Chapter 325
"Why are you lying outside in this cold weather? Get up, shall we come inside?"
Tao Tao patiently spoke to him softly.
He then turned and asked Rong'er to fetch the imperial physician to treat him.
Qi Heng got up with her help, and the two walked in step by step.
She helped him to the bedside, intending to light the charcoal brazier to warm him, but he grabbed her wrist, his voice tense, "Xiao Tao, where are you going?"
Tao Tao was both amused and exasperated. "This room is so cold. I'll go and light the charcoal fire; it'll make it warmer."
He smiled and said, "I'll go, you stay here."
Qi Heng looked much thinner and had just coughed up blood. How could she let the patient go through all that trouble? She simply said, "Don't bother, I'll have the servants do it."
"Then let's talk, okay?"
His eyes lit up, and he nodded, "Okay, I'll do as you say."
Tao Tao called out, "Leng Qiao!"
A moment later, Leng Qiao walked in, "Miss."
Tao Tao: "This room is too cold. Look for where the silver charcoal is. If you can't find it, have someone from the Prince's Mansion go to the Privy Council to get it."
The moment she stepped into the mansion, she felt an unprecedented desolation and silence.
It was a world apart from the deserted state of the Eastern Palace.
Moreover, it gives people a sense of decay and gloom, which makes them feel very uncomfortable.
Qi Heng just looked at her. She didn't have to do anything, and he felt a warmth in his heart. He wanted to... wanted to be with her forever.
"Xiao Tao, how have you been these past few days?"
"Duan Gan... has he... has he treated you badly?"
When Duan Gan was mentioned, a bitter look appeared on his pale face, and his pupils, which had been shining just moments before, dimmed.
She lowered her eyes, withdrew her hand, and did not answer his question. Instead, she changed the subject, saying, "It's been very chaotic and cold outside these days. Just stay inside and don't go anywhere."
"Next spring, we'll go out for a stroll in the spring, visit the lake, and live the rest of our lives happily."
These words seem to be for his own good, but upon closer examination, they are actually quite cruel.
Six months ago, he was the crown prince, a figure of immense power and prestige; six months later, he became a prisoner shunned by everyone.
He even had to rely on others' charity to have the freedom to come and go.
"I'm sorry, it's my fault."
He is still blaming himself. He knows she was just using him, so why did he have to make her feel guilty?
Tao Tao clenched her fists, her face tense.
"Qi Yanli, you know perfectly well that I have never..."
He looked up, his reddened eyes filled with pleading, as if telling her not to shatter his fantasy.
Don't be so cruel as to tell him that everything, including what she once said to him, was a lie.
Qi Heng's current physical condition cannot withstand such a blow.
He would rather die with self-blame, rather believe that it was his own incompetence that prevented him from keeping her, than know that she had never liked him.
Tao Tao understood his plea at that moment, and her heart clenched with a dull, aching pain.
Even though she never loved him, Qi Heng was always her friend in her heart.
We're just friends.
Suddenly, Qi Heng clutched her aching chest, trying to swallow the metallic taste in her throat. The more she suppressed it, the more turbulent it became. Finally, with a "pfft," she vomited it out.
His head lolled to the side, and he leaned weakly against the headboard. A trace of blood on his lips made him look even more pitiful.
Tao Tao was startled and quickly supported his sliding body, "Yanli!"
Suddenly, hurried footsteps came from outside.
It was Rong'er who brought the imperial physician.
She turned her head and said anxiously, "Imperial Physician, please take a look at him. He has vomited blood twice."
Upon hearing this, the imperial physician put down his medicine box, sat down by the bed, and carefully took Qi Heng's pulse.
Yuehao's brows furrowed more and more, his expression grave, and he seemed quite pessimistic.
He remained silent for a long time, and Tao Tao could no longer contain herself. "Imperial Physician, how is he?"
He sighed deeply, “Your Highness… His Highness’s heart meridian is damaged, and the cold has been in his body for a long time. I’m afraid he won’t survive until today.”
Tao Tao's pupils dilated in shock as she grabbed his arm, "Are you kidding me?"
"I don't believe it!"
She paced anxiously back and forth, saying:
"There must be another way to save him. What kind of medicine do we need? A thousand-year-old Ganoderma lucidum? Ginseng? Or some other precious medicinal herb?"
The imperial physician looked worried. "Your Highness, if it had been earlier, there might have been a chance to salvage the situation."
"But now... even a celestial being couldn't save us!"
"Your servant is incompetent and utterly powerless!" He cupped his hands and bowed deeply to her.
His kind eyes were full of regret and apology.
Rong'er stepped forward and gently comforted her, "Your Highness, please calm down."
"There's nothing we can do about it."
Hearing the sound, Qi Heng slowly woke up. Seeing Tao Tao's worried face, she actually smiled happily.
Noticing his expression, Tao Tao met his gaze and asked, puzzled, "What are you laughing at?"
He's about to die, and he still looks happy?
He felt there was nothing in this world that he cherished, and that being alive was worse than being dead.
But it's better to live a miserable life than to die a good death, isn't it?
Qi Heng was genuinely happy; he was happy that Tao Tao was worried about him.
This shows that Tao Tao had feelings for him, and he was happy to know this before he died.
"Could you ask them to leave? I'd like to spend some quiet time with you."
He spoke softly, his demeanor no longer as confident as before.
Tao Tao lowered her eyes, a wave of sadness rising in her heart, overwhelming her and making it hard for her to breathe.
She suppressed all her emotions and said calmly, "Okay, you can all leave now."
After everyone had left, she sat on the edge of the bed and asked with a smile, "Would you like some water?"
Qi Heng looked at her and nodded.
She got up to pour water, and his gaze followed her the whole time.
He thought he would die alone on this cold, snowy night, but unexpectedly, Heaven was kind and sent her to his side.
That way, I can die without regrets.
After drinking the water, he looked much better.
But my palms remained as cold as ice, and I couldn't warm them up no matter what I did.
A cold wind howled outside the window, rattling against the windowpane, and scattered snowflakes drifted in, landing on the ground in patches of white.
"Yanli, it's snowing."
Tao Tao held his hand and spoke softly.
Qi Heng tried hard to open his eyes, but his eyelids drooped uncontrollably. He had a smile on his lips, and his fingertips held her hand tightly.
"Xiao Tao, I'm so glad I met you. If there's an afterlife, I hope... I hope I can meet you again..."
His voice faded away, and finally, his hand fell limply to his side.
Tao Tao froze, staring blankly as the warmth faded, and murmured, "Yanli?"
Tears welled up instantly, dripping onto the cold, pale back of his hand with a soft sound.
My nose stung, and more and more tears streamed down my face.
Her mind kept flashing back to the days she had spent with him: their first meeting, his smile at her, and how he helped her into the Qiu family home.
It happened so recently, but it feels like... it's been so long already.
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