17 How dare you like someone else?

◎Madman◎

The Hua Yao people have been in Tuozhou for more than half a month.

For the past two weeks, the war has been at a stalemate, and the epidemic has spread. She plunged into a makeshift camp for wounded soldiers.

During the day, he cleaned wounds, brewed medicine, administered acupuncture, and stayed by the side of wounded soldiers with high fevers. At night, by the candlelight in his room, he organized prescriptions for epidemic prevention. Occasionally, he would glance up and see Cui Xun, who had taken time out from handling military affairs, coming over. He would not disturb her, but simply stand by the door and quietly watch her.

That evening, Cui Xun was still discussing the war with several generals when Hua Yao put the antidote soup in a basket and was about to take the basket out when she heard footsteps outside the door.

The newcomer was dressed in a red robe. When he saw Hua Yao clearly, his eyes swirled with a mixture of joy and gloom.

Hua Yao looked up and met his gaze.

boom!

As if all her strength had been suddenly drained from her body, the medicine basket in her hand fell to the ground, spilling the medicine and some of it onto her skirt.

Gu Chi!

The boy who was struggling with depression in modern times, the one she worked as a therapist for a year, the madman who obsessively said he wanted to be with her forever.

How did he end up here?

He walked towards her step by step.

“Sister,” he called softly, his voice hoarse, “I’ve been looking for you for so long.”

Hua Yao tensed up, took a half step back, and looked at him warily. "You... how did you get here?"

He walked slowly closer, his gaze tracing her features as if he were examining a lost treasure that had been found again.

He had just learned that his sister was actually the woman who had come looking for Cui Xun that day. This was Cui Xun's territory, and the person she had come to see was Cui Xun.

This realization was like a fine, poisonous needle, piercing his heart.

Before Hua Yao could react, he suddenly grabbed her wrist with such force that it felt like he was going to crush her bones. "Sister, how dare you? Huh? How dare you like someone else?"

"Gu Chi, let me go!"

“Let go? How could I let go?” He chuckled softly. “Didn’t they forbid it? They wouldn’t allow us to be together, so we’ve come to a world just for the two of us. No one will say anything to you, no one will blame you,” his voice trembled, his tone a maniacal obsession. “Sister, are you happy…”

Hua Yao's pupils suddenly contracted, and a line seemed to have been straightened out. She gave up struggling. "What did you say?"

"Sister, are you happy? There are only the two of us here, and they can't find us."

She suddenly reacted violently, shoving him hard, shouting, "Let go of me!"

It turns out that her journey to the Great Swamp was never a natural disaster, nor was it solely related to the Second Miss Hua.

And this madman in front of me.

"What did you do? Why am I here?" she cried out hoarsely.

Looking at Hua Yao like this, Gu Chi felt like a child who had done something wrong, the madness in his eyes replaced by remorse.

He walked to Hua Yao's side and gently took her hand. "Sister, I'm sorry, sister, I'm sorry. I'll never make you angry again. I won't make you angry anymore. Please don't leave me."

"Sister, don't leave me."

--

A faint, cool fragrance wafted inside the tent. Hua Yao's head was throbbing, and her eyelids felt as heavy as lead. When she groggily opened her eyes, her vision was still blurry.

The first thing that catches the eye is Gu Chi's face.

He sat on a low stool by the bed, leaning slightly forward, with obvious bloodshot eyes.

Seeing that she was awake, his previously tense jawline softened instantly, his eyes sparkled with joy, and his voice carried an uncontrollable smile, "Sister, you're awake."

He leaned forward, his tone cautiously ingratiating, "I cooked millet porridge with some red dates. I made it myself. Would you like to try it, sister?"

Hua Yao turned her face away, refusing to say a single word.

Gu Chi didn't force her. He wanted to touch her face, but his fingertips didn't dare to actually touch it. His voice was still gentle and tender. "Sister, do you remember? When we were in Nanzhou, I had a fever once, and you stayed by my side like this. You even cooked me red date and millet porridge. You said that eating something sweet would make you feel better."

He rambled on, lost in his own memories.

As Hua Yao listened to his words, she couldn't help but think of her days in Nanzhou.

In Nanzhou, the name Hua Yao is known to everyone.

During her freshman year, her teacher recommended her to a lady whose family had a child with depression. She played with him as a healer and told him heartwarming stories.

She was completely unaware that the boy, who was two years younger than her, was already tainted with obsession in his gaze.

When she took a day off and went to his house the next day, the usually quiet boy suddenly lost control, screaming like a madman that he wanted to lock her up and keep her by his side forever.

She was terrified and never went back to his house after leaving that day.

...

Hua Yao finally moved, her voice as calm as water, "You are my patient, I can't watch you die, that's just what I should do."

She slowly rose, avoiding his hand that reached out to help her up. "How did you manage to get me here? Will I ever be able to go back?"

Gu Chi's smile froze for a moment, then relaxed again. "There's no going back, sister."

He was suppressing something, his eyes filled with pain and madness, yet his voice was extremely soft, "When you left, there was no going back. Wherever I am, you can only stay in that place. Everything in Nanzhou has nothing to do with us anymore."

Hua Yao got out of bed, not wanting to talk to him anymore.

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the tent. A soldier burst open the curtain and knelt on the ground, his face pale. "Your Highness! Something terrible has happened. Cui Xun... Cui Xun has broken into the tent all by himself."

Hua Yao's heart clenched, and she was about to rush out.

But his wrist was gripped tightly by a force.

Gu Chi's voice choked with emotion, like a child's, filled with possessiveness and grievance, "You're worried about him? Sister, how can you worry about him?"

