Chapter 52 Unknowingly, she learned what was in his heart…
Zhilan reacted the instant she heard the sound, quickly turning around to draw her sword to defend herself. However, her opponent was determined to die together with her. Even though Zhilan's sword was already pointed at her chest, she showed no intention of dodging. Clearly, she was determined to die at the cost of her own life, intending to engage Zhilan in a direct stabbing duel.
Although Fu Yun rushed to Zhi Lan's side at top speed, the attacker was faster than her. It was too late to push the assassin away. Just as the sword was about to pierce Zhi Lan's heart, Fu Yun grabbed the sharp tip of the sword and blocked the blade aimed at Zhi Lan's heart with her soft and delicate palm.
A sharp, stinging pain came from his palm. Fu Yun merely frowned slightly, not letting go despite the pain. Instead, he gripped the blade even tighter, not allowing the assassin the slightest chance to advance.
The assassin was clearly startled when he saw the hand suddenly appear, then immediately looked at the person blocking his way. His eyes widened, his pupils trembled, and his eyes were filled with disbelief. He obviously did not expect that the assassination opportunity he had fought so hard for would be complicated by unexpected events and ruined by a weak man who was powerless to kill a chicken.
Zhilan's face was as cold as frost, and her eyes flashed with a chilling killing intent. She suddenly thrust her sword into the assassin's chest, looking indifferently at the assassin whose face was full of resentment, as if she were looking at a beast that had sought its own death.
The assassin was pierced through the heart by a sword, and instantly lost the ability to resist. His hand holding the sword trembled and lost its strength, and he suddenly let go, his arm hanging down.
Her body swayed, then she fell heavily to the ground. She opened her mouth but couldn't say anything before she was lifeless and became a corpse.
Seeing that the crisis was over, Fu Yun finally breathed a sigh of relief. Enduring the excruciating pain, he slowly released his palm, and the long sword fell to the ground with a clang.
The whole thing happened in an instant. At first, the diners in the restaurant didn't even realize what was happening until the longsword fell to the ground, the attacker collapsed, and blood gushed from his chest. Only then did they realize someone was dead. They screamed in terror, dropping their bowls and chopsticks, and, pale as ghosts, rushed out of the restaurant, shouting at the top of their lungs, "Help! Murder!"
Zhilan ignored the surrounding noise, scanned her surroundings, and found no signs of the assassin's accomplices. Her tense nerves relaxed a little.
As for where the assassin came from, whose orders did they take, and how they recognized me in disguise, we still need to investigate further.
Going alone, fearless of death, even risking his life, clearly indicates that someone behind the scenes has some leverage over him.
In less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, all the customers in the restaurant had left.
Only the distraught restaurant owner and waiter remained, huddled in a corner, trembling and muttering, "Don't kill me~ Don't kill me~"
Zhilan frowned slightly, a hint of displeasure flashing in her eyes, and said coldly, "You two listen, one of you go to the government office to report the case, and the other go to the clinic to find a doctor."
The shopkeeper and waiter trembled at the sound, cowered, and looked up, asking timidly, "You're not going to kill us?"
Zhilan glanced coldly at the two of them, her eyes filled with chilling coldness: "As long as you do what I asked you to do, I will naturally not take your lives."
As she spoke, a sharp killing intent ignited in her eyes, and she added in a chilling tone, "But... if you dare not do as I say, I can grant your wish to die at any time."
The innkeeper and waiter were terrified. They stood up tremblingly and answered hastily, "No...no...don't kill us...we...will do...whatever you say...we'll go right away..."
"Mm." Zhilan nodded in response. As the two of them ran shakily towards the door, she coldly reminded them, "Go and come back quickly. If you miss the treatment time, you two can expect to be beheaded!"
Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper and the two shopkeepers immediately took off like the wind and rushed out of the restaurant.
Zhilan glanced at their departing figures briefly before quickly looking away, refusing to look at them again.
Whether you call her oppressing the people or bullying the weak, she had no choice but to resort to special measures at crucial moments.
Su Fuyun's hand is probably badly injured, and if it is not treated in time, it may leave sequelae.
However, there is still an assassin's body in the restaurant. Unless a trustworthy person guards the place, if the body is secretly taken away, the clues to find the mastermind will be cut off.
The only solution is to arrange for someone to make a trip, bring the person over, and resolve the issue on-site.
When faced with cowardly people like the manager and waiters, only by constantly putting pressure on them will they be forced to carry out their orders diligently. Otherwise, once they leave the restaurant, they will definitely run away.
After arranging things, Zhilan finally had time to check on Fu Yun's condition.
Her gaze swept over Fu Yun's pale, bloodless face, then fell on Fu Yun's forearm, and finally locked onto Fu Yun's hand, which was bleeding profusely.
Her eyes were deep and dark. She reached out and grasped Fu Jun's wrist, and said softly, "Open your palm and let me see."
