After a long moment, Zhu Yan finally heard Shen Du’s voice, which seemed somewhat unreal: “Do you truly like me?”
“Hm?”
Zhu Yan suddenly realized that he had been avoiding her earlier to confirm this matter.
Looking up, Zhu Yan found that she couldn’t reach him at all.
Momentarily annoyed, she tugged at the collar of the person in front of her, making him lower his head. This way, Zhu Yan was able to plant a light kiss on Shen Du’s lips.
“I don’t like you.”
As she expected, the color gradually drained from Shen Du’s face, and his consciousness slowly sank.
“I don’t like you. I haven’t liked you for a long time,” she emphasized again, blinking with a serious expression.
“But I adore you,” Shen Du suddenly reached out, restraining her with a tinge of anger as he kissed her again, this time with intensity:
“So stay by my side until you like me.”
Zhu Yan, as if triumphant, voluntarily wrapped her arms around Shen Du’s neck.
Unlike the light peck from before, this kiss was deeper and more passionate.
The surrounding noises completely disappeared, as if the entire world consisted of only the two of them.
If possible, Zhu Yan wished time would stop at this moment, forever, even though she felt a bit greedy herself.
Despite the threat of the Fire Moth Party outside, Mo Qianzhi’s rebellion, Pan Chi lying weak inside the room, and Yingzhou City waiting to be rebuilt.
But this hard-earned tranquility made them both cast all these concerns aside.
This brief moment of peace was enough.
“Commander, something has happened…”
Jing Lin, who had rushed in, stopped abruptly. He wished he were blind at this moment.
Zhu Yan pushed Shen Du away and hid behind him, feeling embarrassed and at a loss.
Receiving Shen Du’s piercing glares, Jing Lin felt his presence in this place was far too conspicuous.
He was certain that if Shen Du had a knife in his hand right now, he would have already been executed by a thousand cuts, his body torn to pieces.
Under immense pressure, Jing Lin didn’t dare to look up at the two people before him.
“What is it!” Shen Du demanded.
Jing Lin hurriedly reported, “Mo Qianzhi has sent people to surround the city.”
“The supply convoy for the reinforcements has also been intercepted not far from Yingzhou.”
Shen Du stood up, his heart slightly chilled. The interception of the supply convoy was not a trivial matter.
“The enemy has stolen the supplies and killed the officials and soldiers escorting the provisions,” Jing Lin continued.
He looked up at Shen Du and said gravely, “This time, they intend to cut off our retreat and starve us to death.”
Yingzhou City’s complex terrain made it easy to defend and difficult to attack, which gave Shen Du and his men a huge advantage in defending the city.
However, with the current shortage of supplies, both food and medical supplies were indispensable to them.
Moreover, those provisions included supplies for the upcoming reinforcements. With the supplies intercepted, it was a dead end.
The only difference was how soon they would die.
Given Yingzhou’s current situation, even if they could hold out until reinforcements arrived, by then, Yingzhou might be a ghost town with no signs of life for miles.
After some consideration, Shen Du looked at Jing Lin and asked, “Where is Mo Qianzhi?”
“He’s at the foot of the city wall, challenging us to battle.”
It seemed that after intercepting the supplies, he had deliberately chosen this time to come and show off his power.
Shen Du gritted his teeth slightly and was about to leave with his sword when he remembered Zhu Yan. He stopped and turned to look at her.
Zhu Yan had already composed herself, though her lips were still slightly swollen, and her eyes glistened with moisture. Jing Lin felt uncomfortable looking at her and averted his gaze.
“I’ll go with you,” Zhu Yan said.
Shen Du pondered briefly, then nodded in agreement.
—
As the three of them ascended the city wall, they could see a sea of people below, causing their hearts to tighten.
Seeing Shen Du and Zhu Yan arrive together, Mo Qianzhi let out a cold snort.
If it weren’t for Zhu Yan, this troublemaker on Shen Du’s side, Shen Du might have already turned against the Empress and joined him in overthrowing her rule.
“Mo Qianzhi, are you still so obstinate even now?” Shen Du called out.
