Maestro de la ambigüedad

Capítulo 43

Ruyi turned around and gave Mu Yuan one last look, her eyes filled with a sense of death and farewell. Mu Yuan gritted his teeth, gripped his broadsword tightly, and abruptly turned his horse around, no longer looking at her. He spurred his horse and galloped away.

Separation in life and death can happen at the same moment. Mu Yuan's eyes welled up with tears. He whipped his horse's reins and galloped back to the military camp. He had personally sent her to her death, but he could not let her sacrifice be in vain. Mu Yuan secretly vowed in his heart: "I will not rest until the Xia Kingdom is destroyed."

Author's Note: Alright, sorry to keep you all waiting. The battlefield will be over soon, and Xiaoxiao is going to find Nie Chengyan with Long San. As for the princess, she's fallen into the tiger's den...

Overcome the enemy and win

Since Han Xiao and his group entered Qingshan Valley, the Xia army had intensified its defenses and blockades at all entrances. The Mu family army within Qingshan Valley, upon hearing that the renowned healer and fortune teller from Baiqiao City had arrived, were in high spirits. They planted Mu family flags at each entrance, increased their manpower, and frequently sounded drums and horns to demonstrate their power to the Xia army, creating a scene of fervent morale that infuriated the Xia soldiers blocking their path. However, they couldn't attack, and the enemy only provoked them without coming out, leaving them with no choice but to remain on the defensive.

Han Xiao and Lu Zhi's treatment of General Mu resembled a war. The poison General Mu suffered from was the same as that Mu Yuan had been poisoned with years ago, suggesting this method was a common practice of the Xia Kingdom. These tiny insects, living deep in the sand, burrow into the human body upon contact with blood and flesh. The Xia army artificially bred them to create weapons, a method that was undeniably vicious. According to Lu Zhi, these insects were extremely difficult to raise, making large-scale artificial breeding challenging. It seemed the Xia Kingdom had found a method in recent years and was using them more and more on the battlefield.

Han Xiao examined General Mu's injuries. The most serious wound was the knife cut to his chest, but the arrow wound in his leg was the real problem. The Green Frost Poison came from that arrow, and with the added effects of the Gu poison, if it had dragged on for several months like Mu Yuan had, he probably wouldn't have been able to save his leg. Fortunately, General Mu was treated by the highly skilled physician Lu Zhi immediately after his injury, and fortunately, Han Xiao arrived from Yanhun Pass in time.

While Han Xiao was examining the wound, the old man woke up. He looked at Han Xiao for a while, and then saw her taking his pulse. He realized that she was a doctor. The person who could make Lu Zhi give up his seat to examine him must be no ordinary person. So, although Han Xiao looked like a young girl, the old general Mu was quite cooperative. Only when Han Xiao was fiddling with his leg did he say in a hoarse voice, "Don't cut off my leg."

Han Xiao and Lu Zhi exchanged a glance. Lu Zhi gave her a helpless look. When he first started treating the injury, he had mentioned the worst-case scenario, but the old man reacted strongly, saying he would rather die than lose an arm or a leg. Having experienced Mu Yuan's amputation, Han Xiao was mentally prepared for this, so she nodded to General Mu: "There is no need to amputate the leg for the time being."

Mu Yong glared at him: "There's never any need for that." He was too weak to speak due to his illness, but his voice was still authoritative. Unfortunately, Han Xiao didn't respond to him, but said earnestly, "Doctor Lu and I will do our best." She didn't say anything more and pulled Lu Zhi outside.

Mu Yong frowned, unable to hear what the two were saying outside. He was seriously injured and irritable, and his temper was quite bad. Seeing that the two dared to discuss things behind his back, he immediately called the guards who were standing by his bedside and ordered them to go out and call Han Xiao and Lu Zhi back. They had to discuss the treatment methods in front of him.

After a while, Han Xiao returned. She held incense in her hand, lit it calmly in front of Mu Yong, and said, "What the general needs right now is rest. I'm afraid the general won't understand the treatment methods that Doctor Lu and I discussed. Why don't you get some sleep first? Once we've discussed it, we'll definitely explain it to the general before we start."

