Inlaid With Jade - Chapter 9

Chapter 9 
Why did you cancel the marriage? 
 
When Lin Yu heard the word ‘leader,’ she was utterly dazed for a moment. Steady footsteps stopped at the door in the dense rain. Lin Yu leaned against the dilapidated wall, looked up, and ran into a pair of dark eyes washed by rain. 
  
Li Heming held the embroidered sword in his hand. The autumn rain soaked his body. Unlike others who were slightly embarrassed after being w*t by the rain, his shoulders were still straight, and his expression was still indifferent, like a steel knife. 
  
Two Imperial Guards were tying up the rebel in the stone house and escorting him out. They roughly held him by the shoulders. He couldn’t stand up straight and had to stagger out of the stone house. He seemed to recognize Li Heming’s face. His thighs trembled when he passed by him, and he looked at him squarely. 
  
Li Heming took a steady look at Lin Yu, whose clothes were slightly messy. His sharp eyes swept over the man’s untied belt. His face darkened, and he raised the sword to the man’s neck. 
  
The sharp blade cut through the flesh and cut a bloody line. The stinging pain came from the neck. The man’s body froze, and he heard a chilling question above his head: “Did you touch her?” 
  
Lin Yu’s face turned pale. He San and other guards outside the door were also stunned for a moment when they heard this. How could this question be asked? How could Miss Lin stand in the capital if these words spread out?
  
With a sword on his neck, the hot blood dripped onto the ground. The man dared not move. Li Heming squeezed the words between his teeth, and the undisguised murderous aura covered the man. The man knew that if he said a wrong word, he would not even be able to leave the door, and his head would fall off. 
  
Lin Yu was right. He was a person who was afraid of death. When faced with a life-or-death situation, he could not think of anything except the instinct to survive. The man suddenly remembered Lin Yu’s words. He stammered and uttered a sentence with a trembling voice: “No, no, I didn’t touch her. You can ask her…” 
  
But this hesitation was no different from a confession in Li Heming’s ears. He glanced at the cold sweat on the man’s face expressionlessly and suddenly leaned over to ask in his ear: “Did you not want to act, or did you not have the time?” 
  
The man was startled, and Li Heming had already moved before he could react. He turned his wrist, and there was only a sharp sound of cutting meat. Two pieces of meat had fallen to the ground the next second. 
  
A shrill scream resounded through the mountains. The man was in so much pain that he could not stand and knelt uncontrollably. A pool of blood gushed out from under him. Li Heming said lightly: “Watch out, cover your mouth tightly, don’t let the King of Hell take it.” 
  
After that, he glanced at the Imperial Guards present and said: “If what happened today gets out and damages the reputation of the Lin family, I will hold you responsible for this.” 
  
Several guards nodded in response, lifted the man’s arms, and dragged him out. 
  
When did Lin Yu ever see anyone use a sword? She turned pale. After the man left, she subconsciously looked at the pool of blood on the ground, but before she could see clearly, Li Heming kicked with his toes and lifted a bunch of straw to cover the dirt tightly. 
  
Lin Yu looked along his black boots and uncontrollably fell on his knife. 
  
Li Heming glanced at her frightened expression and went out, washing the sword in the rain. The cool rain rushed over the blade, washing away the bloodstains bit by bit. He swung the sword to dry it and sheathed it before walking towards Lin Yu. He was tall, and when he stood before Lin Yu, she had to look up to see his face. 
 
She looked really embarrassed. Her clothes were messy and w*t, her silky black hair had become loose, and a few long hairs fell on the side of her face. Her lips were pale, and her eyes were moist. She looked like she was holding tears, weak and helpless, but she didn’t cry. Her slightly trembling hands were hidden in her sleeves. 
  
She softly asked, “How did Lord Li know I was here?” 
  
Li Heming didn’t answer her; he stretched out his hand to pull out a dry straw from her hair and said: “Are all the daughters of the Lin family as strong as you? You don’t even know how to cry at this point.” 
  
Lin Yu was stunned, not knowing how to answer him. Li Heming didn’t ask any more questions. He looked down at her unnatural left leg, suddenly lifted his robe, and squatted on one knee in front of her. He stretched out his hand and gently grasped her left knee, and with a finger, he pinched her injured knee a few times. 
  
Lin Yu felt pain, and a cat-like hum came from her throat. It was very soft and a little hoarse, which made people nervous. 
  
Li Heming didn’t use much force, and he immediately took his hand back. He looked up at her and saw that her eyes were red. He said slowly: “Your bones are fine. It will heal in a few months.” 
  
Lin Yu raised her hand to wipe away the tears from her eyes, pursing her lips: “Thank you, Lord Li.” 
  
Li Heming stood up, hung the sword back on his waist, put two fingers into his mouth, and blew a whistle. The black horse ran from a distance and stopped in the rain outside the door, shaking its head to shake off the water in its mane. 
  
Lin Yu could not walk, so Li Heming reached out to hug her, but Lin Yu gently brushed his hand away: “I can do it myself.” Then she held the wall and jumped out on one leg. 
  
Li Heming saved her; she should have thanked him, but with their past matters, Lin Yu wanted to keep a distance. 
  
Li Heming frowned at her back, then took two steps forward, and without a word, he lifted her horizontally. 
  
Lin Yu exclaimed and subconsciously hugged his neck. She wanted to ask him to put her down, but she swallowed the words when she looked up and saw his gloomy face. 
  
Li Heming strode out the door and carried her onto the horse. He San, who was outside the door, was amazed. Li Heming held Lin Yu’s waist with one hand and stretched out his hand: “Umbrella!” 
  
Seeing this, He San hurriedly handed him the oil-paper umbrella he had prepared. Since when did the Imperial Guards bring these things on business trips? It was common for them to be exposed to the sun and rain. Li Heming took this umbrella when he arrived at the temple. He didn’t expect it to rain on the way, and it was useable now. 
  
Li Heming opened the umbrella and handed it to Lin Yu, saying, “Take it!” 
  
Lin Yu had never ridden a horse before. She held the umbrella handle and helplessly sat on the horse. She sat high on the horse, and Li Heming stood below. At this moment, Li Heming had to look up at her. 
  
The sound of raindrops hitting the umbrella surface was crackling, and the tiny cold water drops dripped down the umbrella brim onto his arm. He stood in this fine and freezing rain and suddenly raised his black eyes. He looked into the eyes under her eyebrows, which consistently refused to stay on him. 
  
He looked at her for a long time, with the same eyes as that day in front of the street, as if he wanted to see through her. He stared at Lin Yu until she felt uncomfortable, then suddenly asked her in a deep voice, “Why did you cancel the engagement?”