99 Chapter Ninety-Nine
◎May it last forever. ◎
Chapter 99
"Have you heard from the lady lately? I even had a hallucination, as if I saw her."
Xie Lang looked at Xie Liu in a daze, then seemed to come back to his senses. "Wait, what are you doing here? Didn't I tell you to stay in the capital and guard the lady?"
Xie Wu and Xie Liu both turned their backs to the other side of the screen and winked at Xie Lang in unison.
Xie Lang's handsome brows furrowed. He found it impossible. His dry lips parted slightly in astonishment, and he turned to look in that direction.
The person he longed for was still standing by the screen, her eyes red and brimming with tears, but the way she looked at him was not what he expected.
What did he just say? He repeatedly instructed Xie Wu and the others to keep her injury a secret.
Realizing what was happening, Xie Lang immediately got up and went to her.
As soon as she moved, all three people inside the tent started to move. Liu Qingqing quickly came over, took his arm, and gently pressed his elbow to help him sit up.
Xie Lang looked up, staring at her in a daze, "It's really true."
It's not a dream.
"Quickly go and find the divine physician," Liu Qingqing said to Xie Wu.
"Yes, Madam!"
"It shouldn't be like that..."
Why wouldn't it come to this?
Liu Qingqing glared at him.
Unexpectedly, Xie Wu listened to his wife even more, slipped away from the military tent in a flash. Xie Liu followed suit.
Xie Lang carefully grasped her slightly cool fingertips, his whole body momentarily stunned as if his soul had left his body. Suddenly waking up, he took her other hand and held it in his palm, asking her immediately, "Why did you suddenly come here? Did Xie Wu tell you I was injured and that's why you rushed over? It's freezing cold, and you've lost weight. Did you suffer? It's all his fault for being so talkative."
Even so, his eyes remained glued to her, the joy in them almost overflowing like starlight.
Seeing this, Liu Qingqing couldn't help but soften her heart. This person was as stubborn as ever, even though he was clearly overjoyed.
Liu Qingqing glared at him, but instead grabbed his intact fingers, causing Xie Lang to shudder.
He was extremely perceptive of her subtle changes, and for some reason, she had become different; her gaze, expression, and attitude were more intimate with him than before.
Specifically, the high wall that originally stood between them seemed to have collapsed and was no longer there.
As he was thinking, he saw her raise her hand. Xie Lang sat as still as a pine tree, not moving an inch, not even blinking.
Liu Qingqing wanted to punch him, but he was all skin and bones, so she could only punch the military bed in anger.
"Are you still trying to hide it from me?"
Her eyes were red-rimmed. "Even after all this, you still have the mind to go to such lengths to hide it from me?"
"Judging from how effortlessly you do it, you must have fooled a lot in the past."
Her expression, a mixture of anger and reproach, softened his heart.
Xie Lang hurriedly took Liu Qingqing's hand and saw that her fair knuckles were red. She hadn't reacted much when she was about to be hit, but now she was anxious. "Does it hurt? Why are you so impulsive? Why didn't you hit me instead?"
Xie Lang's words only made Liu Qingqing's eyes redden.
"Hit you? Where on your body can I hit you?"
Tears fell like pearls, like transparent black beads.
This was the first time Xie Lang had ever seen Liu Qingqing cry like this, shedding tears of sorrow for him.
The heartache and pity in her eyes were so genuine that he was captivated.
"Qingqing, are you heartbroken for me?"
He asked in a hoarse voice.
Upon hearing this, Liu Qingqing gave him another soft glare, tears welling up and falling with her movements.
Seeing this, Xie Lang raised his hand to wipe away the tears on her cheeks, his Adam's apple bobbing with turbulent emotions.
The treasure he had longed for finally came to him on its own, and his heart felt as if it were about to explode, and his eyes welled up with tears.
He took her hand and placed it on his chest, letting her feel his wildly beating heart and his intense joy.
"I am overjoyed."
