“I’m alright. Let me take you back first.” Tuoba Keyan put his arm around Zhao Xiao Xiao and moved to leave.

But the moment he took a step, his body swayed again.

“Keyan.” Zhao Xiao Xiao caught him from the front, wrapping her arms around him. “You…”

Once Zhao Xiao Xiao had her arms around Tuoba Keyan, she found she couldn’t let go.

She held him tightly and looked up into the face of this man she had barely paid attention to before.

He was handsome, tall, courageous and striking…

The image of Tuoba Keyan descending upon her like a divine figure to save her flashed through Zhao Xiao Xiao’s mind, and a very particular feeling toward him began to stir in her thoughts.

“Keyan.” She gave him a firm push.

In the dim candlelight, it was still possible to make out the color draining from Tuoba Keyan’s face, now ashen as liver.

He lowered his eyes to look at the person in his arms. For a moment he could not steady himself, and holding her, they both fell onto the dry straw.

Zhao Xiao Xiao lay sprawled over Tuoba Keyan, her hands cupping his face.

“Keyan, you’re burning up. What’s wrong with you — I’m hot, I’m…”

Just as Zhao Xiao Xiao leaned down, about to press her lips to Tuoba Keyan’s, he reached up with one large hand and brought it down firmly against the back of her head…

The sun rose in the east, and the morning light filtered into the cave from outside.

At the mouth of the cave, the sound of hurrying footsteps jolted awake the people inside.

Tuoba Keyan opened his eyes. He shifted his arm slightly, and Zhao Xiao Xiao — lying beside him, wrapped in his outer robe — opened her eyes as well.

She glanced at Tuoba Keyan, then looked down at herself, and immediately let out a scream.

“Xiao Xiao.” Zhao Yusheng came striding in.

Feng Jiu’er, uneasy about what state of affairs she might find inside, extended her arm to stop the others from entering.

In the end, the only people who went in besides Zhao Yusheng were Feng Jiu’er, Qiao Mu, and Xiao Yingtao — three women.

Several beams of morning light slanted through the cave entrance, throwing the interior into clear view.

When Zhao Yusheng entered, Zhao Xiao Xiao was clutching Tuoba Keyan’s outer robe and pressing herself into a corner.

Her hair was in disarray and her face was etched with horror and fear.

Tuoba Keyan sat upright in his inner robe, the blood on him plainly visible.

And there was no shortage of bloodstains on the ground as well.

Zhao Yusheng’s eyes went wide. He froze. Feng Jiu’er, Qiao Mu, and Xiao Yingtao rushed in right behind him.

At the sight before them, no one could find a single word to say.

“Tuoba Keyan.” Zhao Yusheng drew in a sharp breath, raised his fist, and stepped toward him.

Tuoba Keyan simply sat there in silence. He made no move to dodge, no move to evade Zhao Yusheng’s approach.

Zhao Yusheng landed a heavy blow squarely across his face, and blood immediately seeped from his nose and the corner of his mouth.

“Big Brother, don’t!” Zhao Xiao Xiao, as if frightened out of her wits, cried out.

Feng Jiu’er moved quickly and drew Zhao Xiao Xiao into her arms.

She looked at Tuoba Keyan, and her own feelings were difficult to place. Even if things were not as they appeared at first glance, Xiao Xiao had still…

Tuoba Keyan, who had been knocked to the ground, pushed himself up onto his knees — and received another crushing blow from Zhao Yusheng without flinching.

He fell again. He pushed himself up again.

Tuoba Keyan’s eyes were hollow, as though he felt a guilt so profound it had emptied him entirely. His expression alone was as good as an admission that he had indeed done something unforgivable.

All of it landed before Zhao Yusheng’s eyes, and the fury burning in his gaze burned all the brighter for it.

With a sharp metallic ring, Zhao Yusheng suddenly drew the dagger from his waist.

“Big Brother.” The sight of it nearly made Zhao Xiao Xiao faint on the spot.

Qiao Mu lunged forward and seized the arm holding the blade. “Zhao Yusheng, calm down!”

