********


    In addition to the portion that Bai Rui ate, there was some porridge left over in the pot. Cheng Nuo was also tragically famished so he simply squatted on the floor and slowly ate the porridge.


    People in the slums normally slept early and now it was almost dark outside.


    Usually, when Liu Guang was here, Cheng Nuo liked to tease him so it wasn''t difficult for him to pass the time. Now that he was alone, he left a little bit lonely.


    Cheng Nuo sighed and stood up but he suddenly staggered. The ground underneath his feet seemed to sway and he almost fell to the ground. He was shocked and quickly put a hand on a nearby tree to regain his bnce. Was it because of low blood sugar?


    However, the dizziness didn''t improve after he rested. His hands and feet felt soft while his brain felt chaotic. Finally, he couldn''t support his body anymore. He fell to the ground softly as the bowl also fell from his hand. He struggled hard to remain awake for a few more moments. As he slowly lost consciousness, he seemed to see a dark shadowing out of the darkness…


    When Cheng Nuo regained consciousness, he was being carried on someone''s shoulder. His head was hanging down and he still felt weak and dizzy. He didn''t have even half of his normal strength. He tried to organize his chaotic thoughts… was he being kidnapped?


    His first thought was that it was the people from Lan Yue Camp, but if it was them, then they would have no reason to tie him up, right?


    The man who was carrying him was obviously walking to the mountain forest since there were branches and leaves touching his face and shoulders as he walked. Cheng Nuo suddenly discovered a strange thing. The one carrying him was… just a boy!


    Judging from this person''s slightly swift breathing sound, height, and thin body, it was indeed a young teenager.


    That person identally tripped over a rock and as he almost fell down, he whispered, "Damn!"


    That voice was very familiar. Cheng Nuo felt the blood in his body freeze. It was Chang Chun!


    But… why would Chang Chun treat him this way?


    Chang Chun finally stopped and threw Cheng Nuo down as though he was a rag. Then he walked away. Cheng Nuo gritted his teeth at the pain and continued to pretend that he was still unconscious. When he heard Chang Nuo''s footsteps as he walked away, he struggled to sit up but his hands and feet still felt soft and limp like noodles. He tried for a long time before he was finally able to turn his body over, groaning.


    Surrounded by darkness, Cheng Nuo could barely make out the trees and rocks around him. From time to time, he heard the sounds of animals in the distance. His heart went cold. He guessed that Chang Chun had put a drug in the leftover porridge - just to hide the truth, he wanted to throw Cheng Nuo here to feed him to the wild animals?


    At that thought, a burst of coldness invaded his heart.


    He absolutely didn''t want to admit that a 12-year-old could be malicious to this degree. Not to mention, there should be no cause for hatred between the two of them! His brain worked fast. Obviously, Bai Rui had already solved the problem. Even if Liu Guang found out about it, Chang Chun shouldn''t be punished too much. Why was Chang Chun trying to get rid of him? And why wasn''t he afraid of Liu Guang finding out about it?


    He was totally confused, but right now his priority should be to find a safe ce to hide and wait for his strength to recover.


    Cheng Nuo tried to move his body a little bit. It took him a long time to move less than five or six meters away. Just then he heard a sounding from the grass not far away from his location and he immediately stopped moving.


    If he were to get eaten by wild animals, wouldn''t that be too tragic?


    He heard the sound of footstepsing closer and closer. Cheng Nuo''s pupils contracted. Those were the footsteps of a human. Obviously, Chang Chun wasing back!


    However, the fact that he returned made Cheng Nuo feel some hope. He was ready to talk with Chang Chun. That kid''s thoughts were too deep, Cheng Nuo couldn''tpletely figure out what his true intentions were.


    Chang Chun was sharp-eyed and instantly noticed that Cheng Nuo had moved. He stood alertly and said in a soft voice: "Are you awake? You woke up pretty fast. It seems that the drug dosage was too low for you."


    Cheng Nuo slowly raised his head and tried to remain calm, "Why did you bring me here?… Who did you bring back with you?"


    He was shocked and angry. Chang Chun was carrying another person and, based on the silvery hair he saw, it was obviously Bai Rui! Chang Chun actually took the seriously injured Bai Rui, too!


    Chang Chun looked at him calmly then dropped Bai Rui, who made a thudding noise as he hit the ground.


    To this ungrateful, badly-behaved child, Cheng Nuo''s anger had reached its limit: "Why did you do this? Don''t you know for whom Bai Rui suffered?"


    "I know." Chang Chun''s tone of voice was indifferent. Not only did he not show any remorse, he even showed a slight contempt. "I didn''t ask him for help."


    As he spoke, he walked towards Cheng Nuo and stuffed a bag into his arms. The weight of the bag surprised Cheng Nuo. It was full of money.


    Cheng Nuo stopped breathing for a moment. He had a bad premonition about this. Chang Chun… he was nning to nt this on them to frame them!? Regarding the jade, he and Chang Chun both knew that neither Cao Tou nor Jin Yu knew who had taken it. After all, Bai Rui had destroyed Chu Yunxuan''s illusion.


    He must calm down now, otherwise, his and Bai Rui''s lives would be in great danger! He looked worriedly at Bai Rui. The child was seriously injured. Cheng Nuo doesn''t know his current condition…


    "You don''t have to take such a big risk." Cheng Nuo decided to keep his voice calm. "You don''t have to do this to me and Bai Rui. I swear I will never say anything to anyone. Even if Liu Guang notices something and bes suspicious, I will help you hide your secret."