Liu Qingqing gave a soft "hmm," her raised eyelashes feeling soft and gentle as if brushing against his heart.
"Don't do that again next time. Do you know how dangerous it was this time?"
Outside the military tent.
The wind and snow were fierce, and soon the top of our heads turned white.
The doctor, his neck hunched against the cold wind, his hands tucked into his thick cotton sleeves, stared at the two door gods before him.
"Didn't you say Lord Xie was awake? Why won't you let me in?"
Xie Wu chuckled foolishly, glanced back, and thought to himself, "Isn't this the master and his wife pouring out their hearts to each other? How many hardships have they endured to finally see this day!"
The miracle doctor, seeing the boy grinning foolishly but refusing to move aside, was so angry he kept chuckling.
It was Liu Qingqing who was still concerned about this matter. Hearing the commotion outside, she quickly told the divine doctor to come in.
Upon hearing the sound, the group quickly entered the tent.
Liu Qingqing tried to get up to make room for the divine physician, but Xie Lang held her tightly, his eyes glued to her. Those eyes shone like stars, making her face flush.
The divine physician came in and saw this, and jokingly exclaimed "Oh dear, oh dear!" Seeing the young girl's face turn even redder, Lord Xie also frowned, but still sighed, "The young couple has a very good relationship."
With just one sentence, Xie Lang understood. Xie Lang nodded to the divine physician, "You're right."
The miracle doctor: "..."
With just a quick glance, even before taking his pulse, I knew that Lord Xie had already overcome this hurdle.
Look at Lord Xie's rosy complexion and bright eyes.
Sure enough, the pulse diagnosis revealed the truth: "The high fever of the past few days has allowed the Gu worms to devour all the stagnant blood in your body, which is a good thing! As for the other superficial injuries, they can be treated as usual. However, your body has been weakened this time, so you must take good care of yourself and rest well."
Although she still looks haggard, she will soon be much better.
He couldn't help but joke, "Madam Xie is comparable to a magic elixir!"
Seeing that Lord Xie, who had finally woken up, couldn't take his eyes off the couple, how could they disturb them who had finally gotten close to each other?
Seeing Lord Xie's expression, the divine physician suppressed a laugh and simply gave instructions to Madam Xie, who listened attentively.
After saying all this and confirming that Lord Xie's life was not in danger, the group tactfully withdrew from the military tent, leaving this small space to them.
Even the medicine that was exchanged was left for Liu Qingqing.
I'm afraid that staying too long will displease Master Xie!
After the group left, the military tent fell silent again. The howling wind outside only added to the tranquility inside.
Braziers were placed throughout the tent, and Liu Qingqing was preparing medicinal ointment. Xie Lang watched her busy figure and felt as if he were in a warm spring.
"Lie down." She glanced at him.
Xie Lang obediently lay down.
She snapped out of her daze as she was about to untie the knot in his shirt, and quickly grabbed the knot, refusing to let go.
The two fought silently, their jade-like fingers turning white from the force.
If others saw this, they would surely say—what a heroine who forcibly abducted a handsome man!
Liu Qingqing looked puzzled, wondering what had suddenly happened to this person. Ever since Xie Wanyan told her that Xie Lang was mentally challenged, she had been much more tolerant of Xie Lang.
"I'm going to change your dressing."
Xie Lang's eyes flickered, and the blush on his ears went straight down his neck and into his collar. "How can I let Madam do it? Just call Xie Wu. Xie Wu has always been the one to come."
Liu Qingqing gripped the knot and stared at him intently. At this moment, she sensed something was amiss. She stared at him expressionlessly, then suddenly smiled, "This time, I changed all the medicine for you, sir."
Startled, Xie Lang loosened his grip, and Liu Qingqing, quick-witted and nimble, lifted his robe with a slight effort.
With deft movements, he lifted the gauze and began changing the dressing.
