Chapter 138 Three Years of Maltose Turning Sweet and Bitter
“General, you…” The military doctor looked at Yang Xiao with a furrowed brow. “How much injustice have you suffered in Chang’an?” He sighed and took Yang Xiao’s pulse again. “You must never suppress your emotions again. You must express your thoughts and ideas. You must never keep them to yourself.”
"Ah Xiao, you..." Bai Ming gripped Yang Xiao's hand tightly, pulled her closer to his chest, and rested his chin on her head, saying nothing more.
Yang Xiao looked back at Bai Ming's worried and regretful expression, shook her head with a wry smile, "It's alright, it's alright. The situation is settled now, and besides, you're all here with me, so what worries could I possibly have?"
“Yes,” the military doctor nodded. “General Yang is right.” He stood up, supporting himself on his knees, and looked up at Bai Ming. “If General Yang gets angry, you must appease her immediately. Also, make sure she eats more liver- and lung-nourishing foods. I’ll have the kitchen prepare those.”
"Okay, don't worry, I will never let her sulk again." Bai Ming closed his eyes and nodded, then confidently patted Yang Xiao's shoulder.
"Then I won't disturb the general's rest any longer," the military doctor said with a smile, looking at the two of them before turning back to tidy up his things. "The medicine on the table has cooled down enough. General, please take it while it's still hot, then sweat it out and get a good night's sleep. Your fever should break tomorrow."
"Thank you for your trouble." Yang Xiao nodded to him, then watched Bai Ming see him out the door.
The military doctor gave Bai Ming a few more instructions before leaving the tent. Bai Ming closed the door, then walked to the table and picked up the medicine bowl. "It's alright, not too hot or too cold," he sighed with a smile. He turned around and sat down next to Yang Xiao, gently blowing on the warm medicine.
Bai Ming lowered his head and sniffed the medicine, then frowned and involuntarily stepped back.
"Does it smell that bad?" Yang Xiao looked at his expression and curiously leaned forward to sniff. A sour medicinal aroma wafted over, but it didn't have the disgusting bitterness she had felt before.
"Are you alright?" She tilted her head haughtily and leaned forward a bit. "You really are still the same as before, unable to endure hardship."
"Don't laugh at me," Bai Ming said with a smile, gently tapping Yang Xiao's nose. "Hurry up and drink your medicine first."
Yang Xiao, supporting Bai Ming's knees, confidently lifted the medicine bowl and drank the soup in one gulp.
Bai Ming also supported her injured hand, steadily holding the bowl, and smiled as he watched her proud expression.
“I knew it,” she said, taking the handkerchief Bai Ming offered and wiping her lips. “It’s not that bitter.”
"That's because you're amazing," Bai Ming said with a smile as he stood up, pulled something out from behind the table, and before he could even think, a small piece of osmanthus cake was stuffed into Yang Xiao's mouth.
Yang Xiao was taken aback. With a pastry in her mouth, she looked up at Bai Ming and immediately thought of the scene in Lujiang where she coaxed Bai Ming to drink his medicine. She leaned back and tilted her head, smiling at Bai Ming.
Bai Ming gazed into her smiling eyes, then at her lips as she bit into the pastry, and his mind went blank. He leaned forward, gently placed his hand on Yang Xiao's shoulder, and pulled her into his arms.
As their breaths mingled, Bai Ming noticed that Yang Xiao not only didn't flinch but actually moved closer. His heart immediately began to itch, and he turned his head to bite into the pastry, then helped Yang Xiao lean back onto the couch.
The sweet aroma mixed with a few wisps of medicinal fragrance exploded in their mouths. The pastries melted in their mouths, and the sweetness was filled with their intertwined breaths and wildly beating hearts.
Seeing that Yang Xiao's breathing was becoming more and more rapid, Bai Ming propped himself up on the pillow beside her and slightly raised his head. Before he could get up, Yang Xiao reached out and hooked her arm around his neck, forcefully pressing him back down.
Their lips and tongues met once more, and warmth reached their hearts.
After several rounds of breathing, Yang Xiao finally released Bai Ming's neck. As if he hadn't quite finished, Bai Ming leaned down and kissed her lower lip one last time, then looked up at her with lingering affection, his eyes filled with longing and love.
Looking into his expressive eyes, Yang Xiao couldn't help but raise her hand to stroke his face. Bai Ming followed her lead, taking her hand and gently rubbing his face against hers.
