Repeatedly broken branches

"Little Spoon, did he bully you?"

Xiao Mu gazed at her tenderly, her eyes filled with concern.

Xiao Shao shook her head. "Your Majesty, don't worry about me. He treats me very well. Now, you should think about how to handle the business outside the palace. Although Xie Huai is highly skilled, he has a wild nature and often goes out drinking, which causes him to miss orders. I'm afraid he will ruin your shop. This is your hard work!"

Xiao Mu kept her lips tightly closed, carefully considering Xiao Shao's words. What she said made sense, but the only person who could take over the shop was Xie Huai. She didn't trust anyone else. First of all, Xie Huai's skills were beyond question, and secondly, Xie Huai was quick-witted and shrewd in business. No one could take advantage of him.

Xiao Shao raised her eyebrows slightly, recalling the way Ruan Cifeng looked at Xiao Mu—so gentle, so full of affection. Compared to that, it was like heaven and earth, making one sigh.

"Xiao Shao, I'll talk to Xie Huai and make him change. He's our friend now, so you're responsible for helping me keep an eye on him, not for complaining about him, understand?" Xiao Mu said with a smile in her eyes.

Xiao Shao was actually a little resentful. Why was it that when Xie Huai made a mistake, the Empress didn't punish him or let him leave, but instead made him correct his ways? If it were her, the Empress certainly wouldn't be so soft-hearted...

It seems that in the Empress's heart, she is not as good as Xie Huai, a brat she has only known for a short time.

"Your Majesty, Madam Zhou and Miss Ouyang have arrived..." You's gaze drifted to the window. Madam Xue and Ouyang Meixi both arrived with red eyes, so it seemed they were up to no good.

"Your Majesty, please save Tingxi..." Before Xiao Mu could speak, Madam Xue pulled Ouyang Meixi down to kneel down, one of them holding Xiao Mu's skirt while looking at Xiao Mu sadly with tears streaming down her face.

Xiao Mu helped the two of them up, her gaze sweeping over them. "What happened? Why do you and Miss Ouyang look like you've just been crying?"

Sobbing, Madam Xue said, “This morning I received a letter from the desert. The Emperor sent men to set fire to Tingxi’s military camp in the desert. He, Wei Hao, and Zhen Xun were all in the tent… but they haven’t found his body. The Emperor has sent people to search everywhere. If they find him, they will be killed without mercy. What should we do… I heard… Tingxi dismissed the soldiers guarding the desert a while ago… it seems to be because of this… Your Majesty, please save Tingxi… please…” Madam Xue knelt down with a thud and kowtowed desperately on the ground.

You felt a moment of disorientation. What had she just said... Wei Hao... Wei Hao was here too, but he clearly said he would come back and marry her...

He wouldn't lie, because last time he said he wanted to meet, and we still met, didn't we?

She composed herself and gazed at Madam Xue...

Ouyang Meixi was heartbroken. If Zhou Tingxi hadn't given the Snow Region Kingdom's military tally to the Empress as a wedding gift, why would the Emperor have gone to such lengths to kill them all?

“Madam Zhou, please get up first…” You helped Madam Xue to sit down.

"I'm going to find Yu Yanjing!" Xiao Mu got up and walked out of the palace gate. She walked quickly and didn't dare to stop for a moment.

Xiao Mu was extremely panicked. Zhou Tingxi, was he still alive? Since they hadn't found his body, he must still be alive. How could he be so stupid as to give her the military token that could protect him? What would happen to him?

Where is he now? Did he escape...?

What if, what if, he's in the camp? What if his remains are just burned to ashes and can't be identified...?

Thinking of this, Xiao Mu suddenly stopped, her heart aching in waves, like someone was constantly stabbing her with needles, a rhythmic pain.

She calmed herself down and slowly pushed open the door to Yu Yanjing's study. He was sitting at the table, intently reviewing documents.

"Xiaozhi, what brings you here?" Yu Yanjing looked up, his eyes sparkling.

Xiao Mu stood there, unsure of what to say. Should she ask Yu Yanjing again to help save Zhou Tingxi? He wasn't heartless; why did he repeatedly help her save her ex-husband?

She felt sorry for Yu Yanjing, but Zhou Tingxi's matter couldn't be delayed for a moment. She had said she wanted him to live a good life.

He must live well.

"Yu Yanjing..."

"What's wrong?" Yu Yanjing's peach blossom eyes curved into crescent moons with laughter, and the corners of her mouth were also slightly upturned.

“Zhou Tingxi, he…” Xiao Mu stammered, unable to finish her sentence.

Yu Yanjing put down his pen, propped his head up, and patiently looked at Xiao Mu, who was standing there like a wooden statue. He lazily said, "If he comes, I will definitely treat him well, give him a position, and treat him like I treated Deng Yizhi. Is that alright?"

Xiao Mu felt a warm current flowing through her heart. Yu Yanjing, you are so good, but being so good to me makes me feel even more sorry for you, because I feel that you are compromising to make me happy.

