Chapter 230

Long Ri couldn’t see Phoenix Thirteen or her facial expression. Neither could he hear Phoenix Thirteen’s answer. Long Ri’s eyes darkened again. He took a deep breath and looked in the direction of Phoenix Thirteen, “I love you. I don’t know when I fell in love with you. Maybe when you helped me out of the marsh, or even earlier…”

Phoenix Thirteen looked in the direction of Long Ri. Even though it was all dark, she still seemed able to see his slightly red face and crystalline eyes. Phoenix Thirteen wanted to stroke Long Ri’s face but she just didn’t reach out her hand.

“You…”

“I’m sorry.” Phoenix Thirteen’s voice was very gentle, but it appeared rather clear in the quiet darkness.

Her reply made Long Ri’s body stiff. His dark eyes were full of anxiety. He took a plunge forward and hit Phoenix Thirteen.

Feeling that their bodies were pressed against each other, Long Ri started to stiffen again, “I’m… I’m sorry.” Although he made an apology, Long Ri didn’t retreat. Maybe it was because he was nervous or just didn’t want to retreat.

Phoenix Thirteen didn’t move either. She just pressed herself against Long Ri and heard his heart thumping.

Long Ri subconsciously put his arms around Phoenix Thirteen’s shoulders and clutched her into his arms.

“Why did you reject me?” In the darkness, Long Ri’s voice was somewhat sorrowful. Hearing that, Phoenix Thirteen felt heartache.

“Is it because of our identities? I… I can marry into the Zhuque Empire.” He didn’t care about male or female superiority. All he cared about was whether he could be with her. By far, he hadn’t really fallen for any woman.

Phoenix Thirteen’s eyes flicked. He was such a nerd. She pushed him away gently and took two steps back, saying in a low voice, “That’s not the reason.” How could she care about that?

Long Ri subconsciously clenched his hands, his dark eyes full of grief. For a moment, nobody said anything. It became quiet in the cave again.

A while later, Phoenix Thirteen said gently, “There is no sound outside. Let’s get out!”

Phoenix Thirteen took two steps forward and wanted to push away the rock, but she was stopped by Long Ri.

“Can you tell me why?” Her deep voice was somewhat imploring.

Phoenix Thirteen felt her heart ached. She closed her eyes and clutched her sword as if to crush the sword in her hand. After being silent for a while, Phoenix Thirteen said, “I have a fiance, so… I’m sorry…” She was sorry that she couldn’t be with Long Ri.

Phoenix Thirteen’s words dealt a heavy blow to Long Ri. He let go of Phoenix Thirteen’s hand slowly and took two steps back in frustration. His dull eyes were filled with desperation rather than sorrow. He thought of thousands of reasons but he didn’t think of this one. Why did he have to get through this? Why did God do this to him? Why didn’t it give him any hopes after he fell in love with her?

Feeling Long Ri’s sadness, Phoenix Thirteen also felt grieved, but she didn’t say anything else. She had no idea what else she could say except that she was sorry. She couldn’t say anything. She couldn’t say she loved him too. She couldn’t say that if she didn’t have a fiance, she could marry him. No… She couldn’t tell him the truth.

The suffocating atmosphere in the cave made Phoenix Thirteen almost unable to breathe. She took two steps forward to the cave’s mouth and exerted her mysterious Qi to push the rock, but the rock remained still.

“Allow me.” Long Ri reached out his hand to drag Phoenix Thirteen to himself. Then, he exerted his purple mysterious Qi and struck it at the rock.

With a bang, the rock was directly smashed into pieces. Long Ri clutched Phoenix Thirteen into his arms with his back facing the cave’s mouth.

Many of the smashed rocks hit Long Ri, but he didn’t feel pain at all, because compared with the heartache, the physical pain was really nothing to speak of.

Hearing the gravel hitting Long Ri’s back, Phoenix Thirteen instantly had a lump in her throat with red eyes.

Long Ri hugged Phoenix Thirteen closely as if integrating her into his flesh. Phoenix Thirteen also finally hugged Long Ri back.

Phoenix Thirteen closed her eyes in pain. She would act recklessly for the last time!

A while later, Long Ri slowly let go of Phoenix Thirteen and looked out of the cave, saying gently, “Let’s go back now!”

Phoenix Thirteen nodded and walked out, followed by Long Ri.

They kept quiet on the way and returned to the resting place.

Seeing the two of them come back safely, Yu Ying and Phoenix Fourteen both let out a sigh of relief.

Yu Ying looked at their faces and knitted their brows. It appeared that Fourteen had guessed it right.

Phoenix Fourteen stared at Phoenix Thirteen’s pale face, her eyes glimmering with worry. She put down the firewood and wanted to walk over, but her arm was grabbed by Yu Ying.

Phoenix Fourteen turned around to look at Yu Ying in confusion. Yet, Yu Ying shook his head at her. Regarding relationships, outsiders couldn’t intervene.

It was getting brighter. Some people slept well while others couldn’t fall asleep. Long Ri didn’t fall asleep all night long. The day had just broken. The moment he just rose, others went to fetch water and look for food.

No sooner had Long Ri left than Phoenix Thirteen opened her eyes. She looked at the slightly bright sky, lost in thinking.

