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"You've lost your mind!" Zhang Yanniann quickly stood up, positioning himself in front of Qingling with his arms wide open, shielding her behind him. His eyes were wide with anger as he glared at Xia Yinqiu.
"She is the murderer! She killed Second Madam! Are you still going to protect her?" Xia Yinqiu shouted hysterically, pointing at Qingling. Her hair was disheveled, and madness flickered in her eyes.
"Why would Qingling kill Second Madam?" Zhang Yanniann asked, frowning.
"I don't know yet, but I will find out soon. You can't hide this from me!" Xia Yinqiu glared at Qingling, her voice dripping with malice as her teeth ground together.
Qingling instinctively shrank back, hiding further behind Zhang Yanniann, clutching his sleeve tightly, her palms sweaty.
"Enough of this! Get out! I don't want to see you," Zhang Yanniann said, his frustration evident as he turned away, fully protecting Qingling, annoyance clear in his gaze.
"Zhang Yanniann! How dare you speak to me like that? Don't forget, this is our territory, the Xia Family's! Without me, you're nothing!" Xia Yinqiu yelled, shocked that the usually humble Zhang Yanniann would raise his voice at her. Anger made her tremble.
Zhang Yanniann stared at her for a moment before a self-deprecating smile broke out on his face, tinged with sorrow. "Yes, this is your Xia Yinqiu's domain. I'm returning it to you. Let me tell you, I, Zhang Yanniann, have never cared for it!"
With that, he took Qingling's hand and strode toward the door with determination and resolve, ignoring Xia Yinqiu's shouting behind them. His eyes held a glimmer of certainty.
Qingling leaned against the bed's edge; all night long, Zhang Yanniann held her hand tightly without letting go.
He was exhausted, his brow furrowed as if troubled even in sleep. It seemed he was releasing years of suppressed anguish as he collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep with heavy breaths. Yet his grip on her hand remained firm; it felt like a force conveying his care for Qingling.
He murmured her name softly; the sound was faint but warmed Qingling's cold heart like a gentle tide, moistening her eyes as they brimmed with tears.
The morning light filtered through the window, casting a glow on Zhang Yanniann's face. He suddenly turned over, beads of sweat forming on his forehead, and sprang up like a coiled spring, his eyes still reflecting a hint of fear.
He turned to see Qingling and seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. With a long exhale, he wiped the sweat from his brow.
"Yesterday, the Yunnan Army captured three more cities. It won't be long before they are at our gates. Have you really thought this through?" Qingling asked, but Zhang Yanniann gently pressed his finger to her lips, signaling her to be quiet.
"What does it matter if we give this place to them? I cannot contend with Japan alone. Rather than being threatened, I would rather lend my strength to the Yunnan Army. At least it would mean leaving a piece of land for our people in this chaotic world," Zhang Yanniann sighed. He turned away, gazing out the window, his eyes filled with a mix of helplessness and determination.
"Do you remember the day before you left for abroad? I invited you to sit with me on the mountaintop outside the city. We sat there until the moon rose without saying a word. Eventually, you couldn't help but ask if I wanted to confess my feelings."
"I remember," Qingling replied, squinting as if she could see the past. A smile crept onto her lips, and her eyes sparkled with memories. "You were silent then."
"If I say yes now, is it too late?" Zhang Yanniann said earnestly, staring at her with clenched hands resting against his chest, his gaze filled with anticipation and nervousness. "Come with me. Let's leave this place."
"Leave?" Qingling looked at him in surprise.
"Leaving is the only way to put behind those things we cannot face," Zhang Yanniann said, pausing for a moment as hope filled his eyes. "No matter who holds power or who falls from grace, in this vast world, there will always be a place for us."
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