Chapter 876
For a long moment...
None of them spoke.
Only the sound of breathing filled the air.
Gradually, they began to recover, though the fatigue remained deep, their limbs heavy and unresponsive, their strength nearly drained to nothing.
Even as martial artists—
They had reached their limit.
Li Shu turned her head weakly, glancing back into the darkness they had escaped from, her voice trembling slightly as she spoke. "Sister Xianling… they didn't follow us, right?"
Mu Xianling also looked back, her gaze sharp despite her exhaustion, as if trying to pierce through the layers of shadow.
After a moment, she nodded. "They shouldn't have. That monster was too strong… it likely stopped them."
Relief came.
But it was fragile.
Li Shu's body suddenly shook. "I was so scared…"
Her voice cracked, and as the memory resurfaced, her eyes reddened almost instantly, tears welling up before she could stop them.
"If that monster hadn't appeared… we might have…"
She couldn't finish.
The words stuck in her throat.
And then—
She broke.
Li Shu, who was usually bright, lively, and fearless even in battle, who could face enemies without hesitation and never showed weakness was now crying.
Quietly.
Uncontrollably.
Mu Xianling's heart tightened at the sight.
Without hesitation, she pulled Li Shu into her arms, holding her gently, one hand resting on her back as she spoke in a soft, steady voice.
"It's alright… it's over now. They didn't catch us. We're safe."
Her tone was calm.
Reassuring.
Like an anchor in a storm.
"I'm here," she added softly. "I won't let them hurt you."
But even as she said those words—
Her own fear had not vanished.
It was still there.
Buried.
Suppressed.
Because right now, she could not afford to collapse.
Not when Li Shu needed her.
Not when they were still in danger.
Li Shu clung to her tightly, burying her face against Mu Xianling as if seeking warmth, her voice trembling as she asked in a small, fragile tone:
"Sister Xianling… do you think we'll see Brother Li Wei again? Will he… come find us?"
Mu Xianling lifted her gaze slightly, looking into the distant darkness, as if trying to see beyond it.
Then, firmly—
"Yes. He will come. We'll meet him again."
Li Shu nodded weakly, but her tears didn't stop.
"I'm just… so scared…"
She choked slightly.
"I was afraid… they would…"
Her voice broke again.
"Take everything from me…"
She tightened her grip, her words dissolving into quiet sobs as the fear she had held back finally spilled over. "If it is Brother Li Wei, it is different but.."
Mu Xianling's eyes widened in shock as she stared at Li Shu, as if she had just heard something completely unbelievable, her mind momentarily going blank from the sheer boldness of that thought, because no matter how she tried to process it, it still felt far too dangerous, far too reckless for someone like Li Shu to even consider.
This kind of idea was not something a young girl should casually speak of.
And yet Li Shu had said it so naturally, so sincerely, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Mu Xianling's heart tightened.
Li Shu had always been close to Li Wei, far closer than most people would ever be, and if such thoughts were allowed to grow unchecked, then what would happen in the future? What if Li Wei ever crossed that line, even unintentionally—would Li Shu even know how to refuse?
The answer frightened her.
No.
This could not continue.
Without thinking further, Mu Xianling reached out and gently held Li Shu, her voice turning unusually serious as she patted her back, trying to steady both the girl and herself.
"Shu'er, you mustn't think like that," she said firmly, though there was a trace of urgency hidden beneath her calm tone. "For a woman, the most precious thing is her chastity. It's something we protect our entire lives."
Her gaze softened slightly, but her words did not waver.
"If he's not your husband, then no one has the right… no one can take it, do you understand? Even your Brother Li Wei… he cannot."
She paused, then added more gently,
"And besides, those two people didn't catch up. We're safe now. Nothing will happen to us. Don't be afraid anymore."
What Mu Xianling didn't realize—
Or perhaps chose not to admit—
Was that, in that moment of danger earlier, she herself had fleetingly entertained a similar thought, a desperate instinct born from fear and helplessness.
But now—
That thought was buried.
Ignored.
As if it had never existed.
After all, it was easier to correct someone else than to confront oneself.