    "You know that Liu Guang trusts me a lot. He wouldn''t believe that I took that jade. You can''t escape suspicion if he investigates."


    He did his best to use speak persuasively but Chang Chun never paused in his actions. He was obviously unmoved by Cheng Nuo''s argument.


    Chang Chun grabbed Cheng Nuo''s legs and dragged it over to the side of the cliff. He also dragged Bai Rui over next to him.


    The wind at the edge of the cliff was strong and made Cheng Nuo cough.


    Chang Chun looked down at the two people lying on the ground. His eyes looked very happy. He smiled and said: "Even if the sky were to fall today, I still wouldn''t let you go. Let me make this clear to you. I hate you. Who do you think you are that you can be like that with brother Guang?"


    His voice was full of a deep hatred. Cheng Nuo said, "What did you say?"


    "Ever since a suspicious person like you came, brother Guang has changed a lot! There''s also this boy surnamed Bai who''s always acting above himself! Hmph!" Chang Chun kicked the unconscious Bai Rui. "You''re not from the slums. Even if there was no jade, I would have killed you both sooner orter!"


    He was afraid of the heavily injured Bai Rui. He had put half of the dried herbs in the porridge and used the other half to make smoke. That was the best way to go about it.


    Originally, Chang Chung had a pair of grey eyes but now they glowed red with bloodthirst. He suppressed his smile and whispered: "Brother Guang doesn''t need you to be here. I am enough. You stole the jade. The Bai boy offended Lan Yue Camp so the two of you ran away together, but you were chased by wild animals and identally fell off the cliff."


    "Haha, I might as well clear something up, too. You''re stupid! Last time, when I called you out of the cave, I was going to lure you into the forest to be eaten by wild animals. I had the Mi Hun grass in my bag. Who would have imagined that Bai person would interfere?"


    As Cheng Nuo listened to Chang Chun, his heart started beating fast and his back broke out into a cold sweat.


    This person in front of him right now wasn''t a child. He''s one hundred percent abnormal!


    He tried to raise his head and sneered, "I didn''t expect that someone so young could be so vicious. But have you really thought it through? Will Liu Guang really believe your story? Based on Bai Rui''s character, is he the type to run away?"


    Chang Chun''s face changed color to green then white. After a long time, he bent down to Bai Rui and said: "No matter what you say, it''s useless. I have to kill both of you. Even if what you say is true, there is still Cao Tou and Jin Yu. All of us will be suspects so it will be fine so long as I don''t admit anything."


    He extended his hands and prepared to push Bai Rui over first.


    Cheng Nuo shouted and jumped up from the ground, trying his best to hit Chang Chun. After resting for some time, he had recovered a bit of physical strength but he was pushed away by Chang Chun and Bai Rui also fell from the cliff.


    Chang Chun happily looked down at the area under the cliff. That ce was very deep and there were many wild animals there. By morning, the two of them should have turned into a pile of bones.


    The only thing that he regretted was that the Bai boy was unconscious. He didn''t get to see his frightened face. It was a pity to let him die so easily.


    The wind whistled in his ear. Cheng Nuo''s heart seemed to shrink inside his body. He was so terrified he almost stopped breathing.


    Time seemed to slow down. As he fell, his back hit countless rattan branches and he screamed in pain. He wasn''t sure why but his hands and feet suddenly recovered their strength.


    Cheng Nuo didn''t have time to think. His hands and feet waved wildly in the air. He was two or three meters away from Bai Rui but he reached out and was able to hug his body. Once that person was in his arms, his heart settled down. He tried to grab some objects with his hands and feet.


    He didn''t know how many times his body was hit. Eventually, his speed slowed. When he finally hit the ground at the bottom of the cliff, the pain of the impact made him scream miserably. He almost fainted.


    There was almost no part of his body that wasn''t in pain. His left leg hurt the most; it was probably broken.


    He gritted his teeth, still in some shock because of the trauma of the fall. He could smell the damp earth underneath his body and could hardly believe that he hadn''t died. He cautiously turned Bai Rui''s body, leaning forward check his breathing.


    Bai Rui''s body was cold but, fortunately, Cheng Nuo could still feel his weak breathing. Cheng Nuo was so relieved that he just barely stopped himself from crying out.


    He quickly whispered to Bai Rui twice but he did not respond. He remembered Bai Rui''s wound and quickly touched it with his hand. His fingers came away coated with a wet, sticky liquid. Obviously, after they fell down Bai Rui''s wounds had reopened. Cheng Nuo didn''t know if he had any new injuries.


    Cheng Nuo was now both excited and angry, but his sight and hearing were more sensitive than they had ever been before. He could hear the faint sound of some footsteps and his heart fairly leaped out from his chest.


    In the air, there was the faint smell of blood!


    ******


    Trantor''s Notes:


    你以为你是谁，能那样对光哥 Who do you think you are that you can be like that with brother Guang? - At first, I thought that Chang Chun was trying to insinuate something when he said "be that way with Guang-ge" but I had second thoughts. The kids from the slum probably have foul mouths and if he had meant to say "that way" *cough* then he wouldn''t bother with innuendo. He''s only envious that Cheng Nuo is being doted on by Liu Guang… probably.


    迷魂 Mi Hun grass - "Bewitching grass."