I can't lose you
*
Xiao Zhouyan carried Xu Qingyao and left the troublesome Wolf Howl Valley with steady but hurried steps.
Liu Rushuang tacitly covered the rear, remaining vigilant against any remaining dangers.
Outside the valley, Xiao Zhouyan's personal guards were waiting anxiously. They breathed a sigh of relief when they saw their commander emerge safely.
"General!"
"It's alright, evacuate immediately and return to the nearest stronghold at Yanyun Pass."
Xiao Zhouyan gave the order in a deep voice, but his gaze never left Xu Qingyao, who was pale and trembling slightly in his arms. Her shocking words, "You will die," were like a thorn in his heart.
What illusion could have terrified her to the point of losing control?
No matter how bizarre Shen Rou's evil magic is, it may not be able to create such precise fear directed at him out of thin air.
He had too many questions in his mind, but now was clearly not the time to ask them.
On the way back to the base, Xu Qingyao kept her eyes closed, appearing weak, but her mind was rapidly communicating with the system.
[Host, Xiao Zhouyan's suspicion level has soared to a dangerous level. He will never easily believe the claim of 'illusion'.]
“I know…” Xu Qingyao smiled bitterly to herself, “I have to find a way to divert his attention, at least to prevent him from investigating further for the time being.”
[Suggested solution: Create an 'accident' where you suffer a seemingly serious injury that won't damage your foundation. Guilt might temporarily suppress his inquisitiveness, buying you time.]
Xu Qingyao weighed the options silently.
This approach is somewhat risky, but it seems to be the best option to break the deadlock at the moment.
She needed time to process the fragments of memory that Shen Rou had forcibly given her, and even more time to think about how to deal with Xiao Zhouyan's questions.
We must never let him know the secret of the system and rebirth; the consequences would be unimaginable.
Back at the outpost, a hidden border outpost.
The military doctor immediately stepped forward to treat the laceration on Xiao Zhouyan's hand and also wanted to examine Xu Qingyao.
"I'm fine, just a little exhausted. I'll be fine after a rest."
Xu Qingyao forced a smile, pushed away the army doctor's hand, and struggled to get down from Xiao Zhouyan's arms. However, she deliberately staggered and seemed weak as she fell towards the wooden rack where weapons were piled up next to her.
"careful!"
Xiao Zhouyan reacted quickly, grabbing her waist and pulling her back.
However, the moment Xu Qingyao was pulled back, her elbow seemingly unintentionally slammed heavily into a protruding corner of the wooden frame.
With a soft "crack" and a suppressed cry of pain from Xu Qingyao, her left arm suddenly dropped at an unnatural angle, dislocated.
The excruciating pain instantly plunged her into a cold sweat and turned her face deathly pale; this was probably true to some extent.
"Qingyao!" Xiao Zhouyan's expression changed drastically. He immediately picked her up and carefully laid her flat on the bed. "Medical officer! Quickly!"
The military doctor quickly stepped forward and skillfully examined and repositioned the affected area.
"Please bear with it, Madam."
Before he finished speaking, with a skillful touch, the joint snapped back into place with a "click".
But Xu Qingyao was in so much pain that she was almost exhausted. Her hair was soaked with sweat and stuck to her cheeks, making her look extremely pitiful.
Xiao Zhouyan gripped her right hand tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force, his eyes filled with regret, heartache, and a hint of barely perceptible guilt.
It was his failure to protect her that caused her to be affected by evil magic in Wolf Howling Valley and injured here.
The questions that had been lingering in her mind were temporarily suppressed in the face of her real pain.
"pain……"
Xu Qingyao looked at him with teary eyes, her voice weak and full of dependence and grievance.
This sound completely shattered Xiao Zhouyan's desire to ask further questions.
He bent down and gently wiped the sweat from her forehead with his uninjured right hand, his voice softer than ever before: "Don't be afraid, it's all fixed now. Get some rest, I'm here with you."
Xu Qingyao felt somewhat relieved, knowing that the self-inflicted injury had worked.
She closed her eyes, letting the exhaustion and pain wash over her, while silently sorting through the chaotic fragments of memory in her mind.
*
A few days later, the crisis at Yanyun Pass was averted.
With the altar destroyed and Shen Rou fleeing, the strange offensive launched by the northern border of the Li Kingdom was indeed thwarted.
With the reinforcements brought by Xiao Zhouyan and the timely adjustment of the defenses, the siege of Yanyun Pass was gradually lifted.
Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Yan Zhan and the Li army, after suffering some losses, also began to retreat.
The fighting in northern Xinjiang has temporarily come to an end.
During this time, Xu Qingyao "rested peacefully" to recover from her injuries, while Xiao Zhouyan was busy with military affairs. However, whenever he had free time, he would stay by her side, taking meticulous care of her, but he never mentioned what happened in Wolf Howling Valley again.
But the occasional glances he gave her remained deep and inquisitive.
Xu Qingyao knew that this was just the calm before the storm.
Meanwhile, the corruption case involving the canal transport in Yangzhou has also reached its final conclusion.
