Chapter 224: Leopard Heart

Upon hearing this, Qiao Suisui's throat felt as if it were blocked, unable to emit a single sound. Her lips trembled, as if she wanted to say something, only to find all words drowned by tears, unable to express even a ten-thousandth of what she felt inside.

At that moment, she only felt as if her heart were being stitched together with dense, tight thread, stinging with every prick.

She instinctively covered her chest. Seeing this, Ka'er could no longer hold back; he scooped her up horizontally, casting a cold, restrained, and furious glance at Sang Yan and Zongfang.

"Let's talk about this after we go back."

Since Ka'er's residence was in the Federation and the closest, the four of them arrived there.

This was Qiao Suisui's first time at the home she shared with Ka'er, but at this moment, she had no heart to care about the tables and chairs.

The three men told her what had happened over the past ten-plus years, each tacitly keeping their accounts brief. Yet, through Qiao Suisui's skillful questioning, she still managed to learn the ins and outs of the situation. As for the remaining details, no matter how she asked, they refused to speak.

The living room fell into a deathly silence.

Sang Yan was the first to try to change the subject: "When I was in the Freedom Alliance, I tried to search for the person in this photo."

He took out a group photo, the very one he and Qiao Suisui had found in the room when the Archbishop was assassinated.

"You must recognize this person."

Qiao Suisui frowned as she looked at the person who looked somewhat familiar, listening to Sang Yan say, "His real name is Li Po, later using the alias Li."

She looked at that person in surprise. She hadn't thought of it before, but now that Sang Yan had told her the results of his investigation, she finally realized that this person was clearly Doctor Li in his youth. It was only because the age and temperament of the person in the photo were so vastly different from the Doctor Li she knew that she hadn't recognized him immediately.

Qiao Suisui quickly captured a piece of information.

"So, the Archbishop was assassinated by Doctor Li. He and Li were both members of the Rebel Army at the time, only to go their separate ways after surviving. But why would Doctor Li want to kill the Archbishop?"

Zongfang said, "According to what I know, the former Federal Head had received internal intelligence from the Rebel Army, which led to the surprise attack. The operation not only publicly executed Dante Connor but also hunted down a portion of the Rebel Army. Anubis was also captured because he stayed behind alone to cover the retreat, giving the others a chance to live."

This was also why Sang Yan had settled the remaining rebels; he knew these people could be said to have been saved by Anubis's life, and Anubis was special to Qiao Suisui.

Anubis had always been a pain she was unwilling to face. At this moment, after a succession of tragic news, Qiao Suisui felt as if she had lost all sensation.

"So, Li is a traitor."

Sang Yan nodded.

If it hadn't been for his betrayal of the Rebel Army, Anubis might not have met his end.

Qiao Suisui raised her hand to press her brow. Seeing this, Ka'er immediately crouched before her in a panic to ask, "Headache?"

"I'm a little tired. I want to rest."

Zongfang wanted to say something but stopped.

Ka'er immediately said, "I'll stay with you."

Sang Yan said nothing, but kept his eyes on her.

Qiao Suisui shook her head. "I want to be alone for a while."

Ka'er took her upstairs and settled her in the master bedroom, but when he wanted to stay, he was pushed out by Qiao Suisui.

She lay on the bed, pulled the quilt over her head, and curled up inside, weeping silently.

She kept telling herself: it can be changed, it is possible to change, it must be possible.

But her emotions needed release. She cried until she fell asleep.

Ka'er stood at the door the entire time, not moving an inch.

After an unknown amount of time, his ears twitched, and then he slowly and silently opened the door and walked in.

Ka'er gently lifted the quilt, his first action being to check her breathing.

Confirming she was fine, he finally let out a sigh of relief. Then, he shifted into his beast form and lay down by the bedside, resting his head on his front paws like a large cat, quietly guarding her.

Downstairs.

Zongfang was lost in thought. Sang Yan asked him, "What do we do now? Such a blow—the damage to Suisui is immense."

Three people had died one after another; anyone would find it impossible to accept.

Zongfang knew this all too well, which was why he had delayed telling her again and again.

The situation with Luka Xikesaisi was different from Anubis's; there was a sense of 'imprinting' in Qiao Suisui's feelings for him. Zongfang knew that no matter how much he loved her, he could never replace that part of her heart that belonged to Xikesaisi.

Laiboli had also been with her from the beginning, caring for her with exceptional detail. Now that both were gone, Zongfang didn't know how to help her walk out of this pain.

Distraction? Thinking of this, he suddenly glanced at Sang Yan.

Perhaps some fresh faces could make her temporarily forget? The next second, Zongfang radiated a cold chill; he felt he had gone mad to even start considering pushing her toward someone else. He was ultimately not Xikesaisi; he couldn't be that magnanimous.

Sang Yan was stunned by Zongfang's look, not knowing why he had suddenly started radiating murderous intent for no reason.

Qiao Suisui had slept well and woke up in the middle of the night.

She felt a bit thirsty and sat up on the bed. The room was dim, and as soon as she moved, an arm wrapped around her waist from behind.

Zongfang held her from behind and asked softly, "Want some water?"

She gave a soft "Mm," and the man got out of bed to pour water. She felt her eyes were a bit swollen and wanted to get out of bed to wash her face, but she stepped on something warm and furry by the bedside.

Qiao Suisui was startled.

The snow leopard raised its head and rubbed against her lower leg, its tail wagging like a dog's.

She called out "Ka'er," and the snow leopard rubbed against her again.

She had just wanted to ask why he had shifted into his beast form when she saw him stretch his head over, constantly rubbing his ears against her hand.

"You want me to touch your ears?"

The snow leopard licked her fingertip.

Qiao Suisui smiled slightly. She understood that Ka'er was trying to use this method to cheer her up.

She reached out to stroke his ears and scratched his chin. The snow leopard narrowed its eyes in comfort, as docile as a cat.

Zongfang returned with a glass of water and saw her sitting by the bed, her fair, delicate feet stepping on the snow leopard, her hands kneading its face.

He walked over and handed her a glass of warm water. Seeing she only took two sips, he worried she had become dehydrated from crying, and said, "Finish it."

Then he carried her to take a bath, supervised her eating something, and finally let her play.

Qiao Suisui rested her head on the snow leopard's belly, lying on the rug, and watched Zongfang finish his tasks before saying, "I have something I want to discuss with you all."

Zongfang sat down, knowing it must be related to Xikesaisi and the others.

Sure enough, Qiao Suisui said, "I want to go back to the past and change the current outcome."

As soon as the words left her lips, she felt her head go empty, and the next second, it was supported by a large hand.

It was Ka'er, who had shifted back into human form.

"What do you mean by going back to the past? Are you leaving again?"

Zongfang was calmer than him, but his expression was also quite grim.

(End of Chapter)