"Nothing, nothing my ass!"
Yu Shu shouted in a hoarse voice. She looked at the strange man lying on the ground not far from her. Her back was covered in cold sweat and her heart was pounding. She couldn't tell if she was more frightened or angry.
She grabbed the door frame and stood up from the ground while enduring the pain in her ankle. Her body swayed a little, and Xue Rui saw her movements and hurriedly supported her elbow with his hand. Yu Shu borrowed his strength to stand up and leaned against the door frame. She gently pushed him away and looked at Jing Chen's hand that was hanging by his side with a straight face. Because it was dark, she couldn't see it clearly, so she waved at him and said hoarsely, "Come here."
Jing Chen obediently walked over. When he saw Yu Shu's hand reaching out to him, he didn't dodge. He let her carefully hold his hand and frowned.
As if he could feel her hand slightly trembling, Jing Chen said softly, "Don't worry. You didn't hurt your bones."
Hearing this heartless words, Yu Shu felt even more uncomfortable. She couldn't help but glare at him. She turned her head and pointed at the killer on the ground. She said to Xue Rui, "Please carry him in."
As she said that, she held Jing Chen's hand and limped into the courtyard. Xue Rui looked at their backs and temporarily suppressed his doubts. Resigned to his fate, he walked to the disguised night watchman's side and bent down to grab him by the back of his collar. Without any gentleness to speak of, he dragged him into the small courtyard.
Xue Rui had sent Yu Shu home several times. This was the first time he entered the house. The courtyard wasn't big, but it was clean and tidy. He couldn't help but think of the temporary residence in Yiyang City and the days when he saw her frequently.
After a moment of absent-mindedness, Xue Rui casually threw the man against the wall. He found half a clothesline in the courtyard and tied the man up. He clapped his hands and looked at the house in front of him.
The moment Xue Rui entered the room, he saw the scene in the room. Unknowingly, his footsteps stopped at the doorway. In the bedroom that was made up of walls … the furnishings were simple and crude. There was a bed, a cloth screen, and a study table by the window … There was an oil lamp on the table. A handsome unfamiliar man was sitting on the chair while she was squatting by his side. She was holding onto his blood-red wrist while concentrating on wrapping his palm with a towel. There was a medicine bottle by her feet and a basin of water was soaked with red liquid. The corner of her clothes hung in the basin … She did not even notice that it was half wet.
The strange man lowered his head to look at her. There was no pain on his face, only an almost calm focus. Her face was illuminated by the oil lamp. Her lips were tightly pursed, and she couldn't help feeling a little heartache.
Looking at this scene, Xue Rui's eyes dimmed. He didn't think and broke the silence: "It's better for me to find a doctor."
"It's so late … Are there any medical halls open?" Yu Shu turned her head and asked.
Xue Rui nodded. He was not familiar with this area. It was inconvenient for him to find a doctor in the middle of the night … But he saw this young man blocking the knife for Yu Shu. He knew that his injury was not light. If he left him like this, even if his hand was not crippled, it would leave a sequela in the future.
"Then I will trouble you." Yu Shu said gratefully.
Xue Rui didn't hurry to leave. He asked: "Oh right, where is Xiaoxiu? Why don't I see him?
Yu Shu's hands stopped moving. She was worried about Jing Chen's injury. Now she realized that she didn't see Yu Xiaoxiu for a long time.
"He said he will go out to pick you up." Jing Chen said.
Yu Shu frowned: "When did he go out? How long has it been?"
Jing Chen thought for a while: "About half an hour."
Yu Shu suddenly became anxious. It had been half an hour … She wouldn't be worried at other times. But today was special. She was afraid that the child would encounter something bad.
Xue Rui saw her changed face and comforted her: "Don't worry, I will go out to look for him."
Then he turned around and was about to leave … But he was stopped by Yu Shu.
"Wait, I will go with you." Yu Shu quickly tied a knot on the back of Jing Chen's hand. She squatted beside his leg, looked up and apologized to him: "Jing Chen, you wait at home. I have to go out to look for Xiaoxiu."
The injury on Jing Chen's hand had reached the bone. Logically speaking, he should find a doctor first. But Yu Shu was really worried that Yu Xiaoxiu would have an accident. She could only ask Jing Chen to wait for a while.
Jing Chen had doubts about what happened tonight. But when he saw Yu Shu's flustered expression, he didn't ask more. Instead, he said: "I will go with you."
How could Yu Shu let him run around like this? She said, "No need, the two of us can go look for him. The person who wanted to kill me is still in the courtyard. You stay here and watch him. Don't let him run away."
Jing Chen looked up at Xue Rui. He thought that this person also knew martial arts. He nodded and didn't argue with Yu Shu. He was afraid that it would delay them.
Yu Shu stood up with the help of the table. She stamped her feet. She was still in pain from the sprain. Fortunately, it didn't affect her walking. She immediately left with Xue Rui.
