Not long after, screams echoed from the hillside.
Worried that Xiao Yi might be overpowered and fearing that he might find it difficult to escape if the enemy sent reinforcements, Lin Baiyi chased after him. Being in trouble himself didn’t matter, but he simply didn’t want to inconvenience that person.
With this in mind, Lin Baiyi caught up with Xiao Yi.
By the time Shu Fuyan arrived at the hillside with the government soldiers, he saw only a scene of utter devastation, with arrows embedded all over the ground.
“Xiao Yi! Xiao Yi!” Shu Fuyan called out Xiao Yi’s name with a voice hoarse from exertion. “Where are you? Answer me!”
The lieutenant’s mouth hung open as he looked at Shu Fuyan with a strange expression.
The soldiers searched everywhere and eventually found Lin Baiyi, who had fallen unconscious, by the side of a stream.
“Lieutenant, we’ve found someone,” a soldier reported.
“Where? Where is Xiao Yi?” Shu Fuyan gripped the soldier’s wrist so hard he nearly crushed his bones.
“Hiss… it hurts, it hurts!” The soldier drew a sharp breath and struggled to pull his hand away.
Hearing this, Shu Fuyan loosened his grip.
The lieutenant stepped forward and urged, “Stop wasting time. Lead the way.”
The group arrived at the stream.
Lin Baiyi was lying under a tree with his eyes tightly shut. The wound on his face had scabbed over, and his hair was tangled and matted, sticking damply to his neck.
Shu Fuyan frowned, wondering what on earth could have happened to leave Lin Baiyi in such a pathetic state.
“Wake up.” Shu Fuyan took a water skin from a soldier and poured it directly over Lin Baiyi’s head, his movements crisp and decisive.
“Cough, cough…” The moment Lin Baiyi opened his eyes and saw his lifelong nemesis, he sat up abruptly and roared, “Shu Fuyan!”
Upon seeing Shu Fuyan, Lin Baiyi understood everything.
“It was you! It was your doing,” Lin Baiyi said, gritting his teeth. “Scholar Shu is truly cunning. In order to get rid of me, you even resorted to the lowly tactic of an ambush. I’m not dead, so Scholar Shu must be quite disappointed, right?”
An ambush?
Shu Fuyan’s eyes narrowed slightly. He grabbed Lin Baiyi by the lapels and demanded, “Tell me, what have you done to Xiao Yi?”
Lin Baiyi pushed him away with feeble strength, his anger surging. “If Scholar Shu has the energy to worry about others, you’d be better off worrying about yourself.”
A cold glint flashed as Lin Baiyi pulled a dagger from his robes and stabbed toward Shu Fuyan.
“Watch out!”
A spinning projectile flew in and pierced Lin Baiyi’s wrist before he could react.
Lin Baiyi screamed and shook his hand repeatedly. He glared hatefully at the person standing behind Shu Fuyan, eyes blazing with fire. “I truly underestimated you.”
The opposition was numerous and strong, and Lin Baiyi wasn’t a fool; he knew that if he didn’t leave now, he wouldn’t be able to escape at all.
Clutching his wound, Lin Baiyi used his lightweight kung fu to fly away from the crowd. Before leaving, he didn’t forget to issue a threat: “Next time we meet, I will use your Xiao Yi’s life to offer a sacrifice to the heavens!”
Lin Baiyi had escaped, but Shu Fuyan had no concern for outsiders.
He turned around and gazed quietly at the man standing a few meters away. His expression was moved, his lips parting and closing, but in the end, he said nothing.
After a long while, Xiao Yi walked toward Shu Fuyan.
Without hesitation, Xiao Yi hugged him. “Did you miss me?”
Shu Fuyan’s eyes stung. He wrapped his arms around Xiao Yi’s waist, clutching him tightly.
Shu Fuyan didn’t answer, but Xiao Yi already knew the answer.
The fabric on his shoulder grew damp, as if it had been soaked in water it was cold, humid, salty, and burning hot against his skin.
That was Shu Fuyan’s response to him.
The lieutenant’s mouth hung open, his slightly yellow front teeth exposed in a look of sheer astonishment. The soldiers nearby didn’t dare to look either; they honestly turned their backs, pretending to know nothing.
“Alright, look, I’m perfectly fine.” Xiao Yi had never coaxed anyone in his life. In his previous life, he had been flattered wherever he went; he had never been the one to have to coax others.
But the person in his arms was no one else—it was his beloved. Seeing Shu Fuyan in such distress, Xiao Yi felt unbearable pain. Learning from the way his mother had coaxed him during his childhood, he gently patted Shu Fuyan’s back and hummed a nursery rhyme from the Yan Dynasty.
