jdhmnovel Chapter 124 Shi An is Sick
Chapter 124 Shi An is Sick
After returning to Kyoto, Chu Ci's life gradually returned to its former tranquility.
Every day, he shuttled back and forth between home and the military camp, living a simple and regular life between two points.
Time flies, and half a month has passed in the blink of an eye.
On the morning of that day, when Chu Ci went to the military camp as usual, he keenly sensed that the atmosphere in the camp was unusual.
The normally orderly, solemn, and quiet military camp was now unusually restless and noisy, as if it had been swept up by an invisible storm.
After the normal training activities were over, Chu Ci strolled over to a soldier and asked softly.
"Why is the atmosphere in the army so strange today? You all seem distracted. What happened?"
The female soldier looked up at the sound, and a hint of fear appeared on her face. Her originally delicate features were now filled with terror.
She hesitated slightly before lowering her voice to say to Chu Ci, "General, dozens of male corpses have been discovered in various parts of the capital recently. This has shocked the entire city! The Dali Temple and the Imperial City Guard are currently investigating the case with all their might. Now, no young man in the capital dares to dress up or go out alone."
Upon hearing this, Chu Ci was slightly taken aback, and thought to himself: Zhang Ping has stirred up this case into such a big fuss, I wonder what her intentions are.
Following the case, martial law was declared throughout the city, and Chu Ci, as a military commander, was ordered to lead his troops to strengthen patrols in the outskirts of the capital.
As a result, military affairs became significantly more demanding than before, and she spent less and less time at home.
Sometimes, when the night is deep and Shi An is already asleep, the Chu Ci (Songs of Chu) has not yet returned.
When Shi An awoke from her sleep at dawn the next day, Chu Ci had already rushed off to her post to perform her official duties.
Thus, although the couple were in the same room, they couldn't even see each other once in that short day.
Over time, Shi An's mood became increasingly melancholic.
Time flies, and almost half a month has passed in the blink of an eye.
However, the extremely vicious murderer remained at large and was never brought to justice.
The people of Kyoto lived in constant fear and unease, terrified that their sons would become the next victims.
Meanwhile, the Dali Temple and the Imperial City Guard, who were in charge of the case, were under immense pressure from the Empress's constant wrath and reprimands.
Even Zhang Ping, who is usually calm and composed, looked unusually haggard because she hadn't had a proper rest for several days.
In comparison, the situation on the Chu Ci side seems to be slightly better.
However, even she has been quite busy these days.
At the end of Hai hour (9-11 PM), Chu Ci, as usual, didn't finish his shift until very late.
After dragging her heavy steps home, she assumed that Shi An was already fast asleep.
To her utter surprise, when she gently pushed open the door, Shi An was sitting quietly on the bed, staring straight at the doorway, clearly waiting for her return.
Chu Ci was slightly taken aback upon seeing this, and looked surprised: "Shi An, you haven't gone to bed yet?"
Shi An did not respond to Chu Ci's words. She stared at her intently, tears welling up in her eyes and then sliding down her cheeks one by one.
Chu Ci was immediately startled and quickly stepped forward to comfort him in a gentle voice: "What happened? Why are you crying so sadly?"
Shi An sobbed, "You've been so busy these past few days, I've hardly seen you at all..."
Chu Ci gently pulled him into her arms, stroking his back lightly. "Indeed, I've been too busy lately and neglected you, making you feel lonely. It's my fault. Don't worry, I'll ask for leave tomorrow and stay home with you. Anyway, the matter in the outskirts of Beijing isn't of much help to the case we're currently handling, so it's fine if I don't go."
Upon hearing this, Shi An's previously dull eyes instantly lit up, and a surprised and incredulous smile bloomed on her face as she eagerly asked, "Really? You really will stay with me? Really?"
Chu Ci nodded in agreement and gently wiped away his tears: "Of course it's true, so... don't be sad."
She looked at Shi An and noticed that he looked much more haggard and thinner than before. A feeling of indescribable guilt and heartache welled up in her heart.
"It's all my fault. I haven't been able to find time to have a proper meal with you these days. Look at you, you've become so thin."
As Chu Ci spoke, she reached out and gently stroked Shi An's slightly pale cheek, her eyes filled with self-reproach and pity.
As soon as she finished speaking, Shi An's tears flowed out like a burst dam, as if she wanted to release all the grievances that had been accumulating in her heart for a long time.
He choked back tears and said in a daze, "I don't know what's wrong with me. The case recently forced the embroidery shop to close down, and I'm stuck at home all day with nothing to do. For some reason, your image keeps popping into my mind, and I miss you all the time... But this big house is empty every day, without a trace of warmth or life... I feel like I'm suffocating, my heart is pounding, it hurts so much... Waaah... Waaah... What's wrong with me? What's wrong with me?"
As he finished speaking, Shi An became increasingly agitated, his breathing became rapid, and his body began to tremble slightly.
The next second, everything went black before my eyes, my head spun, and I fell straight to the ground.
Chu Ci's heart skipped a beat. Without thinking, she immediately stepped forward and hugged the man, pinching his philtrum with her fingers.
Time passed slowly, and finally, Shi An woke up and slowly opened her eyes.
"Shi An, I'll take you to the clinic now."
Chu Ci breathed a sigh of relief. As she spoke, she carefully picked up Shi An and hurriedly carried him to the clinic.
It was nearly midnight, and the streets were deserted, with only the sound of Chu Ci's footsteps echoing in the silent night sky.
It didn't take long to arrive at the clinic, and Chu Ci couldn't wait to knock on the door.
But there was no movement inside.
Chu Ci was extremely anxious and couldn't help but knock a few more times.
Just as she was about to lose patience and kick the door open, the clinic door finally opened a crack, and a sleepy-eyed face peeked out.
The woman was quite young and had clearly just been woken up by the knocking.
Chu Ci didn't care about anything else and quickly carried Shi An into the clinic, letting him sit in front of the doctor.