Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Five
Ning Fei's heart, which had been hanging high with anxiety, finally settled when Xia Jingshi arrived before him under the escort of the General of Agile Cavalry. Xiao Weiran hurried forward and bowed deeply before Xia Jingshi. "Your Highness—" Before he could finish, Xia Jingshi helped him up. "Rise—your injuries..."
"As long as Your Highness is safe, this humble servant is of no concern," Xiao Weiran replied, half joyful and half agitated. His eyes instinctively flickered toward the group of military generals behind Xia Jingshi, and his expression suddenly changed in alarm. "Your Highness, why are there so few? Where are Yixiao and Ning Fei?"
"Yixiao is with Feng Suige. As for Ning Fei, due to insufficient horses, he and some of the men split from us after leaving the Holy City. The Guardian General has already dispatched cavalry to search for them. We should receive news within a few days," Xia Jingshi explained, then turned his gaze to the Lucheng soldiers gradually gathering around them. "You've all worked hard..."
A wounded military general, still clumsily tearing at the bandages on his head, ran over just in time to hear the last remark. Wiping away the blood trickling from his forehead to the corner of his eye, he loudly declared, "Your Highness, don’t stand on ceremony with us! Just give the word, and we’ll crush not just the Holy City, but even the Vermilion Sand Country for you!" His words drew a burst of laughter from the crowd, and even Xia Jingshi couldn’t help but smile. "Even if we’re to crush them, we must first tend to your wounds. Speaking of which, have all the injured been treated?"
"Yes," Xiao Weiran replied after a slight hesitation, his voice strained. "But some were too severely wounded and have already passed. A few others... may not last the night..." Seeing Xia Jingshi's somber expression, he tactfully changed the subject. "Your Highness, how did the Piao Cavalry arrive? Judging by the banners, they were dispatched by the Guardian General, weren’t they?"
At the question, Xia Jingshi seemed lost in thought for a moment before nodding. "You could say that. Weiran, I need you to do something for me—once Yixiao and Feng Suige return from the mountain, lead everyone to the nearest town and ensure the wounded receive medical attention as quickly as possible..." Xiao Weiran looked at him in surprise. "Your Highness won’t be coming with us?"
"No," Xia Jingshi replied, casting a distant, complicated glance toward the horizon where a purple hue lingered. "There are matters I must settle. After that, whether the outcome is good or bad... I leave it to fate!"
The sky, clear in the morning, had gradually darkened with layers of rain clouds by afternoon. After visiting all the wounded soldiers, Xiao Weiran stepped out of the last makeshift medical tent and suddenly froze, his gaze fixed on a distant point. After a moment’s hesitation, he walked toward it.
A faintly red maple tree was the only adornment in the otherwise barren courtyard, but now, beneath it stood a solitary figure in red. Xiao Weiran approached quietly and called softly, "Yixiao?"
"Ah, Weiran!" Startled, Yixiao, who had been crouching under the tree digging at the dirt with a hairpin, jumped up. After a pause, she gestured toward the medical tents with her chin. "How are they?"
"Some are lightly injured, some more seriously, but they’re all recovering," Xiao Weiran answered with a smile.
"That’s good," Yixiao replied, her lips curving into a smile as she carelessly tucked the hairpin back into her hair.With her soft exclamation, Xiao Weiran swiftly snatched the hairpin from her hand, carefully wiped off the dirt, and then handed it back to her, lightly scolding, "You're already so grown up, how can you still be this untidy?" "I like it this way, is that not allowed?" Yixiao retorted defiantly, baring her teeth at him. Xiao Weiran immediately glared back, and after a brief standoff, both burst into laughter simultaneously.
Xiao Weiran coughed while laughing, stopping Yixiao as she moved to pat his back. "It's been so long since we last bickered like this. I really miss it," he said. "Yes, it's been a long time," Yixiao replied, her eyes crinkling with laughter. "Feels like a lifetime ago." "Have you ever thought about the future?" Xiao Weiran suddenly asked. Yixiao looked puzzled. "What future?" "Feng Xiyang might not make it," Xiao Weiran said calmly. "If she dies, is there a chance you'd return to His Highness's side—or would you still want to stay in Vermilion Sand Country?"
Yixiao's smile vanished instantly. After hesitating for a long while, she finally whispered, "Weiran, do you know... Feng Xiyang's knife wound was caused by me." Seeing Xiao Weiran's eyes widen in shock, she hurriedly added, "But it wasn't intentional! I was trying to force the Holy Emperor back up the mountain. I never expected he'd suddenly push Feng Xiyang forward..."
After a long silence, Xiao Weiran's gaze deepened with thought. "You seem to care a lot about Feng Suige." "Not entirely," Yixiao replied, struggling to articulate her thoughts. "I just feel that if Feng Xiyang dies, he might be in a difficult position. He's always looked after me, protecting me with everything he had when the Lord of the Nation targeted me. But Xiyang is his most beloved sister..."
Xiao Weiran frowned slightly. "Has Feng Suige said anything to you?" "No," Yixiao glanced at him quickly. "He hasn't said a word." "Yixiao, I thought we always spoke openly with each other," Xiao Weiran's tone sharpened as he fixed his gaze on her. "Or are you just deceiving yourself?" "Weiran," Yixiao called softly, pleading with her eyes, but he ignored her and continued, "Or perhaps 'care' isn't even the right word to describe your feelings for him anymore. So, rather than letting him say it, you'd rather say it yourself—is that what you're thinking?"
"I haven't!" Yixiao finally couldn't hold back, her voice breaking in a suppressed cry. "I'm just tired! I don't want to go back there!" "Yixiao," Xiao Weiran's eyes shifted from clarity to depth. "There are tears in your eyes. You never cry." Yixiao wiped her eyes and found her hand wet. She froze for a moment before suddenly pursing her lips, her voice trembling with grievance. "I don't know where I should go from here. I used to think the world was vast, but now it seems there's no place left for me.""If it's truly as you say, you can return to Brocade," Xiao Weiran said after a moment's thought, his voice gentle. "Everyone will take good care of you, and we can serve by His Highness's side just like before." His words, spoken slowly, enveloped Yixiao like a roaring mountain tide. "You don't know how much the brothers miss you—you must want to see Ning Fei and Xueying's child born too, don't you? Come back. Treat everything in Su Sha as just a dream. In a few years, you'll forget all about Su Sha, and there'll be no trace of Feng Suige left in your life..."
Her breath caught until the pain in her lungs became unbearable. Only then did Yixiao faintly regain her voice. "Weiran, I think... I can't go back. You're right. I might... really... have fallen for him..."
Xiao Weiran listened quietly, the corners of his lips curling up slightly. He reached out to wipe away her falling tears and whispered, "What a silly girl."
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