Shu Fuyan still didn’t speak. Tears continued to fall, more than Xiao Yi could wipe away with his palms.
Helpless, Xiao Yi cradled his face and kissed away his tears, kissing him again and again, catching the droplets in his mouth, rolling them over his throat, and swallowing them.
Shu Fuyan was bold and unrestrained when alone with Xiao Yi, but that didn’t mean he could act recklessly without inhibition while others were present.
Shy and embarrassed, Shu Fuyan pushed Xiao Yi away and feigned strength. “As long as General Xiao is safe, that is all that matters.”
Xiao Yi’s heart softened completely. It was his fault for making Shu Fuyan worry.
A true man never let his tongue get the better of him.
“Let’s go. Let’s go home.” Xiao Yi took the initiative to hold Shu Fuyan’s hand.
Seeing blood on Xiao Yi, Shu Fuyan was just about to ask what happened when suddenly, a head popped up on the hillside. The man raised a crossbow and drew it in their direction.
Shu Fuyan’s mind went blank. His hands moved faster than his brain, and he pushed Xiao Yi away first.
The sound of the arrow being fired echoed clearly through the bamboo forest.
“Shu Fuyan!” Xiao Yi’s heart shattered. He threw his long sword, pinning the assassin to the spot.
The scent of blood became increasingly heavy. Xiao Yi supported Shu Fuyan, his rage reaching a peak. “Shu Fuyan, do you not want your life anymore? When faced with danger, can’t you just hide?”
Shu Fuyan’s arm hurt intensely, but he felt comforted. He had been useful, after all—at the very least, he had saved Xiao Yi.
“General Xiao, I am fine.” Shu Fuyan wanted to tell him not to worry, but his eyelids felt heavy—so very heavy. He wanted to sleep.
“Shu Fuyan, you are not allowed to close your eyes!” Xiao Yi tapped his face, trying to keep him conscious.
“The arrow is poisoned,” the lieutenant reminded him.
Xiao Yi looked at Shu Fuyan’s wound; the blood flowing from his arm was black.
Without a second thought, Xiao Yi tore open Shu Fuyan’s sleeve, pulled out the arrow, and leaned down to suck the poison from the wound.
“General, you mustn’t!” the lieutenant cried out in alarm.
In the end, it was one step too late; Xiao Yi had already done what he had to do.
It wasn’t until Xiao Yi began to feel dizzy and lightheaded that he stopped sucking the poisonous blood.
Today, he had been acting under imperial orders to capture a wanted criminal. Xiao Yi had expected that someone might try to deal with him, but he never imagined that Shu Fuyan would be the one to get hurt.
Touching Shu Fuyan was the line Xiao Yi would not allow anyone to cross.
“Lieutenant, hear my order: search the entire city for the remnants. Those who flee and refuse to surrender are to be shown no mercy execute them on the spot.”
Xiao Yi’s face was dark and gloomy; he was determined to make the person who hurt Shu Fuyan pay the price.
More and more blood seeped through their clothes. Not daring to delay, Xiao Yi carried Shu Fuyan onto his horse and sped back toward the capital.
In the distance, the sky was filled with dark clouds, and a sudden rain was about to fall.
The household was cold and damp. The rain continued for three days, nonstop.
Only today had the rain finally paused, but the Marquis of Zhenbei’s estate remained shrouded in gloom.
Xizhe pushed someone to hide behind the stone lions.
“Where is Scholar Shu? You ruffian, are you trying to deceive me?” With her hands bound by hemp rope, Lin Xi’e could only glare angrily at Xizhe.
Xizhe rubbed his nose, his tone wavering. “Good lady, don’t be impatient. Scholar Shu is right here in the Marquis of Zhenbei’s estate, but…”
Lin Xi’e grew anxious. “But what?”
Xizhe sighed, losing the liveliness he had moments before. “It’s just that Scholar Shu seems to be injured, and Xiao Yi won’t allow anyone to approach him.”
Now, they could only lurk on the outskirts of the estate to steal a glance; if they were to get any closer and be discovered by Xiao Yi’s guards, it would be a major problem.
Remembering what Shu Fuyan had told her before, Lin Xi’e felt a sense of foreboding, fearing that “that person” had finally come. She was filled with worry.
“Ruffian, do you know who injured Scholar Shu?” Lin Xi’e asked, distracted.
Xizhe frowned in displeasure and corrected her: “I am not a ruffian. You can call me Master Xizhe.”
