Chapter 83 No Way to Save Him "Ah Heng, farewell..."
"Your Majesty, she...she's dying..."
Xiao Heng, standing before the dragon throne, nearly collapsed to the ground, his knees buckling. He gripped the armrest of the throne tightly with one hand, his head tilting slightly involuntarily.
No, she just forgave him yesterday, how could she suddenly be unable to do it?
The next moment, everyone saw a bright yellow figure and Gu Xiao, dressed in a scarlet official robe, rush out of the palace gate one after the other, causing an uproar in the Golden Palace.
Meanwhile, in the west wing of the Bai family mansion.
Bai Xingzhi, who was off duty today, was sitting by the window brewing tea. The warm tea was poured into the celadon cup, and the rising steam filled the room with the aroma of tea.
His fingertips had just touched the teacup when his hand suddenly trembled, and the tea spilled over the rim, wetting his plain white sleeve.
He stared at the water stain on his cuff, lost in thought for a moment.
Lu Feng suddenly burst in, looking flustered. His words seemed to freeze the blood in his body, and the warmth in his eyes shattered into ice.
"Young Master, news has come from the palace that Miss Gu...she is dying..."
*
Inside the Weiyang Palace, Gu Xi was lying on the chaise longue, wrapped in a snow-white fox fur cloak, but her face was even whiter than the fox fur, almost transparent.
Zhu Yin, Hua Yue, and Yun Ke surrounded her, already sobbing uncontrollably.
Xiao Heng arrived through the wind and snow. He suddenly pushed open the door, and his panicked gaze instantly locked onto the woman who was on the verge of death on the chaise lounge. He almost threw himself over and knelt down beside her.
"You're here..." Gu Xi smiled at him.
He grasped her hand, his voice trembling uncontrollably, "Gu Xi, what's wrong with you..." He roared at the door, his eyes red, "The imperial physician! Where is the imperial physician!"
The eunuch knelt on the ground, trembling as he replied, "Your Majesty, the imperial physician is on his way..."
When Xiao Heng turned his head, his gaze suddenly fell on Yun Ke beside her. He saw that she shook her head, and his heart sank to the bottom. A chill ran up from the soles of his feet and straight to the top of his head.
"Aheng..." she called to him weakly.
"I'm here, I'm here..." Xiao Heng hurriedly replied, holding her cold hand against his cheek, the fear in his eyes gradually intensifying.
"Listen to me..." Her voice was as soft as a wisp of smoke.
"Alright, I'll listen to you...you tell me..." Her hands were chillingly cold, the chill seeming to seep into his heart.
"Aheng, promise me, after I die, you must take good care of yourself..." She took a breath, "...be diligent in governing and love the people...ensure that the people have enough to eat and wear...and that the sick have access to medical care..."
"Gu Xi! You are not allowed to die! I will not allow you to die!" He gripped her hand tightly, roaring almost in despair.
"And... let Zhuyin go back to the family... take good care of Huayue for me..." Zhuyin and Huayue were crying so hard they couldn't speak.
"Promise me..." she repeated stubbornly in her eyes.
"Okay! Okay! I promise you! I promise you everything!" he replied hastily.
A relaxed smile appeared on Gu Xi's face. She felt the surroundings suddenly quiet down, and she vaguely sensed that a group of people were surrounding her. When she regained consciousness, she only heard their panicked pleas for mercy.
The Imperial Medical Academy personnel knelt on the ground, trembling, pleading, "Your Majesty, spare our lives... We have done our utmost, but it is truly beyond our power..."
Her eyelids closed slightly, and she spoke weakly, "Aheng, don't blame them..."
Xiao Heng was overwhelmed by grief; his lips trembled with fear, and his voice choked in his throat, unable to speak.
The imperial physician said she had an incurable heart ailment. She had said that he didn't believe her, he never believed her, so God punished him by making him lose her forever.
But why wasn't it him who died?
He held her cold body in his arms, hugging her tightly, his eyes red as if they were about to bleed.
Gu Xi felt her eyelids growing heavier and heavier. With difficulty, she raised her hand to gently stroke his cheek, her voice soft and slow, yet earnest, "Aheng, in this whole life, I've only ever loved you..."
In this life, I've liked others, but I've only ever loved you.
The only person I've ever loved deeply is you.
"If there is an afterlife, I still hope to meet you...to let you feel the care in this world, to find hope to live on...but I hope you will never find me again...that we will never meet again..."
"In my next life, I want to live a simpler and happier life..."
In her next life, perhaps she will find a good man who will give her hairpins, birthday gifts, and hold her in his arms every day, whispering sweet nothings to her.
A sense of anticipation gradually appeared in her eyes.
As Xiao Heng felt her increasingly weak breathing, his heart was consumed by pain. He didn't ask for a next life; he only asked that she not leave him in this one.
He held her tightly with all his might, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to keep her.
Gu Xi opened her eyes with all her might, wanting to see him one more time, when suddenly a familiar voice called her: "Xiao Xi..." The voice was deep and powerful, and it belonged to someone she had trusted since childhood.
Her pupils suddenly brightened, then quickly dimmed again, forcing a smile, "Brother's here too..."
She never expected to see her brother one last time before she died; God was kind to her.
