Xiao Man didn't know how long she had slept. When she woke up, she saw Chu Qingge's red and swollen eyes looking at her expectantly.
"You're finally awake. If you didn't wake up, I wouldn't know what to do."
Chu Qingge burst into tears. They had agreed to meet in Yuncheng, but Xiao Man was severely injured and unconscious, brought back by Xiao Luo. She was too guilty to even look at Xiao Luo's expression.
"Alright, stop crying. I'm not dead yet."
"A Man." A head poked in, and her bright dark eyes were full of joy.
Xiao Man subconsciously reached out and stroked Dugu Luo's head. "A Luo, be good."
Dugu Luo immediately smiled brilliantly, thoroughly enjoying Xiao Man's head-patting.
At this moment, her obedient appearance was a far cry from the violent little萝莉 she usually was.
"I'll go call your brother." Chu Qingge finally remembered and hurried to call Xiao Luo.
Upon hearing the news, Xiao Luo swept in like a gust of wind. The door panel was still shaking back and forth from the violent impact. Xiao Man felt inexplicably guilty. "Brother."
The smile on Xiao Luo's face disappeared. He sat by the bed. "Does your wound still hurt?"
"Seeing Brother, all wounds and pain are gone," Xiao Man immediately flattered him.
Now that she had made a mistake, if Xiao Luo were to be strict with her, she would definitely be the one to suffer.
"You slept for five days. Are you hungry? The kitchen has been simmering the meat congee you like."
Xiao Luo ultimately couldn't bring himself to scold Xiao Man.
"I'm hungry," Xiao Man obediently replied.
Xiao Luo had someone bring the congee and sat patiently by the bed, spoon-feeding Xiao Man. Xiao Man's face was filled with satisfaction. "Did Brother make it?"
Xiao Luo paused, then scooped another spoonful and brought it to Xiao Man's lips. "I don't have that kind of leisure."
"It is made by Brother. I can taste it. Although I haven't eaten Brother's congee for a long time, the taste hasn't changed at all. It's still the taste I like." Xiao Man, ignoring the pain of her wound, threw herself into Xiao Luo's arms. "Brother, I missed you so much."
Xiao Luo's expression softened. Holding the bowl in one hand and the spoon in the other, he said with a hint of helplessness, "Don't move around, lest you strain your wound. Eat your congee obediently."
Xiao Man then withdrew from Xiao Luo's embrace. "I knew Brother loved me the most."
"You ran away from the capital in secret. Why didn't you come to me first?" Xiao Luo's eyes darkened slightly.
Thinking of Dugu Mingyu, who was now living in his mansion, and how Xiao Man had almost lost her life saving him, he was filled with rage.
"Wasn't I trying to give Brother a gift?" Xiao Man tugged at Xiao Luo's sleeve, looking pitiful.
"Man'er heard that Dugu Mingyu is a rare famous general in Yunqi. If I could recruit him to serve you, Brother, you would save a lot of trouble. So, I wanted to go find him and persuade him to defect to you. Who knew some bad people bullied me. Brother, you must stand up for me. I was beaten so badly."
"Don't worry, I will avenge you. Remember, no one is worth you risking your life for, not even me!"
Xiao Man pouted, looking as if she were about to cry. She gently tugged at Xiao Luo's sleeve. "Brother, don't you like the gift I gave you?"
Xiao Luo choked slightly, his words betraying his heart. "I like it. I like anything you give me. It's just that in my eyes, you are the most important. No one, no matter what, is worth you risking your life for, do you understand?"
"I swear, it won't happen again." Xiao Man immediately raised three fingers. "Then Dugu Mingyu... Brother accepted him?"
"Since it's a gift you gave Brother, of course, I accepted it."
"I knew it, Brother loved me the most." Xiao Man smiled so wide her eyes disappeared. She heaved a sigh of relief. Being cute and acting spoiled was shameful, but it was the most effective way to deal with her own brother. If Xiao Luo was willing to accept Dugu Mingyu without resentment, this was the most reliable method.
"That girl..."
"A Luo?" Xiao Man knew Xiao Luo was referring to Dugu Luo when he mentioned "that girl." "I'll take her back to the capital."
"She can't control her strength. It's better to leave her here. Moreover, her mind doesn't seem to work well. If she goes to the capital, she'll cause you trouble."
"Don't worry, A Luo won't cause trouble." Xiao Man knew Dugu Luo too well.
She didn't know if Dugu Luo recognized her or mistook her for someone else, but she had to keep Dugu Luo by her side. Neither Xiao Luo nor Dugu Mingyu could control a berserk Dugu Luo. "She won't hurt me either."
"But..."
"Brother." Xiao Man wheedled. "If I had such a formidable young lady by my side, who in the capital would dare to compete with me? I could walk sideways in the capital!"
Three black lines appeared on Xiao Luo's forehead. *You want to take her back just to use her as a free bodyguard? That's too much!*
He then looked at Dugu Luo, who was huddled in the corner, her eyes full of anticipation. Since the person concerned didn't object, he didn't seem to have a standing to object.
"When do you plan to return to the capital?"
"In a few days. After my injuries have healed a bit more, and I can spend more time with Brother."
A doting smile appeared on Xiao Luo's face. "I'll write to Father..."
"No, Father doesn't know I ran to Yuncheng." Xiao Man quickly stopped him.
"You don't know?"
Xiao Man rubbed her nose. "I had a maid pretend to be me, feign illness, stay in the courtyard, and refuse to come out... I snuck out."
Xiao Luo just nodded upon hearing this. "Alright, you rest well. I'll be back to keep you company after I finish my military duties."
"Okay." Xiao Man smilingly sent him off, only letting out a sigh of relief when Xiao Luo's figure disappeared outside the door.
As soon as Xiao Luo left, Dugu Luo immediately snuggled up to the bedside. "A Man, I don't want to be separated from you."
"Mm, we won't be separated. When I return to the capital, you'll come with me." Xiao Man stroked Dugu Luo's head. "When we get to the capital, you must listen to me obediently, understand?"
"A Luo will be obedient. Don't leave A Luo behind." Dugu Luo held Xiao Man's hand and said nervously. Although her mind wasn't sharp, and she didn't understand what was happening, she knew that the person in front of her was Dugu Man!
Seeing Dugu Luo like this, Xiao Man sighed inwardly. It seemed her accident had indeed caused significant psychological trauma to Dugu Luo. However, she couldn't take Dugu Luo back to the general's mansion.
The general's mansion was a place of schemes and deception, and many people outside knew of Dugu Luo's identity. She couldn't risk exposure by keeping her by her side. She could only arrange for her to stay at the Hundred Flower Pavilion and be taken care of by Qin Xue.
After Xiao Luo left, Chu Qingge sneaked in. "Xiao Man, tell me honestly, what happened? How did you get injured? You have no idea how terrible and terrifying your brother's expression was when you were unconscious. He conquered a city in Yunqi overnight and killed many people."
Xiao Man was drinking water when she heard Chu Qingge say that Xiao Luo had conquered a city in Yunqi overnight. She was stunned. "Is my brother crazy?"
"If you didn't wake up, he would have truly gone mad!"