Chapter 67 Strict Father's Tears But I Just Can't Deserve You

"Tongtong, you didn't quarrel with your uncle, did you?"

When Jiang Tong rushed to the west wing, Su Guanqing had already been helped back to the room by the servants. He was now sitting on his bed which he had not seen for a long time. When he heard Jiang Tong's footsteps, he looked up and asked with concern.

Although Jiang Huaishan and the others did not say it explicitly in front of him, he was smart enough to guess the reason.

"No, how could I argue with him?" Jiang Tong walked over, sat next to him, and took his hand.

She brushed her fingertips across his ten fingers. What a beautiful pair of hands they once had.

She remembered the way he held the pen, his fair, slender hand gripping the emerald green jade pen, and with just a lift and a press, smooth and ever-changing lines poured out.

But now, even if he could see, he probably wouldn’t be able to hold the pen, right?

Jiang Tong felt as if his heart was being cut by a knife, and he unconsciously exerted force in his hands.

Su Guanqing was caught off guard and cried out in pain.

Jiang Tong was shocked and quickly let go of her hand: "I'm sorry, did I hurt you?"

Su Guanqing shook his head: "It's okay."

Jiang Tong couldn't help but think about his future life. Su Guanqing's current situation was really special. If he was just blind before and could still take care of himself, but now his hands were disabled... Jiang Tong felt even more sad.

She inserted her five fingers into Su Guanqing's and said softly, "Guanqing, let's treat your hand properly, shall we?"

Su Guanqing's expression changed slightly, resistance written all over his face. He refused to speak, and Jiang Tong could guess the reason. In the end, she couldn't bear to push him too far, and could only hope that one day, he would figure it out on his own.

…

Late at night, when everyone was asleep, someone suddenly knocked on the door of the west wing.

Su Guanqing raised his voice and responded: "The door is not locked."

Su Guanqing's hands were not convenient, so he did not lock the door and pushed it open from the outside.

The footsteps went from the door all the way to the dormitory.

Su Guanqing thought it was a servant, so he said softly, "I have nothing to do here, you can go and rest too."

"Guan Qing, it's me. Are you going to sleep? If you're not sleepy, let's talk?" the person at the door said.

Su Guanqing was stunned for a moment: "Uncle?"

…

Early in the morning, Zhao Quesheng jumped into the study like a happy little sparrow.

As soon as he saw Jiang Tong, he calmed down reflexively, greeted Jiang Tong respectfully, then washed his hands and prepared to continue restoring the calligraphy and painting in an orderly manner.

Jiang Tong was about to take down a painting on the paper wall when she saw Zhao Quesheng approaching. She turned her head to look at the door and asked, "Where's your master? Didn't you pick him up on the way?"

——At the moment, Su Guanqing's fingers were weak and it was difficult for him to hold the bamboo stick, so Jiang Tong arranged for Zhao Quesheng to pick him up in the morning and go to the study together.

"When I came out, I knocked on the door, but the master said he wanted to sleep for a while and would not come over yet." Zhao Quesheng said.

Jiang Tong's expression was slightly gloomy. This was the third consecutive day that Su Guanqing refused to come to the study.

...There's something wrong with this person!

Jiang Tong dropped the bamboo screwdriver in his hand and said, "Take this painting down from the wall."

After saying that, he left the study and walked towards Su Guanqing's room.

Su Guanqing did not stay in bed as he said, but sat at the table, holding his bamboo stick in his hand. He had not used the bamboo stick for half a year, and now he felt more secure holding the bamboo stick in his hand.

He stood up and wanted to walk with the bamboo stick as before, but he could only hold the bamboo stick with his palm. Whenever his palm tried to lift it up, the bamboo stick would slide down, and he would have to stop and hold the bamboo stick again.

He stopped every step and could hardly walk.

In the cell, he could make do with everything, but once he got out, he found that he couldn't do anything. He couldn't comb his own hair, couldn't pick up food for himself, and couldn't even walk!

For a moment, Su Guanqing's heart was filled with frustration. He threw the bamboo stick in his hand to the ground with a "bang" and kicked it hard. The bamboo stick flew up and hit the cabinet opposite. He was still not satisfied, so he kicked the air a few more times and stood in the room gasping for breath.

"Guan Qing!"

Just as he was getting angry with himself, Jiang Tong's voice suddenly came from outside the door.

Su Guanqing was not prepared for Jiang Tong's arrival, and was instantly panicked. He quickly squatted down and tried to pick up the bamboo stick.

However, he used too much force and didn't know where the bamboo stick was kicked.

So when Jiang Tong pushed the door open, he saw Su Guanqing touching his bamboo stick on the ground.

"Guan Qing?" Jiang Tong walked over, helped him pick up the bamboo stick, and came to support him.

"Tongtong, why are you here?" Su Guanqing forced a smile at her.

"I'll take you to the study."

Su Guanqing paused, "I won't go. I want to rest in the house today."

"You said so yesterday and the day before yesterday." Jiang Tong was a little unhappy and stuffed the bamboo stick into his arms.

Su Guanqing took the bamboo stick and said timidly, "Tongtong, I can't help you with your painting. It's useless to go. Why don't you go and do your work first? I'll wait for you to have lunch together..."

Jiang Tong interrupted him and asked abruptly, "Guan Qing, did someone tell you something? Was it my father? Or my mother?"

As she spoke, she stared intently at Su Guanqing's expression. When he changed his expression slightly, she knew the answer: "What did my father say to you?"

