life and death

"No outsiders are allowed to enter!" A guard stopped the girl who was about to break into the mansion and said in a businesslike manner.

Luo Zhiyan stared at the guard in disbelief, and said with her hands on her hips, "Guard, how dare you say that I am an idler?"

Seeing that the guard remained silent, Luo Zhiyan suddenly became angry and pointed to the house across from the Su family's manor: "Ahem, do you know who owns that manor?"

Another guard took a quick look at the manor and understood that Luo Zhiyan was the cousin of Prince Anqing's mansion.

Looking at Luo Zhiyan's raised chin, he gave the honest guard a look, then bowed and said with a smile: "I will report it right away."

Another guard was about to speak, but was immediately stopped without a word.

"Does this young lady need to be notified?" Luo Zhiyan peered inside, pushed aside two guards, and snorted impatiently: "Alright, alright, this young lady will go in by herself!"

She hadn't expected that her eyelids would twitch so promptly.

Just now, she saw a girl entering the Su family manor. It was definitely Mu Jingyue!

It goes without saying that she must be here to find Tan Wenhuai.

Luo Zhiyan stopped talking, no longer impatient, she lifted up her skirt and trotted into the manor.

The honest guard couldn't help but scratch his head, looked at Luo Zhiyan's back, then looked at the guard next to him who was a little taller than him, and said with some embarrassment: "Brother Wang, the master has instructed..."

"Tsk, take a closer look, is that something we can afford to offend?" Guard Wang pointed angrily at the manor, which was even more heavily guarded than theirs.

Not to mention them, even Mr. Su can't afford to offend him.

*

"Prince, let go." Mu An Ning closed his eyes and listened carefully to the sound of the wind in his ears.

Gu Huaizhi was silent for a moment, with unprecedented anger in his eyes: "Don't even think about it!"

She was apparently fine before, why did she suddenly commit suicide?

Could it be that you don't want to be with him?

Then he won't bother her anymore, so why should she commit suicide?

The two of them remained in a stalemate for a long time, but not only did Gu Huaizhi fail to pull the girl up, his body seemed to be sliding forward.

However, he still held the girl's arm tightly and refused to let go.

Mu An Ning felt the force pulling her down the cliff getting stronger and stronger. She felt something was wrong and couldn't help but raise her eyes and said, "Let go! Do you want to die together with me, Prince?"

She already understood in her heart, although she didn't know why, but the so-called system seemed to want her to die today.

And the scene now was exactly the same as the dream she had had in the Marquis' Mansion before.

Even the sound of the wind whistling in my ears and the feeling of weightlessness were exactly the same.

The only difference was that there was an extra man, Gu Huaizhi, who held her tightly.

"Let go." Seeing that the young man with beads of sweat rolling down his forehead did not respond, Mu An Ning raised his eyes again and repeated it softly.

I think she must have died in the same way in her previous life.

She didn't understand and was unwilling to accept it, but she was powerless.

She naturally wanted to continue living, but as a person in the book, she really had no way to resist.

Rather than burdening another person, it is better to die alone in peace.

Who knows, this book might even be republished for the fourth time...

Gu Huaizhi, who was being pulled down little by little, suddenly said, "Then let's die together!"

His scarlet eyes stared at the girl's fair face, and he said word by word: "Aning, I want to die with you...die in the same coffin."

She couldn't let him let her go.

If she was determined to die, he would die with her.

Since we can't sleep in the same bed in life, we'll share the same coffin in death.

Anyway, he had already handed over the things he had taken from the Liang people to Lu Changqing.

As long as Lu Changqing is here, the Great Chu will never be defeated.

He couldn't care about anything else now. He only knew that he would never let her die in front of him like this.

Even if it meant death, he would not leave her alone.

I just hope that the amulet can really work and keep her from feeling pain...

Mu An Ning felt that the young man was holding her hand even tighter. She seemed to be able to hear not only the sound of the wind but also the rumbling of her own heartbeat in her ears.

Living from the same bed, dying from the same coffin.