Lin Xi’e pursed her lips, shot him a look, and said in disgust, “I can’t bring myself to say it.”
Xizhe clicked his tongue, complaining, “You have no eye for quality.”
He wasn’t ugly, he was skilled in martial arts, and he had a silver tongue—what was wrong with calling him Master Xizhe?! Would it shorten her lifespan or something?!
The two wandered around the vicinity, looking for an opportunity to enter the Marquis of Zhenbei’s estate.
The estate was filled with a deathly silence; the servants didn’t even dare to raise their heads while working, fearing they might anger their master.
It had been three days. Xiao Yi had been guarding the bedside, sleepless and tireless, waiting for Shu Fuyan to wake up.
Doctors came and went, time after time.
Although the arrow had not penetrated deep into the arm, the poison on it was vicious and overbearing.
Fortunately, Xiao Yi had spent many years on the battlefield and possessed quite a few life-saving medicines.
Shu Fuyan had taken the medicine and his life was saved, but he had not yet regained consciousness. Xiao Yi was so worried that he could not leave his side under any circumstances.
Days and nights passed. Xiao Yi’s eyes were bloodshot from exhaustion, and he leaned against the bedside, his face weary.
He rested his head against Shu Fuyan’s uninjured chest, listening to the steady heartbeat.
In the quiet, Xiao Yi sighed.
“Sometimes, I really want to pry open that blockhead of yours to see what’s inside. You don’t hide when you’re in danger—are you a fool?”
“If you dare to do that again, I will lock you up. I’ll hide you in a dungeon every day, strip off your clothes, and tie you to an interrogation chair, where only I can see you.”
“A scholar of such refined grace as yourself would surely be unable to withstand the torment, begging for mercy over and over. Even if you show weakness and plead in a hundred ways, I won’t soften my heart.”
Xiao Yi had been muttering to himself for a long time. His endless chatter startled the sleeping man awake.
The man on the bed moved his fingers, and with parched lips, he whispered in a weak, breathy voice: “I am not a blockhead.”
“I am General Xiao’s little fox.”
Xiao Yi’s eyes lit up. “You’re awake.”
Not daring to make any sudden movements, Xiao Yi slowly rose from Shu Fuyan’s side.
The medicine left on the side had not yet gone cold. Xiao Yi brought it over and fed it to Shu Fuyan’s lips with an air that allowed for no refusal. “Drink your medicine.”
Shu Fuyan nodded and obediently drank the medicine.
Once the bowl was empty, Shu Fuyan gazed at Xiao Yi with fervent eyes.
In just three days, Xiao Yi had become much more haggard. Dark stubble had grown on his chin, and his hair had not been cared for; he was a different person from the prestigious and arrogant General Xiao of the usual days.
Shu Fuyan lowered his head, feeling a bit self-reproachful. He knew clearly that it was because he was injured that Xiao Yi had become like this.
“Where else does it hurt?” Seeing Shu Fuyan looking dejected, Xiao Yi assumed he was in a great deal of pain.
Shu Fuyan whispered that he didn’t.
He slowly raised his head, staring unblinkingly at Xiao Yi.
Xiao Yi sat closer to the bed. “What’s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?”
Shu Fuyan sniffled, grabbed Xiao Yi’s hand, and rubbed his cheek against it. “General Xiao, I was wrong. Please don’t lock me in the dungeon. I… I don’t want to sit on that chair.” Shu Fuyan’s ears turned slightly red. He kissed the back of Xiao Yi’s hand and continued: “I don’t want any little toys; I only want General Xiao.”
Hearing that Shu Fuyan had taken his own nonsensical perverse humor to heart, Xiao Yi felt an uncharacteristic stiffness in his expression.
He coughed to ease the awkwardness and pretended to be angry. “Let’s set aside the matter of the dungeon for now. Tell me what you did wrong. You saved me; you are Xiao Yi’s savior, and I should be the one ‘rewarding you well’.”
Xiao Yi’s words were full of sarcasm, and it was impossible for Shu Fuyan not to understand.
Shu Fuyan’s face went pale. He pressed his face against the inside of Xiao Yi’s wrist and said with a sense of grievance, “If the one who was injured today had been General Xiao, I would have felt the same pain. If I could suffer in your stead, why would I be unwilling?”
Xiao Yi was stunned. He hadn’t thought about the problem from Shu Fuyan’s perspective.
Yes, if the person injured today had been him, Shu Fuyan would probably not have been able to sleep, his tears falling against the candlelight.
