Chapter 43 "Please".
He lowered his head and buried it in the crook of her neck. Su Muying was slightly stunned, only to feel his burning yet light breath seeping through her hair and sticking to her skin.
It felt like being boiled in water; she felt incredibly hot. For some reason, the burning sensation spread down her neck, over her ears, her earlobes, and then over her face.
He held her like that for a long time without saying a word. Su Muying didn't move either. She stared blankly at one spot, her eyes unfocused, seemingly lost in thought.
Or perhaps her mind was blank, and she wasn't thinking about anything.
Perhaps it was almost dawn, the moonlight had become very thin, and rays of light, similar to the dawn, shone into the cave, making the cave no longer as dark as before.
But it was still extremely quiet all around, so quiet that he and she could hear each other breathing.
Su Muying could clearly hear Xie Linyuan's panting, his inhalation, his sobs... and she could also hear the sound of tears falling down his face.
Her neck was soon damp; the tears clung to her hair and dripped onto her skin, quickly turning into patches of burning fire.
He cried.
Why is he crying again...?
His tears dripped onto her skin, and Su Muying felt they were burning hot and uncomfortable.
Su Muying really wanted to tell him to stop crying.
Why was he crying? Su Muying didn't understand.
What Su Muying couldn't understand was that he cried and then laughed, raising his head. His long, slender, blood-stained hands resembled blood-stained white jade, and he cupped her face in them, murmuring between tears and laughter:
"You, you, it's good that you're alright, it's good that you're alright..."
"Ying'er, Ying'er..."
Xie Linyuan was like that, like a madman, crying and laughing, carefully and tremblingly holding her face, murmuring some crazy words over and over again.
He called her name repeatedly, his once frosty peach blossom eyes now filled with tears. When he looked at her with his lowered, damp eyelashes, the shimmering water revealed an endless, radiant love/desire.
It's very good at...bewitching people.
Su Muying lowered her eyes.
Considering his injuries, and seeing that he was just laughing and crying hysterically without doing anything drastic, she didn't push him away.
With so many injuries on his body, it must be... in a lot of pain.
Su Muying parted her lips slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but then paused and closed her lips again.
It was indeed getting light, and the morning light filtering in from outside gradually spread over them, making Xie Linyuan's injuries appear even more shocking.
Every time Su Muying caught a glimpse of it, her heart would suddenly sink.
With injuries like his, he's probably just clinging to life.
As she lowered her eyelashes and thought this, a voice came from outside, growing louder as it approached: "Miss Su! General!"
"Miss Su, General!"
Su Muying immediately recognized Qingshan's voice. Her eyes lit up, and when she looked up, she met Xie Linyuan's slightly lowered, moist, and tearful eyes.
The corners of his eyes seemed to droop, making him look exactly like a wet dog staring at her.
He seemed to have something to say to her, but hesitated. He simply raised his hand and gently wiped away the drop of blood on the tip of her nose. With a slight smile, he said in a hoarse voice, "They're here. Don't be afraid."
His fingertips landed on the tip of her nose, like a snowflake brushing across it, slightly cool and cold, before quickly disappearing.
Su Muying blinked and hummed in agreement.
——
Qingshan found them.
When Qingshan saw his master's miserable state, he stood there stunned for a long time.
His body was covered with scars left by various forms of torture, including faint whip marks, burns, and cuts from the flesh, some of which were so deep that the bone was visible.
His body was covered in bleeding wounds, and blood was even flowing down his fingers.
He's so badly injured, yet he's still alive.
However, if it had been half a day later, even a god couldn't have saved his master's life.
Qingshan and Chen Ling had never seen their general so badly injured. Even after years of fighting, they had never seen such a tragic sight.
However, even though he was injured and looked like a ghost, his general was still smiling.
A laugh that is rarely seen.
Upon seeing Miss Su, his general's expression suddenly became excited, his bloodshot eyes shining brightly as if he wanted to devour her.
After a moment, his expression changed, as if he was concerned about something. His previous excitement disappeared, and he looked at Miss Su in front of him cautiously and carefully.
Aoyama: "..."
Chen Ling: "..."
They've gone mad with greed.
Qingshan and Chen Ling stood there stunned for a while, looking at each other before realizing that the most important thing now was to save their general's life!
...
That night, Xie Linyuan led Su Muying out of the camp. Because someone was lying in wait at the location where they were supposed to meet them in Qingshan, Xie Linyuan rode his horse into the dense forest and deep mountains.
The terrain in the dense forest and deep mountains was complicated, and it was late at night. Xie Linyuan rode his horse deep into the mountains. After he collapsed from exhaustion, Su Muying dragged him a long way and hid him in a cave. Later, Qingshan and his troops came to this place, so Wu Zizhuo did not find them.
Xie Linyuan and Su Muying returned to Anzhou City. Su Muying was fine, just too tired and her mind was too tense, but Xie Linyuan was on the verge of death.
Xie Linyuan was taken back to the General's Mansion by Qingshan and the others. When Xie's mother saw Xie Linyuan's appearance, she almost fainted on the spot.