Three days later, on the official path to the northwest border, three horses were running as if a gust blew by. Suddenly, Xuanyuan Mo stopped in front of a shabby inn.

Xuanyuan Mo looked at the shabby inn, his amber eyes glittering. This place seemed to be the place reported by the secret guards, where Xi and the others had stayed before.

Yu Feng was delighted to see the scene. This was so great. His Highness was finally about to rest. Yu Feng rode to Xuanyuan Mo and said with excitement, “Your Highness, are you gonna stay in the inn?”

Xuanyuan Mo glanced at Yu Feng and said coldly, “Are you tired?”

Yu Feng smiled stiffly, “No…” He just felt numbness in his legs and pain in his butt with the inside of his thighs rubbed raw.

“Well, go on then.” Xuanyuan Mo swung the whip again and ran northwest.

Lishang directly followed him without saying anything.

Yu Feng stared at the two galloping horses. The corner of his mouth twitched. He had no other choice but to clamp his thighs, raise his whip and catch up with Xuanyuan Mo.

In the Wilderness Jungle.

Phoenix Five dragged Phoenix Fourteen to the rear of the group.

“Five?” Phoenix Fourteen looked at Phoenix Five in confusion and didn’t understand why Phoenix Five suddenly dragged her behind.

Phoenix Five glimpsed Phoenix Thirteen’s serious face and approached Phoenix Fourteen, saying in a low voice, “Did you find that Thirteen had been acting weirdly these days?”

Phoenix Fourteen rolled her eyes at Phoenix Five. Five was too insensible. She hadn’t realized that until three days later. Probably, she was the last one of so many people who figured out their relationship.

Noticing that Phoenix Fourteen rolled her eyes, Phoenix Five knocked on Phoenix Fourteen’s head, “You’ve got balls. How dare you roll your eyes at me! You’re so disrespectful.”

Phoenix Fourteen touched her head and smiled at Phoenix Five fawningly, “I dare not. You’re right. I also think something has been wrong with Thirteen these two days.”

Hearing that, Phoenix Five frowned subconsciously and approached Phoenix Fourteen, saying in a low voice, “What on earth happened?” Phoenix Thirteen was fine the other day. Why did she become like this now?

Hearing that, Phoenix Fourteen took a glance at Phoenix Thirteen, her big eyes glistening with worry. She said gently, “Thirteen seems to have fallen in love with Long Ri.”

“Long Ri?” Phoenix Five couldn’t help shouting, “Well…”

Phoenix Fourteen hastened to cover Phoenix Five’s mouth and stared at the people in front. When she noticed that others didn’t seem to hear their voices, she lowered her head and said in a low voice, “Be quiet. It’ll be bad if others hear you.”

Phoenix Five nodded. Phoenix Fourteen finally let go of her hand.

“Turns out that Thirteen likes this kind of adorkable man!” Phoenix Five nodded and then thought of something, saying with confusion, “If she likes him, just go after him. Why does she act like this?” Although Phoenix Thirteen didn’t talk much, she wouldn’t be so quiet as now.

Phoenix Fourteen glanced at Phoenix Five and said with a sigh, “You don’t get it. Things aren’t that simple!”

Seeing Phoenix Fourteen sighing, Phoenix Five patted Phoenix Fourteen’s head, “I asked you the question just because I don’t get it. Since you know, just tell me!”

Phoenix Fourteen touched her head with a grieved look and meanwhile stared at Long Yue sympathetically. Suddenly, she felt that Long Yue was such a poor man who had to face Five’s violence every day.

When Phoenix Five raised her hand, Phoenix Fourteen immediately covered her head and said, “Thirteen can’t be with Long Ri, because Thirteen has a fiance in the Zhuque Empire.”

Phoenix Five widened her eyes in surprise, “Fiance? How so? Why haven’t I heard her mention that before?”

Phoenix Fourteen glimpsed Phoenix Five, “You know Thirteen always acts aloof. How can she talk about her personal affairs with others? If I hadn’t run into her fiance in the street with her, I wouldn’t have known she had a fiance.”

She still remembered that day, she and Thirteen went shopping and ran into that man in the street. The man looked fair-skinned and handsome, followed by a refined woman. Upon seeing Five and Thirteen, the man ran over and tugged at Thirteen’s sleeve, saying in a cute way, “Thirteen, I’ve finally seen you. Why didn’t you come to see me recently?”

Upon seeing the man, Thirteen frowned and glanced at the refined woman behind him. She prised away the man’s hand and said, “You go back first. I’m on a mission.”

The man pouted disgruntledly and stared at Thirteen.

Thirteen had no other choice but to say, “You go back first. I’ll go to visit you if I have time.”

The man finally left with the woman with satisfaction.

After the man left, Five asked Thirteen who the man was.

Thirteen didn’t answer in the first place. Afterward, she finally said, “He’s my fiance.”

Phoenix Five nodded. Indeed, given Thirteen’s character, she couldn’t tell her friends about her fiance.

“Alas. If Thirteen really has a fiance, she and Long Ri can’t be together.”

Phoenix Fourteen looked at Phoenix Thirteen, her eyes slightly flashing. Actually, she could feel that Thirteen disliked her fiance. She must have a crush on Long Ri, but fate just made fools of them!