“What would you do if I died?”
“If you died, I would… I would…”
Zhu Yan’s dark eyes widened, a flash of realization crossing her mind. Her lips parted slightly as she looked down at Shen Du, covering her mouth in disbelief.
Though gaunt and pale, Shen Du’s eyes were exceptionally bright. He gazed at Zhu Yan without blinking, the corner of his lips curling into a faint smile.
Zhu Yan laughed and cried simultaneously, her trembling hand gently caressing Shen Du’s cheek. Finally, her fingers rested on his pale lips, feeling their warmth. Suddenly, her face crumpled as she burst into tears.
Shen Du’s heart was in turmoil. He tried to embrace her, but his limbs were weak from days of unconsciousness. After several failed attempts to raise his arms, Shen Du grew frustrated with himself:
“I’m sorry for making you cry.”
Zhu Yan shook her head, still crying. Her doe-like eyes were red and swollen, misty with tears, and her nose was flushed as she sniffled.
“Stop crying, or my heart will be in chaos again.”
Zhu Yan shook her head once more, lifting Shen Du’s hand and using his sleeve to wipe her tears. “You made me cry, so I’ll use your sleeve to wipe them away.”
Shen Du chuckled, rarely seeing Zhu Yan so childlike. Knowing it was because of him made him even more tender. He tried to gather his strength and found that the previous blockage seemed to have eased. Surprised, he asked:
“Has the poison been neutralized?”
Zhu Yan nodded and briefly explained what had transpired. Shen Du was both enlightened and conflicted, realizing that even Pan Chi had gone to such lengths for Zhu Yan.
Sounds came from outside as Pan Chi and Su Guang entered together. Shen Du listened for a moment, and Zhu Yan understood, rising to help him over.
At this moment, Su Guang was already pulling Pan Chi towards the door.
“Wait,” Shen Du called out.
Pan Chi quickly held Su Guang back, refusing to leave. This action angered Su Guang, who furiously said something to Pan Chi in her language. Finally, in her rage, she threw the tightly wrapped package of poison at Pan Chi.
“Are you trying to poison me?” Pan Chi shouted as he dodged, urgently calling to Shen Du for help. “Shen, I got into trouble with this woman while trying to find an antidote for you. Hurry up and save me!”
Shen Du glanced at him. “Did I ask you to get into trouble?”
Pan Chi: …
Pan Chi looked at Zhu Yan. “Yan’er…” He was extremely pitiful, still jumping to avoid Su Guang’s attempts to catch him.
Zhu Yan didn’t notice, her attention solely on Shen Du. “Are you hungry? I’ll make you some light porridge and side dishes.”
It wasn’t advisable to indulge in rich food right after recovering from a serious illness.
“Alright.”
Shen Du’s desire to converse with the Holy Woman was interrupted by this commotion. He sat at the table. “There’s no rush for the food. Sit with me for a while.”
Zhu Yan naturally agreed, putting aside her fatigue from the past few days, thinking only of how to help Shen Du recover.
Seeing Shen Du staring at the teapot, Zhu Yan picked it up first to check the temperature. It was still warm, so she poured a cup and handed it to Shen Du.
Shen Du drank it all in one go, still looking thirsty.
Zhu Yan shook her head. “You’ve been unconscious for days. It’s not good to drink too much tea.”
Shen Du obediently complied and didn’t ask for more water.
“Give me your hand.”
He obediently extended his hand, which Zhu Yan placed on the table to check his pulse. Her calm expression brightened with joy. “Your pulse is steady. It seems the poison has been neutralized.”
“You just need proper care to fully recover.”
As soon as she finished speaking, she felt a sting in her nose, and a tear fell from the corner of her eye, landing on the back of Shen Du’s hand and seeping into his heart.
Shen Du quickly reached out to wipe away her tears, his throat bitter:
“Why are you still crying when I’m fine? The dignified Sixth Miss of the Zhu family has become a crybaby.”
