Waiting for You for a Long Time, But You Haven't Arrived - Chapter 8

“I don’t need your protection.”

“You…”

Jiang Qionghua suddenly realized she was being held tightly by Ming Yishu and wondered what had happened. Turning her head, the first thing she saw was the other party’s bright smile.

This smile felt very familiar, like a kitten seeking praise. The last time, in the heavenly prison, she had seen the same expression.

It was freezing cold, and Jiang Qionghua’s hands were chilling. She had lost the desire to force Chu Qing to watch the play and was about to tell Ming Yishu to return to the residence early. However, looking up, she saw that Chu Qing, perched on the high wall, had her arm seized by her own subordinate.

What was going on?

Jiang Qionghua didn’t pay attention to Ming Yishu. Her brow furrowed, and from a distance, she saw Chu Qing’s gaze, which was half-astonished and half-regretful.

Regret?

The crossbow in Chu Qing’s hand was snatched away and thrown down towards the city wall.

Jiang Qionghua’s vision blurred slightly. Seeing the distant attendant rushing towards her, even Bolu lost his usual composure in his surprise.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she immediately realized something.

“Aunt—”

Jiang Qionghua turned around, seeing Ming Yishu, who had been embracing her, slowly sliding down into the snow, clutching her arm in pain. An arrow was lodged in her shoulder blade, resembling a feather wing.

The people behind rushed forward to shield Jiang Qionghua in layers. Bolu also hurried over to check on the situation.

“Go investigate! Who truly injured her!” Jiang Qionghua looked at Ming Yishu, who was weakly kneeling on the ground, and felt a throbbing pain in her forehead. She spoke furiously, then cursed, “Are they blockheads? How could they accidentally injure someone like this…”

Bolu: “It was His Majesty, she…”

Jiang Qionghua’s face turned cold: “I will make her pay the price.”

Bolu looked anxiously at Ming Yishu on the ground, reminding Jiang Qionghua: “Prime Minister, shouldn’t we first find an imperial physician for Miss Ming?”

Jiang Qionghua said: “Return to the residence first.”

The wound was on her back and didn’t look fatal. Jiang Qionghua had suffered heavier injuries and had some experience, so she didn’t want to leave the person in the palace, fearing Chu Qing might interfere.

“Yishu.” After giving the order, Jiang Qionghua finally went to help the person up. She avoided Ming Yishu’s shoulder wound, supported her to stand, and held her in a completely protective posture. “I will take you back to the residence now.”

The vanguard cleared the way, and the carriage followed closely.

Jiang Qionghua had Ming Yishu rest against her to alleviate the pain. Despite the cold weather, touching her forehead revealed it was scalding hot.

The blood dyed her clothes red, and the carriage was filled with the smell of blood. Jiang Qionghua had never thought the smell of blood was particularly special; she was used to it, and if it were the blood of an enemy, she might even feel happy.

But now it was different. Jiang Qionghua had supported her just now, and her hands were now covered in the other party’s blood. This was the first time Jiang Qionghua touched the semi-dry blood on her hands and felt a strange discomfort.

The acting was one thing, but when Ming Yishu truly used her life to shield her from the arrow, she didn’t feel any joy. She couldn’t describe the emotion, nor could Jiang Qionghua clearly see her own heart, but she was certain her mood was not good right now.

If she could start over, she definitely wouldn’t have let Ming Yishu be harmed.

Perhaps…

She thought, perhaps it was because Ming Yishu was too frail to withstand this arrow, and might die, which would mean losing a desirable pawn in her hand—a great loss.

“Why did you shield this arrow for me?” Jiang Qionghua murmured, her expression unclear. “You don’t even dare to kill a person, why did you step out and pretend to be strong now?”

Ming Yishu, in pain and cold all over, vaguely heard this sentence and replied with difficulty: “You only had me by your side, Aunt.”

Jiang Qionghua didn’t respond for a moment.

Yes, she realized in hindsight the scene just now: to put on a show for Chu Qing, she only had Ming Yishu beside her. If Ming Yishu hadn’t stepped out, the one bleeding and injured now would have been herself.

Jiang Qionghua: “It’s my fault. I put you in danger, I was careless. What reward do you want this time?”

Ming Yishu curled up, coughing incessantly. Excessive blood loss caused bouts of dizziness. She was about to say something, but suddenly couldn’t catch her breath and coughed again, intermittently.

Jiang Qionghua pressed down on her shoulder, forcibly preventing her from bending over and tearing the wound: “Don’t move.”

