Keep your voice down. Are you trying to look glamorous dressed as a forced lover?

As the sun set, the ditch quickly darkened. Li Qingyan didn't notice the desire in his eyes, only his actions.

"He's clearly starving, but he says he doesn't want to eat." Li Qingyan muttered as he got up. "I'll go see how to get out."

Ji Mingzheng watched her retreating figure: "I just looked it over. The end of the ditch is blocked by collapsed boulders, but there is a low pass at the bottom of the pile of rocks, forming a natural stone culvert."

"The stone culvert does not lead anywhere else, and it should still flow into the Lijiang River. If we can successfully pass through the stone culvert, we can emerge from the dense reeds on the riverbank and save ourselves."

"Even if the place is a bit remote, as long as we can find someone, it will be safe."

"However, this stone culvert passage is narrow and full of sharp stones, and the ground is covered with silt and water, allowing people to crawl through it by bending over. There may be other dangers inside."

If his legs were still intact, he would have finished exploring and carried her out long ago, but now it's difficult for him to even explore because the stagnant water is seriously hindering his movements.

"But if we stay here, there might be other dangers at night, so Your Highness may consider whether to stay here or go scout ahead."

He couldn't scout the way for her, nor could he walk with her; crawling was too slow, especially in the mud and water...

His words proved prophetic; he truly became a burden.

Everything he had imagined had come true.

Li Qingyan shook her head decisively: "We have to leave. There might be a heavy rain tonight or tomorrow, and it will be dangerous here then. We can't stay here."

"Very well, Your Highness, then you may proceed..."

Before he could finish speaking, Ji Mingzheng noticed that Li Qingyan had started to take off her clothes.

"Your Highness, what are you doing?"

Li Qingyan was puzzled: "Getting ready to escape? You've taken your clothes off too."

"You..." Ji Mingzheng was stunned. He wanted to say that he couldn't escape. He was sitting upright, like a normal person, but he couldn't move.

He had already tacitly agreed to stay here, and if all went well, she would definitely come to rescue him.

But if things don't go smoothly, then it's better if she escapes. He can save himself if he can, and there's nothing he can do if he can't, as long as he doesn't implicate her.

But she wanted to leave with him; she must have overestimated him.

"I can't help it..."

"Hurry up." Li Qingyan interrupted him. The elaborate clothes she was wearing were absolutely unwearable. They would become incredibly heavy when they absorbed water, enough to kill a person. Not to mention the stone edges he mentioned, which would also cause a lot of trouble if they got caught on her clothes.

Moreover, the water may also harbor leeches, nymphs, small insects, and other worms; being bitten or trapped in it will lead to certain death.

"Ji Mingzheng, don't worry about anything else at this point. Take everything off, make sure you're clean, remove all accessories, just keep your undergarments."

She finished taking off her clothes in no time.

She didn't think much of it, since they were all wearing long sleeves and pants, but it was quite a shock to Ji Mingzheng, because most summer underwear is made of thin and breathable materials.

"You..." He abruptly closed his eyes, refusing to look at what was improper.

But the faint outline of her fair skin was still deeply imprinted in his mind. He tried to breathe steadily and wanted her to leave as soon as possible, but before he could speak, he heard her approaching.

"What are you babbling about now?" Li Qingyan directly helped him take off his clothes.

"Don't worry about me, Your Highness, you should leave quickly before it gets dark." Ji Mingzheng clung tightly to his clothes, like a virtuous young man being forced into a corner.

"How can I not care about you? We're together. Hurry up and take your clothes off so I can carry you on my back."

Li Qingyan's words made Ji Mingzheng pause, and she successfully stripped him naked.

Even the inner garment was pulled open at the neckline; it was truly a visual feast.

Li Qingyan, too preoccupied to admire him, quickly pulled him up again. Ji Mingzheng, even more oblivious, stared blankly at her: "Your Highness, you said... you're going to carry me?"

"Otherwise what?"

Li Qingyan said helplessly, "I do have a conscience, okay? Even if you weren't trying to save me, you're still a hero of the Li Kingdom. How could I just let you go like this?"

Ji Mingzheng's mind went blank for a moment, and he was speechless for a split second.

Finally, she only managed to say one sentence: "But I... am very heavy."

Li Qingyan knew perfectly well: "Don't worry, I can carry you out. At most, you'll just make me fart a few more times."

She comforted Ji Mingzheng, and then couldn't help but laugh herself.

Ji Mingzheng chuckled. For a moment, it felt like he was back in the days when she forced him to fart, a time of speechless yet carefree joy.

Even though it hasn't been long, I inexplicably feel like I've lived through another world.

After laughing, Ji Mingzheng belatedly realized that he had been stripped down to only a thin undergarment.

His undergarments were also made of a light and slightly see-through material. Although he wasn't naked, the scenery that was vaguely visible made it seem as if he wasn't wearing anything, yet it was even more alluring than if he wasn't wearing anything at all.

For a moment, Ji Mingzheng didn't even know which one to cover.

Li Qingyan waved his hand: "It's not like we haven't seen it before. Hurry up and pack your things to leave."

She didn't say that she had never seen such a seductive approach before. Ji Mingzheng was very stubborn, but he was actually quite a fan.

Li Qingyan carefully packed away all her "thorough preparations," wrapped them in her clothes, and carried them on Ji Mingzheng's back.

While packing, Ji Mingzheng wondered, "Why did His Highness bring so much stuff? Are those pills wet? What kind of medicine are they?"

There were hidden arrows, pills, and even silver coins, but the silver notes were soaked in water and were unusable.

"There are poisons and emergency pills."

Li Qingyan didn't say that she even carried pills that might harm her health but were definitely effective at preventing pregnancy with her.

If she has to go all the way to pass the test, then she will take birth control pills.

She squatted down: "Come on up."

Ji Mingzheng tightened his grip, but in the end, he still wrapped his arms around her neck.

He didn't pretend to say he wouldn't be a burden to her, because he didn't want to die; he wanted to live. If he said anything more, it would be an insult to her because of his distrust.

He thought that at least he could go with her, even though he would be a burden to her, he might still be able to help.

Li Qingyan stood up with a thud and weighed himself in: "Not bad."

To say it's alright is actually a bit of a boast.

Ji Mingzheng was tall, and his legs were weak, so he was dragging himself down with difficulty. She had to lift him up with all her might. However, the book was not designed to make women taller or stronger than men, so women's physical strength was not an advantage.

That is why the founding of Lebanon was even more difficult and precious.

That is why Li Qingyan's decision to carry Ji Mingzheng's back is all the more precious and valuable.

Ji Mingzheng didn't dare to look directly at Li Qingyan at first, but when she carried him on her back, even though their skin was so close, he no longer had any romantic thoughts.

He had always known she was thin, but when she actually took off those gorgeous clothes and carried him on her back, he could feel her thinness even more.

He could clearly sense the slight trembling of her body as she supported him, and he could clearly sense the difficulty of each step she took.

He couldn't care about anything else; he just held her tightly, trying to lighten her burden.

But it didn't have much effect.

At first, with the faint light from the entrance, everything went smoothly, but gradually, the stone culvert became narrower and narrower, and more and more difficult to walk through.

The cold air seeped into my bones through the water; it was summer, yet the chill was biting.

The further they went, the darker it became, until they couldn't see their own hands in front of their faces. The passage became narrower and narrower, making it more and more difficult. Li Qingyan, bent over and hunched over, used almost all his hands and feet to carry him through the mud and water, making it difficult to move forward inch by inch.