Chapter 48: I have never felt the same before, so I will do justice for the world and save...
Lou Wanqiao's gaze lingered on the side of Wen Xuechi's face.
He was concentrating on changing her dressing with his head lowered, applying the ointment gently to the wound with careful and gentle movements.
It still hurts, but this pain is nothing to Lou Wanqiao.
Watching Wen Xuechi's movements, she inexplicably recalled the dream she had just had. In the dream, her mother looked at her so gently, telling her to eat more and keep her safe and healthy.
Over the years, Lou Wanqiao had rarely taken care of herself, let alone made friends. Thinking about it carefully, Wen Xuechi was probably one of the few genuine friends she had made in those years.
She had seen many arsenic-like things that looked like honey. Those people were sweet-mouthed but had treacherous hearts. They either wanted to kill her when she was not prepared, or they wanted to use her momentum to climb up.
Her friends were always well-informed. Most of them were old acquaintances, close friends she could trust, like Mu Yunjiao. Or they were her subordinates. But someone like Wen Xuechi was rare.
He held a high position, and compared to the rumored Marquis of Pingyuan, a mere Junior Justice of the Dali Temple was a far cry from her. He had shown rare kindness upon their first meeting, offering her almost unconditional assistance... She had noticed it before, but being so overwhelmed by events made it difficult to calm down and reflect. Now, in such a quiet environment, thoughts inexplicably flooded her mind.
"Wen Xuechi."
She suddenly called him by his name, which startled Wen Xuechi: "What's wrong? Did I hurt you?"
Lou Wanqiao's eyes fell on Wen Xuechi's hand, which was carefully holding hers. She felt an indescribable feeling in her heart. With this thought in mind, she asked, "Why did you approach me?"
Wen Xuechi was silent for a moment.
Her question was a bit too direct. I had never thought about it before, and now I was a bit at a loss for an answer.
"...Does this even need a reason?" he muttered, then lowered his head to think seriously. His hands worked non-stop as he re-bandaged the wound on her hand. Only then did he look up at her seriously. "It was probably the first time we met. Do you remember the question you asked me? The laws of this world are inherently unfair, and there are many who are dissatisfied. Many are bullied, but those who rise up violently are always suppressed or beheaded, serving as a warning to those who would rebel. After you asked me this, I pondered for a long time how to follow the right path, how to rectify the world's order, and how to save more people who want to live."
She was a little absent-minded, and her thoughts went back to that night.
It seemed like it happened a long time ago, and a long time seemed to have passed. She and Wen Xuechi went from acting against each other and being wary of each other in the beginning to gradually getting closer and fighting side by side. They developed an unspeakable tacit understanding and became friends who could be trusted.
The causes of some things are not that important, but she just wants to know what he thinks.
Why would I help her, why would I want to... get close to her.
Thinking about it this way, Wen Xuechi should have investigated her thoroughly, but she seemed to know very little about the rumored "Marquis Pingyuan".
Where did he come from? Why did the rumors say so? Why did Pingyuan Hou… leave the court and become a knight-errant on the Jianghu?
Lou Wanqiao suddenly realized that she knew very little about Wen Xuechi. Apart from the fact that they had been traveling together since then, she knew nothing else.
She suddenly wanted to know more about Wen Xuechi.
"Tell me your story."
When Lou Wanqiao said this, he felt it sounded familiar yet a little strange.
What should the next sentence be...
Uh... your pain, your scars, I want to know about them all...?
She scratched her head awkwardly, and accidentally pulled the wound on her hand, causing her to grimace in pain.
"Hey! Don't move. What if the wound bursts open?" Wen Xuechi raised his hand again and gently grasped her wrist. "What's with that weird expression on your face? You want to hear my story? What is this? A friend's concern?"
Lou Wanqiao nodded and replied vaguely: "Hmm... well, I guess so."
Wen Xuechi didn't say anything for a moment.
She felt something was wrong, and when she looked up, she met a pair of deep eyes.
"Lou Zizhao," he said, no longer smiling as before. He clasped her wrist with one hand, his fingertips gently resting on her palm, and leaned forward to get closer. "You don't think I just want to get closer to you, do you?"
Lou Wanqiao was shocked.
