Starting as pearl divers, they have endless jobs.

Chapter 259: Trapped in a cocoon
Under the cover of night, the lanterns cast long shadows on the long street, casting two figures onto the bluestone pavement.

Bai Yingluo felt like she was about to melt.

She would occasionally look up, staring blankly at Chen Ye's profile, her mind a complete blank.

Now she has only one thought: to stay by this man's side and never be separated from him.

Chen Ye found it amusing, but his face remained gentle.

In his vision, Bai Yingluo was simply a huge, luminous body made of rose gold.

The flames of desire, representing admiration and infatuation, had burned to an unprecedented degree, completely engulfing the last trace of icy blue that originally represented her reason and restraint.

This vixen has truly fallen in love with him now, even though he was the one who brought this love into being, it is still love.

Chen Ye reached out and gently smoothed Bai Yingluo's slightly disheveled hair. "You must have had a long journey all the way from Yunzhou."

This intimate gesture made Bai Yingluo's body tremble violently, and an indescribable warm current instantly surged through her entire body.

“No…it’s not hard,” she lowered her head, her voice barely audible, “As long as I can see you, I don’t feel tired no matter how far the journey is.”

"You're just too naive," Chen Ye sighed, his tone tinged with a hint of indulgent reproach. "Nanhe County is in chaos right now, full of refugees and rebel soldiers. What if you, a young lady, encounter danger on the road?"

"I...I didn't think that much, I was just worried about you." As she spoke, Bai Yingluo's eyes reddened again. "I heard that there was a disaster in Nanhe County, and that there were demons from the Demon Sect causing trouble, so I rushed over because I was afraid something would happen to you..."

These words were half true and half false.

She was genuinely worried that Chen Ye would be snatched away by that crazy woman Xia Lingshuang, which is why she rushed over in such a hurry.

But now, under the influence of Chen Ye's power of desire, this possessiveness of protecting food has been distorted and amplified into a pure, unadulterated worry and love.

Seeing her pitiful appearance, Chen Ye knew that the time was almost right.

If this public scuffle continues, by tomorrow the whole of Pingyang will probably be talking about this imperial envoy's romantic escapades.

"Alright, don't stand here anymore, it's windy at night." Chen Ye took her cold little hand. "Come back to the government office with me."

"Mmm." Bai Yingluo nodded obediently, letting him lead her, feeling as if she were walking on clouds, her whole body light and airy.

When they saw Chen Ye actually holding the woman's hand and walking towards the government office, Hou En and Qian Yi, who were in the distance, almost popped their eyes out.

"Holy crap! Is Brother Chen planning to keep a mistress in a gilded cage?" Qian Yi exclaimed.

Feng Xiao listened in stunned silence, opened his mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed his words back.

Forget it, it's best not to meddle in adults' affairs.

Chen Ye led Bai Yingluo back to the backyard of the government office.

He specially chose a clean and elegant room for Bai Yingluo, right next to his study.

"You can stay here tonight," Chen Ye said to Bai Yingluo, who was following behind him. "I've already told the servants that hot water and a change of clothes will be delivered soon."

“Chen Lang…” Bai Yingluo ignored all of this and looked at Chen Ye with her eyes full of reluctance.

"What's wrong?" Chen Ye asked knowingly.

"Can...can you stay with me tonight?" Bai Yingluo mustered her courage, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible.

She felt her cheeks burning hot, and her heart was pounding in her throat.

This was the first time in her life that she had made such a request to a man.

If the elders and disciples of the Nine Nether Sect knew that their cold and ruthless Holy Maiden, who regarded men as mere playthings, was now begging for a man's company like a young girl in love, they would probably be astonished.

Chen Ye looked at her shy yet expectant eyes and chuckled inwardly.

He had this vixen completely under his control, but he had no interest in actually having anything happen between them.

Chen Ye wasn't very interested in women he could mentally control; he always felt like he was playing with a high-end puppet, which wasn't very interesting.

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Chen Ye put on a stern face and gently tapped her forehead. "You've been traveling a long way and you must be tired, so you should get some rest. As for me, I still have official business to attend to, and I'll be busy with even more things tomorrow."

