Initially, Mo Sigui treated An Jiu partly out of interest in her condition and partly because he felt responsible—had it not been for him, Elder Zhi wouldn’t have destroyed her meridians.
"One set of meridians to cover you for life? How many people would have to 'cover' you then?" Chu Dingjiang found his choice of words distasteful and responded with biting sarcasm.
Mo Sigui, however, remained oblivious. He pondered Chu Dingjiang’s words carefully and found them quite reasonable. "True. In the end, it’s her temperament that suits me."
Chu Dingjiang couldn’t be bothered to argue further. "Don’t you have something you want my help with?"
Though Mo Sigui often seemed vindictive, in truth, his temperament was far from capable of the intense love and hatred that Lou Mingyue harbored. He simply enjoyed finding amusement in trivial matters. That he hadn’t seized this chance to make things difficult wasn’t out of consideration for An Jiu. Chu Dingjiang suspected that, aside from exhaustion, Mo Sigui must have some favor to ask.
Mo Sigui tapped his pipe against the table. "I haven’t decided yet."
"You want me to help Lou Mingyue kill Yelü Huangwu?" Chu Dingjiang hit the mark again.
Mo Sigui glared at him. "You can guess everything—doesn’t that make life exhausting?"
"Revenge is only satisfying when you do it yourself." Though Chu Dingjiang considered Lou Mingyue’s approach far from wise, he couldn’t help but admire her resolve. People often envy what they lack, and Chu Dingjiang himself lacked that very drive.
"Satisfying?" Mo Sigui raised his voice. "I’ve never felt avenging that old man was all that important. Whether he’s alive or dead, I know what he wanted most was for me to excel in the way of medicine. Isn’t that more meaningful and satisfying than revenge?"
The "old man" he referred to was, of course, Miracle Doctor Elder Qi from Plum Blossom Village.
Chu Dingjiang gave him a faintly mocking look but didn’t comment.
Those with detached and open temperaments could never understand narrow-mindedness or extremism. The phrase "put yourself in someone else’s shoes" was merely an empty platitude—no one could truly grasp another’s emotions.
Hatred had never reached such heights for Mo Sigui, so he couldn’t fathom Lou Mingyue’s feelings. Chu Dingjiang didn’t voice this. If someone could come to understand, they would in time. If not, no amount of plain speaking would do more than convey the logic—but emotions were never governed by logic.
"There’s at least a thirty percent chance Wei Yuzhi will give his heart blood without demanding Gu Jinghong’s in return," Chu Dingjiang abruptly changed the subject.
Mo Sigui was taken aback. "Really? Has he gone stupid lately?"
"Precisely because he hasn’t." Chu Dingjiang said. "The pride of the intelligent—why would he trade his own blood? If he sacrifices his heart blood, it’ll be because he likes A Jiu."
Exchanging his blood for Gu Jinghong’s would kill two birds with one stone, but if it were merely a transaction, it would mean there was no genuine affection between him and An Jiu. And given his pride, he would never believe achieving his goals required self-sacrifice.
Mo Sigui opened his mouth but remained silent for a long moment.
Chu Dingjiang said, "No need to be surprised. The wisest often have the most foolish sides."
"That’s not it." Mo Sigui finally recovered. "What shocks me is—since when did A Jiu become someone people would like?"Chu Dingjiang was slightly displeased. "A woman as outstanding as her naturally attracts admiration."
Alright, Mo Sigui could reluctantly admit that An Jiu was exceptional. After all, she was indeed admirable in certain aspects. But to describe her as an "outstanding woman" was going too far! Had all the women in the world died out? Judging An Jiu purely as a woman, she barely met the minimum standards—how could she be called outstanding? Who knew Chu Dingjiang had such a sense of humor!
Mo Sigui felt indignant on behalf of women everywhere. "She’s just good-looking."
"She’s an uncut gem." Chu Dingjiang smiled gently, unperturbed by Mo Sigui’s assessment.
Mo Sigui shuddered at the sudden shift to this soft atmosphere, silently thinking to himself. More like a gilded lump of iron—what did An Jiu have besides that shiny exterior? She was nothing like his Mingyue, who was as beautiful as she was wise.
Unaware of Mo Sigui’s musings, Chu Dingjiang bid farewell. They weren’t exactly bosom friends, and having said his piece, he took his leave.
Mo Sigui thought of Lou Mingyue, and his mind grew restless again. The drowsiness he’d managed to coax out with the medicated smoke for sleep had nearly dissipated. He pushed open the window, watching the snowflakes fluttering outside, and lit another pipe.
During their time together at the border, Mo Sigui had glimpsed the vulnerability hidden beneath Lou Mingyue’s toughness and stubbornness. The way she armored herself so fiercely only made his heart ache more.
Whether his feelings ran deep or shallow, Mo Sigui didn’t know. But he could no longer stand idly by.
After finishing his pipe, Mo Sigui picked up a brush and wrote on a piece of paper: In life, I shall return; in death, I shall long for you.
Then he crossed it out and wrote the word "vengeance" beside it.
He felt he still couldn’t summon bone-deep love or hatred, but he had finally made Lou Mingyue’s vengeance his own. As for the way of medicine, he’d just have to work harder.
Drowsiness gradually crept over him. The weight on his heart felt slightly lighter. Holding the paper, he brought it close to the brazier, watching through half-lidded eyes as it curled into ash. Then he rose unsteadily and went to bed.
In a snow-buried mansion in Bianjing.
A figure in blue robes sat by the brazier, intently studying a letter as if trying to see through the thin paper.
His refined face bore a sickly pallor.
The guards outside glanced repeatedly at the light inside the room. Finally, one couldn’t resist knocking. "Sir, it’s past midnight. You should rest."
Wei Yuzhi looked up, coughing lightly a few times, but didn’t respond.
The guard knew he couldn’t sway his master’s will and fell silent, only reminding him again after some time.
Mei Shisi.
Wei Yuzhi’s lips moved soundlessly.
His mind was a landscape of schemes. Even if he fancied a woman, it was but a trivial part of life—a diversion outside his calculations. To forge even the slightest connection with her, to indulge his own desires, he had even allowed himself to trouble and hurt her. The current situation, however, was beyond his expectations. He had never imagined facing the question of whether to save her or not.
That girl was dying. She needed his heart blood to survive.
"I already resent how short my life is," Wei Yuzhi murmured. If this were to shorten what little time he had left, he couldn’t afford to be careless.
At this thought, Wei Yuzhi froze. Had his subconscious actually considered saving her?He raised his hand and touched the scar on his chest through the thick clothing. It was left by An Jiu back then. Although he had captured her first, that sword strike had indeed worsened his condition. When it came down to it, they were enemies.
Wei Yuzhi smiled self-deprecatingly, thinking he must be truly mad to want to save her.
"Sir," the person outside knocked on the door again, reminding him, "It's getting late."
"Understood," Wei Yuzhi replied helplessly before extinguishing the lamp and lying down. (To be continued...)
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