“Master…” Su Wei’s eyes wouldn’t even meet Su He’s anymore. She could barely grasp the words, let alone the fact that her martial arts had been crippled.
Su He had completely erased her Inner Strength. How could she possibly start from the very beginning?
“Alright, go to sleep early. We depart first thing tomorrow morning.” Su He didn’t want to see her shed too many tears. Finding it irritating, she offered a couple of comforting words and prepared to leave. “If you need anything, just call Su Yun.”
Su Wei still said nothing. She watched Su He leave in silence. She sat on the bed and then watched Su Yun walk in.
“The Master ordered me to keep watch over you tonight. Are you not sleeping yet?”
Su Wei stared fixedly at her eyes for a moment. After a few seconds, she lay back down on the bed, offering no reply to Su Yun’s words.
Su Yun didn’t say anything more either. She extinguished the candle, laid out her own bedding on the floor, closed her eyes, and settled down to sleep peacefully.
She didn’t have a high opinion of Su Wei. Su Yun’s nature was inherently proud. If reality hadn’t worn down her edges, she likely wouldn’t have stooped to selling herself to bury her father.
Coupled with the fact that both her parents had just died, her mood was already low. Her attitude towards Su Wei was very indifferent, even bordering on cold.
Su Yun only wanted to manage Su Wei’s food and drink properly. As for the rest, she couldn’t care less.
Su Wei naturally sensed Su Yun’s attitude toward her as well. She didn’t have the energy to deal with any of it. She lay with her eyes open, staring numbly at one spot. She didn’t understand how she had fallen to such a state—truly becoming a cripple. Could she still be a Shadow Guard?
The answer was clearly no.
Su Wei could no longer cry. She couldn’t sleep either, and she ended up staying awake with her eyes open all the way until dawn.
Just as Su He had said, they were to set off at the first light of dawn. Su Wei’s movements were slow. She didn’t like others fussing over her, so she had to get up earlier than everyone else.
She couldn’t wear form-fitting clothes anymore, only loose ones. In just two short days, she had grown much thinner. There wasn’t a trace of color on her face. She didn’t speak, just stood quietly in place, waiting for orders.
She looked as if she had calmly accepted the reality.
“Does it hurt?” Su He walked to her side and gently squeezed the back of her neck, guiding her forward as if holding her. “Su Yun told me you didn’t sleep last night.”
Su Wei made an “En” sound. Her tone was somewhat strange. “I couldn’t sleep.”
Su He seemed to ask casually: “It doesn’t matter. You can sleep in the carriage later, it’s the same thing.”
She led Su Wei into the carriage. Outside sat the Palace Attendant and Su Yun, with the Leader responsible for driving.
“What’s wrong? You don’t seem happy at all today.” Su He leaned back inside the carriage, studying Su Wei. “If you have any grievances, tell me directly. I’ll resolve them for you.”
Su Wei lifted her eyes and met Su He’s gaze directly. Before she could even speak, Su He grasped her wrist and gently pulled her over. The next moment, she was sitting on her Master’s lap, her hands flustered, not knowing where to place them.
“What are you panicking for?” Su He held Su Wei’s hands still, preventing her from moving. She took off the Human Skin Mask on her own face, revealing her true features. “Don’t be sad. I will find a way to cure you.”
Su Wei’s shoulders flinched. She slightly lowered her eyes. Just as she parted her lips, Su He leaned in and kissed her. Su Wei’s eyelashes quivered. Her body kept retreating, but her Master pressed firmly against her back, not letting her pull away at all.
Her gaze grew hazy. Her hands slowly wrapped around Su He’s neck, allowing her Master to do as she wished with her.
Su Wei’s lip color became much rosier, and a flush spread across her cheeks. Her eyes still held a dazed, uncollected look.
“Speak. What do you want?”
Su He was breathing lightly, but her eyes remained exceptionally clear.
Su Wei slowly caught her breath. Held in her Master’s arms, her gaze fell on the swaying carriage curtain. She said, “I don’t want Su Yun keeping watch over me at night.”
“Did she displease you?” Su He raised an eyebrow.
Su Wei thought for a moment, then gave an “En.” She closed her eyes, finally, sluggishly, feeling the onset of drowsiness.
It wasn’t that she disliked Su Yun. It was that the feeling of being monitored by a single person was unpleasant. If someone had to be there, she’d rather it was a familiar face.
But in truth, she didn’t want anyone at all.
.
Su Wei could no longer remember when she had fallen asleep. When she woke, Su He had already put her mask back on, and she was nestled in her Master’s arms, having slept the entire journey.
“Master!” Su Wei instantly came fully awake. She tried to get up but saw only darkness before her eyes, her body pitching forward.
Su He caught Su Wei steadily. She patted her Shadow Guard’s back. “Careful, don’t tear your wound open.”
Su Wei lay on Su He’s shoulder for another moment to recover before carefully moving off her Master. Her eyes trembled as she sat to the other side, her other hand gripping the dagger tightly.
She preferred the feel of the one He Erlu had gifted her.
“We’ve arrived. Come down.”
Su He stepped out first. As Su Wei stood up, she saw her Master extend a hand, as if to help her down. For some reason, she felt her Master was in a particularly good mood.
Their destination this time wasn’t here but further away, more toward the Jiangnan region.
Su Wei followed Su He into the inn and was properly arranged into a room. Just as she was about to put down her own luggage, she saw the Palace Attendant also bring in the Master’s belongings.