“You don’t seem to be in a position to reason with me now,” Mo Qianzhi suddenly burst into laughter.
Following his laughter, the group of Fire Moth Party members behind him also started laughing.
His words were not untrue. Yingzhou was now almost an empty shell.
On the other side, Mo Qianzhi controlled almost the entire Fire Moth Party and many former soldiers of Yingzhou City. If he wanted to attack the city, it would be almost effortless.
If it weren’t for the consideration that a forceful attack on the city would damage the reputation he had carefully cultivated in Yingzhou for over a decade and make subsequent handling difficult, Yingzhou would have already fallen into his hands.
As the laughter subsided, Mo Qianzhi’s gaze swept over Zhu Yan and then turned to Shen Du. “Didn’t you ask me for the antidote?”
Zhu Yan’s eyes widened as she stared at Mo Qianzhi.
“I can give it to you, but I have a condition,” he said.
“What condition?” Zhu Yan asked before Shen Du could, earning a glare from Mo Qianzhi.
“That would be Madam Shen’s head,” Mo Qianzhi sneered, his smile devoid of any good intentions. “And Shen Du must bring it to me personally.”
The people on the city wall let out a collective gasp, and silence fell.
Shen Du already felt there was no need to continue the conversation. He looked at Zhu Yan impassively, seeing that she showed no outward reaction.
But this was just Zhu Yan’s facade.
Her inner thoughts were tumultuous. She knew this was the enemy’s ploy.
Even if she were to fall dead on the spot, they wouldn’t receive the antidote. Yet, a glimmer of hope persisted in her heart.
It was this faint hope that made her feel anxious and uncomfortable.
Mo Qianzhi didn’t rush them, sitting on his horse with a half-smile, glancing at the sun overhead.
The autumn wind had risen, dispelling the summer heat. The weather had suddenly turned cool, and the wind had become gentler, losing some of its scorching intensity. However, at high noon, it was still a bit hot.
Zhu Yan stepped forward, but Shen Du grasped her hand.
“How can a man let a woman go to her death?” Shen Du refused. “Let’s fight.”
“Shen Du, this is for your good,” Mo Qianzhi insisted.
“I fail to see how killing my wife is good for me,” he replied, gripping his bow tightly and nocking an arrow, ready to shoot at the man below at any moment.
“She’s a spy. She won’t have feelings for anyone,” Mo Qianzhi shouted excitedly. “Even if she does, it’s only to gain your trust.”
Shen Du’s expression darkened as he coldly gazed at Mo Qianzhi.
“Just get rid of her, junior brother,” he suddenly changed his form of address. “You’ll surely come to your senses then. You’ll see how this Great Zhou is riddled with wounds.”
An arrow suddenly shot through the air, so fast that they felt a gust of wind rush past.
It hit the left chest of Lai Luofu, who was wearing ordinary battle attire, standing to Mo Qianzhi’s left.
Lai Luofu grimaced in pain, gritting her teeth as she pulled out the arrow. No longer concealing her identity, she grinned maliciously at Shen Du and Zhu Yan on the city wall.
Shen Du remained silent.
The arrow had originally been aimed at Mo Qianzhi, but at the last moment, Shen Du’s heart softened, and the arrow veered off course, hitting the guard beside him instead.
But the guard didn’t fall. Instead, he pulled out the arrow and grinned at him, spitting blood. Shen Du narrowed his eyes, and at that moment, Zhu Yan gasped softly, “Lai Luofu.”
It turned out that Lai Luofu had disguised herself as a guard and was lurking by Mo Qianzhi’s side. If she hadn’t been accidentally shot by Shen Du… the consequences would have been unimaginable.
Lai Luofu was a human poison factory.
At this moment, all eyes were on Lai Luofu.
Everyone saw her fall after being shot in the chest, then got up and pulled out the arrow. Blood flowed from the wound, but she didn’t die.
How was this possible? They all knew how accurate Shen Du’s arrows were. How could she not die?
“Ah, it’s the Chief!”
The Fire Moth Party members recognized Lai Luofu. Seeing this miraculous sight, they began to cheer.