Hibiscus as a Painting

Chapter 73

"You! Despicable!" Dugu Xihui gasped for breath and roared.

"What do you mean, 'what ...I'? You still don't want to return the little mute to me,' I only resorted to this as a last resort because I had no other choice."

"The antidote!" Dugu Xihui said through gritted teeth.

"No."

"Lou Shuo!" Dugu Xihui suppressed his heavy breathing.

"Master... Miss Zi is so frail..." Lou Shuo glanced at her with difficulty, then held the woman tightly in his arms.

"How dare you! Who is the master!" Dugu Xihui's voice was filled with fury.

Lou Shuo lowered his eyes and suddenly slammed his hand hard on Zi Jin's shoulder.

Zi Jin gasped, biting her lip to stifle a cry of pain. She raised her dark eyes and looked at Dugu Xihui.

Only then did Zi Jin notice that Dugu Xihui was dressed quite formally today, wearing a purple silk robe, a jade crown, and long boots with gold trim, adorned with gold and jade buttons. A finely painted, gilded, sky-blue peach blossom was vividly depicted beneath his eye, completely concealing the delicate pink scar and enhancing his already stunning beauty.

Zi Jin suddenly wanted to laugh, but she couldn't manage to.

Seeing that Xi Le remained unmoved, Dugu Xi Hui coldly glared at Lou Shuo. Lou Shuo turned his head away and used all his strength to pinch Zi Jin's shoulder hard. With a "crack," the sound of bones breaking was strangely jarring in the silent hall.

Dugu Xihui was slightly startled, but did not turn around.

"Hehe..." west Le laughed enchantingly, holding a folding fan. "Little mute, you've treated him with all your heart these past few days... Does it hurt? Does it hurt a lot? Look at how he treats you! I've said it before, I'm the only one in this world who has ever truly cared for you... Isn't that right?"

Zi Jin's face was pale, and beads of sweat rolled down her cheeks: "Xile...give him the antidote...let's go."

west Le suddenly stood up, closed his folding fan, and narrowed his eyes dangerously: "He treated you like that, and you still help him?!"

Dugu Xihui's breathing grew heavier and heavier. Lou Shuo noticed something was wrong and tried to step forward, but was stopped by Dugu Xihui's gesture. Xi Le smiled slightly, and Jin Yu in the corner suddenly made a move, pouncing towards Dugu Xihui.

Startled, Dugu Xihui quickly shielded the woman in his arms, blocking the attack with one hand, but was still knocked back several steps by Jin Yu. His movements were unsteady, and his breathing became extremely rapid.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Jin Yu struck Dugu Xihui in the back with a palm strike, causing Dugu Xihui to reflexively throw the woman away. He raised his hand to deflect Jin Yu's palm strike and tried to catch the woman, but was forced to retreat repeatedly by Jin Yu's next deadly move.

Seeing that Dugu Xihui was in danger, Lou Shuo didn't hesitate to abandon Zi Jin and leap to block Jin Yu's killing move. Xi Le tried to walk towards Zi Jin, but Lou Shuo blocked her path with his sword.

Zi Jin endured the tearing pain in her shoulder and slowly moved towards Xi Le.

But someone grabbed her injured arm, and she screamed in pain.

Dugu Xihui's eyes were filled with gloom, and he was breathing heavily: "Where... do you want to go?" After speaking, he grabbed Zi Jin's arm tightly and began to breathe heavily.

Zi Jin was in excruciating pain, but Dugu Xihui was in no better shape. He gasped for breath several times, one hand gripping Zi Jin's arm tightly, the other clutching the railing beside him, his body convulsing stiffly.

Asthma! This is clearly a sign of an asthma attack. No wonder he can't drink alcohol, no wonder Celer sprinkled those seemingly useless pollen on him—he has asthma.

A surge of emotions welled up within Zi Jin. The scene was both terrifyingly familiar and heartbreakingly familiar, as if she had seen it somewhere before, as if she had felt heartache somewhere before. Without thinking, she used her uninjured hand to help Dugu Xihui up, letting him lean against her. Dugu Xihui seemed to be breathing less heavily, and Zi Jin gently brushed away the pollen from his body.