The scent of the incense made Mu Yong feel drowsy. He was too weak to speak, and his consciousness began to fade. He heard his guards rush in and shout at Han Xiao, "How dare you! Didn't you promise to come in and explain to the general? How could you take it upon yourself to drug the general and put him to sleep?"

The guard's voice was a little buzzing in Mu Yong's ears. Then he heard Han Xiao reply, "Since I am a doctor, I can naturally make decisions. If you are not satisfied, just wake him up. This medicinal fragrance is not harmful, but it does have some medicinal effect. You will have to pat him quite hard to wake him up." Hearing this, Mu Yong thought to himself that this girl was very bold, but before he could get angry, he actually fell asleep.

The guard stared wide-eyed, pointing at Han Xiao, "You, you..." He couldn't utter a word for a long time. Han Xiao, always displaying her domineering nature when it came to treating and saving lives, also glared at the guard and said, "The old general's injuries are critical. Don't delay me and Doctor Lu; that's what's best for the general." After saying that, she walked out without looking back. Lu Zhi scratched his head outside the door. Well, this girl seems to be bolder than him, a rough man.

After Han Xiao's outburst, no one dared to criticize her and Lu Zhi anymore. The two discussed the matter for half a day in the next room. The poison from the Gu worms and the Green Frost had to be cured simultaneously. Lu Zhi had been worried that activating the Gu worms would make things worse, so he had been administering medication to keep them dormant in the body, intending to treat both poisons at the same time once the medicine he needed arrived. Han Xiao greatly agreed with his method. She had just taken his pulse and realized that the combination of the Gu worms and the Green Frost was even more troublesome than the combined symptoms of Lin Zhi and Mu Yuan. Lu Zhi's decision not to act rashly had truly saved Mu Yong's life.

Although Lu Zhi had a method for treating this injury, he wasn't confident he could complete it. Now that Han Xiao had come, he immediately gained confidence. He hadn't forgotten the scene of them working together to save someone on the back mountain of Baiqiao City. Now that they were together again, he couldn't help but say, "I wanted to compete with you in medicine back then, but unfortunately you had already set off for another place. I never expected to have this opportunity now."

Han Xiao frowned: "Han Xiao has no interest in competing with Doctor Lu, but I am honored to have the opportunity to save people together this time." Her words were polite, but her tone was dissatisfied. For some reason, Lu Zhi felt that he had been scolded. He scratched his head and dared not say anything more. He muttered to himself that after not seeing her for a long time, this Miss Han had become even more formidable.

The two finally settled everything and made a long list, including hot water, curtains, towels, candles, charcoal, and so on, asking the soldiers to help prepare them. They also checked all the medicinal herbs, knives, and needles. The medicines that needed to be decocted in advance were put on the stove, and the utensils that needed to be heated with hot water were also put in the pot. They burned herbs to fumigate their clothes, cleaned themselves, changed their clothes, set up the curtains, and moved the old general over.

Before they began, Han Xiao and Lu Zhi explained the entire treatment method to Mu Yong, detailing where to make incisions, where to insert needles, where to expel parasites, and how to remove the poison. Their methods were quite daring; Mu Yong had never seen anything like it in all his years. He listened without flinching, then suddenly asked with difficulty, "Girl, what's your name?"

Han Xiao was taken aback, thinking that the old general didn't quite trust him, so he replied, "I am Han Xiao, from Baiqiao City."

Upon hearing this, Mu Yong nodded slightly: "So it was you."

Han Xiao didn't understand and replied, "Please rest assured, General, Han Xiao knows medicine and has treated many patients."

Mu Yong smiled faintly and said, "Girl, I don't know if I'll ever have the chance to say this again, so let me say it now. Would you like to be my granddaughter-in-law?"

Han Xiao was stunned. He turned to look at Lu Zhi, wondering if Lu Zhi had also been recruited as his granddaughter's husband. Lu Zhi, on the other hand, was bewildered. He looked at Mu Yong, then at Han Xiao, not understanding what was going on. Han Xiao thought for a moment and replied, "General, please rest assured, Doctor Lu and I will do our best. You will be alright. I came here to save people without expecting anything in return. You don't need to promise me anything."