“Yin Fu’an set fire to Zhou Tingxi’s camp…and Zhou Tingxi’s body has not been found yet. Yin Fu’an is determined to kill them all. If he finds Zhou Tingxi, he will definitely kill him…What should we do…I mean…what should we do with him…” As she spoke, Xiao Mu’s tears fell. She didn’t want Zhou Tingxi to die, that was all.

Yu Yanjing pulled her into his arms, ruffled her hair, looked at her tenderly, and asked in a low voice, "You want me to save him, right?"

Xiao Mu nodded slightly, wrapped her arms around Yu Yanjing's waist, buried her head in his chest, and said softly, "He... returned the military seal to you, so please save him one last time... okay!"

Yu Yanjing had originally intended to tell her today about the past, how they met, and how they got along—he remembered everything. However, under these circumstances, he chose to keep it to himself.

“Okay…” he said softly, “I will save him, but I want to know, do you still have feelings for him?”

Xiao Mu answered truthfully, "Of course not. I already told you that he betrayed me. I only have the feelings of a friend I've known for many years. I just want him to live well. I won't hide that from you. I don't want him to die, that's all!"

Yu Yanjing smiled and said, "I believe you. I'll have Shen Ruoxuan send someone to the desert to find him right away."

As long as you don't have him in your heart, I would willingly save him a hundred times, ten thousand times...

"Thank you... Yu Yanjing..."

I'm sorry, Yu Yanjing. I know you did it for me, to please me. This is the last time I'll make you do something against your will. It will never happen again, never again...

Every time, Yu Yanjing had to compromise for her sake. She didn't want that anymore. She felt incredibly pained, heartbroken that Yu Yanjing had to do things he didn't want to do just to please her.

"Have you been feeling unwell lately? I heard it from You..."

Xiao Mu raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I was just feeling dizzy and didn't have much of an appetite. I'm feeling much better now. I guess I was just too overworked lately!"

Yu Yanjing patted her head. "Now that everything is done, you can get some rest."

"I think you're quite magnanimous; the Chaoyang Imperial Palace is practically turning into a refugee camp."

"You're only just realizing this?" Yu Yanjing's eyes held a hint of gloom. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have taken them in. You understand my heart, that's enough."

Xiao Mu giggled, "Of course I know, otherwise how could I be your empress!"

……

Xiao Suzi, with disheveled hair, floated towards him. Her face was burned by the raging fire, with not a single patch of undamaged skin, festering and infested with maggots. Her right eye was burned into a deep, bloody hole.

She swayed and twisted her waist, opened her blood-red mouth, and stretched out a severed hand to lunge at herself.

"Sister Xiaomu, it hurts so much...it hurts so much...my sisters' faces are burned black, their features are unrecognizable...Sister Xiaomu...it's all because of you!" Her voice was terrifying, as if her throat had been burned.

"I didn't mean to... I'm sorry, I'm sorry... Xiao Suzi..." Her legs trembled, and she had no strength to back away.

Xiao Suzi, with her horrifyingly gruesome face, suddenly moved closer. Her face was just an inch away from touching Xiao Mu's face, and Xiao Mu's legs were so weak that she couldn't even stand up.

"I'm so lonely down there. I can't find my sister because I only have one eye!"

"Sorry……"

Xiao Mu was speechless and could only keep apologizing. She knew that she had harmed Xiao Suzi's family. She was powerless to resist and could only silently let Xiao Suzi complain in front of her.

"What's the use of saying sorry... Sister Xiao Mu... I'm going to drag you into the abyss too!" Suddenly, Xiao Suzi's hands gripped Xiao Mu's ankles tightly, and she dragged her into a dark hole with all her might.

"No, Xiao Suzi...no..." Xiao Mu's blood seemed to freeze, and she covered her ears and screamed incessantly.

But now Xiao Suzi is a ghost, not a human, so how could she hear her pleas for mercy? The more she screamed, the more excited Xiao Suzi became...

"what!"

Xiao Mu was covered in sweat. She suddenly sat up in bed, glanced around to make sure she was in her own room, and then let out a long sigh, still shaken. She couldn't remember how many times she had dreamed of Xiao Su Zi. Each time, Xiao Su Zi's death was different, and each time it was more frightening than the last.

How can anyone sleep now?

Xiao Suzi appears in her dreams every night, making it impossible for her to fall asleep in the second half of the night, so she has been feeling mentally scattered lately.

Turning my gaze, I saw that Yu Yanjing had already woken up and was quietly leaning against the couch, his brows furrowed deeply. He pursed his lips tightly and asked after a long while, "Did you have another nightmare?"

Xiao Mu curled up, her forehead damp with sweat, and uttered a soft, delicate sound.

"Alright... I'll ask a monk to come and see what's going on for you tomorrow..." Yu Yanjing pulled her into his arms and gently stroked her delicate back.

A hint of helplessness flickered in her eyes as she desperately tried to hide her inner turmoil. "No need, I've just heard too many ghost stories... I'm just scared..."

