Border Prisoner: The Mad Boss Seduces Her Every Night

After Sheng Kun took Shi Luyu away from the mountain town, they did not head south on the highway.

Although that road is fast, it passes through two checkpoints. Once Xu Yuanjia's men catch up, that will be the first place they seal off.

He abandoned the dilapidated SUV behind a deserted lumberyard, then turned and led Shi Luyu into the cargo dock at the foot of the mountain.

The docks were even more chaotic than the town.

The shore was lined with deep-draft wooden boats, their bows piled high with wicker baskets, wooden crates, and bundles of spices. Bare-chested men trudged back and forth on the slippery gangplanks, carrying goods, while women squatted under sheds gutting fish. Several barefoot children darted through the crowd, eyeing the pockets of the out-of-towners.

Sheng Kun had barely taken ten steps inside when a man with a missing front tooth grabbed him by the collar.

The man was swearing in the local language, spitting everywhere.

Shi Luyu stopped beside her, watching warily.

Sheng Kun remained completely unfazed, letting the other man pull him along, and said a few words with a grin. Then, he pulled out half a crumpled pack of cigarettes from somewhere and shoved it into the other man's hand.

The man glanced down and cursed even more fiercely.

Sheng Kun took out two more banknotes, and the other person finally let go. The two exchanged a few more words, and Sheng Kun dismissed the man with a smile.

Shi Luyu asked, "You owe him money?"

"How could that be?" Sheng Kun straightened his rumpled collar, his expression calm.

"It's been so many years, let me express my longing."

Shi Luyu couldn't help but laugh, "But the way he looked just now, it was like he wanted to beat you to death."

"The people in Mei Ning are very hospitable."

"We haven't arrived in Mae Ning yet."

"Customs have been passed down from generation to generation."

Shi Luyu glanced at him but didn't expose him.

Along the way, she had gained a general understanding of Sheng Kun.

You can't believe nine out of ten things this person says.

She seems unreliable and often acts out of self-interest. She can overcharge three times the price for a bottle of water on the way, and she even made up a so-called "escort fee list" for her.

Companionship fee, dangerous road section surcharge, night travel fee, and mental distress fee.

Even when she complained that he was too noisy and told him to shut up, Sheng Kun dared to say that he felt uncomfortable keeping quiet and that he would have to pay extra.

But when things really happen, he never lets you down.

He knew exactly which roads were safe to travel, which people he could trust, which docks ostensibly transported fruit but actually allowed undocumented outsiders to enter, and which tributaries were not patrolled by boats at night.

He could strike up a conversation with anyone—the dockworker, the herb collector in the mountains, the fake document seller by the roadside, or the toll collector on the river.

Some people call him Brother Kun when they meet him. Others call him Third Brother Sheng.

Some people even spat at him from half a street away, cursing him for not paying his debts.

Sheng Kun greeted everyone with a smile.

Even Shi Luyu had to admit that he was like a snake that had become accustomed to crawling through the cracks of the marketplace. He had no legitimate power, yet he could find connections in every place.

Finally, they boarded a cargo ship carrying fragrant wood southward.

The cabin was filled with wood and dried fruit, the smells were mixed together, and there wasn't even a clean place to sit.

Sheng Kun said something to the boat owner, who grumbled and cursed as he cleared out a small cabin at the stern for them and threw over two old sheets of cloth for bedding.

Even after sitting down, Shi Luyu was still uneasy. "Where is this ship going?"

"Chongling." Sheng Kun said without looking up.

"Chongling is so big, how big exactly?" Shi Luyu asked.

"Meining District".

Sheng Kun sat cross-legged by the door, counting the remaining money.

"Maying is a transit city between Thamay and the southern states," he said.

"Waterways, mountain roads, and trade routes all converge there. The people are diverse, and so are the religious groups. You can see hundreds or even thousands of outsiders every day. It's safer to hide there than to hide deep in the mountains."

"Do you know anyone there?" Shi Luyu couldn't help but ask curiously.

After all, he had built up connections everywhere he went along. He was familiar with all sorts of people from all walks of life.

"Sister-in-law." Sheng Kun rolled up the money and stuffed it into his sock.

There is no one in this world I don't know.

Shi Luyu looked at his feet, "...You actually put the money there!"

"Just to be safe." Sheng Kun patted his trouser leg.

Shi Luyu curled her lip and said sarcastically, "No wonder that person's face looked even uglier after taking the money."

Sheng Kun lowered his head and sniffed his cuffs, unconcerned with formalities. "Hey, we're all just dabbling in the world, don't be so fussy."

Shi Luyu silently moved a little further away.

Sheng Kun immediately expressed his dissatisfaction: "Sister-in-law, your action is very hurtful."

"I get seasick and want to sit by the window."

"Window seats cost extra."

"..."

The boat traveled south along the river.

At first, scattered villages could be seen on both sides, but later only dense forests remained. Huge broad-leaved plants stretched all the way to the water's edge, with vines twining among their branches and leaves, and occasionally, brightly colored birds would be startled and take flight from the treetops.

