When Ye Zhen Zhen woke up, she found herself on a beach shore still tied to the piece of wood. The calm waves flowing by, reflecting the golden rays of the sun within, cold and indifferent, it made her feel as if the flood was just a dream.
But the destruction of vegetation in her vicinity as well as the damp smell of silt in the air hinting otherwise.
Ye Zhen Zhen laboriously set herself up to look towards the west. She could clearly see in the distance, the sun towering over the earth, dyeing it in a frightening crimson color.
The dazzling red harshly stung her eyes, sadness filled her mind.
Suddenly the red light was blocked by a shadow. A shadow of a man, wearing white. A tall visage, his eyes sparkling, giving off an expression as if smiling at her.
Ye Zhen Zhen before was looking at the bright sun hence when the shadow covered her sight it took a while for her to adjust, she just dazedly looked at the indistinct form, squinting.
"Ji Wujiu..." She was unable to stop herself from uttering those words. Due to weakness, her voice sounded as if she was whispering to herself.
The shadow of the man squatted, he raised his hand to help set aside her disheveled hair and gently wiped the mud off her face.
"Zhen brother, do you recognize me?" He whispered.
Ye Zhen Zhen closed her eyes, fighting back her tears she said: "How can I not, Li You."
Ju Li You helped her out of the bindings, then carried her by the waist, "Let's go, I will help you find a shelter first."
Ye Zhen Zhen affirmed with a nod. She did not refuse him.
Ji Li You knows who she is, he must have come prepared, otherwise, it made no sense for him to be here, now even if she refused, it will serve no good. Rather, it would be better to pretend to follow then try to make an escape.
Although she knew his intentions and identity clearly, Ji Li You probably did not know that he had been exposed. Hence, she was willing to play 'the fool' for a while.
To keep up the act, she deliberately asked a question to which she already knew the answer to, "Why are you here?".
"I was passing by and happened to see someone lying on the shore, at first I did not recognize you. Brother Zhen... or should I call you sister Zhen?"
"Whatever."
Ji Li You pursed his lips, "Ah, sister Zhen... why are you so distressed, what happened?"
Ye Zhen Zhen recalled Ju Wujiu's figure engulfed in the flood, finally, the tears she had been holding back came rolling down, she soon began to cry.
"Good, I won't ask again, don't cry anymore.", He said, trying to comfort her. Seeing Ye Zhen Zhen crying this miserably, he frowned a little but soon returned to his normal expression.
Ye Zhen Zhen absent-mindedly wiped her tears and said in between her sobs "Li.. Li You,... tha,... thank you."
"You do not have to be so formal towards me"
Ye Zhen Zhen looked around her and asked, "How fierce was the flood around here?"
Li You explained, "Not so much, there's a river around here and it helped diminish the force of the flood."
"By the way, where is here?"
"This is the border of the coastal county territory."
Ye Zhen Zhen did not recall any information about this place in her mind. It was hard for her to assume just how far she has been washed up to. Her only memory is that of being carried by the water down a large slope, assumably a waterfall, and then she fainted.
She had the aid of the piece of wood, but Ji Wujiu... thinking till here, she felt her heart suffering a burst of pain, of sorrow.
Ji Li You led Ye Zhen Zhen into the courtyard of a residence. This residence was built at the edge of a small village, roof covered with tiles, a spacious courtyard, planted within were big mulberry trees. Nothing different from ordinary farmhouses.
Ye Zhen Zhen took a hot shower and then changed into some clean clothes provided by Ji Li You.
She then sorted out the stuff which she carried that did not get washed away by the flood. She was only left with a purse, a folding fan and as well as a bottle of medicine.
The purse and the folding fan were given to her as a pair by Ji Wu Jiu, while the medicine was something she recently bought to scare Ji Wujiu with. (TL Note: The 10-day impotency medicine, in case you have all forgotten)
Ye Zhen Zhen unfolded the fan, it was made out of silk and while the water did not do much damage to it but it still managed to cause the inscription aswell as the image on its surface to appear fuzzy. She touched the fan, recalling the memories of the times she hit him with it, while he playfully evaded... pleading for his life, this memory caused her to feel as if her heart has been pierced by countless needles.
No, he can not die, he must not die. He is the dragon amongst men, emperor under the heavens, he will not easily die. He is the omnipotent Ji Wujie, how can he die?
While she was comforting herself she subconsciously cradled the folding fans in her arms, while dazedly thinking that she must find him.
But for now, her priority is to escape from Li You's hold.
Ye Zhen Zhen intentionally walked out to test something, just as she stepped a mere three steps out of the room, someone immediately came into to the yard and respectfully asked if she needed something.
She casually made up a reason and walked back into the room under his attentive gaze.
She was under house arrest, surrounded by who knows how many eyes.
Ye Zhen Zhen sat on a chair while massaging her temples to calm herself down.
Due to the colossal flood, whether she, or Ji Li You, can not so easily find out about the situation of Ji Wujiu. Perhaps this is the reason Li You is still hiding here, making no move.
The first ones to know whether Ji Wujiu survived or not would be the court of ministers.
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