That person is…
I won't forget it, I won't misread it.
Zhan Xinjia's pupils suddenly contracted, her breath caught in her throat, and her whole body swayed uncontrollably.
The world was silent, as if frozen in time into a void of gray, except for that figure wearing a straw hat walking slowly, pulling her back into the nightmare she couldn't escape.
...
"Find her, she must be hiding."
"Go ask him, he definitely knows. If he doesn't tell, break his fingers one by one and see how long he can hold out."
"Speak! Tell me where the other person is hiding!!"
"Alright, stop wasting time with him. There's no point in keeping his tongue around anyway, just cut it off."
...
A layer of scarlet blood covered his eyes, and he felt dizzy.
Zhan Xinjia tried her best to control her emotions. She tried to take deep breaths and bite her tongue hard.
The metallic taste of blood churning in her throat felt like it was suffocating her. Her vision blurred, and she could only gasp for breath with her mouth wide open in vain. Even so, the severe lack of oxygen did not alleviate the problem.
Fragmented memories kept looping in my consciousness, my head throbbed as if it were about to split open, and my body went limp uncontrollably.
Until it was as if all her spirit had been drained, she lost all support and suddenly knelt down on the ground.
His internal organs were churning, and he coughed up blood that he couldn't swallow.
She reached out to touch her face, her hand covered in warm, bright red blood from coughing, which smeared half of her face with crimson. Her hand trembled, and she felt a sense of déjà vu, as if she had seen this scene somewhere before.
"Ah Zhi?!"
An anxious voice came from beside me.
Someone helped her up, someone kept talking loudly in her ear, and someone held her tightly in their arms.
Strangely, she seemed unable to hear a single word clearly. The noise in her ear canal was deafening, like the constant clanging of swords, so piercing that she couldn't even hear her own shouts.
She didn't know how long this state lasted, but she finally regained consciousness.
Yes… there are still things to do…
I need to do it...
She suddenly looked up and gazed ahead, where the broken noises gradually faded away until they were completely silent.
Brushing aside the hand of the person beside him, Zhan Xinjia stood up and vigorously wiped his face with his sleeve.
The bloodstains on her palms distorted her face, but she didn't care.
His narrow, almond-shaped eyes were lowered, filled with hostility and hatred.
She wandered through the streets and alleys, the gust of wind that brushed past her ears carrying a nauseating stench. She didn't even know where she was going or what she was going to do; she was just instinctively chasing after that figure.
Unable to hear the screams along the way or see the strange looks from others, she was enveloped in a closed world.
In the past world.
Walking alone.
——
When Shen Suqing and the Dali Temple guards found Zhan Xinjia, she was curled up in an overturned basket on the side of the street.
The little girl huddled nervously inside, hugging her knees, staring intently at the outside world through the blurry holes in the basket. When the basket was lifted, she seemed to see something extremely frightening. Her back trembled, and she frantically scrambled towards the wall.
She didn't make a sound from beginning to end.
She bit her wrist tightly, even though the sleeve was already stained a shocking deep red by the blood seeping out, with drops of blood constantly dripping down the cuff and pooling into a pool of blood.
"Ah Zhi!"
Shen Suqing couldn't even describe his feelings at that moment.
As if all his strength had been drained in an instant, he was so heartbroken that he almost lost his voice.
Apart from calling her name once, he couldn't utter any other sound.
His outstretched hand trembled as he tried to touch her hair, but the little girl recoiled in panic, looking at him with pleading, fearful eyes, her unfocused, grayish eyes fixed on him.
Someone held her shoulder, and Zhan Xinjia instinctively tried to escape, but those soft hands held her even tighter.
"Little Sister".
The sound of Yan Xiyue's tearful voice reached my ears.
Zhan Xinjia froze, ceasing her struggle.
Before me lay an endless, pitch-black night, with a cold moon hanging high in the sky. Looking around, I saw people holding torches all around me in the thin moonlight.
Familiar faces, each one filled with grief.
Yan Xiyue suppressed her emotions and gently coaxed her little by little.
"It's alright, no one has found you. Our little sister has been waiting quietly without making a sound. It's okay... she hasn't been found. Come on, let go of her mouth, let's go to a safe place..."
Someone was crying in her husband's arms, and the sound of her crying carried far.
Someone stood silently to the side, wanting to touch it but not daring to.
"Oh my, how smart and well-behaved my little sister is! Okay, okay, take a deep breath, don't forget to catch your breath, be good, be good, big sister will hug you."
Yan Xiyue raised her hand and wiped the mud off the little girl's eyelashes, praising her with a smile.
In her warm embrace, the little girl who had been huddled in the corner trembling finally relaxed her guard, slowly loosened the teeth embedded in her wrist, and carefully licked the dried blood.
Fu Shouan, standing to the side, had his brows furrowed tightly.
He just couldn't understand why this little girl had suddenly become like this.
But it was clear that the Crown Prince and Princess, who had come with the Dali Temple and the city's patrol guards, must know some inside information.
Judging from Princess Caixia's appearance, this must be the first time she has dealt with something like this.
He sighed silently to himself and turned to try and escape the eerie, oppressive atmosphere. As soon as he turned his head, he saw the Zhan couple standing not far away, too afraid to approach.
Fu Shouan was stunned.
"Would you... like to go and take a look?"
Zhan Yue hugged his wife and shook his head, "At this time, the last thing she can see is us."
A pair of irresponsible parents.
A pair of parents who failed to protect their child in time.
Their appearance now will most likely only trigger deeper fears in Xiaozhi.
The little girl in her arms gradually lowered her guard, but fell into a semi-conscious state due to excessive blood loss. Yan Xiyue held her worriedly.
"She seems completely exhausted; she's like this now..."
"I'll do it."
After finally calming down, Shen Suqing took over the task.
The little girl, who had already closed her eyes, suddenly opened them the moment he touched her. Her blood-covered hand tightly gripped the young man's outstretched hand.
She gripped him tightly, her nails almost digging into his flesh.
Even so, Shen Suqing's expression remained gentle; he didn't even frown, letting her hold his hand.
"Sweetie, let's go treat the wound first."
Yan Xiyue forced a smile. "Try to get her a good night's sleep. Based on past experience, she usually forgets the memory after a good night's sleep. As for her injuries, it's best to find a reason to cover it up beforehand."
Shen Suqing nodded.
He turned to leave with Zhan Xinjia in his arms, but Yan Huishi blocked his way and questioned him sharply.
"Who did she meet, and what did she see?"
Shen Suqing's eyes darkened, and the tenderness and patience he had shown when facing the little girl in his arms vanished. When he looked up, all that remained was a cold, expressionless face.
His voice was devoid of warmth, and showed no emotional fluctuation whatsoever.
"Is Your Highness sure you want to continue discussing this in front of Azhi?"
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