When did Gu Huaizhi learn to say these things?

However, this word used to describe a couple is not appropriate when applied to them.

All of a sudden, she suddenly remembered the strange dream she had forgotten this morning.

In the dream, Gu Huaizhi, dressed in black, was sitting in front of a tomb, quietly stroking the words engraved on it.

The drizzle was as fine as silk, falling tirelessly from the sky, making his figure look even more lonely and desolate.

And she floated in the air, like a lonely soul in the mist.

She stared at the tombstone in front of the boy, but couldn't see whose name was written on it. She could only feel depressed.

A long time passed like this, and the young man, who was soaked by the rain, suddenly picked up the sword that was placed beside him.

Mu An Ning's gaze was fixed on the young man. He felt a little strange in his heart. He was stunned for a moment, and then he saw the young man draw out the sword without hesitation and cut his palm.

Blood gushed out like a red tide, soaking the boy's black robe along with the rain.

The next moment, Gu Huaizhi gently smeared the blood flowing from his palm on the tombstone. Soon, the words on the tombstone gradually became clear.

Mu An Ning calmed down and finally saw the two words written on it: "An Ning".

Gu Huaizhi suddenly laughed, his eyes revealing a reluctance to part: "Aning, I will let you come back."

When he saw the young man's grief-stricken expression, Mu An Ning's heart skipped a beat.

What does it mean to bring her back?

She couldn't help but call out the boy's name, wanting to find out what was going on, but he obviously didn't hear her.

Gu Huaizhi touched the tombstone one last time, then picked up the sword on the ground and walked away gradually in the rainy night.

The force on his wrist lightened and then tightened, and Mu An Ning suddenly came back to his senses. He raised his eyes with difficulty and looked at the boy who was tightly pursing his lips.

Gu Huaizhi's strength had obviously been exhausted. If he continued like this, both of them would die.

Mu An Ning ignored his pounding heart, raised his left hand, which had been hanging down, and touched the boy's hand.

The next moment, she exerted force, trying to pry open Gu Huaizhi's hand that was tightly holding her.

But after a long while, she finally managed to pry open the boy's index finger.

"Aning!" Panic flashed across Gu Huaizhi's eyes. His fingertips, which were tightly gripping the boulder, were already bleeding, but he did not dare to loosen his grip even a little.

The pain in the body is nothing compared to the pain in the heart that spreads to every part of the body.

She even didn't want to die with him!

"If you don't like it, I...I won't bother you anymore." Gu Huaizhi's breathing became rapid unconsciously, trying to make the girl stop her ridiculous behavior.

As long as she could live happily, he would not pester her anymore, nor would he hinder her marriage with Tan Wenhuai.

The young man didn't realize that the wound on his abdomen had completely split open, staining not only his clothes but also the stones on the edge of the cliff red.

Mu An Ning couldn't help but be startled for a moment, but still tried to pry the boy's hands open.

In fact, she couldn't figure out what she was thinking.

These days, she has been constantly reminding herself that she has a new marriage.

But every time she saw the peach blossom hairpin carved by Gu Huaizhi, the box that was delivered not long ago, and the letter that she dared not open, her heart still felt a little strange uncontrollably.

But it seems that it is different from the previous "throbbing".

She didn't know whether she had fallen in love with him again, and she didn't dare to face it.

"Prince, let go." Mu An Ning sighed softly in his heart, forcing himself not to recall the past, and lowered his eyes: "I am like this... not because of you."

Gu Huaizhi was unaware of the existence of the system. His words clearly showed that he believed she was seeking death because of his entanglement.

She didn't know how to explain it, but she really didn't want him to live with regrets for the rest of his life.

Seeing that the girl seemed to be using all her strength to pry him open, Gu Huaizhi's red peach blossom eyes finally became moist.

He could not hear a word and just kept begging in a hoarse voice: "Please, Aning, please don't die."

What went wrong?

He had never hated his own incompetence so much that he couldn't even pull up a woman as thin as paper.

