Palace maid Shuoning

(One)

Huo Xiao and Zhan Qing rode their horses at full speed to the thatched cottage in the eastern suburbs.

The room was deathly silent, pitch black, without a sound or a single light.

Huo Xiao looked at the deep darkness, his heart sank, and a bone-chilling cold instantly spread through his limbs and bones.

She's not here.

Where else could she go?

Where exactly did Ye Wan hide her?

An overwhelming sense of anxiety, fear, and unease gripped his mind, making his chest feel heavy.

Before the horse had even come to a steady stop, he nimbly dismounted, his eyes filled with an unyielding gloom.

Zhan Qing stepped forward half a step, looked at the closed and dark thatched hut, and whispered, "My lord, there is no one inside. The concubine is not here."

Huo Xiao stood in front of the door, his fists clenched tightly, his jaw taut and his chest heaving violently.

He was overwhelmed by anxiety and fear, almost suffocating him, and his eyes were filled with a bloodshot red that seemed on the verge of spiraling out of control.

"Let's go to the East Palace and confront them!"

He gritted his teeth and shouted, about to turn and leave, when suddenly a series of faint, flustered noises came from inside the room.

Huo Xiao suddenly stopped, exchanged a glance with Zhan Qing, their expressions changed drastically, and they quickly rushed up the steps.

The door was firmly blocked from the inside and did not budge.

In his desperation, Huo Xiao could no longer restrain himself and kicked the door hard, again and again, with violent and desperate force.

After several powerful kicks, the dilapidated wooden door finally burst open.

The room was pitch black, so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. Zhan Qing reacted quickly, stepping forward and swiftly lighting the oil lamp.

A dim, yellowish light suddenly flared up, illuminating the desolate room.

Jiang Shuoning lay prostrate on the cold ground, his hair disheveled, his white clothes stained with mottled blood, looking utterly wretched.

Ignoring the two people who burst into the room, she frantically groped with her fingertips, desperately trying to reach the vermilion medicine bottle that had rolled under the bamboo table.

She was consumed by the agonizing pain of drug addiction, completely oblivious to everything around her, including the strangers who suddenly intruded.

At that moment, Huo Xiao froze on the spot, his mind going completely blank.

A tearing, excruciating pain, like my heart is about to explode, is intense and relentless, crushing my internal organs.

Jiang Shuoning disregarded everything and crawled under the bamboo table, his hands trembling as he grabbed the vermilion medicine bottle.

Her fingertips trembled so much she could barely hold the bottle, and she hurriedly pulled off the stopper.

There were only three pills left in the bottle.

She was so flustered that she couldn't care about anything else and threw all three pills onto the ground.

Dust settled on the medicine particles, but the excruciating pain had already robbed her of all reason. She bent down to pick them up and frantically tried to stuff them into her mouth.

Just as the pill was about to touch her lips, a hot and strong hand suddenly grabbed her wrist.

She froze, then looked up in a panic.

Under the dim light, I was struck by a pair of bloodshot eyes filled with pain.

It's Huo Xiao.

Jiang Shuoning's pupils suddenly contracted, his eyes filled with fear and panic, as if he had been forcibly dragged out of the only desperate situation he could rely on for breathing.

She strained with all her might, forcefully shaking off his hand, her whole body trembling violently.

With hands covered in dust and blood, she huddled under the small table, screaming and howling in despair, like a frightened and helpless beast.

The torment of drug addiction, the pain all over her body, the shattered hopes, and the unexpected reappearance of an old friend caused her to lose all control of her emotions.

The pain in Huo Xiao's heart pressed down in layers, a bitter churning within him, almost making him cry out loud.

Ignoring the cramped space under the table, he bent down, knelt down, and crawled inside, stretching out his arms to firmly encircle the trembling, collapsing man.

His embrace was still chilly, yet he held on tightly, refusing to loosen it even slightly.

His Adam's apple bobbed heavily, a thousand words stuck in his throat, broken into pieces, and he couldn't utter a single word.

Jiang Shuoning was still struggling and crying frantically, pushing against his chest, her fingernails unconsciously scraping his clothes, her hoarse moans hitting his shoulder one after another.

Huo Xiao simply held her firmly, letting her vent all her pain, fear, and despair, without loosening his grip at all.

"I'm in...Shuoning, I'm here."

His voice was as soft as a sigh, hoarse and damp, each word imbued with pain.

Upon seeing this, Zhan Qing immediately turned around, his back to the two people embracing under the table.

He couldn't bear to watch this heart-wrenching scene any longer. His shoulders trembled slightly, and he lowered his eyes, forcibly suppressing the stinging in them.

