Xiao Wuxin's gaze slowly turned to Xu Zhuohua. Those eyes, which once shone with ideals and sharpness, now seemed to be covered with a thick layer of gray, dim and without a trace of brilliance.
This was the first time Xu Zhuohua had seen him like this—his once upright and straight figure was now slightly hunched, his shoulders slumped, and even his inherent uprightness had dissipated, leaving only an indescribable heaviness.
His gaze as he looked at her was like a damp cotton ball, heavy with guilt.
The gaze lacked its usual openness, replaced by evasive guilt, like a fine needle piercing Xu Zhuohua's heart unexpectedly, startling her.
With just one glance, Xu Zhuohua understood everything.
They had already discussed it; the outcome was predetermined from the beginning. Xiao Wuxin would eventually take over the Dongzhou Army, while Cheng Muyun was destined for a fate already written in the book—death.
Xiao Wuxin couldn't possibly be unaware of how dangerous Cheng Muyun's choice was; it was clearly like stepping on a knife's edge and jumping into a sea of fire.
But he needed the Eastern Zhou Army, like a drowning man needs driftwood. Those who were hunting him were relentless and would never let him go easily. His organization and his brothers who had risked their lives with him were all waiting for this force to save them.
Therefore, he could not refuse and could only watch helplessly as Cheng Muyun walked towards her doom. This unspeakable choice turned into a debt he owed her.
Xu Zhuohua suddenly remembered what happened later—when he heard the news of her death, Xiao Wuxin had sighed deeply at night, saying that the woman he regarded as his confidante in this life had ended up with such a tragic end.
He wasn't without sadness, but at that time he was entangled in inescapable danger, with pursuers in front and abysses behind. He could only stare blankly in the direction of Shinkai City during countless nights of escape, recalling the way she looked when she sat by the window turning pages of a book, the sunlight falling on her hair.
Later, Xu Minghua accompanied him through his turbulent times. Every time he saw Minghua's face, which bore a resemblance to hers, he would vaguely think of Xu Zhuohua—of the light in her eyes when she smiled, like stars shattered in water, so bright that it was impossible to look away.
So when he heard the news that "Xu Zhuohua is still alive," Xiao Wuxin almost jumped up and shouted in a deserted corner, "I knew it! How could a woman like her easily admit defeat?"
But all he received was a letter from Cheng Muyun.
The letter was full of Dongzhou Army's plans and resolute determination to sacrifice oneself for righteousness, but it made no mention of Xu Zhuohua.
Xiao Wuxin wasn't stupid; he could see Cheng Muyun's intentions—she was leaving all the paths to survival to her while taking all the dead ends upon herself.
It would be a lie to say I wasn't tempted.
The Dongzhou Army was the cornerstone that allowed his troops to gain a foothold and ensured that those who followed him would no longer be adrift.
But he knew even better that if Cheng Muyun died, Xu Zhuohua probably wouldn't survive either.
Seeing how obsessed Cheng Muyun was with her, he naturally knew that her feelings for Cheng Muyun would only be even stronger. They were the same kind of people, loving passionately and dying fiercely.
If he agrees, it will cost him two lives—one his brother who grew up alongside him, and the other his close friend who cherishes him deeply.
But if he shakes his head, the millions of eyes behind him, those waiting for him to save their lives, will ultimately not escape death.
At this critical juncture, Cheng Muyun's letter was like a thunderbolt, cleaving through all the fog, and like a timely rain, extinguishing the last struggle in his heart.
On the way here, Xiao Wuxin hesitated countless times and struggled with his conscience countless times, but he knew better than anyone that his final answer was destined from the very beginning.
Therefore, he dared not look at Xu Zhuohua.
When he saw her standing alive and well before him again, he didn't even have the courage to take a step forward.
The guilt washed over him like a tide, leaving him with no strength to even straighten his back.
He knew that he owed her something he could never repay in this lifetime.
Xu Zhuohua's body went limp, and she slumped heavily onto the bamboo chair behind her. The chair surface creaked slightly, as if it could no longer bear the weight.
She slowly raised her eyes, her gaze piercing through the cool night breeze and striking directly into Cheng Muyun's eyes—there was no hesitation there, only a deep, unwavering resolve, like iron already forged, which no one could shake.
My heart felt like it was being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, and I panicked instantly.
The composure they had maintained, the fear they had tried to suppress, all crumbled under that gaze.
The two stared at each other silently, without uttering a word, yet it was as if a thousand armies were clashing in the air.
His "must be this way," her "can't it be different?"—all the unspoken concerns, reluctance, and resolve surged within this silent gaze.
Xu Zhuohua bit her lower lip, forcing back the tears welling up in her eyes.
That familiar bitterness spread from my heart, flowing through my veins and throughout my body, so cold it felt like my blood was about to freeze.
She knew perfectly well that, faced with the greater good of the nation and the livelihoods of millions, she had to agree and give in.
But... why is it that I just don't want to?
She repeatedly questioned herself in her heart: Xu Zhuohua, isn't he just a man?
Love in this world is fleeting, like passing clouds. Can't we live without him?
With your knowledge and resilience, as long as you live to see the moment that flag flies, there are countless possibilities in the future. Why insist on focusing on one person?
But……
If Cheng Muyun were gone, could she have held on until that day?
Do you still have the courage to watch the flag rise?
If even he is gone, what meaning do those so-called futures, those possible lives, have?
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