70 Chapter Seventy
◎When I die, you will be free. ◎
Chapter Seventy
Liu Qingqing and Lin Mei exchanged a glance. Just as she was about to get up, Lin Mei gently pressed her shoulder down.
Lin Mei walked straight to the door, turning back to gesture for her mistress to hide in the wardrobe or nearby. She then picked up a candlestick and hid it behind her back. Turning sideways, she gently opened the door with her left hand. Despite her fear, she held onto the candlestick tightly.
The door slowly opened, and the candlelight spilled out, illuminating half of the man's face outside.
Lin Mei stared in astonishment after seeing it clearly; she had never imagined that Lord Xie would find this place!
Xie Lang took a step forward, his gaze sweeping over the candlestick behind Lin Mei as he passed by, but he stopped and nodded solemnly to Lin Mei, "I thank Miss Lin for taking such good care of my wife these past few months."
Lin Mei was startled: "Sir..."
If Xie Lang were back on his own turf, he would naturally bend down and take the other end of the candlestick. Before the master and servant could even react, he would have already entered the room and placed the candlestick back on the table.
"Make some ginger tea for your young lady."
This adult doesn't play by the rules from the start, and Lin Mei was taken aback again, quickly looking at her mistress.
The young lady was looking at the adult's profile with a complicated expression. Noticing her gaze, the young lady nodded slightly to her.
Lin Mei then went over and tightly closed the door behind her. After thinking for a moment, before heading to the kitchen, she checked the second door to make sure it was locked before reluctantly turning back to the kitchen.
Before entering the kitchen, I glanced at the bolt on the second door one last time.
Although I don't know why the young lady, who is so kind-hearted, refuses to live with the master.
But she had to be careful; the young lady was currently a free woman and not yet of marriageable age. Even an adult couldn't prevent the young lady from finding a husband.
The two people in the room, unaware of Lin Mei's thoughts, stood and sat facing each other in silence.
It was Liu Qingqing who couldn't resist Xie Lang's direct and captivating gaze and spoke first, "Why have you come, sir?"
She pretended not to understand, just as indifferently as he had always been.
Hearing this made Xie Lang's heart ache; how cruel her heart was.
Xie Lang was blocked by her retreating attitude, but he could only helplessly take a step back, fearing that she would really leave so casually as she said.
After what happened last time, he dared not gamble again.
She had no choice but to find another reason, lowering her eyes to hide the sadness in them, "The Gu worms are far from you, and they're making me feel uncomfortable."
The discomfort was real, but it wasn't because of the Gu worms.
Since she left, the empty main room has kept him awake at night.
Even so, it was even worse elsewhere. Only in the main room did he have a chance to catch his breath.
He didn't know if she was alive or dead, whether she had been kidnapped by bandits, or whether she had been seriously injured. What if she encountered bad people? He dared not think any further.
Sometimes, I would even wake up from nightmares at night and force myself to stay awake until dawn.
He was momentarily resentful of her stubbornness, and a mix of emotions kept him awake at night, unable to eat or sleep.
For the first time, he experienced what it felt like to miss someone, and it was terrifying.
He would rather be seriously injured and bedridden than live in fear again!
He wished he could crush her into his very bones and blood; would that bring him some peace?
Only when he saw her intact, untouched and unharmed, could his tense muscles stop spasming and his folded, constricted internal organs relax and return to their proper places.
Being around her, even breathing feels light.
After saying that, he calmly sat down next to her, as if this were his territory.
Liu Qingqing was astonished, then laughed in exasperation.
"What does Lord Xie take this place for?"
Do they still think they're back in the Marquis's mansion? That they can come and go as they please?
Xie Lang glanced at her, raised his hand to press his swollen temple, and waved his hand wearily, "Don't talk to me about these things. Don't you already know the rules of the Xie family? If you find me annoying, you can drink morning dew and boil snow grass for seven days. Once I die, you will be free."
She had just spoken ill of other men in front of him, which made him feel resentful. He forced himself not to get angry with her, and because of the anger he was suppressing, his head was throbbing with pain.
"There is no possibility between us, Lord Xie. What are you doing? Does it mean that you can't live without me now?"
"My lord, go and see all those women who are enamored with you. What kind of woman can't you have? Why do you always have to make things difficult for me?"
Liu Qingqing also felt resentful, "When I was devoted to you, you found me annoying. Now that I'm doing what you want, you won't listen anymore. What do you want from me?"
Xie Lang's breathing became heavy. He lowered his eyes, his hand on the table clenched into a fist. The veins on the back of his hand throbbed.
