His Rui

Xi Ying regretted.

He regretted immensely that he let his mind wander away somewhere for even a few moments.

As he saw Li Rui body sliding down to the floor, he immediately stepped forward to catch it in his arms as he shouted again and again.

"Rui…Rui…"

His hawk-like eyes went in the direction where he could see the shadow of the figure hiding. One of his hands immediately took out the dagger from his sleeve and he threw it in the direction of the shadow guard.

"No….Rui"

Xi Ying whispered as he saw the blood coming out of Li Rui's wound furiously.

The arrow pierced her stomach and it was still there.

Xi Ying's hands were trembling and his eyes were going red. He patted Li Rui's cheek gently as he whispered gently

"We will leave from here, Rui. I will take you to Xi Manor and then a physician will treat you. Everything will be alright."

As he said this, he had already picked Li Rui's small body in his arms.

The invisible Xi Ying who had been watching all this silently followed him with stiff and heavy steps. His red eyes never moved away from Li Rui's face that was going paler with every passing moment. 

Xi Ying's pace was very fast as he walked towards the exit. Amidst his never halting steps, he suddenly heard Li Rui's soft voice. 

"Prime Minister Xi…"

Xi Ying immediately glanced down at his wife and his eyes flashed with panic when he finally noticed her pale face.

"Yes…Rui."

"Don't treat me…"

Li Rui's words were full of pleading and this request filled Xi Ying's eyes with tears as he halted amidst his steps and looked down at his wife.

Those clean black eyes were already looking at him.

"Xiao Ling …Rui wants to see Xiao Ling."

Li Rui whispered as tears slid down from her eyes while Xi Ying looked no different. His eyes went to the arrow that was still inside her stomach and he immediately looked away.

No…he had to take it out first. He can't wait to reach Xi Manor otherwise he will lose her forever.

Xi Ying looked at his trembling hands and clenched them with the new determination inside his heart.

He first laid down Li Rui on the ground and then immediately removed his robe. Spreading the robe on the ground, he then laid Li Rui on that robe. 

Stroking his wife's hair gently, he whispered

"Rui…it will hurt for a moment. But I know you will go through it."

He tried to comfort her as he moved to take out the arrow.     

"When I first met you …it also …pained very much at that time. Isn't it ironic?"

  Xi Ying's hands that were going towards the arrow stilled completely when he heard Li Rui's words.

He, of course, understood what pain Li Rui was talking about.

His lips quivered slightly but he still went forward to take out the arrow. However, a hand reached forward and weakly tried to stop him.

"Don't take …it out. Let …it be there."

"No…"

Xi Ying shouted immediately.

A moment later, he breathed deeply as he looked into Li Rui's eyes. His own eyes were filled with pain, regret, and guilt as he said

"Don't Rui…please don't leave me alone. I will go insane. I just …Just stay in Xi Manor. I will never show my face to you. I promise you…but don't leave me alone."

Xi Ying realized just how much Li Rui's presence in Xi Manor affected him.

Since the day An San had told him that Li Rui was not in Xi Manor, his heart had been very restless. The Xi Manor he had lived in for so many years…he suddenly wished to destroy it mercilessly with his own hands.

He couldn't sleep inside his room because he knew that the woman living inside the Plum Courtyard was not there.

He couldn't live in this world as long as he was not sure that Li Rui was also there …somewhere in this world.

"Let me take out the arrow. Then I will take you to a good physician."

Xi Ying whispered and started to take out the arrow without giving any chance to Li Rui to speak.

The invisible Xi Ying was seeing all this with blank and red eyes. His fists and jaw were clenched tightly. 

"My father used to trust a lot…Prime Minister Xi"

Li Rui whispered suddenly and the trembling of Xi Ying's hand intensified.

The news told by his shadow guard rang in Xi Ying's ears.

Her mother's Clan…her father, everyone from her Clan were dead because of him.

How could he expect her to stay alive because of him even after all this?

Another tear slipped out of Xi Ying's red eyes but he still very stubbornly moved his trembling hands to take out the arrow.

It was difficult. If the arrow was moved even an inch here and there while Xi Ying took it out, Li Rui could die on the spot and Li Rui's continuous words that stabbed Xi Ying's heart like swords were not helping him even a bit. 

"I had asked him once …just why he trusted you so much …he …he didn't answer my question…instead he just asked me to sit inside the sedan chair you brought to Li Manor silently."

"Ah…"

Li Rui whimpered when Xi Ying moved the arrow a little and Xi Ying immediately stopped.

"Ha…"

  Xi Ying swallowed audibly as he wiped his face and sweaty forehead.

He can't do this. He can't see her in pain. At the same time, he couldn't let her die.

"It's alright."

Li Rui whispered as she looked at Xi Ying with a soft smile on her lips.

Perhaps she could notice the struggle on his face.

"It's alright …if …you can't save me."

Another tear slipped out from Xi Ying's lips as he swallowed audibly.

"Just hear me out. I …I don't want to …stay alone …when I breathe my last. I hope you …don't despise me enough …to not complete my …last wish."

The soft smile on Li Rui's lips seemed to stab Xi Ying's eyes.   

'I never despised you.'

He wanted to scream but then thought that his words only sound like a lie to his own ears. Everything he did in the past four years …..it only showed that he disliked Li Rui …very much which was never true.