Mu Yong frowned, seemingly very displeased: "My grandson has promised to you, and you don't want to?"

Han Xiao calmly shook his head: "Han Xiao is not worthy of the young general. The general should conserve his strength so that he can use the knife to administer medicine later."

Mu Yong persisted, saying, "Not good enough? Hmph, what an excuse."

Han Xiao had no choice but to confess: "Han Xiao longs to be someone's granddaughter-in-law. I came to the desert to seek my future husband's grandfather and ask for his blessing. General Mu is handsome and talented, and a pillar of the nation, so he naturally has no trouble finding a good match. However, the person Han Xiao admires is in poor health and has a bad temper. Han Xiao only wishes to take care of him until he grows old. I cannot accept the general's kindness."

Mu Yong stared at Han Xiao for a long time, then seemed to sigh and finally stopped mentioning the matter. Han Xiao and Lu Zhi quickly fed Mu Yong medicine, lit incense, and applied ointment to the incision site to alleviate the pain during treatment. With everything ready, Mu Yong gradually lost consciousness. Han Xiao and Lu Zhi both took a deep breath, looked at each other, nodded, and made the first incision on Mu Yong's body.

While Han Xiao was frantically trying to save the old general, Long San wasn't idle either. After coaxing the drowsy Feng Ning to sleep after taking her medicine, he went to find several of Mu Yong's generals to find out the current situation in Qingshan Valley. He had chased them all the way from Gusha City to Yanhun Pass, and then from Yanhun Pass to Qingshan Valley, so he was familiar with the situation along the way. After discussing with the generals, he came up with a plan. He led a few men to investigate the various passes, trying to find a way to break through. Only by helping Qingshan Valley out of its predicament could he safely infiltrate Xia Kingdom with Feng Ning and Han Xiao to see Nie Chengyan.

That night, Long San stayed up all night staring at the terrain map showing the troop deployments at each pass. Feng Ning, having a husband, slept soundly, leaving the problem for Long San to figure out on his own. Han Xiao and Lu Zhi did not leave Mu Yong's room that night. The soldiers dared not enter or leave to disturb them, and could only wait quietly outside the tightly closed door.

Daylight broke, the sun shone brightly, and Han Xiao walked out of the house, looking exhausted. She was startled by the group of people guarding outside, but quickly recovered and smiled at these loyal men: "The general is safe and sound, you brave warriors can rest assured." The men were overjoyed and could hardly believe it. They had all said they wouldn't survive, and even the Xia soldiers who had besieged them had been shouting that the Mu family army would be leaderless and should surrender immediately. They were filled with anxiety and seemed to have lost their leader during this time. Now this girl had come, stayed for a day, and said she was cured?

Lu Zhi strode out, grinning broadly at everyone, and waved his hand, saying, "Relax, relax, General, just rest well. With the two great doctors here, are you afraid you can't defeat the King of Hell? Quickly get some food, I'm starving!" The soldiers finally felt a sense of reality and cheered.

Han Xiao couldn't spare the joy to join them. She rushed to find Long San, wanting to ask him why he had come and where Nie Chengyan was. But before she could speak, Long San spoke first: "Ayan is fine. I've come to take you to Xia Kingdom to meet him. We'll discuss the details later. Now, I have another urgent matter. I want to ask you if you can make poison to defeat the enemy?"

Han Xiao was taken aback: "Making drugs?"

“Yes, just like the Xia army, they use poison to attack, so we can’t just sit and wait to die. Xiaoxiao, I’ve been thinking about the current troop deployment. Although reinforcements are coming from Yanhun Pass, it will take time for them to reach Qingshan Valley. It will still be a tough battle to get out of here. I think we should get out of here as soon as possible.”

Han Xiao's heart skipped a beat, and he asked anxiously, "Has Master encountered trouble in Xia Kingdom?"

“It’s not a big problem, don’t panic. It’s just that he needs you very much. You know him, and I have to get you to his side as soon as possible.”