Liu Qingqing glanced at him, afraid of angering him. After all, he was a man and she was no match for him, so she had no choice but to patiently try to coax him away. "After many years, you will marry someone else and I will marry someone else. If we happen to meet by chance with our own children, we might even catch up. When we look back then, what will we be like now? We were married for less than a year before we broke up. Our relationship was very shallow."
Liu Qingqing meant that life is so long, there's no need to get bogged down in this.
Seeing him lower his eyes and remain silent, Liu Qingqing was thinking of how to persuade him. As night deepened, it wouldn't be good for him to stay in her room.
Just as he was pondering this, he heard a muffled thud.
With a thud, Xie Lang collapsed onto the table. Liu Qingqing leaned forward and saw that he had fainted!
It made someone so angry they fainted!
Liu Qingqing was stunned.
I really did get dizzy.
Liu Qingqing hurriedly asked Lin Mei to fetch the old doctor. Doctor Zhang was reading a medical book and had not yet gone to sleep, so he quickly followed her to the backyard.
Lin Mei thought to herself, thankfully Fu Xiuzhu wasn't at the clinic. But then another thought popped into her head—why hadn't Doctor Fu returned yet, so late?
Dr. Zhang is just ahead; he'll be here quickly.
I don't know why I fainted, and I can't move me for a while.
"This young master appears to be unharmed, but in reality, he is severely depleted internally. If he continues to squander himself like this, it won't do."
Doctor Zhang carefully examined her pulse, his brows furrowed as if the situation was quite serious. Suddenly, he looked up at Liu Qingqing and asked, "May I ask if you are an old acquaintance of mine?"
Liu Qingqing hesitated, not wanting anyone to know that she had a past with Xie Lang, so she could only say, "This is my elder brother."
Doctor Zhang's brows relaxed slightly, and he assumed that the man was the girl's brother.
He nodded casually. “Young Master has suffered from many old ailments, and his body is already weakened. When I took his pulse just now, I noticed an injury on his wrist... This injury was mostly caused by self-inflicted pain. I have encountered people with this kind of injury before, and in the end... none of them had a good ending.”
Seeing Liu Qingqing's surprise and the worry in her eyes, Doctor Zhang quickly said, "I recently found an ancient medical book that talks about this matter, and I am currently investigating its explanation."
“In that case, it would be better to let the young master rest and recuperate here. It’s closer here, so I can take his pulse and examine him.”
This put Liu Qingqing in a difficult position. She couldn't refuse immediately, so she said, "Let's leave it at that for now."
When he wakes up, he will be leaving, Liu Qingqing thought. Knowing Xie Lang as she did, she knew he must have important business in Yingcheng and would not stay by her side for long.
Dr. Zhang nodded and continued to take the pulse.
Dr. Zhang is a disciple of a family of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners in Yingcheng. His master's wife is a Gu doctor from southern Xinjiang, so he also has some knowledge of Gu.
He sensed something was wrong just by taking her pulse, but Gu poison is not commonly used in the Central Plains, so how could this be?
Doctor Zhang frowned, moved his fingertip, and probed again, asking with slight hesitation, "...Does the young master know anyone in the Southern Frontier?"
Just then, Xie Lang closed his eyes tightly, and his brow bulged with pain.
Liu Qingqing didn't reveal any flaws, pretending not to know. Doctor Zhang continued, "This seems to be a pair of Gu worms. After the Gu worms absorb the lingering poison in the host's body, they will transmit the pain to the offspring Gu. It's similar to the Love Gu but different. This pair of Gu worms originated from healing, but gradually no one was willing to bear the pain of others, and it almost became lost. I wonder how you found it, young master?"
Is that so...?
Liu Qingqing curled her fingers, unwilling to do so.
Is there any way to solve this?
Dr. Zhang shook his head: "I don't know either. I'll go back and look through my teacher's wife's books to see if I can find it."
After saying this, Doctor Zhang stepped forward to prepare medicine for Xie Lang. Before leaving, he comforted him again, saying, "Young Master Xie is physically strong. Although he is seriously injured now, he will recover after a period of recuperation."
Liu Qingqing didn't dare let Doctor Zhang change the medicine on Xie Lang's chest wound, for fear that Doctor Zhang would recognize Xie Lang.
The fewer people who know about Xie Lang's connection to her, the more at ease she can be.
Dr. Zhang went out, and Lin Mei had not yet returned, leaving only the two of them in the room.
Xie Lang suddenly fainted, and Liu Qingqing couldn't get rid of him; she couldn't get rid of him either.
There are three rooms in the backyard: one for her, one for Lin Mei, and one for a study.