No, what kind of twist is this? Everything was fine before, why did this guy suddenly change his attitude? Is asking about his past taboo? Wen Xuechi...is he not pretending anymore?
Although she was subconsciously wary of his words, their long-standing intimacy made it difficult for her to take action in this situation. Lou Wanqiao decided to observe first. Before Wen Xuechi could speak, she spoke, "By the way, Yan Gui, I haven't thanked you properly yet. If it weren't for you a few days ago, I'd probably still be trying to figure out how to escape from that thief!"
"A few days ago..." He paused, his eyes dark, "Did he do anything to you in that inn a few days ago?"
What did you do?
Lou Wanqiao pondered for a moment. "It's probably about asking me to help him ascend the throne and replace the current emperor of Dali. But as for how he climbed up from that situation, it's still unknown. There aren't many spies in the Great Jin Dynasty, and I haven't paid attention to what's going on there before. It's only recently that they started to investigate. So, do you know anything about what's going on there?"
Wen Xuechi pursed his lips and pressed down the corners of his lips: "That's not what I meant..."
"I mean," he moved closer, "did he do anything to you?"
Lou Wanqiao lowered her head, and the image of Li Yulan, half-dressed, immediately came to her mind. His eyes were full of pity, and the floral fragrance on his body was also warm.
...No, no, no! Wait! Why did I think of this?!
Lou Wanqiao was suddenly startled, and when he came to his senses, he met Wen Xuechi's dark eyes.
"...Thought of something?" He was very perceptive and could sense her absent-mindedness in just that moment of distraction, so when Lou Wanqiao raised her eyes, she found that he seemed to be closer than before.
I don't know when he came close to me. When I walked into Lou Wanqiao, I could clearly see his eyelashes, which were very long and thick. His eyes were calm and I couldn't tell any emotion from them.
Lou Wanqiao was speechless. Even if she wanted to speak, it would be difficult for her to describe the scenes in her memories.
...Even if Wen Xuechi wanted to hear it, she didn't dare to say it.
Wait, that's not right. Why not? What is she afraid to say?
Lou Wanqiao felt that his thoughts seemed to be getting more and more confused, and he had an inexplicable feeling of guilt, but he couldn't explain why.
This is inexplicable. There is no need to feel guilty. At most, Li Yulan used some extraordinary means to attack her heart, catching her off guard for a moment.
But Wen Xuechi looked very angry, as if the matter would not be over unless she explained it properly.
She had a strange headache.
Hiss, why on earth is that?
It’s hard to say about Lou Wanqiao.
She could smell the faint fragrance on Wen Xuechi, which was different from the scent on Li Yulan. It was a little cool and so light, as if he was inexplicably aggressive at this moment.
"Wait, wait, Yan Gui..." She stuttered and reached out to push him away, but the next second Wen Xuechi grabbed her wrist and pressed it down.
"Your injury has just been treated with a new dressing, and I don't want to change it again." His voice was faint and his eyes seemed to show that he didn't care about anything. For some reason, Lou Wanqiao inexplicably read a hint of grievance.
His emotions changed so drastically in just a few seconds that Lou Wanqiao couldn't grasp it.
"What did he do to you?" Wen Xuechi's tone was calm, yet inexplicably filled with anxiety. "I have people in the Jin Kingdom as well. If you want any information, just tell me based on your intuition. You can use my people as you please... What strategy did he use?"
Wen Xuechi left a really deep impression.
He couldn't forget it, and it was hard to ignore it.
But when he pushed open the door, he saw Li Yulan leaning in her arms, his arms around her waist, their hands tightly clasped...
Wen Xuechi couldn't explain what he felt for a moment, he just felt very sad inside.
This was a feeling he had never experienced before.
If you really think about it carefully, it seems that after meeting Lou Wanqiao, he experienced many emotions that he had never experienced before.
Wen Xuechi didn't want to think about these things. He just felt that there was still time and he could slowly sort out his thoughts. He was also confident that he could always stay by Lou Wanqiao's side.
...But what if there is more than one person around Lou Wanqiao?
It was the first time in Wen Xuechi's life that he thought about those things at night. He did not drink, but just held the wine gourd that had accompanied him for many years and thought all night.
He figured it out, but he also couldn't figure it out.
Pingyuan Hou, who has always been indifferent and non-confrontational, is unwilling to sit and wait for death.