“Aunt, I’m so in pain—”

Ming Yishu was not someone who liked to complain about pain. In her previous life, when she lived alone in a rented room, she would sprain her ankle or bruise her limbs without uttering a sound.

Because she knew no one would feel sorry for her.

She came from a disadvantaged background; she could only finish school through foundation funding. Her parents disliked her, often saying she was indifferent and insensitive, yet they particularly favored her younger brother…

Fortunately, that unloved self was now dead.

Transmigrating here, Aunt treated her very well and cared for her like a family member.

Despite her injury, Ming Yishu felt comforted. She carefully gripped the dark green Prime Minister’s robe at her side, resting her cheek against the other person, feeling the familiar warmth and scent, and a sense of unparalleled peace.

This sense of belonging was something she had yearned for in her past life.

Ming Yishu wasn’t worried about her injury at all, nor did she feel wronged, because she knew that Aunt would punish those who hurt her and would also care for her injuries.

It felt wonderful. Someone like her… would also have someone to accompany her while she healed.

Ming Yishu was even somewhat glad that she could quietly lean on the other person under the pretense of being injured, thus receiving more emotional care.

“Cry if it hurts.” Jiang Qionghua held Ming Yishu, stroking her dark hair. “I’ve already called a doctor to the residence to wait. Your injury will surely be healed. As for the person who hurt you… I will certainly make her suffer. Don’t be afraid.”

Ming Yishu quietly: “Mhm.”

Jiang Qionghua’s gaze drifted, and she spoke in the silence: “You haven’t even killed a person, yet you dared to use such a frail body to protect me?”

Ming Yishu told her the truth: “It doesn’t matter if I die, Aunt, as long as you are safe.”

If she died, she might be reborn through a twist of fate to continue the mission, but Jiang Qionghua couldn’t die. If the other party died, even if she lived, it would be no different from being dead.

“Aunt is my life. If you are gone, I cannot live alone either.” Ming Yishu showed a fragile yet firm smile. “You are much more important than me.”

A heavy buzzing sound echoed in Jiang Qionghua’s ears, as if something heavy had fallen, smashing a hole in her heart.

She never deceived herself, especially regarding such heartfelt words; she wouldn’t lie. Jiang Qionghua knew that Ming Yishu would rather remain silent than fabricate a lie about such a matter.

Was she truly that important to her?

Jiang Qionghua gently pinched her chin, studying her eyes, trying to find traces of deceit. But the eyes of the person before her were so pure, devoid of any dark thoughts. Jiang Qionghua had observed people for many years and could usually discern the character of various individuals at a glance, but this time she was uncertain.

Ming Yishu’s clear pupils reflected only her, entirely focused on her, willing to put her life above her own.

Even though she had similar suspicions before, it was only by seeing it with her own eyes and feeling it in person that Jiang Qionghua truly grasped Ming Yishu’s reliance and trust in her.

This trust blossomed like a brilliant fireworks display in her gloomy heart, scattering the darkness accumulated over years.

Jiang Qionghua was unusually flustered, looking away, somewhat afraid to meet her gaze: “My life has been full of sin and evil. Many people want my life; even after they die, their ghosts won’t spare me. Don’t be foolish. I don’t need your protection.”

“For Aunt to be safe and happy is my lifelong wish. I am willing to bear all of Aunt’s karmic retribution.” Ming Yishu reverently reached for her hand, her tone gentle and soothing. “If the burden is too heavy, I am willing to spend the rest of my life doing good deeds to make amends.”

Being held by a pair of soft hands, Jiang Qionghua’s heart softened as well. She subconsciously immersed herself in Ming Yishu’s words, the shock making her fingers tremble: “Why bother…”

She had some regrets. Had she been wrong from the beginning? If she concealed the truth of the past now, would it still be possible to make amends?

Jiang Qionghua tentatively asked her, still not holding much hope: “Yishu, if I let you down, would you still be willing to forgive me?”

Ming Yishu rested her head on Jiang Qionghua’s lap again, her beautiful face smiling with relief: “Of course, I would.”

Jiang Qionghua raised her hand to stroke the other party’s cheek, her thoughts drifting far away.

She thought that she didn’t have to follow a destructive path in this life. Now that she had met Ming Yishu, it wasn’t impossible to let go of resentment and try to be a kind elder to her.

If possible, keeping the truth hidden from her for a lifetime was also feasible.

Tang Guangjun was already dead. The living shouldn’t always dwell in the shadows. One must try to regain a sense of trust and fill the empty void in one’s heart.

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