Jiang Xiuxiu glanced at the two men standing outside and removed the ornament from her hair.
Then, taking advantage of their momentary distraction, she quietly threw the ornament out.
Bang!
“What was that noise?”
The two villagers, hearing the sound, instinctively looked in the direction it came from.
Jiang Xiuxiu seized the opportunity. Without hesitation, she lifted her skirt and jumped out of the sedan chair, running away.
“She’s escaping!”
“Quick, go tell the village chief!”
The two villagers, realizing what was happening, turned to grab her.
Jiang Xiuxiu moved swiftly. She had already scouted out an escape route earlier. Taking advantage of their distraction, she managed to run twenty to thirty meters away.
She found a hiding spot in a bush and ducked inside.
While in the sedan chair, she had already removed most of her cumbersome wedding attire.
Once hidden in the bush, she quickly and neatly took off the rest and threw it down the hill.
Now wearing only her undergarments, she cautiously moved to the back of the bush and lay low.
At the same time, she continued throwing stones downhill to create noise. The stones she was throwing were small so they did not give away her position.
Tonight, there was no moon, the sky was filled with dark clouds, and the forested mountain was pitch black.
Seeing Jiang Xiuxiu escape, one villager went back to report while the other followed her path.
The pursuing villager, unable to find Jiang Xiuxiu, noticed the bright red wedding dress lying on the ground downhill and, hearing the sounds coming from that direction, ran down the hill without hesitation.
Seeing this, Jiang Xiuxiu breathed a sigh of relief.
She dusted herself off and quietly started climbing back up the mountain.
As expected, they would likely think she had escaped downhill.
The most dangerous place is often the safest, she thought. She decided to hide in the temple for a while, believing it would be safe.
After days of relentless work and tonight’s chaos, the villagers were already tired.
When they discovered Jiang Xiuxiu had escaped, they looked at each other in confusion. Eventually, the elder in the black robe made a decision: most villagers were to go down the mountain to capture her, while he and a few others stayed to consult the god.
Jiang Xiuxiu waited behind the temple until everyone left, then sneaked in through the back door.
She hid under the heavy curtains behind the statue of the evil god and found a place to sit.
Her successful escape was partly due to the villagers' lack of vigilance.
They probably thought she was too exhausted to resist, and even if she did, she couldn’t take on twenty or thirty people.
From another perspective, they weren't wrong.
Jiang Xiuxiu would have to pass through the village to return to the Wang family. With so many people searching for her, escape would be nearly impossible.
Even if she made it back to the players, they might not be able to protect her.
Facing an entire village, it would be difficult to keep her safe.
Though she had managed to escape this time, it didn’t mean she was completely safe.
The danger was still all around her.
Jiang Xiuxiu thought for a moment but couldn’t figure out her next move.
She decided to sleep for a while. Once everyone had left and it was daylight, she would find another chance to slip away.
Outside, the elder in the black robe was still praying, asking the god if he would accept a pregnant bride.
Exhausted, Jiang Xiuxiu sat against the wall and slowly fell asleep to the sound of his voice.
Perhaps because she fell asleep near Xu Bai's idol, she dreamed of Xu Bai again.
In the dream, everything was white except for Xu Bai, who stood far away in his red groom’s outfit, silently watching her.
He was already very handsome, and the elegant attire made his face look even paler, his eyes darker, giving him a more human touch compared to his usual aloof demeanor.
“I didn’t expect you to find a way to escape,” Xu Bai said slowly.
His gaze lingered on Jiang Xiuxiu's belly, his tone neutral. “Claiming to be pregnant, are you?”
Seeing him made Jiang Xiuxiu furious.
She still remembered how Xu Bai had earlier forced her to accept the dowry.
She hadn’t even accepted the bridal gifts, yet she was forced to take them.
What’s more, Jiang Xiuxiu clearly realized that Xu Bai was deliberately targeting her.
It wasn’t just the three male players who had eaten the villagers' food.
But he chose to come after her.
Thinking about this, Jiang Xiuxiu glared at Xu Bai and said fearlessly, “Why are you here again? Why do you have to mess with me?”
