Chapter 374

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

When he was young, Xiao Juan was thrown into a cage and forced to fight beasts.

He had begged, too, for someone to open the cell door and let him out.

Unfortunately, it was useless.

No matter how he begged, she ignored him.

Ever since then, he had understood that no one would save him.

Begging wouldn’t get anyone’s heart softened. It would only make them laugh harder.

The only person he could rely on was himself.

Xiao Juan engraved this realization in his heart and told himself that he could never pin his hopes on others.

After so many years, he was already used to fighting alone. When he was on the verge of death just now, he really thought that he was dead.

He had never expected anyone to save him.

Unexpectedly, Yu Niaoniao suddenly appeared.

She was alone, but with courage, she broke through the layers of siege and barged into his world without care.

Xiao Juan immediately felt like he had returned to his childhood.

The cell door, which had been tightly closed, suddenly burst open.

Someone rushed into the cage and reached out to him to take him away.

Memories overlapped with reality.

The past and the present intertwined.

For a moment, Xiao Juan could not tell if this was a dream or if it was really happening.

He met Yu Niaoniao’s puzzled gaze and his heart softened involuntarily. Even his voice became gentle.

“Thank you for saving me.”

If not for her, he would still be trapped in that cage of his childhood and would never be free.

Yu Niaoniao thought he was talking about her saving him from Han Chengxi.

She spoke with lingering fear.

“Fortunately, I came quickly. If I had been any later, you would have died.” Xiao Juan said softly, “Yes, fortunately, you came.”

Ever since he was young, his luck had not been good. His biological father had died early, and his mother had been heartless. The emperor seemed to be close to him, but he was actually using him.

The entire court regarded him as a thorn in their side, and the people of the world treated him as a ferocious beast.

He seemed destined to walk alone in the dark for the rest of his life.

The luck that others could easily obtain was a star that was out of his reach.

But it was different now.

He had Niaoniao.

Everything was due to fate.

The luck he had accumulated over the years was all to meet her.

Seeing that his upper body was still naked, Yu Niaoniao hurriedly found a clean shirt for him to put on.

When Xiao Juan raised his hand, he happened to touch the butterfly jade pendant.

The jade pendant was originally in his arms. It must have fallen out when Yu Niaoniao undressed him just now.

He picked up the jade pendant and handed it to Yu Niaoniao.

“This is yours. It’s returned to its rightful owner.”

Yu Niaoniao looked at the butterfly jade pendant in front of her and felt an indescribable complicated feeling.

“Han Chengxi used this jade pendant to trick you into willing to die?”

Xiao Juan whispered, “He said that you were captured by Noble Consort Shu. I was afraid that something would happen to you.”

Yu Niaoniao felt a lump in her throat and her eyes turned red.

“Are you stupid? Why do you believe everything he says? It’s just a jade pendant. What if he stole it?”

Xiao Juan naturally knew that this was a possibility.

However, he was still afraid that Niaoniao would really fall into Noble Consort Shu’s hands.

Even if there was only a one in a million chance, he did not dare to take the risk.

Yu Niaoniao took the butterfly jade pendant.

Thinking of how Xiao Juan had almost lost his life because of this jade pendant, she hated it to the core and wanted to smash it into pieces.

However, when she raised the jade pendant, she could not bear to really smash it.

This was the jade pendant that Xiao Juan had risked his life to get back.

There was still a little blood on it.

Yu Niaoniao gripped the butterfly jade pendant tightly and said seriously in a sobbing voice.

“You have to remember that even if I’m really kidnapped in the future, you can’t be foolishly slaughtered like before.

If you really sacrifice your life for me, how can I live in the future?

I’ll be tortured to death by guilt and regret.”

Xiao Juan was silent.

From the look on his face, she knew he hadn’t taken her words seriously.

Yu Niaoniao took a deep breath and sat down by the bed. She held Xiao Juan’s hand and looked into his eyes.

“I know you have a responsibility to me.

‘Because I’m your Princess Consort, you’re willing to sacrifice yourself to protect me.’

‘But you have to remember that you live in this world first as yourself and then as my husband.’

When you’re in danger, you have to prioritize your safety before you can consider others.

‘Perhaps you’ll think I’m being selfish.’

‘But that’s what I mean.’ ‘I selfishly hope you live well.’ Can you fulfill my selfishness?”

Xiao Juan stared at her quietly.

Over the years, the emperor had repeated those words in the process of nurturing him—

“I saved you. From now on, your life belongs to me. You have to do whatever I ask you to do.”

“You have to be loyal and patriotic. You have the Imperial Court and the people in your heart.”

“You can’t be selfish, let alone have desires.”

“You have to broaden your horizons. Your life is just a speck of dust to the people of the world. It doesn’t matter even if you die. As long as you can complete the order I gave you.”

No one had ever told him that he had to keep himself safe first.

No one had told him that he could actually be selfish.

After a long time, Xiao Juan spoke slowly.

“I’m sorry, I can’t do it.”

Yu Niaoniao was a little anxious. “Why don’t you listen to me? Haven’t you heard of the saying that listens to others and eats your fill?!”

Xiao Juan reached out and wiped the dust off her face.

“I really can’t do it.”

He hoped she would live well. That was his personal desire.

He would do anything for that.

Yu Niaoniao was really angry.

She pushed Xiao Juan’s hand away and cursed angrily.

“Is your head made of stone? Why don’t you know how to turn? I might as well call you Xiao Stone in the future!”

Not only was Xiao Juan not angry, but he also smiled gently.

“Alright, let’s call me Xiao Stone.”

In the future, this would be the title exclusive to Niaoniao.

Seeing that he was stubborn, Yu Niaoniao was really angry.

But she couldn’t do anything to him. In the end, she could only stand up.

“I can’t be bothered with you.”

With that, she turned around angrily and ran out.

Xiao Juan reminded her, “I’m not done wiping my body.”

Although Yu Niaoniao was angry, she still remembered that he was an injured person. His arm was still hanging by gauze, so he could not wipe his body.

She could only suppress her anger and return to the bed with a straight face. She ordered him with a wet handkerchief.

“Turn around.”

Xiao Juan obediently turned around and turned his back to her.

His back was very straight, his shoulders straight. The muscles on his back were smooth and beautiful. It was obvious that he had worked out often. There were also some scars of varying depths scattered on his back.

Those were all left behind from his previous missions.

Yu Niaoniao bent down and wiped his back with a wet handkerchief. When she touched the scars, her movements involuntarily became gentle..