In Dayong, ancestral halls are sacred places. Outsiders cannot enter without the consent of the clan members, and women are not even allowed to enter. When worshipping ancestors, they can only kneel and worship outside the ancestral hall.

Of course, the lady of the house who manages the household is an exception.

This time they even found the ancestral hall; it seems they're determined to take Huo Baichuan's life.

"Have you seen three people, one woman and two men, one of whom is injured?" The soldier had probably looked around but hadn't found anyone. And since they were in a sacred place like the ancestral hall, he didn't want to search the whole place, so he asked.

Zhao Shu felt uneasy. Had Xiao Pang and Duo Zi lost? Were they still alive?

“Sir, no strangers have come to the village today. Besides, even if some strangers did come, we couldn’t possibly put them in the ancestral hall, which is where we worship our ancestors.” The speaker was probably the village chief or someone similar.

After a few quiet breaths, I heard, "Let's go." They had probably searched the entire village; the ancestral hall was the last place they would visit.

Zhao Shu breathed a sigh of relief, and after a long while, she sat up. However, Huo Baichuan's pulse was even weaker. "You must not die."

Xiao Guo was terrified. After the person left, he rushed in, spilling most of the water in his hands. It was clear that he was very nervous that someone as skilled as him couldn't even hold a glass of water properly.

Looking at the sky, it was getting late. The afterglow of the sunset was fading, and a few stars were appearing in the sky. "Little Guo, hurry up and find a place to brew the medicine. Don't get caught. And remember to find something to eat."

It's definitely not safe to brew medicine or cook in the ancestral hall anymore. It's such an important place, and although no one comes here usually, it's always under the watchful eye of someone. We can't afford to be careless.

Xiao Guozi understood this principle. After handing the water to Zhao Shu, he took the medicine and went out. Zhao Shu held Huo Baichuan's head on her lap and then fed him water little by little.

However, he was too badly injured and had been moving around so much that he could no longer drink water...

"You're not going to feed him by mouth, are you?" As a doctor and medical professional, she could perform CPR on a stranger, so there was no reason for her to be resistant to someone as handsome as him. Zhao Shu was definitely approaching this matter with the attitude of a doctor.

I was hoping to find a straw or something, but there was nothing there at all.

In the end, she still tried to give him artificial water, but it turned out that even with Wen Yu in his arms, Huo Baichuan could not wake up.

Having studied at school for a few years, Zhao Shu had some professional skills. She didn't think anything of it, fed him water, and waited quietly for Xiao Guozi to come back.

Perhaps because he had drunk water, Huo Baichuan woke up about half an hour later. However, the first thing he said after waking up was "hungry".

He woke up because he was hungry. I touched his forehead and found it was cold. "Wait a little longer, Xiao Guo will be back soon."

Huo Baichuan tried to grin, but couldn't. He could only struggle to pull the clothes covering him to cover his shoulders. "Cold," he said with difficulty.

Zhao Shu folded his clothes over his shoulders and asked, "Are you cold?" The ground was paved with bluestone slabs, so it was normal to feel cold, especially since he probably had a low-grade fever.

She placed her hand on his chest, and his head rested on her lap. "Does this make you feel better?"

Huo Baichuan was finally able to force a smile this time. He wasn't unruly or irresponsible; he was very serious. Zhao Shu thought he should smile less, because he really looked better when he smiled, especially when he was very upright and refined.

"I owe you my life," he said.

Zhao Shu chuckled, "You saved me too, so I'm repaying your kindness."

"Okay, then we're even. That's good." His pale face concealed the heartache in his voice as he said those words.

Do you know that heart-wrenching feeling of being filled and then emptied out?

That feeling is painful.

He was being self-deprecating at that moment. If his teacher, Xiao Xingyuan, knew that he had actually said such a thing, he would definitely be angry at his lack of ambition.

Yes, he didn't want to fight. That was fine. No one owed anyone anything. Zhao Shu didn't like him and didn't want to have anything to do with him, so he let her be. Why bother?

I don't want to be the bad guy who steals other people's love; it's exhausting.

Moreover, what he wants is his heart; if he's destined to lose it, no amount of effort will be of any use.

Moreover, he doesn't want to work hard or strive for anything.

I couldn't bear to put her in a difficult position.

But alas, her heart ached, though she didn't know it.

The atmosphere was somewhat awkward. Having lived several lifetimes, Zhao Shu understood what Huo Baichuan was thinking. This man was proud, and he had already seen through her rejection, so he wouldn't embarrass or put her in a difficult position.

Perhaps it's because people have an epiphany when they're about to die.

"Why don't you ask who hurt me?" Huo Baichuan asked.

Zhao Shu lowered her head and looked at him. His eyes were closed and his breath was faint, but he enunciated each word clearly: "If you want to tell me, you will tell me without me asking."

"No, you're wrong. I'll never tell you unless you ask."

Even at this point, she was still sulking with herself. Helpless, Zhao Shu could only ask, "Who hurt you?"

"Ugly old woman." The words were filled with extreme sorrow. Zhao Shu was shocked upon hearing this, leaned against the pillar, and remained silent for a long time.

"Zhao Shu," he called out.

"Mm." Actually, Zhao Shu felt that it was more intimate when she called herself the Great Princess in her unrestrained manner, without any distance or barriers.

Now, when he mentions Zhao Shu, it feels as if they are separated by thousands of miles, yet also as if they are right next to each other. That subtle feeling makes her heart ache like ants crawling.

"Zhao Shu, if I die, you must remember these names." He said them one by one, all of them were the names of his confidants, including court officials, chivalrous heroes, peddlers, and famous courtesans from the Huai River.

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