Chapter 45: Su Yao, trying to leave?

From the top of the city tower, Changting gazed into the distance at the surging tide of refugees below.

Suddenly, as if spotting something, his expression shifted drastically. He hurried over and murmured a few words into Lu Huaijin’s ear.

In Lu Huaijin’s cold eyes, a thousand ripples stirred instantly.

He opened his eyes wide, stood up abruptly, and looked down from the top of the tower.

Amidst the crowd, a dirt-grimed young woman was locked in a fierce struggle with a man.

The young woman’s face was smeared with dust, looking utterly wretched and pitiful, her eyes brimming with tears.

Lu Huaijin’s gaze darkened.

Even in such a disheveled and filthy state, she could still not conceal her peerless, breathtaking beauty.

He cursed viciously in his heart: Damn it!

Just as the man’s palm was about to strike, Su Yao closed her eyes in despair.

The expected pain did not arrive; instead, the man’s scream was abruptly choked off in his throat.

Su Yao slowly opened her eyes to see that Lu Huaijin had appeared before her at some point, nonchalantly driving the tip of his sword into the man’s palm.

Blood spattered forth, landing on Su Yao’s eyelashes, its warm touch sending a shudder through her.

"Ah—!"

The man screamed, his knees buckling as he collapsed to the ground, unable to rise. Turning in agony, he looked up to see Lu Huaijin standing above him like a god descending from the heavens.

Instantly terrified to the point of losing all color in his face, he trembled and pleaded, "Have mercy, my lord."

Su Yao’s lips trembled as she tightly gripped the old woman’s hand. Her nails nearly dug into the old woman’s palm, leaving pale, whitish crescent marks.

"Men, take them all away."

Lu Huaijin’s voice was bone-chillingly cold.

Su Yao felt her legs instantly lose all strength; her knees gave out, and she sank heavily to the ground.

She regretted it. She hated herself for being so impulsive just now, for insisting on getting into a dispute with that man.

Why couldn’t she have endured a little longer?

Why couldn’t she keep her composure?

Tears flowed uncontrollably, and her body began to shake violently.

Lu Huaijin suddenly reached out, grabbing the back of Su Yao’s neck with such fierce force that it felt as though he meant to crush her spine.

He lifted her up forcefully, compelling Su Yao to look in the direction of the city gate.

His voice was low, laden with boundless resentment: "Su Yao, wanting to run away?"

Before Su Yao could even reply, a bone-chilling coldness suddenly struck her ankles.

Looking down, she saw a pair of dark iron shackles already locked around her bruised, purplish ankles.

The small golden bell on her ankle chimed with a crisp yet piercingly harsh sound as Lu Huaijin dragged her forward.

Lu Huaijin’s suede boots ruthlessly trampled over the burly man’s uncoagulated blood on the ground, the crimson stain blooming across his footwear.

His gaze drifted to Su Yao’s other hand.

She was still clutching half a flatbread tightly in her grip.

He knew she must have endured untold hardships out there these past few days.

Weren’t the delicacies in the Lu residence good enough?

She had to insist on fleeing just to suffer in this wretched world.

What a cheap wretch!

An absolute cheap wretch!

He sneered.

"Su Yao, you ran for three days..."

His fingertip lightly brushed against Su Yao’s chapped lips.

Suddenly, he snatched the half-piece of hard bread from her hand and shoved it ruthlessly into her mouth.

"So fond of eating these?"

The coarse bread crumbs mixed with the taste of blood caught in her throat; Su Yao coughed violently, her vision blurred by tears.

"My lord... this is my granddaughter... she doesn't know any better, I beg the lord to show mercy."

Seeing this, the old woman at her side was terrified into quickly dropping to her knees to plead for forgiveness.

"Your granddaughter? And what kind of thing are you?"

Lu Huaijin cast a cold glance at the old woman and raised his foot, preparing to kick her.

Without a second thought, Su Yao used every ounce of her remaining strength to throw her own body in the way, blocking the kick.

The force of Lu Huaijin’s kick was tremendous. Su Yao staggered, pitching forward uncontrollably to crash heavily against the ground, sending up a flurry of dust.

Seeing that she still refused to know what was good for her, Lu Huaijin’s anger grew even more intense.

With an indifferent expression, he merely spat out two cold words: "Get up."

Su Yao lay prone on the ground, looking utterly wretched, her body covered in dust and blood.

She felt as though her bones had been shattered, every single inch of her aching.

Terrified, the old woman did not dare to step forward again, afraid of further provoking the nobleman before them.

Changting said with deep concern, "My lord, Miss Su, she..."

Lu Huaijin’s expression remained gloomy, the rage in his eyes enough to make Changting tremble with fear.

"Miss Su, please get up," Changting urged anxiously.

Overcome by pain, Su Yao tried to rise, but a sharp, agonizing cramp twisted in her lower abdomen.

A wave of intense dizziness washed over her.

Her consciousness gradually faded, and the world before her dissolved into chaos.

Finally, darkness consumed her, and she lost all perception entirely...

A bright moon hung in the sky, framed by pale blue clouds. The cold stream ran silent, and the fading twilight touched the shore.

Su Yao caught sight of a little girl.

The child’s face was blurred, and Su Yao could not make out her features clearly.

"Who are you? Why are you here all by yourself?"

The little girl raised her head. Her indistinct face seemed to turn toward Su Yao’s direction as she softly called out, "Mother."

"Don't go shouting nonsense. I'm not even married yet—how could I be your mother? Where is your mother?"

Yet, as if she had not heard a word, the little girl suddenly ran over, wrapped her arms tightly around Su Yao’s leg, and cried out with a sob, "Mother, don't be angry anymore. I will be good."

Su Yao felt this child was utterly inexplicable.

Perhaps, much like herself, the child was all alone in the world, and thus mistook her for a mother.

Squatting down, Su Yao said to the child, "I am not your mother. Stop following me, go and find your family quickly..."

With that, she turned and ran.

The path was pitch black, making it impossible to see the ground beneath her feet.

She ran with unsteady strides, stumbling and nearly falling several times over.

As she ran, a sudden wave of anxiety welled up in Su Yao’s heart.

The child was still so small and all alone—could she manage this road by herself?

Would she fall and get hurt?

Unable to help herself, she looked back.

She saw the child scurrying forward on short, stumbling legs, charging right back toward her while shouting at the top of her lungs, "Mother!"

That cry exploded like a thunderclap in Su Yao’s ears.

She felt her entire body instantly drenched in cold sweat, her heart hammering wildly against her ribs.

With a start, she opened her eyes.

Only then did she realize she was lying on Lu Huaijin’s bed.

Chuntao knelt beside her, her eyes red and swollen, looking at her with deep worry.

"Miss, you're finally awake!"

Su Yao felt utterly devoid of strength, a dull ache still lingering in her stomach.

She struggled to sit up, but Chuntao quickly pressed her back down.

"Miss, don't move around, this servant will go call the doctor right away."

"Chuntao... don't leave! It hurts so much!"

Seeing her like this, Chuntao felt her heart break, her eye rims turning red as she grabbed Su Yao’s hand and burst into tears.

"Miss... where does it hurt... let this servant see..."

With great difficulty, Su Yao raised a hand and slowly pressed it against her lower abdomen.

A series of sharp, spasming cramps throbbed from deep within. Biting her lips, she weakly forced out two words: "It hurts here."

Hearing this, Chuntao’s tear-filled eyes widened in utter shock. She stared blankly at Su Yao, her lips parting, her throat choked as if blocked by something, leaving her entirely speechless for a long moment.

Only after a long while did she find her voice.

"Miss, you... you are pregnant..."