Liu Changxian ran out with a wronged look on her face, tears streaming down her face. "That wretched Mo Li, you bastard! Mo Li is a big idiot! I drove them all away to help you stabilize your emotions and recover faster, why don't you appreciate it? You even blame me and ignore me, you big idiot, you big idiot!"

Liu Changxian punched and kicked the tree, venting her anger. After wiping away her tears, she said to the tree, "But since you're sick now, I won't hold it against you. If there's a next time, I'll hide you away so no one can find you!"

Thinking back to how handsome Gu Liyan looked when he was angry just now,

Liu Changxian let out a long breath and smiled. "Alright, we still need to be good to each other and grow old together in the future, hehe!"

Liu Changxian turned around and went to the supply truck to get some bread. Back in the truck, she said, "Xiao Li, I got you some milk and bread, you..."

Liu Changxian stood there stunned. Gu Liyan, who should have been lying on the bed, was no longer there.

"Xiao Li..." Liu Changxian dropped what she was holding and hurriedly ran out.

"Xiao Li! Xiao Li—where did you go? Come back!" Liu Changxian stood there, looking around helplessly. "Don't you want me anymore? Come back! I was wrong, come back!"

Liu Changxian cried out in anguish, "Xiao Li—"

"Cough cough cough..."

Gu Liyan walked along the path, the cold wind making him cough incessantly. Turning back to look at the way he had come, he silently thought, "Forgive me for leaving without saying goodbye. I can't face you for hurting Xiaobai. Even though I once had feelings for you, you are ultimately not her..."

Gu Liyan couldn't accept that Liu Changxian wasn't Liu Changxian, and Xiao Bai wasn't Xiao Bai...

The road leading to the royal city behind him was now his past; the road ahead was his to walk alone.

Several nights passed in the blink of an eye. Gu Liyan, looking exhausted, finally arrived at the foot of the imperial city. The imposing city wall was a full ten meters high, with guards lined up in rows on and below.

Seeing Gu Liyan approaching, the city guards stepped forward to stop him. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"I...cough cough cough, I've come to see a doctor." Gu Liyan said, her face pale.

"Seeing a doctor? Entering the city at this hour? Are you kidding me?" The guard looked at Gu Liyan with suspicion and asked, "Where did you come from, you rascal?"

"The royal city," Gu Liyan said truthfully.

"The royal city?" The guard looked at Gu Liyan in surprise, then raised his gun and pointed it at him, shouting, "Yesterday, our scouts reported that the royal city had fallen. How could anyone have come from the royal city? I think you must be a spy for the snake people! Everyone, come here and arrest him!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding guards rushed over and pointed their guns at Gu Liyan.

Gu Liyan looked at them, unsure how to explain herself. Just as the guards were about to seize her, a familiar voice suddenly rang out:

"What's going on? Why is it so noisy?" Li Mang asked as he walked out of the city.

"Captain, we've spotted a spy!" the guard said, turning around.

"A spy?" Li Mang stepped forward with a question in his mind, and when he saw Gu Liyan's appearance clearly, he exclaimed, "Brother Mo! It's you!"

“Brother Li…” Gu Liyan breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the person who came was Li Mang.

As soon as I relaxed, everything went black, and I fell backward.

Gu Liyan groggily opened her eyes and heard people talking in the room:

"Who is this captain? Beds are so scarce right now, why did you give your bed to him?"

"What do you know? This is my brother! He's incredibly capable!" Li Mang said irritably.

"Captain, you're exaggerating! Even if he's incredibly skilled, he's not as good as a commander! Besides, if he were that good, how could he be injured like this!"

"You're the one bragging! Our commander isn't just anyone, and neither is my brother Mo. What do you know, you brat! Go, go, go boil some water for me!" Li Mang said irritably.

Gu Liyan couldn't help but laugh out loud, "Brother Li, you still have a short temper!"

Upon hearing Gu Liyan speak, Li Mang ran over and helped Gu Liyan up. "Brother Mo, you're awake. What happened to you after we parted ways? How did you get so badly injured?"

Gu Liyan smiled bitterly, "It's nothing, I just happened to run into a snake-man mixed in with the crowd, and I trusted his words and got framed..."

"That's all? The army doctor just came by and said that if we had arrived any later, the wound would have become infected and turned into internal poisoning, and then even a god couldn't save us!" A guard holding a water bottle interjected.

Li Mang glared at the guard and said, "Go boil your water!"

Gu Liyan realized that the guard was the same person who had stopped him earlier, and he left with the water bottle.

Li Mang turned around and said apologetically, "Brother Mo, I'm sorry, this kid is too naughty, I've spoiled him rotten."

Gu Liyan smiled and said, "It's alright. A true hero is one who is genuine. He won't let you down."

Li Mang couldn't understand the meaning behind Gu Liyan's words, but he could tell that Li Qiang didn't seem to have a bad impression of Gu Liyan.

Li Mang said a few words, checked the time, and said, "I'm on duty tonight. I'll have Li Qiang take care of you. Call him if you need anything."

Gu Liyan smiled and nodded, "Okay."

Not long after Li Mang left, Li Qiang came in with boiled water and said to Gu Liyan with a reluctant look, "The captain asked me to boil water for you. Drinking more water is good for your health!"

He poured boiling water into a glass, placed it next to Gu Liyan, put down the kettle, and sat down to read the newspaper.

Gu Liyan took a sip of water and looked at Li Qiang curiously, asking, "What kind of person is the commander you mentioned before? Is he very capable?"

Li Qiang's eyes lit up, and he said excitedly, "Of course! Our commander isn't just anyone. He led a team of a dozen people and wiped out ten of the enemy's snake-men! He even invented a snake-killing technique—one strike, one kill! Let me tell you..."

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