“Xiao Fu.” General Zhan Haoting’s voice was stern and authoritative.
“General.”
The humble, unassuming Xiao Fu’s eyes suddenly sharpened at the words. His entire bearing changed, like a sword about to be drawn, its edge gleaming menacingly.
“How long is Madam gone each time she disappears with me?”
Xiao Fu looked conflicted. “About as long as it takes to drink a cup of tea.”
Even a yawn took longer than that.
The strange thing was that, in such a short span of time, she could feed him, change his dressings, apply medicine, and send him back.
Zhan Haoting’s eyes darkened. After a long silence, he raised a hand with difficulty and made a gesture.
Xiao Fu’s gaze sharpened, and he suppressed the excitement in his eyes. “Understood.”
“You and Hongxiu will continue lying low.”
“But you…”
“I’m fine.” Zhan Haoting paused. “Go find them.”
“But if we do that, our people will be exposed.”
Zhan Haoting helplessly waved a hand. “You must find them.”
The ones who had run off were all his closest family—and now Madam had gone missing as well. What else could they do without mobilizing their forces?
Besides, the assassinations earlier had merely been probes from both sides. The real struggle would come afterward. Both sides would have to reveal their forces, and there was no longer any point pretending they could remain hidden.
“Then get some proper rest.”
Xiao Fu took his leave. Hongxiu appeared soundlessly and stood guard at Zhan Haoting’s side.
…
Once outside, Cheng Yao had no desire to walk, so she teleported from place to place in search of them.
But she had no idea where Madam Zhan and the others were. She kept teleporting here and there, and even that left her exhausted.
Fortunately, her perception of all things was far sharper than an ordinary person’s. The nth time she appeared in a certain patch of grass, she sensed Zhan Qingrou’s presence.
She searched the area and finally found Zhan Qingrou unconscious in the undergrowth.
Cheng Yao examined her. As it turned out, she had been bitten by a snake on the calf, and blood was still gushing from the wound.
The good news was that the snake was not venomous. Zhan Qingrou had merely fainted from fright. Otherwise, she would have lost her life here.
Cheng Yao took out some Yunnan Baiyao and sprinkled it over the wound, then wrapped it roughly with gauze. After that, she raised her hand and gave Zhan Qingrou two sharp slaps.
A soft groan escaped Zhan Qingrou’s throat. Her unfocused eyes slowly cleared, and in the darkness, she saw Cheng Yao’s face. She was utterly astonished.
When she had run away, no one had come to comfort her.
Even if someone had eventually come, it should have been her mother or her second brother. How could it possibly be Cheng Yao, who hated her?
Zhan Qingrou tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through her lower leg.
Only then did she remember that she had been bitten by a snake!
Despair and panic surged through her, and tears immediately welled in her eyes. Her voice trembled. “Am I… about to die?”
“Possibly.” Cheng Yao rose and started to leave.
Zhan Qingrou panicked. “D-don’t go!”
Cheng Yao stopped and glanced back at her. “If I stay, am I supposed to feed the wild animals?”
Remembering the snake that had bitten her, Zhan Qingrou shuddered violently.
She struggled to get up, but her lower leg seemed unable to move.
It was over!
Her lips trembled as she forced out a few words. “My leg… it’s numb and heavy… The snake venom has spread through my body. I-I’m not going to survive.”
In truth, her blood circulation had simply been impaired by lying unconscious for too long.
The corners of Cheng Yao’s lips curved upward. “So, is there anything you’d like to say in your final moments?”
“I…” Zhan Qingrou shook her head as she cried. “I don’t want to leave final words! I don’t want to die! Sob…”
“You don’t want to die?” Cheng Yao’s eyes turned cold. “Then why did you run off into the wilderness in the middle of the night?”
“I’m already suffering this much, and you’re still scolding me…”
“What’s so impressive about suffering? Does being in pain mean you can’t die?”
“Stop, please stop.” Zhan Qingrou cried. “I was wrong. I know I was wrong. Isn’t that enough?”
