The smile on Li Hua's face vanished completely, and his tightly clenched hands were trembling.

He really couldn't stand Gan Qiongying staring at him like that.

He couldn't just stand Gan Qiongying's behavior; even a slight touch from her felt like being struck by lightning.

He's sick.

His condition did not improve at all during the more than 300 days they were apart; in fact, it worsened every day.

He was now clinging to this human form, but in reality, he wished he could turn into a puddle of water or a flame, merging with Gan Qiongying and burning each other to ashes, indistinguishable from one another.

Even when he met her gaze, Li Hua's soul trembled.

Gan Qiongying wanted to embrace Li Hua, and Li Hua was just as crazy, wanting to get entangled with Gan Qiongying.

But he can't.

He had to restrain himself. If he softened his heart towards this woman... what if she disappeared again in the blink of an eye?

He couldn't find her. She was too smart and knew him too well. She could turn his world upside down with ease.

It was so easy... to evade all his pursuit.

Li Hua cannot allow that to happen again.

Li Hua stopped looking at Gan Qiongying, afraid that if he looked at her again, he would be unable to resist releasing her.

He turned and walked toward the bed, soon he was about to go around the screen.

Gan Qiongying suddenly said, "Don't be angry... I came back to pick you up, even though I'm a little late."

Li Hua turned back and glared at her fiercely. Gan Qiongying laughed and said, "Okay, okay, I know I was wrong. I was wrong. I shouldn't have left you."

"I've missed you so much lately, I dream about you all the time, my husband..."

"If you say another word, I'll have your mouth gagged." Li Hua's words sounded like a warning, but her voice had actually changed.

A simple "I'm sorry" and "I was wrong" were enough to make him lose his composure and crumble completely.

He really doesn't care about anything, just like he said himself.

As long as Gan Qiongying is by his side.

"I'll say it one last time! Just one last thing."

Gan Qiongying held up her finger and said, "If you want to sleep, bandage your wound first..."

Li Hua turned away without looking back and went behind the screen.

Gan Qiongying could no longer see him, but she still pressed herself against the cage, gazing longingly in that direction.

After Li Hua turned around the screen, she didn't go to bed to rest at all. Instead, she pressed herself against the screen and peered greedily at Gan Qiongying through the gap in the screen.

I kept clenching my fists, tensing the wound on my arm, letting the pain remind me that this wasn't a dream.

This time it's not a dream.

Gan Qiongying was not far from him, and he had locked her up. She was like a little bird trapped in a golden cage, unable to fly anymore.

I can never leave him again!

Li Hua laughed silently, a laugh that came from the heart. It was a pity that Gan Qiongying did not see it. Li Hua kept staring at the figure behind the screen that haunted her dreams, secretly observing and spying like a pervert.

Gan Qiongying kept looking at the screen, trying to guess what Li Hua was doing.

Were you crying in bed?

Will it bite the blanket?

He needs to get his hand injury treated quickly.

Gan Qiongying also remembered something important: Li Hua seems to be no longer lame! No longer lame!

Gan Qiongying couldn't help but laugh when she thought about how Li Hua walked earlier.

She smiled sweetly, genuinely happy for Li Hua.

She smiled as she looked at the screen, her eyes crinkling into two crescent moons.

When Li Hua saw Gan Qiongying smiling in his direction, he suddenly took a step back, thinking that Gan Qiongying had discovered him peeping through the gap.

But Li Hua quickly calmed down. Even with the best eyesight, it was impossible to see him through the gaps at such a distance, and there was no light shining behind the screen.

She must not know what she's laughing at.

Is it because...you're happy to see yourself?

The mere thought of this possibility made Li Hua press his hand to his chest, where a herd of deer had already been killed, their corpses now strewn across the field, and blood flowing like rivers.

The two of them kept peeking at each other for quite a while before Li Hua finally emerged from behind the screen with a serious expression.

Then he shouted loudly to the outside, ordering someone to summon the imperial physician.

Then, after the imperial physician arrived, he sat at a table not far from the cage, and Gan Qiongying watched as the physician completely bandaged his arm.

Then Li Hua remembered that Gan Qiongying said she had been delayed because of a serious illness, and instructed the imperial physician: "Take her pulse and make sure to check carefully whether her old illness has been cured."

Gan Qiongying nearly fainted from fright upon hearing this. Once this old doctor got involved, she knew she had given birth.

She doesn't plan to say anything now, but if she doesn't say anything and the imperial physician finds out by taking her pulse, Li Hua will definitely explode.

Therefore, Gan Qiongying immediately shook her head and said, "I am completely cured! When Gan Lin and I left, we took Imperial Physician Xiao from the palace with us. He took excellent care of me. Look, I've gained weight!"

Gan Qiongying smiled and said to Li Hua, "Don't worry about me, don't worry about me. I can eat four steamed buns in one meal now, and I'm as strong as an ox!"

Gan Qiongying quickly changed the subject: "On the contrary, what about your leg? Is your leg completely healed? Let the imperial physician take a good look at it again!"

"Could you come a little closer so I can see your legs?"

Li Hua certainly didn't go, and she also very accurately captured an important point in what Gan Qiongying said.

"You brought Physician Xiao with you."

Li Hua nodded and waved for the imperial physicians and servants to leave.

He smiled and said to Gan Qiongying, "You guys are really good; you even knew to bring a doctor with you."

"That's great." They brought along everyone, except him!

Seeing that a storm was brewing at Mount Lihua, Gan Qiongying immediately explained, "It wasn't my idea to bring them! Nor was it Gan Lin's idea; he just insisted on following along!"

"What a shameless scoundrel."

Li Hua then said, "So, the princess thought I wasn't shameless enough, which is why she wasn't qualified to follow me."

Gan Qiongying had truly witnessed this ability to speak in such a strange and unpredictable way.

Li Hua indeed vented all the grievances, complaints, and anger she had suffered over this period of time in one go tonight.

He was now somewhat exhausted, and his eyes were fixed on Gan Qiongying with great vigilance.

He was afraid.

Afraid that she had gone too far... Gan Qiongying was about to get angry.

Li Hua wanted to say something to make amends, but he didn't know what to say. He could only watch as Gan Qiongying stood tall, maintaining her dignity that was even crispier than fried crispy fried dough.

However, Li Hua's actions and reactions, while unexpected by Gan Qiongying, were indeed within reason.

Gan Qiongying almost indulged him, smiling as she said, "Your Highness, you can't say that. You're being unreasonable."

"Why don't you come here, Your Highness, and let me give you a good hug?"

"I really miss you." Gan Qiongying said sincerely, reaching out her hand to Li Hua.

Li Hua almost uncontrollably took a few steps in this direction.

Then he stopped, standing out of Gan Qiongying's reach, and said, almost as if on purpose, "You'll sleep in this cage tonight."

After saying that, she not only refused to let him hug her, but also turned around and went back behind the screen.

He secretly watched Gan Qiongying from behind the screen.

Gan Qiongying listened carefully this time; he hadn't gone to bed at all.

He's spying on me!

Gan Qiongying laughed again and said in his direction, "What about tomorrow? Can I sleep with you tomorrow?"

Li Hua did not respond. She bit her lip on this side of the screen and subconsciously clenched her trembling hand, but quickly let go.

He felt the pain and realized he couldn't open the wound on his arm; Gan Qiongying wouldn't allow it.

And it really hurts.

Li Hua seemed to be feeling pain for the first time in many days, and her face turned pale with pain.

She rested her head on the screen and pouted, looking aggrieved.