Mu An Ning paused in his movements, not because of the boy's pleading whisper, but because he suddenly felt the back of his hand getting hot, as if a drop of water had fallen on it.

She raised her eyes in surprise and met the boy's dark and moist eyes.

He seemed to be trying hard to hold back his tears, but a drop of water still slid down from his right eye.

From childhood to adulthood, no matter what happened, she had never seen him cry.

And now, he was crying for her.

She had thought of many possibilities before, but she had never thought that the last person she would see before her death would be Gu Huaizhi.

Mu An Ning's brows wrinkled unconsciously, and he suddenly felt a little uncomfortable in his heart, while a girl's laughter suddenly rang in his ears.

It sounds very familiar.

"Indeed, you are such a pair of unfortunate lovers!" The girl paused and smiled in an inexplicably sinister way: "Then you two should just...die together."

Mu An Ning's eyes flashed, and she suddenly remembered that she had heard an almost identical female voice the last time she was on the verge of death in the water.

So, who is this woman?

But she didn't have time to think about it, as a cold wind suddenly blew from the edge of the cliff, and the originally clear sky was gradually covered by dark clouds.

Gu Huaizhi's body had reached its limit, and the hand that was placed on the boulder began to tremble unavoidably.

He glanced at the girl who was still trying to pry him apart, and with a forced smile, he whispered, "Aning, don't be afraid."

He would protect her, even if it meant dying together.

Before setting out on this expedition, he had already written two letters.

If he unfortunately died on the battlefield, Xiao Fuzi would send the letters, one to his parents and one to the Mu Mansion.

Although the reason for his death now is completely different from what he had imagined before, he thinks that his mother and father will not blame him.

Catching the determination flashing across the boy's eyes, Mu An Ning couldn't help but frown and said, "Gu Huaizhi! Don't do anything stupid, let me go!"

She didn't understand why Gu Huaizhi was doing this. He could have lived a good life, so why should he live and die with her?

Unless she has to, she wants to live a good life.

However, she is now wondering whether there will be another life.

If so, could she still remember bits and pieces of her past life, just like she does now, having strange dreams from time to time?

After circling on the edge of the cliff for more than a quarter of an hour, Gu Huaizhi finally couldn't hold on any longer, and his bloody fingertips gradually left the boulder that had been supporting his body.

The sound of the wind in my ears was getting louder and louder, and it seemed that there was some thunder.

"Aning, you once said that you wish to find someone who loves you the same way as you do." At the moment of life and death, Gu Huaizhi curled his lips weakly, with a look of relief and tension between his brows: "I really want to...I really want to be with you until we grow old together."

The boy didn't realize that at this moment, he suddenly became a bit like those literati who quibbled over words.

In fact, he still had many things to say to her, but he knew that she didn't want to listen.

Mu An Ning was slightly startled, and opened his mouth, but didn't know how to respond.

She didn't remember when she had said this to him, but she would be deceiving herself if she said that she was not moved at all when she heard it now.

But it was too late.

The whistling sound of the wind beside them was getting louder and louder, as if it was going to drag the two of them to the bottom of the endless cliff.

Mu An Ning really didn't have the strength to struggle against the boy's hand that was holding her, and half of Gu Huaizhi's body was gradually hanging on the edge of the cliff.

The young man pursed his thin lips and stared at the girl without blinking, as if he wanted to engrave her appearance into his eyes.

The next moment, Mu An Ning suddenly felt a panic-stricken feeling of weightlessness, and she closed her eyes subconsciously.

Is this what death feels like?

She is going to die.

But...she had someone to keep her company.

However, this feeling of weightlessness only lasted for a moment before it was interrupted by a voice -

"General Lu, they are there, go save them!!!"

[Oh my god, I knew the system was giving me points for no reason, but I didn't expect it to be so big.]

[Tsk tsk, luckily my sister is very smart and was able to detect something was wrong. ]

The two people who were about to fall off the cliff heard the noise and opened their eyes at the same time. The originally gloomy sky suddenly became clear again, as if nothing had happened.

