Chapter 349: Qin Muye Is Severely Injured
In the afternoon, a sudden downpour began.
Chen Mi led Jiang Qingli down the corridor, stopping at the study door.
The study was secured with the latest iris scanner. Jiang Qingli figured Xie Youchen had already registered her information, so she leaned in close.
As expected, the door opened with a soft BEEP.
"Miss Jiang, the Marshal will be back from the palace shortly. Please wait a moment." Chen Mi stood discreetly at the door without entering. "Would you like anything to drink? I can go prepare it."
"Just some warm water is fine," Jiang Qingli said, then asked, "Why did His Majesty summon him so suddenly? What’s it about?"
"I’m sorry, I don’t know either." Chen Mi smiled. Just then, he received a call and excused himself.
Jiang Qingli felt the bullet in her pocket—the one she had removed from Yuan Shiyao’s body.
She had looked up its specifications this morning but couldn’t find an exact match, which was why she had come to the Xie Family’s residence.
Xie Youchen had spent several years in the Lower District; he would likely know what model it was, making it easier to find the person who was trying to harm her.
But when she arrived, Chen Mi had told her Xie Youchen was summoned by His Majesty.
’Chen Mi usually accompanies Xie Youchen on official business. For him to be excluded this time... What kind of secret is this?’
’He’s not being sent back to the Lower District, is he...?’
The mention of the Lower District made Jiang Qingli recall the news from this morning about Ye Linyuan’s disappearance.
Although her subordinates had stressed that Ye Linyuan had intentionally evaded their surveillance and that she shouldn’t worry, Jiang Qingli could hear her own heartbeat clearly, as if something unsettling was about to happen.
The rain lashed against the window.
Jiang Qingli opened her terminal and habitually sent a few messages to Qin Muye. She was surprised to see that all the messages she had sent recently had, at some point, been marked as "read," but she had received no replies.
’Strange... Given his personality, he would have definitely sent back a long, rambling reply to every single message.’
’Is he busy?’
’Is he still debriefing his mission and doesn’t have time?’
Just as Jiang Qingli was debating whether to ask, the door was opened from the outside.
Xie Youchen was back.
Seeing her sitting there, a flicker of nervousness crossed the young man’s eyes. He nonchalantly asked, "You don’t have plans with Baili Jing today?"
Jiang Qingli reached out a hand to him, teasing, "Are you not happy to see me?"
"How could that be?" Xie Youchen paused, taking off his military jacket and hanging it on the coat rack. A hint of exhaustion laced his voice.
But when he walked over to her, the corners of his lips curved into a slight smile.
It seemed that just seeing her could alleviate much of his mental fatigue.
Xie Youchen sat on the sofa and pulled her onto his lap, his arms wrapping around her waist. He buried his face in the crook of her neck and took a deep breath.
Jiang Qingli let him hold her quietly for a while. When she felt he had more or less relaxed, she patted his back and asked, "What did His Majesty want to see you about?"
Xie Youchen’s movements faltered. He didn’t answer immediately.
He was silent for a moment before saying slowly, "...A trip to the Lower District."
Jiang Qingli asked, "To do what?"
"A routine work handover."
"Is it dangerous?"
"Not dangerous."
Xie Youchen’s voice was calm, with no trace of anything unusual.
But in the next second, Jiang Qingli called his bluff directly. "Why are you lying to me? The media has already reported that this year’s beast tide is worse than previous years. You’re going there to command the battle, aren’t you? How is that ’not dangerous’?"
His lie exposed, Xie Youchen showed no guilt at all. Instead, his lips curved as he stroked Jiang Qingli’s hair. "Mm, Ah Li is all grown up now, paying attention to the news."
Jiang Qingli: "..."
She glared at him, displeased.
Xie Youchen avoided her gaze. His fingers slid down her hair to her cheek, stroking it gently as his voice softened. "It won’t be hard to handle. If all goes well, about a month."
Jiang Qingli’s brows furrowed even tighter. Just as she was about to speak, Xie Youchen’s terminal started vibrating.
Without even looking, he rejected the call.
But the other party was incredibly persistent, calling again and again.
Neither of them spoke.
The buzzing of the terminal echoed through the silent room, harsh and jarring.
When the terminal vibrated for the fifth time, Xie Youchen seemed to get annoyed. He took it out, ready to block the unsaved number directly.
Just as he raised his finger, Jiang Qingli suddenly grabbed his wrist. "Whose call is that?"
"It’s nothing." Xie Youchen kept his eyes downcast. "It’s not important."
"Xie Youchen, do you know something?" Jiang Qingli pressed a hand to his chest, looking up into his eyes. "Ever since we were little, whenever you lie... or hide something from me, you can’t look me in the eye."
"Are you hiding something from me?"
His long, raven-black lashes trembled.
Xie Youchen saw the girl’s brows knit together as she said in a commanding tone, "Answer the phone."
Almost instantly, Xie Youchen felt a faint ache from the mark on his chest.
The mark allowed a male and his female master to connect their minds, enhancing their spiritual power and abilities. But at the same time, when a male strongly resisted his female master’s command, he would be punished.
The terminal was still vibrating, like a death knell.
Xie Youchen closed his eyes and rejected the call again.
This incredibly simple action seemed to drain all his strength. The stinging pain from the mark intensified, as if someone had stabbed a knife into his flesh and was twisting it forcefully. A cold sweat broke out on his back.
He gritted his teeth, trying to prevent Jiang Qingli from noticing anything was wrong, but when the terminal vibrated again, he lost the ability to stop her from acting.
Xie Youchen tried to stop her, his voice hoarse, "Ah Li—"
But it was too late. Jiang Qingli easily took the terminal, saw it was a voice message, and opened it.
She pressed the speaker button.
The next moment, an anxious, pleading voice came from the other side. "Marshal Xie, the Prince’s injuries are truly too severe for a long journey. Please, ask Miss Jiang to come to the Lower District and save him..."
Before the words had even faded, the sharp blare of a machine sounded, and someone shouted, "Heart rate is dropping!"
It was followed by a flurry of frantic footsteps, a clamor of overlapping voices, and the beeping of medical equipment.
Footsteps sounded as if the person on the other end was walking away, and the other noises gradually faded into the distance.
He continued, "Marshal Xie, we’ve tried finding other Healing System users, but the Prince... he’s been marked by Miss Jiang! He can only accept her healing. In his current condition, he can’t withstand a long journey."
"Besides, we can’t keep this a secret for long. Marshal Qin has already departed from the Ninth District and will arrive in a couple of days. If she tells His Majesty... then, then, then we’re all done for! I have a family to support, Marshal. Please, just cut us some slack, I’m begging you, I’m begging you..."
As if afraid of being annoying by saying too much, the voice message cut off there.
A panicked silence once again fell over the room.
The stinging from the mark gradually faded, but Xie Youchen felt a deeper pain and terror.
Across from him, the girl lifted her eyes and stared at him coldly. "You already knew Qin Muye was seriously injured, didn’t you?"
"Why didn’t you tell me?"
"Xie Youchen, what are you trying to do?"