Chapter 140 Good News 5 The past two years, everything, seems like a dream...

On the fifth day, Cui Ying was taken back to the Duke of Wei's mansion by the Kong family.

Only after Kong pleaded with him did Cui Ying finally swallow a few mouthfuls of rice and water.

All the servants of the Duke of Wei's mansion must have been warned by the Kong family beforehand. After Cui Ying returned, not one of them mentioned the war in the northern desert, and no one dared to mention Xiao Qiyu's name.

The furnishings inside Yingchun Pavilion remained unchanged, everything was as it was before Cui Ying left her home.

When the maids and servants saw Cui Ying, they all greeted her with smiles, "Third Miss."

It's as if Cui Ying has never left this home.

The past two years have all felt like a dream.

Everyone had already tacitly accepted that Xiao Qilang, who had made unparalleled contributions, had died for his country. The officials of the Ministry of Rites had even privately prepared the posthumous title and eulogy, waiting only for an imperial edict that bestowed both honor and mourning upon him, so that it could be used and the matter would be over.

Ashina Boketu was dead, and the Eastern and Western Turkic Khaganates were thrown into chaos. From then on, peace and tranquility prevailed, the people lived in peace and contentment, and the court was able to rest easy.

Only the boy who once rode his horse through the imperial streets in a dark brocade robe is gone forever.

...

Around the summer solstice, there was continuous rain. The banana trees outside the window were lush and green, and the damp mist seeped into the window screen, mingling with the rich aroma of medicine.

Cui Ying took two doses of sedatives every morning and evening, but still found it difficult to fall asleep. It was common for her to go several nights without sleep, leaving her pale and thin, like a withered lotus, with no trace of her former radiance.

Cui Jin tried everything she could to make her young lady happy. She not only brought all the most popular storybooks on the market, but also bought Cui Ying different kinds of street snacks every day.

But Cui Ying didn't even lift her eyelashes.

That day, Cui Jin excitedly brought over a stack of drawing paper, gently unfolded it in front of Cui Ying, and pointed to it, saying, "Miss, look, this is what I found when I was tidying up old things. It's a picture of a cricket that you drew before. Look at it, the antennae, the thighs, it's drawn so realistically, it's almost like it's alive!"

The drawing paper prominently features a large cricket, its claws outstretched and its form vividly depicted.

Meeting Cui Jin's expectant yet cautious gaze, Cui Ying casually flipped open a sheet of paper, revealing another sheet with a cricket on it.

The same menacing and imposing manner.

Unlike the previous one, next to the cricket is a line of slightly immature, delicate calligraphy, yet it is written with force and fervor: Xiao Qiyu, you big bastard.

Time seemed to flow backward at this moment, and Cui Ying returned to her carefree childhood. On a scorching afternoon, with her hair in two small double buns, she had somehow offended Xiao Qiyu again, so she could only vent her anger on the drawing paper.

All her grief was briefly pulled away. She slowly raised her hand, her fingertips lightly brushing over the words, a faint smile appearing on her lips.

Just then, her gaze shifted slightly, and she noticed another line of smaller text next to that line.

Unlike her childish handwriting, this line of writing is elegant and neat, with strong and powerful strokes, written without showing any weakness:

Cui Ying, you big fool.

A handsome and familiar face instantly entered Cui Ying's mind.

She could even picture the bright, smug look on Xiao Qiyu's face as he wrote those words.

When did he write it? Was it when he accompanied her on her homecoming after the wedding? Or was it when she deliberately scared him by telling him to go back to his parents' home, and he hurriedly chased after her?

Cui Ying's stiff, lifeless mind began to spin uncontrollably. Memories of the past tore through her mind, causing her face to contort in pain. She cried out in agony, her body trembling and curling up in agony. Her arm accidentally overturned all the drawing papers to the floor, scattering them all over the room like white cranes spreading their wings.

Cui Jin was terribly frightened and cried as she begged the old woman to fetch the family doctor.

Cui Ying's vision blurred with pain. In the chaos, she grabbed the painting that Xiao Qiyu had written on, and her fingertips touched the writing on it again and again.

She had never felt that fate was so unfair at this moment.

It seems she had only just begun to love him intensely and passionately, but he was already gone.

The headache was so intense, it felt as if it were tearing her body in two. Cui Ying's consciousness sank into darkness once more, and she lost all feeling.

In her dazed state, she felt someone enter the room.

The man's footsteps were light, which didn't match his tall figure, but they were strangely familiar.

Cui Ying could sense the outline of his face, the arc of his dark-colored robe fluttering with each step, but she couldn't make out his features.

The woman paused at the table for a moment, noticing the cricket drawings she had made as a child. She stared at them intently for a moment, then let out a clear laugh:

"They say that the artist's style is like the artist's, and this big, menacing worm does have some of your flair."

The familiar voice boomed in Cui Ying's heart like thunder. Cui Ying tried desperately to see the person clearly, but her body felt like it was sinking into the deepest swamp. She couldn't move a single finger, and she couldn't even utter a whimper.

Only consciousness struggles anxiously in the void.

Don't go... come back...

Please...

Perhaps hearing her inner cry, footsteps sounded again, unhurriedly approaching the bed.

Cui Ying could feel him sitting by the bed, his familiar, cool scent enveloping her.

The young man's slender hand landed on Cui Ying's forehead, his calloused fingertips gently wiping away the fine beads of sweat.