The moment Mu An Ning felt the force beneath him disappear, he was easily pulled up.

Seeing the person being rescued, Mu Wan'er breathed a sigh of relief, and hurriedly helped the girl up from the ground, and asked in a worried voice: "Sister, are you okay?"

[I'm so scared. I can't let my daughter jump off the cliff again. ]

Mu An Ning shook his head and looked unconsciously at the young man who was being supported by Lu Changqing beside him, then unconsciously grasped the hem of his clothes.

Gu Huaizhi seemed a little dazed, his handsome face was as pale as paper, but his eyes were always glued to the girl, as if he was confirming something.

Lu Changqing glanced at Gu Huaizhi's blood-soaked robe and his left hand that was still bleeding. He said nothing and turned his gaze to Mu Wan'er, secretly observing the worry on her face.

Just when they had walked halfway, Mu Wan'er suddenly suggested that he turn back to look for Gu Huaizhi and Mu Anning, saying that it would be safer for four of them to walk.

If they had arrived a step later, Gu Huaizhi and Mu Anning would probably have died at the bottom of the cliff.

Is this a coincidence or...

Gu Huaizhi, who was being supported, suddenly pulled his arm away from Lu Changqing's hand, and then staggered to the girl.

Mu Wan'er silently stepped aside a few steps and stood together with Lu Changqing, secretly marveling in her heart.

[I don't know how long this male supporting role has been pulling, but he is actually so badly injured. Even I am a little moved. 】

[Actually, at first glance, this son-in-law is not bad...]

Gu Huaizhi looked at the girl for a long time, then smiled again, saying in a low voice, "Aning, you are still alive."

He was not afraid of death, but he was afraid that these two words would be associated with his sweetheart.

Looking at the young man's ferocious appearance, Mu An Ning's nose finally felt slightly sour, and he nodded with lingering fear: "Yeah."

Still alive.

They are all still alive.

She thought that it was the appearance of the protagonist Mu Wan'er who saved them.

But the one she was more grateful to was not Mu Wan'er or Lu Zhangqing, but...

Gu Huai's throat rolled, and he slowly reached out to touch the girl's cheek, but when he was two fingers away from the girl, the blood-stained hand suddenly stopped in the air.

*

evening.

Outside the tent, the half-white, half-black haired man looked at the girl for a long time, his solemn brows relaxed, and there seemed to be a hint of inquiry: "Who is the girl?"

He didn't expect that General Gu and General Lu went to hunt down the Liang people and ended up bringing two women back to the camp.

and...

Mu An Ning suddenly withdrew her gaze from the tightly closed tent, realizing that she had not introduced herself. Feeling a little rude, she bowed to the middle-aged man and said, "Commander Li, my surname is Mu and my name is An Ning."

She was safe and sound this time, and surprisingly, she didn't feel anything other than a little tired.

However, Gu Huaizhi had lost too much blood and was still lying in the tent being treated by a doctor.

No one knew where General Lu had gone, and Mu Wan'er was resting somewhere else at the moment, but she felt uneasy and couldn't fall asleep.

After all, Gu Huaizhi's life is in danger, but the camp is short of medicinal materials, and her bag has fallen to the bottom of the cliff.

Military Advisor Li narrowed his eyes, thought deeply for a while, and then nodded and said, "She is the daughter of Marquis Chongde."

Mu An Ning did not deny it, but just chuckled and nodded.

Even though she was an adopted daughter, her every move outside affected the Marquis's Mansion.

After a while, Advisor Li's gaze was still on the girl, as if he was looking at someone through her.

Mu An Ning pursed her lips, then smiled sideways: "Military Advisor Li, do you have anything to say to my daughter?"

Li Junshi, whose heart was touched, slowly looked away, stroked his long beard, smiled and shook his head: "It is my fault, but the girl looks a bit like an old friend of mine."

More than just a little bit, they are too similar.

Mu An Ning was slightly startled, and just as he was about to ask a question, the doctor in the tent suddenly walked out with a serious expression.