"Only I truly love you. Only I would risk my life for you..."

His voice grew softer and softer, tinged with suppressed sobs.

...

Shouts of battle suddenly erupted outside the tent.

Cui Xun rode alone, spear in hand, and stormed through the enemy camp gate.

The imperial army swarmed forward, trying to block his path. He swept his spear horizontally, each move ruthless and aimed straight for vital points, blood mist splattering in the air.

"Stop him!" Sun Bing roared.

The torches on the watchtower illuminated half the sky.

Cui Xun kept his eyes fixed straight ahead, his gaze fixed on the direction of the central command tent.

He ignored the old wound on his left arm that had reopened and was bleeding. He thrust his silver spear out again, piercing the throat of the soldier blocking his way. A few drops of scalding blood splattered onto his pale cheek.

His horse's hooves trampled over the wreckage, and he charged closer and closer. As he smashed through the last fence, the faint sound of Hua Yao struggling reached his ears from inside the tent.

The next second, the tent flap was ripped open by a spear, and a strong wind carrying the smell of blood rushed in.

Cui Xun entered with his gun, his face still covered in blood.

His gaze swept over Hua Yao, then fell on the hand gripping her wrist, and a cold ruthlessness instantly flashed in his eyes.

Without saying a word, he flicked his wrist and threw the spear.

"You dare touch her hand?" As he threw the spear, his voice trailed off with a hint of arrogant contempt.

The moment Hua Yao saw him, she struggled to break free from Gu Chi's hand, her voice trembling yet exceptionally clear.

"Cui Xun!"

Cui Xun's heart skipped a beat when he was called.

This was the first time she had called him by his name.

The spear came straight at him, but Gu Chi stepped to the side, and the spear tip grazed his ear before sinking deep into the tent pillar with a "thud," sending splinters flying.

He showed no fear whatsoever, a slow smile playing on his lips. Instead of letting go, he pulled Hua Yao behind him. "Duke Jin, you have quite the temper. You stormed into my camp just to steal my woman?"

When Cui Xun saw Hua Yao's wrists, which were red from being strangled, a pang of bitterness rose in his heart.

"Today I'm not only taking her away, I'm going to dismantle your lousy camp!" He slowly stepped closer, his tone icy. "You might as well try and see if you can stop me."

Gu Chi laughed maniacally, "Then let's try it and see if your gun is faster or my sword is more ruthless!"

Hua Yao caught a glimpse of the weapon rack standing by the bed. Seeing the two locked in a stalemate, she grabbed the horizontal sword with her free hand and held the blade to her neck.

Cui Xun stopped in his tracks, his murderous aura subsiding considerably. He dared not approach rashly, fearing that something might happen and she might hurt herself.

The cold touch pressed against her throat, and Hua Yao said coldly, "Gu Chi, let go!"

Gu Chi's laughter stopped abruptly.

He slowly turned his head, his gaze falling on the blade pressed against her neck, his pupils shrinking sharply. Seeing the resolute look on his sister's face, his eyes were filled with overwhelming shock, then a tear welled up in them.

She would rather hurt herself than stay by his side.

He lowered his eyes, the sadness in his heart surging into despair, and said in a wronged voice, "Sister...do you hate me that much?"

The next second, he suddenly roared, "Do you really want to leave me that badly?"

Hua Yao was startled by him.

Upon seeing this, Cui Xun leaped forward to kick him.

"Cui Xun, don't hurt him." Hua Yao flung the blade away and pulled Gu Chi aside.

She didn't like him, but she didn't want to see him die either. To her, Gu Chi was both a patient and a younger brother.

Turning around, she found Gu Chi looking at her with burning eyes. She was about to let go, but he gripped her tightly, though not with the same force as before. "Sister is worried about me. Sister clearly loves me."

Hua Yao used brute force to pull her hand away, saying, "I would have done the same to anyone else."

Cui Xun stared at Hua Yao, his eyes as dark as unyielding ink. "He kidnapped you here, and you still protect him."

Hua Yao glanced at him only once, then turned back to look at Gu Chi, her tone tinged with helplessness, "I protect you because you are my patient, and also like my younger brother. I can't just stand by and watch you get hurt in front of me."

She stated firmly, "I have never had any other feelings for you, and your feelings for me are just an obsession."

Gu Chi shook his head. "No, sister, no, I don't want you to leave me. Nobody here knows us. Let's stay together, okay? I'll be good, I'll be good." His body trembled uncontrollably as he reached out to grab Hua Yao.

Cui Xun frowned and stepped forward to pull Gu Chi away, but Hua Yao reached out to stop him first. When he saw her turn to look at him with pleading in her eyes, he paused and ultimately withdrew his step.

Hua Yao turned to look at Gu Chi, gently pried his hand away, and said softly, "If you can go back, then go back. Your mother cares about you there."

"In the days to come, I hope you will try to let go of yourself and stop being trapped by the shackles in your heart. The sunshine is right there where you can see it when you look up."

After saying that, she didn't look at his reaction anymore, turned around and took Cui Xun's hand.

Cui Xun's anger seemed to be soothed. He grabbed her hand tightly, and the two of them walked out of the tent without looking back.

Outside the tent, dozens of soldiers holding spears stood at attention, the iron tips of their spears all pointed at the two of them.

However, without the Crown Prince's order, and with the heavy pressure emanating from Cui Xun, no one dared to take a single step forward.

A low laugh came from inside the tent, growing louder and more manic...

go back?

How will he get back?

When he was in Nanzhou, the knife touched his wrist, and he knew he couldn't go back.

Besides... with his sister here, how could he possibly go back?