Zhao Yusheng kept his eyes fixed on the kneeling Tuoba Keyan, barely restraining the urge to cut him down on the spot.

“He violated Xiao Xiao — how do you expect me to calm down?” Zhao Yusheng screamed at the top of his lungs and shook Qiao Mu off with a fierce jerk, raising the dagger.

“Big Brother, don’t! It was Keyan who saved me — he saved me.” Zhao Xiao Xiao slumped against Feng Jiu’er, her face drained of color and utterly without strength.

“Big Brother, don’t!”

Zhao Xiao Xiao’s words brought Zhao Yusheng’s raised dagger to a halt in midair.

And the kneeling Tuoba Keyan — even with danger bearing down on him — simply stayed where he was, not making the slightest attempt to avoid it.

“Xiao Xiao.” Zhao Yusheng looked at his little sister and cast the dagger aside, striding over to her.

He took Zhao Xiao Xiao from Feng Jiu’er’s arms into his own, and the severity in his breath eased somewhat.

“Xiao Xiao, what exactly happened? It was Big Brother who failed — Big Brother who arrived too late. It’s Big Brother’s fault!”

He pulled Zhao Xiao Xiao close, and even the rims of his eyes grew wet.

“Big Brother.” Zhao Xiao Xiao drew in a slow breath and reached out to clutch his garment. “Big Brother, don’t blame Keyan.”

“Last night, it was Keyan who saved me. If not for him, there were so many bandits — they were hideous and terrifying.”

“It was Keyan who rescued me. It’s only because we were both drugged that… Keyan didn’t do it on purpose, Big Brother. Don’t blame him anymore.”

Suddenly, her nose stung, and Zhao Xiao Xiao shifted her position and wrapped her arms around Zhao Yusheng, breaking into sobs.

“Big Brother, why didn’t you come? I was calling for you, calling until my throat went raw — why didn’t you come?”

Zhao Xiao Xiao held onto Zhao Yusheng and kept striking at his back.

Her heart ached terribly. She hadn’t even wanted this — hadn’t wanted Tuoba Keyan at all. But what could she do now? Would she never be able to like another man for the rest of her life?

She could no longer pursue Jian Yi. She and Jian Yi could never be possible now — could they?

Zhao Xiao Xiao had always been headstrong, always determined to have the things she wanted.

After the incident with Yanu, she had come to understand that between a man and a woman, it couldn’t simply be forced. And so when it came to Jian Yi, she had learned to hold herself back, to show restraint.

And yet in the end, she still couldn’t have what she wanted. Now that she was no longer untouched, what right did she have to choose?

“Big Brother, it’s all your fault! I kept calling for you — why didn’t you come? Why…”

Zhao Xiao Xiao’s sobs felt like a series of blades, cutting through Zhao Yusheng’s heart one by one.

Zhao Yusheng held Zhao Xiao Xiao helplessly, and watching the two of them was enough to make anyone’s heart ache.

Feng Jiu’er stood, glanced at Xiao Yingtao.

Xiao Yingtao blinked, understanding, and walked out.

When Xiao Yingtao emerged, a great many brothers were still standing guard outside.

Jian Yi and Xing Zizhou stood at the innermost point, and those further out could not get through.

Seeing her come out, several brothers from Zhao Family Village asked in unison, “How is our young miss?”

“She was rescued by Keyan. Keyan was injured, and Xiao Xiao only suffered a great fright. Jiu’er is inside treating them right now.”

“Jiu’er says there’s no need for anyone to worry. Xiao Xiao’s condition will stabilize shortly. You’ve all been going without rest for a full day and night — go get some sleep.”

“With Jiu’er there, and Elder Brother Zhao, there’s no need to worry.”

The brothers, hearing that their young miss was safe, all let out sighs of relief.

Xiao Yingtao waved her hand and added, “There’s nothing to be gained by standing guard here. Go back, all of you — we’ll be back shortly.”

“In that case, let’s head back.” Zhao Yi nodded in response.

Shortly after, he led the brothers of Zhao Family Village away from the area.