It only takes 21 days to form a habit, but breaking it takes much longer.
Xie Lang was indeed meticulous in his planning and unknowingly touched upon the true essence of science.
"Lord Wen, if there is nothing else, this servant will take his leave."
After seeing Wen Hemian's puzzled expression, Lai Xi stopped talking and cautiously inquired further.
"Wait a minute." Wen Hemian wasn't really stupid. She asked, "Has His Majesty retired for the night or not? Eunuch Laixi, think carefully before you answer."
It wasn't that Wen Hemian was deliberately threatening people; in the palace, one's way of thinking couldn't follow convention.
Lai Xi couldn't say it herself, so Wen Hemian had to switch roles, interrogate her, and then take the blame herself afterwards.
"This...this servant really cannot say." Lai Xi looked very embarrassed, and he stammered, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty is resting in the palace."
I understand.
Wen Hemian stood up: "Then I'll go see for myself."
Lai Xi breathed a sigh of relief and didn't even offer a token attempt to stop her. He hurriedly followed behind her, mainly to let her win.
It's not far; you'll get there after a few turns.
Wen Hemian met a second old acquaintance.
Huo Ping stood guard outside the door, his gaze quite complex. To put it simply, Lord Wen, dressed in women's clothing, was a little different from what he had imagined.
"Lord Huo, are you going to stop me too?"
Wen Hemian asked.
Huo Ping was much bolder than Lai Xi, and readily stepped aside: "Please."
The imperial guards on duty nearby quickly made way for their commander.
Lai Xi dared not follow any further. Wen Hemian successfully stepped forward, pushed open the palace door, went inside, and immediately closed it again. The light inside was not very bright, but it was still easy to see with a little effort.
A strong, exotic fragrance wafted towards her, even stronger than the one Wen Hemian had smelled in the Imperial Study. She heard no noise, suppressed the urge to cough, and quietly walked inside.
Before long, she saw the figure lying on the bed.
The other person seemed to be under a spell, not noticing the commotion outside, and breathing was unusually heavy, coming in waves that were a little unsettling.
In the dim flickering candlelight, Wen Heming held her breath, not daring to speak too loudly: "Xie Lang?"
I called out, but there was no response.
She had no choice but to continue moving closer to that direction.
Upon reaching him, they finally saw Xie Lang's current situation clearly.
His eyes were tightly closed, his forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat, and he seemed to be muttering something, but his voice was soft and indistinct, so it was hard to hear clearly. His body was curled up, just like an insecure child, which instantly pulled Wen Hemian's memories back to that snowy day when they first met many years ago.
The frail and pitiful child at that time was also curled up in a warm quilt, having sweet dreams.
She pursed her lips, disregarding the strange atmosphere between them over the past few days, and reached out to touch his forehead, tentatively calling out, "Xie Lang, are you still awake?"
Her forehead was indeed a little hot. Countless ways to deal with it flashed through Wen Hemian's mind. Just as she was about to pull her hand back, she was suddenly grabbed by a huge force and pulled towards the bed.
Even with prior precautions, they couldn't withstand the overwhelming force.
Wen Hemian bent down and met a pair of eyes with bloodshot veins.
The other person seemed to struggle to recognize her for a few moments, their eyes filled with extreme pain, as if carrying some obscure and unclear emotions. After a long while, they gasped for breath: "Wen, He, Mian."
The fact that they can call her by name means there's still room for negotiation.
Wen Hemian's heart started pounding uncontrollably, but he could only try his best to respond patiently: "It's me, Your Majesty. Are you alright? Should I call the imperial physician to come and take a look?"
"don't want."
Xie Lang spoke slowly and deliberately, as if he were going through some kind of pain. His brows were tightly furrowed, and he gripped the person tighter and tighter, as if he were clutching the last straw. His whole body was trembling.
Wen Hemian felt pain again after a long time, but she didn't have time to care about it at the moment. She was more concerned about Xie Lang's current condition.
This is what he wanted to keep from her.
"If you can endure so much pain, why don't you just die of pain already?"
Wen Hemian was a little disappointed in him, guessing that the incense must also be a medicine. These days Xie Lang insisted on staying with her and cared about her feelings, so he didn't use the incense, which probably caused his old illness to relapse.
She patted Xie Lang's shoulder with her free hand, as if coaxing a child: "Let go of me, I'll go find the imperial physician for you."
"Don't need the imperial physician." Xie Lang's voice was soft and urgent. His eyes trembled slightly, and the corners of his eyes were red. He looked pitiful. He had just managed to save Wen Hemian, and his voice was filled with suppressed fear. "I only want you... I only want you, Han Shuang."
If she hadn't left earlier, Wen Hemian would have missed her best chance. Xie Lang held her tightly in his arms, his chest much firmer than when she was a boy. Wen Hemian had known this since their first reunion, but now she felt it even more acutely.
But I must say, this embrace was indeed warmer and more reassuring than I had imagined...
Suddenly realizing what she was thinking, Wen Hemian couldn't help but feel a bit absurd. Had she also been infected by Xie Lang's neuroticism?
Xie Lang's current state is very strange, so Wen Hemian continued to coax him patiently: "What use am I? Let go, I'll go find the imperial physician first, and we can talk slowly after you get better, okay?"
But she still underestimated Xie Lang's wild side. As soon as she said that, she was not let go, but was hugged even tighter.
"No, not good at all."
Something seemed to be tearing at Xie Lang's head. His voice was filled with deep grievance, and his consciousness seemed to be unclear. He accused her one sentence after another: "You promised to officiate my coming-of-age ceremony, you liar... Why did you leave that letter? Why did you leave without saying goodbye? Do you really dislike me that much?"
"Do you know how much I wanted to jump down with you? I really... it hurts so much."
His breathing was broken and disordered, and along with his tears fell delicate, dense kisses imprinted on his neck, as if he were on the verge of death, clinging to the only salvation and refusing to let go. Wen Hemian felt that the force was extremely strong, but the hand holding her was tinged with coldness, as if the coldness was spreading from his very bones.
Although I knew from the moment I was caught that I would be punished later, it was still a bit ahead of my time in this situation.
In the dimly lit bedchamber, the contrast between heat and cold created two distinct worlds. Wen Hemian realized that if things continued to develop unchecked, something even more outrageous might happen.
She explained, "It's not that I don't like you, it's just..."
Wen Heming tried to recall his emotions at that time.
Reluctance, inner conflict, or perhaps more.
The bond of companionship and support cannot be easily and directly transformed into another kind of affection. She believed that Xie Lang had simply met too few people and was too deeply attached to her, which was why he had mistaken this feeling for something else.
Xie Lang provided the answer for her: "You just want to back down. Is that it?"
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