Young Prime Minister, a Hermit

Chapter 49

The hall remained silent for a long time until a sigh, tinged with both helplessness and affection, was uttered. The voice was deep and said, "No one is to touch this woman again. Get the brothers moving; the stronghold needs to prepare for a wedding."

The crowd looked at each other, glancing at me, then at Yi Han, then at the woman in red, before finally cheering with varying expressions.

The last image in my mind was Yihan's deep gaze at me before she left.

The moon shone brightly, and the sky outside the window was ablaze with rosy clouds; a full moon was about to rise. I was imprisoned in a room that wasn't particularly elegant, but was clearly luxurious, and I stared expressionlessly at the setting sun and the slanting rays on the grass outside the window. Further away, there should be endless yellow sand stretching as far as the eye could see.

After a long while, I turned around and looked up at the white-robed scholar floating in the air: 'Zi Mo, what exactly is going on between Yi Han and that woman in red?'

Zi Mo seemed to have been watching my back the whole time. I was lost in thought, trying to decipher my own thoughts, when he suddenly asked me a question and was momentarily stunned. His brown eyes were both transparent and crystalline: "This is the settlement of a bandit group in the desert. The leader's name is Xia Hu, and the woman in red is Xia Hu's sister, named Xia Lin, who is Xia Hu's favorite. The day you and Feng Yihan were unconscious in the desert, it was she who carried you back and had you cleaned. As for why she later fell in love with your guard Feng, I entered a deep sleep in the Water Chain three days ago and don't know what happened. Perhaps it was a connection, or perhaps she fell in love with him because he was handsome after being cleaned up, who knows?"

I looked down, fiddling with the tassels on my clothes. The pale yellow tassels were wrapped around my fingers, then I gently loosened them: 'Is this an oasis in the desert?'

Zi Mo shook his head and said, "In fact, this area is already at the border of western Hunan and the Tarakan Desert. As long as we go west and leave this area, and then cross the Qiwa Mountain, we can join up with the Jin Yao army."

I nodded, knowing that the chances of Yihan escaping had increased. The room was as still as lukewarm water flowing across my palm. I looked up and saw Zimo staring intently at me: "Galan, your heart has changed, but it hasn't completely changed."

I chuckled softly, the setting sun bathing me in a warm and comforting glow: 'How have you changed? No more weeping and wailing, no more naive innocence, no more giving your life for only one person, no more foolish obsessions, and no longer believing in the so-called one-on-one love for life. Zimo, aren't these what you wanted?'

Zi Mo's eyes were deep and dark, impossible to fathom his true thoughts. I tilted my head slightly, opened my hands, letting the sunlight bathe my palms, making them glow red, as if I could grasp the sunlight itself. I smiled and said, "Change or no change, it doesn't matter much. I only need to know that I must stay alive, find Yu Fei, honor my parents, fulfill your dream, Yi Han's expectations, and Yun Yan's wishes—that's enough." Once, I truly considered hatred, considered depravity, considered madness and abandoning everything, but I couldn't! The man who fed me with his own blood in the desert, the man who fell into a coma to save me, the man who, after a thousand years of solitude, entrusted all his wishes to me—I couldn't abandon him, I couldn't forsake him. So I could only choose to live, for them, for the heart they protected, living painfully yet consciously.

I looked up at Zimo, smiling gently and sincerely, a smile so radiant and genuine. Tears streamed down my cheeks, crystal clear, even more beautiful than glass. I thought, for a long time to come, this would probably be the last time I cried. I said, "Zimo, I've finally learned to be strong, learned to grow up. Are you happy for me?"

Zi Mo stared at me blankly, his eyes somewhat unfocused, whether from the sunlight or something else, I couldn't tell. He smiled slightly, but his eyes were filled with sorrow and pity. His gentle voice, with its double magnetism, echoed in the setting sun and among the fragrant grass: "...reborn from the ashes under the raging flames...beautiful yet painful...exquisitely beautiful...unbearably painful..."

In ancient times, I fell asleep under that sliver of moonlight, but now I've returned to the cruel reality.

I opened my eyes to complete darkness, with only a few slivers of light. I struggled to sit up, but felt a wave of weakness wash over me. A pair of hands quickly supported me, and my brother's joyful voice rang in my ears: "Lanlan, you're awake?"

I nodded, smelling the disinfectant, and couldn't help but ask, "Brother, is this a hospital? Do Mom and Dad know?"

“I didn’t dare tell them,” the older brother sighed. “I was afraid they would be sad. I heard that when you were in the car accident, Mom almost fell ill.”

I nodded, breathed a sigh of relief, and laughed, "Thank goodness!"

"Lanlan..." The older brother hesitated, as if he didn't know how to start the conversation.

I groped for his hand and grasped it, forcing a smile as I said, "Brother, it's okay, I was prepared. Is it the baby...?"

My brother's hand suddenly froze. He pulled me into his arms and cursed through gritted teeth with boundless tenderness, "That bastard Xu Lie, I will never let him get away with this."

