Yang Wan gently tugged at his sleeve, and only then did he lower his head. “Did I make you stand too long?”
Yang Wan shook her head.
“You have a leg injury but didn’t say anything. I’m not tired.”
Deng Ying turned around. “Let me escort you back to the Fifth Division.”
“No need. I’ll escort you back to your duty room. Your feet shouldn’t walk too much.”
As she spoke, she took his hand and walked toward the moat, saying as they walked: “Deng Ying, you didn’t speak just now. What were you thinking about?”
Deng Ying didn’t answer immediately.
Hearing his silence, Yang Wan continued: “Haven’t figured it out yet?”
Deng Ying nodded.
“Mm. I haven’t thought it through yet.”
Yang Wan turned back. “I told you before that I’m very afraid of Zhang Luo, and Master Yang and the others are very afraid too. Do you remember?”
“I remember.”
“I want to take back those words now.”
Deng Ying stopped walking. “Why?”
Yang Wan’s eyes grew moist as she let go of his hand: “I feel that because of those words, you’re going to do something you don’t want to do.”
Deng Ying was stunned, only now noticing that her eyes seemed to have reddened.
He hesitated for a moment but still walked closer to her, bending his knees to match her height. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, just suddenly feeling a bit unhappy.”
“Is it because of me?”
Yang Wan suddenly raised her head. “Deng Ying, are you suffering because of me?”
Deng Ying was startled. “Why would you say that?”
Yang Wan pressed her lips together. “Crouch down a little more.”
Deng Ying didn’t know what she wanted to do, but he obediently lowered himself another few inches.
Unexpectedly, Yang Wan gently rested her head on his shoulder.
“Don’t move.”
“Alright…”
“Deng Ying, promise me, don’t do things you don’t want to do. Everyone has their path. Their life and death might seem related to you, but actually, they brought it upon themselves.”
Deng Ying looked down at Yang Wan and asked softly: “What if it’s something I want to do?”
Yang Wan bit her lip, trying her best to steady her voice. After a long while, she finally said:
“Then it’s the same – I’ll help you.”