Gu Xiao's thin lips were pressed tightly together. Looking at her emaciated appearance, even this tough man's eyes reddened.
Her gaze drifted into the distance, her misty eyes filled with longing. "Brother, I want to go home. I miss my parents..." In the end, he still didn't take her back home.
"Okay, brother will take you back now..." Gu Xiao squatted down beside her, ready to take her away at any time.
She looked at Xiao Heng one last time, and with a smile, said, "Aheng, farewell..." As soon as she finished speaking, her hand fell limply to her side.
"No! Gu Xi! Gu Xi!"
"Gu Xi, I know I was wrong! Don't punish me like this!" he roared in despair, holding her tightly. "Don't leave me... I beg you, Gu Xi..." Despair and sorrow consumed him, but she could no longer see them.
The moment she closed her eyes, she seemed to see Cailian.
"Cailian, Your Majesty has come to apologize to you..." These were her last words in this world.
She heard him calling her name again and again, but she could no longer respond to him. The surroundings gradually quieted down, and she could hear nothing anymore.
She has gained and lost, loved and suffered in her life, and in the end, she has let go of it all and has nothing to regret.
Xiao Heng's hands trembled as he touched her bloodless cheeks, but no matter how much he called out to her, she no longer responded. All the strength in his body suddenly drained away, and he gradually went limp. His face pressed against her forehead, his eyes empty, as if he had sunk into boundless darkness along with her.
Gu Xiao stood up, glanced at him, and bent down to pick up Gu Xi.
Xiao Heng suddenly looked up, his eyes bloodshot, his arms tightly gripping Gu Xi, his hoarse voice filled with madness, "Don't touch her!" His gaze seemed to want to tear the other person apart.
Gu Xiao looked at him coldly and said only one sentence: "Your Majesty, please, for the sake of my sister's love for you, grant her peace after her death and let her return to the Gu family." He emphasized the last few words.
Xiao Heng was startled.
Yes, she just said she wanted to go home. She kept begging him to take her back, and he promised her, but he never did.
He never kept his promises to her; he said he wouldn't hurt her, but he still didn't.
Why does he insist on her loving him? He just wants her to be by his side. Why does he insist on her being by his side? He just wants her to be alive.
He was too greedy.
That already shattered heart was suddenly sliced a thousand times by a dull knife. The hands that were originally tense relaxed almost imperceptibly, and no longer could utter a word of protest.
Zhu Yin, who had been standing by, sobbed as she tried her best to pry Xiao Heng's hands apart. "Let go of Miss! Stop pretending!" Her eyes were full of resentment. "Miss gave up avenging Cai Lian for you, and suffers from inner torment every day. Have you ever understood her?"
You don't deserve her love like that!
Xiao Heng was stunned for a long time before he suddenly realized what she was talking about.
Yes, he doesn't deserve it.
She gave him all her love, but he doubted, hurt, and trampled on her sincerity. He didn't deserve her.
His grip suddenly loosened, and his empty eyes were filled with reluctance.
Gu Xiao picked the person up and strode out. As soon as he stepped out of the Weiyang Palace gate, he saw Bai Xingzhi.
He arrived in a hurry, his black hair disheveled, his face showing no composure, only a panic that he could not hide even with his forced calm.
He paused, his gaze falling on Gu Xi's pale face, her hands hanging limply at her sides, seemingly devoid of any life.
This time she really died.
The last glimmer of hope in his eyes was instantly extinguished by overwhelming grief; regret and pain filled his entire being, gnawing at his very bones.
If, if... she might not have died, but alas, there are no more "ifs".
Gu Xiao carried her past him, her hair fluttering in the wind and snow, brushing against his cheek, icy cold, as if bidding him a final farewell.
This time she really died.
He died in the winter of the second year after he met her, never to see spring again.
The snow is falling particularly heavily today, just like when he first met her.
But this time he couldn't save her.
This time she really died.
Gu Xiao carried Gu Xi as they walked step by step through the snow toward the Meridian Gate of the Forbidden City. The world was an endless expanse of white, with only her long black hair hanging down in the vastness.
Xiao Heng staggered behind her, the snow tripping him up and making every step difficult. No matter how hard he chased after her, it seemed he could never catch up with her. She had completely disappeared from his world.
On this day, the emperor, the one who was arrogant and held the power of life and death, fell countless times in the snow. Finally, like a child who had done something wrong, he knelt before the gates of the Forbidden City and before the gates of the Gu family.
He knelt in front of the Gu family's gate for seven days, and the snow fell for seven days as well, but the Gu family never opened the door for him, and he was unable to see her again.
As he knelt, he thought that she must have felt just as cold when she knelt before the Qianqing Palace that day.
On the seventh day, Xiao Heng finally collapsed from exhaustion, and Zhao Fuquan then sent him back to the Qianqing Palace.
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Author's Note: I didn't expect this chapter to be so hard to write [laughing and crying emoji]. I typed 2500 words yesterday, adjusting them back and forth, but I only managed to add less than 600 words all night. I'm speechless. [laughing and crying emoji][laughing and crying emoji][laughing and crying emoji]
If you like bad endings, stop reading after the next chapter. The author doesn't like bad endings, so there's more to come. [doge emoji]
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