Silently guarding this wretched and heartbreaking corner, without disturbing it.

The dim light from the oil lamp leaked from the edge of the table, enveloping the two people embracing.

Beneath the small bamboo table lay her heart-wrenching suffering, and also his unwavering heartache.

(two)

Jiang Shuoning mustered all her remaining strength, broke free of his embrace, and pushed him away.

She crawled out from under the table, grabbed the three pills, knelt in the corner, and shoved them all into her mouth.

The pill slid down my throat, and the burning, empty feeling inside my body was slightly relieved.

Huo Xiao froze on the spot, his arms still loosely embracing her.

He slowly tilted his head back, and hot tears silently rolled down his cheeks.

Immediately, he picked up the vermilion medicine bottle at his feet, clenched his knuckles tightly, and the bottle dug into his palm. This pain was nothing compared to the pain in his heart.

Then he slowly crawled out from under the table and stood up, bracing himself against the cold ground.

Looking at that thin, almost bony back in the corner, the lonely and fragile figure broke his heart.

Huo Xiao walked slowly towards her, step by step, and gently knelt down behind her. His voice was hoarse with tears, so soft that he was afraid of startling her:

"Shuoning, I'll take you back. We're with you, everyone's with you. We'll get through this together and kick this addiction."

Jiang Shuoning shook his head vigorously, his disheveled hair swaying, refusing to utter a single word.

Zhan Qing silently withdrew, gently closing the wooden door of the thatched hut, leaving this space to the two of them.

Huo Xiao stopped pressuring her to leave, slowly took off his heavy black cloak, and carefully draped it over her trembling, thin back.

The cloak still held a trace of his warmth, enveloping her in coldness and bloodstains.

He softened his voice, as if afraid of startling a dying bird:

"Okay, we're not going anywhere. Turn around and let me see the injury on your face."

The effects of the medicine slowly spread, and the burning sensation in my bones subsided slightly, but the soreness and exhaustion still lingered in my bones and blood.

Jiang Shuoning hung his head, his shoulders trembling violently, his throat tight and unable to utter a single word.

Huo Xiao simply knelt on the ground, reached out his hand, and lightly placed his fingertips on her shoulder, moving slowly, wanting only to gently turn her around.

Huo Xiao's hand froze in mid-air, not pressing forward any further. His voice was soft and trembling, full of heartache.

"I understand. You don't want to be seen in this disheveled state. There are only the two of us here, no concubines, no Lord Huo, we don't count for anything."

Don't be afraid, I promise you, I won't let anyone see you like this.

As she finished speaking, soft, suppressed sobs escaped from between her fingers that were covering her face.

Huo Xiao reached out and carefully pulled her into his arms, his chin gently resting on the top of her messy hair.

She reeked of dust and blood, but he didn't flinch. He tightened his grip on her, holding her tightly as she swayed precariously.

The next instant, a sharp pain exploded from my shoulder.

Jiang Shuoning lowered his head and bit down hard on his shoulder. The sharp teeth pierced through the fabric, almost grinding into the flesh.

Huo Xiao clenched his teeth tightly, his back straightened, and remained motionless, not even uttering a groan of pain.

She buried her face in his shoulder, tears streaming down her face, the scalding tears soaking his clothes.

Huo Xiao understands her.

She didn't hate him; she was just in so much pain that she could only resort to such a brutal method to grasp at a sliver of real support.

All the unspeakable grievances, the excruciating pain, and the unquenchable despair were released with this fierce bite.

Huo Xiao lowered his eyes, his eyes reddening, and gently stroked her disheveled back with one hand, murmuring softly, his voice so light it blended into the wind:

"Bite away... release however you want. I'll take it."

Jiang Shuoning held on tightly to his shoulder, his teeth digging deep into his flesh, refusing to let go.

Tears and snot streamed down his face, making him look utterly pathetic.

The heavy smell of blood filled her mouth, yet she still refused to relax for a moment.

Huo Xiao remained motionless, holding her tightly, his warm palms gently patting her trembling back again and again, letting her vent her emotions freely, silently bearing all her breakdown.

Just then, the sound of galloping hooves came from afar, growing louder and louder, breaking the silence of the mountains and fields.

The sound of horses' hooves suddenly stopped in front of the thatched hut.

Bao Zhong dismounted, ignoring Zhan Qing's attempts to stop him, shoved the man aside, and forcefully pushed open the wooden door.

With a creak, the door swung open.

The room was dimly lit, while outside, the wind and snow raged. This scene struck him directly.

Huo Xiao was holding Jiang Shuoning tightly, the two embracing each other.