78 Chapter Seventy-Eight
"Could it be that the adult has fallen for me?"
Chapter Seventy-Eight
Such a clingy, shameless dog.
Liu Qingqing had never seen Xie Lang with such a human expression before. Surprised and astonished, she glanced at him again before walking towards the door.
As she brushed past him, her wrist was grabbed. The strange sensation of sticky blood on her skin, like the cold, fishy scales of a python, made her straighten her back.
She looked at Xie Lang, who was also looking down at her.
His eyes, as cold as snow on a mountain peak, held a great deal of emotion as he stubbornly held her wrist, preventing her from moving.
He could endure a lot; he swallowed many unknown bitter and astringent tastes.
In the vast, dark night, they belonged to each other and no one else should intrude.
The clear moonlit river floated above them, revealing the emotions hidden in each other's eyes.
Liu Qingqing gently pushed his hand away, her movements gentle yet firm.
"Sir, please return through the back window."
From the back window? Let him go back?
Why should we let him go back?!
He and she were a married couple arranged by their parents!
Startled, he actually released his grip on her!
He watched helplessly as she walked towards the door, his wet, sticky gaze wanting to be glued to her, as if there were transparent, whitish threads between them.
She wanted to get rid of him.
She actually chased him away!?
Why should we ask him to leave? He won't leave!
Xie Lang was breathing heavily. After pacing back and forth twice, he caught a glimpse of the bed out of the corner of his eye, took off his outer robe which was covered in mud and blood, and sat down on the bed with an air of authority!
His eerie gaze clung to her like a ghost.
That cold, sticky feeling, which sent shivers down my spine, returned.
This time, Liu Qingqing finally realized whose gaze she had been given earlier, and she remained stiff without turning around.
She opened the door a crack and peeked out, only to be met with Ying Yucheng's concerned gaze.
"How is my cousin?"
Ying Yucheng wanted to peek through the crack in the door but was mindful of the difference between men and women.
Liu Qingqing smiled and nodded.
Xie Lang's gaze was heavy, his mind buzzing even more, and suddenly everything before his eyes turned blood red. He clenched his fists, completely unaware that the scars on his palms were splitting open.
He had only one thought—she had walked up to another man right in front of him!
He even wanted his gaze to become a rope to bind her—no! He even wanted to become that rope himself, tightly binding her so she couldn't move!
...But the lofty and aloof Lord Xie Lang dares not!
He scoffed inwardly; she's gotten really bold these days!
He was afraid she would run away again without a care in the world, and he was also afraid she would hurt herself. One scar would be enough.
But jealousy consumed him, burning away all the composure and self-control he was so proud of!
It felt as if my whole body was being burned by raging fire and then immersed in a bone-chilling glacier.
"If it's alright, cousin, let me help you. I've already made arrangements in the Northwest..."
While she was talking to her cousin, she glanced sideways at Xie Lang.
One glance was enough to startle him; in the darkness, the corners of his usually arrogant eyes were red.
What surprised her even more was that a spasmodic pleasure surged through her body.
As they were talking, the lights in the front yard came on, and the two of them looked over.
“It’s late, cousin. Why don’t we talk again tomorrow?”
Ying Yucheng understood, and he couldn't cause trouble for his cousin, so he nodded, glanced at his cousin again, and then darted over the wall.
My cousin looked serene; Xie Lang must be the future.
As Liu Qingqing closed the door and turned around, she saw Xie Lang's eyes shining in the night.
She seemed to understand the emotions hidden in his eyes, but she didn't want to.
She lit a candle; a stack of papers, seemingly paintings, lay on the table.
Xie Lang followed her, behaving extremely politely. But when he saw the painting clearly, his gaze suddenly darkened.
"Since you can't sleep, why don't you take another look at the portrait for me?"
Liu Qingqing looked up at him and called out to him meaningfully, "Brother."
Xie Lang then confirmed that the stack of portraits on the table was indeed the one he had seen in the study!
He suddenly turned his gaze and looked into her eyes!
It would have been fine to leave it in the study, but why bring it back to the bedroom!
To share a bed and sleep with her in the bedroom? How could they be worthy of each other!
Jealousy burned Xie Lang, his blood crackling and popping around his ears.
He was acting strangely; a flash of malice crossed his eyes, and his jade-like fingers, resting on the table, were twitching and trembling uncontrollably.
Liu Qingqing glanced at him, her heart pounding, and smiled at him, "Brother, have you changed your mind? Are you no longer willing to help me choose a husband?"
He looked up and stared intently at her. How could those soft, rosy lips utter such chilling words?!
“My brother knows I love reading those books, and he probably doesn’t want me to waste my time.”
Liu Qingqing even teased him, "Why not choose another good husband to marry and do some fun things? What do you think, brother?"
"Or does Brother think Qingfeng Pavilion is also acceptable?"
The heart was pounding against the ribs in the chest cavity, and a dull pain spread.
He felt his bottom line gradually receding, yet he still couldn't agree with her.
But what...
Neither will do.