Yu Shu hurriedly left the house and followed the path she took to Autumn Osmanthus Lane to search for Yu Xiaoxiu. Xue Rui followed her because he was also worried that something might have happened to Yu Xiaoxiu. Even though he had his suspicions, he did not ask too much about the identity of the unfamiliar man who had appeared in her house.
"Xiaoxiu, Xiaoxiu!"
It was late at night. They ran a few streets. Except for the beggars sleeping on the roadside, they didn't see anyone, let alone Yu Xiaoxiu. Yu Shu was getting more and more worried. She was sweating and shouting Yu Xiaoxiu's name at the top of her voice. She didn't care if she would wake up the neighbors. She wanted to spread her voice so that people within a radius of ten miles could hear her.
"Let's split up. It'll be faster this way. Maybe he took the side road." Yu Shu was burning with anxiety. She turned her head and said to Xue Rui.
Xue Rui rejected her suggestion. "Let's go together. It's so late. I'm afraid that someone might ambush you in the dark."
Yu Shu gritted her teeth and said, "The one who came to kill me tonight must have something to do with Bi Qing. I didn't expect him to have a backup plan. That thief!"
She didn't think it through. She should have told Jing Chen and Xiaoxiu to stay at home and not come out.
The two of them went from one end of the street to the other. Yu Shu's back was soaked with sweat. Her voice was also hoarse from shouting. At this moment, a response came from not far away. "Sister?!"
Yu Shu looked at the figure running towards her from the corner of the street. She was so excited that she almost burst into tears. She went forward and grabbed the panting Yu Xiaoxiu. She patted his back and scolded, "Where did you go in the middle of the night?! You brat! "
Yu Xiaoxiu was stunned. He didn't dodge and stammered, "I, I saw that you didn't come back so late, so I wanted to pick you up. Who knew that I didn't see you all the way. I thought I got lost, so I came back."
"Didn't I tell you not to pick me up? Why are you so disobedient? Don't you know that you made me anxious? You got lost in the middle of the night. Where can I find you?! Ah? "
Yu Shu was full of twists and turns tonight. When she saw Yu Xiaoxiu, she felt relieved. She couldn't suppress her temper and scolded him.
It was the first time that he saw Yu Shu so angry at him. Yu Xiaoxiu felt wronged in his heart. He didn't dare to talk back. He lowered his head and let her scold him.
"It's good that you found him." Xue Rui knew that Yu Shu was worried about him. He said, "I will send you back first. I need to find a doctor."
Only then did Yu Shu stop scolding him. But her hand was still holding Yu Xiaoxiu tightly. It seemed that she was afraid that he would get lost.
Yu Xiaoxiu looked at Xue Rui. He was puzzled. He wanted to ask Yu Shu, but she glared at him and stopped him.
Xue Rui sent the siblings back and instructed them to close the door before he turned around and left. He had a lot of things to do tonight. After he settled Yu Shu's matter … he still had to make a trip to the magistrate court. Originally, the matter would be settled after he caught Qiu Biao. Who knew that an assassin would suddenly appear and follow them back home … This made it impossible for Yu Shu to hide it from Jing Chen and Yu Xiaoxiu even if she wanted to. She had no choice but to take the opportunity when Xue Rui went to look for the physician to explain the situation to the two of them.
After listening to the whole story, Yu Xiaoxiu and Jing Chen had different reactions. Yu Xiaoxiu was normal. After all, he was still young. The memory of escaping from the ship was too deep. He couldn't help but feel scared. He pulled Yu Shu's sleeve. He didn't blame her for hiding such a big thing from him.
Jing Chen didn't say a word … His right hand, which was tightly entangled by Yu Shu, was flat on the table. He looked at the oil lamp. No one knew what he was thinking.
Yu Shu didn't notice his strange expression. She had already calmed down. She patted Yu Xiaoxiu's shoulder and said gently, "Don't worry. It's all right now. Your Brother Xue has sent officers to catch Bi Qing. They killed so many people. They can't escape the death penalty."
After comforting Yu Xiaoxiu, Yu Shu coaxed him to go to sleep. "Wash your face and go back to the room. Cover yourself with the quilt and go to sleep. You don't need to go to the Academy tomorrow."
"What about you?" Yu Xiaoxiu grabbed Yu Shu's arm. He didn't want to let go. He didn't hold a grudge when she scolded him on the street. He only cared about his sister's kindness. "There is a bad guy in the yard. I can't sleep."
"What are you afraid of? That person was beaten half to death by your Brother Jing and Brother Xue. He is unconscious. Go to sleep. How can he be so timid?"
Yu Shu pushed Yu Xiaoxiu back to the room to wash his face. She watched him lie down on the bed and covered him with the quilt. She patted him and closed the door.
She stood alone in the yard for a while. She closed her eyes, inhaled and exhaled. She suppressed the palpitation of the cold dagger. She didn't think about the fear at that time. After she sorted out her emotions, she went to Jing Chen's room to find him.
Jing Chen sat on the bed to rest. Yu Shu dragged a chair over and sat down. She looked at him with hesitation. Before she opened her mouth, she heard him say, "My martial arts have recovered."
