Chapter 18

The autumn wind gracefully swept away the fallen leaves on the ground. In Xiao Yuxuan's eyes, this desolate scene had a rather nostalgic charm to it. The traces of the wheels being imprinted by the carriage on its way were buried under the fallen leaves.

"Mu Yan, are you awake?" Xiao Yuxuan's clear voice could be heard with contentment and yearning. He pulled on the reins of the carriage, causing the horse to slow down. Even if the elopement were caught overnight, it would be still difficult to for them to catch up.

Xiao Yuxuan let out an unsure long breath and half-lowered his eyes when he heard no response from the inside of the carriage.

"Mu Yan, you ignored me because you blame me... Forgive me for being selfish. I colluded with Jingyang to take you out of the palace without your consent. But I believe that this is also the Imperial Consort's wishes. I know that the only thing Her Royal Highness yearn for is for you, her daughter, to be happy. Mu Yan, just like what I had promise you back then when we were ten years old, I, Xiao Yuxuan, will only love you in my life. And from today onwards, no matter how big the storm is, I will stand before you and shield you from wind and storm..." Xiao Yuxuan confided his truest feelings and hope to elicit forgiveness and understanding. However, no response was heard from the carriage.

Xiao Yuxuan suddenly felt flustered and tightened the reins totally stopping the horse. After the carriage came to a halt, he turned around and called out to Duan Mu Yan.

"Mu Yan...? Are you awake? Are you alright?" Still no sound, Xiao Yuxuan's heart tightened. Just as his slender fingers were about to open the curtain, a light suddenly shot out. Xiao Yuxuan's eye turned cold as his entire body flipped away from the carriage.

Steadily landing on the ground, Xiao Yuxuan stared coldly at the woman in a wedding dress who had walked out of the carriage. His eyes gradually turned dark, and his indifferent voice carried a bone-chilling coldness along with unconcealable rage.

"Who are you?!"

Qing Lan's eyes were emotionless, her face expressionless. As she landed perfectly on the ground and positioned her body to a fighting stance, a silver rope shot out from her wrist like a coiling dragon.

Seeing that the situation wasn't looking good, Xiao Yuxuan's wrist moved slightly and immediately a flexible sword was pulled out from his sleeve to counterattack the strike.

Qing Lan's rope was like a rainbow as it clashed with Xiao Yuxuan's flexible sword and was changing unpredictably. The two figures fight with each other in a while. However, Qing Lan was not Xiao Yuxuan's match in the end. A vicious sword light flashed past and the silver cord had already been broken, and the tip of the sword was pointed at Qing Lan's throat!

"Who are you?! Why was it you in the carriage?! Where is Mu Yan?! Where is she?!" Xiao Yuxuan clenched his fist tightly. His expression was one of extreme fury, but his heart was in a state of turmoil and fear.

"Prince Ping doesn't need to know who I am, but that he only needs to know that the Princess not his. No matter how much you try, she can't be yours." Qing Lan directly stared at Xiao Yuxuan's enraged eyes, her face still expressionless. She was not afraid of death, if possible, she was already prepared to meet and accompany her family in the afterlife.

Xiao Yuxuan's heart felt as if it had been crashed by someone. He quickly withdrew his sword and briskly untied the horse from the carriage and jump onto the horse. But before he set out, a cold voice rang out.

"At this time, Duan Mu Yan had already left the Imperial Palace. Even if you were to return, you wouldn't be able to change anything! This is fate..." Qing Lan's voice was drowned out by the sound of running hooves. At this moment, Xiao Yuxuan had only one thought in mind. Find Duan Mu Yan and bring her away.

As the dried leaves fell from the tree, it nonchalantly landed on Qing Lan's body. As she watched the disappearing figure in front of her like a wind, a non-intentional ripple appeared in her heart.

Three more streets and Duan Mu Yan's bridal sedan was to arrive at General Xiao Manor. Two more street, and then another... Duan Mu Yan tightly clenched her hands in apprehension. No one knew how much she dreaded this moment, how much she feared seeing Xiao Yuxuan's heartbroken expression.

However, she never expected that the sedan that should have turned left would turned in the opposite direction. Duan Mu Yan frowned. Although she had her doubts, she just sat and wait anxiously.

