"Mu Ruoyan, take Xihe away!" Gu Qinghuai was extremely anxious, his voice filled with determination.

Despite his reluctance, he knew he couldn't let Lin Xihe fall into danger again because of him.

Before Mu Ruoyan could respond, she heard Lin Xihe's tearful voice protesting, "No, Qinghuai, I won't go with him."

His tone was full of resistance, as if Mu Ruoyan were a raging flood or a ferocious beast.

Mu Ruoyan's heart sank suddenly, as if someone had poured a bucket of cold water on her, and a wave of despondency washed over her.

But he had no time to dwell on his disappointment. He kept wielding his soft sword and fighting desperately among the enemy ranks, occasionally turning back to clear out the enemies around Gu Qinghuai.

With Lin Xihe by his side, Gu Qinghuai's movements were somewhat restricted, which inevitably hampered his fighting style.

The scene was chaotic, with shouts of battle and the clash of weapons all mixed together.

Because the assassins' target was Gu Qinghuai, he was never able to successfully lead Lin Xihe out of the encirclement.

As time went by, the number of men in black dwindled, but just then, another barrage of arrows struck without warning.

These assassins were clearly desperate, completely disregarding the fact that their own men were still within the encirclement, and just kept shooting arrows.

At the critical moment, Mu Ruoyan rushed forward without thinking and stood in front of Gu Qinghuai and Lin Xihe.

His figure appeared exceptionally tall amidst the rain of arrows, yet also so frail.

Several volleys of arrows whistled past, and the men in black fighting with Mu Ruoyan fell one after another, struck by arrows.

He quickly chased after the bushes, and soon after, several screams were heard. When he returned, the assassins who had been hiding in the shadows and shooting arrows had all been killed.

But when he returned to their side, he saw Lin Xihe anxiously covering Gu Qinghuai's arm, her voice choked with sobs: "Qinghuai, don't move, he's bleeding a lot."

As Mu Ruoyan watched this scene, a wave of bitterness and sorrow washed over her.

He felt a sudden darkness before his eyes, and staggered forward. When he was just a step away from the two of them, he could no longer hold on and collapsed straight down.

Lin Xihe was stunned for a moment by this sudden change, and her hand covering Gu Qinghuai's wound also paused.

Gu Qinghuai sensed Lin Xihe's unusual behavior and, enduring the pain, covered his injured arm.

He strode over to Mu Ruoyan's side, squatted down to check his injuries, and Lin Xihe hurriedly followed.

Only then did they discover that Mu Ruoyan had been hit by two arrows in the arm and one in the chest, but the arrow shafts had been cleanly severed.

It was obvious that Mu Ruoyan had cut the arrows in order to make his movements easier.

"How is he?" Lin Xihe asked, her voice trembling slightly without her even realizing it.

At this moment, her eyes were fixed on Mu Ruoyan lying on the ground, and her hands unconsciously clenched the hem of her clothes.

Gu Qinghuai slowly raised his head. The sky was dark and inky, and he couldn't see Lin Xihe's expression clearly. He could only answer truthfully, "This arrow is aimed straight at her heart. She may not survive."

Upon hearing this, Lin Xihe's heart tightened, and her heartbeat instantly became erratic.

Countless images of her time with Mu Ruoyan flashed through her mind. Those past experiences, whether filled with anger or helplessness, were inexplicably intertwined at this moment, leaving her somewhat at a loss.

Seeing her standing there blankly, Gu Qinghuai felt a pang of bitterness in his heart and finally couldn't help but ask, "Do you care about him?"

This question was like a resounding slap across Lin Xihe's face.

Her face instantly flushed red, filled with embarrassment and indignation.

"I hate him."

Lin Xihe answered almost without hesitation, her reply decisive.

Then, she slowly raised her head, mustered her courage to meet Gu Qinghuai's gaze, her eyes revealing stubbornness and determination, as if she were proving something to him and to herself.

“Xihe…”

Gu Qinghuai hesitated, his voice filled with complex emotions.

Lin Xihe thought he didn't believe her, and in her anxiety, she immediately said firmly, "I don't care about him. I've never cared."

She spoke very quickly, as if afraid that Gu Qinghuai would misunderstand.

Gu Qinghuai sighed almost imperceptibly: "Let's save them first."

"Save him?"

Lin Xihe looked astonished, seemingly unable to believe her ears.

"I want him dead."

Gu Qinghuai paused, then looked at Mu Ruoyan: "But should we let him die under these circumstances?"

Lin Xihe naturally understood Gu Qinghuai's character. He was an upright gentleman who acted with integrity and honesty, which was completely different from Mu Ruoyan's unconventional and dishonest methods.

Lin Xihe immediately responded, her tone filled with barely concealed urgency: "Then let's revive him, and then kill him."

Looking at Lin Xihe's appearance, Gu Qinghuai felt a bitter taste spreading through his heart, as if he had swallowed a mouthful of bitter melon, yet he couldn't describe the feeling.

"By the way, I have a lot of medicine on me. I sewed it into my clothes before I came to find you."

Lin Xihe seemed to suddenly remember something, and her movements became flustered as she frantically searched her body with her hands.

Then, she ran back to where she had just been standing, bent down and picked up the short knife that Mu Ruoyan had handed her earlier.

She used a dagger to cut open her clothes, and soon she took out small medicine packets and pills tightly wrapped in animal hides.

She clearly remembered the effects of the powders and pills, and without hesitation, she took out a life-saving pill.

But just as she picked up the pill, her movements suddenly stopped.

She suddenly came to her senses and realized that her behavior was somewhat inappropriate, a hint of panic flashing in her eyes.

This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!