I gently rested my head on my brother's shoulder. The scent of cologne was lovely. A bittersweet pain welled up inside me. My unborn child... just like that, never to return.

My brother gently patted my shoulder, comforting me just like when I was a child. A faint atmosphere of sadness filled the ward. My brother pushed me away and said in a lighthearted tone, "Lanlan, are you hungry? I'll go buy your favorite crispy rolls."

I laughed and shook my head, saying, "No need, I'm a little thirsty, brother, could you pour me a glass of water?"

My brother kept saying "okay" and hurriedly went to pour water. I chuckled and stopped him. This brother of mine is still just like when we were kids, sometimes shrewd and sometimes simple-minded, especially in front of me.

"Brother, how am I supposed to drink water in this dark? Could you turn on the light first?"

My brother's hand, which I was holding, trembled violently, followed by an icy chill. It seemed as if he was slowly extending a hand and waving it in front of me. A cool breeze was flowing in front of me.

My slightly parted lips trembled slightly, half-open, half-closed, then I clenched them tightly with my teeth. It hurt so much! So, it's real, it's all real. In a hoarse, trembling voice, I asked, "Brother, the light's on, isn't it?"

The older brother's hands trembled like leaves, and he tried hard to suppress his voice: "Brother...brother forgot to turn it on, I'll go right now..."

"Brother, don't lie to me." I chuckled softly. "I always thought it was the worst that could happen, but I never imagined it could get even worse. Brother, I'm fine, go call the doctor."

"Lanlan... Lanlan...!" My brother suddenly leaned over and hugged me tightly, his body trembling even more violently than mine, hot liquid dripping onto my neck. "How could they be so cruel?! How could they have hurt you like this?!"

I closed my eyes, forcing back the hatred and pain that had been building up in my chest, and hugged him back, softly saying, "Brother, don't be sad. Even without my husband, I still have you; even without my child, I still have other family and friends; even without my eyes, I still have ears to hear, mouth to taste, and hands to touch… Brother…" I asked softly and silently, "Brother, will I never be able to see again? Never see you, never see Mom and Dad, never see Xiaojie and Weiye, never…"

"No! No!" the brother said in a hoarse voice, "You are my most precious little sister, how could I let you never see again? I will definitely cure you."

I sighed softly and hugged my brother's warm body tightly: "Perhaps, it really is fate that kept me in that world."

"Brother, promise me one thing." I suddenly pushed him away and said, "Before I get better, don't let Mom and Dad know, don't let Xu Lie's family know. I want to stay in the same ward as Yufei. Apart from treatment and appropriate exercise, just let me lie quietly every day. If one day I never wake up again, don't be sad, because I will live well in another world."

"Lan... Lanlan, what are you saying?"

"Brother, please promise me!" I clutched his clothes tightly, pleading again and again, "Brother, please promise me!"

In the end, my brother, who has always doted on me, reluctantly nodded.

A few days later, my test results came back. The X-ray showed a blood clot-like object in my brain pressing on my optic nerve, causing blindness. The doctor explained that this blood clot had been there for a long time and would gradually grow larger with emotional excitement, which was why I often experienced blurred vision. He also said that the blood clot might disappear tomorrow, or it might never disappear, and that with the current level of medical technology, the success rate of surgery was only 20%.

I could feel my brother trembling and his palms turning cold and sweaty after hearing what the doctor said.

On June 4th, 20XX, my brother, Yufei, Yufei's mother, and I boarded a plane and left Shanghuai, the city where I had laughed, cried, felt happy, and also felt despair. My brother told me that my parents were very sad because I hadn't said goodbye to them before leaving. However, they still asked my brother and Aunt (Yufei's mother) to take good care of me, and said, "Jiaqi, tell that silly child that even if we really get divorced, Mom and Dad are still Mom and Dad! If she gets tired of being away, just let her... come back quickly."

On June 10th, we finally settled down in Switzerland. My brother bought a small house next to one of the best hospitals in Switzerland, and our aunt takes care of Yufei and me. I signed the divorce papers. Because of the 5% profit from the shares, my account suddenly had tens of millions more. In addition, my brother also earned some money abroad, which finally covered Yufei and me's medical expenses and other costs.

It might be hard to imagine that after experiencing so many ups and downs, I could still start a new life in a strange place with such calmness, as if I had taken a detached view of life. Yet it was true; my brother, Yufei, my virtuous and capable aunt, and I lived a peaceful and tranquil life in Switzerland. As for Liu Yingshi telling Xu's parents, who had returned from Europe, about my pregnancy and impending blindness, Xu Lie's return, Shao Jun's disgrace, Yingying's tragic end, and everyone searching for me almost turning the entire earth upside down, causing chaos everywhere—that was six months later. By then, I had already spent three whole years in ancient times.

Xiao Yi

2007.9.2 12:35

Chapter 33 Rebirth from the Ashes (End)

I've finally finished Volume 1. I'll post an afterword for Volume 1 later.

Volume Two, Part One: The Storm is Brewing and the Wind is Filling the Tower

Chapter 34 Night Raiders

Chapter 34 Night Raiders