Han Xiao clenched her fist, the name Xie Jingyun flashing through her mind. If she saw Xie Jingyun, would she still need her? She heard Long San continue, "Based on the terrain and wind direction, Qingshan Valley is a suitable place to launch poisonous smoke at the Xia army. That's why they used this method to attack Yanhun Pass, but didn't use the same method against Qingshan Valley. If we can retaliate in kind, weaken the Xia army's fighting strength with poison, and fight our way through, breaking through the defensive line from Qingshan Valley to Yanhun Pass, once reinforcements arrive and we occupy the strategic location, the Xia army will have no chance of conquering it. Our victory will be just around the corner. At that time, we can go to support Ayan without any worries."

Han Xiao frowned slightly, thinking seriously. Seeing that she was silent, Long San continued, "I know that with your personality, you would definitely disdain making and distributing drugs, but this matter concerns the safety of the country and is also related to our efforts to see Ayan as soon as possible..." Before he could finish speaking, Han Xiao raised her hand and interrupted him, "Third Master Long, Han Xiao is willing."

Long San was taken aback, not expecting Han Xiao to be so straightforward. Han Xiao then said, "I saw Lian Qiao at the front lines yesterday."

"I don't know him." Long San asked, "Is this related to poisoning?"

"Back then on Cloud Mist Mountain, she was a lowly maid. I brought Lele up the mountain, and she was the one who took care of Lele for me. After the divine physician left, the master sent a group of servants and doctors away, and Lianqiao was one of those who left voluntarily. I always regarded her as a sister, but I never expected that when we met again, she would be wearing Xia Kingdom clothes and shooting arrows at me."

Long San frowned. From Yunwu Mountain? It seems that the divine doctor in Xia Kingdom is indeed related to Nie Chengyan's poisoning back then. They should hurry up and find him. With his stubborn temper unchecked, who knows what foolish things he might do.

Han Xiao continued, "The Green Frost that General Mu was poisoned with was also fed to the arrow. The Green Snow that was stolen from Cloud Mist Mountain was replaced with Green Frost, which is probably related to Forsythia. The poisonous smoke that the Xia army used at Smoke Soul Pass killed a large number of soldiers. I have never seen that poison before, and the Gu worms they used are different from the ones that killed young General Mu back then..."

Long San seemed to understand what Han Xiao was about to say, and sure enough, she said, "Third Master Long, Han Xiao understands the gravity of the matter. Han Xiao is willing to do the counterattack by making poison, but I'm afraid there are quite a few people making poison on the other side, and it won't be a short time to develop a poison suitable for the battlefield..."

"You're not confident you can beat them?"

Han Xiao pondered for a long time before finally raising his head and saying, "My master is still waiting for me, so I have to give it a try."

Long San was overjoyed upon hearing this. Han Xiao always had inexplicable good luck; she was usually able to succeed in whatever she set her mind to. In this situation, he would borrow her lucky charm.

Han Xiao ate and slept little, spending her days wandering around the Green Valley and her nights racking her brains trying to figure out how to do it. After two days, she had lost a lot of weight. Lu Zhi had to take care of General Mu and the wounded soldiers in the valley, so he didn't have much time to help her. Feng Ning, Long San, and He Ziming were skilled in martial arts and knew how to use the common poisons of the martial world, but now they were facing experts from Xia Kingdom who were proficient in poisons and medicine, and even knew the skills of Cloud Mist Mountain like the back of their hand. They were completely helpless. All their hopes were pinned on Han Xiao.

Han Xiao pondered that this poison was truly difficult to create. Firstly, it needed to be simple and easy to make so that it could be produced quickly and achieve its purpose. Secondly, its area of effect needed to be large enough to knock down a large number of Xia soldiers and achieve victory. Thirdly, it needed to be difficult to cure, otherwise, if the Xia Kingdom could easily counter it, the poison would be useless. Finally, Han Xiao felt a pang of reluctance. Ideally, she could create a poison that destroyed combat power without causing death. Many Xia soldiers likely had families and loved ones, forced into battle against circumstances. Han Xiao patted herself on the shoulder; achieving the first few points was already difficult enough, and this last one was probably just wishful thinking. Destroying the enemy would be good enough; there were many things she couldn't do even if she wanted to.