When Xie Nian'an saw her mother, she held back her tears and ran quickly into her mother's arms. Su Muying felt a lump in her throat and picked up little Nian'an. When little Nian'an heard the noise and tried to look towards Xie Linyuan, she covered little Nian'an's eyes.
Seeing Xie Linyuan's appearance would probably give any child nightmares.
Upon returning to Anzhou, perhaps finally confirming that Su Muying was safe, his pent-up energy dissipated, and he completely lost consciousness.
Doctors came in droves, all treating his wounds. The room was filled with the overwhelming stench of blood, and basins of bloody water were brought out one after another, as if he had bled to death.
After comforting Xiao Nian'an and watching him fall asleep, Su Muying went to Xie Linyuan's place.
His room was packed with people, both inside and out.
The Xie family members, as well as his subordinate generals.
Xie Linyuan is now a rebel, but also the one who supports all of them.
Not only the Xie family, not only his generals and soldiers, but also the people of Anzhou, and the ten cities from Anzhou to the border.
What would happen to them if he died, if he were defeated?
What will become of the world then?
Nobody knows.
Xie Linyuan has been living a life-and-death struggle these past few years, as if he were possessed. After his behavior a few years ago, which seemed like a possession to outsiders, he returned to normal for a few years. He recuperated, cultivated land, and raised troops. Anzhou is becoming more and more prosperous, gradually gaining the momentum to overshadow the imperial court. It is also a great opportunity to launch a decisive attack.
Xie Linyuan's subordinate generals all thought that after lying low for so many years, it was finally time for them to counterattack, fight a major battle, and advance all the way to the capital.
But now it is the same.
Their general surrendered to the enemy camp, endured brutal torture, and fought his way out of the enemy camp alone. Now he is barely clinging to life.
well.
In the end, it was all for that Miss Su.
What's wrong with their general?
Despite Xie Linyuan's actions, as his subordinates, they felt that their general's behavior was no different from being possessed by a demon, but they absolutely dared not have any dissatisfaction, much less test his military might or make trouble for Su Muying.
They knew there was only one outcome.
Their general had been celibate for many years, but he was so infatuated with this Miss Su that he was even willing to defect to the enemy camp for her sake.
If they don't know what's good for them, they'll probably lose their heads immediately.
As Su Muying approached, the crowd immediately parted to make way for her, and everyone looked at her with different expressions.
Xie Linyuan's subordinate generals were all tall and strong, with somewhat fierce-looking appearances. Having lived on the frontier for a long time, they looked quite menacing.
Seeing that they parted to let her pass, Su Muying nodded to them in thanks. Although she was still tired, her eyes held a gentle smile, like a soft breeze in spring or a clear spring flowing through the mountains, making people feel very comfortable.
Everyone froze on the spot, their expressions initially one of disbelief and shock, followed by a mixture of overwhelming gratitude and trepidation. They hurriedly waved their hands, and some even took a step back.
Su Muying was surprised by their reaction.
But she didn't say much. After expressing her gratitude, she walked through them and went into the house.
However, after Su Muying entered the house, the group of people remained stunned, as if the gentle fragrance of flowers in the spring breeze had not yet dissipated.
They were stationed on the border year-round, and each of them looked like a fierce and rough man. They were suddenly flattered and surprised by Su Muying's return greeting.
This Miss Su was so beautiful, yet she was neither condescending nor timid. Her respect and politeness towards them made them feel ashamed of their previous prejudices against her.
This also made them understand why their general was so obsessed with this Miss Su.
Everyone watched Su Muying enter the house one last time, and then sighed.
Their general has faced death and come back to life so many times, who knows how it will be this time.
——
Su Muying entered the house, and as soon as she opened the door, the stench of blood rushed in. She was stunned, and her eyes inexplicably turned red, as if the blood had seeped into them.
Xie Linyuan's wounds were finally treated, but he remained unconscious.
Su Muying asked a doctor about the situation. The doctor shook his head solemnly and said, "Miss, you might be able to talk to the general. He is currently unconscious and his injuries are far beyond the limits of ordinary people. It is already a blessing from heaven that he was able to come back on his last breath. We can only treat the general's wounds. Whether he can wake up or not depends on fate."
Su Muying's heart sank, and her fingers clenched so tightly under her sleeves that they turned white.
The gray-haired doctor began writing a prescription: "We can only prescribe medicine for external injuries. You must be someone the general values. If you can talk to the general more, you might wake up. After all, for injuries of this severity, we can only rely on the patient's will to live."
After taking the prescription and seeing the doctor out, Xie's mother looked at Su Muying, hesitating as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she just sighed and said, "Talk to him more. Yuan'er might wake up if he hears your voice..."
Having gone through so much, Xie's mother's temples have turned increasingly white, and she no longer has the aloof attitude she once had. Her eyes now hold more helplessness and sighs.
How... how did it end up like this...?
Su Muying bowed to Xie's mother without saying anything.
The other people in the room gradually left, and soon only she and Xie Linyuan were left.
Su Muying stepped over the screen and entered the inner room, where she saw Xie Linyuan, who was unconscious.
