Chapter 37 She Will Wait

Tanglu survived.

This realization allowed Chi Li to grasp onto a piece of driftwood in the boundless darkness. All the force that had been supporting her instantly vanished, leaving her to sleep soundly by Tang Lu's bedside for a full day and night.

Even so, she still held Tang Lu's small hand tightly, afraid that if she let go, that faint hope of life would slip away.

When she opened her eyes again, the first thing she did was to check Tang Lu's pulse.

Feeling the slow yet steady beating beneath her fingertips, and the quiet vitality like a dormant seed on the other side of her soul's resonance, she finally felt a little relieved.

But the crisis is not completely over.

Tang Lu's essence was severely damaged. Although her spiritual consciousness has stabilized, it remains fragile, and it is unknown when she will be able to awaken.

The physicians were at a loss and could only suggest using the gentlest elixirs and spiritual energy to nourish it and wait for it to heal itself.

Thus, the core of the Demon King's Palace changed from the Hall of State Affairs to this sleeping quarters.

Chi Li stayed by his side almost every step of the way.

She moved the mountain of jade slips to the outer room of her bedchamber, and while reviewing them, her gaze would always unconsciously drift toward the quiet figure on the couch in the inner room.

The slightest sound would make her immediately drop everything, rush to the bedside, and anxiously check to make sure everything was alright before retreating, repeating this cycle over and over again.

Perhaps it was Tang Lu's unconscious babbling, or perhaps it was just a slight change in her breathing rhythm.

She no longer allowed any unauthorized persons to enter her bedchamber at will, and even her daily routines of washing, changing clothes, and eating became extremely simple, and were often forgotten.

The once majestic, noble, and meticulous Demon King now has occasional disheveled hair, wears the same robes for two or three days in a row, and has an inescapable weariness and dark circles under his eyes.

But all of this pales in comparison to the clumsiness she displayed in "taking care" of Tang Lu, which was completely inconsistent with her abilities.

The most important aspect of "care" is administering medication.

The physician carefully prepared a nourishing elixir that gently warmed the body's essence. The elixir was extremely mild, but it still needed to be administered regularly every day.

This posed a major problem for Tang Lu, who was unconscious and unable to swallow.

Chi Li tried to use divine power to envelop the medicine and send it directly into Tang Lu's body, just as she had done before, but found that Tang Lu's fragile meridians could not withstand even the slightest guidance of divine power.

She could only resort to the most primitive methods.

She carefully half-held Tang Lu in her arms and used an extremely small jade spoon to scoop up a small half-spoon of spiritual liquid.

Then, this demon king, who could burn mountains and boil seas, would hold his breath, steady his wrist, and carefully bring the rim of the spoon close to Tang Lu's pale lips, trying to pry open a gap and drip the medicine in.

However, people who are unconscious will not cooperate.

The medicine often dripped from the corners of his mouth, wetting his clothes.

Chi Li would then furrow her brows, as if facing some insurmountable problem.

She would take out the softest silk handkerchief and, with a gentle touch completely disproportionate to her strength, slowly dab away the medicine stains, her movements as clumsy as if she were dismantling an ancient, fragile seal.

Then, she would try again, unwilling to give up, her eyes focused as if she were deducing some supreme divine power.

It often takes half an hour to feed a small bowl of medicine, and fine beads of sweat will even seep from Chi Li's forehead, making her feel more tired than if she had fought a tough battle.

Secondly, cleaning is important.

Tanglu is clean and likes to carry the fresh scent of sunshine and grass.

Akari remembered this.

She refused the lady-in-waiting's help, and personally soaked the soft towel with warm spiritual spring water, wrung it half dry, and then, imitating the lady-in-waiting's manner in her memory, clumsily wiped Tang Lu's cheeks, neck and little hands.

Her movements were initially very stiff, as if she was afraid that if she used too much force, she would break this porcelain doll-like person.

A soft handkerchief brushed across Tang Lu's sleeping brows and eyes, across her delicate nose, across her bloodless lips... Chi Li's gaze would become unusually soft and focused.

Occasionally, when her fingertips accidentally touched Tang Lu's cool skin, her heart would feel as if it had been gently scratched by a feather, and a slightly sour and throbbing emotion would rise up.

She would pause for a moment before continuing with the next action.

What's most heartbreaking is her "talking to herself".

The bedchamber was too quiet, so quiet it was unsettling.

Chi Li was not used to this silence; in the past, this place was always filled with Tang Lu's chattering voice.

So she began to speak to the unconscious Tang Lu.

When she encountered a difficult problem while reviewing the jade slips, she would mutter a few words to herself, as if seeking advice:

"The Northern Snow Ape tribe is fighting over territory again. These brutes... If you were here, you would definitely say that the way they fight is as stupid as a snowball rolling."

When she sees a brightly colored bird flying past the window, she instinctively turns her head:

"Tanglu, look at that bird. Its feathers are seven-colored. If you wake up, you will definitely like it."

When the weather was nice, she would hold Tanglu and sit on the soft couch by the window, letting her lean against her, and point to the sunlight outside:

"The weather is great today, perfect for sunbathing."

Wasn't that your favorite before?

"Wake up quickly, I'll take you to the terrace, you can sunbathe for as long as you want."

Even when she was pale from old injuries and overexertion, and couldn't help but cough softly, she would speak to the sleeping Tang Lu in a tone that was almost aggrieved:

"...I am also feeling a little unwell."

There was no response.

Each whispered plea sank without a trace, only Tang Lu's steady yet faint breathing provided the answer.

This silent waiting is more agonizing than any form of torture.

Chi Li would often sit motionless, holding the light little tree spirit in her arms, and would sit there for the whole day.

His crimson-gold eyes were filled with unfathomable worry and an almost fragile stubbornness.

She was no longer the powerful demon king who commanded respect and made the three realms tremble; she was just an ordinary... guardian who was afraid of losing and tried every clumsy method to hold onto warmth.

The servants of the Demon King's Palace witnessed all of this, and were all shocked and moved.

They had never seen His Majesty like this before; that careful protection and silent steadfastness were more moving than any grand oath.

Days passed by, with Chi Li's unwavering, clumsy yet persistent protection.

She didn't know when Tang Lu would wake up, or even if she would wake up at all.

But she will wait.

Keep waiting.

Until her tree spirit reopened those amber eyes, filled with starlight and dependence.