He raised his hand and pressed it onto the portrait, leaving a bloody mark on the handsome gentleman's face, instantly covering it with blood and grime, making it look quite terrifying.
Liu Qingqing glanced at it and suddenly added, "My cousin is a good person, don't hurt him."
These words were like a sharp sword piercing my chest and abdomen, then being twisted back and forth!
If Ying Yucheng is a good person, then he isn't?
So, it would be enough to hurt him sincerely, right?
It hurts so much, like being cleaved in two.
He wanted to say that this injury was caused by Yu Cheng!
For a moment, she dared not move, afraid of hearing her protecting Ying Yucheng. Just thinking about it shattered her heart and soul.
He looked at her like that, and held her hand against his cheek.
His blood stained Liu Qingqing's hands, and also dirtied her usually cold and aloof face, which was as white as snow.
Liu Qingqing's eyes flickered.
"not good."
He spoke in a hoarse voice, his throat choked as if it were filled with cotton and grit.
He was originally able to speak, but this sudden surge of anger made his throat dry and hoarse again.
The pain churning in his eyes held her captive, yet he said nothing of his faults.
It's those men who are bad, it's Qingfeng Pavilion that's bad, and the question is, is it wrong to prevent him from hurting his cousin?
Seeing his eyes like dark whirlpools, he managed to utter two words before falling silent.
Liu Qingqing suddenly realized there was nothing to it, and withdrew her hand. "It's getting late, sir. You should go back and rest early."
She turned around and lay back on the couch with her back to him, looking rather listless.
But she was clearly not like that on the day at Qingfeng Pavilion!
She was neither afraid of him nor loved him; after a fleeting moment of interest, she didn't even want to look at him again!
I don't want to look at him even once!
But he couldn't do anything to her!
Those she valued, like Granny Li, were carefully cared for under his watchful eye. The business she cherished was meticulously protected, kept out of reach of others. And those she disliked, he punished without regard for appearances, finding fault with them all!
But why won't she even glance at him?
Why?
Why? Why?
She even wanted to force him to choose a new husband for her right in front of him.
How cruel she was to him!
He was hurt by Ying Yucheng, but she wouldn't even show him a word of concern, even though it wasn't like this in the first place.
Back then, she... clearly only had eyes for him.
Xie Lang felt that she was biased towards Ying Yucheng.
Why is it better to treat Cheng than to treat him?
They're clearly better, aren't they?
It's as if there's another person in my mind who I haven't heard from—she doesn't love you anymore, she doesn't love you anymore, you're finished.
You're finished!
Unaware of the time, Xie Lang sat there until dawn, until dawn!
She kept her back to him and refused to look at him even once!
See?
The image in my mind sneered—she really doesn't love you anymore.
When I woke up the next day, the person on the stool was nowhere to be found.
The portrait on the table also disappeared.
For two days and nights in a row, Xie Lang was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a note was left on her desk saying that she had urgent business to attend to and would be home late.
Xie Lang was so familiar to her, always disappearing like that after patting his butt.
Liu Qingqing didn't take it seriously and held the note to the candlelight, letting the flames lick at her. The flickering firelight reflected off her face.
They were busy with their own things.
The number of patients at the clinic has increased several times in the past two days, and Dr. Zhang is so busy that he is covered in sweat.
Although good business is a good thing, I still have some doubts and feel that something is not right.
The patients who came all suffered from vomiting, diarrhea, and severe abdominal cramps, their faces turning pale from the pain.
She was also kept busy, her feet barely touching the ground, and sometimes she didn't even have time to eat.
That afternoon, a young woman came seeking medical help, saying that her elderly father was vomiting so badly he couldn't get out of bed, and she asked them to come and take a look.
Dr. Zhang and Lin Mei were busy, but since they happened to have some free time, Liu Qingqing accompanied Fu Xiuzhu on this trip. She couldn't help with anything else, but she could lend a hand.
As soon as she left the clinic, she slowed down and looked back to take a look.
Lately, Liu Qingqing felt something was amiss, a lingering sense of being spied on. Yet, every time she turned around, she saw nothing.
"What's wrong?" Fu Xiuzhu stopped and followed her gaze.
Liu Qingqing hesitated, looking around at the blue-brick and tile houses. There were no trees around, so no one could hide. She shook her head; she must have been overthinking it.
He then put the matter out of his mind.
But then I suddenly realized why my cousin hadn't come these past two days.
However, once we arrived at the old man's house, we didn't have time to think about it anymore.
Fu Xiuzhu's examination also revealed the same inexplicable reason.
They prescribed a medicine and, with great difficulty, managed to get the decoction down my throat.
Seeing the old man slumped on the bed, barely clinging to life, Liu Qingqing's heart tightened. "What kind of illness is so severe? Is it truly incurable?"
Fu Xiuzhu shook his head helplessly: "This patient is different from the previous ones. We'll start with the medicine, but whether he gets better or not depends entirely on fate."
Seeing the doubt in Liu Qingqing's eyes, Fu Xiuzhu leaned down slightly to her ear, but just as she was about to look away, he suddenly spoke, "The source of this is unknown. I think... it looks like poison."
