"Why isn't Qi Xiu here?" Han Xi Chen asked.
"I asked him to stay home and make porridge for me. My body is too heavy to squat down," Xue Zi Ning said.
Han Xi Chen's gaze fell upon her abdomen. Her heart tightened, and she feigned indifference, saying, "I'm going back."
"I'm going back tonight too," Han Xi Chen said from behind her.
Xue Zi Ning's eyes narrowed.
Upon returning home, Qi Xiu had already finished the porridge and was waiting for her to eat.
"Qi Xiu, your grandfather has agreed to let you come with me. What are your thoughts?" Xue Zi Ning asked.
Qi Xiu looked up at her, "Sister A Ning, I'll go with you."
Xue Zi Ning nodded and said, "After you finish eating, make some white flour steamed buns, wrap them up, and we'll leave tomorrow when we find an opportunity."
Qi Xiu nodded.
She had planned to leave tonight, but since Han Xi Chen said he was coming back, she couldn't let him discover her intention to leave.
Two months had passed, and she had already memorized the terrain here. As long as she had enough time, she was sure she could escape.
She had hidden a bamboo raft in the woods, one she had made herself. Once she was on the raft, Han Xi Chen would be utterly helpless against her.
All was ready; she just needed the right moment.
Han Xi Chen returned at dusk. By this time, Xue Zi Ning and Qi Xiu had already discussed an escape plan, waiting for Han Xi Chen to fall into their trap.
"You're back. Have you eaten?" Xue Zi Ning asked.
Han Xi Chen was slightly taken aback. Xue Zi Ning had never asked him such a question before, at least not since arriving on this island.
"If you haven't eaten, there's leftover sweet potato porridge in the kitchen," Xue Zi Ning said, then changed her tone, realizing she was being too solicitous, and reverted to her usual cold demeanor.
Han Xi Chen went to the kitchen. A bowl of sweet potato porridge was left for him, but he didn't touch it. Instead, he called Qi Xiu and had him make a new bowl of porridge under his watch. After it was made, he drank it.
It was obvious that he feared she might have poisoned it.
Afterward, Han Xi Chen poured the bowl of sweet potato porridge she had left for him to the ducks.
Xue Zi Ning snorted and said nothing more.
Qi Xiu's home was not large, only two rooms. One was where Qi Xiu and his grandfather lived, and the other was where Qi Xiu's parents had lived.
These past few days, Qi Xiu had been sleeping on the floor in Xue Zi Ning's room. When Han Xi Chen returned, he drove Qi Xiu out.
Qi Xiu left with a worried glance at her.
Han Xi Chen sat on the other end of the bed. It was less of a bed and more of a platform built with stones and wood.
As he sat down, the wood creaked.
Xue Zi Ning's heart suddenly sank. She feigned indifference and got into bed.
"A Ning, you're acting a bit strange today," Han Xi Chen suddenly said from the other side of the bed.
Xue Zi Ning's eyes flickered slightly. "Strange? I've been strange every day. Han Xi Chen, I've already written a significant portion of the Miao疆 secret techniques for you. Shouldn't you start preparing to let me leave?"
"No... you haven't written what I want yet," Han Xi Chen said in a low voice.
Xue Zi Ning's heart skipped a beat. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"The Miao疆 secret techniques include bringing the dead back to life, soul transference, and the final technique, resurrection."
"Han Xi Chen, you're crazy. There's no such thing as resurrection. Becoming a living dead or transferring a soul is going against the heavens. Heaven will not permit it."
Han Xi Chen chuckled lowly. "Don't try to scare me. I've already learned quite a bit. As long as one possesses the hair or a part of the body of the recipient, they can be brought back to life."
"Han Xi Chen, don't even think about it. There is no such evil art in this world. How can a person return from death?"
"Whether it exists or not, A Ning, you know it in your heart."
In the darkness, Han Xi Chen's eyes glowed with a chilling light.
"Han Xi Chen, who exactly do you want to revive?" Xue Zi Ning asked, word by word.
"You don't need to know that," Han Xi Chen evaded.
"Let me guess?" Xue Zi Ning said.
Han Xi Chen sneered. "Go ahead and guess. If you guess correctly, I might consider letting you go now."
Xue Zi Ning's gaze deepened. To be honest, she didn't know Han Xi Chen very well. The Han Xi Chen she encountered back then was just Xue Wen Jie in disguise. She truly didn't know if this Han Xi Chen was the real one.
As night fell, the room grew even darker.
After a long while, Xue Zi Ning opened her eyes and looked towards the other side of the bed. In the darkness, she could sense that Han Xi Chen was still there.
Perhaps it was because the baby in her belly was absorbing her strength, but she could no longer feel Han Xi Chen's presence.
She got up, attempting to test Han Xi Chen with her voice. There was no response. She pulled back the covers and got out of bed.
She went to the head of the bed and whispered, "Han Xi Chen, Han Xi Chen..."
Han Xi Chen did not answer her.
She reached out to touch for Han Xi Chen's presence; it was stable.
She nudged Han Xi Chen, but he remained motionless and silent.
She quickly walked out of the room and knocked twice on Qi Xiu's door, as they had agreed.
The door was opened quickly, and Qi Xiu looked at her with bright eyes, "Sister A Ning..."
"Grab your things, we're leaving..." Xue Zi Ning said.
Qi Xiu was startled. "Now? Didn't we say tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow might be too late," Xue Zi Ning said.
Qi Xiu nodded and went into the room to get the prepared bundle. As he walked to the doorway, he heard a voice from behind, "A Ning, Qi Xiu, where are you two going?"
Xue Zi Ning's body trembled. She saw candlelight flicker to life behind them. Qi Xiu grabbed her hand tightly, his expression anxious as he looked at her, "Sister A Ning."
Xue Zi Ning turned around, shielding Qi Xiu behind her, and looked at the person before them. It was none other than Han Xi Chen.
"You want to run?" Han Xi Chen asked, his gaze instantly turning cold as he saw the bundle on Qi Xiu's back.
"Yes, I want to leave this place," Xue Zi Ning said without concealment.
"Do you think you can escape?" Han Xi Chen asked coldly.
"No one knows if it's possible until they try, but I want to try."
Upon hearing this, Han Xi Chen chuckled lowly, his smile growing colder. "Where are you running to? Let me tell you the truth, the person you're waiting for probably won't come again. He's enjoying his comfort, so how could he remember you?"
"Han Xi Chen, he would never betray me, just as I would never betray him."
"Xue Zi Ning, you overestimate a man."
"It's not that I overestimate, it's that I trust him, just as he trusts me. He can do things that you cannot, which is why I chose him. Now, do you see the difference between you and him?"
Xue Zi Ning reached behind her, and Qi Xiu opened the prepared medicine bottle, placing it in her hand.
"Han Xi Chen, I hope we never meet again!" With that, she covered her mouth and nose, then flung the powder from the medicine bottle towards Han Xi Chen.
By the time Han Xi Chen realized what was happening, it was too late. He couldn't dodge and inhaled some of the powder.
"Go..." Xue Zi Ning commanded.
"Xue Zi Ning, you can't escape." Han Xi Chen's roar came from behind them.
"Sister A Ning, where are we going?" Qi Xiu asked as they ran.
Xue Zi Ning clutched her stomach and said, "Run towards the bamboo forest. There's a bamboo raft I made there."
After about fifteen minutes, she and Qi Xiu reached the bamboo forest. She moved aside the bamboo stalks, revealing the bamboo raft hidden beneath.
"Sister A Ning, there's firelight," Qi Xiu suddenly exclaimed.
Xue Zi Ning looked up and saw faint, distant firelight, many of them.