Chapter 10: To Meet, To Die in Peace

Su Ying was stunned. Looking at the little one’s pitiful, tear-streaked face, the joy of having obtained a large piece of meat vanished completely.

"I'm not hurt. This is all tiger blood on my face." Su Ying wiped her face, only then realizing how sticky and messy it was; even she couldn't stand it.

Xiao Jin frowned slightly. "Stay away from the child." His cool tone carried obvious displeasure.

For the sake of the child, Su Ying didn't bother arguing with him. She shoved the meat into Jiang Yang's hands and turned to find water to wash her face.

Not far from the flat slope where they were camping, there was a stream. Su Ying squatted by the bank to wash her face. When she reached up and felt her sticky hair, and smelled the stench of sweat on her body, she couldn't help but jump into the stream for a refreshing bath, washing her clothes while she was at it.

Once she climbed back onto the bank, she entered her storage space and used a dryer to dry herself off before returning to the slope.

By now, the sky was beginning to brighten. The prisoners in the group had each received a piece of meat and were wolfing it down with their dry rations.

Ever since they were exiled, they hadn't tasted meat. The tiger meat was only simply roasted, but to them, it was the most delicious delicacy in the world.

"What are you doing? Don't snatch my meat! That meat is mine! Ah!"

A ragged, thin, and disheveled woman fell at Su Ying's feet.

"You... you can't take my meat..." Even after falling, the woman stumbled to her feet, trying to snatch back the meat that had been stolen, but the other person had already vanished.

Su Ying had never been one to meddle in other people's business, but looking at the person on the ground, she felt a sense of familiarity.

After a moment's thought, she reached out and pulled the person up from the ground.

"Ah, don't touch me!" The woman reacted violently, almost jumping off the ground to push Su Ying away.

"Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you."

Hearing Su Ying's voice, the woman froze. She turned back and stared straight at Su Ying. "Your... Your Highness..."

Su Ying scrutinized her face. Because it was so filthy, it took a long while before she recognized that the woman before her was her head maid, Bai Shuang.

"Bai Shuang?"

Seeing that Su Ying recognized her, a smile appeared on Bai Shuang's face. "It’s me, it’s your servant."

In Su Ying's memories, Bai Shuang had served her since she was a child and was truly loyal to her. Later, after she married Xiao Jin, Bai Shuang followed her to the Prince Qi residence and had often tried to persuade her in private to live a good life with Xiao Jin.

But back then, she hadn't been thinking straight; she wouldn't listen to anyone and had her heart set entirely on Xiao Jue.

"Are you the only one? Where is Nanny Zhao?" Nanny Zhao was her wet nurse, who had also followed her to the Prince Qi residence back then.

At the mention of this, Bai Shuang's eyes turned red and she choked up. "Nanny Zhao, she... she is dying..."

Bai Shuang and Nanny Zhao were the only two people in the Prime Minister's residence who had been sincere toward her. Hearing Bai Shuang say this, Su Ying felt a tightness in her chest—perhaps this was the emotion left behind by the original owner's last shred of conscience.

"Where is she? Take me to see her."

Bai Shuang nodded. Nanny Zhao had loved the Princess the most; if she could see the Princess one last time before she died, she could pass away in peace.

From Bai Shuang, Su Ying learned that they had been searching for Su Ying's whereabouts ever since they were exiled, but Nanny Zhao had fallen ill shortly after, and dragging it out until now, she was on the verge of death.

Bai Shuang had placed Nanny Zhao under a large tree. If one didn't look closely, one could barely see her chest rising and falling; she looked as if she were already dead.

In Su Ying's memories, Nanny Zhao had always been a kind old woman whose smile was very similar to her own mother's. But now, she was so thin she was nothing but skin and bones.

"Nanny Zhao, wake up! I’ve found the Princess! The Princess has come to see you. Please, wake up and look!"

Nanny Zhao seemed to hear Bai Shuang's words. She opened her eyes faintly and stared blankly at Su Ying.

"Your... Your Highness..."

Looking at the frail Nanny Zhao, Su Ying suddenly remembered her mother, who had been on the verge of death in her arms years ago.

She instinctively took Nanny Zhao's hand. "Mother, don't be afraid. I will definitely cure you."

Nanny Zhao looked at Su Ying and smiled with relief, but her eyelids gradually closed.

Su Ying's heart sank. She had already watched her mother leave her once; she absolutely could not let that happen a second time!

Su Ying began to examine Nanny Zhao. In the apocalypse, medical science had developed to its peak, and even Traditional Chinese Medicine had made great breakthroughs. She had been trained in both Chinese and Western medicine since childhood, and her proficiency in Chinese medicine was no less than her Western medical skills.

She checked Nanny Zhao's pulse and quickly identified the problem.

"It's pneumonia." It had already reached a very serious stage, but fortunately, Nanny Zhao still had a heartbeat; she was just in a state of temporary shock.

After confirming the diagnosis, Su Ying stood up, found a secluded spot, and entered her space. When she came back out, she had syringes and medicine in her hands.

"Bai Shuang, go get some water."

Bai Shuang didn't suspect anything and stood up to leave.

Taking advantage of the gap, Su Ying injected the anti-inflammatory medication into Nanny Zhao, then fed her medicine and nutrient solution.

In this man-eating exile group, the old, the weak, the women, and the children were the first to fall. It was already a miracle that Nanny Zhao and Bai Shuang had lasted this long.

By the time Bai Shuang returned with the water, Su Ying had finished everything.

She took the water, drank a sip, and then stood up, telling Bai Shuang to help Nanny Zhao up so she could carry her on her back.

"Your Highness, let... let this servant do it. You are so delicate..."

Su Ying simply hoisted the woman onto her back. "You don't look much heavier than Nanny Zhao; how could you carry her? I'll carry her. Just follow me."

Bai Shuang stood frozen, watching Su Ying’s light, nimble steps.

Because she had been too nervous earlier, she hadn't noticed the changes in Su Ying. Now, looking at her, the Princess still had the same appearance she knew so well, but her words and actions were like those of a completely different person. The Princess of the past couldn't even lift a shoulder or carry a heavy object, let alone carry a person with such ease.

Hardship truly makes people grow, Bai Shuang thought, attributing Su Ying's changes to the suffering on the road of exile, which gave Su Ying a perfect excuse for her transformation.

Xiao Jin frowned imperceptibly as he watched Su Ying return with Nanny Zhao on her back and Bai Shuang in tow.

He knew these two; they had always been fiercely loyal to Su Ying.

Su Ying placed Nanny Zhao on the ground and took a piece of tiger meat from her person, handing it to Bai Shuang. "Eat. You'll only have the strength to continue the journey if you eat."

Bai Shuang looked at the dried meat but didn't take it. "This servant isn't hungry. Your Highness should keep it for yourself."

Su Ying pointed to the remaining tiger skeleton not far away. "See that big tiger from last night? I killed it. That bundle is full of its meat; it's enough for me to eat."

Bai Shuang was stunned. She knew a white tiger had run out last night, but because they were quite far away, she didn't know who had killed it. She had only heard other prisoners say it was a female demon who had crawled out of hell...

She never imagined that this female demon would be Su Ying.