Liu Qingqing froze, then suddenly looked up at him.
It was poison?
How could it be poison?
Liu Qingqing felt inexplicably flustered.
Gradually, somehow...
Rumors circulated in the city that a holy maiden in the capital possessed miraculous remedies that could cure all diseases. Others said there was a remedy even more divinely inspired, capable of eradicating all ailments.
Because of her anxiety, Liu Qingqing decided to stay at the clinic for the time being.
She found the clues on the parchment scroll and discovered the recipe for Yanluo Pills in the medical book left by her mother. Although it was incomplete, she was willing to give it a try.
Xie Lang once casually mentioned that Yanluo Pill could cure all diseases, so could it also cure this poison?
She tried it again and again in the study, but this time she was more careful and didn't dare to show the precious prescription directly to Doctor Zhang or Fu Xiuzhu at the clinic.
When Xie Lang or my cousin arrives, I'll ask them.
They should both be quite familiar with this.
Strangely, for two consecutive days, both of them seemed to have vanished, and neither of them showed up.
Liu Qingqing was unaware that chaos was brewing outside.
In a small village some distance from Yingcheng, after someone contracted this strange disease and was unable to get out of bed, some people, like roughnecks, covered their faces and sneaked into the house at night, stealing valuables!
At first, they tried to hide their bad deeds, but later they became increasingly lawless. As the number of patients increased, they would kick open the courtyard gate in broad daylight and rush in to rob people!
Not only did they rob us, they also smashed the rest of the things we couldn't take with us!
How domineering! This is leaving no way for anyone to survive!
Public resentment began to rise.
Due to the remoteness of the countryside, these events have not yet reached Yingcheng, and the local government is unaware of them.
Contrary to Liu Qingqing's expectations, Xie Lang did not leave.
He remained hidden beside her, his bloodshot eyes glued to her like adhesive.
He hid in the room, concealed in the shadows of the trees, in places where she couldn't see him. His gaze never left her, but he refused to hear her talk about other men or ask him to choose portraits of other men for her.
He kept wondering what she really wanted. He was surprised to discover that she rarely revealed her preferences; what did she like?
Only under the cover of night did he dare to open the wardrobe. Having not touched her for several days, he felt as if a thousand ants were gnawing at him, the pain unbearable, and he could no longer endure it.
When he finally met her, he wanted to cry and laugh at the same time.
Xie Lang watched as she diligently studied medicinal herbs in the study, glancing out the door every now and then. Who was she looking at? Who was she hoping for?
Xie Lang's face tightened. He thought of asking her in front of her, but then he felt that he wouldn't like to hear what she would say.
While she was resting, Xie Lang appeared like a ghost, but contrary to his usual behavior, he did not get close to her. Instead, he reluctantly looked away and walked to the table, where he used his long fingers to fiddle with the medicinal herbs on the table.
He picked them up and smelled them one by one, getting a sense of what they were, and then looked at her with a complicated expression.
She was trying out the formula for Yanluo Pills.
He even became jealous of the people of Yingcheng.
She puts so much thought into them, why doesn't she think about him more?
Fortunately, Xie Lang had an excellent memory. After the Regent bestowed Yanluo Pill upon him, he naturally had his trusted physician analyze and decipher it.
Even if the ingredients are broken, there are still some that are hard to come by.
He arranged the herbs in order, then ground ink and picked up a brush to write down the remaining herbs and the difficulties on the paper.
It's just that it's hard to get braised mustard greens; we need to think of some ways to do it.
He also stated this on paper.
After he finished writing, he put down his pen.
With ink stains on his fingertips, he stood quietly at the table, lowered his eyes, and rubbed his fingers together before carrying a cloth to the bedside.
This time, however, he did not go to bed with her, but only stared at her with his wet and sticky gaze.
He wouldn't give her the chance to cause trouble and abandon him.
As for that annoying Young General Ying, he will probably need a few more days to recover from his injuries.
He needs to think about this carefully.
She was asleep, and he couldn't bear to hide her.
These past two days he's been too far from her, only able to look at her, and the Gu worms inside his body are biting him painfully.
As he fed her the Gu worms, he learned more and more each day. But compared to that, his heart felt like it was being squeezed, tightening and aching more and more each day.
In her half-awake state, Liu Qingqing heard soft footsteps. She didn't want to admit it, but she recognized his footsteps.
She heard him hesitate and waver, yet he clung to her bedside and refused to leave.
A thought crossed Liu Qingqing's mind, and she turned around, only to meet his eyes, which were filled with pain.
She froze, but Xie Lang remained motionless.
After a long while, he stepped forward and, just as he had done the previous two days, silently and stubbornly offered his hand to her.
"Could it be that the adult has fallen for me?"
Liu Qingqing raised her eyebrows and asked.
[Author's Note]
Next chapter preview:
Which young master have you taken a fancy to?
He got up and walked towards her, his jade-like fingers hooking her round, delicate chin.
His voice was extremely hoarse, "Does Madam still think my cousin is better?"
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