The Fifth Prince, Chu Huaijin, and Xu Zhiyuan joined forces to conduct a thorough investigation with lightning speed. They had evidence of the Second Prince, Chu Chengjing, colluding with the Li Kingdom, as well as evidence obtained from the Black Cloud Village secret cave and Yan Zhan's place—the evidence was irrefutable.
The case was handled without any resistance.
Chu Chengjing's crimes were proven beyond redemption, and he was stripped of his title and imprisoned in the Imperial Clan Court for life.
His cronies were either purged or scattered when the tree fell.
Having survived this ordeal, the emperor's health had deteriorated significantly, and he relied even more heavily on the Fifth Prince and loyal ministers such as Xiao Zhouyan.
Although the emperor felt a distance from Consort Li, Shen Rou, who had "saved him" and "understood the bigger picture" during this incident, he did not pursue the matter further because she was "already dead," and only slightly belittled her ethnic group.
The canal transport system has been thoroughly renovated and has been completely transformed.
Xu Zhiyuan's prestige grew even higher due to his meritorious service in handling cases.
Liu Rushuang, this "righteous heroine," was also richly rewarded, but she couldn't stay idle. After Xu Qingyao's condition stabilized, she went off to do chivalrous deeds somewhere again.
*
Inside the border outpost, candlelight flickered.
Xu Qingyao's left arm was in a sling, but her complexion had improved considerably.
She leaned against the window, gazing at the vast starry sky unique to northern Xinjiang.
After finishing his military affairs, Xiao Zhouyan came in carrying a bowl of medicinal soup.
"It's time to take your medicine."
He sat on the edge of the tatami mat, casually tested the temperature, then scooped up a spoonful and brought it to her lips.
Xu Qingyao obediently drank it, the bitter taste of the medicine making her frown slightly.
Xiao Zhouyan put down the medicine bowl, took out some candied fruit and handed it to her, saying as if casually, "The Yangzhou case is closed, the Second Prince has been brought to justice, and the grain transport has been cleared. The northern border is also temporarily stable. We... can set off back to the capital soon."
"Mmm," Xu Qingyao responded softly.
A moment of silence followed. Only the crackling of the candlelight.
Xiao Zhouyan's gaze fell on her injured arm, his fingertips gently tracing the edge of the bandage. He finally returned to the unavoidable topic: "Qingyao, was your arm injury really an accident?"
Xu Qingyao's heart skipped a beat. She looked up and met his deep gaze.
There was worry and concern in his eyes, but more than anything, there was an inescapable seriousness.
She knew that procrastination and pretense had reached their limit.
She took a deep breath, knowing she could no longer avoid the issue. Perhaps she could reveal part of the "truth," but it had to be embellished.
“Zhou Yan,” she lowered her eyes, her voice tinged with weariness and vulnerability, “in Wolf Howl Valley, before Shen Rou died… what I saw might not have been entirely an illusion.”
Xiao Zhouyan leaned forward slightly, not interrupting, but listening quietly.
"I think I've seen some fragments of the future."
Xu Qingyao carefully chose her words, speaking in a half-truthful tone:
"It was blurry, chaotic... I saw you covered in blood, lying in the snow in northern Xinjiang... I saw the fire in the capital... I was terrified..."
As she spoke, her body trembled slightly. This wasn't entirely acting; the fear brought on by those fragmented memories was real.
Xiao Zhouyan grasped her hand, his palm warm and strong: "So, you deliberately hurt yourself, was it because you were afraid I would ask questions, or did you want to use this method to stop me from going to those dangerous places in the 'future'?"
Xu Qingyao didn't answer directly, but instead gripped his hand tightly, tears welling in her eyes: "I don't know if those scenes are real or not, but I can't take the risk... Zhouyan, I can't lose you..."
This statement carried with it a deep fear stemming from fragments of memory that she herself had never fully understood.
Xiao Zhouyan stared at her, remaining silent for a long time. He could sense the genuine fear in her words, but there were still many doubts surrounding her explanation.
Why does Shen Rou's evil magic allow her to see the future?
Why her of all people?
Is this related to what he knows...?
But he did not press the matter further.
He gently pulled her into his arms, avoiding her injured arm, and rested his chin on the top of her head, saying in a deep voice, "Don't be afraid, that's the future that hasn't happened yet. Now that we've seen it, we can change it. I, Xiao Zhouyan, won't die so easily."
His voice was steady and powerful, carrying a reassuring strength.
"As for the secrets you hold," he paused, "I can wait, until the day you are willing to completely trust me. But Qingyao, remember, no matter what happens, I am your husband."
Xu Qingyao nestled in his arms, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
She has passed the test for now, but Xiao Zhouyan's doubts have not been completely eliminated. He simply chose to be tolerant and wait for the time being.
This profound trust and protection made her feel both fortunate and guilty.
The journey back to Beijing was destined to be anything but peaceful.
The hidden Shen Rou behind the scenes, and the shadows about the future, remain a huge challenge that she must face.
...
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