Chapter 18

Outside the cell door, someone responded, and Luo Yu released Xie Yunyan, turning to leave.

After those black boots exited the cell, the sound of footsteps gradually faded away. Yet Su Jinyuan still held her breath, not daring to move. She knew martial artists had sharp senses, and even slightly heavier breathing could alert them. Moreover, she feared Luo Yu might return. Her breath grew shallow, and her chest ached. Just as she was about to suffocate, the “unconscious” Xie Yunyan suddenly opened his eyes and met her flushed face. Weakly, he said, “They’re gone. Come out…”

Su Jinyuan exhaled deeply, swiftly crawling out from under the plank. She sat on the ground, gasping for air. Her face was bruised and swollen, the cloth wrapping her hair had come loose, and strands of her black hair were tangled with weeds. Her eyes, filled with tears from holding her breath, glistened as she gasped and let the tears flow.

Xie Yunyan couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

Su Jinyuan glared at him in embarrassment. “What are you laughing at!”

Xie Yunyan’s voice was faint, like a whisper. “I thought you were brave, daring to break into the Ministry of Justice’s prison. Why are you so scared now?”

“How could it be the same?” Su Jinyuan retorted angrily. Who would have thought Duke Yu and Luo Yu would suddenly show up?

Xie Yunyan’s lips were pale. “What’s different? If caught, it’s still a beheading…”

Su Jinyuan was momentarily speechless, casting him a sharp glance.

“Heh…” Xie Yunyan’s lips curled slightly, but the smile hadn’t fully formed before it tugged at his wounds, causing him to cough violently.

Su Jinyuan was startled and quickly crawled to his side.

“Xie Yunyan…” She had just called his name when Xie Yunyan’s face turned pale, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. He tried to turn his head away from the young girl in front of him, but the blood still splattered on her face, staining her porcelain skin with bright red. He gasped for air and smiled weakly, “Sorry… sorry…”

For dirtying your face…

Before he could finish, his head tilted, and he collapsed.

Su Jinyuan’s eyes instantly reddened. Seeing Xie Yunyan fall, she quickly supported him.

“Xie Yunyan!”

Blood continued to flow from Xie Yunyan’s body. Su Jinyuan was utterly panicked, fumbling to press on his wounds with her clothes, but there were wounds everywhere—His chest, abdomen, neck, limbs. The countless scars revealed torn flesh, and the blood dyed her hands red, causing her tears to fall in large drops.

“Heart-saving pill… heart-saving pill!” Su Jinyuan frantically searched for a while before tremblingly retrieving the life-saving pill given to her by Xi Junning. She poured out one and placed it near Xie Yunyan’s mouth.

“Xie Yunyan, open your mouth.”

Xie Yunyan, barely conscious, clenched his teeth tightly, making it impossible to feed him anything.

Su Jinyuan tried everything but couldn’t get the medicine in. Gritting her teeth, she forcibly pried his jaw open, her fingers bleeding as they were bitten. She only let out a muffled groan, quickly pressing his jaw to push the pill inside.

“Xie Yunyan… you can’t die…”

She helped him breathe and pressed on his wounds.

Even after taking the pill, Xie Yunyan’s breathing continued to weaken. She poured out two more pills and forced them into his mouth. Only after the medicine went down did his breathing finally stabilize.

Su Jinyuan felt cold sweat all over her back. Collapsing to the ground, her tears fell uncontrollably.

“My lady, why are you still here!” Yang Hong entered and saw Su Jinyuan holding the blood-soaked Xie Yunyan. He rushed forward, shouting, “Do you want to get me killed? Hurry up and leave! Luo Yu’s men are guarding outside. If you don’t leave now, you won’t be able to escape!”

Su Jinyuan clutched Xie Yunyan’s hand, ignoring Yang Hong, and spoke to the man in her arms, “Xie Yunyan, can you hear me? You can’t let anything happen to you. I will save you. Do you hear me?”

