Xie Ruotong stayed with them the whole time.

An Ning’s hand tightly grasped Xiao Jinxing’s hand.

Fingers interlocked.

Xiao Jinxing’s other hand was wrapped in thick bandages.

His hand gripped the sword blade, the wound was extremely deep.

"Xiao Jinxing," An Ning murmured, calling out to him.

At that moment, the world had already darkened.

Several hours had passed.

Xiao Jinxing showed no signs of waking up.

His pulse was still there, weak as if it could stop at any moment.

"Please don’t sleep, okay?" An Ning called out to him.

Her voice was low.

Choked with sobs.

"Xiao Jinxing, I don’t want to experience another life-and-death separation with my beloved. You don’t know how long it took me to walk out of the shadow of Fu Xingyi’s death. I finally liked you, finally let go of Fu Xingyi, finally fell in love with you so much... You promised, you wouldn’t leave me! Never leave me again!"

An Ning’s emotions were overwhelming, making her body tremble uncontrollably.

Suddenly feeling powerless and very desperate.

She didn’t know what to do to wake Xiao Jinxing up.

She didn’t know what she would do if Xiao Jinxing really didn’t wake up!

All she could do was hold his hand tightly.

As long as she didn’t let go, he would never leave her.

An Ning collapsed onto Xiao Jinxing’s bed.

The physical pain and the worry and sorrow in her heart were truly unbearable.

She always thought she was strong.

Not easily hurt, not easily destroyed.

After experiencing so many earth-shattering events, she could still live well.

But now, she conceded.

She bowed her head to heaven.

If only she could.

She hoped the heavens would bless Xiao Jinxing, keep him safe!

An Ning’s tears soaked the bed.

...

The next day, dawn broke.

Everyone in the tent had fallen asleep.

Including An Ning.

And An Ning didn’t know if she had simply fallen asleep or had fainted.

All she knew.

The moment she closed her eyes.

The sky seemed to collapse, dark and suffocating.

Awakening again.

Was An Ning feeling a faint movement in her palm.

She slowly opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was that large hand, interlocked with hers.

The hand still had dried bloodstains, now all dried up.

An Ning’s eyes shifted slightly.

Was it an illusion?!

His fingers seemed completely still.

An Ning closed her eyes again.

Sometimes even wanting to deceive herself.

If she didn’t face it, it seemed as though nothing had happened.

But just when she closed her eyes again.

An Ning’s heart suddenly skipped.

The heartbeat was urgent and frenzied.

She deeply felt, between her fingers, the faint sensation that was tightening its grip on her hand, even if it wasn’t with much force.

An Ning’s tears flowed from the corners of her eyes.

She opened her eyes.

With tear-filled eyes she looked at the slight movement of that big hand.

She felt that the most beautiful scene in the world was just this.

Just watching him, still alive.

She restrained her inner excitement and got up.

As she rose, she saw the man lying there, opening his eyes.

Dark eyes suddenly met hers.

Her eyes were terrifyingly red.

His eyes seemed to redden too.

It was the joy of survival after a disaster.

An Ning bit her lips tightly.

She was suddenly so excited, she couldn’t utter a single word.

He didn’t speak either.

Seemingly equally excited to the point of being speechless.

Even vaguely thinking, he was more grateful than she was to still be alive.

He opened his eyes and could see her again.

An Ning placed her hand on Xiao Jinxing’s wrist, checking his pulse.

Though not matching a normal pulse rate, it was much stronger than the weak pulse he had last night.

It was at this moment.

An Ning truly felt, Xiao Jinxing survived.

Xiao Jinxing was alive.

Tears once again fell from her eyes, large and heavy.

That day and night, she really cried all her tears.

"Don’t cry..." His voice was low, clearly weakened to the extreme.

Yet his hand already lifted, wanting to wipe away her tears.

An Ning placed her cheek into Xiao Jinxing’s palm.

Hardly wanting to ever part.

Never to leave each other from now on.

An Ning’s lips curved into a joyful smile.

She thought.

This was her life’s happiest moment.

No other.

From now on, deep in her heart, Xiao Jinxing’s name was engraved!

Never to be erased.

"Xiao Ning."

An Ning’s smile suddenly froze.

Her tears of joy suddenly stopped.

Her eyes stared straight ahead.

Yet seemed to have no focus.

Was she hallucinating?

Xiao Ning?!

Who could call her "Xiao Ning"?!

An Ning’s cheek slowly moved away from Xiao Jinxing’s palm.

Then, she looked at Xiao Jinxing.

Looking at the familiar yet strange smile at his lips.

Looking at the familiar yet strange gaze in his eyes.

She kept watching Xiao Jinxing like this.

Watching him keep looking at her.

His eyes full of yearning for her.

As if after a thousand years.

An Ning’s eyes moved slightly.

Tears fell from her eyes.

But her body suddenly seemed, as if petrified.

For a long time, seeming to not respond.

Was she hallucinating right now?!

Because she wished desperately for Xiao Jinxing to wake up, she was now confused.

She just watched the person before her.

Watching him smile warmly.

An Ning slightly moved her lips, saying, "Fu Xingyi?"

Xiao Jinxing’s smile grew more pronounced.

He spoke, in a magnetic and gentle voice, "It’s me."

"Thud!"

At that moment, An Ning seemed to hear the sound of her heart shattering.

What she once dreamed of happening, actually happened.

It happened just like that...

She pulled at her lips.

She didn’t know right then, whether she was smiling or crying...

She even thought, was she still dreaming?!

If not in a dream. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

How could such a ridiculous scene happen.

Such an earth-shattering scene.

She should be smiling.

Smiling through tears.

How much did God love to tease her?!

When she had fallen in love with another man.

Fu Xingyi finally, came back to life.

Appeared before her.

Alive, right there in front of her.

And Xiao Jinxing... was gone!

"Xiao Ning." He called her again.

As if seeing her confusion.

Even slightly collapses.

His hand reached out again to grasp her hand.

An Ning’s hand trembled.

Was it fright?!

Fu Xingyi’s eyes shifted slightly.

Slowly, he still firmly grasped her small hand into his palm.

An Ning bit her lip tight.

The immense inner conflict and struggle made her feel as if she were breaking down completely.

She couldn’t respond to Fu Xingyi in any way.

She didn’t know how to respond to him.

She truly didn’t know if she was expecting him to arrive.

"Sorry I came late." Fu Xingyi held her hand tighter.

An Ning’s eyes trembled.

She looked at Fu Xingyi.

On his pale and weak face, those clear eyes were full of apology.

What was it?!

He came late.

Wasn’t he dead long ago?!

Dead, how could he come back to life.

How could he have entered the book like she did?!

How could he be filled with apologies to her.

"So..." An Ning looked at Fu Xingyi, at the man she once loved deeply, "What are you hiding from me?!"