The strong smell of ointment mixed with the blood was unpleasant, and the wounds that had been covered up all day were even more unsightly. Xie Lang suddenly came to his senses and hurriedly tried to wrap himself in the quilt to hide, not wanting her to see the dirty and disgusting scars on his body.
He had just grabbed the corner of the blanket when she slapped the back of his hand and glared at him.
Her gentle, shimmering gaze went straight to his heart, stirring up waves of emotion, and he remained motionless.
He lay there lost in thought, watching her gently apply ointment to the reddened flesh next to his scabbed wound with her fingertips.
Liu Qingqing saw the muscles she was brushing against twitch and spasm. She looked again, not quite seeing clearly, and sure enough, it was so. She lifted her eyelids to look at him. His eyes were slightly closed, and he tilted his head back as if he couldn't bear it any longer. His Adam's apple was prominent, an alluring line.
Liu Qingqing glanced at the spirited Lord Xie unintentionally, and paused slightly. She suddenly remembered what Doctor Zhang had said in Yingcheng: that the Gu worm was bad for men in that area and might cause them to be unable to perform. He needed to restrain himself and take good care of himself, and perhaps there was a chance of recovery.
It's only a possibility.
This matter was of paramount importance to the man, and she thought about why he was hiding like this.
"You're still thinking about this?"
He was seriously injured this time, and she didn't want him to think too much about it, so she gently comforted him, "Even if you can't do it, I won't despise you. Don't pretend."
Xie Lang froze upon hearing this, feeling a sudden silence around him and a persistent ringing in his ears.
What's wrong?
When can't he?
How could her soft lips utter such cold words?
He grabbed her hand and pressed it against his, "When can't I?"
It's like they have to give an explanation, "Why do they say I'm not good enough?"
Indeed, he had touched a tiger's tail. Helpless, Liu Qingqing could only whisper to him, "Lord Xie, you misheard."
They even called him the cold and aloof Lord Xie again!
Xie Lang couldn't stand hearing her call him that!
He felt his brain boiling and bubbling, and he pulled her into his arms. Afraid that he would hit his wounds, she quickly dodged and fell into the gap beside him.
Thankfully, it didn't hit him, and Liu Qingqing breathed a sigh of relief. In an instant, she saw Xie Lang grab her hand and not let go.
"Why do you say I'm not good enough?" he asked in a low voice, looking like he wouldn't give up until he got an answer.
Liu Qingqing sighed and had no choice but to explain the whole story.
"So that's how it is," Xie Lang nodded to show he understood, but he didn't object.
As he spoke, he tried to show her by example not to overthink things, which frightened Liu Qingqing into repeatedly giving in, "Okay, okay, no, no."
"It's really not possible!"
"It's really not possible!"
The two looked into each other's eyes. Although the atmosphere was slightly tense, they both laughed out loud when Liu Qingqing smiled.
"real",
Xie Lang put his arm around her shoulder. "You'll know once I'm healed."
After the commotion, Liu Qingqing was still concerned about his injury. She lifted the newly applied gauze to take a look and was relieved to see that the wound hadn't reopened.
Turning her head, she saw him staring at her expectantly, so she lay back down beside him.
"Are you feeling better?"
Xie Lang was kneading her small hands when he heard this and nodded, "You felt a little weak when you woke up, but you feel much better now."
"I heard Fu Xiuzhu is dead, is that true?"
"It's true. I heard that before he died, he dragged the eldest prince off his horse, and the two of them were pierced by a spear and died."
Why haven't I received any letters from you in the following months?
"We were in a hurry and there were no military post stations around here. We were also afraid of revealing our whereabouts, so we did not send any more letters."
It was Xie Lang who asked her the question.
"How have you been in the capital these past few months?"
"Everything is fine, everyone is doing well, but I'm worried about you all. I wonder how the Marquis and Second Uncle are doing."
"They're all alive."
"How is Mother?"
"Aunt Jia is doing well and is moving around the mansion freely."
