Chapter 293 - 291: Heart-weary

Chapter 293: Chapter 291: Heart-weary

Li Xiu, who had been thinking for half the afternoon, had fallen asleep right there at his desk. When Zhou Lian returned from school and saw him sleeping hunched over like that, her eyes immediately reddened. She tilted her head back slightly, trying to stop the tears from falling.

She gently picked up a small blanket from the lounge chair behind the screen and draped it over Li Xiu. Perhaps it was because he was too exhausted and mentally drained, or maybe he was simply used to Zhou Lian’s presence. In any case, Li Xiu, who was usually startled awake by the slightest disturbance, didn’t stir at all.

Quietly, she sat down on the nearby sofa and just watched Li Xiu, her heart aching with a bitter pang. As the person who shared his bed, how could she not know how hard things were for him? But she couldn’t say anything, couldn’t do anything. She even had to pretend to be oblivious so he wouldn’t have another thing to worry about—her.

Taking a deep breath, Zhou Lian squeezed her eyes shut. Since their rebirth, she had been fine, tightly sheltered under Li Xiu’s wing. But what about Li Xiu? In their last life, they were both ordinary people. Even if his master was powerful, Li Xiu couldn’t have been omnipotent. He was just forcing himself to hold on. From a common grassroots nobody to the highest echelons of the Imperial Palace’s inner circle—how had Li Xiu managed to survive it all?

Thinking it over, Zhou Lian smiled a silent, tearful smile. ’He did it by gritting his teeth and swallowing blood, by draining his mind and spirit, by being willing to risk everything.’ Now that they had endured this long, she knew there was no stopping. Yet, she could only pretend to know nothing. The two of them had just wanted to live a peaceful life together. Who could have known that coming to the Capital City, with its stormy winds and fierce waves, would blow them onto such a desolate island?

But so what? Even if it was a desolate island, they could make it bloom with flowers. They could pave a grand path to the heavens for Ping’an. They had both suffered for a whole lifetime in their past life; why couldn’t they live freely in this one? Who knew if there would even be a next life!

Gazing at the still-sleeping Li Xiu with eyes full of tenderness, Zhou Lian thought back to their previous life. She had suffered, but he had suffered even more. At least back then, she hadn’t loved him, so she didn’t have as many lingering regrets. But what about Li Xiu? That stubborn, almost fanatical man had spent the better part of his life chasing something he could never obtain. Or rather, he had almost gotten it, only to destroy his chances with his own two hands.

In truth, by the very end of their last life, she might have vaguely sensed something. But by then, her heart was as still as water, and she wouldn’t allow herself to think too much about it, nor did she want to. The result was that she passed away peacefully, and that man, in a fit of madness, actually followed her in death.

In this life, she had come to like him, and even love him, without knowing he was *him*. From their first meeting, to their engagement, to their marriage, to liking him, to loving him, to learning of his secrets, and right up to this very moment... Zhou Lian couldn’t help but think, ’Even the most imaginative screenwriters of later generations wouldn’t dare to write a plot this wild.’ Scene by scene, they had arrived at this point. She had seen everything Li Xiu had sacrificed, and her heart ached for him. But what could she possibly do?

’The only thing she could do now was take good care of herself, to not give the already mentally exhausted Li Xiu another reason to worry about her. Sometimes I think it’s truly not easy to live in this world,’ she mused. ’If you want to live a little more freely, a little more wantonly, there’s always a price. And what is that price? Money? Power? But where do those things come from? Aren’t they just bought with one’s own effort and suffering?’

Li Xiu sensed Zhou Lian’s presence even before he opened his eyes, and the corners of his lips curved up slightly. Lifting his head, he saw her sitting on the sofa nearby, staring intently at him. His heart gave a jolt. Li Xiu wiped a hand over his face, masking the anxiety in his eyes, and walked softly over to Zhou Lian’s side.

"Bao’er, when did you get back? Why didn’t you wake me?"

