Zui Gu🔞 ( mtl)

89

　　 The cold palace was dilapidated, with half-rotten window frames. Outside the window, a few large trees with only a few dead leaves stood on one side, and the branches completely blocked the faint moonlight. Yan Zhaozhao's plain clothes in the daytime were now stained with the dust all over the cold palace, and her whole body was a little dirty, but she didn't seem to care at all. She sat on the dirty ground, hugged herself, and a bowl of pig food was placed not far away from her.

　　Yan Zhaozhao didn't even want to take a look at the so-called dinner. There were not many servants in the cold palace, and even if there were, they would not come to serve. They would only put a bowl of broken meals outside the door at regular intervals. Each hall in the cold palace was very small, and could only accommodate an extremely simple bed and a desk with a missing leg. There was not even an ear room for bathing. The

　　dilapidated wooden door seemed to make a little noise, as if it was blown by the wind. Yan Zhaozhao, who had not eaten or drunk a sip of water for a day, was cold and hungry, and had no time to care about the noise outside.

　　The wooden door was pushed open, and a tall and slender man slowed down his pace and walked in quietly. Seeing that the beloved woman who should have been as bright and beautiful as a goddess was now covered with dust, just like the scattered albizzia flowers, it was completely inconsistent with the place where she was and out of tune.

　　"Zhao Zhao..." He called softly, and his voice became hoarse the moment he opened his mouth.

　　The extremely fragile woman did not move, as if she did not hear his voice, or thought he was just an illusion, because in Yan Zhaozhao's imagination, Xie Ciyan should not care about his appearance here.

　　He was helpless and extremely distressed, and he just took off his fox fur cloak and covered her already trembling body. The woman was startled, and her pair of crimson and slightly wet eyes suddenly raised up. Seeing the person coming, she even thought she was dreaming and rubbed her eyes in disbelief.

　　"Xie...Ci Yan?" Her originally rosy lips had long since become dry due to not being touched by water. The corners of her mouth were already chapped. Her voice was hoarse and she murmured weakly. "Am I...dreaming again?"

　　Xie Ci Yan's heart ached. Even the hardest heart would melt into a pool of water at this moment. He coaxed her softly, as if he was afraid of disturbing the woman in front of him. "It's not a dream, Zhao Zhao." He gently took her into his arms and kissed her forehead, giving her a sense of reality. "I'm here, and no one will bully Zhao Zhao anymore."

　　After Yan Zhao Zhao touched Xie Ci Yan in reality, she was first full of disbelief, and then she reacted and wanted to push the man away, but she was too weak and the man still didn't move. "You, you go..." She was angry and anxious, and kept pushing him with both hands. "Didn't I tell you not to come and leave me alone?! Why didn't you listen to me..."

　　When mentioning this, Xie Ci Yan was even more heartbroken. "How can Zhao Zhao expect me to listen to you?" He grabbed her two slender wrists with his big hands. "When Zhao Zhao got into trouble, he pushed me away and asked me to stay out of it, but I had to watch you suffer in this cold and gloomy place with my own eyes. In Zhao Zhao's heart, am I a man who is not worthy of sharing anything with you?"

　　"No!" She denied hastily, and denied it again in a very light voice, "It's not like that..."

　　Xie Ci Yan sighed softly, "Do you really think I don't know what you think?" He gently held her slightly cold cheek with his palm, stroking it lightly with his fingertips, his voice hoarse but extremely gentle, "My Zhao Zhao is the kindest person in the world. Obviously, she is most afraid of being sacrificed as a chess piece, but today she is willing to take the initiative to become this chess piece for me, sacrificing herself to protect me."