Chen Hede gripped Xu Zhuohua's wrist tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force, as if this could steady their trembling minds.
“Xu Zhuohua,” his voice was filled with suppressed weariness, “all of us want to pull Cheng Muyun back from that predicament, but now… he has closed the door to survival himself.”
His Adam's apple bobbed, and a deep sense of helplessness filled his eyes. "We really have no other options."
Xu Zhuohua's throat felt like it had been rubbed with sandpaper, each word carrying a tearing pain: "He...he wouldn't want to clash with the protesters, would he?"
Cheng Muyun's current state is practically jumping into a fire pit.
Chen Hede frowned suddenly, his knuckles pressing against Xu Zhuohua's wrist with force, causing her pain.
“No one can guess what he’s thinking,” he said in a deep voice, his tone filled with barely concealed anxiety. “The Cheng Muyun of the past, even when impulsive, always had a method to his actions, but now…”
He paused for a moment, then finally said, "He's like a mad dog driven to the brink, his eyes filled with nothing but a desperate ferocity. Who knows where he'll pounce next?"
These words were like a needle, piercing Xu Zhuohua's heart.
She could clearly see Chen Hede's guilt towards Cheng Muyun—the self-reproach in his eyes was almost overflowing.
Xu Zhuohua could even guess what he didn't say: if Cheng Muyun really couldn't hold on, not to mention whether she would blame him, he himself wouldn't be able to get over it.
Xu Zhuohua's fingers trembled uncontrollably, her fingertips were icy cold, and her heart was trembling as well.
His mind felt like it was shrouded in thick fog, with only one thought swirling wildly: Cheng Muyun might really not be able to hold on any longer.
His stubbornness in refusing to give up may have been exhausted in some moment she couldn't see.
Just then, a sharp, stabbing pain suddenly shot into my temple, as if countless needles were piercing in at the same time.
Xu Zhuohua's vision went black, and her ears were ringing, as if the whole world was about to collapse in the next second.
She managed to stand by holding onto the wall next to her, feeling as if a scorching hot iron ball had been stuffed into her head, ready to explode at any moment.
"Cheng Muyun..." She gritted her teeth, using all her strength to steady her voice, each word trembling and broken, "How much longer can he... how much longer can he hold on?"
There are still three months until Cheng Muyun's death. As long as he can hold on and get through this major historical juncture, the world afterward will be fine without Cheng Muyun.
Just like Liang Shaozun, whether he is dead or alive, it doesn't matter.
But before that, Xu Zhuohua absolutely cannot show her face.
Cheng Muyun also needs to maintain his identity as the Great Demon King, incite public anger, make those above completely unable to stand it, and finally push him into the abyss.
Chen Hede didn't understand Xu Zhuohua's thoughts and said, "I don't know. I'm afraid Cheng Muyun... won't last much longer. He won't see anyone now, and Madam Cheng is crying all day long."
Xu Zhuohua's back was pressed against the cold wall, and the chill crept up her spine little by little, but it couldn't suppress the burning, dull pain in her heart.
Her fingers gripped the hem of her dress so tightly that her fingertips almost dug into the fabric, crumpling the thin material into a mess.
It felt like a heavy stone was pressing on her heart, and every breath she took was accompanied by a dull, aching pain, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.
"Do you have any better ideas?" She raised her eyes, looking directly at Chen Hede, her voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible hope.
She knew all too well that Chen Hede's risky trip to find her, even going so far as to keep it a secret from Xu Shinong, was definitely not just to say a few discouraging words.
He must have come with some kind of plan.
Chen Hede's brows furrowed even more, as if there was an unresolved knot in his heart.
He remained silent, his gaze fixed on the cracks in the ground, his knuckles unconsciously rubbing the seams of his trousers.
Xu Zhuohua could tell that he had a solution in mind, but that solution clearly made him extremely hesitant, and could even be described as a last resort.
After a long while, he finally raised his head, looked at her with a complicated expression, and said, word by word, "His only cure right now is you."
Xu Zhuohua's heart sank.
How could she not know? She understood Cheng Muyun's stubbornness better than anyone else.
But what time is it now? The spies in the shadows are watching like venomous snakes. If she shows herself, she won't be able to save him; instead, she might drag them both into an even deeper vortex.
If Cheng Muyun knew she was still alive, yet had hidden away for so long during his most agonizing time... how would he react?
Will he fly into a rage and demand why she didn't show up, or will he completely collapse because of this belated truth? She dared not think about it; everything was uncertain.
More importantly, she still hasn't figured out how to appear in front of him in a way that would truly pull him back from the brink of disaster.
"No! I can't show up!" Xu Zhuohua shook her head violently, her tone resolute and unwavering, her fingertips turning white from the force.
A clear look of surprise flashed across Chen Hede's eyes, as if he hadn't expected her to be so resistant.
"Why?" he pressed, his voice filled with confusion. "Aren't you two in love? He's just waiting for a reason to keep going, and your appearance is the best reason."
Xu Zhuohua opened her mouth, only to find that all her words were stuck in her throat.
Those questions about timing, danger, and the unspoken barriers between the two cannot be explained in just a few words.
She could only repeat, "The timing is wrong."
Chen Hede remained silent.
He looked at Xu Zhuohua's pale face, the struggle in his eyes almost overflowing.
To be honest, he didn't want Xu Zhuohua to get involved in this conflict anymore; she had already suffered too much.
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