La vie parfaite sous la dynastie Song

Chapitre 193

As soon as the ropes binding him were cut, Xu Lie eagerly got up, ripped the duct tape from his mouth, and frantically asked, "Are you hurt anywhere? Are you hurt?!"

"No." I put the black bracelet on his wrist, trying to maintain my indifferent expression. "Dad, you'll find this useful."

"This is... Bingye's 'ultimate'?" Xu Lie was slightly taken aback and was about to speak when a loud bang came from ahead, and even the ground beneath their feet shook violently. I was prepared and grabbed a large piece of oilcloth next to me to wrap around us. A moment later, a pair of hands reached out from the side and hugged me tightly.

I reached out and pushed him away, but heard a very low groan. I knew I had touched his wound. Remembering how his body was covered in bruises just now, I felt a little soft-hearted and couldn't bring myself to resist.

After the aftershocks subsided, I ripped open the tarpaulin and whispered rapidly, "The box where the money was kept was equipped with a small bomb; Shao Junyi must have been injured. We've already dealt with the sentries around him, Mo and Wu Jing. If you can inject the tranquilizer dart into Shao Junyi, we can return safely."

Xu Lie stared at me blankly, as if bewitched.

I panicked and urged him repeatedly, "Hurry! While he's still too stunned to get up and can't fire a shot..."

Without warning, Xu Lie's hot and forceful kiss landed on me, irresistibly. His dry, cracked lips, full of the smell of blood, kissed me deeply and fiercely before releasing me. In a hoarse voice, he said, "Galan, let's go back together! Back to our home! Wait for me!" After saying that, he turned and rushed into the smoke of battle.

That cry of "Wait for me" inexplicably filled me with dread. Watching his figure disappear into the thick smoke, I felt as if his body had suddenly faded, faded to the point of being invisible, faded to the point of being about to vanish from this universe.

The words caught in my throat. I clenched my trembling hands and stood up. Fortunately, the smoke dissipated soon enough; the bomb was actually quite small, with the smoke component being much larger.

Figures gradually appeared in the smoke; I could vaguely make out two people standing and one lying down. My heart skipped a beat, and I was about to rush over when I heard a familiar, moist voice in my ear: "Xu Lie, let's discuss this. How about I handle this person?"

"Zi Mo! It's Zi Mo!" I called out in my heart, and all my fear and panic vanished, replaced by an indescribable warmth and peace. As the thick fog dissipated, I saw Xu Lie kick the person on the ground hard, sneering, "Can you guarantee that my punishment will satisfy me?"

Zi Mo smiled leisurely, a snow-white cigarette still between his fingers: "How about this, the first three months are mine, the next three months are yours, and then we'll sell him to South Africa."

Xu Lie was disheveled, but his cold laugh exuded an imposing aura, showing no sign of disarray: "Deal!"

I secretly stretched, only to find that every joint ached. Sure enough, it's easier to get tired when you're pregnant. And my constitution is already weak; if I'm not careful, I might miscarry again.

"Are you alright?" Zi Mo had come over unnoticed and reached out to touch my forehead. "Are you feeling unwell anywhere?"

I quickly shook my head, squinted my eyes, and smiled, "I listened to you and stayed away from danger, how could I get hurt?"

"I meant yours..." Zi Mo frowned, then suddenly ruffled my hair and said, "Never mind, since everything's alright, let's go back."

Zi Mo's hand was suddenly grabbed, and Xu Lie, his face dark, pulled me to his side: "Are you sick?"

I gave a wry smile. Is pregnancy considered an illness? Is a bruise from him choking me considered an illness? I really couldn't be bothered arguing with him: "No, I'm just a little tired. Let's go home."

There were indeed two gondolas, both inside the building, but I had no idea where Zimo had climbed up from. Zimo sat down first, and then it was my turn. Xu Lie helped me step into the gondola, and suddenly I heard a clear, gentle voice from behind: "Xu Lie..."