“The Xiao family still needs you to uphold their name. The old madam and the others are still waiting for you. You absolutely cannot let anything happen to you. Do you hear me!!”

Xie Yunyan gave no response.

Su Jinyuan’s hands trembled as she pinched his philtrum, her lips tightly pressed together as tears streamed down her face.

“Xie Yunyan, hold on. You can’t die… Don’t die!”

Xie Yunyan felt his face was probably bruised from the pinching. After catching his breath, he opened his dazed eyes to see her tear-streaked face.

“Stop… stop pinching…” If he wasn’t dead, she’d pinch him to death.

Su Jinyuan broke into a smile through her tears, her face a mess of emotions.

“Why are you crying? I’m not dead yet…” Xie Yunyan said weakly.

Su Jinyuan laughed and cried, seeing him catch his breath. She held him tightly, her hands icy cold. “If you die, I won’t care about the Xiao family anymore. I’ll abandon them and run away!”

“You wouldn’t dare…” Xie Yunyan’s face was pale, his blood-stained lips trembling. “Protect the Xiao family.”

He held her hand. “I… won’t die…”

Su Jinyuan didn’t know why, but hearing him say he wouldn’t die made her tears fall even harder, landing on Xie Yunyan’s face and sliding into his mouth.

“Are you leaving or not!” Yang Hong stood nearby, anxious and angry. “He won’t die. If he really dies, Luo Yu and Duke Yu won’t be able to explain it to His Majesty. But you—if you don’t leave now, you’ll really end up dead!”

Not only would she die, but he would also be buried alongside her!

Yang Hong grabbed Su Jinyuan’s arm and pulled her up. As Xie Yunyan fell to the ground, he saw the young girl, her eyes brimming with tears, stumble and nearly collapse.

“Let her go…”

“…If you dare touch her again, I’ll cut off your hand…”

Yang Hong’s face darkened. He wanted to scold Xie Yunyan, thinking how far he’d fallen—barely able to speak coherently, yet still trying to threaten him. But when their eyes met, Yang Hong couldn’t help but shudder.

The youth’s messy black hair, blood-streaked nose, and pale, almost translucent skin gave him a ghostly, chilling aura. His phoenix eyes, cold and sharp, seemed like icy springs in a dark abyss. Instinctively, Yang Hong released Su Jinyuan’s arm.

Xie Yunyan averted his gaze and weakly said to Su Jinyuan, “…Go quickly… Don’t really get trapped here with me…”

Su Jinyuan bit her lip, watching him struggle to speak. She knew they couldn’t stay any longer. If they encountered anyone else, escaping would be nearly impossible. She walked over to Xie Yunyan, pressing a porcelain bottle containing the life-saving pills into his hand.

“Keep this safe. If you feel unwell, take one—it could save your life.”

“Mm.”

“Don’t hold out stubbornly. If they use severe punishment, find a way to stall for time until I rescue you.”

“Okay.”

“Xie Yunyan…”

“Hmm?” The youth tilted his head to look at her.

Su Jinyuan’s lips moved as if to say something, but in the end, she only called his name again.

Seeing her reddened eyes, Xie Yunyan’s heart softened. With difficulty, he reached out to pat her head as if comforting a little girl.

“Go now…”

Su Jinyuan nodded, biting her lip as she stood and left. After she was gone, Xie Yunyan looked at the porcelain bottle in his hand and couldn’t help but lick his lips. Besides the metallic taste of blood, there was a faint saltiness. It was her tears.

This was the second time he’d seen her cry. Each time, she cried so messily, unlike other girls who wept delicately. He couldn’t understand how Brother Xiao had ever taken a liking to such a clumsy girl.

Swallowing the salty mixture of blood and tears, Xie Yunyan lowered his gaze to the porcelain bottle. He coughed softly, a laugh escaping him, but the movement tugged at his wounds, causing a sharp pain that nearly made him spasm. Taking a deep breath to suppress the pain, his expression turned cold and fierce.

Duke Yu and Luo Yu!

Heh!