Border Prisoner: The Mad Boss Seduces Her Every Night

The rain stopped in the evening.

The river surface was burned a deep red by the setting sun, and a town built along the water gradually appeared among the distant, rolling mountains.

We've arrived in Mei Ning.

There are no tall buildings in this city. The houses are laid out in layers along the riverbank and hillside, mostly stilted wooden buildings. The ground floor is used for storing goods and raising livestock, while the upper floors are for living. The roofs are covered with dark blue tiles, and the eaves are raised very high.

Almost every household had something hanging in front of their door.

Some were made of copper bells, others of ox bones and animal teeth, and still others of cloth banners dyed in red, yellow, and blue. When the wind blew, the banners and bells jingled at the same time, filling the whole city with scattered tinkling sounds.

Sheng Kun stood at the bow of the boat, pointing to the shore for her, "Do you see those white pagodas?"

Shi Luyu looked in the direction he was pointing.

A row of slender white pagodas stands on the mountainside, their tips shining brightly in the setting sun.

"That's a Theravada Buddhist temple," he explained.

"Further west, that red-roofed building is the Temple of the Fire God. There's also a River God Temple to the north of the city, and to the east lives a tribe that worships the mountain spirit. Every year before the rainy season, they slaughter chickens and sheep to offer sacrifices to the mountain."

Shi Luyu listened with some curiosity, "With so many sects, won't there be conflicts?"

"Of course," Sheng Kun said matter-of-factly.

"Last year, the people from the Temple of Vulcan and the Temple of River God fought for three days over who should cross the bridge first."

"Is nobody doing anything about it?"

"I've taken care of it."

"And the result?"

"Both sides joined forces and beat up the people who came to manage the situation."

Shi Luyu paused for two seconds, then managed to utter, "...They're quite united."

"That's just how the people of Mei Ning are." Sheng Kun leaned on the gunwale, looking toward the approaching dock.

"Our own people can fight tooth and nail over a tree or a cow, but if an outsider comes along and causes trouble, they'll immediately stand together."

The people of Mei Ning are known for their fierce nature. Most men here carry knives, with the scabbards engraved with the patterns of their respective tribes.

There were cockfighting arenas in the streets, as well as mud wrestling arenas for public performances. The women were equally fierce, wearing brightly colored long skirts and carrying loads of goods taller than themselves, even while carrying children on their backs.

Yet this city also retains a strong tradition of hospitality.

A row of earthenware jars filled with water were placed along the dock, available for any passerby to use. If a traveler from out of town fell ill on the street, even if the locals did not understand his language, they would carry him into their homes, feed him water, and then call a priest or doctor.

The people here believe in God and in promises.

Once you accept a gift, you have to do something about it.

If you owe someone a favor, you must repay it.

As Sheng Kun finished speaking, Shi Luyu glanced at him thoughtfully.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" He had been leaning against the ship's railing, talking enthusiastically, but after being stared at by her for a few seconds, he became uncomfortable and raised his hand to touch the tip of his nose.

"It's nothing." Shi Luyu lowered her head and broke off a small piece of rice cake.

The girl's lips curled slightly, and there was a hint of something meaningful in her eyes.

"Sister-in-law, there's something in your eyes." Sheng Kun leaned closer suspiciously.

I wanted to read her expression, but I was afraid of getting too close and getting scolded, so I stopped cautiously halfway through.

Seeing his guilty look, Shi Luyu couldn't help but feel a little teasing.

"What?" She put the rice cake aside and slowly looked at him. "You mean I owe you a favor, and you want me to repay it?"

Upon hearing this, Sheng Kun immediately waved his hands rapidly, and even shrank back on his shoulders.

"How could I dare, sister-in-law?" he said, pretending he wouldn't.

His eyes darted around quickly, clearly already calculating in his mind how much money he could make from this favor.

Shi Luyu took in his expression and smiled slightly.

"Then why were you speaking so seriously just now?" she deliberately slowed her tone, her gaze sweeping lightly across his face. "I thought you were reminding me."

Sheng Kun felt inexplicably uneasy under her gaze and subconsciously straightened his back.

"Honestly, I'm just introducing you to the local customs and culture of Mei Ning." After saying that, he quietly added, "Of course, if you really remember my kindness and want to reward me with something, that's not impossible..."

Shi Luyu raised an eyebrow slightly. "What do you want?"

Her tone and expression were so composed, and her tone was drawn out softly at the end, carrying a hint of understated mockery.

Sheng Kun was taken aback.

Shi Luyu froze for a moment.

When she spoke just now, her eyebrows were slightly raised, and there was a faint smile in the corner of her eyes. She did nothing, but it was as if she had already seen through the other person's calculations and was just waiting for the other person to reveal their flaws.

He looks so much like... Xu Yuanjia.

He used to tease her like this.

He always liked to lean against her, watching her with a relaxed expression. The more bewildered she seemed, the deeper the smile in his eyes became. Occasionally, he would deliberately leave a sentence unfinished, waiting for her to ask him.

At that time, she only thought he was bad.

Yet I've never truly been afraid.

Sometimes, when he teased her too much, she would even push him away, angrily telling him to stop laughing. Xu Yuanjia usually wouldn't back down; instead, he would grab her wrist and ask her with a smile, "My dear, why are you so easily teased?"

Those images came without warning.

The river breeze blew in from outside the cabin, carrying a damp warmth, but Shi Luyu suddenly felt a void in her heart.

She lowered her eyes. The slight relief she had felt just moments before seemed to have been silently suppressed, and even the smile on her lips faded little by little.

She had already escaped.

But Xu Yuanjia left her with more than she thought.

A tone of voice, a look in the eyes.

Even a small, unconscious gesture can pull her back to those days.

Sheng Kun was waiting for her to continue asking questions, but when she suddenly stopped talking, he quickly realized something was wrong.

He stared at her for two seconds, then immediately swallowed back the words he was about to ask for.

"Sister-in-law?" he called out tentatively, leaning forward slightly.

Shi Luyu didn't look up, but just held the rice cake in her hand, unconsciously rubbing off the crumbs with her fingertips.

"It's nothing," she said softly.

Shi Luyu lowered her eyes, staring at the slightly crumpled rice cake in her palm. Her chest felt heavy and tight, as if a damp cotton ball was pressing down on it.

She thought that by leaving that villa and that person, she could gradually erase all traces of him from her life.

But it turns out that people can leave, but memories cannot.

She suddenly couldn't tell whether she was thinking of the "Brother Jiajia" who used to laugh and make her laugh, or the Xu Yuanjia who was now so obsessive that he was almost insane.

Anyway. No matter what.

maybe.

For her, wanting to escape from Xu Yuanjia was genuine.

At this moment, my longing for him is genuine.