Chapter 2: Sharing Breath Underwater
Pei Zhouwu turned his face back, only for his brow to suddenly furrow again.
Just as he was about to withdraw his hand, he saw Liu Fuying leaning forward, head bowed as she drank large mouthfuls of the wild vegetable porridge from the bowl. He instantly halted his movement.
She must have reached out her hand to better steady the bowl.
The porridge wasn’t hot, and she finished it in no time.
She gently pulled back. Having drunk hastily, she hadn’t cared about appearances, and a glistening white trace of porridge remained at the corner of her mouth.
Pei Zhouwu’s eyelids twitched. As if adhering to the principle of “do not look at what is improper,” he turned his head away.
“I’m sorry.” Liu Fuying’s tone carried alarm, and she hastily withdrew her hand as well.
“I… I was just afraid the chain on your hand… afraid you’d get tired holding it for too long, so I wanted to finish the porridge quickly. I didn’t mean to…”
“It’s fine.”
Pei Zhouwu withdrew his hand and stood up, leaving behind another sentence.
“Rest well. I’ll take you out tomorrow morning.”
Though his tone remained as aloof as ever, there was a trace of imperceptible emotion in it. Having said that, he walked out of the room amidst the dull clanking of the iron chains at his feet and closed the door.
Liu Fuying stared at her left index finger, stained with the white porridge she had wiped from the corner of her mouth.
A faint smile played on her lips, indicating she was quite satisfied with Pei Zhouwu’s reaction just now.
But as she turned her head, worry crept back in.
She worried about how to get closer to him in the future.
Enduring the pain, she lay down, and a sigh escaped her lips.
She barely slept that night.
It was almost dawn the next day when she finally drifted into a fitful sleep.
Not long after she dozed off, the door was knocked and someone pushed it open and entered. The sound of chains confirmed it was Pei Zhouwu.
He stopped not far from the bed, and Liu Fuying had already opened her eyes, preparing to get up.
“Time to descend the mountain.”
“Alright.”
Pushing aside the blanket, she saw only one shoe under the bed. The other was probably lost when she fell off the cliff, but having one was still better than none.
Stepping onto the floor, the sprain on her left foot still throbbed with unbearable pain.
With just a tentative, gentle step, fine beads of sweat already broke out on her forehead, and she drew in a sharp, cold breath.
“We should descend the mountain early, lest your family worry.”
Pei Zhouwu’s words carried a hidden meaning, which Liu Fuying quickly grasped.
Originally, with injuries like hers, she should rest for several more days to walk more easily and descend the mountain. But as a woman missing in the mountains, her family would certainly come searching. If they searched for days, nearly turning the mountains inside out without finding her, only for her to return to the city alone after some time, it would inevitably invite gossip and rumors.
In any case, her injuries weren’t fatal; she wouldn’t die. She would just endure some pain.
When Liu Fuying looked up, her forehead glistening with fine sweat, she saw Pei Zhouwu had turned his back and was offering her the iron chain, meaning for her to hold it as support, akin to holding his hand.
Her heart stirred, finding it amusing.
She reached out and grasped it. Though the chain was icy cold, she seemed not to feel it. A warmth emanating from her heart overpowered the chill, drawing a smile into her eyes.
She had never met someone like him. Everything about Pei Zhouwu was utterly fascinating.
To accommodate her limited mobility, Pei Zhouwu walked very slowly.
Once outside, Liu Fuying’s steps faltered slightly, stunned by the sight before her.
The Courtyard was surrounded on all sides by towering mountain walls whose tops were invisible. Only in front of the house was there a gap. The mountains soared straight into the sky, carrying a terrifying sense of oppression, as if they might collapse at any moment and bury everything.
It could truly be called a genuine “Heavenly Prison.”
The courtyard contained only two rooms: one behind her where she had slept last night, and another slightly larger one facing the entrance at the front, likely guarded by numerous sentinels.