General Xiao Manor

"Jin Feng! How could you act with insolence! How could you ask the bridal sedan chair to circle the capital once more?! I forbid it!" Xiao Yin furiously looked at his son, both eyes were red with fume.

"I don't care about that! Shi Rou is very sick right now, and I just want to accompany her!" Xiao Jin Fen indifferently looked at Xiao Yin and ran out of the room without any regard, back straight to Chu Shirou's room.

Before he could even enter the room, the sound of Su Jin Xiu's weeping had infuriated Xiao Jin Feng greatly!

"How dare you cry here?! Get out!" His ice-cold gaze was filled with a bone-chilling coldness. Xiao Jin Feng threw Su Jin Xiu away and knelt beside Chu Shirou.

Su JIn Xiu was thrown to the side wall by an unexpected force, and her forehead started leaking dark red blood, but Xiao Jin Feng didn't even care. Looking at Xiao Jin Feng looking at Chu Shirou with such gentleness, Su Jin Xiu's jealousy filled up her entire body like a poison from a venomous snake!

It had been seven years since she started liking Xiao Jin Feng, but she ended up like this! It wasn't easy for her to plan all this, to hasten Chu Shirous's death. She initially thought that she would at last gain Xiao Jin Feng's attention the moment Chu Shirou die, but who knew that a Duan Mu Yan would appear out of nowhere. She wouldn't allow Xiao Jin Feng to marry Duan Mu Yan, not after all these years of waiting and jealousy she had to put up with. In order to cause a havoc to prevent this marriage, she had even placed laxatives into the medicinal soup and served it to Chu Shirou, who had treated her like her own younger sister. This medicine would only cause a little discomfort to a normal person, however, to Chi Shirou, this was meant to kill.

Looking at the pale face of Chi Shirou in the bed, Xiao Jin Feng felt as if his heart was being cut into pieces by a thousand sharp blades. The wave of pain assaulted his entire body and soul!

Perhaps it was because she heard her lover's voice that Chu Shirou woke up from her slumber. When she saw Xiao Jin Feng, the lustre in her eyes began to droop uncontrollably. She sensed that the day she had to leave Xiao Jin Feng had finally come and that she would never coming back.

"Jin Feng…" Her weak voice was filled with longing, but her gaze landed on Xiao Jin Feng's wedding garb, her dazed mind suddenly became clear.

"Jin Feng…! Why didn't you go to the main hall?! You promised me you would marry the Princess…" Chu Shirou struggled to use her hands to viciously push against Xiao Jin Feng, but Xiao Jin Feng held her tightly.

"Shirou… I can't leave you like this… I am afraid you will suddenly leave just like that… I don't want you to leave me… Please… Let me stay here with you…" Xiao Jin Feng's voice was filled with grief as he begged. His tears were brimming in his eyes, but he forced himself not to let it fall.

"You have to go and pay your respects, Jin Feng… Do you really want me to die with regrets and shame…?<cough>… Also, I am begging you… to let me go in peace… But I promise you, I will wait for you in the afterlife… I will definitely wait for you there…!" With great difficulty and struggle, she enunciated every word. And although her voice was weak, it was still filled with determination.

"Shirou, don't--! Enough already… Don't be so cruel… Just let me accompany you… Please…"

"You don't acknowledge me as your better half, do you…?! Then I'd rather die with full of resentment against you…!" Chu Shirou used all her strength to shout out her frustration!

"Don't…. No, Shirou… Damn it!" Xiao Jin Feng was extremely frustrated and angry, to his wife, to himself, and to the world! He just wanted some time, some precious time to be with his wife! Because although he was not willing, he knew too that in the next second he might not be able to talk to Chi Shirou.

"Okay…! But you must wait for me… It will just for a moment… Shirou, you got to wait for me!" Xiao Jin Feng gently put down Chu Shirou's hand, and his deep loving gaze focused on his wife. Seeing the determination in still in Chu Shirou's eyes, Xiao Jin Feng suddenly turned around and bolted out of the room.

'I won't take long, Shirou. Just you wait for me here… I will be back soon!'