"When did this happen?" Yu Shu didn't look surprised.
"About half a month ago, I mentioned to you that one night, I couldn't sleep and came out to practice swordsmanship. I felt that my body was getting better, but you didn't believe me," Jing Chen continued when he saw that Yu Shu wasn't upset. "I realized that every time I practiced swordsmanship, my body would feel better. I practiced swordsmanship every day when you were asleep or not at home. After half a month, I feel that my body has recovered."
Yu Shu raised her hand and massaged her forehead. She realized that sometimes she really liked to act smart, whether it was about Jing Chen or what happened tonight.
"Xiaoyu, my body has recovered," Jing Chen repeated. He sat up straight and leaned forward slightly. He raised his uninjured hand and gently pressed on Yu Shu's thin shoulder bones. Due to the loss of blood, his face was slightly pale. However, his clear eyes were full of seriousness that could not be ignored.
This kind of gaze was too sincere and undisguised, allowing others to see to the bottom. This complete trust caused Yu Shu's heart of stone to involuntarily waver. She heard him say in a deep voice, "Thank you for saving me on the river, taking care of me for so long in the capital, and putting in so much effort for my matter. Although I still can't remember what happened in the past, from now on, you don't have to treat me as a weak patient. So if you encounter any trouble or danger, whether it's worry or fear, you can tell me. Even if I can't help you, I will definitely protect you. As long as I'm by your side, I will do my best to not let anyone hurt you. I mean what I say. "
This simple and unpretentious words, at this moment, sounded especially heavy. Yu Shu looked at Jing Chen's face that was inches away from hers. Seeing the unmistakable sincerity in his eyes, she felt a wave of sourness in her eyes.
After living for almost thirty years, she was used to putting on a strong front. She was always the one who used all her strength to protect others. In her previous life, it was Yu Lei. In this life, it was Xiaoxiu. However, this was the first time that someone said this to her so seriously.
She wanted to laugh it off, she wanted to be indifferent, but at this moment, she couldn't help but have some greedy thoughts that she shouldn't have. She looked at this pure and innocent young man in front of her, who was willing to use his back to block a sword and his hands to block a dagger for her.
"Jing Chen, let me ask you," Yu Shu's voice was low and hoarse, with a trace of uncertainty, "If one day, you regain your memory and realize that I lied to you and hid many things from you, at that time, will your words still count?"
Jing Chen's expression didn't change. Without a hint of hesitation, he nodded lightly, "Yes."
Yu Shu raised her hand and placed it on Jing Chen's shoulder. Holding the back of her slightly cold hand, she raised her head and looked straight at him with her bright eyes, "This is what you said. Don't regret it in the future."
Xue Rui left for over an hour before he returned with the doctor, and at the same time, he also brought along two soldiers.
Xue Rui let the doctor in to look at Jing Chen's injuries. He called out to Yu Shu who was about to follow him in, "Ah Shu, it's not convenient to leave this killer here. I'll get someone to bring him back for interrogation."
Yu Shu thought that this was a good idea and said to him, "Let's wait for the doctor to look at Jing Chen's injuries first."
Xue Rui didn't understand what she meant and asked her with his eyes. He saw Yu Shu sneer, "If Jing Chen's hands were to make a mistake and become sick in the future, then this person's hands can be discarded."
Hearing her harsh words, the corner of Xue Rui's mouth stiffened. He didn't suspect that she was lying, but seeing how she was so protective of the man named "Jing Chen", he felt a little suffocated. He coughed and took the opportunity to ask, "It's been a busy night and I haven't asked you, who is this young master? Is he a neighbor? "
Xue Rui didn't expect that Jing Chen lived with Yu Shu and the others. It was no wonder that Jing Chen's room was empty and there wasn't even a piece of clothing hanging on it. At first glance, Xue Rui thought that it was Yu Xiaoxiu's sleeping quarters.
Yu Shu thought for a while and decided that there was nothing to hide. She said, "He's not a neighbor. Jing Chen is my good friend. We met on the way and came to the capital together."
Hearing this, Xue Rui felt that something was wrong and asked, "Then why is he at your house at night?"
Yu Shu laughed, "He lives here. If he's not at home at night, then does he sleep on the street?"
Yu Shu peeked into Jing Chen's room and was anxious to hear the doctor's explanation. She missed the moment when Xue Rui's expression changed.
"Ah Shu."
"What?"
At this moment, Xue Rui had a bellyful of words to say. He wanted to scold her for being careless and not being aware of the situation. How could a woman live with a man? He also wanted to say that if she did not have enough money, he would help her find another empty residence and let this "Jing Chen" move out. However, when he saw her absent-minded expression, he recalled that time in the alley when she unhesitatingly raised her hand to block the knife behind her back. When the words reached his mouth, they turned into two words.
"… It's okay."
Yu Shu didn't hear the little bit of tolerance in Xue Rui and said to him, "Then I'll go in and have a look."
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