A husband found in the village? I bought a regent for a penny!

Mu Nanzhao had a dream.

He was in a dark prison, chained to a wooden frame, his body covered in blood.

A person whose face is obscured asks, "Have you forgotten who you really are?"

"Chen Fang? Or Mu Nanzhao?"

"explain!!!"

Suddenly, someone dragged out a woman in white. The woman raised her head, revealing Gu Xixi's face.

Her eyes were vacant, like a rag doll whose soul had been drained.

Mu Nanzhao was shocked. "Let her go!"

The person whose face was obscured let out a sinister laugh, "Admit it, Mu Nanzhao."

"Are you going to cause everyone around you to die because of you?"

"Your mentor, your friend, your confidant in the same court, your loyal subordinates, and this woman in front of you—they were all harmed by you."

The images of many old acquaintances flashed before my eyes like a revolving lantern.

Mu Nanzhao looked at Gu Xixi and shouted desperately, "Using her to threaten me is useless! She's just a piece of driftwood I temporarily found to take refuge in! I'm using her! Using her!!"

Mu Nanzhao's heart suddenly skipped a beat, and he abruptly opened his eyes.

The carved windows, the bright sunlight, the warm yellow bed curtains, and Gu Xixi's worried eyes.

"Why are you covered in cold sweat again? I'll go get the medic."

Mu Nanzhao's wildly beating heart gradually calmed down. "Wait."

Gu Xixi stopped and looked at him.

Mu Nanzhao took a breath and his expression returned to normal. "Where is this?"

Gu Xixi said, "This is a small village near the Northwest Army camp. There are many local soldiers in the army, and some of their families live here."

She added, "You've been asleep for a day and a night; this is the second day since we were rescued."

"Because women are not allowed to enter the military camp, General Meng settled us here and invited a military doctor to treat your wounds."

Mu Nanzhao frowned. "A military doctor?"

Gu Xixi knew what he was worried about, and whispered, "That military doctor is someone close to the general."

"The general instructed him to focus on treating his injuries, so he didn't ask any questions."

Mu Nanzhao nodded. Military doctors are best at treating sword and knife wounds, and he did feel somewhat better.

He recalled the dream he had just had, lowered his eyes, and his expression became somewhat indifferent.

"I don't need anyone to take care of me, you go and rest."

The room was quiet for a moment.

Mu Nanzhao glanced to the side and saw Gu Xixi standing there motionless, staring at him.

He asked in a deliberately impatient tone, "Why aren't you leaving yet?"

Gu Xixi reached out and handed over a pill, "This is from my master, one pill a day."

Mu Nanzhao put the pill into his mouth, and Gu Xixi immediately brought him a cup of warm water.

Mu Nanzhao couldn't help but take a second look, feeling that something seemed off about Gu Xihao.

He had just swallowed the pill and was drinking water when Gu Xixi suddenly spoke up, "You were talking in your sleep."

"Pfft!" Mu Nanzhao choked and coughed violently.

"I'm using her, using her." Gu Xixi put her hands behind her back, bent down, and approached Mu Nanzhao.

"The 'she' you're talking about, could it be me?"

Mu Nanzhao continued coughing.

He was annoyed that he was becoming increasingly incompetent, and had even developed the habit of talking in his sleep.

Gu Xixi straightened up again, looking down at Mu Nanzhao, "I don't care what you dreamed about that made you suddenly have a change of heart."

"But now you want to get rid of me and distance yourself from me? Isn't it too late?"

Mu Nanzhao's cough finally stopped. He pressed one hand to his chest and looked at Gu Xixi with a pale face.

"what do you want to say in the end."

Gu Xixi smiled enigmatically, “From you, the Meng family, General Meng, to the Northwest Army, I’m already here.”

"Even if you die and turn to ashes, those with ulterior motives can still find me. Whether I am implicated or not is no longer up to you alone."

Mu Nanzhao looked away, slightly out of breath, and said, "You can blame me."

Gu Xixi's smile faded, her eyes darkening. "That night you said that you and I are the same, and the only thing we care about most is our own lives."

"you're right."

She paused for a moment, then said, "That's why I'm never taken advantage of unilaterally, and I always have been. You don't need to worry about that for me."

Gu Xixi picked up the basin of water from the shelf, paused at the door, and said, "Actually, you didn't say anything in your sleep just now. I was lying to you."

Mu Nanzhao was stunned. A lie?!

Actually, when she encountered danger that night, Gu Xixi had already figured out that Mu Nanzhao had deliberately said harsh words to force her to leave.

She knew he meant well, but she disliked his self-righteous self-sacrifice.

So I deliberately made up those sleep-talking moments to vent my frustrations.

but……

Gu Xixi splashed away the remaining water, frowned in confusion, and looked at Mu Nanzhao's reaction. Could it be that he really had such a dream?

Meng Chengping came over carrying a three-tiered red lacquered food box. Seeing Gu Xixi standing outside in a daze, he waved and smiled:

"Boss Gu! Why are you standing outside in this freezing weather?"

Gu Xixi snapped out of her daze, smiled, and said, "Come out and empty the dirty water."

Meng Chengping strode in, asking, "Brother Mu, has your fever subsided?"

Gu Xixi nodded, "The fever subsided in the middle of last night. The military doctor said that if the fever goes down, the patient is out of danger."

Meng Chengping sighed, "You've worked so hard, giving me medicine and applying wet towels all day long. Brother Mu's escape from danger this time is all thanks to you."

"And I..." Meng Chengping lowered his head and gritted his teeth, "I am truly ashamed!"

Gu Xixi comforted her, "You've done your best. Nobody expected to encounter so many enemies."

She noticed that Meng Chengping seemed to be walking unsteadily and asked with concern, "General Meng, are you also injured?"

Meng Chengping said, "It's a minor injury. This morning I went to the General to receive twenty strokes of the military rod as punishment."

Gu Xixi was surprised, "Twenty strokes of the military rod?"

Meng Chengping said solemnly, "Protecting you two was my responsibility this time. I failed to do so and made the wrong judgment, almost causing you to lose your lives. I should be punished."

Gu Xixi remained silent; military regulations were ironclad rules, and she couldn't say anything about them.

Mu Nanzhao had already overheard the conversation outside.

When the two entered the house, he glanced at Gu Xixi first and took the initiative to say, "You're back."

Gu Xixi ignored him, walked over and slammed down the empty basin.

Meng Chengping responded with a smile, "Hey, I've come to bring you and Boss Gu some food, and I also have something important to tell you."

When the food box was opened, the first thing you saw was a large bowl of fragrant stewed mutton.

Large chunks of bone-in lamb are stewed with chunks of white radish until the broth is thick and the meat is tender.

Meng Chengping smiled at Mu Nanzhao, "You can't eat this, I'll eat it with Boss Gu."

When the mutton soup was served, another layer was lifted, revealing several freshly baked crescent-shaped flatbreads, along with two side dishes to accompany the mutton: wild leek flower sauce and pickled shallots.

At the very bottom, there is a bowl of white porridge, plus a small dish of sesame-coated dried gourd.

Mu Nanzhao looked down and protested, "Isn't what I got too plain?"

Gu Xixi sat down at the table and said sarcastically, "It's good enough that there's food at all. Aren't you afraid of troubling others?"