"But…"
Li Shu lifted her head, wiping her tears with the back of her hand, her eyes still red but now filled with a strange seriousness.
"I want to marry Brother Li Wei."
She looked directly at Mu Xianling.
"Will he marry me?"
"Ah?" Mu Xianling froze.
Her mind stalled for a second time, completely unprepared for this new declaration, her expression turning stiff as she struggled to process what she had just heard.
"M-Marry?"
She shook her head quickly, almost instinctively. "No, no, Shu'er, that's not right. You and Li Wei… you're like brother and sister. How can you talk about marriage? That's not appropriate."
Li Shu frowned slightly, her small nose wrinkling in protest.
"We're not real siblings," she said stubbornly. "We're just relatives. And I really like him."
Her voice grew firmer.
"He's strong, kind, reliable… someone like that, what girl wouldn't like him?"
She lifted her chin slightly. "Anyway, I want to marry him."
Mu Xianling felt a headache coming on.
"This… you're still young," she tried again, her tone softening into persuasion. "You don't fully understand what love is yet. Maybe what you feel now is just admiration. When you grow older, you might meet someone more suitable, and then these thoughts will fade."
"I've already grown up!" Li Shu protested immediately, her voice carrying a hint of dissatisfaction. "No matter how many years pass, my feelings for Brother Li Wei won't change."
Mu Xianling sighed helplessly.
For some reason, hearing Li Shu speak so firmly about marrying Li Wei stirred something inside her, something faint but undeniable, a discomfort she couldn't quite name, as if a small corner of her heart had been quietly poked.
She wanted to refute it.
To correct her.
To firmly deny this possibility.
But—
What right did she have?
She was neither Li Wei nor Li Shu.
What authority did she have to interfere?
"Sister Xianling…"
Li Shu suddenly glanced at her, her eyes narrowing slightly as if she had just discovered something interesting.
"Do you also like Brother Li Wei?"
She tilted her head.
"Is that why you don't want me to marry him?"
"You—!" Mu Xianling's face flushed instantly. "What nonsense are you talking about? I don't like him!"
Her denial came too quickly.
Too sharply.
And the panic in her expression only made it less convincing.
Li Shu crossed her arms, looking completely unconvinced.
"Hmph, you still want to hide it from me."
She leaned slightly closer, her tone turning teasing yet confident.
"Before coming to Western Mansion, didn't you even send someone to my family to propose marriage to Brother Li Wei? That's basically saying you want to marry him, isn't it?"
"T-That was different!"
Mu Xianling hurried to explain, her voice stumbling slightly.
"I lost a bet to him, so I had no choice but to do that. It wasn't my own intention!"
"Really?" Li Shu pouted, clearly skeptical.
"Then how do you explain staying in his room for several days right after arriving at Western Mansion?"
She raised an eyebrow.
"A man and a woman alone together… who knows what happened?"
Her tone turned playful. "And you say you don't like him? Who would believe that?"
"I didn't!" Mu Xianling's face turned completely red now, her words coming out in a flustered mess. "We were just… I mean… I…"
She stopped.
Because she realized—
There was no way to explain it without sounding even worse.
Was she supposed to say she had been cooking, cleaning, serving tea, and acting like a maid the entire time?
Who would believe that?
Even she wouldn't, if she hadn't lived it herself.
Seeing her speechless, Li Shu smiled triumphantly.
"See? You can't explain it."
She nodded to herself.
"So it's settled."
Her expression suddenly turned serious again.
"You can be Brother Li Wei's main wife. I'll be his second wife."
She said it as if it were the most natural arrangement in the world.
"Men always have multiple wives anyway. I don't mind."
Mu Xianling opened her mouth, wanting to argue—
But then it closed again.
Because she could already see it—
No matter what she said now, Li Shu wouldn't believe her.
And continuing this conversation would only lead to even more embarrassing topics.
So in the end—
She gave up.
Silently.
The forest fell quiet for a moment.
Their breathing gradually steadied.
The tension eased slightly.
And then—
A hesitant voice came from the side.
Soft.