Xie Lang, who was twirling her hair, smiled when he heard this.
The two of them seemed to have never spoken together like this before. There had been a similar situation before at Jialan Garden, but at that time their relationship was shallow and they each had their own thoughts, so they could not be said to have opened up to each other.
Liu Qingqing snuggled up with him in the warm quilt, carefully avoiding touching his wounds.
With his warm body heat comforting her, Liu Qingqing's heart, which had been hanging in suspense for several days, finally settled down. Before long, she leaned her head against his shoulder and fell asleep.
Listening to her steady breathing, Xie Lang gently curled and lowered his fingers, which were twirling strands of hair. He leaned slightly to the left, pressed his cheek against her forehead, and gently closed his eyes.
When Xie Wu and Xie Liu came in to deliver the food, this was the scene they saw. Holding the wooden board, they were caught in a dilemma.
Just then, Xie Lang waved to them, and the two quickly came in.
Xie Lang carefully placed her on the soft pillow and got out of bed.
After resting for a while, I feel much better.
He sat down at the table and asked some questions about military affairs in a low voice. Xie Wu glanced at the direction of the bed.
Xie Lang: "It's alright. I gave Madam some calming incense, so she won't wake up."
Xie Wu: "..."
That's not what he was thinking about.
Then he changed his mind and brought up the important matter.
"Then let General Turan be given a proper burial."
"Yes, sir."
"The Northern Qiang generals who fought bravely in this battle were also given a proper burial."
"Yes, sir!"
After finishing their business, Xie Lang gestured for Xie Wu to leave, but Xie Wu turned around and then came back. Xie Lang looked surprised.
"Is there anything else?"
"My lord, you may not know this, but it was Madam who personally brought you back this time."
Xie Lang asked in surprise, "What does this mean?"
Xie Wu was surprised that his wife hadn't told the master, so he recounted the story in detail, "The day the master disappeared..."
Xie Lang listened in a daze, but a smile appeared in his eyes.
"Did Madam really say that?"
Xie Liu nodded hurriedly, "Of course! Madam immediately said—I want to go find him. Then she went back to Jialan Garden to pack her bags. She was very quick and set off in no time. My lord, Madam cares about you."
Xie Lang smiled contentedly and said, "Of course, my wife has me in her heart."
Xie Liu choked upon hearing this, recalling several scenes and seeing the adult's still pale face, but ultimately said nothing.
"Was your family frightened? Did you manage to send word that I've woken up?"
"It has been sent back immediately."
"That's good."
Xie Lang looked at the clear blue sky and a thought came to mind.
"I will write another letter today. You should go and personally deliver it back to the Marquis's residence."
"Yes, sir!"
"My lord, the Regent is asking when you will return to the capital?"
Xie Lang paused abruptly, "I am seriously injured and cannot get out of bed. I may need to rest for several months."
Xie Liu: "..."
I understand. This means they don't want to return to Beijing for the time being.
After the two men left, Xie Lang returned to the military bed, but slowly squatted down and stared at her face.
She was sleeping peacefully, her sleeping face serene.
Recalling what Xie Wu and Xie Liu had said before, he could almost see her anxious expression and brave figure.
He took her hand and saw the newly formed scabs on her fingertips.
He brought it to his lips and kissed it gently; it was from the wound he sustained while saving him.
She has feelings for him.
After the initial excitement subsided, a sense of peace, like someone who had weathered many storms, settled in.
He knew she was different from ordinary women.
She is intelligent, resilient, and brave, possessing a detachment from worldly concerns and a will as strong as a man's.
She was fond of beautiful women and also loved gold and silver; she was extremely vibrant.
She didn't care much about what others thought; her unique way of living brightened his dull life.
As he did every night before, Xie Lang leaned down and pressed his cheek against her palm, his warm, moist eyes against the lines of her hand.
In this life and in all future lives, this life-saving grace is beyond measure, even offering myself in gratitude is insufficient to repay it!
