Chapter 206 Wu Yang speaks his mind

Her fingertips gently traced the wrinkles between his brows, her nose began to sting, and tears streamed down her face, landing on Pei Yanzhi's cheek.

However, his eyelashes only twitched very slightly, and then there was no further movement.

After an unknown amount of time, long enough that Ji Shu thought the two of them would just wait to die there, a rustling sound came from the cave entrance.

Ji Shu's heart skipped a beat. She hurriedly picked up the dagger from the ground, used a tree branch to block Pei Yanzhi's figure, and hid in the shadow of the rock wall.

...

It was three days later when Pei Yanzhi regained consciousness.

Pei Yanzhi slowly opened his eyes and saw that the sky-blue curtains were hanging down, and the room was filled with the familiar scent of sandalwood.

The simple furnishings are in the Pei residence in Ganzhou.

His eyes flickered slightly as he looked outside, but he didn't see the familiar beauty. The room remained silent.

He opened his mouth, but found that there was no unbearable dryness in his mouth. Although his voice was hoarse, it was not unbearably dry.

He struggled to get out of bed, his tall frame straining against the bed. He saw that his clothes were clean and tidy, and even the bloodstains on his bandages were minimal.

They then guessed that they were completely safe.

She hadn't even gotten out of bed yet, and she stumbled and almost fell. The servants outside the door heard the commotion.

He hurriedly opened the door, and Wu Yang, having received the news, quickly approached from the outside.

Seeing him wake up, a look of joy immediately appeared on her face: "Your Majesty, you're finally awake!"

Pei Yanzhi nodded slightly and asked, "When did I get back? Where is she?"

Wu Yang understood and respectfully said, "Your Majesty, you have been unconscious for three days."

"The lady left not long ago; I guess she went to keep the young master company."

Pei Yanzhi's eyes widened, almost thinking he had misheard. Did he mean that Shu'er had been taking care of him these past few days?

Seeing that his lord's voice was hoarse, Wu Yang poured water from the table and presented it to him.

Pei Yanzhi took the drink, and after a couple of sips, he finally felt a little better. He then asked, "You mean, she's been here these past few days?"

Wu Yang nodded. "Madam said that your wounds were too serious and that she was afraid that the remaining poison had not been completely cleaned, so she has been staying here to take care of you. However, she stays with the young master at night."

Pei Yanzhi looked down at the teacup in his hand, thinking to himself: It was worth it for him to suffer such serious injuries in order to earn this little bit of pity.

Then he wondered if this was simply her duty as a doctor, or if it stemmed from her concern for him. At that moment, he felt lost in a fog, unable to discern her true feelings.

Who would have thought that Pei Yanzhi would one day be so cowardly, afraid to ask, or even afraid to think about it deeply?

Seeing that his lord did not show any joy, Wu Yang continued, "The lady has hardly slept these days. Last night, seeing that you were much better, she went back to the young master's room."

Pei Yanzhi's eyes suddenly lit up, and a wave of unease washed over him. "You mean, she's been staying in the same room with me for the past two days?"

Wu Yang pointed to the soft couch outside the screen, "The lady has been resting on that couch these past two days."

Sure enough, the light brown soft pillow was still neatly placed on it, clearly belonging to a woman.

Meanwhile, Ji Shu played with Qinghe for a while, then had Chunzhi take him out and lay him straight on the bed.

He stared blankly at the top of the tent, thinking about what Wu Yang had said last night.

At that moment, Ji Shu had just finished wiping Pei Yanzhi when Wu Yang stepped forward.

He said in a low voice, "Madam, I have something to say... but I don't know if I should say it."

Ji Shu paused slightly in the basin, then said, "Your lord and I are no longer husband and wife, so you don't need to call me 'Madam' anymore."

Wu Yang respectfully announced his arrival.

After a moment of silence, she asked, "What do you want to say?"

Wu Yang glanced down at His Majesty lying on the bed, and thinking of the hardships His Majesty had endured over the years, she said softly, "My lady, do you know how difficult His Majesty's life has been these past years?"

"In the year Your Majesty ascended the throne, the world was initially at peace, but there were still many restless traitors who slandered Your Majesty for not seizing the throne properly."

"In addition, the young master was still young at that time. The lord had to quell the various forces on one hand, and also had to check on the young master's daily life at all times during the day, for fear that there might be the slightest problem."

"In the first three months, His Majesty became so thin that he was almost unrecognizable. The imperial physicians said more than once that if this continued for a long time, His Majesty would be damaging his very foundation until the day he was exhausted."

"Perhaps out of consideration for the young master, or perhaps out of concern for the people's livelihood, His Majesty has stubbornly persevered."

"Until the following year, after our lord learned of your whereabouts in Ganzhou, he couldn't sleep for nights on end. I suggested that if he was truly worried, we should bring you back, but..."

He looked at Ji Shu, his eyes filled with complex emotions, but she already understood.

He must have stopped her, otherwise, having already found out where she was, he could have taken her even if she had changed her surname.

It would only take a few days to find it.

But he didn't.

Ji Shu looked at the person on the bed. At this moment, his eyes were closed, his lips were still pale, and his whole body exuded a lifeless fragility.

Wu Yang's voice grew softer, almost inaudible: "Later, it seemed that His Majesty had truly let you go, but he devoted even more attention to the young master."

"But, in the dead of night, my lord has picked up your old belongings more than once, and even..."

Ji Shu murmured, "Even what?"

"They even furnished His Majesty's Hall of Mental Cultivation almost exactly like your residence in Yang County. Your belongings and clothes are still displayed there..."

"Only in this way can it feel as if you are always by my side."

"Your Majesty has truly suffered greatly these past years, and it pains me to see it."

"His Majesty...is deeply in love with you!"

That last sentence was uttered with almost all his might.

The room was quiet, but Ji Shu's heart was churning with emotion.

If Wu Yang hadn't told her, she wouldn't have known. Given his proud nature, he would never have revealed a single word.

A tear slid down Ji Shu's cheek as she slowly closed her eyes and drifted into a dream.

In her dream, Ji Shu entered into Pei Yanzhi's short life as an observer.

When he was ten years old, his grandfather was still in power in Yanzhou. The old man not only taught him military strategy and martial arts every day.

Even in heavy rain or blizzards, he remained steadfast, getting up before dawn and always present at the training ground.

When he was twelve, his grandfather and father fought a battle against the Xiongnu, and more than half of them were killed or wounded.

He was still a boy when he lost both his parents overnight.

In his early twenties, he married a woman from the Gu family. Ji Shu stood among the guests, unlike the Marquis of Yan, who was in his thirties, or the current overlord who was nearing forty.

His face still held a hint of youthful innocence, yet it already showed signs of handsomeness and majesty.

Then look at Madam Gu, who stands beside him in a red dress. The two are a perfect match, dazzlingly so.

Ji Shu lowered her eyes, unwilling to look any longer.

As she turned to leave, she suddenly felt a gaze fixed on her—Pei Yanzhi's long, narrow phoenix eyes, as deep as the night, were quietly looking in her direction.