The voice rang out again, so close it seemed to touch. A sigh escaped his lips.

"You're such a grown-up, why do you still make me worry all the time?"

The voice was no longer light and joking, but had become somewhat solemn, low and gentle.

The surging emotions were like a tidal wave, transforming into an overwhelming force.

Cui Ying suddenly broke free from the restraints, and with all her might, she opened her eyes and looked towards the bedside—

What came into view was Kong Shi's tearful face, with Cui Jin beside her, her eyes red-rimmed, and the white-haired imperial physician.

"Tuantuan! My Tuantuan, you're finally awake!" Kong Shi's trembling hand grasped Cui Ying's hand, tears streaming down her face. "Do you want me to cry all my tears for you? You almost scared me to death!"

Cui Ying's eyes were empty and anxious as she quickly scanned her mother, Cui Jin, and the imperial physician, searching every corner of the room.

No.

The figure in black was nowhere to be found.

Cui Ying stared blankly into space.

Seeing her daughter looking dazed and silent, Madam Kong was even more distressed and quickly turned to the imperial physician: "Imperial Physician Chen, what's wrong with my child?"

Physician Chen's expression was solemn. After a moment of contemplation, he slowly said, "Madam, the Third Miss's pulse is thin and weak, which is caused by stagnation of liver qi and emotional distress. This is due to excessive worry, which has damaged her heart and spleen. It cannot be cured by medicine. Although I can prescribe some calming and soothing medicine, the most important thing is for the Third Miss to see things in a better light and accept the situation with composure."

I am sorry for your loss.

Cui Ying, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up: "He is not dead."

Her voice was tired and hoarse, yet unusually calm, a calmness that was somewhat eerie.

Kong's crying stopped abruptly. She looked up in astonishment at her daughter, almost thinking she had misheard: "Third Sister, what...what did you say?"

Cui Ying slowly turned her face to look at her mother. Her face was still as pale as paper, and her eyes were sunken, but deep in those eyes, a flame seemed to burn that refused to be extinguished. She stubbornly repeated:

"Xiao Qiyu is not dead."

She raised one hand and pressed it heavily against her chest, her voice extremely weak, each word spoken with force: "I can feel it, there's a thread connecting me to him, I can sense his presence, I believe he's still alive."

In the end, Cui Ying suddenly felt a metallic taste rise in her throat, and she vomited a mouthful of blood.

Madam Kong was terrified by the mouthful of blood and nearly knelt before Physician Chen, pleading urgently, "Save her! Please save her! She's my only daughter, I can't watch her go on like this!"

Everyone was in chaos, but Cui Ying remained expressionless, muttering the same phrase over and over: "He's not dead, Xiao Qiyu isn't dead..."

The imperial physician pondered for a long time after taking the patient's pulse, then shook his head and sighed. He left behind several prescriptions for gentle tonification and calming the mind before taking his leave.

Seeing that medicine was ineffective, Kong was extremely anxious and had no choice but to place his last hope in the gods and Buddhas. That very day, he invited several nuns from the Daxiangguo Temple to his residence and set up an incense table outside Yingchun Pavilion, where they chanted scriptures day and night.

The chanting of sutras was like a thin veil, gently enveloping the entire courtyard, continuous and seemingly conveying all the suffering in the world.

As night deepened, Cui Jin blew out the light in the outer room, leaving only a small silk lamp at the corner of the bed, its light barely illuminating Cui Ying's pale face.

Cui Jin held Cui Ying's cold hand, her voice choked with emotion: "Miss, I know I shouldn't be saying this, but you really have to open your eyes and see that this world isn't just about your son-in-law. You also have parents and relatives. For their sake, you have to try to let go and live a good life."

As Cui Jin spoke, Cui Ying's empty eyes slowly moved, and the image of her parents' newly grown white hair appeared in her mind.

In the following days, Cui Ying ate well every day, took her medicine on time, went to bed early, and even considered paying her respects to the Princess.

Everyone was pleasantly surprised by her transformation, thinking that she had come to her senses.

But only Cui Ying herself knew how much torment she endured, how much she felt like she was living a life worse than death.

She could pretend to be normal, stop mentioning Xiao Qiyu, and even chat and laugh with others as if nothing had happened, just like before.

But as soon as you close your eyes, as long as your heart is still beating, your bones will break and your body will be engulfed in flames.

Cui Ying knew that if things continued like this, she would either die or go insane, and her parents would suffer a hundred or a thousand times more than they did now.

She must save herself; she has to save herself.

She wanted to see him alive or dead; if she never saw Xiao Qiyu again, Cui Ying would die with regrets.

As the clouds dispersed and the flowers fell, in the stillness of the night, Cui Ying suddenly threw off the brocade quilt covering her and sat up straight.

The movement drew the attention of a worried Cuijin, who asked repeatedly, "What's wrong, Miss? Are you feeling unwell?"

Cui Ying's eyes suddenly opened, and she looked over and said, "I've figured it out about Xiao Qiyu."

Cui Jin was taken aback at first, then her face lit up with immense joy. She said excitedly, "It's good that you've figured it out! It's good that you've figured it out! You're still so young, and you have a long life ahead of you. We'll take it slowly, and things will get better!"

Cui Ying nodded: "So I've decided, I want to—"

"Forgot him?"

"Go find him."

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Author's Note: We'll meet in the next chapter. There's no mischievous Yu deliberately trying to make his daughter worry. If he had any breath left, he would have crawled back long ago.