Panting, Dugu Xihui's eyes were filled with confusion again. He glanced at Zi Jin, whose face was pale and covered in cold sweat, and a strange pain welled up in his heart. He opened his mouth, wanting to ask her if she was in pain, but another violent bout of suffocation prevented him from speaking. He could only gasp for breath.

"Hui'er!" A woman's shriek timely drew Dugu Xi Hui's attention. The woman's veil had fallen, revealing a pair of dark phoenix eyes, a round oval face, a complexion as red as cinnabar, and lips like dots of vermilion. Unlike Yu Luo's light and elegant figure, this woman possessed a beauty that carried a touch of heroic spirit that looked down upon men.

Dugu Xihui's breathing seemed to slow down, and a surge of overwhelming joy, unforgettable longing, and tender affection flashed in her eyes.

west Le's peach-blossom eyes, like those of a venomous snake, stared resentfully at Zi Jin, who was supporting Dugu Xi Hui, and swung her sword at the woman.

Dugu Xihui trembled all over, utterly shocked. Almost without thinking, he grabbed Zi Jin who reached out, and with one hand he gripped Zi Jin's throat. His movements were swift, precise, and ruthless.

Zi Jin stared wide-eyed at Dugu Xi Hui's icy profile in disbelief.

Dugu Xihui's amber eyes were sinister: "If you dare to hurt her even a little bit more, your little mute... will never see the sunrise again."

west Le glanced at Zi Jin without changing her expression, a faint, alluring smile playing on her lips.

Seeing west Le's resolute attitude, Dugu Xihui couldn't help but feel a little anxious. He steeled himself and exerted a little more force.

Zi Jin's breathing quickened, her face flushed red, and a bitter smile appeared on her lips: "Cough...cough...hehe...cough cough." Her breathing became labored, causing Zi Jin to cough, but a stubborn bitter smile remained on her face. "west...Le, that's enough...I...I've seen enough...clearly enough."

west Le's lips slowly curved into a bewitching smile. She lowered her sword and shoved the woman away with a palm strike. Dugu Xi Hui tossed Zi Jin aside and gently caught the woman.

Zi Jin lay on the ground, coughing violently, tears streaming down her face. She felt waves of dizziness, and the pain in her arm made her mind go haywire.

Lou Shuo and Jin Yu stopped fighting and each protected their master.

"Give the little mute back to me." west Le's voice slowly rang in Zi Jin's ears, sometimes near and sometimes far.

"Give me the antidote first."

Dugu Xihui's slightly breathless words were like a sharp, unyielding blade, each word cutting into Zi Jin's heart, making her wounds even more unbearable. She didn't understand why she was so heartbroken. It was as if she had once possessed those beautiful things, things that could make everything else pale in comparison, and in the blink of an eye, they were gone without a trace. She was so tired, so very tired, and wanted to rest, just for a moment, even just a short rest.

"Little mute!" When Xi Le saw Zi Jin suddenly fall to the ground and become silent, her voice changed instantly, becoming unusually sharp and piercing.

Dugu Xihui also noticed that Zi Jin suddenly fell silent, and paused slightly.

Lou Shuo noticed his master's worry and slowly squatted down to check on Zi Jin's injuries.

"Don't touch her!" came Celeste's hysterical shouts from across the street.

Before west Le's shout had even faded, the shop door was kicked open with great force, and the soldiers rushed into the room like a tidal wave.

At the critical moment, a figure suddenly flew in through the window, sword pointing directly at Dugu Xihui. Dugu Xihui grabbed the woman and retreated several steps. Lou Shuo didn't even think to get up and raise his sword to block, but the person suddenly changed target, grabbed the unconscious Zi Jin and rushed towards the door.

west Le's expression changed drastically. He was about to draw his sword and step forward, but Jin Yu stopped him and pointed to the figure swaying outside the window: "Master, please reconsider."

When Dugu Xihui saw Zi Jin being abducted, his expression changed slightly. He squinted and panted.