Although his tone was reproachful, his eyes remained gentle.

This tactic of giving a slap followed by a sweet treat is incredibly effective against Bai Yingluo in her current state.

As expected, Bai Yingluo was not angry at all. Instead, she felt that Chen Ye was concerned about her, and her heart was filled with sweetness.

"Oh..." she responded obediently. Although she was still a little disappointed, she felt more of a happiness at being controlled by her sweetheart.

"Okay, listen to me." Chen Ye ruffled her hair again. "Go wash up and go to bed early. I'll come see you again tomorrow."

"Yes!" Bai Yingluo nodded emphatically, a bright smile returning to her face.

Chen Ye turned and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Outside the door, two guards stood straight and bowed respectfully when they saw Chen Ye come out.

"Keep an eye on this place and don't let anyone disturb Miss Yuan's rest," Chen Ye instructed.

"Yes, my lord!"

After calming down the clingy vixen, Chen Ye felt a sense of relief. He then strolled into the courtyard, preparing to go to his study to process the various intelligence reports that had been gathered that day.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, he saw Hou En and Qian Yi huddled together in a corner, pointing and whispering about the room he had just left, occasionally letting out lewd laughter.

"Hehe, Brother Chen is in for a treat tonight!"

"That's right. Although that young lady looks delicate, the seductive look in her eyes is something most men can't resist."

"Do you think we should go and eavesdrop?"

"Are you crazy? Do you want Brother Chen to skin you alive?"

"Yeah, right... Holy crap, Brother Chen!"

Qian Yi, who was secretly discussing something, looked up and saw Chen Ye standing under the eaves, which startled him.

Hou En quickly shut his mouth, looking at Chen Ye with a fawning smile, "Brother Chen, why did you come out?"

Chen Ye looked at these two clowns and couldn't help but feel both annoyed and amused.

Although they spoke in low voices, Chen Ye heard them clearly. So he straightened his face and said in a deep voice, "You two seem to have a lot of free time. In that case, you two will take turns leading men to patrol the city at night, especially the disaster camps outside the city. Make sure there is no trouble."

"Huh?" Hou En and Qian Yi were dumbfounded.

Patrolling the streets in the middle of the night? And going to that stinking disaster camp?
Isn't this just pure drudgery?
"What? You have a problem with that?" Chen Ye's eyes narrowed slightly.

"No! No! Absolutely not!" The two of them exclaimed in surprise.

"Then why aren't you leaving?" Chen Ye waved his hand.

"Yes Yes Yes!"

Hou En and Qian Yi felt as if they had been granted a pardon and quickly ran out.

Looking at the two disheveled figures, Chen Ye shook his head helplessly.

Although these two guys are unreliable, their loyalty is unquestionable, and they are rare and useful people around me.

Meanwhile, on the official road a hundred miles away from Pingyang City.

A plume of black smoke streaked through the night, eventually landing in a dense forest, revealing Xia Ling Shuang's cold and exquisitely beautiful face.

She glanced up in the direction of Pingyang City, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes. Then she took out a thin, cicada-wing-like human skin mask from her bosom, covered her face, and changed into a tattered outfit full of patches.

In the blink of an eye, the once aloof Holy Maiden of the Wrathful Soul Sect transformed into a pale, thin, yet stubbornly determined refugee girl.

After doing all this, she determined the direction and walked step by step toward Pingyang City.

If Bai Yingluo could disguise herself as a village girl selling tofu for Chen Ye, why couldn't Xia Lingshuang pretend to be a homeless refugee?
The next morning, a long queue had already formed in front of the porridge stall at the east gate of Pingyang City.

Unlike the chaos of a few days ago, the disaster victims, though still looking pale and sickly, now have a more settled and hopeful look in their eyes.

They lined up quietly, without anyone cutting in line or making a sound.

Because they knew that as long as they followed the rules, they would definitely be able to get that bowl of hot porridge that could save their lives.

At the end of the line, a thin girl in tattered clothes was moving forward silently with her head down.

