’s mouth to silence the remaining scream.

That was how they avoided detection by the people above.

Although they escaped a disaster by this twist of fate, such actions, theoretically speaking, were indeed a bit improper.

Gu Qingyin glanced at Zhong Shujin’s lips again.

Hmm, quite soft…

Oh my, why does it seem a bit nostalgic…

Hearing Gu Qingyin’s question, Zhong Shujin belatedly felt the fiery pain on her back.

“Hisss…”

Zhong Shujin tightly furrowed her brows in pain, closing her eyes.

It seemed that the disciples of the Qingyang Sect above had already dispersed.

“Don’t move for now; let me check.”

Seeing Zhong Shujin’s slightly painful expression, Gu Qingyin quickly crawled off her and sat against a nearby large rock. She then pulled Zhong Shujin into her arms.

Noticing that Zhong Shujin was only wearing a thin inner garment on such a chilly night, Gu Qingyin couldn’t help but furrow her brows.

“It’s so cold at night, why didn’t you wear proper clothes when you came out! And why are you running here in the middle of the night?!”

Zhong Shujin lay on Gu Qingyin’s legs, looking aggrieved, and spoke up.

“I couldn’t sleep once you left. I followed you and called for you many times, but you didn’t respond. Later, I couldn’t catch up with you and could only shout for you here. But no matter how long I shouted, you didn’t come out.”

Noticing that Gu Qingyin didn’t respond to her weak calls from a distance while she followed her, Zhong Shujin explained. However, Gu Qingyin was too focused on the Qingyang Sect disciples, and she didn’t notice Zhong Shujin’s faint calls. As a result, Zhong Shujin could only follow for a short distance until they reached the back mountain, where she lost track of Gu Qingyin. Fearing for her safety, she resorted to shouting.

Recalling the frightening experiences she had just gone through, Zhong Shujin couldn’t help but snuggle closer to Gu Qingyin, pressing against her abdomen. She tightly hugged Gu Qingyin’s waist, leaning on her and complained, “It’s so dark, and I’m scared.”

She was scared of the pitch-black silence in the mountains and even more afraid that Gu Qingyin might abandon her after what happened earlier.

Gu Qingyin’s heart trembled slightly.

She couldn’t bear to scold Zhong Shujin any further. With a soft sigh, she extended her hand to gently stroke Zhong Shujin’s head.

“It’s alright, it’s alright. I’m here.”

This gentle gesture was enough to dispel Zhong Shujin’s fears.

Only when Zhong Shujin stopped trembling did Gu Qingyin cease her actions, speaking softly, “This time, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have come out without telling you. It won’t happen again. Now, let me check to see if you got hurt, alright?”

“Yeah.”

Zhong Shujin relaxed a bit as Gu Qingyin examined her. The moon shone brightly, casting its radiant light through the branches onto the two girls at the bottom of the slope.

Fortunately, the troublesome people had already left, leaving the serene moonlit scene undisturbed.

Seeing the large bloody marks on Zhong Shujin’s back, Gu Qingyin felt a twinge of pain in her heart, as if pricked by a needle. Suppressing a barely noticeable sigh, Gu Qingyin silently pulled down Zhong Shujin’s clothes to cover the wounds on her back. After adjusting her clothes, Gu Qingyin stood up and lifted Zhong Shujin onto her back.

“It’s nothing serious, just a minor injury. Once we get back, I’ll apply some medicine, and it will heal quickly.”

Hearing Gu Qingyin’s comforting words, Zhong Shujin, who had felt the fiery pain in her back, suddenly found the pain less intense.

She lay on Gu Qingyin’s back, embracing her neck, and asked, “So, are we going home now?”

This foolish girl seemed to have already considered Gu Qingyin’s home as her own.

Gu Qingyin’s heart warmed inexplicably at Zhong Shujin’s casual question.

“Yes, let’s go home.”

That home was no longer a lonely place.

The descent from the mountain was steep, but luckily, Gu Qingyin was familiar with the terrain. She carefully led Zhong Shujin down a concealed and gentle path, guiding them in the darkness.

“Qingyin, why were those people chasing us just now?”

The person on her back was completely unaware of the dangerous situation, swaying her long legs casually and asking leisurely.

Helpless, Gu Qingyin shook her head, stopped, lifted Zhong Shujin, stabilized her on her back, and continued walking. She casually replied, “They are too wicked.”

“Eh…” Zhong Shujin, confused, believed Gu Qingyin’s words. “So, what should we do if we encounter them again when we go back home?”

Gu Qingyin smiled and coaxed, “Speak softly; they won’t find us.”

“Oh.”

Zhong Shujin lowered her voice obediently.

“Qingqing, are you tired? Should I get down and walk by myself?”

Speaking in a hushed tone by her ear, Zhong Shujin pressed close to Gu Qingyin.

The warm breath against Gu Qingyin’s ear nearly caused her to stumble.

“Cough, cough.” Gu Qingyin tried to maintain a serious expression and said, “No need. If I let you walk, it’ll be dawn by the time we reach home.”

Zhong Shujin only hurt her back, not her feet. Gu Qingyin didn’t have to carry her like this, but for some reason, she just couldn’t bear to let Zhong Shujin walk on this rugged mountain road.

Didn’t want her to suffer anymore.

Zhong Shujin touched Gu Qingyin’s ear, which was turning red from the warmth. Curiously, she asked, “Why is your ear so hot, Qingqing?”

Being touched like that made Gu Qingyin’s ears even redder.

The wind rustled through the leaves, causing Gu Qingyin to shiver, not only from the cold breeze but also from suppressing the electrifying sensation in her heart.

“It’s warm.”

Gu Qingyin held back the electrifying feeling in her ears and the chill in her body, solemnly uttering these contradictory words.

“Ah, why do I feel so cold?”

After saying that, Zhong Shujin tightened her embrace around Gu Qingyin.

This way, it seemed warmer.

Her icy cheek found warmth against Gu Qingyin’s burning ear.

Gu Qingyin felt her body stiffen for a moment.

“Ajin…” Gu Qingyin helplessly said, “You’re holding me too tight. If you continue like this, I won’t be able to breathe.”

“Uh…” Zhong Shujin reluctantly loosened her grip a bit. On such a cold day, being close to Qingqing felt warmer.

She pouted and muttered, “Hugging you is comfortable. If I don’t hug you, I feel cold.”

Although only Qingqing’s ears were warm, and her face was still cold, it was still warmer to stick close to her.

Well, Gu Qingyin had to compromise.

“Alright, you can hug me, just don’t squeeze too tightly, or I might be strangled to death by you!”

“Okay!”

The person who was initially a bit downcast instantly became cheerful.

She didn’t squeeze Gu Qingyin as tightly as before. Now, she just pressed her against Gu Qingyin’s warm ear, opened her arms around Gu Qingyin’s neck, and stood in front of her.

It seemed like she wanted to shield her from the cold wind.

“This way, Qingqing won’t feel cold!”

Wind, being what it was, wasn’t that easy to block.

Although Zhong Shujin’s actions didn’t serve much purpose, her words warmed Gu Qingyin’s heart unexpectedly.

It provided her with unexpected warmth on such a cold night.

Gu Qingyin raised her lips, and softly uttered a “Hmm.”

With Zhong Shujin by her side, even the coldest wind wouldn’t make her feel cold.

The return journey went unexpectedly smoothly.

Without the thrilling hide-and-seek and covert struggles from earlier, Gu Qingyin’s heart had calmed down. The only ripples left were the pure and warm actions and words of the person on her back.

Bathed in the moonlight, the two of them seemed to be strolling out under the moonlight.

After the walk, it was time to go home.