Chapter 77
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
Chu Hechao abruptly stood up, took long strides, and grabbed the steward by his collar, pulling him close. Veins bulged on the back of his hand as he said, “Take me to find him.”
The steward was practically lifted off the ground, and he trembled as he pointed to a road on the western side.
Ignoring the puzzled Cai Ji and the others, Chu Hechao walked out with his personal guards.
Chu Hechao was worried that it might be an assassin.
The place where the Hu dance performers came from was chaotic, with people from Donghu, Xianbei, Xiongnu, and even Wuwan tribes. Many Hu people had migrated to Youzhou, but not every Hu person would be well-behaved.
There were bound to be spies and assassins from various tribal nations among them.
His expression remained unchanged, but his hands in his sleeves trembled slightly.
Realizing his fear, Chu Hechao’s brows furrowed even deeper, shocked by how much Yuan Li had changed him.
The steward, half-pushed and half-dragged by the guards, quickly led everyone to the front of the guest room. However, the room was locked, and even the windows were tightly shut.
Inside the room, there was silence.
The steward swallowed nervously and raised his voice, “Governor Yuan Li?”
Still, there was no response.
This was definitely not the commotion that would occur during amorous activities. Moreover, if it were just a regular rest, why would the door be locked from the outside?
Chu Hechao’s lips stuck together due to dryness, and he said, “Step aside.”
The steward was pulled away by the guards, and Chu Hechao walked up to the door and pushed it but it didn’t budge. His breath escaped from his nose, and in a split second, he kicked the door in front of him with great force.
The tremendous strength directly kicked the door open, causing half of it to fall off, and the door frame was left with a large hole torn by the lock, with wood chips scattered on the ground.
Chu Hechao walked in and immediately saw a Hu woman tied up and unconscious on the ground. He glanced at her but didn’t waste any time, instead searching the entire room inside and out.
However, the Hu woman was present, but Yuan Li was not there.
The entire room was empty and eerily quiet.
Chu Hechao stood still for a moment, and for an instant, his mind went blank. His voice sounded hoarse when he spoke, “Go find the person.”
He had brought more than a dozen guards with him. Except for two guards who stayed behind to protect Chu Hechao, the rest saluted and efficiently dispersed to search for the person in different directions.
Soon, there were continuous voices outside the room, calling out, “Lord Yuan!” “Governor!”
Listening to those voices, Chu Hechao closed his eyes.
Then, he opened his eyes and walked up to the Hu woman, saying, “Wake her up.”
One of the guards poured a jug of water directly on her, and the Hu woman abruptly woke up, looking at the person in front of her with a mix of fear and alarm.
Chu Hechao sat at the table, staring at her intently. “Where is he?”
The Hu woman gulped and, seizing the opportunity, tried to bash her head against the pillar to kill herself but was stopped by the guards just in time.
Chu Hechao’s expression remained unchanged as he said, “Interrogate her.”
They didn’t interrogate for long before urgent footsteps could be heard outside the room. “General, we found Lord Yuan!”
Chu Hechao immediately turned around and saw Yuan Li walking quickly behind a guard.
Before he could say anything, his gaze swept over Yuan Li.
His clothes were intact, he looked spirited, and he wasn’t injured.
The tension in Chu Hechao’s heart eased, and after realizing this, he noticed that his back was already drenched in sweat within that short span of time.
“Where did you go?” he asked, his tone harsh.
Yuan Li had learned about the situation on his way back. He quickly explained, “This Hu dance performer was a spy. After I discovered her, she tried to escape. I knocked her unconscious, tied her up, and locked her in the room. I went to see if there were any accomplices nearby.”
Chu Hechao’s breath was scorching. He asked, “Did you find anyone?”
“We caught two suspicious individuals, but we’re not sure yet,” Yuan Li replied.
Chu Hechao paused for a moment, then instructed the guards to continue interrogating the Hu woman and asked the others to close the door and stand guard outside.
There was a faint smell of blood in the room.
Yuan Li sat at the table and quietly observed Chu Hechao.
“What are you looking at?” Chu Hechao’s tone was still unpleasant and fierce. After speaking, he regretted it. He kept a stern face, still shaken.
Yuan Li’s gaze shifted to Chu Hechao’s hands.
Chu Hechao clenched his fist, trying to conceal his trembling hand.
“You…” Yuan Li pursed his lips, unsure of what to say. However, his expression unintentionally softened.
Chu Hechao looked at his face, unsure of what he was thinking, and his expression became even more unpleasant. He coldly curled his lips and said, “What’s the matter? Are you reminded of Chu Mingfeng?”
During Chu Mingfeng’s illness, his hands were just like Chu Hechao’s now, trembling no matter what he did. When Yuan Li married into the Chu family, he should have seen Chu Mingfeng in that state.