She looked no different from the other refugees around her, pale and thin, with cracked lips. Only when she occasionally looked up did her eyes flash with a coldness and scrutiny that seemed out of place with her surroundings.

This girl was Xia Lingshuang, who was disguised as a refugee.

She rushed to the outskirts of Pingyang City yesterday night and infiltrated the refugee camp.

Overnight, she witnessed too many unbelievable things. She saw those fierce-looking soldiers actively leading the elderly and children to the front of their ranks.

She saw those disaster victims who should have been selfish sharing the porridge with their weaker companions.

She even overheard many people whispering about the imperial envoy's benevolence, their words filled with heartfelt gratitude and admiration.

"That Lord Chen is truly a living bodhisattva!"

"Yes, if it weren't for him, we probably would have starved to death on the roadside long ago."

"Once this disaster is over, I must go and kowtow to him, and erect a longevity tablet for him!"

These words reached Xia Lingshuang's ears, making her feel a sense of absurdity.

The education she received from childhood taught her that the only relationships between people are those of exploitation and being exploited, of devouring and being devoured.

So-called benevolence and gratitude are nothing more than lies used by the weak to numb themselves.

But everything before her eyes was overturning her understanding.

What methods did Chen Ye use to transform this hell on earth into a paradise in such a short time?
Just as she was lost in thought, it was her turn in the queue.

The soldier in charge of distributing the porridge glanced at her and ladled out a large spoonful of thick white porridge for her.

"Little girl, eat up, you look so hungry," the soldier said in a muffled voice.

Xia Lingshuang took the bowl of still-steaming porridge, and a fragrant aroma of rice wafted up from it.

She paused for a moment, then looked up at the direction of the city gate instead of drinking immediately.

Although they were far apart, with her eyesight, she could still vaguely see the tall figure standing on the city wall.

He was dressed in a black official robe, standing with his hands behind his back, looking down at the scene outside the city.

The sunlight shone on him, giving him a golden outline.

For some reason, Xia Ling Shuang's heart skipped a beat the moment she saw that figure.

The thought that she had forcibly suppressed resurfaced uncontrollably in her mind once again.

"elder brother……."

The thought was so clear that her hand holding the bowl trembled slightly.

So she quickly lowered her head, using the action of drinking porridge to cover up her embarrassment.

The warm rice porridge slid down her throat, dispelling the chill in her body and calming her chaotic thoughts somewhat.

"No, this must be an illusion," Xia Lingshuang told herself. "He is Bai Yingluo's prey, my target for this trip, nothing more."

Xia Lingshuang forced herself to calm down and began to think about her next plan.

Barging directly into the government office is definitely not an option; it's heavily guarded and full of experts, and forcing your way in would only alert them.

She had to find a way to approach Chen Ye openly and legitimately without arousing his suspicion.

While drinking her porridge, Xia Lingshuang quietly observed her surroundings. Her gaze quickly fell on several people not far away who were directing the disaster victims to repair the camp and build temporary shelters.

The two leading figures, one looking carefree and the other appearing like shrewd businessmen, were none other than Hou En and Qian Yi.

"Fellow villagers, let's all work harder!" Hou En shouted at the top of his lungs. "The Imperial Envoy said that as long as everyone is willing to work hard, not only will they be provided with meals, but they will also receive ten copper coins a day. Then we can buy meat to eat."

“That’s right!” Qian Yi added from the side, “After the camp is repaired, we will organize everyone to reclaim wasteland. After the autumn harvest, everyone will be able to live a good life again!”

These words drew cheers from the surrounding disaster victims, who even had more energy to work.

Xia Ling Shuang looked at the two loud and boisterous guys, a glint of shrewdness flashing in her eyes.

Based on the intelligence she gathered, these two people were Chen Ye's closest followers.

If we can find a breakthrough by dealing with them...

With this in mind, Xia Lingshuang had already made up her mind.

She finished the porridge in a few gulps, returned the bowl to the porridge distribution point, and then quietly walked towards the direction where Hou En and Qian Yi were.

……

"Hey, Lao Qian, look over there." Hou Enzheng was giving instructions when he suddenly nudged Qian Yi next to him with his elbow.