Han Xiao was preoccupied with Nie Chengyan and longed to fly to his side as soon as possible. Now trapped here, she was extremely anxious. By the third day, she couldn't sleep or eat. Feng Ning, feeling sorry for her, brought her food and stayed by her side, trying her best to help in any way she could.

"How about we do what Xia Jun did, burning herbs and releasing poisonous smoke?"

"We weren't prepared, where are we going to get so many herbs?" Long San answered for Han Xiao. Feng Ning pouted, but she knew she was just saying it casually.

"How about we poison their drinking water? I can sneak into their camp." Feng Ning was immediately glared at by Long San. She dared to think about sneaking into someone's camp? Her arm injury hadn't healed yet. Feng Ning turned her head away, pretending not to see; she was just making a suggestion.

“How about we go and steal their herbs? I can…” Before Feng Ning could finish speaking, Long San called out in a drawn-out, warning tone, “Feng’er…” This time, pretending not to see wouldn’t work, so Feng Ning simply covered her eyes and cried out, “Ouch, sand got in my eyes, Long San, my eyes hurt.”

"What hurts? There's no sand in your eyes in the house. You're just making trouble." Long San scolded her softly, but still felt sorry for her and carefully pulled her hand away to examine it, afraid that something was really wrong with her eyes.

Han Xiao, who had been sitting quietly to the side deep in thought, seemingly oblivious to the couple, suddenly jumped up, hugged Feng Ning tightly, and exclaimed, "Feng Feng, you're so smart!" Then she hurriedly ran out.

Feng Ning was completely confused and turned to her husband to ask, "Really?"

"Fake, you're so stupid." Long San had no idea what Han Xiao had thought of. What good idea did Feng Ning just give him?

Two days later, chaos erupted in Xia Bing's camp. Many soldiers awoke to find themselves unable to see clearly, only able to discern shadows in a hazy state, causing widespread panic. Just as they were in complete disarray, war drums sounded and horns blared from the Green Valley. The Mu family army, waving their battle flags, charged in with unstoppable momentum. Many Xia soldiers knelt and begged for mercy before the battle even began. They couldn't even see anything; what was the point of fighting? Those who understood the situation were the wise ones.

The battle was won easily and decisively. Long San, along with Feng Ning, Han Xiao, and a few others, rode out of the main road of Qingshan Valley, brazenly passing before the Xia army soldiers who had knelt and surrendered. The Mu family army soldiers shouted loudly at the front lines: "Those who surrender will not be killed! Those who don't want to be blind for life, quickly lay down your weapons..."

Han Xiao hugged Feng Ning's waist tightly. The horse galloped, and her heart flew to Xia Kingdom. Although her body was extremely tired, her mood was great. She had done it. She had bought time and minimized casualties. She would soon be able to see her beloved master.

Unexpected Reunion

On the way, Long San explained the situation to Han Xiao. It turned out that Nie Chengyan really did meet Xie Jingyun in the Xia Kingdom. Xie Jingyun said that she was saved by a passing Xia Kingdom physician and taken back home. At the time, the Xie family was very afraid, fearing they had offended some evil person. So, while Xie Jingyun was seriously ill and unconscious, they set up a fake grave, performed a ritual, sold their property, and came to the distant Xia Kingdom to settle down. Xie Jingyun thought Nie Chengyan was dead, so after recovering, she stayed in the Xia Kingdom.

What she said made sense, and her surprise and sorrow upon meeting seemed genuine. However, Long San felt something was amiss. He believed that Nie Chengyan would also notice something was wrong, but the guy didn't say a word and didn't know what he was up to. This worried Long San. He tried to persuade him to no avail, so he hurriedly went to find Han Xiao.

Although Long San thought the possibility of Nie Chengyan falling for his trap was low, Nie Chengyan's mind was always difficult to fathom, and Xie Jingyun was the first woman to have moved him. She had been poisoned and died, and Nie Chengyan had always felt guilty, believing he was responsible for her death. So, when they met again in Xia Country, it would be hard to believe Nie Chengyan wasn't excited. Of course, Long San didn't say these things to provoke Han Xiao. He firmly believed that regardless of the truth or whether Nie Chengyan was being deceived, Han Xiao's appearance would be enough to wake him up.

