The Ageless Dream

20.1 A Secret Picturesque (79)

"This..." Dong Li Hua lowered her guard. She stared at the feminine youth in front of her. He wore a dark cloak over himself, there were scrapes on his pale white skin that is a proof of assaults and few parts of his cloak was torn. She can guess he experienced a beast's attack. It can be wolves or tigers lurking around the forest. Her guess was proven right once she saw the small traces of blood not far from them with a b****y sword stabbed on the ground.

The young man may be in his twenty fifth age. He have his dark hair scattered down until the white snow. His slender willowy eyebrows were knitted gently. Long eyelashes overshadowing his face, a perfect nose and slightly plump lips with bit of dried blood on the corner. He looked extremely beautiful that can be mistaken as a woman. If she were to grade his charm, he can be on par with Ying Zheng.

"Li Si, we meet again." Dong Li Hua tucked few of his hair strands behind his ear. She placed her hand on his neck to feel his pulse. It was beating fast but he was breathing evenly. Something is not right. However, she have to first find a place to rest for the night, the sun is about to sink. Dong Li Hua endured and carried Li Si to where she left the horse. She placed him on the steed, not caring if he will feel the pain but she proceeded and went to find a shelter.

The sun is about to completely disappear from the horizon. It was fortunate Dong Li Hua found a wide cave. She is still not near Daliang and has to be careful incase Xiang Ji's group arrives. As a result, she pulled the horse into the dark cave but it reluctantly stepped in.

"You stupid horse! We will die if you stay outside, there are many starving wolves there!" she threatened and as if the horse understood, it obediently followed her inside.

After creating a fire to keep them warm, she went to the horse and took the bag she tied. Dong Li Hua took out a bottle of honey water and her meal. She finished quickly and settled her gaze at Li Si. The last time she saw him, he is only seventeen or eighteen with a decisive immature face. But now, Li Si has grown more mature that transformed him into a beautiful young man.

Dong Li Hua took out one of her stored cloak and removed Li Si's before placing it around him. She is a bit worried why his pulse is functioning differently from his body. It can be a poison but who poisoned him? How and what sort of poison?

With so much to think of, Dong Li Hua dozed off beside Li Si. Unbeknownst to Dong Li Hua, the young man woke up with a gasp. His eyes narrowing from pain as he clenched his hand on his chest. The great pain was quickly removed just as it came. He was not given a time to struggle nor scream.

Li Si perspired with such short but painful torment. He huffed for some time before recovering his senses. A lit fire is in front of him and across is a chestnut horse that is already asleep. He furrowed his brows when he noticed the warmth to his side seems more comfortable.

"What is this? It felt...soft?" he thought, not daring to move incase it was another beast. There is something soft pressing on his arm. Li Si slowly turned his head to the side when a lightning bolt struck his head. No wonder it's soft. He doesn't know how to react but his face actually darkened.

"Cold." Dong Li Hua muttered. She wanted to sleep already but the coldness is torturing her. Her hands searched for warmth and enveloped Li Si's waist as she burrowed her face on his chest. After a brief silence, none of them moved and she is already asleep but the young man is a different matter.

Li Si was stupefied when he heard her voice. His heart skipped a beat when he saw her face close by. Eight years ago, when he first stepped into the banquet hall of Qin's imperial palace. He was given a chance to meet a beauty he thought was a white lotus but instead, she is quite clever and innocent. That brave and reckless attitude won his admiration. With all beauties he met until now, none of them matched her strange personality. In this era, where men are far superior that women, almost those noble young misses obediently followed his words and can only cry once he rejected them.

Was it really her? The winter plum flower (dong li hua) he met eight years ago? Is this what they call fate?

The next morning, Dong Li Hua had a good sleep than any other days she spent in Chu. She glanced beside her but the person she expected is no longer there.

"What?! Where is he?" Dong Li Hua's eyes rounded. The steed is still there so did he walk away alone? She stepped out of cave only to find Li Si standing nearby a tree. He was coughing fervently thus, she went back to the cave and took the bottle of water outside. When she returned, Li Si is already leaning on the tree while wiping the trace of blood from his chin.

"Li Si, are you alright?" she worriedly asked, handing the water to him but Li Si did not move. He gazed on his palm where a handkerchief is. Dong Li Hua followed his sight and what she saw is somewhat shocking. Deep red blood that is under the shade of black. He was poisoned.

"Why are you here?" he changed the topic instead and threw the handkerchief to the side.

"I... I came from Chu. Years ago, someone abducted me." Dong Li Hua lied. If she were to say the truth, it will only arouse suspicion and maybe even Li Si won't believe her.