A frail and delicate man risked his life to save me without hesitation in a moment of crisis. It's impossible not to feel moved and grateful. It's not the behavior of a gentleman to not repay kindness. This is a favor I owe him, and I should make it up to him.
Therefore, she would allow him to make any request, even if he wanted to become a noble ruler second only to Feng Jun, she would grant his wish.
Fu Yun was unaware of Zhi Lan's thoughts. He simply felt that rescuing someone in such a dangerous situation was his duty and did not want Zhi Lan to feel guilty about it.
He subtly adjusted his breathing to appear more relaxed and tried to keep his voice steady: "It's nothing serious, just a cut. It'll be fine in a few days."
Zhilan, however, did not believe it, and said with unusual insistence, "Open it up."
She insisted on seeing what Fu Yun could do, so she could only slightly raise her forearm, barely suppressing her slightly trembling hand, and slowly spread out her blood-soaked palm.
All that could be seen was a shocking trail of bloody gashes running along the edge of the hand, down to the palm, fingers, and knuckles. The wounds were so deep that bone was visible, and blood was flowing freely. The entire hand looked like a bloody mess, and just looking at it was incredibly painful.
A sudden, dull ache rose in Zhilan's heart, and an unknown emotion churned in her dark eyes. She asked in a hoarse voice, "Why have you come all this way for me?"
Fu Jun's lips curled up slightly, forming a faint arc, and he said matter-of-factly, "A man's word is his bond. I promised you that I would ensure your safety, so naturally I won't just stand by and watch you get into danger."
Zhilan stared intently at Fu Jun, noticing his pale face and the fine layer of cold sweat on his forehead, clearly indicating that he had been enduring the pain.
Why pretend to be calm and refuse to show weakness when you are in unbearable pain?
A complex emotion welled up in Zhilan's heart, and she asked again, "You have no ability to protect yourself. Aren't you afraid that the assassin will become enraged and kill you on the spot?"
Fu Yun shook his head and answered truthfully: "No one is not afraid of death, but in a critical moment, who has time to think so much? The body often reacts before the brain, so you don't need to feel guilty. It's just a minor injury. It's lucky that you're alright! If something had happened to you here, how could I explain it to the people of the world?"
As Zhilan listened to Fu Yun's calm narration, her mind gradually became confused. She couldn't tell whether Su Fu Yun's willingness to risk his life to save her stemmed from different feelings for her, or whether he was simply risking his life to gain her trust and favor in order to profit from it.
But he looked open and honest, and answered with grace and composure. He did not show any shyness towards the person he admired, nor did he deliberately reveal any nervousness or evasiveness.
Judging from the thoughts he expressed during the meal, he was truly unmoved by power and had absolutely no intention of entering the center of power.
Therefore, it seems that he did not have any ulterior motives; he was simply a person who valued loyalty and righteousness, dared to act and take responsibility, and kept his promises.
Knowing that he was easygoing and not trying to elicit her pity by mentioning his injury, she couldn't help but feel relieved.
For some reason, after learning that he had no ulterior motives, a sense of melancholy inexplicably welled up in my heart.
Unbeknownst to him, he was like clear water in a pool, slowly seeping into the softest sponge in his heart, even making the cold pool water feel warm.
Zhilan stared calmly at Fu Jun for a moment, then decided not to ask any more questions. Instead, she went to the counter and looked around, finding a bottle of wound medicine and a roll of white bandage.
Her eyes brightened slightly, and she took it out directly.
He gestured for Fu Jun to sit down first, saying he needed to treat the wound and stop the bleeding from his palm before the doctor arrived.
Fu Yun had no objection and walked to the nearest bench to sit down.
Watching Zhilan furrow her delicate brows and treat the wound with a serious expression, her movements were exceptionally careful, as if she were worried about hurting herself, as if she were treating herself as a delicate little girl.
Fu Yun was both amused and exasperated, and reminded her, "Go ahead and loosen the bandage, I'm not that fragile."
Zhilan glanced at Fu Jun but did not respond.
She lowered her eyes and continued her movements, her touch as gentle as before.
"Zixin, is there anything you desire but cannot obtain?"
Fu Yun paused slightly, somewhat surprised, and asked, "Why are you suddenly asking me this?"
Zhilan carefully applied the wound medicine to Fu Yun's palm, then meticulously wrapped the bandage, tied it in a simple knot, and stood up. She looked directly at Fu Yun with a calm expression, but a hint of stubbornness was hidden in her eyes: "You were injured because of me, so I should comfort you. If you have something you want but cannot have, I will do my best to satisfy you."
Fu Yun pondered for a moment, then gently shook her head: "I don't want anything right now. Even if I do in the future, I won't take shortcuts by relying on your influence. I will obtain it through my own efforts."
Zhilan looked intently at Fu Jun and asked softly, "What if I were to grant you one wish?"
The more polite and distant Fu Yun was, the more dissatisfied she became, and she just wanted to grab him by the scruples and make him obedient.
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