Chapter 37 Promise me the precious thing you've been searching for your whole life
The night was hazy, and the bright moon hung high. When Iron Hand and Tequila returned, their expressions were both very solemn, suggesting that the case was not progressing smoothly.
Only when he saw Xuexin did Tieshou's expression improve slightly, and he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He kept his anxiety about the lack of progress in the case, his resentment about the situation, and his worry for her hidden in his heart, and said gently, "Are you getting impatient?"
Xuexin shook her head and said, "Why is your sleeve torn? Come in and I'll mend it for you."
Iron Hand was stunned. He looked down and realized that his sleeve had been torn at some point.
He was so engrossed in investigating the case that he didn't notice anything amiss.
He felt a sense of comfort as he traced the scratch, like the warmth of a beloved wife offering him a cup of hot tea after returning home on a snowy night.
But after so many twists and turns today, he couldn't bear to see her suffer any more.
Iron Hand grabbed her hand and said guiltily, "You're already weak, and you've worked too hard today. Just get some rest. This little scratch is nothing; I'll fix it myself when I have time."
"It's just mending. My embroidery skills are excellent. Brother Tie, wouldn't you like to see them?" Xue Xin smiled faintly.
There was always a hint of sorrow in her eyes. When she smiled, it was always a gentle smile, beautiful but too generic.
Her smile was faint at that moment, but Iron Hand felt that it seemed gentler than ever before.
When he came to his senses, he was already sitting at the wooden table, with the candlelight flickering quietly beside him.
Warm light illuminated this small area.
The needle and thread pierced the coarse cloth, making a soft, rustling sound. In the quiet, dark night, Iron Hand stared at her almost in a daze, lost in thought.
Xue Xin asked slowly, "Is the case not progressing well?"
At this point, his eyes dimmed and his voice became hoarse: "This case is indeed bizarre. The murderer left no trace at the scene. There are too few clues, and there are suspicious points everywhere. I'm afraid we need to find a way to lure the snake out of its hole."
Xue Xin paused slightly as she sewed. "How do we lure the snake out of its hole?"
Iron Hand sighed, "The murderer seems to specialize in killing the seriously ill and dying; I'm afraid they'll start here."
At this point, he finally couldn't help but say what he had been keeping hidden all the way, "Xuexin, I'm really afraid you'll be in danger. You... I'll take you to a safe place to stay tomorrow, okay? I have a friend whose place isn't too far from here. I'll feel more at ease if I entrust you to him."
"This killer is far more dangerous and ruthless than I imagined. In my opinion, he probably won't stop here. The thought of you possibly being in danger is making me too worried to think of anything else." Iron Hand couldn't help but blame himself inwardly. He shouldn't have brought Xue Xin with him in the first place.
This murderer specializes in killing seriously ill people; he practically dragged Xue Xin into the center of the vortex.
Xue Xin slowed her sewing movements, her pupils flickered slightly, and her expression remained unreadable as she asked, "And what about you?"
Iron Hand looked at her deeply, his eyes filled with affection that was almost tangible.
He whispered, "Only when you are well, will I be well."
That's how it is for constables; there's never a case that isn't dangerous. Even the Four Great Constables are no exception; one wrong move could be their last.
He cannot make a promise, much less be able to make one.
Xue Xin remained silent. She carefully tied a knot with the silver needle, then picked up the scissors and made a cut, covering the scraped area with a thin leaf petal.
It's such a pity that such delicate stitches and exquisite embroidery patterns are embroidered on such a coarse cloth garment.
Tie Shou, not wanting her to overthink, quickly said, "Ah Xue has excellent skills; the embroidery is so lifelike, it adds a touch of elegance to my clothes. If I had known this, I should have worn a nicer dress to avoid scratching it."
These words were so blunt, clumsy, and nonsensical that it left one speechless. But Iron Hand truly believed it; he was never one to say anything flattering.
You can't expect to get any romantic words or sweet talk from him.
His kindness is subtle and understated, seeping into you like water in the smallest details, silently and imperceptibly.
When you explore closely, you will find that in countless unseen corners, the omnipresent soil is supporting you, enough for you to freely absorb nutrients.