Reaching out to embrace Li Xiu, who was half-kneeling before her, Zhou Lian buried her face in the crook of his neck with a sense of longing, nuzzling him gently. She murmured, "You’re too tired. You finally managed to fall asleep, and I couldn’t bear to wake you. Why didn’t you go lie down in the bedroom? Sleeping like this will just make you more tired."

With a single motion, Li Xiu swept Zhou Lian up into his arms, then sat down on the sofa, holding her tightly in his lap. "It’s fine," he said nonchalantly. "I had a nap, so I feel much better. Bao’er, don’t worry about me."

"Mm, go on and do what you need to do, Jin Chen," Zhou Lian said, a hint of recklessness in her voice as she rested her head on his shoulder. "This life of ours is a blessing from the heavens, almost like we stole it. So what if we live a little more freely, a little more wantonly? Who knows if there’s a next life! I’m here for you."

The hand stroking Zhou Lian’s hair paused. Out of her line of sight, Li Xiu gave a wry smile. ’And here I was, thinking she was still so innocent, so well-protected.’ He had forgotten that she was inherently smart. After all these years of socializing with the wives of the Imperial Palace’s inner circle, even if she didn’t understand the intricacies at first, she had seen enough to know what was going on.

"Alright, I’ll listen to my Bao’er. Don’t worry. It’s just a bit tough, but I can still handle it." Patting her back gently, Li Xiu soothed her with a soft voice. He knew he couldn’t deny the hardship; that would only make her more concerned.

"Oh, right, Jin Chen," Zhou Lian said, her tone somewhat suppressed. "I don’t think the coming chaos can be avoided. What about Li Guo and Li Cui? Shouldn’t we talk to them, explain things carefully? It looks like this brewing undercurrent is the same as in our last life—they’re using the students as targets. My school was lucky; we were dealt with at the first opportunity—talks, cutbacks, suppression. It probably won’t get as bad as last time." ’Are these innocent children being taught to be too naive?’ she wondered.

Li Xiu chuckled softly. "I’ll keep an eye on them," he said in a gentle voice. "Bao’er, don’t worry. Your little brother-in-law and sister-in-law are no fools. You just watch. No matter how things develop, they won’t get caught up in it. Secretary Sun already knows about this, so how could Elder Ping not know? The reason they aren’t stepping in to resolve it now is to let all the ghouls and goblins jump out into the open. Once they stick their necks out, they can all be dealt with. Bao’er, you don’t need to waste your energy on this."

He paused, then added in a hushed voice, "Bao’er, you should understand. Those old masters in the Imperial Palace are all ruthless figures who have been on the battlefield. Do you really think men as decisive and deadly as them would tolerate a few fleas hopping around on their faces? You just wait and see. Once all of them have jumped out, those old masters will bring down their great cleavers, and the cards in the Capital City will be reshuffled once again."

"Jin Chen, tell me, why can’t people just figure it out?" Zhou Lian vented in frustration. "A person’s life is just a few short decades. Why spend it all on scheming and backstabbing? Even if you finally grasp immense power, how many days can you enjoy it? You might even end up with a name reviled for eternity. Can’t they just do things openly and honorably? Isn’t it better to live in the sunlight?"

Her words made him laugh out loud. He lovingly patted her head, his voice light and full of mirth. "Bao’er, you know yourself that’s impossible. The human heart... it’s the most inscrutable thing in the world. Since we can’t change it, we just have to be ourselves and live our own lives well. Bao’er, even if the world outside is drowning in a biblical flood, you don’t have to pay it any mind. I’m here. I will level all obstacles and give my Bao’er a life of peace and quiet, a world of tranquil years. How does that sound?"

Looking up into Li Xiu’s shining, tender eyes, Zhou Lian slowly smiled. Parting her rosy lips, she whispered, "Alright. I’ll be waiting. I’ll be waiting for Jin Chen to give me a life of peace and quiet, a world of tranquil years."