Xu Lie's hand, which was supporting me, froze, and I was also half-frozen. We both turned around at the same time. Xue'er, dressed in flowing white, was standing where I had just untied the ropes for Xu Lie, staring blankly at us.

I wasn't sure if it was just my imagination, but I felt Xue'er had lost a lot of weight. Her white dress loosely hugged her slender body, and her black hair framed her pale face. I could almost see the veins flowing beneath her skin, glistening like snowflakes, yet devoid of color. She stood barefoot on the gravel ground, blood streaming down her path, dust clinging to her pale toes. I shook my head, utterly horrified. I knew Xue'er was beautiful, but at this moment, she was ten times, a hundred times more beautiful than usual. She was like a firework bursting in the sky, radiating beauty in the final act of her life. A beauty that was bewitching and alluring, a beauty that was tragically beautiful, a beauty that was breathtaking.

Although the abandoned building was large, the three of us were all there, yet even Xu Lie and Zi Mo failed to notice his presence. The thought sent shivers down my spine. Why did Meng Xue'er before me resemble a ghost more than a human?

"Xu Lie, are you going to abandon me?" Xue'er stared at Xu Lie with sorrowful eyes, asking each word clearly.

Xu Lie was somewhat taken aback, quickly reaching out to protect me, and said coldly, "Why are you still here?"

"Since you didn't leave, of course I'll stay by your side," Xue'er whispered. "Xu Lie, you came to save me, risking your life to save me, I'm so happy!"

Xu Lie let out a low, angry sneer, his eyes blazing with fury, but it slowly faded when he saw the injury on her foot, turning into helpless sympathy and guilt.

Xue'er took a few steps forward, blood sticking to the rough floor. I felt pain, but she seemed oblivious. Suddenly, I sensed something was wrong. Looking closer, I saw bruises on her neck and bare arms, along with bite marks. The blood on the floor wasn't just seeping from her feet; some had also flowed down her thighs.

I was so shocked that I covered my mouth with my hand, and I could basically guess what had happened to her.

Xue'er completely ignored me, her face filled with sorrow as she looked at Xu Lie, who was protecting me. Her voice was soft and melodious: "Xu Lie, why didn't you come to save me yesterday? I only pretended to cooperate with Junyi so that you would come back to me, but you hung up on me. I was so desperate then. Junyi was so angry, he pounced on me, hit me, bit me, and tore my clothes... Xu Lie, why didn't you come to save me then?"

A look of guilt slowly crept into Xu Lie's eyes, tinged with a hint of pity. He reached out his hand to her and said softly, "Xue'er, don't say anymore, come back with me."

Xue'er shook her head sadly, glancing at me before looking away. There was no hatred, no jealousy, only a blank emptiness: "But no matter what, you still came to save me in the end, and I'm so happy. You didn't push me away, you draped your clothes over me and hugged me, and I'm so happy. Because you were worried about me, you took my tranquilizer without resistance, and I'm really happy. Xu Lie, in your heart, I'm more important than your life, aren't I?"

A sudden realization dawned on me, and I vaguely guessed what had happened. Xu Lie had been tricked by Xue'er. If it had been Shao Junyi calling, Xu Lie, even if he had rushed to Xue'er's rescue, would have been wary. But if it was the sorrowful, weeping Meng Xue'er calling, given Xu Lie's personality, he would never have suspected anything. He entered Xue'er's house alone, only to be tricked by Xue'er and Shao Junyi. Ugh! I really don't know what to say about this man! I thought dejectedly.

Xue'er was still softly saying things like, "That version of you was only mine," when suddenly her tone shifted, her voice becoming sharp and sorrowful: "But everything changed when Lin Jialan came. Xu Lie, I was so unhappy watching you kiss her! Xu Lie, did you see that? My heart is bleeding! I was the one who met you first, we were the one who fell in love first, she was the third party, so why did you kiss her like that? Xu Lie, why?"

Xu Lie sighed and said softly, "Xue'er, I'm sorry. Just consider it a mistake on my part. You're so young and beautiful; you'll find someone better in the future."