"Which one?" Qian Yi followed his gaze.

A thin refugee girl was seen staggering as she carried a heavy log, looking very strained.

"Tsk tsk, although she's a bit thin, she's definitely got the figure of a beauty in the making," Hou En said, stroking his chin.

"Look at you, so pathetic. Did I tell you to look at women?" Qian Yi gave him a disdainful look.

"Everyone has a love for beauty," Hou En chuckled. "Besides, don't you think this little girl is quite pitiful? Shouldn't we go and lend her a hand?"

As he spoke, he was about to step forward.

Just then, the girl carrying the wood slipped and was about to fall down, wood and all.

The surrounding victims gasped in surprise. Hou En reacted quickly, stepping forward to support her.

"Young lady, are you alright?" Hou En asked with concern.

A delicate, virginal fragrance wafted into Hou En's nostrils. He looked down and saw that the girl in his arms was pale, her lips were tightly clenched, and her large eyes were filled with tears, making her look pitiful.

Hou En's heart softened immediately.

"No...it's nothing, thank you for saving me, young master." Xia Ling Shuang said in a weak but grateful voice, and at the same time, she broke free from his embrace. Then she bowed to him and Qian Yi Yingying, "My name is Shuang'er, thank you both for saving my life."

"Oh, it was nothing, nothing to mention." Hou En was flattered by her bow and quickly waved his hand.

Qian Yi rolled his eyes as he watched, thinking to himself, "You're putting on an act again."

However, he had to admit that although the girl named Shuang'er was dressed in rags, her cool and delicate temperament was indeed very likely to arouse a man's protective instincts.

"Did you also flee from another place, young lady?" Qian Yi asked.

"Yes." Xia Ling Shuang nodded, her eyes reddening. "My hometown suffered a disaster, my parents starved to death, and I was the only one left who escaped all the way here."

As she spoke, she wiped her eyes with her sleeve, and her heartbroken appearance broke Hou En's heart.

"That's terrible!" Hou En said with sympathy. "Don't worry, young lady, you'll be safe once you reach Pingyang City. With our Imperial Envoy here, we'll make sure you have enough to eat and wear!"

“Your Excellency the Imperial Envoy…” Xia Ling Shuang raised her head, her eyes revealing just the right amount of respect and longing. “I have also heard that Lord Chen is a benevolent and upright official who loves the people like his own children, a living bodhisattva! I dare to ask you two gentlemen for a favor.”

"What is it? Just tell me!" Hou En said, patting his chest.

Xia Lingshuang knelt down with a thud.

"I am all alone and have nothing to repay you with. I only ask that you two gentlemen give me a chance to serve as a maid in the government office to serve the imperial envoy. I am willing to be your servant to repay your life-saving grace!"

This completely baffled Hou En and Qian Yi.

Should I bring back a refugee girl of unknown origin to the government office, or go and serve Chen Ye?
If Brother Chen finds out about this, he'll skin them alive!
But looking at Xia Ling Shuang kneeling on the ground, crying with tears streaming down her face, he really couldn't bring himself to refuse.

Just as the two were caught in a dilemma, a voice came from behind them.

What are you two dawdling about here for?

Hou En and Qian Yi turned around and saw that Chen Ye had been standing behind them at some point.

"Brother Chen... Brother Chen!" The two were startled and quickly bowed.

Chen Ye ignored them and focused his gaze on Xia Lingshuang, who was kneeling on the ground.

From the perspective of the Throne of Desire, this girl was burning with an incredibly complex fire of desire.

The outermost layer is a feigned expression of gratitude and adoration, and it is pale gold in color.

The middle layer is a vibrant, almost boiling curiosity and exploration, and it is crimson red.

Deep within, there was a twisted dependence and intimacy that she herself was unaware of, presenting an eerie pinkish-purple hue.

Moreover, through the transmitted thoughts, Chen Ye almost instantly confirmed the other party's identity.

Xia Ling Shuang, the Holy Maiden of the Wrathful Soul Sect...

interesting!
(End of this chapter)