Chapter 45: Fire!

Chapter 45: Chapter 45: Fire!

It was destined to be a sleepless night.

Ling Qianjun tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. Giving up, he got out of bed and stood by the window. The evening breeze blew in, bringing a trace of coolness that helped calm his turbulent thoughts. He looked up at the star-studded night sky. The twinkling stars seemed to slowly connect, sketching out the familiar, smiling face of a certain someone.

She was smiling at him, and unconsciously, the corners of his own mouth curled upward in response.

"Qianjun, why are you staring at the sky and grinning like an idiot? It’s pitch-black out there. There’s nothing to see." Ling Qianfan rubbed his sleep-filled eyes and yawned, glancing up at the night sky.

The smile vanished from Ling Qianjun’s face instantly, his previously gentle expression clouding over. The moment he turned to glare at his younger brother, Ling Qianfan was frightened completely awake. He even let out a terrified sound. "HIC!"

He thought his brother looked absolutely terrifying.

"I wasn’t looking at anything. I was just observing the weather. It looks like it won’t rain tomorrow, either," Ling Qianjun said. Keeping his face cold, he laid back down on his floor pallet, closed his eyes, and refused to say another word.

Their mother and sister were sleeping on the bed, while he and Qianfan shared a pallet on the floor.

"HIC!" Ling Qianfan’s heart was still pounding furiously, and he couldn’t control his hiccups. He felt that Qianjun was acting a little strange, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on why. Unable to figure it out, he decided not to dwell on it. He tiptoed back to his spot on the floor and lay down. Fortunately, after resting for a moment, his heart rate settled, and the hiccups stopped. Exhaustion washed over him once more, and he was fast asleep in no time.

In the darkness, Ling Qianjun opened his eyes. Pillowing his head on his hands, he stared blankly at the ceiling. He didn’t know how much time passed before he finally drifted into a deep sleep.

Perhaps he had stayed up too late, or perhaps his medicated wounds were too painful and his body too exhausted. He had also taken some sort of anti-inflammatory pills that Hua Buwan had given him, causing him to sleep extremely heavily. So heavily, in fact, that he was completely deaf to his surroundings and failed to raise his guard.

That was, until...

"COUGH COUGH! COUGH COUGH COUGH!"

"Help! Fire!"

"Qianjun! Wake up! Mother! Qianfan! Get up, hurry! The inn is on fire!"

Ling Yunge was the first to wake. She had been drifting in and out of sleep earlier due to her fever and had rested quite a bit. As a result, she wasn’t particularly tired tonight and woke up early. The moment she opened her eyes, she noticed thick smoke seeping in through the cracks in the door, accompanied by the bright, roaring glow of flames outside!

She instantly snapped to her senses. First, she shoved her mother awake, then she stumbled out of bed and dropped to her knees beside Ling Qianjun and Ling Qianfan, shaking them vigorously.

Ling Qianjun was jolted awake, though his head was still throbbing. Hua Buwan had warned him that while the medicine acted quickly, it would also induce drowsiness. A well-rested body was better equipped to heal. However, he never expected to sleep so deeply that he wouldn’t even notice the inn catching fire!

Filled with remorse, Ling Qianjun made a silent vow: he would never take these sleep-inducing pills again unless he was in a completely secure location. It had already caused a dangerous oversight!

Although they were staying at an inn, they were still on their journey of exile. Because of this, all four of them had slept fully clothed, and their packed bundles were kept right by their sides. Any cumbersome items had previously been stashed in the supermarket stairwell. Getting up was as simple as opening their eyes, and they immediately scooped their bundles into their arms.

Ling Qianjun rushed to the front to open the door, only to find that it was blocked by something heavy on the other side. They couldn’t push it open from the inside at all!

This fire had been deliberately set for them!

One disaster after another! They had just survived an assassination attempt, and now someone had committed arson! Their enemies weren’t satisfied with merely seeing them exiled; they wanted to wipe them out entirely!