Fortunately, she didn't call out Xiao Suzi's name, otherwise if Yu Yanjing had heard it, she wouldn't have wanted to keep the lie... She didn't tell Yu Yanjing about this part of her experience, and it can be said that apart from Xie Huai, no one else knew about it.

This was a thorn deeply embedded in her heart, a dull ache that could only be pulled out a little on the day Bai Jiaoyu died, allowing her to feel a bit better...

She was afraid to fall asleep because she would have nightmares, all sorts of dreams that made her feel almost suffocated.

"Are you still able to sleep?"

Xiao Mu shook her head. "Go to sleep. You have to attend the morning court session tomorrow, don't you? Don't let me keep you awake!"

Yu Yanjing's voice was low and husky yet alluring, like a gentle breeze blowing in autumn.

"Let's sleep together, if you can't sleep, neither can I."

"But I really can't sleep." She blinked her big eyes, putting on a pitiful look.

Yu Yanjing gazed at her with hazy eyes, swallowing hard. Suddenly, he felt his mouth go dry. The little white rabbit, startled awake in the middle of the night, with its innocent and lively eyes, seemed to be saying to him, "Come and eat me... come and eat me..."

Xiao Mu felt less scared and gently leaned against Yu Yanjing, her voice soft, "You should go to sleep. I can catch up on my sleep this afternoon." She then stroked his face with her fair little hand, her eyes shining with an unusually gentle light.

Yu Yanjing tried his best to ignore Xiao Mu's soft voice, took a deep breath, and said, "Okay... you watch me sleep..."

Xiao Mu tucked him in, gently patted Yu Yanjing's head, and said to him in a coaxing tone, "Go to sleep, don't open your eyes..."

Yu Yanjing obediently lay down, closed his eyes, and did not open them.

After a long time, just when Xiao Mu thought he was really going to fall asleep, Yu Yanjing suddenly opened his eyes and looked at him with a mischievous smile.

Why aren't you asleep yet!

Yu Yanjing smiled meaningfully, "What do you think?"

"Hey! I don't want to..."

Before he could even speak, Yu Yanjing had already kissed him, so tenderly and urgently, all his words carried away by a few soft kisses…

……

It's all Yu Yanjing's fault. He made me have a dull ache in my lower abdomen for a long time today. I don't know why. It's not very painful, not like the pain of menstruation, but it's still a very torturous kind of pain.

I've arranged to go out with Xie Huai to buy raw materials today, so I can't be late.

She changed into a light blue dress, draped with a light gauze shawl, looking elegant and refined. Her long hair was tied up high, secured with only a white jade hairpin. Too lazy to look for another hairpin, she casually pulled one out of her makeup box. Unexpectedly, it was the one Ruan Cifeng had given her. It didn't matter; it was just an ornament.

"Xie Huai, what kind of people have you been dealing with lately?"

Xie Huai frowned and clicked his tongue. "When did you become so interested in my private affairs?"

"I'm asking you seriously, what kind of people have you been dealing with lately? I feel you've changed a lot, you seem more unruly?"

Xie Huai was taken aback and had no words to reply. He had been busy dealing with the nobles from the Western Regions royal family who were visiting, either going to restaurants or hunting. He hadn't been reporting to Xiao Mu about the shop's affairs much, which explained why she felt he had become wild.

"With some old friends."

Xiao Mu's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and she chuckled awkwardly, "From the Western Regions?"

Xie Huai nodded slightly, remaining silent to indicate his agreement.

She had only asked out of guesswork, but she hadn't expected that they really were from the Western Regions. Her mind started to work out; perhaps she could get through these people... just in case they didn't know Bai Jiaoyu?

“They are the king’s cousins, your cousins. You probably don’t know them, as they rarely come to the palace.”

A hint of joy flashed in her eyes. "Really? Can we get to know each other now?"

Xie Huai's eyes darkened slightly. "Of course not. They're not good people. Your little emperor won't let you have any contact with them... Besides, they're very close to Bai Jiaoyu, so they might not treat you well!"

Xiao Mu only caught the words "has a good relationship with Bai Jiaoyu." Wasn't this what she wanted? If she had a good relationship with Bai Jiaoyu, she could use that as a starting point.

"I'm not a good person either. Besides, I'm definitely going to avenge Bai Jiaoyu. Since you can't help me, I can only try to get help from others..." Xiao Mu blinked.

His eyes flickered, as if Xiao Mu's words had struck a nerve. So she had been bothered by his failure to help her all along? Did she really need his help that much?

That's true, she's a girl... her abilities are limited, but her husband is the emperor, can't he help her either? Is she the only one who can help?

But Bai Jiaoyu is so annoying and infuriating. Does he really want to risk his life? If he really helps her... will she be happy and grateful to him?

"Are you going to agree or not?" Xiao Mu asked again.

Xie Huai's eyes suddenly brightened. "I agree, but I want you to come with me to a place!"

"Okay!" Xiao Mu readily agreed.