Zhu Yan pouted, swatting away Shen Du’s hand and using her sleeve to wipe her tears. She felt a bit embarrassed by her loss of composure, but Shen Du suddenly grasped her hand:
“Don’t wipe them. The more you wipe, the more swollen your eyes will become.”
With that, he leaned in and pressed his lips to the corner of Zhu Yan’s eye, catching her tears.
Zhu Yan’s breath became uneven, her face flushed red to her ears. She hurriedly pushed Shen Du away, but in his weakened state, he fell back unprepared. Zhu Yan quickly reached out to grab him, and they both fell to the ground, with her head resting on his chest. She could feel that his once muscular chest, which had been firm and defined just days ago, was now so thin she could almost feel his ribs.
“I’m so happy,” Zhu Yan said sincerely.
The hardships they had endured over the past few days had finally come to a satisfactory conclusion. Recalling it all was so painful that Zhu Yan wished she could erase this part of her memory.
Since arriving in Yingzhou, not a single good thing has happened to them.
First Pan Chi, then Shen Du – their successive injuries had subjected them all to different kinds of mental and physical torment, almost unbearable.
What had started as an investigation into the “Half-faced Ghost” case had drawn them into an even larger storm. Once caught in the vortex, they could only sink with it.
Shen Du was happy too, his arm around Zhu Yan, feeling a secret joy at having survived this ordeal.
After much thought, Zhu Yan slowly expressed what she had been thinking these past few days: “Let’s go back to the capital.”
Staying here any longer would likely bring more danger than good. It would be better to leave this perilous place early.
Understanding her thoughts, Shen Du fell silent for a moment.
Now that the Fire Moth Party had been defeated, with only Lai Luofu still struggling in her death throes, they were just one step away from victory. Naturally, he was unwilling to stop now. If not for himself, he couldn’t let Mo Chenzhi’s death be in vain.
Moreover, the bow had been drawn, and the arrow had to be released. They had already directly confronted the Fire Moth Party and angered Lai Luozhi. It was too late to stop now.
Once the bow is drawn, there is no turning back. They had no retreat.
After a long while, he said, “If we leave now, we might not make it to the capital alive.”
Their foreheads touched, and Shen Du’s gentle breath fell on Zhu Yan’s face, soothing her anxious heart.
Shen Du stroked her hair. “We’ve already declared war on Lai’s party. Only by completely eradicating them can we safely return to the capital.”
“But,” Zhu Yan looked up, her eyes meeting his, but Shen Du cupped the back of her head, pulling her back into his embrace, “if we stay longer, even more terrible things might happen. I… I’m worried.”
Even without her saying it, Shen Du knew what she was concerned about. He silently cursed himself for dragging Zhu Yan into this situation, raising his hand to gently caress her cheek. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”
This time he couldn’t hold Zhu Yan back. She pulled away, lying on top of him and looking at him with her swollen eyes, explaining:
“I’m not worried that you can’t protect me. I’m worried that in protecting me, you’ll end up unconscious for days again, not knowing if you’re alive or dead.”
Zhu Yan felt a wave of fear, tears welling up in her eyes once more. Even the toughest man would melt into a river of tenderness at this moment.
Suddenly realizing their inappropriate position, Zhu Yan quickly got up, her face red as she helped Shen Du to his feet. Shen Du allowed her to dust off his clothes, then pulled her into his arms, gently patting her back to comfort her:
“It’s alright. I’m tough.”
Again, those words.
“Besides, our family’s vengeance is not yet fulfilled, and the poison hasn’t been eradicated. I can’t give up,” his voice grew heavy, “The only thing I regret is involving you in all of this because of these matters.”
“Why should you feel guilty? I’m part of the Shen family too.” She suddenly realized what she had said and buried her face in Shen Du’s shoulder.
Shen Du narrowed his eyes, a captivating smile tugging at his lips, feeling utterly content.
The two held each other close.
oh, tão doce.