“This…”
Ye Cangtian’s mouth twitched. He had wanted to bandage the wound for her, but the problem was that the other party was a woman, and the wound was in a rather sensitive area.
He didn’t mind, but the young lady couldn’t afford to lose her reputation!
So even though Dugu Ling mentioned it, he still found it difficult to act.
“Brother Ye, you don’t want me to die, do you?”
“In a time of crisis, just help me…”
Seeing Ye Cangtian’s bewildered look, Dugu Ling gritted her teeth and said with trepidation.
She truly never expected to say such words in her life, wishing she could disappear into the ground.
“Alright!”
“I’ll cover my eyes, and you guide me with your words…”
Ye Cangtian agreed with difficulty, then took out some gauze. After preparing, he covered his eyes and turned away.
Seeing Ye Cangtian’s actions, Dugu Ling also managed to calm down a bit and said, “Reach out, forward, down, yes, here are the buttons… slowly, it hurts…”
…
The entire bandaging process was an ordeal for Ye Cangtian.
Sweat had already soaked through his clothes, yet he had to maintain his composure, ensuring no impure thoughts or ripples arose in his heart.
He would rather fight a life-or-death battle with a Earth-level expert than go through this again.
Dugu Ling was also uncomfortable. At first, she hadn’t thought much of it, but after giving instructions for a while, she suddenly realized a problem.
She was actually directing a man to help her undress!
Coupled with his clumsiness, there were bound to be accidental touches, which immediately made her wish for death.
For a dignified young lady to do such a shameful thing just to survive, she truly felt too ashamed to live.
Fortunately, the time was not too long. After Ye Cangtian finished bandaging, he got out of the carriage and closed the door, which reduced her embarrassment.
…
They sped along.
The two were very quiet. Ye Cangtian didn’t even enter the carriage for meals or drinks.
And Dugu Ling, due to embarrassment, hardly spoke anymore.
Despite this, when they passed by cities, Ye Cangtian was quite meticulous. He would find doctors and medical personnel to change Dugu Ling’s dressing and re-bandage her.
Thus, with stops and starts, the two finally arrived at Wu City.
As the current frontier city of humanity in the ruins, Wu City was not small. Furthermore, the city had undergone continuous repairs, becoming exceptionally sturdy.
However, Dugu Ling’s home was not within Wu City.
Instead, it was located in a courtyard in the mountain forest on the southern outskirts of Wu City.
The courtyard was large and appeared to have a modern renovation style. It was not preserved from ancient times but was built by the Dugu family themselves.
Behind the courtyard, a piece of land had been cultivated, and with a stream on the side, the Dugu family’s daily needs could be met independently.
Ye Cangtian was truly envious of such an environment.
“Ling’er, Ling’er, you’re finally back…”
As soon as they entered the Dugu residence, as Dugu Ling was giving Ye Cangtian a brief introduction, a middle-aged man rushed out from the main hall of the central courtyard.
The middle-aged man paid no attention to Ye Cangtian, instead circling Dugu Ling, checking if she had any injuries.
His concerned demeanor made Ye Cangtian think he was Dugu Ling’s father.
He was secretly thinking that fortunately, he had been careful with Dugu Ling along the way, and her injuries had almost healed. Otherwise, this person would surely have come to question him!
“Second Uncle, stop looking. Ling’er is fine!”
“Don’t worry!”
“By the way, does that old man know I’m back? What’s his attitude?”
Dugu Ling looked at the nervous middle-aged man in front of her, glancing towards the main courtyard as she spoke, her eyes flashing with a mischievous glint.
“Big brother knows you’re back, so he’s much more relieved.”
“However, his expression is still a bit gloomy. After all, you sneaked out and caused such a huge commotion. You’ll likely get scolded…”
The middle-aged man smiled at Dugu Ling’s expression and then quickly said in a low voice.
“Ah? Then I should hide.”
Upon hearing this, Dugu Ling quickly grabbed Ye Cangtian and was about to slip away. But after a few steps, she heard the middle-aged man’s voice.
“What are you afraid of!”
“Today is special, your friend is here, and he’ll give you some face. You shouldn’t be punished too severely!”
