Rebirth and Rewriting Fate

"How's the treasure thing going?" Yun Chu changed the subject, intending to take a roundabout approach.

Gu Ruoxiao turned to look at her, his brows never furrowing.

“You moved it, didn’t you?” Yun Chu continued.

"Most of them have been moved, but some are still left. What do you want to do?" Gu Ruoxiao's heart pounded.

"I want to lure them into a trap and trap them there."

Gu Ruoxiao narrowed her eyes slightly.

“I didn’t tell you about the origin of the treasure, did I?” Yun Chu said, leaning on Gu Ruoxiao’s shoulder. “That was a long, long time ago.”

My maternal great-grandfather once rescued a couple while fishing at sea. The couple were kind, generous, and straightforward, and quickly became close to my grandfather. They were a good couple in every way, except for their poor health and lack of children. They lived with my grandfather at sea for a while, but later passed away. Before they died, they asked him to take them back to their ancestral home, the Xue family, and left him all their possessions. When my grandfather took them back, he discovered that the couple had left behind a great deal of gold and silver. Adhering to the principle of not being greedy for what wasn't his, he didn't use it for himself. He hid the treasure. Later, every year, my grandfather would return to sweep their graves, bringing back some of his earnings, and then take a portion from the treasure vault to do good deeds. Day after day, year after year, the treasure vault grew larger and larger. Several groups of people came to sweep the graves. Eventually, he stopped taking money from it, and my grandfather's family gradually declined. Perhaps my mother was the last person to visit the grave.

At this point, Yun Chu paused, perhaps thinking of her mother, her voice becoming somewhat low. Gu Ruoxiao tightened her grip on Yun Chu's hand.

“Since ancient times, treasure vaults have always been equipped with traps and mechanisms in addition to storing treasures,” Yun Chu said.

"But Ji Bai and the others investigated and found no traps," Gu Ruoxiao said, puzzled.

“That’s because you followed the map.” Yun Chu smiled. “To prevent the treasure from falling into the hands of unjust people in the future, the old master planted explosives in the secret passage.”

"What do you want to do?" Gu Ruoxiao asked nervously, hugging Yun Chu tightly.

“I plan to lure them there and then detonate the explosives.”

"You want to die with them? Absolutely not!" Gu Ruoxiao said angrily.

"No, no, I don't want to die with evil people. Treasure troves often have a way out, and I know where it is," Yun Chu explained. She raised her head and said earnestly, "Ruo Xiao, with you here, I want to be with you for all eternity."

This was the first time Yun Chu had called him Ruo Xiao. Gu Ruo Xiao was slightly taken aback, but reason quickly pulled him back. "No, it's too dangerous."

"Ruo Xiao, believe me, believe that we can find out who's behind this." She looked at him earnestly.

Gu Ruoxiao lowered her head and remained silent.

The sky was beginning to lighten, the rosy dawn painting the horizon red, and the rising sun slowly cast its rays upon the world. Trees, houses, and distant mountains, illuminated by the first rays of sunlight, gradually awakened, their outlines becoming clear and vivid. Birds also began to stir, their clear chirping rising and falling, adding life and energy to the tranquil morning.

"It should be a nice day today," Yun Chu thought.

"Let me go, please?" she pleaded, waving his hand.

"Too dangerous. No way!"

"You don't believe me?" Yun Chu said, pretending to be angry.

"I didn't," Gu Ruoxiao said urgently.

"You should know me. Even if you don't let me go, I'll go by myself. I can't live a normal life until I find out who's behind this." Yun Chu shook off Gu Ruoxiao's hand and said, feigning anger.

"You..." Gu Ruoxiao really had no way to deal with her.

Yun Chu glanced around and noticed that Cheng Feng had come to protect her from the corner not far away.

"Riding the wind!" she called out.

At this moment, Chengfeng was unsure whether to move or not; he hesitated.

Seeing that no one came out, Yun Chu glared angrily at Gu Ruoxiao, who had no choice but to speak up, "Chengfeng!"

