Watching the brother standing beside her, the images of dead brothers flashed through her mind. She finally understood how foolish and absurd she had been.
"Go..."
She uttered a single word.
That one word drained all her strength, and she fainted instantly.
Several mercenaries helped her, carrying her on their backs as they left.
Their actions did not disrupt Meng Jingwei's plan, but how could she, being so intelligent, not grasp the meaning behind Xiao Cheng's words?
The tip of her nose grew increasingly sore, tears welling up in her eyes, and a tearing pain surged in her chest.
It was a pain of guilt, self-reproach, and a deep debt owed to Xiao Cheng.
"The wound is bleeding heavily, bear with it."
Meng Jingwei raised her right hand to wipe away the tears from her eyes, then took out a lighter from her pocket. With a concerned glance at Xiao Cheng, she stuffed her removed thin shirt into his mouth.
Xiao Cheng, knowing Meng Jingwei was doing this to stop his bleeding, nodded in surprise but lacked the strength to speak further.
With the shirt in his mouth, he feared biting his tongue if the pain became too intense, rendering him unable to speak.
Meng Jingwei held the lighter, aimed it at Xiao Cheng's wound, and without hesitation, ignited it. A hiss and a burst of flame followed.
"Ah..."
Xiao Cheng let out a soul-wrenching scream, curling up in pain.
"Don't move!"
Meng Jingwei held him down, preventing him from thrashing about, which could re-open the wound and cause further bleeding.
The intense heat burning on the wound rapidly formed a scab, effectively stopping the bleeding. However, Xiao Cheng's face grew even paler, veins bulging, his entire body trembling uncontrollably.
"Endure it, just a little longer."
Seeing him in agony, Meng Jingwei instinctively embraced him, patting his shoulder gently. "It won't hurt for much longer, it won't hurt anymore..."
As she spoke, tears streamed down her face.
Her closeness filled Xiao Cheng's nostrils with a faint, familiar fragrance, like a tranquilizer that worked wonders, diverting his attention and alleviating the sharp pain of his wound.
Gradually, gradually, it seemed to hurt less.
He stopped struggling and lay quietly on the ground.
Only then did Meng Jingwei stand up, pull the shirt from his mouth, and thread it through his back, tying it securely around the wound to complete the dressing.
Having finished, Meng Jingwei sat down on the ground, exhausted, looking up at the sky as the sun set and night fell.
She heard the chirping of insects and saw a few fireflies lighting up the dark night from the grass, their faint green glow making the darkness appear exceptionally beautiful.
The wind rustled through the leaves, a soft, cheerful melody that gradually dispelled her worries and calmed her restless heart.
Meng Jingwei sat beside Xiao Cheng, watching the fireflies in the forest dance and flicker, chasing each other, soaring freely through the air, carefree and enviable.
She murmured, "Where have you placed me? And how am I to face A Ye?"
Xiao Cheng had gone to great lengths to eliminate Qing Mu Ye, yet he risked his life to protect her.
The one he wanted to kill was her husband, and the child in her womb.
And Xiao Cheng was protecting the wife of his enemy.
Meng Jingwei felt the complexity and anxiety in her heart at that moment, yet in that instant, she seemed to understand Xiao Cheng's struggle and pain.
"You... can... kill me, then you won't have to suffer."
Lying on the ground, extremely weak, Xiao Cheng spoke as if exhausting all his strength.
His breathing grew shallow. He stared at the fireflies in the night sky, listening to the sound of the wind rustling the grass. His hearing and vision gradually faded, and he finally sank into boundless darkness.