“Does admitting your mistake bring someone back to life?” Cheng Yao’s voice was cold and clear. “You’re not a little child. You have the ability to make your own judgments. Think before you do anything or say anything. There’s no such thing as a regret pill in this world.”
“What’s the point of telling me all this?” Zhan Qingrou covered her face with her hands. “I’m going to die anyway.”
Cheng Yao sneered. “If you refuse to learn from your mistakes, then even if you die and end up in hell, you’ll still be a foolish, emotionally clueless ghost. You’ll continue making the same mistakes and suffer the same lessons.”
“Waaah…” Zhan Qingrou cried so hard that she began hiccupping, bubbles of snot even appearing beneath her nose. “That’s none of your business. I don’t need you to care.”
“Do you think I want to care about you? If you weren’t Zhan Haoting’s younger sister, I wouldn’t spare you a second glance even if you died right in front of me.”
With that, Cheng Yao turned and walked away.
Zhan Qingrou felt the darkness closing in from all sides, as if countless evil spirits were lurking within it.
“Don’t go!”
Fear overwhelmed her mind. She got to her feet and chased after Cheng Yao. “Wait for me!”
Cheng Yao walked swiftly. “Go back to the group by yourself. Your mother and Haochen have disappeared while searching for you.”
D-disappeared?
The words struck her like a bolt from a clear sky, leaving Zhan Qingrou’s mind blank. Her delicate body swayed.
Then remorse and anguish swept over her like a tidal wave.
Cheng Yao was right. She truly had no sense at all, running off into the mountains in the middle of the night and putting everyone in danger along with herself.
If anything happened to her mother and second brother, she didn’t want to live either.
No, wait. She wasn’t going to survive much longer anyway.
“Cheng Yao, I can’t make it back. Come collect my body later… Burn me to ashes. I don’t want to be left exposed in the wilderness and eaten by wild animals. In my next life, I’ll work like an ox or horse to repay you.”
She didn’t actually want to die, though. Sob…
“I already removed the snake venom. Don’t wait until your next life. Start repaying me for saving you in this one.”
Cheng Yao’s voice drifted out of the darkness.
What?!
It took Zhan Qingrou’s sluggish mind a moment to process the words. She moved her leg in disbelief. It was still numb and itchy, but it felt much better than before.
Then she touched the wound. It had already been bandaged.
So Cheng Yao had been lying when she asked for her final words?
She wasn’t going to die?
Zhan Qingrou jumped up and down on the spot. Her body no longer felt stiff or sluggish at all.
In an instant, the joy of surviving a brush with death filled her heart.
She burst into tears of happiness. “Wonderful! I’m not going to die! Wonderful!”
That awful Cheng Yao had even called her a foolish ghost and made her so upset. She was truly wicked.
Wait—Cheng Yao had left. What was she supposed to do all alone out here?
“Cheng Yao, don’t go! Wait for me!”
Zhan Qingrou hurried after her.
…
Night blanketed the earth. Unable to find his younger sister, Zhan Haochen grew more and more anxious.
“Cousin, go back and tell Xiao Fu and Hongxiu to help search for her.”
Shao Yutong fought back her tears and shook her head desperately. She refused to go back. “I’m scared.”
Zhan Haochen had no choice but to grab her by the wrist and lead her into the woods. His arms and face were scratched by thorns, but he paid them no attention.
Shao Yutong asked in a trembling voice, “Ninth Cousin, do you think Aunt might…”
“Don’t say that.” Zhan Haochen cut her off, his voice colder and harder than the mountain wind at night.
“I’m sorry, Ninth Cousin. I shouldn’t have said that.” Shao Yutong’s voice was thick with tears.
Zhan Haochen couldn’t bear to be harsh with her. “Finding them is what matters. Don’t make wild guesses.”
“I understand.”
The mountain wind swept through the treetops, carrying the sound of rustling pines and stripping away the heat of the day.
Shao Yutong’s thin dress whipped noisily in the wind. She edged closer to Zhan Haochen and said, “Cousin Jiu, I’m scared.”
