When you used to watch the moon with me, I was your Sweetie.

Xu Shang was so anxious that his forehead was covered in hot sweat.

When he left this afternoon, it wasn't because he had successfully coaxed Ah Yao. Rather, he knew that if the soldiers were left unmanaged at the martial arts arena for too long, chaos would inevitably ensue. That was why he had no choice but to leave.

Upon his return, he had worried that Ah Yao's temper hadn't subsided. Seeing her current posture, it was completely clear to him—her anger had indeed not faded.

But the problem was...

Ren Tianye's troops would catch up to them at any moment.

If they didn't run now, they would truly become dead souls under Ren Tianye's blade.

"Ah Yao, please stop making a scene, alright?"

"That treacherous dog Ren Tianye's army has really entered the city. If we don't leave now, we won't be able to leave at all."

Saying this, Xu Shang reached out to grab her himself.

Even if he had to use force, he was going to take Ah Yao away.

However, Ah Yao, who was usually so delicate she couldn't even take care of herself and who had fainted just from hearing that he was going to get engaged to Yun Wanyi, suddenly burst with an incredible amount of strength at this moment.

The moment he laid hands on her, Ah Yao struggled and jumped vigorously.

She thrashed even harder than the old sows he had seen being held down by butchers during the New Year.

Breaking free on the spot, Ah Yao's face was filled with fury.

"Didn't you go looking for Yun Wanyi? Go find her then, why did you come back?"

"And to use Ren Tianye's army entering the city to lie to me... Xu Shang, do you have a conscience?"

"In the past, when you accompanied me to look at the moon, I was your Little Sweetie."

"Now that you've remembered Yun Wanyi, you treat me like Madam Niu?!"

Xu Shang was about to go mad with anxiety.

"Ah Yao, believe me, Ren Tianye's army has really entered the city. Our situation is truly dangerous, we have to leave immediately!"

He shouted this until his voice was hoarse. At the same time, the sound of commotion and even uproar gradually came from outside the door. Ah Yao's house was located in the heart of Huai'an City, so she could hear it quite clearly.

Looking up slightly, she saw flames shooting into the sky.

She was stunned for a moment.

"Really?"

"Of course it's true. Ah Yao, don't delay, let's go quickly."

"I'm not leaving!" Ah Yao, who had been calm for less than a second, almost jumped up again. "Even if Ren Tianye's army really entered the city, the first person you thought of was actually Yun Wanyi and not me. In your heart, am I always this dispensable?"

"My life is so bitter. Why was I so dead set on following you in the first place? You heartless man, rather than this, I might as well die..."

Ah Yao let out a miserable cry, turned around, and pulled out a strip of white silk she had prepared long ago.

Xu Shang's heart trembled in fear.

"Ah Yao, I'm begging you, let's go quickly, okay? I really didn't go looking for Yun Wanyi. I really didn't, I swear to heaven and earth."

"Really didn't?"

"Really didn't!"

"Then swear it!"

"I swear!"

"Just the words 'I swear'? Are you even this perfunctory when making an oath? You definitely went to find Yun Wanyi!"

Xu Shang: "..."

Just as he was about to mentally collapse, a loud crash rang out. As the main door was kicked open, a group of heavily armed soldiers surged in from outside, most of them holding torches.

Illuminated by the firelight, everyone's faces were stern, and their blades were stained with blood. At first glance, they were clearly sharp and formidable fighters.

Ah Yao froze for a moment upon seeing this, but soon the anger in her eyes flared up to the heavens.

"Xu Shang, to cover up the fact that you went to find Yun Wanyi, you actually found so many people to put on an act?"

"Did you really go to such great lengths just to deceive me?"

"Am I only fit to be lied to in your heart?"

"You really don't love me."

"Your so-called loving me forever, loving only me, was just all talk. The one living in your heart is forever Yun Wanyi, it's Yun Wanyi."

"What... what am I even staying alive for?"

At this moment, Xu Shang truly felt like he was going to explode.

Previously, to coax Ah Yao and make her happy, he had pulled a lot of stunts, like setting off fireworks by the riverbank for a whole day and night.

Or having soldiers drill formations that actually formed the shape of a heart.

Of course, there was also the most important recent event: to soothe Ah Yao's emotions, he had chosen to let his twin brother take his place in his wedding.

With all these things falling into Ah Yao's eyes one by one, he, Xu Shang, had become an omnipotent existence. So... now Ah Yao actually thought this was just another one of his plays?