From the moment Princess Ruyi spoke of Xie Jingyun's resurrection, Han Xiao had been mentally prepared. She had vaguely guessed that Nie Chengyan would encounter his past love. Long San's words made her heart clench, but she desperately tried to reassure herself. She had prepared for the worst, imagining countless scenarios of their meeting and speculating on Nie Chengyan's expression upon seeing her. But she never expected things to turn out this way when they actually met.

She hurried after Long San, disguising herself and taking detours, finally arriving at Nie Chengyan's lodgings after much trouble. Huo Qiyang was surprised to see her, but quickly led her to Nie Chengyan's room. For some reason, Han Xiao pushed the door open forcefully without saying hello. She saw a woman who had just fed Nie Chengyan water and was about to put the cup on the table when she tripped over the wheelchair and fell into Nie Chengyan's arms. Nie Chengyan raised his hand, seemingly intending to pat the woman's back to comfort her, but when he heard the door open, he frowned and glared, but his hand froze in mid-air, and the words of reprimand stuck in his throat. He stared blankly at Han Xiao who had barged in, his eyes filled with surprise, anger, or embarrassment, but Han Xiao was certain that there was no joy in his eyes.

One stood at the doorway, the other sat inside. The two looked at each other, speechless after a long separation.

The silence was broken by the woman nestled in Nie Chengyan's arms. Her voice was soft and gentle, and she asked Han Xiao, "Who are you?"

Han Xiao's mind had been blank at first, but upon hearing the question, she suddenly felt her eyes well up and her nose sting. This woman must be Xie Jingyun. Looking closely at her, she was indeed captivating, delicate, beautiful, and pitiful. She was being asked who she was? Han Xiao couldn't speak. How could she answer? She looked at Nie Chengyan, as if questioning him with her eyes.

Xie Jingyun also turned to Nie Chengyan, who gently helped her up and replied, "She is mine..." Before he could finish speaking, Han Xiao interrupted him quickly, shouting, "This servant is Han Xiao." She was suddenly afraid, afraid of hearing the answer from Nie Chengyan.

"This servant is Han Xiao," came the voice, followed by a deathly silence. Nie Chengyan remained silent, his face dark. Han Xiao lowered her head, refusing to look at him. Xie Jingyun stood up awkwardly, seemingly sensing something was amiss. Then, Feng Ning jumped out from behind Han Xiao, shoving her into the room, and chuckled as she said to Long San, "Long San, look, this is catching them in the act!"

Long San coughed twice, thinking, "That brat, she's so outspoken." Startled by Feng Ning's interruption, Han Xiao perked up. She walked to the table, lowered her head, and whispered, "Master, this servant has arrived." Her voice was hoarse; she suddenly realized that it had been so long since she had referred to herself as a servant in front of Nie Chengyan.

Nie Chengyan hummed in agreement, but seeing her staring intently at the teapot, he felt a pang of guilt. Tea wasn't a good drink for him, and she had always been very strict about it. Now that she had discovered he'd drunk tea, he felt inexplicably guilty. But Han Xiao didn't nag or scold him as usual. She simply took clean cups from the tea tray and poured one for each of Feng Ning and Long San: "Third Master Long, Feng Feng, have some tea."

Nie Chengyan secretly harbored resentment. She ignored him and instead served tea to others. Feng Ning chuckled and drank all the tea in one gulp, then said, "It's really delicious. Did you put any green tea in it?" As soon as she said this, Xie Jingyun and Nie Chengyan's faces turned ugly, and Long San stopped drinking tea and kept coughing.

In a moment of impulsiveness, Han Xiao blurted out, "Don't worry, I can heal you with Green Snow too." She was essentially playing along with Feng Ning. Xie Jingyun's face paled, and she leaned closer to Nie Chengyan, looking at him pleadingly. Nie Chengyan stared at Han Xiao, his thoughts unreadable. Long San stopped coughing and simply pretended to be deaf. Only Feng Ning remained composed, patting her chest and saying, "That's good, then I'm relieved."

"Mrs. Long is still as energetic as ever." Nie Chengyan finally spoke, his voice cold and hard.

