CHAPTER 1428: CHAPTER 1429: REALLY NEED TO STAY CALM

Feeling Xiao Changyi’s embrace tightening more and more, An Jing also hugged him tighter.

"Don’t use your hands," Xiao Changyi still remembered to remind An Jing not to strain her hands.

"Mhm mhm." An Jing responded with a cheerful smile. "I’m hugging you tightly with both arms; I know you’ll feel distressed for me."

"You know I would feel distressed, yet you came back with all these injuries?"

"It wasn’t what I intended. Sigh, let’s not talk about it—anyway, I’m back now."

"No, we have to talk about it. Tell me how you got all of these injuries." Xiao Changyi insisted firmly.

"Let me warn you first, you need to stay calm." She knew that even if she didn’t tell him, he would go inquire Li Wuyu anyway; it was better for her to come clean. They were husband and wife; between them, nothing should remain unsaid. There was no secrecy between them at all.

"Mhm."

"I’m serious—stay calm, at least for now."

"Mhm."

Seeing Xiao Changyi agree again, An Jing finally began telling him how she had gotten each of her injuries.

The scratches on her face, arms, and legs were from trekking through the dense forest, where branches had cut her—they were grievances that couldn’t be avenged.

Her hand injury was caused by the bristles of a wild boar, and then worsened by prolonged exposure to water and heavy use. The wild boar was already dead, so that revenge had been taken.

As for the wound on An Jing’s forehead...

"I will personally kill him and avenge you," Xiao Changyi declared with icy determination, the cold murderous intent in his gaze making one feel as though they were trapped in a freezing abyss of death.

But An Jing simply nodded: "Mhm mhm."

Immediately after, she made a face of pure delight, paired with a "come praise me" expression, and said, "Husband, I brought back a detailed map of the Chilin Kingdom. Now we no longer need to scout out enemy terrain, and we know all the cities they control—it saves us so much effort."

"You’re not permitted to ever do this again." Xiao Changyi didn’t praise her; instead, his face darkened as he sternly demanded this of her.

The mere thought of her going deep into enemy territory made his chest tighten with fear. If she had been caught...

"Husband, aren’t you going to praise me?" An Jing put on a pitiful expression.

Still, Xiao Changyi remained resolute: "You’re not permitted to ever do this again." After a slight pause, he added, "If you want to put my heart at ease, hurry and promise me."

Only then did An Jing say, "I promise you. Don’t be uneasy—I’ve already come back safe and sound. I won’t do such a reckless thing again."

Xiao Changyi’s expression softened at last.

"Husband." An Jing looked at him with anticipation.

Finally, Xiao Changyi spoke words of praise: "You—no one can compare."

"Now that’s a bit exaggerated," An Jing chuckled. "But I love hearing you say that. I know that in your heart, no one can measure up to me~"

"Mhm." Xiao Changyi responded as he lowered his lips to place a gentle kiss on An Jing’s forehead.

An Jing tilted her sweet face upward and beamed at Xiao Changyi for a while before urging him, "Husband, quickly go grab them. Last night was too dark, and today we rushed back—I haven’t had time to carefully look at those maps."

Xiao Changyi finally walked over to the table, fetched the three sheepskin maps and returned.

Sitting close to An Jing, he let her lean against his chest, before unfolding one of the maps for them to examine together.

The first map they opened was a rough depiction of the Xiyun Kingdom.

The map marked few cities within Xiyun, only nine in total; other areas were blank, and some were labeled as county towns. It was evident that Chilin knew very little about Xiyun’s terrain.

Setting that map aside, Xiao Changyi then picked up another sheepskin map and unfolded it.