Heaven and earth be my witness!

What kind of play is this!

This is a matter of life and death!

"Ah Yao..."

Gritting his teeth, Xu Shang suddenly struck out. His hand chop was clean and sharp, hitting diagonally against Ah Yao's neck. With a soft moan, Ah Yao slumped limply into his arms.

Xu Shang only felt his ears instantly become peaceful.

Immediately, carrying Ah Yao, he ran toward the back door.

He had once given Ah Yao a gift, a peerless fine horse called Snow Qilin. Its entire body was snow-white like jade, its mane shining with a silver glow. It could travel a thousand miles a day, stepping on the wind and leaving the dust behind, comparable to the Red Hare horse recorded in ancient books.

With that horse, he, Xu Shang, would have a chance to escape with Ah Yao.

Hurrying toward the backyard, he found the horse. He first helped Ah Yao up, then vaulted onto it himself. With a tug of the reins, Snow Qilin let out a neigh and charged forward fiercely, its four hooves flying.

"Careful!"

"Careful!"

Many soldiers dodged out of the way, and even Zhang Shi had to avoid its sharp momentum. When he looked up again, he saw that as Snow Qilin rushed to the courtyard wall, Xu Shang suddenly pulled it up. The horse stepped as lightly as a flying swallow and, with a whoosh, leaped right over.

"Damn, what a fine horse!"

Zhang Shi's eyes lit up.

As a military officer who had earned countless military merits on the grasslands, Zhang Shi was least able to resist the temptation of such a peerless fine horse. This horse could simply be compared to the Duke's Night-Illuminating Jade Lion.

The Duke's Night-Illuminating Jade Lion had been captured from the grasslands back when the Duke was in the army. He had always been envious of it, and right now... he could get one for himself too.

Thinking of this, Zhang Shi became incredibly excited.

It was already impossible to let Xu Shang escape, but now it was even more impossible to let him get away.

"Pass down the order, stop Xu Shang!"

Issuing orders with his mouth, his hands didn't stop for a moment. He immediately circled out of the courtyard and saw Xu Shang fleeing rapidly ahead.

Taking advantage of the chaotic alleyways which prevented Xu Shang from widening the distance, he immediately nocked an arrow to his bow. With a whoosh, the arrow shot out, and he clearly saw it hit its mark.

His heart leaped with even greater joy.

He spurred his horse forward.

However, in order to escape with his life, Xu Shang had clearly grown desperate, whipping the horse's flanks frantically to make Snow Qilin charge at an even faster speed.

"Faster, faster, faster!"

"Snow Qilin, faster, even faster!"

After a period of anxiety, Xu Shang found that he had gradually left the encirclement. The soldiers surrounding and chasing him became fewer and fewer, until gradually there was no one.

Xu Shang finally let out a massive sigh of relief.

"Good horse, I'll give you extra fodder tonight!"

Pausing, he comforted Ah Yao again, "Ah Yao, hold me tight. In just a little while, we'll be completely safe."

"Ah Yao, stop pretending to be asleep. With all this bumping, you must be awake by now. Hold me tight, let's speed up!"

"Ah Yao, why aren't you speaking?"

"Ah Yao, Ah Yao, stop being angry, okay? I swear, I really didn't go looking for Yun Wanyi. In my heart, there is only you. Otherwise, I wouldn't have had my useless younger brother take my place to get married, right?"

"Ah Yao, Ah Yao, Ah Yao..."

Xu Shang's voice grew louder and louder, but Ah Yao gave absolutely no response. Having no other choice, he quickly reached out his hand to check on her, only to find his hand covered in a sticky mess.

By the faint light of the stars and moon, he glanced down and realized his hand was covered in bright red—it was fresh blood.

His heart instantly skipped a beat.

Disregarding everything else, Xu Shang hurriedly reined in Snow Qilin. Only then did he see that Ah Yao's face was deathly pale. At some unknown moment, a feathered arrow had pierced right through her chest.

The arrow had struck her heart and lungs, a fatal wound in itself. Coupled with the violent jolting of his frantic galloping just now, Ah Yao was now left without a single trace of life.

Xu Shang felt as if his head had been plunged into the depths of the sea, suffocating to the point where he could hardly breathe. As if unable to believe it, he reached out to check Ah Yao's breath, but even after a long while, there was not the slightest trace of air.

With a heavy thud, Xu Shang fell to his knees.

He looked up at the sky and roared.

"No!"

...