Feng Ning, however, was not afraid at all. She played with the cup in her hand and said, "That's right, Lord Nie. You and Long San are not ordinary people. You should know that living with people who are not ordinary is very hard. You would have been unable to endure it long ago if you didn't have a lot of spirit." Feng Ning was obviously implying something. Nie Chengyan glanced at Han Xiao. She was expressionless, which made him very annoyed.

Feng Ning then said, "Lord Nie, I'm hungry. Xiao Xiao and I haven't eaten much on the way here. Please, be kind enough to treat us to a meal." She was both playing the victim and treating Han Xiao as one of her own, which infuriated Nie Chengyan. He glanced at Han Xiao's pale face, restrained his temper, and ordered the food to be served immediately. Xie Jingyun forced a smile and helped prepare the meal, but Feng Ning acted as if she didn't exist, not saying a word to her.

The meal took a very long time. Feng Ning's stomach felt like it could never be filled. She would eat for a while and then ask for more food. She ate slowly and deliberately, dragging her feet. The meal lasted until late at night. She was the only one at the table still eating. Finally, she seemed to be unable to eat anymore and suddenly asked Xie Jingyun, who had been sitting blankly to the side for a long time, "Do you live here?"

Xie Jingyun exclaimed "Ah!" and hurriedly looked at Nie Chengyan. Nie Chengyan calmly called Huo Qiyang over: "Send Yun'er back." Huo Qiyang responded and stood aside. Xie Jingyun bit her lip and said goodbye softly.

Han Xiao lowered his head and remained silent, as did Long San, who was also staring to the other side. He had glanced at Xie Jingyun a few times earlier at the table and had been glared at by Feng Ning, so now he was behaving himself, pretending to be deaf, mute, and blind. Only Feng Ning smiled and said goodbye to Xie Jingyun, "Take care."

Xie Jingyun glanced at Nie Chengyan again, then lowered her head and prepared to leave. Nie Chengyan suddenly called out to her, "Yun'er, think carefully about what I'm telling you." Xie Jingyun bit her lip, nodded, and finally left.

As soon as Xie Jingyun's figure disappeared at the courtyard gate, Feng Ning's smile fell. She leaned towards Han Xiao and lazily put her arm around her: "Xiao Xiao, let's go to sleep too, I'm so tired." She pulled Han Xiao to leave, but the two men reached out at the same time and each grabbed one of them.

Nie Chengyan kept his lips tightly pressed together and didn't say a word, holding Han Xiao's wrist tightly. Long San pulled Feng Ning's arm and tried to bring her to his side, while coaxing her, "Feng'er, be good, let's go back to the room."

Unexpectedly, as soon as he grabbed Feng Ning, she frowned and cried out in pain. Long San remembered that her left arm was where she had been injured before, and his heart ached, fearing that he had touched her wound, so he quickly let go. But as soon as he let go, Feng Ning picked up the chopsticks on the table and shot them at Nie Chengyan. Nie Chengyan released Han Xiao, flicked his hand to knock the chopsticks away, and in that short time, Feng Ning had already pulled Han Xiao away and run off.

Long San stared dumbfounded as his wife snatched Han Xiao away. Turning his head, he saw Nie Chengyan glaring at him angrily. Long San sighed and waved his hand, "Are you angry at me, or at my Feng'er?"

"You two are really something." Nie Chengyan gritted his teeth and said angrily. One of them secretly brought Han Xiao over without saying a word, catching him off guard, which caused Xie Jingyun and Han Xiao to clash. The other one acted like a shrew and tried to steal Han Xiao from him. At this critical moment, he should have had a good talk with Xiao Xiao, but this crazy girl ruined everything.

"Thank you for the compliment." Long San clasped his hands in a perfunctory manner, sat down, poured himself a cup of tea, drank it, then poured another cup, and casually poured one for Nie Chengyan as well. Nie Chengyan glared at the tea and pushed it away: "I can't drink it."

"Hmph." Long San said irritably, finishing his drink. "Now that she's here, you've become so obedient. Look at how you were acting the other day, it was infuriating. You wouldn't say anything when I asked you anything. What else could I do but go and get our savior?"

"Of course I have my own plans. Bringing Xiaoxiao here would only put her in danger."