Elixir
Suddenly, a gust of wind swept in from nowhere, whipping their robes around and mingling with the falling rain, the chill penetrating to the bone. As if sensing her slight trembling, the man before her drew closer, his tall frame and broad chest forming an impenetrable wall around her.
"you……"
She only managed to utter the first words before he swallowed them all, and they vanished completely as their lips intertwined. She felt dizzy; the presence before her was distinctly familiar, just like yesterday, yet it was clear that Dou Yanxun and she should never cross paths again.
Not only do the two have a blood feud from their past lives, but they also have countless lies and schemes against each other in this life... Even at this moment when they are most intimate, she has no idea why he suddenly appeared here, or why he led this group of agile black-clad guards to raid the princess's residence at night.
How could she trust him, love him, and continue as if there were no misunderstandings between them?
Seeing that Dou Yanxun wouldn't listen to anything she said, Lin Xu simply closed her eyes tightly and bit him hard with all her might.
His kisses never stopped, the rain and his breath scalding her nose and mouth, almost making her lose control.
This can't go on... In the silent night, Lin Xu's eyes suddenly turned cold. She abruptly lowered her head and bit his soft, warm lower lip hard.
A moment later, a strong smell of blood filled the air between their lips and teeth.
She bit down hard, causing Dou Yanxun's thick eyebrows to furrow. He casually touched the now bloody wound on his lip, but a thick mist, no less intense than the darkness of night, spread across his eyes.
He slowly narrowed his eyes and carefully bent down to examine her.
Rainwater flowed slowly down the intertwined silhouettes of the two, with only the howling wind in their ears, and even the pitch-black night seemed to freeze at this moment.
"Dou Yanxun, we have no further contact now. Please take care of yourself. If you get any closer to me, I will truly..."
His lips slowly curved upwards, his eyes filled with a mockery ten times stronger than before.
"...What will happen? Lin Xu, are you really going to kill me?"
He knew perfectly well that he was unarmed. Lin Xu was speechless, choked by his words. He had just held him tightly in his arms, so he must have known that he had nothing to defend himself.
Seeing her stunned expression, Dou Yanxun released his grip on her wrist, which he had been holding for a long time, and pulled out a beautifully crafted dagger from his waist. In the darkness, the blade still gleamed with a silver light.
Lin Xu paused, momentarily speechless. This was the dagger she had carried with her since she first married into the Dou family, hidden in the lining of her inner garment because she couldn't bear to leave it behind! He still had it with him…
Dou Yanxun placed the knife into her hand and then slowly closed her fingers together.
He chuckled softly. "Here's your knife back now. How about you prove to me... that you really can be ruthless?"
Lin Xu lowered her eyes to look at the knife, gripping it tightly until her knuckles turned white from the force, and blood slowly dripped down her palm. She slowly raised her head.
His eyes were calm as a deep pool, carrying a chilling tremor, but it did not recede.
The two were clearly very close; if she wanted to, if she simply raised her hand slightly, the dagger she was now tightly gripping could instantly pierce his heart.
Dou Yanxun's voice quickly dissipated into the continuous sound of rain; it was an incredibly gentle tone, yet it seemed devoid of any emotion.
"...The day you left, you took nothing with you. The house was full of clothes and jewelry, and the little clothes and shoes you sewed for the baby...I still remember you saying that we would take the baby out for a spring outing in a while...When I came back, all of these things would be there. But you were gone..."
"Lin Xu, how could you be so heartless? If you were determined to leave, then you should have left more decisively. Why did you leave those things behind? And why did you leave me behind alone...?"
He gently closed his eyes, his murmur low, falling on her ear. She couldn't tell if he was questioning her or merely mocking himself.
In a split second, Lin Xu was gripped tightly in his palm again and swiftly pushed forward. She was utterly astonished and couldn't help but gasp as she watched his cloak be pierced by an incredibly sharp dagger, from which dark liquid quickly gushed out. Blood had already soaked through his inner garment.
He actually took advantage of my unpreparedness and forced me to hurt him!
Her face turned pale, and almost instinctively she wanted to cover it with her hand, but she was afraid of hurting him, so she could only stand there, her pale lips moving a few times, but she couldn't say anything.
She had killed people before, nor was she a pure and kind person, but now, even though she desperately wanted to push him away from her, everything in front of her was enough to fill her with heartache.
"...Dou Yanxun, have you gone mad?"
She was shocked and frightened, her heart filled with bitterness mixed with anger, and she was about to step forward and peel off his clothes to check his wounds.
The blade of the dagger was extremely sharp, capable of slicing through bone in an instant. As she was in a panic, she saw the crimson mark on his lips become even more shocking under the sudden flash of lightning.
He curled his lips into a smile.
Looking at her, he revealed an extremely satisfied smile.
He gazed at her, his eyes still tinged with pain, yet his expression held a childlike smugness. His handsome face, with just a slight upturn of his lips, possessed a breathtakingly alluring charm in the darkness. His eyes crinkled, his smile utterly smug.
"I knew then that you still couldn't bear to part with it..."
Lin Xu was both angry and speechless, and for a moment she simply didn't want to get entangled with this man who seemed to have gone mad any longer. She had hurt him, and could no longer have anything to do with him, but she couldn't leave him unsaid.
She hurriedly pulled off the cloak tied to his shoulders, then ripped open the collar of his coat. In her haste, several buttons fell to the ground from her force. Dou Yanxun's eyes sparkled like stars as he stared intently at her face.
