Chapter 55: Can't speak?
Wu Yixing cocks his head and smiles slyly. "I am curious about why you are coming with me."
Li Jun ignores the question and resumes reading the poetry that Wu Qiuyue, the 13th princess gave to him before they left the capital. He can't make the head or tail of the words. He is reading it because it would be tiresome if he can't answer her questions when she asks him when they meet again. She gets upset easily. His son becomes upset when she is upset. Two years ago, his first wife died. Wu Qiuyue takes care of his son alone after her sister's death.
Wu Yixing grabs the paper and throws it out of the window.
Li Jun scowls at him. "Fifth prince."
"I liked my sixth sister. She wouldn't impose on you with poetries that you would never read if you were given a choice. She knew that you don't have the intelligence to understand the words from the heart." Wu Yixing leans back. "But, you never loved my beautiful sister."
Li Jun becomes silent. He looks out of the window. Love. He cared about Wu Xiuying. He respected her a lot. But, love? He doesn't know what it is. Sometimes, he wonders if he is capable of love. If she hadn't asked him to take Wu Qiuyue as his concubine, he would have never brought her into his household. Wu Qiuyue is the complete opposite of Wu Xiuying. She is not satisfied with respect like Wu Xiuying. She wants to be loved.
"I wonder what kind of woman can catch your heart, my friend." He hears Wu Yixing say. "It won't be that witch, right?"
Li Jun's expression turns dark. "Don't joke."
"Then, you aren't here because she seemed interested in Yu Chen and his exile?"
The amusement in his tone is hard to miss. When Li Jun was young, he babbled to Wu Yixing about meeting the witch again on his 10th birthday. He was curious why the witch would be interested in Wu Yixing and Yu Chen.
Li Jun regrets doing it to this day.
"Yu Chen's mother was the enemy's spy. She got closer to the empress to gather information." He tells him quietly, "He might be used again."
"The Yu family is planning to assassinate him before he reaches the capital." Wu Yixing yawns. "It's better if he dies here or goes back to exile. His life won't be good in the capital."
As the carriage approaches the inn, the small figure dressed in a white robe becomes clear. "Stop."
"Are we stopping at this inn?" Wu Yixing raises his brow. Li Jun rushes out of the carriage. He takes long strides toward the figure in the male's clothes and grabs her arm.
"Witch?"
Looking at that face, anyone can tell that she is a female in male's clothes. His intuition is right. She is interested in Yu Chen. That's why she is here. She doesn't look a day older.
"Why are you not saying anything?" He asks her with a deep voice.
She purses her lips and kneels on the ground. Li Jun remembers the witch who proudly met his father and told him about the assassination attempt. She never kneeled in front of his father. Seeing her kneeling in front of him, he becomes irritated. "Get up."
Kwon Yoori comes out of the inn with a wide smile. Her eyes meet Wu Yixing's first who gives her a smile. She notices Kyuri kneeling on the ground. The man dressed in black looks as if he wants to kill her niece right away.
"Lord, we are sorry." She also kneels beside Kyuri. "My brother is young. He can't speak. Please forgive him."
"Can't speak?" Li Jun shows a dark smile. "Is that so?"
Kyuri trembles beside her. She puts her hand on her niece back. She has no idea how her niece offended this man.
"He lost her voice ever since the great flood. Some days ago, he got hurt when he was on his way to visit me. Lord, be kind to my brother. He is young and naive."
"My friend, don't be hard on them." Wu Yixing decides to join the play. "Boy, help your brother stand up."
Yoori thanks both of them. She helps her niece stand up. Kyuri's face is pale. She doesn't look up at Li Jun. She hides behind her aunt.
"Please forgive my brother. He is shy." Yoori bows to them. "We are already leaving. Please rest at the inn. The service is really good."
Li Jun looks at the bag on Yoori's shoulder. It's the same bag that the witch carried when he met her twice in the past. He glances at Kyuri who doesn't dare to look up. Though it doesn't make sense how a woman doesn't grow old after fourteen years, he knows that this person is the same one who warned his father about the assassination attempt and visited him on his 10th birthday.
She is pretending to be a man and trying to fool him. Is it because of Yu Chen?
"What is your name?" He asks Kyuri. She lowers her head more.
"His name is Mo Wei." Yoori answers for her. "My name is Mo Qian."
"Xiao Wei, you look pale. Don't be scared." Wu Yixing suddenly takes Kyuri's hand and presses the vein on her wrist. Kyuri lifts her head and widens her eyes in surprise. "You lost a lot of blood recently. I have a tonic that can help you."
Yoori doesn't have any idea about these men's real identities. She sees an opportunity. Blood tonics are costly. There is no modern medicine to help her niece. "We don't have money to buy it. If you give it to my brother, I will pay you back with my body."
Wu Yixing raises his brow. "With your body?"
"I know martial arts." Yoori presses her palms together. "I am also strong. I can be useful."
Kyuri takes away her hand and grabs Yoori's sleeve. She shakes her head violently. But, Yoori can't understand what's she's trying to say. Her actions don't escape Li Jun's and Wu Yixing's eyes.
"We need people." Wu Yixing beams at Yoori. "I will give you the blood tonic and other medicines to help your younger brother. In return, accompany us on our journey. We are going away from the capital for a while."
Yoori is in heaven. Free travel. Free food. Also, free treatment for her niece. Her niece is unbelievably lucky. "Thanks for your kindness, my lord."