“This… tonight, you’ll squeeze in with Her Majesty.” The Palace Attendant gave a dry laugh and retreated swiftly after speaking.
Su Wei was thus left alone in this room. She stood by the window, watching Su He walk off in a certain direction with the Leader.
She watched for a few seconds, then silently closed the window. Su Wei leaned her back against the windowsill, took a deep breath, and attempted to circulate her Inner Strength. Before she could even hold it for two seconds, her body gave way. She pitched straight forward, her hands bracing hard against the table, one knee hitting the floor. Blood seeped through her fingers. She started coughing violently, her body trembling uncontrollably.
“Shadow Guard Su!” The Palace Attendant burst in. But just as she was about to rush over and help Su Wei up, the other’s glare stopped her dead in her tracks. Her lips moved. “Su… Shadow Guard.”
Su Wei covered her mouth with one hand. Blood dripped through onto the floor. The former gentleness in her eyes was completely gone, replaced by ferocity and icy coldness.
As if she wanted to devour the intruder bit by bit.
“I’m fine.” Su Wei stood up on her own. Her hair was a bit disheveled, falling over her chest. She spoke hoarsely, “I was just testing. I wanted to see if I was really a cripple.”
“Now I believe it.” Su Wei gasped. “Please fetch some water for me. Don’t let the Master see this when she returns.”
The Palace Attendant nodded rapidly, immediately turning to go downstairs and fetch water.
Su Wei sat down on a chair. Her fingertips curled inward. She closed her eyes, concealing the collapse within.
Her injury hadn’t healed completely. This incident only worsened her condition further. As soon as Su He returned, she heard that Su Wei had developed a fever again. Fortunately, it was only a low-grade fever, nothing too severe.
When Su He walked in, the Palace Attendant had just brought the medicine up. Seeing her, she immediately knelt. “Your Majesty, you have returned.”
“Rise. Put the medicine there. You, go out.” Su He’s tone left no room for refusal.
The Palace Attendant acknowledged, and as she closed the door, she glanced at Su Wei. She sighed silently and shut the door completely.
“Are you… a maidservant?”
Su Yun’s voice suddenly sounded from behind the Palace Attendant, startling her badly. The Palace Attendant was speechless for a moment, then turned around and stared at Su Yun in silence.
“What I mean is—” Su Yun also realized her words were ambiguous. She said sternly, “What I mean is, could the Master be… that person up there?”
The Palace Attendant rolled her eyes at her. “Guess whatever you want. Just know that you must obey the Master’s orders properly. Don’t concern yourself with anything else, and don’t ask.”
“Then… what is the relationship between that Shadow Guard and the Master?” Su Yun lowered her voice. “If you don’t tell me, I’m afraid I’ll unknowingly touch the Master’s reverse scale.”
The Palace Attendant had stayed by Su He’s side for so long; how could she be tricked into revealing information by a few words from Su Yun? Her gaze swept over Su Yun from head to toe. After a moment, she said, “Then just wait to lose your head.”
With that, she walked right past her, giving Su Yun no further opportunity to ask questions. At the same time, a ripple of thought stirred in the Palace Attendant’s heart. She felt Su Yun resembled Su Wei a little. Not just in name, but also in their eyes.
The sound of their conversation was shut outside. In her current state, Su Wei’s hearing couldn’t possibly detect it. When she saw her Master arrive, she tried to get out of bed, but Su He stopped her.
“Lie down. Don’t move around.” Su He brought the medicine over. She peeled off the Human Skin Mask, and casually removed her hair ribbon as well.
Her ink-black long hair cascaded down. Su He sat beside Su Wei, raising her hand slightly, signaling Su Wei not to move.
“I will feed you.”
Su He skillfully fed Su Wei the medicine. She said with a smile, “Didn’t you say you didn’t want Su Yun to accompany you? Then tonight, you’ll sleep with me.”
Su Wei, however, stiffened considerably. Being fed medicine by her Master felt unnatural. She bit her lip upon hearing the words, forcing a small smile for Su He.
“How did you get a fever again?” Su He put down the bowl, as if casually bringing up a topic. “Just the short time I wasn’t watching over you, and you manage to get yourself into such a sorry state.”
Su Wei tilted her head, looking sideways at Su He. Her voice was very soft: “This subordinate just wanted to know if she had truly become useless.”
Su He didn’t quite agree with her phrasing. “How can you say that? Your martial arts are completely gone, but you can still stay by my side. It’s the same. Don’t overthink it.”
“The Master is right. Shadow Nine overthought things.” Su Wei followed along with her words. Her eyelids drooped, feeling a wave of fatigue.
Seeing this, Su He didn’t say anything more. She had the Palace Attendant send water up, and for a time, only the sound of her bathing filled the room.
When Su He came out, Su Wei had already fallen asleep leaning against the headboard. Su He stood by the bed, her fingertips stroking the Shadow Guard’s face, trailing down to her neck. She let out a soft snort, murmuring to herself, “Much more pleasing when you just obediently stay behind.”
Su He got into bed, moving Su Wei slightly inward. The moment she lay down, she sensed the person beside her wake.
Su Wei said, “Let this subordinate sleep on the outside.”
How could there be any sense in having the Master sleep on the outside?
Su He chuckled softly, not granting her request. Instead, she gently pinched Su Wei’s earring. Even though her voice was light and slow, the authority in her tone was undeniable:
“Tomorrow, dress nicely and accompany me on an outing.”
ㅤ
