Qin Yining's muscles were tense and she did not let go of the hairpin. Her head was still spinning and she was seeing stars. If it were not for her high concentration, she would have fainted if she let her guard down even a little.
Pang Xiao had just pulled her into his arms when his eyebrows furrowed even more. Qin Yining was really too thin. When his large hand covered her shoulder blade, he felt a handful of bones.
How much had she suffered? How did she become so thin after returning to the capital?
In the past, when she was in his arms, she would melt into a puddle of spring water as long as he spoke gently to her. But now, she was like a frightened little beast. Her entire body was as tense as a rock and it was as if the slightest provocation would cause her to go completely berserk.
"Sister Yi, look at me." Pang Xiao held her even more slender waist with one hand and lifted her chin with the other. He bent over and moved closer to her, bringing his handsome face close to hers. "Relax. Look, I'm here to pick you up. No one wants to harm you anymore."
Qin Yining's entire body was trembling. Perhaps it was because she had been standing quietly for a while, but she had recovered some of her strength and the dizziness had finally dissipated. Surrounded by a familiar aura, she instinctively felt safe and her entire body gradually relaxed.
The person in front of her was real. It was really Pang Zhixi. She was not hallucinating at the critical moment.
Qin Yining raised her hand to touch Pang Xiao's face, but she realized that she was still holding onto the hairpin. The sharp end of the hairpin was facing upwards and almost poked Pang Xiao's cheek. She was so shocked that she loosened her grip and the hairpin fell from her fingertips to the ground.
"Zhixi, you're here."
"It's me. It's me." Pang Xiao's heart ached as he rubbed the deep mark left by the hairpin on her palm. He hugged her tightly again. "Sister Yi, it's all my fault. I came late and made you suffer so much."
Qin Yining shook her head, but she could not control her tears. They streamed down her face and soon soaked Pang Xiao's lapel.
Qin Yining was very surprised. She pushed Pang Xiao away and raised her sleeve to wipe her tears, but her tears did not listen to her and kept falling.
"What's wrong with me? What's there to cry about?"
Pang Xiao looked down. Qin Yining's tearful face was reflected in his almond-shaped eyes. His heart ache so much that it felt like it was about to burst.
"My Sister Yi has suffered so much. She has been wronged since we came back to the capital. It's all my fault that you have to suffer with me." He reached out his hand to wipe her tears, but the more he wiped, the more tears flowed down.
At this time, Huzi and several Jinghu Wei men had tied up the bandits who had chased after Qin Yining. When Huzi saw Pang Xiao and Qin Yining's appearance, he hesitated for a moment. In the end, he did not say anything and brought the bandits back to the camp to wait for Pang Xiao's punishment.
Only Qin Yining and Pang Xiao were left in the forest. The surroundings quieted down. The sun was setting in the west, and the forest was dim.
Pang Xiao lowered her head and kissed Qin Yining's eyes carefully. "It's my fault. I caused you to suffer in the palace. Not only did I cause father-in-law to have an accident, but I couldn't protect you at the critical moment. I couldn't protect you, and my mother bullied you … Sister Yi, hit me. It's my fault. I know you have been wronged. Don't cry. What if you cry too much? Can you hit me to vent your anger? "
In Pang Xiao's eyes, Qin Yining was like a child who had been bullied outside. When no one cared about her or supported her, she could still straighten her neck and protect herself. But once she saw her family, that layer of protection was removed, and what was left was a soft heart.
During this period of time, even if he was not in the capital, he knew that Qin Yining did not have a good life after leaving him. She was bullied by Consort Shun, wronged by the Empress Dowager, and almost starved to death when she was locked up by Li Qitian. After that, she experienced Qin Huaiyuan's funeral.
Pang Xiao knew how important Qin Huaiyuan was in Qin Yining's heart. When she was at her saddest, not only did he not protect her, but his mother also hit her when she was down. It could be seen how wronged and painful she was at that time.
After the funeral, she braved the danger and sent all her family members to the south step by step. When his men first received Second Madam and Old Madam Qin in the south, Pang Xiao already understood Qin Yining's plan. Later, when he met Yao Chenggu, Madam Ma, and the Yao Clan, he understood everything.
Pang Xiao arranged for people to receive the Qin family members who were rushing to the south. He could no longer hold back and quietly left the old capital with his subordinate, Jinghu Wei, and rushed all the way to the capital.
He trusted Mu Jinghu and knew that Mu Jinghu would definitely protect Qin Yining's safety.
However, it was best to protect his own wife. As for the rest, he could not completely let go of anyone else.
In fact, Pang Xiao was more grateful than ever for his decision. If he had not arrived in time …
Thinking of the scene he saw just now, Qin Yining being surrounded by four people with lewd expressions, Pang Xiao's heart burned with anger.
"Sister Yi, why isn't Blockhead with you?"
Qin Yining shook his head. "Everything was fine before we set off. But when I came out this morning, Young Master Mu was gone. Everyone was ready and the date of the funeral was fixed. I had to leave, so I had to come out like this. "
Pang Xiao nodded. He was a little angry with Mu Jinghu.
But Pang Xiao also knew Mu Jinghu's character. Mu Jinghu had always been a man of his words and was very loyal. If he had not met with an accident, Mu Jinghu would not have changed his mind at the last minute. Moreover, Mu Jinghu also knew Qin Yining's complete plan. He also knew that his sudden change of mind could bring a huge disaster to Qin Yining.
But no matter what the reason was, Qin Yining was indeed in danger because of Mu Jinghu's failure to keep the appointment.
Qin Yining wiped his face with his sleeve. After a long while, he adjusted his emotions and said in a hoarse voice, "Why did you suddenly come here? Wouldn't it be bad if you were caught for leaving your post without permission? "
"You're fine. What can they do to me?" Pang Xiao stroked Qin Yining's loose hair. He took off his outer robe and draped it over Qin Yining's shoulders to cover her dress that had been torn by the tree branches.
Qin Yining pinched his collar and said, "We have to be careful now. Your Majesty obviously fears you to a certain extent. If it weren't for your outstanding military achievements and outstanding talent, he would have kept you around because of his love for talent. Otherwise, he would have already put a label on you and wouldn't have done so much to test you."
Pang Xiao nodded silently. Before he came, he had already discussed this matter with Xie Yue and Xu Weizhi. The two outstanding strategists also thought the same as Qin Yining. They felt that Li Qitian's actions were actually to test Pang Xiao's loyalty.
Qin Yining held Pang Xiao's hand and walked towards the camp after identifying the direction. "Did Mr. Xie and Mr. Xu agree to let you come out this time?"
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