Xiao Yi closed his eyes and sighed, realizing that their feelings were mutual, and the frustration that had accumulated over many days dissipated.
“Fuyan, you’re right. No matter who is injured, the other will be terrified.”
“But when faced with life and death, you must learn to be selfish. You shouldn’t have blocked the way for me. I’m tough and thick-skinned; these wounds are nothing to me. But you are different your health is frail, you are riddled with illness, and you cannot suppress the poison.”
Xiao Yi let out a breath, gently stroking his cheek, and confessed his deep-seated selfishness: “You have a beautiful body, your skin is like polished jade. Such beautiful flesh should not be scarred.”
Shu Fuyan had originally wanted to argue with Xiao Yi, but after hearing the last part, he lost the desire to do so.
“General Xiao, I was wrong. From now on, I will be obedient—please don’t be angry with me, okay?” Shu Fuyan licked the back of Xiao Yi’s hand ingratiatingly, using every trick he knew to serve his lover.
Xiao Yi’s heart sank. It seemed that Shu Fuyan hadn’t changed at all; as long as he was even slightly stern, Shu Fuyan would revert to being the timid Scholar Shu. This was not what Xiao Yi wanted to see.
“Fuyan, you don’t need to ingratiate yourself with me.” Xiao Yi pinched Shu Fuyan’s chin. “As long as you are in front of me, I will love you.” He crouched down to be level with Shu Fuyan, his indifferent pupils crashing into Shu Fuyan’s pale, astonished face.
In the brief moment Shu Fuyan was stunned, Xiao Yi leaned in and kissed his damp eyelashes, savoring the bitter pearls of water.
Once again, Shu Fuyan experienced the feeling of being cherished by someone through Xiao Yi.
The love he had never received in his youth seemed so easy to obtain here, with Xiao Yi.
He, too, was expected, cherished, and important.
Indispensable. Incomparable.
Shu Fuyan lowered his eyes, his tone calm and slow. “Xiao Yi, I think I really have fallen in love with you.”
“Hopelessly. Madly. Fallen in love with you.”
Xiao Yi gently brushed away the hanging strands of his hair, lifted his chin, and they locked eyes.
A faint smile hung on the corner of Xiao Yi’s mouth as he teased: “According to Scholar Shu, you didn’t have those feelings for me before you were just infatuated with my appearance?”
Shu Fuyan would not admit it. He bit Xiao Yi’s earlobe and said indistinctly: “I am only infatuated with General Xiao’s appearance. As for others, I don’t spare them a single glance.”
Xiao Yi pressed his forehead against his and promised: “As long as you love me and there is no deception or calculation, then here with me, you, Shu Fuyan, are the sovereign above all, and I, Xiao Yi, will follow only you.”
Xiao Yi actually dared to say such treasonous words. Shu Fuyan felt his heart tremble and closed his eyes in agony.
The orders of Prince Ji echoed in his mind. He must bring back what was in Cai Yan’s hands.
This time, the crown prince had made the move. What about next time? Since he hadn’t finished the task Prince Ji had entrusted to him, would Prince Ji follow the crown prince’s example and go to great lengths to get rid of Xiao Yi?
Shu Fuyan made a secret resolution: This will be the only deception. After this, no matter what happens, I will never scheme against Xiao Yi again.
The two embraced for a while longer. Suddenly, Shu Fuyan remembered that before he had closed his eyes, he had seen bloodstains on Xiao Yi.
“General Xiao, are you injured?” Shu Fuyan pushed him away, pulling at his clothes to check.
Xiao Yi touched his head and comforted him: “I’m not injured. That blood belongs to someone else.”
Shu Fuyan stroked Xiao Yi’s chest and naturally brought up the assassination. “Lin Baiyi has superb swordsmanship and has killed countless people. For General Xiao to be able to beat even him back… you are truly valiant.”
Xiao Yi chuckled. He had been fond of studying swordsmanship even while alive, and his martial arts were not poor. Having wandered the mortal realm for a hundred years, he had learned many sword styles, and his skills had improved further. If he couldn’t even deal with a young punk, he would truly be a disgrace.
“A Lin Baiyi cannot hurt me, so don’t worry.” Xiao Yi kissed the back of his hand, learning from Shu Fuyan’s methods to ingratiate himself.
Shu Fuyan was surrounded by love, his heart filled to the brim. If only there were no deceit or schemes, if only there were no conspiracies… how wonderful it would be if he and Xiao Yi could just be a normal couple.
But things had reached this point; there was no turning back the clock.
As for the things that had to be done, Shu Fuyan would not stop.