"I've never even seen the woman before," Sun Longzi muttered, rolling his eyes before he looked back at Deming. "She's my mother's idea of a perfect daughter-in-law. In fact, I'm pretty sure that dying is better than marrying her."
"Don't say that," growled Zhu Deming, not willing to even consider the possibility.
Sun Longzi's lips twitched. "I'm serious. Knowing my mother's taste in women, I will be miserable."
Deming reached for his sword belt, gripping the leather so tightly his knuckles turned white. "There's a divine healer in Baiguang. We'll find him. We'll bring him here. I don't care how far it is."
Longzi's eyes drifted closed for a moment.
"I can't do this without you," Deming said, voice cracking. "You're the only one who's always been with me. You know what life is like for me, and you never made me feel lesser. I can't do this without you." He bowed his head until it touched the edge of the cot. "I won't lose you. I can't."
