Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Duan Yanhao’s heart wrenched as he hugged Bai Yaoyao even more tightly.
Bai Yaoyao could feel Duan Yanhao crashing against her own body. He used too much force, making her unable to breathe for a moment.
However, she liked it when he hugged her so forcefully like this. It gave her lonely heart a sense of security.
It let her know that there was still someone who cared about her in this world.
Duan Yanhao thought deeply for a moment before he said, “According to my sources, Xirong Ziye is in the capital of Country A right now. He is guessing that you would go back, so he has been waiting there to try and look for you.”
When she heard this, Bai Yaoyao frowned slightly. She did not understand what Xirong Ziye was thinking. Could he really be asking for her forgiveness like what he had said that day?
“Yaoyao, what if he sincerely asks for your forgiveness?”
“Yanhao, do you think a broken mirror can be returned back to its original state perfectly? Do you think a broken heart can be pieced back together?” Bai Yaoyao understood deep down that whether she forgave Xirong Ziye or not, she would never be able to get a sense of security from him.
Even if what he said was true, she would not be able to really believe him again. She had been hurt way too much by him that it seemed as though the wounds he had inflicted on her heart were too deep.
It was like the story of The Boy Who Cried Wolf. Deep down, she could not trust Xirong Ziye and could not treat him as her pillar of support.
Bai Yaoyao’s questions were her answer to Duan Yanhao’s, and he could not help but smile. He need not worry about this then.
“Be good. Have a good rest tonight. I will send you back to Country A tomorrow morning.”
Seeing that Duan Yanhao’s spirits have lifted, Bai Yaoyao could not help but tease him as she said, “You won’t worry just because of this, right?”
Duan Yanhao touched his nose and coughed a little to hide his awkwardness. “Go and sleep.”
Later, Bai Yaoyao gave Yun Bixue a call to let her know that she will go back the next morning.
However, at around midnight, Duan Yanhao received an emergency call from the army.
“Major, bad news.”
Sensing the urgency in his subordinate’s voice, Duan Yanhao said in a stern voice, “Speak!”
“Major, according to the information we collected, the Southern army wants to launch an offensive attack against our Northern territory.”
“When is this?”
“According to our intelligence, it should be in the next few days. The Southern army wants to seize the chance when everyone is least on guard this New Year. They want to consolidate the Northern forces and get control of the Duan family’s military power…”
Duan Yanhao’s expression immediately became grave when he heard that. He raised his brows as a sharp, cold glint flashed across his eyes.
“Relay my orders. Mobilize all our soldiers and reorganize the troops. Prepare for battle.”
“Yes!”
Duan Yanhao also got up and changed his clothes to get ready to return to the army.
However, he still went to Bai Yaoyao’s bedroom and sat by her bedside for a while. He stroked her head and sighed to himself. After covering her with her blanket, he wrote a letter and told the butler to pass it to her when she wakes up.
After that, Duan Yanhao left in the night.
He did not intend to let Bai Yaoyao know of the impending war. If there was danger, he would exclude her first. He hoped that she would quickly return to Country A the next morning so that she would be safe.
The next morning, when Bai Yaoyao woke up, she could not find Duan Yanhao. Her heart immediately felt empty and even a little uneasy.
The butler passed the letter that Duan Yanhao had written into Bai Yaoyao’s hands and said, “Miss Bai, this is from Young Master Duan. He said that someone will escort you back to Country A after breakfast.”
Seeing the letter in her hand, Bai Yaoyao did not rush to open it. She just asked in a concerned voice, “Did something happen?”
After such a long time together, Bai Yaoyao had a deep trust in Duan Yanhao. If he reneged on his promise and left, it meant that there was something important he had to attend to.