Since that's the case, he'll have to stay in this room, and she'll go to Lin Mei's room and squeeze in with her.
She had just sat down on the edge of the bed to get the booklet inside when a large hand grabbed her wrist. Liu Qingqing looked down and saw that it was Xie Lang holding her hand.
Loose yet impossible to break free from. But if you look up, you can clearly see that his eyes are still closed.
Liu Qingqing didn't understand why he suddenly acted this way, but she already knew that he seemed to still have feelings for her.
But... it's already too late.
As if transported back to the past, she raised her hand to touch the crease between his brows, but stopped just before she touched him.
They were sincere with each other, so that's a good thing, isn't it?
It's just a regret now.
After taking the book, Liu Qingqing gently but firmly pushed his hand away, turned around and left, closing the door behind her.
The simple little room fell silent, and one could faintly hear her talking to someone outside. Although the details were unclear, the rise and fall of her voice was distinct.
With a headache that felt like it was being stabbed and pierced by knives and axes, Xie Lang slowly opened his eyes and glanced outside.
Her lithe figure was reflected in the window lattice paper; she was pacing back and forth in the courtyard, seemingly busy.
Xie Lang suddenly raised his arm to cover his suddenly reddened eyes, hiding the rolling water droplets.
She is still alive and well, and continues to be kind and helpful as ever, without developing any aversion to anything around her because of him.
No one knew how fortunate Xie Lang was!
He knew that his behavior was extremely undignified, like a dark and sticky male ghost. He despised and loathed himself for it, but he couldn't help it.
He could no longer let her go...
In the past, he had heard from soldiers from the seaside that there was a creature in the sea of his hometown called the nine-legged fish. The nine-legged fish used its tentacles, which were covered with fins, to tightly attach to its prey and entangle it tightly when it was not being held back.
How similar he was to those wet, sticky, repulsive, and contemptible sea creatures...
Liu Qingqing was outside looking for Lin Mei when Lin Mei came looking for her with ginger tea. The two bumped into each other, and Liu Qingqing simply drank the warm ginger tea in the courtyard. Sure enough, she broke out in a sweat in no time and felt extremely comfortable!
Lin Mei questioned her with her gaze, but Liu Qingqing shook her head silently. Then, she subtly brought up other matters with her.
Just then, Fu Xiuzhu returned without her noticing. She heard his voice in the courtyard and looked over there.
The second gate was temporarily left open because Doctor Zhang had gone to prepare medicine and had not yet returned. Fu Xiuzhu happened to pass by and saw them in the courtyard. He seemed quite surprised, stopped, and nodded to them, saying, "Rest early."
They both nodded with smiles.
After Fu Xiuzhu returned to his room, Lin Mei looked at Liu Qingqing with concern. In the past six months, the two had experienced near-death experiences and started from scratch, and had developed a much better understanding of each other.
We should keep Xie Lang's affair in the backyard a secret for as long as possible.
In the front yard, Fu Xiuzhu returned to his room and was about to take off his clothes to rest when he sensed something was wrong. He fastened his clothes again and turned to look for Doctor Zhang, and sure enough, he found Doctor Zhang in the medicine shed.
"Why are you still decocting medicine now?"
Fu Xiuzhu sniffed the medicine for a moment, then glanced at the dregs beside him. "A calming medicine? Is Miss Lin not getting enough rest?"
Doctor Zhang shook his head: "The young lady is fine. I took her pulse today, and her old ailments have improved a lot."
It must be because of that Gu worm, but the girl didn't say so, and he certainly wouldn't gossip to others.
"Then how do you prepare the calming medicine?" Fu Xiuzhu asked.
Doctor Zhang glanced at him indifferently: "The young lady's brother is in poor health and his spirit is restless. He needs this medicine to nourish his spirit."
If I don't sleep soon, even the strongest body won't be able to hold on.
Elder brother? Fu Xiuzhu raised an eyebrow.
He then asked, "Did the young lady say where she went the day before yesterday?"
Dr. Zhang glared at him in surprise, annoyed by the repeated questioning.
"Why would I tell you where the girl went? Take my advice, don't be too ambitious, and don't ask too many questions about the master's affairs. Can't you see? This girl isn't someone an ordinary family could raise."
Leaving aside Xie Lang's previous treatment of Liu Qingqing.
After their marriage, Liu Qingqing was well cared for and gradually developed an air of authority in the Marquis's mansion.
Although he left the Marquis's mansion, his imposing aura remained.
This is one of the reasons why she established herself in Yingcheng. Others were intimidated and couldn't see through her true nature. They all thought she was a noble person who had come here to enjoy a new life, and dared not provoke her.