If we don't fight for it, given Louzi's nature, I'm afraid he will be snatched away by someone else at any time.
Wen Xuechi was unwilling to give up.
He rarely has a strong desire to get something, then and now.
If you want something, work hard for it. If you can't get it, forget it and look for something else that might be good.
He had tried his best and also tried his best, but Wen Xuechi always felt that something was missing.
What's missing?
It seems that I am missing the desire deep in my heart that I must have it.
He was the Marquis of Pingyuan, who was above everyone else and commanded a large army. As for how he got this title, it all started from a battle long ago.
Since she wanted to understand him, he was willing to tell her slowly.
"What do you mean? I don't understand what you are saying." Lou Wanqiao felt that Wen Xuechi was very strange tonight. First he cared about her, then he looked like a dark figure for no apparent reason. However, as soon as she moved a little, he would immediately care about her again.
"Wen Xuechi, what's going on? If you have anything to say, you can talk to me. We are friends, and I will listen to you." She said helplessly, "As for Li Yulan, he is probably more skilled in using poison. The fragrance on his body is poisonous, and I was caught off guard and fell victim to it."
"...And then?" Wen Xuechi's tone was filled with nervousness that he himself was not aware of.
Lou Wanqiao thought about it, but still couldn't bring herself to tell the story of how Li Yulan's clothes were accidentally torn by her. She simply continued with her head down, "Then I sensed the murderous intent in him, so I made some promises to him to calm him down for the time being. After that, I pretended to be unconscious. Fortunately, those words succeeded in making Li Yulan give up the idea of killing me for the time being. I had planned to wait for an opportunity and cooperate with you from inside and outside, but I didn't expect you to find me first. So why should I pretend? I tried my best to get to you."
She raised her head slightly, her tone filled with pride: "I am the Junior Minister of the Dali Temple. I can resist any enemy with my generals and block any water with my earth. It's not that easy to fall into your trap."
"...Then you're amazing." Wen Xuechi's tone sounded somewhat helpless, and then he was stunned, keenly catching the key words in her tone, "Wait, what promise did you make to him?"
"Hmm? Just let him be the emperor. Didn't I tell you before?" Lou Wanqiao scratched his head. "Anything else you want to ask?"
"……there is none left."
"No more? That's it? Then it's my turn to ask." Lou Wanqiao raised an eyebrow. "What did you mean by those words just now? So what is your purpose in approaching me?"
She met Wen Xuechi's gaze and sensed his evasiveness, suggesting he was retreating. She reached out, grabbed his collar, and gently pulled him back: "Why are you hiding, Marquis Pingyuan? Answer my question."
They were very close to each other, and Lou Wanqiao didn't seem to notice, but Wen Xuechi was very aware of it.
He could feel Lou Wanqiao's light breath, so warm and with a hint of herbal scent.
The candlelight was reflected in her eyes, and her usual rebelliousness was evident.
Through her eyes, Wen Xuechi's mind flashed through many images. There was their first meeting, her wary glance in the inn, the moment they passed each other in the cave, and the glance he gave her when he looked up on the empty street under the moon.
There is her nimble and nimble figure, her bravery in drawing her sword and striking hard, her back as she goes up alone, and her unwilling roar when she was in Youzhou.
Also, when she put half of her body weight on him, she promised to be friends with him and walk together from now on.
Wen Xuechi was very clearly aware that he was falling.
"Lou Zizhao, I approached you to find an answer." He whispered.
Lou Wanqiao asked: "What's the answer?"
He said, "Answers to the lives of all people in the world, answers to personal life and death, answers to... the boundless love and romance."
What he said was so profound that Lou Wanqiao couldn't react for a while.
What…what…and what?
What the hell?
"The question you asked me, and the answer you gave that night," Wen Xuechi said slowly, "I have come this far and witnessed you walking your path. Now, I also want to walk this path, with you."
Go and do justice in the world, save all living beings from danger, level the unfair roads in the world, and sweep away all the darkness and filth.
Let people all over the world do what the world wants.
"Zizhao," his eyes were bright. Lou Wanqiao met his eyes upon hearing that. It was as if she saw a lake under a clear night sky, vast and bright, shimmering with silver light under the moonlight.
He gently hooked her little finger and whispered, "Will you let me join you?"
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