Shield
"Wife!" Just as Yi Yi and Yi Er arrived, the man in black's knife was heading straight for Jiang Jin and was about to wound her waist and abdomen.
Wei Shu immediately reached out and pulled Jiang Jin into his arms, protecting her. The sounds around them were chaotic, but the sound of a knife piercing flesh was amplified infinitely in Jiang Jin's ears.
"Wei Shu!" Jiang Jin cried out as he watched blood continuously gushing from Wei Shu's back, seemingly endless.
Yi Yi and Yi Er quickly protected the two and began dealing with the remaining people. Jiang Jin, completely disoriented, helped Wei Shu to the side. She looked at Wei Shu's face in a panic, as if she could see Wei Shu's pale face lying in the coffin again.
"Wei Shu, I've already sent someone to the government office to get reinforcements. Just hang in there a little longer!" Jiang Jin covered Wei Shu's bleeding wound, tears streaming down her face as they fell onto Wei Shu's neck.
Jiang Jin sobbed softly, enveloped by an inexplicable fear. She didn't know why, but seeing Wei Shu shield her from the knife caused a sharp pain in her heart.
"Ah Jin, are you crying for me?" Wei Shu forced a smile on his pale face. "It's nothing, just a minor injury, I won't die." Wei Shu tried to comfort Jiang Jin, but Jiang Jin immediately covered his mouth.
"Wei Shu, don't speak!" Jiang Jin's blue dress was already soaked in blood. Looking at Wei Shu's increasingly pale face, Jiang Jin was extremely anxious. Why did the way Wei Shu collapsed in her arms give her a sense of déjà vu?
Yi Yi and Yi Er desperately protected Jiang Jin and Wei Shu, preventing the men in black from advancing any further. In doing so, they sustained numerous injuries. Seeing no way to escape, Jiang Jin had no choice but to support herself with Wei Shu and, leaning against the wall, slowly make her way outside. With each step, she could feel the warmth draining from Wei Shu's body.
Jiang Jin, fighting back tears welling in her eyes, choked out, "Wei Shu, don't sleep! Don't leave me!"
Jiang Jin's trembling voice sounded like heavenly music to Wei Shu's ears. He rubbed Jiang Jin's shoulder hard, "Don't worry, I will always be with you and won't let you be here alone."
"Madam!" Hearing the familiar voice, Jiang Jin quickly looked up and saw Zhou Congzheng leading the Imperial Guards towards the alley. Seeing that reinforcements had arrived, the men in black fled, leaving behind only a scene of chaos.
"Yi Yi, Yi Er, don't chase after him!" Jiang Jin shouted to Zhou Cong, clutching Wei Shu's wound. "Zhou Cong, Wei Shu is injured! Quickly fetch the best doctor!"
"Alright!" Zhou Cong helped Wei Shu up. Jiang Jin, feeling a bit weak, leaned against the wall for support. Yi Yi quickly helped Jiang Jin up, and the three of them followed behind the Imperial Guards. Jiang Jin was well protected by Wei Shu and was fine except for being a little weak.
"My lady, should we relay this message to His Highness?" Yi Yi asked, holding Jiang Jin's arm.
"Let's just tell the truth, His Highness will find out sooner or later anyway." Jiang Jin rubbed her slightly weak legs, still worried. Wei Shu quickly said, "Let's catch up quickly."
The group followed Zhou Cong without stopping, watching him help Wei Shu into the governor's mansion. A physician was already waiting inside, and upon seeing Wei Shu, immediately began to stop the bleeding. Jiang Jin sat weakly by the bed, staring absently at Wei Shu's bloodless face.
"Young master's wound is quite deep, but fortunately it didn't damage his internal organs. He just lost consciousness due to excessive blood loss. I'll give him some hemostatic medicine first; he should be fine." Jiang Jin nodded subconsciously and awkwardly gave up her seat.
Seeing Jiang Jin's utterly distraught state, Yi Yi suggested, "My lady, why don't you change your clothes? This smell of blood might not be good for the general." Jiang Jin remained unmoved, simply standing aside watching the physician cut open Wei Shu's clothes to stop the bleeding.
"Wife, wife!" Yi Yi hesitated for a moment before emphasizing his words to bring Jiang Jin back to her senses. "Wife, please go and change your clothes." This was the first time Yi Yi had seen such a helpless expression on Jiang Jin's face.
"No need, I'll wait until Wei Shu wakes up." After the doctor finished applying the medicine to Wei Shu, Jiang Jin quickly picked up a damp handkerchief to wipe the blood from Wei Shu's face.
"Zhou Cong, you guard the governor's mansion and the government office, then send someone to take good care of Zhou Liao. Yi Yi and Yi Er, you two go and treat your wounds too. I'll stay here and take care of Wei Shu." Yi Yi was about to say something when Yi Er grabbed him and shook his head.
"You know your wife's temperament. It's a waste of your energy to persuade her now. It would be better to wait until General Wei wakes up and your wife is at ease, then she can naturally go to bathe and rest."
After the group left the house, Jiang Jin looked at Wei Shu lying on the couch and for the first time thought he was a fool.
"Fool! How could a dignified General of the Imperial Guard do something as stupid as taking a knife for someone else? I really don't know if you're truly stupid or just pretending. You knew I was wearing soft armor, yet you still took the blow for me. You're such a fool." Jiang Jin scolded, but his actions were exceptionally gentle.
"Wei Shu, what if the knife is poisoned? What if you really die? What if you become like my mother and I never remember you?" Jiang Jin carefully wiped Wei Shu's fingers.
