Chapter Twenty-Three: Pei Zhouwu, I Won’t Abandon You

Liu Fuying entered the room and quietly closed the door behind her.

Both windows were shut tight, trapping the thick stench of blood inside. The suffocating scent wrapped around her, making her hesitate to move forward.

Pei Zhouwu lay so still on the bed, it seemed as though he had stopped breathing altogether.

Swallowing her unease, she forced herself to step forward.

When she reached the bedside and leaned down to look, she finally detected the faintest signs of breath. Weak, but there. Enough to make her let out a breath of relief.

She sat down by the bed, her eyes landing on the blood-soaked area at his chest—blood still oozing from that spot.

The bamboo mat beneath him had been dyed a deep red, a gruesome sight.

Liu Fuying reached out, trying to open his robe to check the wound. But as soon as she touched the fabric, a large hand suddenly gripped her wrist tightly.

Even unconscious, Pei Zhouwu still retained a warrior’s vigilance. The lightest touch had roused him.

The force in his grip was startling. Liu Fuying felt like her wrist was about to snap, pain twisting her face.

“Pei… Pei Zhouwu…”

At first, his eyes were still unfocused. But upon hearing that soft, trembling voice, the light slowly returned to his gaze.

Realizing who it was, he immediately let go and struggled to sit up.

Liu Fuying panicked. He was gravely wounded—any sudden movement could be fatal. If he died now, wouldn’t all her efforts be for nothing?

“Don’t move—please, lie down,” she urged, supporting his shoulder to ease him back down.

But again, he grabbed her wrist.

“What are you doing here?” His voice was faint and raspy, lips still stained with dried blood. Every word seemed like it might draw another mouthful of it.

“You shouldn’t have come. Leave. Now.”

His furrowed brow wasn’t out of pain—it was worry. For her.

“I know…”

“You know what? Go. Right now. Get out of here.”

“I… I was worried about you, I…”

“If you get hurt or die because of me, how do you expect me to live with myself?”

Liu Fuying pursed her lips and said nothing more. A man like Pei Zhouwu—he would rather suffer himself than see someone else harmed because of him.

“Fine. I’ll go. But you have to tell me what happened.”

She rose, but didn’t actually leave.

His response only made her heart sink further.

“Once you’re out, forget about this place. Forget about me. Don’t talk about paying me back. If you want to repay me, never come here again. That would be the best way.”

“I don’t understand.” Liu Fuying sat right back down.

“Are you in danger? What will they do to you? They wouldn’t actually execute you… would they?”

What about her then?

Just give up on everything? Abandon her plan? Abandon him?

Pei Zhouwu’s strength gave out, and his body sank back onto the bed.

“I killed a prison guard. That confirms the treason charge. What do you think will happen?” His breath was shallow, but his words still sharp.

“But you didn’t… you—”

Liu Fuying stopped mid-sentence, ears pricking. She heard voices outside the room.

Pei Zhouwu heard them too. His worried gaze locked onto hers, his brow furrowed deeper.

“I know. I’ll hide.”

She hurried to the back of the bed, then dropped to the ground and crawled beneath it.

But the moment she got under, she realized something was wrong. The floor where she had been standing was soaked with water that had dripped from her clothes. That might raise suspicion.

Luckily, the sand and heat outside had dried her shoes somewhat, so the trail from the door wasn’t as noticeable.

As she considered what to do, she saw the iron chains fastened to the bed frame shift.

Pei Zhouwu’s feet touched the floor.

Blood covered him from head to toe—his heels red with it.

He forced himself to stand, staggering forward a few steps just as the door creaked open.

At that exact moment, the basin on the nearby stand tipped and fell, crashing to the floor.

Water splashed everywhere.

Liu Fuying immediately understood his intention—the spilled water would cover up the damp trail she left behind.

“Pei… Pei Zhouwu, you’re still alive?” a man called out as he entered—it was one of the guards stationed outside.

“You can still stand? Guess your injuries aren’t that bad after all…”

“Enough, enough. We just needed to confirm he’s alive. Let’s go before he goes berserk again.”

“Yeah, go, go.”

Thankfully, the two guards didn’t have any other motives. They only came to check if Pei Zhouwu was still breathing.

Soon, the door shut again. The room fell quiet once more.

Liu Fuying knew Pei Zhouwu was holding on with the last of his strength. Just as she was about to climb out, she noticed something odd.

Water from the spilled basin was running toward the base of the table leg—and there, beside it, was a burning stick of incense, nearly down to the end.

Before she could examine it further, Pei Zhouwu collapsed with a heavy thud.

“Pei Zhouwu!”

Liu Fuying scrambled out and rushed to his side, checking his breath. Still alive. She relaxed slightly.

“I’ll help you back onto the bed.”

She moved to support him, but once again, he grabbed her wrist, stopping her.

“Go. Now,” he rasped. His voice was almost gone.

Liu Fuying understood his urgency. If he lost consciousness, he wouldn’t be able to protect her at all.

“I know,” she answered—but it wasn’t really a reply to his words. She continued, firmly, “I know they must’ve used some underhanded trick to hurt you. There’s no way they could’ve beaten you otherwise. Isn’t that right?”

Though she phrased it as a question, her tone showed she was already certain.

Pei Zhouwu didn’t nod. His eyes were full of quiet despair, as if to say: Even if you’re right—so what?

Even if they had used disgraceful means, would they ever admit it? They were all part of the same faction, bound by secrecy. No one would leak the truth. And if all he had was his word against a corpse—who would believe him?

The man was dead. His body alone was enough to convict Pei Zhouwu.

“I’ll help you,” Liu Fuying said solemnly, locking eyes with him.

“You…”

“Don’t be afraid. Even if the entire world abandons you and refuses to believe you—I won’t.”

In this moment, nothing was more powerful than a promise to stand against the world with him.

Pei Zhouwu’s dazed, fading gaze slowly refocused. First there was shock—then disbelief.

But when he looked into her reddened eyes, he found his answer.