However, Pei Zhouwu did not lead her toward the front of the house.
After circling around, she saw a deep spring behind the bedroom.
“What is this…”
Just as she was wondering, Pei Zhouwu spoke again.
“Are you from Shangjing City?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Then you must also know who I am. There is no second person in all of Shangjing who is shackled and imprisoned in Xiangshan.”
After hearing Pei Zhouwu’s words, Liu Fuying fell silent for a moment.
Regarding his identity, she had long guessed it but had never shown it.
And his sudden revelation of his identity at this moment meant…
Her lowered eyes suddenly brightened. Could there be a passageway connecting to the outside beneath this spring?
“Yes, the name of Marquis Pei is likely known to everyone in Shangjing.”
“I will take you into the water and send you out,” Pei Zhouwu said.
And Liu Fuying thought to herself, indeed, there must be an exit underwater.
She immediately responded, making a promise: “Marquis, rest assured, I will not speak of the underwater exit. Since you did not hand me over to the guards at the front for the sake of my reputation, I will certainly not betray your pure-hearted intentions.”
“Pure-hearted?”
Pei Zhouwu raised an eyebrow and turned back, a self-mocking smile hanging at the corner of his mouth.
“Do you know why I am imprisoned here?” he asked.
She naturally knew—for the crime of treason.
Though she did not know the specifics, the final verdict was known to all. How could the empress’s own brother plotting rebellion not cause a sensation?
She pursed her lips; this matter was indeed difficult to discuss.
Pei Zhouwu also turned away, not continuing the topic, and only asked, “Can you swim?”
“A little.”
She did not tell the truth; in fact, she was an excellent swimmer.
Pei Zhouwu seemed to have concerns but had no other choice. Silently, he led her into the water with his shackles.
Soon, the figures of the two disappeared beneath the water. Burdened by the heavy shackles on Pei Zhouwu’s hands and feet, they sank rapidly. As they neared the bottom, Pei Zhouwu suddenly exerted force and swam forward with her.
Squinting her eyes, Liu Fuying saw an unusual glimmer of light ahead.
Further ahead was a narrow passageway.
The closer they went, the brighter the light became.
Liu Fuying’s peripheral gaze fell back on Pei Zhouwu. His hair danced in the water, casting shifting light and shadow on his profile, dreamlike and illusory.
As his hair brushed past his crimson lips, Liu Fuying lost herself in thought.
Then, a plan surfaced in her mind.
By the time Pei Zhouwu sensed something amiss and turned back, she was already on the verge of suffocation, unable to hold her breath. Even underwater, her flushed face and pained expression were visible. Without fresh air and given her injuries, prolonging this could be life-threatening.
Having come this far, he could not simply watch her drown underwater.
Otherwise, wouldn’t saving her yesterday have been in vain?
After a brief moment of thought, Pei Zhouwu wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close.
Then, with his other hand, he cupped her chin.
And next, pressed his lips to hers.
During the process of sharing breath, Liu Fuying had the illusion that everything around her had stilled. Only the softness of his lips was magnified infinitely, making it an utterly enjoyable experience.
Shen Xiunian had once told her that as long as it didn’t become public, she was free to seek out men to her heart’s content. At the time, she had never truly been moved, but now, desire was at its peak.
So this was the pleasure men found in dallying with flowers and stealing forbidden tastes.
…
Emerging from the water, Liu Fuying was still savoring the sensation.
The sound of Pei Zhouwu dragging the iron chain back interrupted her thoughts. She turned to see him holding a freshly trimmed wooden stick, intending it as a makeshift crutch for her.
“Did the Imperial Uncle already know there was an exit beneath the water?”
“Not at all.”
“Then how did you discover it?”
The exit was so deep beneath the spring… He…
A chill crept into Liu Fuying’s heart. Could it be that he had once given in to despair, attempting to drown himself, and only then discovered that underwater passage?