Hard to Let Go

Yang Yun turned her face toward him, looking utterly beguiling, her voice soft and tender as she called Lu Changwen's name from every direction.

Lu Changwen could not control himself, yet his mind was clear as a mirror. This was anything but normal.

In his desperation, he bit through the tip of his tongue. The taste of blood instantly filled his mouth, salty and fishy; along with the pain came sudden clarity within his mind. Looking again, where was Yang Yun?

Before him stood an old hag with a face like tree bark, coquettishly twisting about at him, one eye blinking without cease. Fighting back his disgust, Lu Changwen bent his knees, turned his feet inward, poured strength into his fists, and with an exhaled shout, hurled a punch at the old hag's face.

Lu Changwen had heard this move from a storyteller while traveling to Kaifeng for the examinations. He had used it in haste now, yet it achieved miraculous results. The old hag turned pale with fright, but it was already too late. Staring at her caved-in chest, she flew backward and crashed heavily to the ground with a bang, the disguise on her face falling away.

At the sight of that face, Lu Changwen stood dumbstruck. He could not understand why this person had appeared here. They had no old grievances and no recent enmity—why had he come after him?

"Yang Yun! Where is Yang Yun?" Lu Changwen's chest ached fiercely. It was all his fault for sleeping so soundly that he had not even noticed Yang Yun being switched out in the middle of the night.

Lu Changwen looked in every direction. The wilderness was wide and empty, with nowhere to hide anyone except the village ten li behind him. He immediately raced back, anxiety gnawing