After Dr. Zhang finished speaking, he refused to pay any more attention to Fu Xiuzhu, pretending not to hear any further questions Fu Xiuzhu asked.
Fu Xiuzhu could no longer stay, so he had to return to his room. But as he passed by the second gate again, he glanced at the dimly lit room.
Doctor Zhang finished decocting the medicine and happened to see Lin Mei passing by. He handed the medicine to Lin Mei and then left.
He's older and has seen a lot. Sometimes, playing dumb is the best approach.
Liu Qingqing and Lin Mei returned to the room. Although Xie Lang was asleep, he seemed to be sleeping restlessly.
Lin Mei looked at Liu Qingqing, and only stepped forward after seeing Liu Qingqing nod at her.
Lin Mei carefully helped Xie Lang up and tried to feed him the medicine with a spoon. But Xie Lang refused to open his mouth, and after a while, she couldn't get the medicine to go in!
Liu Qingqing had no choice; she couldn't just pry open someone's mouth and force them to drink.
She couldn't just use words to communicate as she used to; things weren't right between them now...
Since Dr. Zhang said he couldn't sleep well, and he's finally fallen asleep, let's not disturb him.
"Place the medicine bowl somewhere he can see it."
If I see it when I wake up, I should be able to use it.
Liu Qingqing said apologetically, "I can only share a night with you tonight."
Lin Mei: "Miss, please don't say that."
After saying that, the two of them left Xie Lang and Yaotangzi in the room and walked away lightly.
After the door to the next room opened and closed again, Xie Lang opened his eyes, his eyes filled with a dark, crimson gloom.
He couldn't help but think back to the time when he was seriously injured and secretly returned to the Marquis's mansion. At that time, she was so worried about him that she stayed in the same room with him and never dared to leave, taking care of him without taking off her clothes.
now……
But now...
A red wave rose before his eyes again, and Xie Lang swallowed all the bitterness.
That's enough, it's good that they can stay. Let's not cause any more trouble.
Who could have imagined that the aloof and indifferent Lord Xie would one day turn out like this?
Perhaps he was too exhausted to continue, or perhaps it was the delicate fragrance of orchids in her bed that finally put his mind at ease after a hundred days of tension.
Xie Lang actually fell asleep.
But then he had another dream.
In her dream, someone imprisoned and humiliated her. Surrounded by green mountains, she couldn't tell where she was at all!
He frantically searched for her in his dreams, but could not find her anywhere. He could only watch helplessly as she suffered and her eyes gradually dimmed, turning her into a walking corpse.
Xie Lang was utterly terrified; his fingers were already revealing bare white bone, a bloody mess. Yet he still couldn't touch her…
In her dream, a burly man held a sharp sword to her vulnerable neck, and with a light stroke, blood spurted out instantly!
Xie Lang woke up with a start, calling out "Qingqing". He suddenly got up, threw off the covers and got out of bed, and pushed open the door to the next room without saying a word.
At that moment, he couldn't care about anything else; he could only survive if he saw that she was unharmed.
The small room could be seen from one end to the other at a glance. Lin Mei was nowhere to be found, and only Liu Qingqing was sleeping peacefully on the bed.
He hurried over, knelt by the window, and took her hand in his palm. Her fingers were warm.
After a moment, I gently touched her neck again, the spot where she had been slashed in her dream. It was intact, without any cuts or wounds, and the veins were normal.
His fingers pressed against that spot, feeling the pulse. His gaze lingered there, his fingertips trembling slightly, but Xie Lang remained expressionless, as if he had long since become accustomed to it.
He pressed his forehead against her palm and knelt quietly and obediently beside her bed.
After a long while, cold sweat soaked through his clothes on his back. A gust of wind blew by, making him feel cold all over. He then realized that he hadn't closed the door. Afraid that she would catch a cold, he staggered up to close the door, only to see Lin Mei standing outside the door in astonishment.
Xie Lang glanced at her briefly, then carefully closed the door in front of her before returning to the bedside.
As he did every day before, he took off his outer garment, got into bed, and held her in his arms.
Hers was warm and alive.
Xie Lang buried his face in the crook of her neck, deeply inhaling her unique scent.
[Author's Note]
Next chapter preview:
“Brother, ever since Miss Lin rescued me from my prison, I have fallen in love with her. But Miss Lin has been avoiding me and pretending not to know. Brother, could you... put in a good word for me?”
(Please, my darlings, add my next pre-order book, "Heaven's Decree," to your favorites! Please, thank you! [Let me see])
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