Xuexin didn't even glance at the embroidery pattern; her eyes were dull and lifeless, but her heart trembled silently.
As if her soul were severed, tears suddenly welled up in her eyes, the corners of her eyes reddening, and she clenched her hands tightly, saying, "Brother Tie, actually I..."
Upon seeing her tears, Iron Hand panicked and could no longer sit still. A rain began to fall in his heart; the damp, suffocating air pressed against his heart, making it hard for him to breathe.
He had barely stood up when he heard Xuexin sobbing, “Actually, I have been suffering from a congenital illness since birth. Today, the doctor took my pulse and said, just like before, that I will not live past twenty. I don’t want to lie to you or hide it from you… but…”
Before she could finish speaking her prepared words, she was tightly embraced by Tie Shou.
The embrace was chaotic and urgent; those large, hard hands trembled slightly on her shoulders and back, like the earth silently cracking.
Tie Shou heard his own voice calm and earnest as he said, "It's nothing. There are so many famous doctors in the world. It's nothing... it's nothing."
He said those three words countless times, and he didn't know who he was saying them to.
He stood there stiffly, only knowing to clench his arms, but he felt as if he were hugging a block of ice in an extremely cold place, so cold that his skin was about to break and his bones were about to crack.
He may appear to be whole, but in reality, he has been shattered into millions of pieces.
These words made him feel as if he had stepped into an ice cave, chilled to the bone and pierced to the core.
Xuexin leaned against him, her eyes cold, but her voice was fragile and pitiful, "When my parents were still alive, they consulted many doctors. Brother Tie, I'm afraid I... won't get better."
Her voice was soft and delicate, seemingly transporting Iron Hand back to that torrential rainy night in an instant.
This time, however, there was no dilapidated temple to shelter him from the wind and rain. He was left alone on a remote mountain path, where he was completely drenched by a heart-wrenching downpour.
Xuexin waited quietly for his reply, her eyes fixed on the small piece of coarse cloth on his chest.
She saw its weave and texture so clearly that she knew them by heart.
When she started to feel tired, she heard Tie Shou say in a hoarse voice, "...It's nothing."
His embrace was very tight, but his voice trembled, as labored as his breathing.
He was born with extraordinary talent, and after receiving the internal energy transmission from Master Zhuge, his internal strength reached its peak. His hands were known as "the heaviest hands," capable of lifting a copper wall weighing ten thousand catties by himself. He was extremely discerning in solving cases and was one of the four most famous constables in the world, striking fear into the hearts of both the legitimate and criminal worlds.
But he was just an ordinary person. Whether it was Wuqing or Xuexin, Tieshou could never help them with their injuries.
For the first time, he felt that God was indeed unfair.
They are so good, why should they suffer like this?
He wished he could trade his own life for it, but there was nowhere to do so.
This tough man, whose back was always straight and upright, seemed to bend over in an instant.
Xuexin's lips moved weakly, and her eyes were lifeless, like a paper effigy without eyes.
After a long silence, she said lightly, "I was so ill, I didn't have much time left anyway..."
She wanted to say, "If you're not trying to lure the snake out, why don't you let me do it?"
But seeing the black aura gathering around Iron Hand, she suddenly hesitated.
Female ghosts are fond of devouring negative emotions, including pain and sorrow.
But these visible emotions made this empty statement like a butterfly's wings about to take flight, weighed down by raindrops, making it difficult to fly lightly again.
Before she could say it aloud, Iron Hand understood her implication: "This is the duty of a constable, not yours."
He took several deep breaths to catch his breath, then said calmly and peacefully, "It's curable, Xue. Hang in there a little longer... just think of it as if it were for my sake."
"It can definitely be cured. There's always someone better than you, especially in medicine. Don't take any risks. Promise me."
He said palely, "You will live a good life."
Xuexin remained motionless, yet a single tear rolled down her cheek. This teardrop was extremely small, like a tiny speck of newly sprouted grass, and it dried completely before leaving any trace.
Her tense body finally relaxed, burying itself in this strong arm.
What she sought throughout her life seemed to be nothing more than a shoulder to lean on when she cried.
But Tie Youxia is incurable; I will die at nineteen.
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