After noon, the sky suddenly darkened.

The tropical rain came suddenly and heavily, with large raindrops pounding on the roof of the boat, and the entire river was instantly swallowed up by the rain and mist.

The cargo ship stopped at a floating village for nearly an hour.

When Sheng Kun disembarked, he returned with two rice cakes, a string of roasted bananas, and an old raincoat that he had somehow acquired.

Shi Luyu took the rice cake and asked, "Did you buy it?"

"Of course," the kid replied matter-of-factly.

Suddenly, someone on the shore started cursing in the local language.

Sheng Kun unfolded his raincoat, covering half of his face without changing his expression.

Shi Luyu slowly looked at him. "Although I don't understand, I guess he's swearing?"

"It's probably the weather," Sheng Kun said without batting an eye.

Shi Luyu looked at him questioningly, "I heard him calling your name the whole time."

"There are many people with the same name here."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a bamboo basket flew from the shore and hit the stern of the boat.

Sheng Kun immediately urged the boat owner: "Set sail! Set sail! The rain is too heavy, it's not safe."

The cargo ship sailed away from the village again.

Shi Luyu lowered her head and took a bite of rice cake, staring at Sheng Kun, who was secretly counting money with his back to her.

I couldn't help but drift off a little.

After escaping the villa, every nerve in her body was on edge. She dared not stop, dared not trust anyone, and dared not even think about how Xu Yuanjia would react when he discovered she was missing.

Ke Shengkun is really too noisy.

He seemed to be born without knowing what nervousness was. Even if he had just evaded inspection a second ago, he could be squatting by the roadside haggling with an old lady selling fruit the next.

His carefree attitude gradually pulled her out of her overly tense state.

Sheng Kun always complained that she was troublesome, saying, "You girls are just too delicate."

But as he said this, he had already pulled out an old cushion from somewhere, dusted it off, and placed it under her.

Muttering, "Fine, what can I do? You're my sister-in-law."

The wooden benches on the cargo ship were hard and damp; when the ship rocked, the edges would dig into one's bones. Sheng Kun, on the other hand, casually sat down on a burlap sack, his shoulders against the bulkhead, not caring about anything.

After a while, he took out an unopened bottle of mineral water from his pocket and tossed it to her, saying, "Drink this."

Shi Luyu took it and asked him, "And you?"

"I'll drink that." Sheng Kun raised his chin.

Shi Luyu looked over and saw the large teacup the boatman had handed her. A small piece was chipped off the rim of the cup, and a few tea leaves, which had been steeping for an unknown amount of time, were floating on the surface of the water.

Sheng Kun reached out and picked it up, tilted his head back and took a swig. After drinking it, he smacked his lips and said, "Spring water, all-natural."

Shi Luyu's lips twitched slightly as she unscrewed the bottle cap, nonchalantly saying, "It was clearly scooped out of the bucket by the boatman."

"Sister-in-law, let's not say anything even if we see through it." He pushed the rest of the rice cakes toward her, keeping only a slightly burnt piece for himself.

He kept muttering to himself, "We've changed vehicles and taken boats all this way, and you've even provided food and drink. If I ever get a chance to see Master Jia again, you must put in a good word for me with him, so that my efforts in helping you escape won't be in vain."

Shi Luyu raised her eyes and glared at him, "You can't expect anything good to come out of a dog's mouth."

Sheng Kun, unaware of what was amiss, chuckled and said, "My demands aren't high. Just have Master Jia wipe the slate clean of past debts and give me a little something for my trouble—"

"Why do you think I escaped?" Shi Luyu's voice suddenly turned cold.

"Is it so you can go back to see him?"

Sheng Kun's smile froze. "Sister-in-law, I was just saying it offhand."

Seeing that she was really about to get angry, he immediately stopped being so talkative, got up and searched around the cabin, finally pulling out a bright yellow sweet fruit from the cargo basket.

"Calm down, calm down."

He squatted down at the stern of the boat, carefully rinsed it clean with mineral water, and wiped it several times with the corner of his clothes before fawningly handing it to her, "Just picked, very sweet."

Stones and jade are not connected.

Sheng Kun pushed it forward again, "It's free."

She then looked down at him and asked, "Really?"

"Talking about money at a time like this is really hurtful to our feelings."

As soon as Sheng Kun finished speaking, he added quietly, "It's fine to put it on the books first."

Shi Luyu couldn't resist and snatched the fruit away.

Seeing that her expression had softened, Sheng Kun immediately turned around and busied himself sealing the leaky window cracks. He also moved the wobbly wooden box next to her feet to prevent it from hitting her when the boat rocked.

He kept muttering to himself, unable to quiet down for a moment.

Shi Luyu took a bite of the sweet fruit; the juice was refreshingly sweet.

She watched Sheng Kun squatting on the ground, busy with his back, and the corners of her lips unconsciously curved into a smile.

Having such a talkative guy as a companion along the way wouldn't be so bad.