A pure heart in a jade pot

Chapter 148

“Guard Zhan has been gone for three days, and I don’t know…” she bit her lip, “I don’t know if he is still alive.”

"I must go find him immediately, or it will be too late." He gave a hasty bow. "These days, I have offended the princess due to my status. Please forgive me."

“I understand, but you… you need to be careful too,” Zhao Yu said softly, her tone very gentle.

Yelü Pusa Nu nodded, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Princess, is your injury any better?"

"I'm much better now, you don't need to worry." Zhao Yu bit her lip lightly in the darkness. "But you, you need to be careful of the spy Zhan Zhao mentioned."

"Um."

The tent was so quiet that only the two of them could be heard breathing. He stood there for a moment, but in the end, he didn't know what to say. He turned around and quickly left through the gap.

Inside the tent, Zhao Yu did not light a lamp, but remained in the same position, quietly leaning against it.

Chapter Eighty

This is an extremely desolate inn located on the edge of the desert. Apart from the merchants and swordsmen who come and go and rest here, the only people in the inn are Lei Zi, who is also the innkeeper, waiter and head chef, and his elderly and blind mother.

Zhan Zhao and Mo Yan have been staying at this inn for two days now. Mo Yan has been cleaning and tidying the room and cooking all by herself. Lately, the inn has been quiet with few other guests, so Lei Zi is happy to have some free time.

In the afternoon, Mo Yan brewed tea and steamed sweet cakes, then brought them over and sat with Zhan Zhao by the window.

Perhaps because the sunlight was a bit dazzling, Zhan Zhao squinted as he looked out the window. Mo Yan followed his gaze and saw Lei Zi and his mother peeling beans by the well. Lei Zi was only in his early twenties, dark-skinned and strong, shirtless, peeling small beans, which looked rather comical.

"Lei Zi," Mo Yan called out, "there are some sweet cakes I made in the kitchen, still warm. Take some for your mother to try."

"Okay, I'll go in a bit." Lei Zi turned around, grinned at the two of them, revealing a set of big white teeth.

Lei Zi's mother also laughed and said, "Madam Zhan, you are so skillful, you can make everything. The beef soup you made yesterday was so fragrant and tender, even I, an old woman, had a bowl."

Mo Yan smiled but didn't reply. She had made too much beef soup yesterday, so she gave the extra to him and his mother; it wasn't made specifically for them. She turned to look at Zhan Zhao. In the light and shadow, his skin was so pale it seemed almost transparent, and his brows were as serene as distant mountains.

He had lost a lot of weight these past few days. Although he tried his best to eat as much as she cooked, it was clear that he had little appetite. She was constantly worried that the poison would take effect, but apart from being weak, Zhan Zhao had not shown any other signs in the past few days.

Mo Yan bit her lip and asked Zhan Zhao, "Brother, do you feel unwell anywhere today?"

"No." Zhan Zhao withdrew his gaze, lowered his eyes, and smiled slightly.

"Really, don't lie to me."

"real."

Mo Yan breathed a sigh of relief, then suddenly exclaimed with delight, "It must be those Nine-Turn Heart-Clearing Pills that have taken effect. Maybe those medicines really have a miraculous detoxifying effect and can remove all the poison from your body."

Zhan Zhao smiled and said, "Don't forget, you promised me that no matter whether or not we can cure the poison, we should live happily together."

“Yes, I…” Mo Yan smiled at him quickly, “Big brother, how about we go for a stroll in the desert tonight and come back? I heard Lei Zi say that when you look at the stars in the desert, they fall from the sky and the ground, as if you could reach out and grab a handful.”

“Okay, then we definitely have to go and take a look,” Zhan Zhao said with a gentle smile.

Mo Yan filled his teacup and placed it on the table, but then noticed a small flying insect had fallen in. She quickly picked it up and was about to pour the tea away. Meanwhile, Zhan Zhao heard the teacup hit the table and reached for it, only to find he had grasped nothing. His heart tightened, and he quickly withdrew his hand, afraid that Mo Yan would notice.

It was too late; Mo Yan had already witnessed the entire scene, feeling both surprised and saddened.

"...When did it start?" she asked.

Zhan Zhao sighed inwardly and had no choice but to tell the truth: "I felt something was wrong when I woke up yesterday morning." He smiled in her direction and comforted her: "It's alright. When the sun is high, you can still vaguely see some shadows, which is quite interesting, like watching a shadow play."

Mo Yan couldn't manage a smile at all: "Are there any other places?"

"My fingers and legs are a little numb, but that's all, really," Zhan Zhao said, trying to sound casual.

Blindness and numbness in her limbs were signs that the poison had entered her heart meridians, and these meridians were slowly being eroded by the poison. Mo Yan's last remaining hope was shattered, and she sat opposite him in a daze, tears streaming down her face without her noticing.

Zhan Zhao couldn't hear her speak, and no longer tried to hide it. He got up, groped his way to her side, squatted down, and touched her face with his hand, which was damp and cold.

He sighed softly, pressed his face against her cool skin, and kissed her: "Sweetie, even if I can't be with you to watch the stars, you don't have to cry." He teased her on purpose, but in his heart he sincerely thought: One day, there will be someone by your side. He will taste the food you cook, watch the stars with you, but he will never let you shed tears.

As dusk approached, the number of people checking into the inn suddenly increased, and Lei Zi was running around busily. Zhan Zhao and Mo Yan returned to their room, not wanting to be disturbed, and therefore did not come out.

It wasn't until the lamps were lit and Lei Zi brought hot water to the room that Zhan Zhao asked curiously, "Why are so many people checking into the inn today? Has something happened?"

"It's alright, it's alright," Lei Zi hurriedly said. "It's just that according to the weather forecast, there will be strong winds tonight, so these people can't leave. They have no choice but to stay here and wait for the sandstorm to pass before setting off again tomorrow."

"Sandstorm?" Mo Yan asked curiously.

"Yes, if a strong wind blows in the desert, there will be a sandstorm, which is overwhelming and terrible. If people and livestock are outside, they will be buried alive."

Mo Yan was startled and exclaimed, "Buried alive? That's incredible!"

Zhan Zhao nodded and smiled, "I've heard people say that before, and it is indeed quite impressive."

Lei Zi put down the hot water and hurriedly went out to deliver water to other guests. Mo Yan was busy wiping Zhan Zhao's body and changing his dressings, and Zhan Zhao smiled and let her do as she pleased. After a while, he suddenly said, "Xiao Qi, I want to have a drink. Would you like to keep me company?"

"Alcohol?" Mo Yan was taken aback, then immediately objected, "You're injured, you can't drink alcohol."

"Drinking a little won't hurt."

"No, no, wait until you're better..." Mo Yan suddenly stopped speaking.

Zhan Zhao pretended not to care and laughed, "I can't wait that long. Go find Lei Zi and get two jars of wine, and make some of your favorite dishes. I don't know if it's true, but just thinking about the wine has suddenly made my appetite better."

Mo Yan could only say, "Alright, wait a moment, I'll be back soon."

Before long, Mo Yan brought up the wine and dishes. Zhan Zhao enthusiastically pulled her to sit down at the table and asked her to pour wine for both of them. He laughed and said, "Do you still remember when you drank three cups in one go at Qingyun Manor?"

"I remember." Recalling it now felt like a lifetime ago. Mo Yan sighed, "Back then, I thought you only saw me as a younger sister, so naturally I was very heartbroken."