He coughed lightly, his voice extremely weak. Yet, an barely suppressed chuckle still escaped his lips.
"My lady... even if you are so impatient, please be gentle, considering that I am not feeling well right now."
Lin Xu completely ignored his frivolous words, and simply frowned as she examined the wound with annoyance. Although there was a lot of blood, fortunately the blow had been extremely swift and had not actually injured his heart.
Even so, if he were allowed to bleed uncontrollably like this, it would likely still result in someone's death.
After a moment's hesitation, Lin Xu raised his hand.
She deftly shook the ring on her right hand, which still glittered in the night. The dazzling ruby was incredibly sharp, and beneath its beauty lay a hidden secret: a box split in half.
Half of the container contained the high-quality sleeping potion Liao Yan had given her earlier; a mere whiff of it could instantly render someone unconscious. She had used up all that potion to survive when she was trapped in the side courtyard of the Dou family.
The other half now contains two thin, cicada-wing-like pills, securely wrapped in silver foil.
That was the hemostatic powder she secretly asked Ren Quanshan for when she was temporarily staying at Zhou Weikan's private residence.
Legend has it that Renquan Shanren was a legendary healer who possessed a variety of miraculous medicines that could cure all diseases. Among them, the seemingly ordinary hemostatic powder that he used to treat common ailments could instantly relieve the pain of wounds and stop the bleeding. It was a rare find in the world.
She frowned, gently picked up one of the medicinal powders with her fingertips, and carefully applied it to his wound exposed to the rain. In no time, the crimson powder dissolved upon contact with the blood, forming a nearly transparent film, and the previously dripping blood quickly stopped.
Dou Yanxun raised one eyebrow in surprise. In just a few months, where did she get this rare treasure? After a moment of astonishment, he lowered his eyes and watched as her fingertips gently touched his skin.
Cool, warm, soft—that was her body temperature.
He coughed lightly and said with a faint smile, "It's a pity that the lady healed me so quickly. I was originally planning to extort more money from you."
Lin Xu, however, had no intention of delaying him any longer. "Now that the bleeding has stopped, you should be fully recovered after a few more days of rest. You've always been weak, so it's best not to linger in this cold night."
She carefully put the ring on, a faint chill creeping into her eyes.
She hurt him, but she also healed him. Now they should be even and have no more entanglements.
"...Although we were husband and wife in the past, feelings cannot be forced. Now that we are like strangers, perhaps this is the best course of action. I only wish that Lord Dou will take good care of himself."
After speaking, she turned to leave, but the rain had already stopped. The dark alley where the two were located was cold and dark. As soon as she stepped out, the soft moonlight bathed her, creating a chilling loneliness that words could not describe.
Dou Yanxun closed his eyes. The blood on his lips had dried, but he still felt a dull pain.
"Our child... what should it be called...?"
Lin Xu paused slightly as he moved forward, and then a very faint sound dissipated into the wind in an instant.
"Please let go of the past, Lord Dou."
"...I will take good care of her."
.
Spring shadows are heavy, and in the blink of an eye, it will be the season when pear blossoms are in full bloom.
The long-delayed imperial examinations since the beginning of the year are finally about to begin. As this is the first selection held by the court after purging the corrupt faction, the court attaches great importance to it. Not only has it ordered that the rent for all the imperial palaces be halved and that no one be allowed to raise prices, but Emperor Su also plans to personally visit the imperial palace after a long absence and hold a special literary banquet to show the court's recognition and appreciation of talented people.
This banquet was attended not only by the Emperor and Empress, but also by special ceremonies for officials such as the examiners, scholars of the inner court, and educational administrators, to demonstrate that "culture is the foundation of the nation." This special literary banquet was held on the banks of Zhaohua Pond, a place of exceptional spring scenery within the imperial palace.
The Shunxi Palace is the site of a previous dynasty. Since the beginning of this dynasty, apart from the extensive renovations during the reign of Emperor Taizu, the two emperors after him only stayed there for a short period each year to escape the summer heat. It was truly rare to hold such an important banquet at the palace. Court officials, high-ranking ministers, and noblewomen rarely had the opportunity to visit the palace, so they were all eager to be invited.
As for Lin Xu, even though her title of Lady Zhao En has become less glamorous due to the gossip surrounding her divorce, she was still among those invited thanks to Kun Rou's insistence.
This is also her first public appearance since she divorced and lived in seclusion for a long time.
The imperial palace was built against the imperial river, with pavilions and towers connected on Zhaohua Pond. A pool of spring water flowed around the water pavilion and into the green canal below the jade steps.
The midday sun shone brightly, the sky was a clear, bright blue, and all around were pear blossoms, apricot blossoms, and slender bamboos, layer upon layer, their fragrance wafting in the air. Suddenly, a fragrant breeze blew by, and the fallen petals floated lightly on the rippling water.
A crimson veil hung over the pavilion bridge, and a warm, pleasant fragrance wafted gently on the breeze. Within the cloud-patterned embroidered curtains, about seven or eight out of ten women were already seated. Amidst golden cups and jade plates, laughter and soft conversation filled the air. Someone quietly murmured:
"Oh, what a coincidence today, Princess Kunrou's famous close friend has also come."
Upon hearing this, everyone's gaze turned forward, and through the indistinct clusters of flowers in the distance, it fell directly on that slender, pale blue figure.
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