“I used to think that all a husband and wife needed was mutual benefit. After my mother died, my father married my mother. My mother treated us very well. They all moved on and no one remembered the feud between my mother and my maternal grandfather’s family.”
Jiang Jin got up and walked to the copper basin to wash the handkerchief, wringing it dry and placing it beside the basin. Then she sat back down on the bed and took Wei Shu's hand.
"So I know that as long as there is a conflict of interest between us, you won't abandon me. But Wei Shu, why are you so foolish? You know that if it were you today, I wouldn't take the knife for you. Why did you take the knife for me without hesitation?"
Jiang Jin held Wei Shu's hand and placed it on her cheek, slowly lowering her head. Wei Shu's fingertips twitched, and she heard his soft response.
"Don't cry, I don't want you to take the knife for me." Wei Shu tried to reach out and wipe away Jiang Jin's tears, but he aggravated his wound and gasped.
"Don't move, I'll go get a doctor!" Jiang Jin breathed a sigh of relief after touching Wei Shu's forehead to make sure he didn't have a fever.
"Ah Jin, don't go yet, stay with me." Wei Shu held Jiang Jin's hand, unwilling to let go.
"Okay, I won't leave." Jiang Jin was afraid that Wei Shu would pull on his wound again, so she could only sit by the bed and stay with him.
"Why did Ah Jin come to my side without hesitation? That alley was very dark; you could have gone to the government office or sent your guards to rescue me." Wei Shu looked at Jiang Jin's disheveled hair, tear stains on her face, and blood-stained clothes, and subconsciously felt a pang of heartache.
Wei Shu knew that Jiang Jin was well protected by Lou Xuan. Although she didn't have luxurious clothes, she had loyal bodyguards by her side. She must have never been as disheveled as she was today.
“I don’t know. All I know is that I can’t leave you there alone. We came to Beizhou together, and we should go back together.”
Jiang Jin's mind went blank at that moment; all she could see was Wei Shu surrounded by men in black, standing alone like a dim star shrouded in darkness.
"But your dream hasn't been fulfilled yet. Wouldn't you feel it's a pity to die here with me?" Wei Shu slowly tightened his grip until he felt the warmth from her palm.
"How could I think of these things in that situation? Wei Shu, you're about to die, how could I have time to consider anything? Don't you think your life is important?" Jiang Jin looked at Wei Shu with heartache upon hearing this.
"Wei Shu, you must remember that your life is also your life and very important." Then she took her hand and tucked the blanket around Wei Shu. "Alright, I'll go call the doctor to take a look at you, and then have the kitchen make you some porridge."
"Was it true when you said I was unique?" Wei Shu watched Jiang Jin get up and walk to the door, and couldn't help but ask the question that had been bothering him.
"Really, you've always been one and only Wei Shu." Jiang Jin pushed open the door and squinted at the sun high overhead.
"Madam!" Zhou Cong, standing not far away, breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Jiang Jin's relaxed expression.
"Wei Shu is awake. Please call the physician to take another look." Jiang Jin suddenly felt dizzy, but luckily she grabbed a nearby pillar to avoid falling.
"Madam, why don't you go and rest?" Zhou Cong looked at Jiang Jin's pale face with a sense of guilt.
"I'm fine, it's nothing." Jiang Jin's eyes lit up when she saw the doctor arrive, and she went into the house to greet him.
"Madam, the young master is out of danger, but he needs to rest and must not be injured again." The doctor prescribed medicine, and Jiang Jin instructed Zhou Cong to fetch it while she stayed by Wei Shu's side.
"Madam, I think you should go and rest." The doctor glanced at Jiang Jin before leaving. "Madam, if you continue to push yourself, you may faint."
"Thank you for your guidance." Jiang Jin bowed slightly, her fingers trembling slightly.
"Ah Jin, you should go and rest. I'm fine now." Wei Shu squeezed Jiang Jin's fingers. "I can't rest and recover if you're like this."
"Okay, I'll go rest now. If you need anything, just have Zhou Cong call me." Jiang Jin pressed her trembling hands and left the room.
"Madam," Zhou Cong greeted Jiang Jin as soon as she came out, "Are you going to rest?"
"Okay, please take good care of Wei Shu." Jiang Jin felt a pang of heartache; she knew she couldn't push herself any further.
"I'll have the maid prepare a hot bath for you." Zhou Cong felt that Jiang Jin seemed a bit gentler today.
"Thank you." Jiang Jin went to the bathroom and stepped into the steaming bathtub, feeling all her fatigue disappear. After quickly tidying up, she returned to Wei Shu's room and frowned when she saw him holding a bowl and drinking medicine.
“Zhou Cong was going to feed me the medicine, but it’s too bitter, so I’d rather drink it all at once.” Wei Shu noticed the thin layer of sweat on Jiang Jin’s forehead and couldn’t help but say, “You’re not afraid of catching a cold from being out in the wind.”
"No, the sun is shining brightly outside." Jiang Jin picked up a quilt and placed it on the small couch. "I'll sleep here. If you feel uncomfortable, just call me."
"Ah Jin, you don't need to do that. You're not sleeping comfortably. What you should do now is get some rest."
Wei Shu was already satisfied the moment he saw Jiang Jin running towards him without hesitation, so he didn't want Jiang Jin to suffer any more harm.
"It's alright, I only feel at ease when I see you." Jiang Jin curled up on the small couch, looking at Wei Shu. The two were facing each other from a distance, but their hearts were connected at this moment. Sleepiness came over her, and Jiang Jin looked at Wei Shu's face and drifted off to sleep. Wei Shu looked at Jiang Jin's peaceful sleeping face and smiled silently.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com