Su Guanqing hugged his bamboo stick and said in embarrassment: "Tongtong, don't ask. Uncle is doing this for your own good."

"For my own good?" Jiang Tong snorted coldly. She could guess what Jiang Huaishan was thinking. "He's doing this for the good of his little prince."

"Tongtong..." Su Guanqing wanted to say, no, Uncle Jiang even cried in front of me that day, not for the young prince, but for his daughter. Such a tough guy, actually cried so hard in front of a junior.

However, Jiang Tong didn't let him continue. She squinted at him and asked, "What do you think?"

Su Guanqing pursed her lips and said with difficulty, "Uncle is right. After all, there are differences between men and women, and we must always be cautious. You are now the Princess of Qing, and you are in the spotlight. I don't know how many eyes are watching you. If someone catches you, it will be disadvantageous to you."

Jiang Tong snorted coldly: "Then should I thank you for thinking of me?"

Jiang Tong's words were a bit harsh, and Su Guanqing's face turned pale: "Tongtong, don't be angry."

"If you don't want me to be angry, then stop making me angry!" Jiang Tong was really annoyed.

Su Guanqing closed his eyes, his expression painful. "Tongtong, if it were anything else, I would listen to you, but this matter... I really don't want to be the one who ruins your reputation."

"Su Guanqing, I've had enough of you! You keep saying you'll be with me through thick and thin, but every time there's a little trouble, you back off. What do you mean?" Jiang Tong pissed him off. She poked Su Guanqing's chest hard. "Am I the one who's begging you for help?"

The force she used to poke him in the chest wasn't actually very strong, but Su Guanqing felt that force going straight through his heart, causing him so much pain that he almost vomited blood.

The resentment that had been simmering in his chest for days suddenly erupted, and he shouted in despair, "But Tongtong, I'm just not worthy of you! Even if I love you, what can I do? I'm no longer the prime minister's son, no longer the world-renowned Master Yuequan. Now I'm just a blind man, a cripple! And a lowly person! How can I possibly say with such audacity that I want to marry you? You have a good marriage, and I can't ruin it because of my selfish desires!"

After he finished yelling, he squatted down in pain and hugged his head with his hands: "Tongtong, you are so good to me, and I want to be good to you, but I have nothing left. I can't give you anything. I can only be a burden to you."

Jiang Tong was stunned by his words. She never knew that Su Guanqing, who was always gentle and kind, had such pain in his heart.

She thought that as long as she treated him well, he would be happy. But it turned out that her kindness to him was actually a burden to him?

She lowered her head in a daze, looking at Su Guanqing squatting there, obviously struggling in the mire of pain. She thought that as long as she didn't care about his disability and lowly status, there would be no obstacles between them.

But it turns out that he has been carrying such a heavy yoke in his heart?

Jiang Tong slowly squatted down and hugged Su Guanqing: "Guanqing, all this is temporary. Your eyes can be cured, your hands can be cured, even if you are a lowly person, we still have a chance. As long as that thing can be accomplished..."

"Tongtong, don't get involved in that matter anymore. We had no choice before, but now that my uncle and I are out of prison, you don't need to do those things anymore," Su Guanqing raised his head, grabbed Jiang Tong, and said anxiously, "The Jinyiwei have their eyes on you. If they get hold of something, you're done!"

"Okay, I won't get involved in those things anymore." Seeing him like this, Jiang Tong couldn't bear to say anything harsh to him. She reached out and hugged him tightly, "Let's live a good life."

Su Guanqing shook his head again and pushed Jiang Tong away. His eyes were red and his voice was trembling: "Tongtong, I can't deceive myself anymore. My eyes and hands can't be healed, and I can't escape from prison. There is no possibility between us. You... you have a good marriage, so why bother to get entangled with me?"

"How can that be considered a good marriage?" Jiang Tong was practically irritated to death by his stupidity. "Emperor Zhengtong has always wanted his brother to have no children or grandchildren. Does that mean anything good will happen if I marry him?"

Su Guanqing said, "As long as the young prince behaves himself, the Zhengtong Emperor won't be able to find any evidence against him, and naturally won't be able to do anything to him. Wait a few years, and when the situation calms down, everything will be fine."

Jiang Tong didn't want to argue with him about whether his idea was too presumptuous. She softened her voice and said, "Guan Qing, don't worry about what others think. Don't worry about disability or low status. Just ask your heart..."

She placed her hand on Su Guanqing's heart and asked, "Are you really willing to break up with me?"

Su Guanqing subconsciously stretched out his twisted hand and pressed it on the back of her hand. His eyes fell into the void, and his expression was stunned for a moment.

Of course he was reluctant to let go, because that was his Tongtong, the Tongtong he fell in love with in his youth, the Tongtong he valued more than his own life.

He once made a wish to the moon, saying that he would be willing to pay any price as long as he and Jiang Tong could be in love with each other.

Right now, Tongtong was right in front of him, but he had to push her away with his own hands.

"I'm sorry, Tongtong. Since we are destined to have no future, it's better to suffer a short pain than a long one."

Jiang Tong's hand dropped dejectedly, her gaze gradually growing colder. "Su Guanqing, have you thought this through? Don't think I'll keep trying to coax you. If you choose to let go today, we'll be done with each other completely, and we'll be strangers from now on."

As soon as these words were spoken, Su Guanqing seemed as if all the blood in his body had been sucked out, and his face turned frighteningly pale.