Небо над реками и озерами очень чистое - Глава 20
He stopped by the pool, and Jia Ye suddenly struggled to his feet, staggering towards the water's edge.
"Gaye!"
"Get out of my way!" she shouted sharply, with an unprecedented ferocity, shoving his arms away from her. "Get the hell away from me."
He stood there, watching her step into the icy water and vigorously scrub her thin body. Blood seeped from her numerous wounds again, but she seemed oblivious to the pain, washing herself relentlessly with hatred, again and again.
On a bright moonlit night, her fair, jade-like body was covered in scars, like dark red vines climbing all over her body, making her both alluring and eerie.
In late autumn in western Xinjiang, thin ice still floats on the water.
He hesitated for a long time, but finally couldn't resist and jumped into the water to pull her ashore.
"Get away!" she struggled to break free. He held her tightly, preventing her from touching the bone-chilling water again. In the midst of their frantic struggle, she slapped him with all her might.
"roll!"
A crisp slap landed on her face.
He could have dodged, but instead took the blow hard, clinging tightly to the small, thin body in his arms.
My heart feels like it's being scraped by a thousand knives.
Jia Ye has countless wounds on her body.
Interlaced whip marks, chain marks, handprints on the face, burns on the fingers, footprints on the sides, and most glaringly, the bruises from biting and gnawing all over the face.
He applied the medicine little by little, and she would only groan when she was unconscious.
Her lips were bitten until they were ulcerated, and she endured until she reached her limit before she finally had a glimmer of hope.
Poison hidden between the fingers takes effect when burned.
At this moment, in the secret residence of the Demonic Sect, she fell into a deep sleep, her brows still furrowed.
Aside from applying medicine, he was completely incompetent.
She protected him in her own way, allowing him to escape. She paid such a terrible price.
The person beside the bed gazed silently at the sleeping girl, then suddenly buried their face in their palms. As if whipped by an invisible lash, they trembled uncontrollably, unable to shake off the endless shame in their heart.
Destroy the enemy
Jia Ye's forehead was burning hot.
The broken ribs caused a high fever, and he remained unconscious. Like someone trapped in a nightmare, he kept tossing and turning in his delirium.
He kept changing the cold cloths applied to her forehead and pressing down on her hands and feet to prevent her from hurting herself.
She groaned softly in pain, her words slurred and incoherent, utterly weak.
During her long coma, she would occasionally open her eyes and watch him gently wipe away her sweat.
He thought she had woken up, but her hazy gaze suggested otherwise.
She looked at him blankly and uttered a strange name.
“…Huaiyi…”
As if confirming that it was the person in her imagination, she became exceptionally docile, nestling softly into his arms, clinging to his clothes like a baby, acting childishly coquettish.
His dark eyes were moist and misty, as if they might drip water at any moment.
A weakness never before experienced.
When she woke up, she was momentarily disoriented.
The curtains were drawn low, the light dim, warm and comfortable.
A thick, soft silk quilt covered her body, and the simple curtains were embroidered with patterns unique to the Western Regions.
A basin of hot water on the table emitted white steam, warming the medicine bowl. Scattered nearby were cotton swabs, and various porcelain bottles containing wound medicines shone like jade in the dim candlelight.
She turned her eyes and found herself being held in someone's arms.
My back was pressed against a solid chest, from which a steady stream of heat was emanating.
He wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing down on her arms and carefully avoiding the wound.
His handsome face was asleep, and one could easily see the fatigue caused by not having rested for several days.
A thick shadow hung beneath her long eyelashes, making her look haggard.
His deep eyes were tightly closed.
When it opens its eyes again, it will probably be as hard and cold as stone once more.
The struggles, wavering, anger, and doubts that were once clearly visible have all vanished without a trace.
He was becoming more and more like a ruthless killer, and more and more like... her.
My gaze swept over the contours inch by inch, complex and obscure.
This was the change she wanted, but not the outcome she hoped for.
We must…be quick.
Otherwise... he... will never be able to go back.
He and she are different.
He still has a chance, and there's a place he can go back to.
She wanted to touch the straight bridge of his nose and the sharply defined lips, but after moving her fingertips, she gave up.
The feeling of being embraced is unfamiliar and novel.
But... it's not bad.
For the first time, I indulged my will, leaned against a warm chest, and fell into a deep sleep.
The medicine was extremely effective, and the whip wounds healed quickly.
It seems that most of the terrible trauma is superficial; the real problem is the broken ribs, which still hurt when you breathe.
"What day is today?"
Having received a definite answer, she pondered silently for a long time.
"We will set off to return to Islam within three days."
"Your injuries are too severe; you can't move yet." He glanced at her in surprise, not understanding her stubbornness.
"It's alright to ride a horse, I'll be careful."
"You know I'm not just talking about riding a horse." There's also the very real possibility of being ambushed and pursued.
While hiding here, Chishu had already conducted several city-wide searches under the guise of hunting down fugitives.
She looked closely at her hands; her burned fingers were still bright red.
"It's alright, I'll be confident once I recover my strength." She smiled faintly. "Besides, I still have you."
He remained silent.
He was worried that he wouldn't be able to protect her properly, and he was also concerned about her injuries.
No one knew her physical condition better than him, and under these circumstances, a long journey was not a wise decision.
"Are you sure?" He didn't ask any further questions.
"Um."
"Then I'll make the arrangements."
"Wait a minute." She stopped the person who was about to leave and gestured for him to come closer.
Confused, he was suddenly pulled out of his back by her right hand.
The wound pierced by the sword was red, swollen, and festering.
Why aren't you applying medicine to your hands?
He remained silent.
She glanced at him, picked up a porcelain bottle from the side, gently sprinkled some medicine powder on it, and then neatly wrapped it with a clean cloth.
"There's no need to blame yourself." She lowered her head, only her thick eyelashes visible like the shadow of a fan.
"At that time, someone had to conserve their strength. Chishu hated me, and there was no way to escape the torture."
"Besides, I've killed countless people, so I deserve what I got."
"You're just following orders; don't overthink it."
"That slap was my way of taking it out on you... I'm sorry."
His calm words eventually broke his silence. "Why should I apologize? I'm the incompetent one."
"I am your master..."
“You are a woman, or a…” she said, but the child, though seemingly frail, protected him.
"Don't be fooled by my appearance." She chuckled knowingly, then sighed softly. "I'm already seventeen, a full-time adult."
Having witnessed the vicissitudes of life and taken a detached view of life and death, I am no longer a child.
"The Demonic Sect only respects the strong, regardless of gender. It's impossible for women to be tolerated. Weakness will only make one a plaything for others, and there are plenty of those in the Allure Garden."
"I'd rather be a demon than be at the mercy of others." A fleeting look of arrogance crossed her face. She lowered her hand and coldly gave the order.
"Go, and heal your injuries as soon as possible, otherwise it is uncertain whether you will be able to return to Tianshan."
As expected, it was not an easy task.
Seeing the hundred or so elite cavalry appear ahead, the two of them sighed inwardly.
Jia Ye secretly reached out and touched her lower back; it was still... a bit difficult.