Yuan Li didn’t know why Chu Hechao suddenly mentioned Chu Mingfeng. He paused for a moment before shaking his head.
Chu Hechao clenched his jaw, his lips straightened, and he remained silent.
Yuan Li spoke again, “What happened to your neck?”
There was a scratch on Chu Hechao’s neck, caused by the impact of the sharp wood splinters flying when he kicked the door with great force. It had scabbed over, and at a glance, it looked like a scratch from a fingernail.
Chu Hechao turned his head to look at him. “What about it?”
Yuan Li reached out to touch it but quickly retracted his hand. “You have a wound on your neck.”
Chu Hechao stared at his retreating hand, then suddenly reached out and grabbed it.
The hand belonging to the young man was warm, dry, and the knuckles were distinct. It was a pair of hands that belonged to a man, completely different from a woman’s softness.
Having spent over a decade in the military camp, Chu Hechao had seen many men and had touched the hands of many of them, but only Yuan Li’s hands made his heart pound like a drum. Once he held onto them, he didn’t want to let go.
Chu Hechao looked at his hand for a while, then suddenly grabbed Yuan Li’s hand and placed it on his own neck.
The man’s neck was slender, with a sexy Adam’s apple. Chu Hechao tugged at his lips and asked, “Where is the wound?”
As he spoke, his Adam’s apple trembled, which Yuan Li’s fingertips could clearly feel. Yuan Li’s eyelids twitched and he quickly tapped around the area of the scratch.
Strangely, before Yuan Li touched him, Chu Hechao didn’t feel any pain at all. But after Yuan Li touched him, he did feel a burning sensation.
He didn’t let go of Yuan Li’s hand, and as he continued to look down at the young man, he held Yuan Li’s hand tighter and tighter, causing more pain.
Yuan Li remained still until the pain in his hand felt as if his bones were being crushed, and then he couldn’t help but twitch.
Chu Hechao didn’t let go of his hand and laughed at himself, “Are you afraid of me?”
Yuan Li replied, “You’re gripping my hand too tightly it hurts.”
The word “hurt” made Chu Hechao instantly recall the moment when Yuan Li whimpered with a hint of resentment and pain in the cave.
Chu Hechao’s breath halted, and he almost seemed to be enchanted as he leaned closer to Yuan Li.
The doors and windows were tightly closed.
The guards outside believed that Chu Hechao and Yuan Li were discussing matters related to dealing with the spy, and they would never suspect anything more perverse or depraved.
In this safe and quiet space, just like the makeshift cave during the storm, Chu Hechao’s heart beat faster and faster. The viscous desire overflowed with every touch, every glance, and filled the air with a damp and seductive atmosphere, carrying a unique scent belonging to each other.
Yuan Li seemed to sense something and looked up. Chu Hechao promptly stopped.
The distance between them was only the width of a fist, their gazes intertwined and entangled in the air. A tremor ran up Chu Hechao’s spine, and warmth spread over his scalp. Their breaths, filled with moisture and alluring allure, sprayed onto their faces, carrying a unique scent belonging to each other.
A feeling of wanting to kiss but restraining themselves from doing so.
Yuan Li’s face flushed, and he lowered his eyes first, his eyelashes flickering rapidly. “You’re too close.”
Chu Hechao didn’t move. He stared at Yuan Li’s lips, his teeth clenching.
Yuan Li continued, “Don’t do something you’ll regret.”
Chu Hechao smirked and said, “Regret? What could I regret?”
In his mind, he repeated the words “regret.”
It turned out that the previous moment of indulgence would be something Yuan Li considered regretful.
Chu Hechao chuckled bitterly, straightened up, and though he was smiling, there was no mirth in his eyes. “You’re right. You reminded me that I did regret it last time.”
Yuan Li’s breath eased.
Chu Hechao muttered to himself, “I regretted forcing someone who still had their deceased husband in their heart to be intimate with me, to the point where they now fear and dread me, wishing to be thousands of miles away from me.”
After speaking, Chu Hechao chuckled self-deprecatingly. He slowly stood up from his chair and walked towards the door.
When he reached the door, he paused.
The room fell into an overly quiet silence.
After a long while, the man’s voice came out in a low tone, “That last statement was a lie.”
Yuan Li turned to look at him.
The man stood by the door, his expression hidden in the shadows. “Yuan Li, I never regretted forcing you. I only regretted saying that it would be the last time.”
After saying that, he intended to take a step and leave.
But suddenly, Yuan Li’s dry voice sounded from behind him.
“What if… what if I don’t feel like I was forced by you?”
Can’t wait until next week to see more? Want to show your support? Come to my Patreon where you can get up to 5 more chapters of After Being Abducted by the General right away or get access to early chapters of all the available BL novels translated by Lazy Girl T! Go donate at Paypal or Ko-fi to show your appreciation! :)
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
Thanks for the update
OH OH