"Xihe, marry Ji Zhuo..."

When Gu Qinghuai said those words, a hazy mist seemed to rise slowly from his eyes, and his voice trembled slightly involuntarily, carrying a hint of undisguised sob.

Lin Xihe bit her lower lip until it turned white. Although she had long expected this day to come, and had even rehearsed this scene countless times in her mind.

But when that moment actually arrived, it felt as if an invisible hand was gripping her heart tightly, tearing a piece of flesh away. The pain made it difficult for her to breathe, and every breath felt like it was carrying sharp thorns, slicing through her heart and lungs.

Gu Qinghuai opened his mouth, wanting to tell her that even if they separated, she would only be in his heart, and even if she married someone else, his deep affection would remain until death.

But the words were on the tip of his tongue, and he swallowed them back.

Lin Xihe didn't even have the courage to look at Gu Qinghuai. She knew the pain she was in, and she dared not think about the torment Gu Qinghuai was enduring.

Gu Qinghuai took a deep breath, trying to calm his surging emotions. He slowly stood up, walked to Lin Xihe, squatted down, raised his head, looked at her with tender and affectionate eyes, and said softly, "Don't feel sorry, and don't make yourself too upset."

Lin Xihe felt a sudden stinging sensation in her nose, and tears welled up uncontrollably in her eyes. Her vision gradually blurred, and even Gu Qinghuai in front of her was obscured by the hazy mist.

"You gave me your most precious first time and gave birth to my baby, Tangbao. To me, this is a blessing I have earned over several lifetimes."

As Gu Qinghuai spoke, he raised his hand and gently stroked Lin Xihe's cheek. This time, she did not dodge.

Gu Qinghuai forced a bitter smile; she had been avoiding him for far too long.

Lin Xihe lowered her head, looked at Gu Qinghuai, and her face was filled with deep apology again. Her voice was trembling with tears as she said, "I'm sorry."

"You've never wronged me." Gu Qinghuai's voice was hoarse, filled with deep affection and reluctance.

As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Qinghuai knelt down on one knee, stretched out his arm, gently wrapped it around Lin Xihe's waist, and slowly rested his head on her lap, like a helpless child, greedily enjoying this last tender moment.

Lin Xihe felt Gu Qinghuai's shoulders tremble slightly, and the suppressed sobs reached her ears, making her heart feel as if it were being torn apart.

She slowly closed her eyes, forcing back her tears, and gently stroked Gu Qinghuai's head, again and again.

Who would have thought that this young general, who once commanded armies and stood tall in front of everyone, would be so vulnerable and cry so heartbrokenly in front of her?

On a summer night, in the thick darkness, the chirping of insects constantly penetrated my ears.

Inside, the silence was oppressive, broken only by the sound of sobbing.

After an unknown amount of time, Gu Qinghuai turned around with unsteady steps, dragging his heavy steps away, leaving behind only a lonely figure swallowed by the night.

Lin Xihe arrived at the Ji residence, escorted by Mo Wusheng.

The carriage came to a smooth stop, and Lin Xihe immediately instructed, "Keep an eye on Mo Yousheng for me. Don't let him step out of the house. If you really can't stop him, then follow him; if you lose him, there's nothing you can do."

"Why do you sound like you're criticizing me for not doing a good job?" Mo Wusheng's tone was full of dissatisfaction.

"You don't know how formidable he is."

As Lin Xihe spoke, she nimbly jumped off the carriage, her expression calm and composed, as if she were used to it.

"How about I challenge him to a match? Now that you mention it, I'm actually itching to have a go."

Mo Wusheng thought to himself that his martial arts skills were not bad, and Lin Xihe knew this, but she still said that if he couldn't keep up, so be it. This completely aroused Mo Wusheng's competitive spirit.

"Do as you please, but don't break anything in the house, or you'll have to pay me back all the wages you earned over the years."

"Alright, then take care, young lady. I'll head back now. Goodbye."

Mo Wusheng drove the carriage around nimbly, and drove away in a cloud of dust.

Lin Xihe strode into the Ji residence.

When she arrived at Ji Zhuo's courtyard, she found that the room where Tang Bao lived was dark and the lights were off, while Ji Zhuo's room was brightly lit. Clearly, Ji Zhuo had been waiting for her to return.

"Lord Ji, the young lady is back."

Ling Xue, who was guarding outside the door, saw Lin Xihe walking from the other end of the courtyard. She quickly and respectfully called out to the house and then hurried forward to greet her.

Immediately afterwards, a figure was reflected in the window of the brightly lit room. The person rushed to the door, held the door open, and stared intently at Lin Xihe.

"The young lady is already asleep. Miss, Lord Ji has been waiting for you all this time." Ling Shuang reminded her softly, noticing her young lady's red eyes, and for a moment she didn't know how to comfort her.

"Okay, you go and rest first."

After Lin Xihe finished speaking, she quickly walked up to Ji Zhuo.

"Why did you get up?" Lin Xihe asked, both surprised and worried, her voice full of concern.

She stepped forward to help Ji Zhuo up, but Ji Zhuo stood still, staring at her with a pitiful look, and said, "I'm afraid you won't come back tonight."

Indeed, it was already late at night, and midnight was fast approaching.

"Let's go inside first and talk about it."

Lin Xihe helped Ji Zhuo into the house, and Lang Feng considerately closed the door.

Lin Xihe helped Ji Zhuo to the bedside, but Ji Zhuo refused to lie down and rest. Instead, he suddenly hugged Lin Xihe tightly.

"I'm afraid you'll soften your heart again, and I'm afraid you'll leave and never come back."

Ji Zhuo hugged her tightly, completely disregarding whether this would aggravate her wounds.

“You’re all here, how could I not come back?”

Lin Xihe spoke softly, her voice tinged with affection. She glanced at Ji Zhuo's pristine white undergarment and, seeing no blood seeping from his back, felt slightly relieved.

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