In the dream, he couldn’t kill her, so she wasn’t afraid of Xu Bai doing anything to her.
“Why?”
Xu Bai seemed more puzzled by this question than she was.
He tilted his head and said, “Didn’t I already tell you the reason?”
He told me?
Jiang Xiuxiu was taken aback, then remembered something he had said in an earlier dream.
“Wouldn’t it be nice to stay here?”
“If you die, you can stay by my side forever.”
Jiang Xiuxiu was speechless.
So he wanted to kill me to make me his “bride” and keep my soul by his side?
“Why does it have to be me?”
Jiang Xiuxiu thought about it but couldn’t understand.
She wasn’t particularly beautiful, didn’t speak well, and had tricked Xu Bai many times.
There were interesting people everywhere, so why was he only interested in her?
"Why me?"
Xu Bai listened to her question, his deep black eyes staring at her thoughtfully.
He didn’t answer Jiang Xiuxiu's question but instead revealed a strange smile.
Before she knew it, he was right in front of her.
They were so close that Jiang Xiuxiu could even smell the faint scent of grass and wood on him.
Looking at Xu Bai so near, Jiang Xiuxiu felt an inexplicable panic.
In the next second, her vision went black, and she felt a strong grip on her chin, followed by a sharp pain on her lips.
Jiang Xiuxiu opened her mouth to say something, but it was tightly sealed.
She tried to breathe but couldn’t, only feeling her lips being fiercely bitten, the taste of iron filling her mouth.
In a daze, as the suffocation began to overwhelm her, Jiang Xiuxiu realized that Xu Bai was kissing her.
No, he was biting her.
She didn’t know how long it lasted, but just when Jiang Xiuxiu thought she might suffocate to death, Xu Bai finally let her go.
"This time, I won’t go easy on you."
Looking at the stunned Jiang Xiuxiu, Xu Bai spoke softly.
Where she couldn’t see, he slightly turned his head, a faint smile curling his lips.
In his deep black pupils, there was a dark light that Jiang Xiuxiu couldn’t understand. "I look forward to your resistance."
The next morning, she woke up to the chirping of birds.
The mountain was peaceful and serene, with no villagers in sight around the temple.
Jiang Xiuxiu knew that she had successfully evaded them for the night.
She crawled out from under the curtain, stretched her body, and glanced at the statue of the evil god in the temple.
Bathed in the gentle summer sunlight, the statue had its eyes half-closed, a faint smile on its face, and a compassionate expression.
Despite being in a dilapidated temple, the statue, enjoying the villagers' offerings, was free of dust.
Looking at the statue, Jiang Xiuxiu felt extremely frustrated.
Remembering the events of the previous night made her want to throw a stone at the idol.
She hadn’t expected Xu Bai to take advantage of her even in her dreams.
But thinking about the consequences of such an action, Jiang Xiuxiu could only sigh in resignation and look away.
Never mind, she thought. After last night, Xu Bai would be seen by his followers as a pervert who wasn’t picky, even targeting a pregnant woman.
As for his threat of not going easy on her, Jiang Xiuxiu wasn’t worried.
After all, it didn't matter if she died in the game.
Feeling the hunger in her stomach, Jiang Xiuxiu rubbed her belly, thinking about how to find something to eat without getting caught by the villagers.
"Jiang Xiuxiu."
At that moment, a soft call came from behind her.
Turning around, Jiang Xiuxiu was surprised and delighted to see Ye Ming standing behind her on the mountain.
“How did you find me here?” she asked, both surprised and happy. “Did you bring food? I’m so hungry.”
“I brought food,” Ye Ming said, giving Jiang Xiuxiu the answer she most wanted to hear. “I didn’t see you this morning, so I came out to look for you.”
He smiled slightly and said, “I thought about how the villagers sneaked around yesterday, so I decided to check here, thinking I might find something.”
With that, he took out two steamed buns from his pocket.
“Ye Ming, thank you so much,” Jiang Xiuxiu said gratefully.
She didn’t care if the buns were cold or hot and immediately started eating them.
As soon as she finished eating, both she and Ye Ming heard footsteps coming from the path.
“Let’s go,” Jiang Xiuxiu decided quickly.