Chengfeng appeared before my eyes.

"Go and reply to them, saying that we agree to the exchange," Yun Chu said.

Chengfeng remained motionless, hesitantly glancing at his master, inwardly crying out, "Master, say something! Do you really want to do this?"

Seeing that the man had stopped moving again, Yun Chu said angrily, "Why are you looking at him? I'm the one who decides this!"

Chengfeng still dared not move.

A suppressed laugh came from beside Yun Chu, "That's right, from now on, she'll be in charge of everything for me."

"Gu Ruoxiao!" Yun Chu turned around and punched him.

Gu Ruoxiao caught Yun Chu's fist without any threat.

Gu Ruoxiao smiled, looking at the sulking person in front of him. He was overjoyed and subconsciously pecked the person's lips lightly, startling the person who quickly covered their mouth in embarrassment, "Gu Ruoxiao! There are other people here!"

“There’s no one left,” he said with a smile.

Yun Chu turned around, but Cheng Feng was gone, and even the guards who had been on guard nearby were nowhere to be seen. Looking at the person in front of her, Yun Chu suddenly felt helpless. "I'm ignoring you," she said, getting up and going inside.

After breakfast, everyone gathered in the study around the desk. Yun Chu was explaining things with a ruler in hand.

“These two are the treasure maps I gave you before. This one is the underground map of Xuejiabao. There are explosives buried here and here in the underground passages. There are kerosene pipes here. They are all connected.” Yun Chu gestured on the paper.

"When the time comes, I'll lure them all in here, and then find a way to light the fuse here, which will trap them all inside," Yun Chu explained, feeling that her idea was brilliant.

"Then why did you come out, Miss?" Mo Han asked anxiously.

"There's an escape door here. As long as I escape through here after the fuse is lit but before the gunpowder explodes, I'll be fine." Yun Chu pointed to a corner of the paper.

No one spoke; they all looked down at the blueprints.

"Miss Yun Chu, have you been here before?" Chi Wu asked.

Yun Chu shook her head. "I've never been there, but my mother has described it to me many times, so I'm very familiar with it."

"How about I pretend to be a young lady?" Mo Han said reluctantly.

Yun Chu shook her head. "If they're going to ask me to come and exchange, then they must recognize me."

The room suddenly fell silent, and the atmosphere became somewhat oppressive.

"I think it's still too dangerous. Let's think of another way," Gu Ruoxiao said.

"You can't go back on your promise," Yun Chu said urgently.

“We have no idea who the other party is. What if he doesn’t follow your plan? What if he doesn’t go to Xuejiabao? Have you considered the consequences?” Gu Ruoxiao asked.

"None of that will happen. I won't be in danger until we get the treasure," Yun Chu reassured her.

Yun Chu waved her hand gently, and the others quietly left the study.

"What if Xuejiabao is too big, and you don't have enough time to ignite the gunpowder? What if you don't find the escape door in time? What if..." Gu Ruoxiao kept talking, her expression full of worry and unease.

Yun Chu gently pulled Gu Ruoxiao's neck, her movements carrying an undeniable tender strength. Her hands softly encircled his neck, her fingertips touching his warm skin. She stood on tiptoe, her lips slightly parted, and without hesitation, kissed him, silencing Gu Ruoxiao's continuous words.

A flicker of surprise crossed Gu Ruoxiao's eyes. Her lips were soft and warm, and he felt the warmth and love she conveyed, a surge of irresistible power welling up within him. His hands unconsciously encircled Yun Chu's waist, responding to the sudden kiss. Their heartbeats gradually synchronized, as if the entire world had shrunk to just the two of them.

After the kiss, they smiled at each other. Gu Ruoxiao was helpless, and Yun Chu's wicked scheme had succeeded. He pulled her into his arms, saying solemnly, "Please be careful."

Yun Chu nodded, and after hugging for a while, she looked up and said, "Before we go to change people, there is one more person we need to meet."

Gu Ruoxiao looked at her with a puzzled expression, while Yun Chu smiled mysteriously.