Mu Ruoyan already had a guess in his heart. He assumed that Lin Xihe knew he was powerless to resist, so she wanted Gu Qinghuai to leave alone.

Whether her feelings were genuine or feigned, he was willing to compromise to some extent as long as Lin Xihe could stay by his side in the end.

"I've ordered the people of Da Hao to withdraw from Nanzhao first thing tomorrow morning. You can send someone to investigate. After they leave, take me with you and escort Gu Qinghuai away from Nanzhao. You can't take anyone else; he's already a cripple. With your skills, he certainly can't pose any danger to you. I only have this one request. Is that alright?"

Lin Xihe clearly stated her plan, her eyes fixed on Mu Ruoyan, afraid of missing any of his expressions.

"You really won't leave me?" Mu Ruoyan asked again, her eyes filled with both longing and a hint of doubt.

"As long as you live, I will stay with you..." Lin Xi's voice trembled slightly, as if she couldn't bear to say the rest of the sentence, but the unfinished meaning filled the air.

"If I am about to die, I will make proper arrangements for you and send you back to your daughter."

Mu Ruoyan said softly that this was actually his plan all along. Even at the end of his life, he wanted to give Lin Xihe a peaceful home.

Hearing Mu Ruoyan say that, Lin Xihe's eyes flashed with surprise: "You promised me?"

Mu Ruoyan sighed softly, her tone tinged with helplessness and doting: "Otherwise, what am I supposed to do with you?"

Lin Xihe's eyes immediately sparkled like stars, gleaming with a dazzling light.

Without the slightest hesitation, she lunged forward and threw herself into Mu Ruoyan's arms.

Mu Ruoyan seemed unwilling to struggle any longer and fell backward.

Mu Ruoyan collapsed onto the cold floor tiles, but held Lin Xihe tightly in her arms.

He looked up at the starry sky, his heart filled with mixed emotions, and finally decided to be willful one more time.

Even though her words were so obviously aimed at her, and even though her methods were full of flaws, Mu Ruoyan ignored them.

Lin Xihe was also very well-behaved, lying motionless on Mu Ruoyan's chest, as if afraid of disturbing this hard-won tranquility.

The atmosphere was calm yet slightly eerie. As if suddenly remembering something, Lin Xihe spoke again: "I need to tell them not to attack tomorrow. Could you have Xu Qi accompany me?"

"I'll go with you first thing tomorrow morning. Do you want to tell him?"

He, of course, refers to Gu Qinghuai.

"No, thank you."

Lin Xihe rested her head on Mu Ruoyan's chest again. She knew that her every move could affect Mu Ruoyan's decision. She didn't want to provoke Mu Ruoyan to change his mind because of her behavior. She just wanted to seize this fleeting opportunity.

Lin Xihe thought silently that Gu Qinghuai's injuries should have recovered almost completely. In that case, even if they really had to fight to the death tomorrow, those who had come from afar to rescue him would not have lost their lives in vain.

Moreover, the fact that Mu Ruoyan let Gu Qinghuai leave for his sake shows that he is reluctant to let him die. Therefore, if there is a chance to escape tomorrow, the odds of winning will be much greater than if they force their way in.

The next day, Mu Ruoyan took Lin Xihe directly to the place where Lang Feng was hiding.

Lang Feng never expected that his carefully chosen hiding place had already been discovered by others.

Lin Xihe was adamant and ordered Lang Feng to evacuate immediately and return to Dahao.

At first, Lang Feng was unwilling, but after hearing his resistance, Xu Qi instantly fought against five opponents and was not at a disadvantage at all.

Seeing this, Lang Feng understood that his hundred or so men were no match for them.

At this moment, Lin Xihe winked at him secretly. After weighing his options, Lang Feng, remembering his master's instructions to obey Miss Lin's orders, had no choice but to follow Lin Xihe's orders and lead his men out.

Lin Xihe and Mu Ruoyan waited in the courtyard until the next morning when Xu Jiu returned.

"Third Prince, they have all left Nanzhao," Xu Jiu reported.

"Prepare the horses," Mu Ruoyan instructed briefly.

"yes."

Although Xu Jiu did not know what his master intended to do, an ominous premonition inexplicably welled up in his heart.

Lin Xihe suppressed her inner tension and waited for Mu Ruoyan to take the lead in everything that followed.

Mu Ruoyan stood up and took Lin Xihe's hand: "Let's go, let's see him off."

Lin Xihe let Mu Ruoyan lead her, her heart pounding with nervousness.

The two arrived at the place where Gu Qinghuai was being held. In the dimly lit room, the door was slowly pushed open, and Gu Qinghuai, backlit, looked at the two people in front of him.

Mu Ruoyan released Lin Xihe's hand, gently placed her hand on her waist, and pushed her forward: "Go and say it yourself."

Lin Xihe nodded obediently and took a step forward.

Gu Qinghuai's gaze remained fixed on Lin Xihe from beginning to end, and even though the backlighting obscured her face, his eyes never wavered.

Lin Xihe squatted down and said softly, "Qinghuai, I'm sending you out of Nanzhao. This is all I can do."

"And you?" Gu Qinghuai stared into Lin Xihe's eyes and pressed for an answer.

“I’ll stay. But if you don’t leave, you’ll never be able to leave. I’ve decided to follow Mu Ruoyan. You can’t even take care of yourself, so don’t worry about me. I don’t want to die with anyone; I just want to live well.”

Lin Xihe tried her best to make her words sound ruthless, but even so, they seemed weak, so she continued:

"If you still want to see your daughter one more time before you die, don't hesitate any longer. Once Mu Ruoyan changes her mind, you won't be able to leave."

"Our daughter, you haven't seen her yet, don't you want to see her?"

Gu Qinghuai remained silent.

Clearly, he had already made his choice.