"No! I absolutely won't!" Xue'er shook her head frantically, a strange, vibrant blush rising on her pale face, as if someone had stained her cheeks with blood. She cried out, "I only want you! Xu Lie, let's go back to the past, okay? We can definitely go back!"

"Xue'er, stop making a scene." Xu Lie took a few steps forward and raised his voice, "Nothing can be undone. What's past is past!" Xu Lie suddenly paused, glanced back at me, and the lingering sadness and deep affection in his eyes made me tremble slightly. He spoke each word as if he weren't lecturing Xue'er, but rather stating his own life philosophy: "If you regret it, strive to change it; if you despair, let go and give up. But no matter what, never expect time to turn back. Because time is the most ruthless thing in this world. It takes away feelings, takes away sorrow, takes away attachment, leaving only... ugly scars."

I gently placed my palm on my lower abdomen, closed my eyes, and felt an indescribable sorrow. Time, it has left behind what it shouldn't have left behind, and taken away what it shouldn't have taken away. It left me with the pain of being destined to be apart from Xu Lie, and brought me the agony of being so close yet so far from Yi Han. But when will it finally allow me to leave behind pure love and happiness?

"If we can't go back..." Xue'er's calm, melodious voice, even carrying a hint of eeriness, suddenly reached my ears, "If we can't turn back, then let's all start over! The three of us... let's start over and compete fairly."

I opened my eyes abruptly and met Xue'er's smiling, alluring gaze. She looked at me with her most beautiful and radiant smile, her pale lips parting slightly: "This time, I will never let you take Xu Lie away again!"

"Galan!! Get out of the way!" Xu Lie shouted in panic. I heard two loud bangs and instinctively backed away. I leaned back and felt a sharp pain in my cheek. A few strands of hair fell and landed on my blue and white T-shirt. I had narrowly avoided a bullet at the last second!

Before I could even catch my breath, I suddenly felt my feet sink into the ground, and I heard Xu Lie shout my name in a hoarse voice. I didn't even have time to scream before I plummeted through the air. I forgot that we were just about to go down in a gondola, and I was already on the edge of the abandoned building.

I could feel the intense pain of my wrist being stretched, and my whole body was swaying back and forth in mid-air. When I looked up, I saw Xu Lie holding onto the hanging basket's rope with one hand and tightly gripping me with the other. His already scarred arm had reopened, and blood stained his white shirt bright red, like a scene from a dream, a vibrant, poignant red amidst blooming wildflowers.

I felt my arms were almost numb from being suspended in the air, and Xu Lie was undoubtedly in even more pain. Zi Mo was down below; I wondered if he had taken any measures to rescue us. But the biggest problem right now was that Meng Xue'er, dressed in flowing white and as beautiful as an angel, was tightly gripping a gun, pointing it at us.

Suddenly, I smelled a strong, pungent stench of blood. I looked up and almost screamed in shock. I saw that Xu Lie's arm, which was holding mine, was now stained crimson with blood. Drops of blood fell from the air, some trickling down his arm and soaking his entire palm in no time. The greasy, weak, and menacing look made it seem as if he would lose his grip on me if I moved even slightly.

It turns out, what I thought was just blood seeping from a burst wound was actually a gunshot wound. He was shot while saving me! Luckily, it was only in his shoulder; with timely treatment, he shouldn't be in any life-threatening danger.

As I was trying to comfort myself, I heard Meng Xue'er cocking the gun, about to pull the trigger. The dark muzzle was pointed at me, and I could almost see my head exploding.

I closed my eyes with a bitter smile, feeling a sense of despair. The fear of death was ever-present, but not as terrifying as I had imagined. I just regretted not having swallowed my pride and explained things to Yihan first. I shouldn't have let him think, in his anger and disappointment, that I would never come back. I never wanted to leave him alone, yet I always ended up abandoning him.

We are so close yet worlds apart. Whether near or far, we are destined to only gaze at each other from afar, unable to be together even when we love, and unable to be intimate even when we are together. Is this truly our fate?