He lay on the couch, his face deathly pale. His once excessively handsome and sharp features now appeared as if covered in a layer of snow. His long, black hair was spread out, making his skin appear even whiter and more translucent.
He lay there quietly, so still that it seemed as if he had stopped breathing. He looked completely harmless, even fragile.
It is indeed fragile.
Su Muying stood there stunned for a while. It wasn't until the wind blew in through the cracks in the window, making Xie Linyuan's loose long hair flutter, blowing in the locust blossoms from the trees in the courtyard, and making the ribbon holding her hair flutter, that she came back to her senses.
He probably can't stand the wind.
Thinking this, Su Muying walked to the window, closed the gap in the window frame, and sat down on the edge of the kang (a heated platform bed).
She remained silent, simply sitting by the bed watching Xie Linyuan, her gaze fixed on him.
Just like that night in the cave.
Xie Linyuan was indeed still clinging to life. Occasionally he would frown, and occasionally his thin lips would part, murmuring some dream-like murmurs.
And all of these delirious ramblings were related to her, Su Muying.
He would keep calling her name, sometimes as Su Muying, but most of the time, he would call her Ying'er in an extremely gentle and infatuated tone, again and again.
As he shouted, the voice turned hoarse and low, as if it were being torn apart.
He said, word by word, that he was wrong, that he was sorry, that he didn't want to hurt her, that he was just too afraid she would leave him, that he loved her too much, that he was crazy...
He also said... he could never compare to his brother, and if he also died for her, would she remember him and offer incense for him...?
...
While unconscious, he uttered many incoherent and nonsensical words, all of which reached Su Muying's ears.
In the end, his hoarse voice turned into a trembling sob.
Why is he crying again?
Su Muying looked at the tears welling up in the corners of the reddish peach blossom eyes, and at the pale, bloodless face that was as fragile as moonlight. She couldn't help but tilt her head slightly and frown.
How could she have imagined that the general, who had trembled with fear upon their first meeting and dared not look her in the eye, would now be someone who cries at the drop of a hat?
What is he crying about?
What does he have to cry about?
Su Muying frowned as she listened to his suppressed, almost panting voice. However, when her eyelashes trembled and her gaze moved down from his face to the blood-soaked wounds all over his body, her confusion instantly turned into a kind of inexplicable pain.
Xie Linyuan's appearance successfully garnered her sympathy and pity.
Su Muying pursed her lips, stared at Xie Linyuan for a while, and finally got up, took a clean handkerchief, and wanted to wipe away the cold sweat that had seeped out on him.
She leaned forward, her hair falling over her shoulders, brushing lightly across his eyes, cheeks, and lips.
For some reason, his tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed.
After wiping the cold sweat from his face, Su Muying didn't leave. She sat on his bed, staring at him blankly.
She didn't know why she was like this; perhaps she was afraid that Xie Linyuan would die.
She wanted him to live, even if it was just for Anzhou's sake.
Su Muying leaned against the bedside, as if she was really afraid he would die, and she would tuck him in from time to time.
However, in the latter half of the night, she was so tired that she drifted off to sleep.
She fell asleep and didn't notice her hand resting on the edge of the bed, a long time away from him.
Su Muying was not sleeping soundly. In her hazy state, she seemed to have one dream after another. Xie Linyuan, covered in blood, kept appearing in her mind's eye. Finally, the scene froze on the pool of blood under the moonlight.
He stared at him with wide, almond-shaped eyes, tears of blood streaming down his face.
Alluring yet eerie.
Su Muying shuddered, struggling to wake up gasping for breath, and looked at Xie Linyuan in horror.
Upon discovering that he was still lying there, Su Muying breathed a sigh of relief. However, she belatedly realized that she couldn't understand why she had dreamed of Xie Linyuan.
Xie Linyuan, who was unconscious, seemed to sense her fear and terror. His hand, which was very close to hers, somehow touched her hand and gently hooked her slightly curled fingertips.
It was as if they were trying to comfort him.
But his hands were too cold, and Su Muying was still in a daze. When Xie Linyuan's fingertips touched her with an icy touch, it was like a snowflake flying by. She was so startled by the cold that she shivered all over and stood up without knowing why, shaking off his hand.
But her flicking of her hand woke Xie Linyuan up.
When Xie Linyuan opened his eyes, he saw Su Muying looking at him with fear again.
He had seen that look in his eyes far too many times.
Why am I afraid of him again...?
Why did I have to leave him again...?
Xie Linyuan had just woken up and was not fully conscious. Seeing that Su Muying seemed terrified and about to leave, he got out of bed without a second thought and reached out to grab her.
But before he could even touch a single sleeve of her clothes, his wounds reopened inch by inch. Xie Linyuan was stunned; the excruciating pain froze him completely, and then he collapsed to the ground.
He collapsed at her feet.
A familiar, pleasant fragrance wafted from the woman's dress. He reached out his hand, his trembling hand just like that night, wanting to grasp a piece of distant moonlight.
"Don't go," he said, his pale hand clutching a section of her dress.
"Please."
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