"Does Shijie care about Gu's life?"

Xie Jin Yan slowly released the woman in his arms and straightened his slightly disheveled clothes.

The snow-white inner garment made his already pale face appear even whiter. Coupled with his serious injuries sustained over the past few days, his body appeared thin and weak, further adding to his handsome features a touch of pitiable beauty.

Their eyes met, and Yu Qing Wu's chest involuntarily trembled.

Looking at his reddened eyes and then at his frail body, she wondered if she had been too forceful just now.

After a pause, she asked him in a gentler tone, with a hint of guilt on her face, "Did I… did I hurt you?"

"Yes, you hurt me."

"My heart aches terribly."

Xie Jin Yan's face was pale, and his slender fingers gently poked his chest. He looked at her with a self-deprecating smile, his voice hoarse as he said, "Shijie, I don't understand. You used to hate it when I was good to A Yue, you clearly didn't want me to have anything to do with A Yue."

"You even cried until your eyes were red because I hugged her once and picked up a bit of her scent."

"You were so unwilling to accept me protecting her in the slightest."

"But now, you've become estranged from me and returned to your former cold demeanor just because I refused to let her live in the Qingzhou mansion."

"You said I wasn't alone, you said you would always be with me. But why now? Why is this happening?"

"Is it because you think I value power in my bones?"

"But Shijie, I just don't want A Yue to live in the Qingzhou mansion, but I never said I wouldn't protect her life. Why do you judge me like this, treat me like this, just because of a few words? Do you know, I really… I really only have you left…"

His eyes were red, and by the end, his voice had faded away.

After speaking, he simply lay down, turning his back to Yu Qing Wu.

Qing Wu sat cross-legged on the bed, silently watching Xie Jin Yan's thin and frail back, her heart filled with complex emotions that were hard to describe.

Yes, he only had her now.

How could she harbor doubts and treat him coldly because of a few careless words?

But… sometimes, unintentional words are the truest reflection of one's feelings.

Although her master was vicious, used her as a tool, and exploited her in every way, her ability to observe and understand people's hearts was genuine.

She hadn't learned everything, but she had learned at least seventy percent.

It was hard to say whether she could see through others, but she had always been able to see through Xie Jin Yan easily.

It was precisely because she could see through him so easily that she was afraid, that she could easily see that he was using tricks to make her completely soften her heart.

The ridiculous thing was that looking at his desolate and half-dead appearance, she had indeed softened her heart.

Most importantly, his body really couldn't withstand any more stimulation right now.

Closing her eyes, Yu Qing Wu raised her hand and gently patted the man's back, then leaned closer.

"Jin Yan…"

She whispered his name gently in his ear.

Hearing this, Xie Jin Yan didn't reply, but instead pushed her hand away.

In the dim light, his eyes were still open, his face devoid of any expression, but the redness around his eyes revealed obvious desolation and numbness.

His appearance was as if he had suffered a great blow.

It was as if he was back on the night he returned to Qu County from Yunzhou City, making Yu Qing Wu suddenly feel a little alarmed.

She was truly afraid that Xie Jin Yan's body would be affected, and she was afraid that he was really in pain.

But what she feared was that even if she pretended to be indifferent today, this problem would still exist between them in the future.

"Xie Jin Yan, turn around."

Sighing, Yu Qing Wu's tone became more serious.

She pulled Xie Jin Yan's arm forcefully, saying each word clearly, "Yes, you're right, I am afraid."

"But Xie Jin Yan, am I wrong to be afraid?"

"How protective were you of Gao Min Yue in the past? Even… even though she almost killed me, you only scolded her a few times. Even though she was colluding with the enemy, you only drove her out of Shangjing. In the end, in your eyes, she was far more important than me."

"If it weren't for that incident, you would still be doting on her, whether it's the sibling affection you speak of, or some other kind of feeling, or gratitude. In short, she is very important to you."

"But even so, in order to protect your reputation, your first reaction was to abandon her."

"You treat her like that already, I can't imagine what would happen to me if I were in her place."

Perhaps her emotions were running high. Originally, Qing Wu wanted to explain things to him calmly, but by the end, her own eyes had also turned red.

And the man with his back to her still didn't move.

His eyes were tightly closed, and his face remained expressionless.

However, his fingers twitched slightly.

After a long while, he slowly turned around, sat up again, and looked down at the woman in front of him with red, tearful eyes. The sorrow and pity that had filled his eyes earlier had quietly dissipated.

Only loneliness, helplessness, and tenderness remained.

"A Wu, why must you think about things that have never happened and will never happen?"

After silently looking at her for a moment, he slowly reached out, gently wiping away the tears from the corners of her eyes, and sighed, "I originally wanted you to coax me, but every time I have to end up coaxing you instead."

"I'm still injured, and this is how you treat a sick person?"

His voice was gentle, and his words revealed a hint of coquetry.

Most men in the Wei Dynasty would think that a man like this lacked masculinity, but Xie Jin Yan never thought that way.

Especially in front of his Shijie, this trick was always the most effective.

If he were to take a hardline approach, it would probably end up like when she first entered the capital.

Thinking of this, Xie Jin Yan simply pulled her into his arms and gently called her name again in a low voice, saying, "A Wu, don't think about things that will never happen, okay?"

"I know that your experiences since childhood have made you prone to overthinking, but don't you know how I treat you?"

"Whenever we encounter life-threatening situations, when have I ever disregarded your safety?"

"As for A Yue, yes, I am afraid that letting her live in our mansion will bring me more trouble. I am afraid that her presence will ruin my reputation, but I didn't say I wouldn't save her, did I? I just need a foolproof plan."

"But since you've already spoken, I have nothing more to say."

"In short, let's put this matter behind us, and don't think about nonsense all day long."

Xie Jin Yan sighed, and as he spoke, he naturally pulled Yu Qing Wu down to lie down.

Hearing what he said, Yu Qing Wu couldn't help but think of the time when they were in Yunzhou City.

Yes, as he said, when they were in danger at that time, he did… protect her first.

Could it be that she was really being too sensitive this time, that she was overthinking things?