After instructing Gu Lan on what to do, Zheng Liang wiped his bloody hands on Gu Lan's clothes before walking to the carriage. He didn't want to frighten Yang Ning with his blood-stained hands, so he tried to clean them as best he could.
As he walked, he never took his eyes off Yang Ning. She was still sitting by the window, staring at him in a daze. Her eyes, once filled with determination, were now brimming with tears and red, as if the precious pearls of her tears could cascade down in a waterfall at any moment.
Even though she had set the bow aside, her hands continued to tremble with fear and nervousness. She could hardly believe that she had used her skills to take a life.
She had killed a person!
The image of the arrow piercing the man's chest was enough to give her goosebumps. It made her feel sick to her stomach, causing her complexion to turn pale.
Zheng Liang's sharp eyes didn't miss Yang Ning's vulnerable state. As he approached the carriage, he drew the curtain from the outside, shielding her view of the bloody scene.
He didn't want her to linger on the sight, to continue mulling it over and tormenting herself both emotionally and physically.
Once he climbed into the carriage, Zheng Liang shut the doors behind him before settling into his seat.
"Are you hurt?" Yang Ning, shaken from her daze, asked him anxiously. She examined him from head to toe, her gaze halting at a bloody gash on his waist, the grim result of a sword slash.
She gasped and asked in concern, "It's bleeding. Doesn't it hurt? What should we do? Do we have any medicine with us?" She frantically searched their surroundings for something to press against his wound to stop the bleeding.
Despite his injury, he sat in front of her as though nothing had happened, as if everything was fine. How could he appear so indifferent despite being so gravely wounded?
Zheng Liang was touched by the worried look in her eyes for him. With a softened gaze, he reassured her, "It's nothing. Don't worry about it," he said, gently stroking her hair.
Yang Ning was taken aback by his sudden tenderness. Strangely, she didn't find herself disliking his gentle touch; on the contrary, she found it comforting.
Her cheeks flushed at this unexpected gentleness, and she fell silent for a moment.
"We're going to find shelter and rest soon. Don't worry, everything will be fine," Zheng Liang assured her, brushing aside the worry visible in her eyes.
"But... you're injured. How can you be so composed?" Yang Ning inquired, her gaze transfixed on his bloody wound. It was far from a minor injury and was bleeding heavily. Despite the apparent pain, he continued to console her.
"It's trivial. Once we reach the inn, I'll have it treated. There's no need for you to worry; it doesn't hurt at all."
Feeling Yang Ning's concerned gaze on him, Zheng Liang suggested a change of subject, "Don't sit near the window. You might bump your head when the carriage starts moving. Come and sit here." He patted the cushion next to him.
He didn't want her to sit by the window, exposed to the grisly scene outside. It would only traumatize her more.
Unable to find the right words, Yang Ning bit her lip, but she didn't reject his suggestion. Obediently, she moved to sit next to him.
Before she joined him, she tore a large piece of cloth from her outer robe, pressing it against his wound to halt the bleeding. "Keep holding it like this. Otherwise, your injury will worsen," she instructed, guiding his hand to hold the makeshift bandage in place.
Zheng Liang chuckled at her earnestness and complied with her instruction. Seeing her successful first-aid attempt, Yang Ning was satisfied and stood up to join him on the seat.
However, the moment she stood, her legs, devoid of strength from kneeling on the carriage floor for too long, gave out. All her energy had been sapped when she fired that arrow earlier.
Reacting swiftly, Zheng Liang caught her before she could fall, holding her securely in his arms. Meeting her eyes with an intense gaze, he asked, "You were worried about me, but what about you?" He asked with seriousness, then helped her settle next to him on the seat.
Despite being visibly shaken by the incident and drained of energy, she was still concerned about him and attempted to put on a brave face. Yet, her reddened, swollen eyes were a clear sign that she was far from okay.
No matter how hard she tried to appear strong, her trembling hands and shaky legs betrayed her true feelings - a vivid testament to the terror she had experienced earlier.
As the carriage jolted into motion, Zheng Liang wrapped an arm protectively around Yang Ning's shoulders, steadying her. "I suppose I'll need to hold you like this, or you'll keep stumbling throughout our journey," he lightly teased, trying to lighten the atmosphere.
Purposefully, he tried to tease her to distract her mind and refrained from discussing the ambush or the loss of their faithful guards. Yang Ning already appeared traumatized from the previous events; he didn't want to exacerbate her distress.
Despite glaring at him, Yang Ning didn't remove his arm from around her shoulders. The warmth of his hold and the comforting rhythm of his thumb stroking her arm served to somewhat pacify her. His actions provided a distraction, helping her to divert her mind from the horrifying incident that had just occurred.
As the carriage jostled along the uneven path, they distanced themselves from the perilous forest. Within the compact yet comforting boundaries of the carriage, Zheng Liang's care allowed Yang Ning to regain her composure.
Her heartbeat gradually slowed, and exhaustion soon overtook her, pulling her into a deep slumber. After expending so much energy earlier, she was too weary to stay awake.
Zheng Liang found himself amused, watching her sleep. He gently repositioned her, letting her head rest comfortably on his shoulder.
Yet, amusement quickly turned to concern as his thoughts strayed back to the attack. Today, he wasn't alone; the threat wasn't just to him, but to Yang Ning as well.
His gaze darkened, and a grim determination took hold. He wouldn't allow those who had dared to attack them to go unpunished.
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