“I have never given up searching for Zhihao’s whereabouts. Recently, the people I sent out found news about him in the southern border region. However, the southern border region has a long-standing grudge against us, and the situation is tense, making it extremely difficult to find information.”
Gu Qinghuai's gaze slowly moved down, landing on Lin Xihe's hand that was tightly gripping his sleeve, and his thoughts were instantly pulled back to the past.
Once, when Lin Xihe was shy, she would subconsciously tug at his sleeve like this. Her charming and cute appearance was like a flower in spring, blooming in his heart and becoming his comfort in countless difficult times.
In those countless life-or-death moments, he found himself on a battlefield filled with the clash of swords and the smoke of gunpowder, surrounded by deafening battle cries and witnessing his comrades falling one after another. But whenever the shadow of despair loomed over him, an unwavering voice would resound in his heart: I must not let Lin Xihe suffer the pain of losing me again. No matter what, I must live to see her again.
He was covered in wounds, and his armor was soaked with blood, but he paid no heed to them. He was only thinking about winning the battle and getting back as soon as possible.
Finally, they won.
At that moment, he was extremely exhausted, but he dared not slack off in the slightest. He quickly handed over the remaining cleanup to his most trusted deputy general, and then rushed back day and night without stopping.
But now, looking at her, so familiar yet so unfamiliar, he felt a deep bitterness in his heart. Her heart no longer belonged to him alone.
Lin Xihe felt a pang of pain in her heart because of the original owner's feelings.
Just one year later, the once spirited young general, always with a cheerful smile, now bears the marks of time. His eyes hold pain and loneliness, yet when he looks at himself, they still burn with a fierce light.
However, fate played a cruel trick on them, and Lin Xihe, who belonged entirely to Gu Qinghuai, died.
"General Gu, thank you." Lin Xihe slowly released Gu Qinghuai's sleeve, letting her hands fall to her sides, trying to widen the distance between them that made her somewhat flustered.
Upon seeing this, Gu Qinghuai almost instinctively reached out, his movements gentle yet firm, taking her hand and placing their palms together.
He knew Lin Xihe too well and knew that she was trying to escape at this moment, so he used a little force to hold her hand firmly.
"Xihe, please don't be so distant with me, okay?" Gu Qinghuai's voice carried a hint of pleading.
"Let go."
Lin Xihe pursed her lips, turned her head away, and protested, trying to break free from the hand that was being held, but Gu Qinghuai's hand did not budge.
"I can't let go, Xihe."
Gu Qinghuai's eyes reddened slightly, and his voice carried a sigh: "In the battle in the Northern Border, the enemy suffered 210,000 casualties, their corpses littering the mountains and plains. Our army suffered 87,531 casualties. The bones piled up like mountains, yet I struggled to survive amidst that sea of blood and corpses. Do you know why?"
As Gu Qinghuai spoke, he slowly placed his tightly clasped hands in front of Lin Xihe, his gaze fixed on her eyes, as if he wanted to convey all his deep affection and persistence to her through those eyes.
"Because all I want to do is come back to you. If I don't have you, why would I come back?"
His gaze grew deeper, filled with longing: "You once told me, 'I will hold your hand and grow old with you,' do you still remember? Xihe."
"I don't remember!" Lin Xihe gritted her teeth, using all her strength to try to break free from Gu Qinghuai's grasp.
Seeing her resolute expression, Gu Qinghuai felt a pang of pain in his heart. In the end, fearing that he might hurt her, he slowly let go of her hand.
Having regained her freedom, Lin Xihe subtly shifted her body backward, as if to create more distance between herself and Gu Qinghuai, in order to avoid the emotions that were causing her panic.
Just then, Gu Qinghuai silently took out a pouch from his pocket. Lin Xihe had just seen the pouch in the original owner's memories.
That was when Gu Qinghuai went to war. The original owner specially went to the temple to pray for peace and blessings, put them in a purse she had embroidered herself, and gave it to Gu Qinghuai with deep affection and concern.
By now, the purse had been washed until it was almost white, but even so, the bloodstains on the purse's thread could still be seen, stains that could not be washed away.
"Xihe, do you still remember what you said when I went to war?" Gu Qinghuai looked straight at Lin Xihe, his gaze so intense it seemed he could see right through her.
Lin Xihe felt flustered under his gaze and instinctively turned her face away, not daring to meet his eyes.
How could Lin Xihe not remember that the original owner had tears in her eyes, but she held them back and choked out, "When I went to pray to Buddha, I said that I asked Buddha to bind our lives together for all eternity. I will live as long as you live, and I will wait for your safe return."
At that time, Gu Qinghuai, though his face was solemn with the thought of going to the battlefield, still managed to force a smile and jokingly replied, "Don't be lazy. Remember to embroider your wedding dress every day. If the wedding dress isn't finished when I return, the wedding date can't be delayed."
Lin Xihe recalled that conversation, and a mix of emotions welled up inside her, making her feel incredibly bitter, and her eyes reddened slightly.
She whispered, "The wedding dress wasn't finished, and it was thrown away when they ransacked the house. Everything is gone."
“But my amulet is still here. You said you had prayed to Buddha to bind us together for all eternity. Why has it turned out like this?” Gu Qinghuai gripped the purse tightly, his voice filled with stubbornness and resentment.
Upon hearing this, Lin Xihe felt another sharp pain in her chest, making it almost impossible for her to breathe. She couldn't help but cry out, "Stop talking, Gu Qinghuai, stop talking!"
Seeing her resistance, Gu Qinghuai became agitated.
His hands unconsciously gripped Lin Xihe's shoulders, and his voice rose a few decibels: "Why can't you say it? So what if you've fallen in love with him? You've known me for so many years, and you've only been with him for three short months. How can you forget the past so easily? Forget him, come back to me, okay?"
Lin Xihe felt a surge of guilt. If she hadn't come here by mistake, things wouldn't be like this now.
"I'm sorry, Gu Qinghuai."
Gu Qinghuai gave a bitter smile: "Even if you don't want to, it doesn't matter. In the end, you can only be by my side. This was destined long ago."
After Gu Qinghuai finished speaking, he slowly released his grip on Lin Xihe's arms, looking somewhat dejected.
He picked up the purse that was lying quietly on the quilt and carefully put it back on his waist.
"Imperial Physician Yan will bring the medicine. Take the medicine and get a good night's sleep. I'll come see you again tomorrow." Gu Qinghuai's voice became low and hoarse. After saying this, he turned and left the room without looking back.
Lin Xihe was left alone on the bed, staring at the empty doorway, unable to calm down for a long time.
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