“Besides, you know your big brother’s temper. You can run for a while, but can you run forever? If you’re caught later, it’ll be even worse…”
As the middle-aged man’s words reached her, Dugu Ling’s expression changed. Her large eyes darted around.
Pfft!
Seeing Dugu Ling like this, Ye Cangtian couldn’t help but laugh. So the fearless heroine Ling would also have someone to fear!
Hmph!
Dugu Ling snorted and gave Ye Cangtian a fierce glare. Then she remembered that she had been so focused on getting information from her Second Uncle that she hadn’t introduced him yet.
So she quickly said, “This is my Second Uncle, Dugu Lianyu, who has doted on me the most since childhood.”
“And this is Ye Cangtian, the most cowardly and weakest in the Hidden Group.”
Ye Cangtian had just been mocking her from the side, so she naturally wouldn’t introduce him properly.
“So it’s Mr. Ye. Mr. Ye, you’ve had a hard journey. Ling’er’s naughtiness must have caused you a lot of trouble. Please don’t mind…”
“Please! Big brother is waiting for you!”
Dugu Lianyu said a few polite words, shook hands with Ye Cangtian, and then led the two into the main courtyard.
…
In the main hall.
A middle-aged man sat in the center of the hall. His eyes were piercing, and his face was like a knife carving, giving him an imposing aura.
This person was Dugu Ling’s father, Dugu Changfeng.
“Welcome, esteemed guest. Please forgive our oversight in not welcoming you sooner, Mr. Ye.”
As the voice came, Ye Cangtian cupped his hands towards Dugu Changfeng and said, “Senior, you jest. It is my fortune in three lifetimes to be a guest at the Dugu family…”
Ye Cangtian exchanged pleasantries with Dugu Changfeng with a smile.
The Dugu family was a hidden family in the Huaxia ruins. They might have some renown in the surrounding area, but very few people in the entire ruins knew of their existence.
It wasn’t that their strength was lacking, but rather that they acted with great discretion.
Anyone who knew of them invariably feared their strength. This could be seen from Dongfang Mingyue’s attitude.
Therefore, facing Dugu Changfeng, Ye Cangtian spoke with utmost propriety, avoiding offending him.
On the other hand, after chatting with Ye Cangtian for a moment, Dugu Changfeng changed the subject, saying, “Mr. Ye, let’s chat later. I need to deal with some family matters first.”
“Big brother, isn’t this inappropriate?”
Upon hearing this, Dugu Lianyu immediately realized something and quickly tried to dissuade him.
Meanwhile, Dugu Ling’s face turned a little pale. Needless to say, her father was preparing to discipline her.
She desperately wanted to slip away, but in front of her father, she had no hope. She could only send desperate signals to Ye Cangtian.
“Hmph! What’s inappropriate about it!”
“It’s said that parents teach their sons, and husbands discipline their wives. This girl is becoming more and more lawless. If she’s not properly disciplined, won’t she become even more out of control in the future!”
Dugu Changfeng did not spare Dugu Lianyu and snorted coldly.
In his opinion, Dugu Ling’s lawlessness was largely due to her Second Uncle, Dugu Lianyu.
If it weren’t for Dugu Lianyu’s excessive indulgence, how could Dugu Ling have become so mischievous and willful?
As he spoke, Dugu Changfeng glanced at Dugu Ling. Just one look was enough to make Dugu Ling tremble as if struck by lightning.
As her body trembled, she fell to her knees with a thud.
“Father, Ling’er knows she was wrong. Please spare Ling’er this once, just this once…”
Dugu Ling said pitifully, her attitude extremely earnest.
She knew that being stubborn in front of her father was of no benefit. Only by admitting her mistakes could she hope to mitigate the punishment.
Hmph!
Dugu Changfeng snorted, his expression showing no signs of softening.
The next moment, a black whip appeared in his hand. With a crack of the whip, it landed heavily on Dugu Ling.
Instantly, Dugu Ling cried out in pain. A red whip mark appeared on her body, gradually seeping blood.
Even so, Dugu Ling remained kneeling, not daring to move.