A few days later, an imperial edict arrived from the capital, granting Xie Lang the title of First-Class Marquis of Wu'an for his meritorious service in resisting the enemy.
Liu Qingqing was granted the title of Princess Protector of the Nation.
Even Xie Pan was granted the title of Marquis of Liu, and for a time, the Xie family had three marquises!
The capital was in an uproar, with everyone saying that the Xie family would be even more favored in the future, perhaps the first family to achieve such glory today!
Xie Wu and Xie Liu were extremely excited, but the two main figures didn't take it seriously.
They weren't even in a hurry to return to Beijing.
Letters arrived separately from the Regent's Palace for the couple.
Liu Qingqing closed the princess's earnest letter and put it away. Then she had Xie Wu bring back another one, making sure no one could find fault with it.
After the master recovered, he spent his days leading the horse for his wife and taking her for leisurely strolls.
Whenever the topic of returning to the capital came up, the official would say, "I am not feeling well and it is inconvenient for me to travel."
Afterwards, Liu Qingqing asked him why.
He said that the war was over, and it was time for the various factions to compete for credit, so it was better to stay put.
Another day, Liu Qingqing lifted the gauze and saw that his injury had healed greatly and he no longer needed to apply medicine.
My tense heart finally relaxed, but I inadvertently let slip, "What would I do if anything happened to you?"
After I hurt her feelings, we made up, but things were never the same as before.
She almost never says sweet words to him anymore. Although she treats him well in everything and her eyes have regained their light when she looks at him, it is still different from the beginning.
He felt disappointed, but dared not show it.
Upon hearing those words, he froze for a moment, then pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly.
Xie Lang coaxed her, "Qingqing, would you like to say it again?"
Upon hearing this, she looked up at him playfully, pretending not to know, "Sir, did you mishear? I didn't say anything before."
Xie Lang's eyes widened in alarm. "How could I have misheard! I clearly heard it!"
She was held tightly by him, her face tilted upwards towards him.
She suddenly smiled, and Xie Lang's brow relaxed slightly upon seeing this. "I didn't mishear, did I?"
She raised her arms to hug him back, stood on tiptoe to kiss the pulse that was pounding rapidly on the side of his neck because of her excitement, and whispered in his ear, "I can't live without you in this life."
He froze upon hearing this, his whole body trembling.
He suddenly buried his face in the crook of her neck, and instantly the fabric there became warm and damp.
Liu Qingqing's throat tightened as she watched him cry. She looked across the vast snowfield at the rising golden sunlight in the distance.
Like the sky and the earth, like sunshine and rain.
At first, they were hypocritical and peaceful; in the middle, they became like strangers; in the end... neither of them could live without the other.
Their fates had long been intertwined.
[Author's Note]
The main text ends here. I deliberately stopped at chapter ninety-nine, hoping that Lord Xie and Qingqing will live a long and happy life together in this world!
Time flies! This is my first historical romance novel, a completely new genre from scratch. I've been incredibly nervous and anxious since the very first day I started writing. On the first day, I saw a familiar reader ID in the comments section—one I'd known for over two years! My eyes welled up with tears at that moment.
Thank you so much for your support along the way! This is the happiest and most enjoyable book I've ever written. Even at the end, I didn't feel the exhaustion of writing like I was going to a funeral. It's all thanks to you all!
Next up is an extra chapter! Leave a comment if there's anything you'd like to see, and I'll see if I can write it~
Next, I'll update with some sweet moments from her daily life. Our Qingqing has suffered so much before, so let's give her some sweetness first. After all, happiness comes after hardship!
Finally, I have one more request: please add my two historical romance novels, "A Match Made in Heaven" and "Forced Marriage," to your favorites! I'll start saving up chapters as soon as possible! I've never missed an update or abandoned a story since I started writing; my commitment to quality is guaranteed!
I've rambled on for so long, but I love you all. *bows* I hope to see you all again!
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