"Wait," he touched Yang Xiao's slightly cool hand, then suddenly realized something. He sat up slightly and reached out to touch Yang Xiao's forehead. "It's not hot anymore, Xiao, your fever has gone down? So fast?" He touched his own forehead in surprise, then reached behind him to touch Yang Xiao's forehead. "Is this medicine really that effective?"
“You,” Yang Xiao smiled helplessly, lightly tapping Bai Ming’s nose, “you already sweated out the pain while you were healing, so shouldn’t your fever be gone by now?” She then reached out and touched Bai Ming’s shoulder, “Alright, you must be tired from attacking the city today, go and rest.”
“I’m not going,” Bai Ming stood up and sat down next to Yang Xiao. “I have to stay with you tonight so you won’t feel unwell and can’t find anyone in the middle of the night.”
Yang Xiao looked into Bai Ming's eyes and pondered for a few seconds, then propped herself up and moved further into the bed.
Seeing that Bai Ming didn't move, she freed one hand to pat the empty space next to her, and then looked at him inquiringly.
Bai Ming was stunned for a moment, then stopped her with a wry smile. "Ah Xiao, what are you doing?" He gently took Yang Xiao's hand and pulled her to the middle. "You can't break the rules. I'll stay by your bedside tonight, just like you stayed by mine back then."
He smiled and tapped Yang Xiao's nose. "Besides, it's been so long since we last met. I need to see you a few more times before I can put an end to my obsession."
Yang Xiao couldn't help but smile upon hearing this, "Now that the overall situation is settled, there's plenty of time for the rest of your life. How long can you not watch?"
“It’s different,” Bai Ming stroked the back of her hand, then pulled up the blanket draped over Yang Xiao’s waist, and extinguished the candlelight on the table. “You’re tired, sick, and injured today, so you should rest early.”
Yang Xiao pulled the blanket up a little, then pulled Bai Ming's arm and hugged him, lying comfortably in the blanket. She looked up at Bai Ming with a smile, "He was in prison this morning and he's home by evening. He even witnessed the operation and destruction of the Chang'an Formation during the day." She breathed a sigh of relief, "After suffering for so many years, this day has finally come."
“Yes,” Bai Ming smiled as he looked into Yang Xiao’s sparkling eyes and gently patted her. “Our promise to Chang’an ten years ago has been fulfilled. Sleep well, Xiao, may you enjoy a peaceful night.”
A dim, warm candlelight illuminated Yang Xiao's sleeping face. Bai Ming was held tightly in one arm, while the other hand gently patted and soothed her. In the moonlit night, only the chirping of spring insects and Yang Xiao's breathing echoed each other, calming the ripples in Bai Ming's heart.
As night deepened, this was the deepest sleep Yang Xiao had had since feigning surrender to Xiao Yan.
Even so, the nightmare that lingered in my heart still left a trace.
In a daze, Yang Xiao suddenly felt as if she had been taken somewhere, her eyes were covered by something, and her hands were tightly bound behind her back. The air was filled with the stench of decay and blood, and a biting wind rushed out of the door and howled towards her.
She was startled and cold sweat slowly trickled down her spine, sending a shiver down her spine.
A series of footsteps approached from afar, their heavy sound echoing in the empty room like a heartbeat. Yang Xiao's heart pounded faster and faster; she involuntarily held her breath, standing stiffly in place.
The person drew closer until they stopped right in front of her. Her eyes were blindfolded, and the room was terrifyingly dark, so she couldn't see their face at all. She could only take deep breaths, calm herself, and try to find a solution.
Yang Xiao took a deep breath, as if she could sense that the person was taller than her, and she looked up to meet his gaze.
But to her surprise, the person's aura was strangely familiar, and standing in front of him seemed like the most ordinary thing in the world. Yang Xiao's panic completely disappeared, and she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, taking a small step forward as if she could look directly at the person.
"Bai Ming, is that you?"
The other party did not reply.
"Bai Ming?"
The other party still did not reply.
An even stronger sense of panic welled up in Yang Xiao's heart. She couldn't help but clench her sweaty palms and take two steps back in a panic. The sound of her hurried footsteps was amplified infinitely in the empty room and echoed incessantly.
An even stronger stench of blood and decay rushed into her nostrils, making it feel as if her lungs were being squeezed shut, and she couldn't breathe.
The so-called "Bai Ming" on the other side remained motionless, breathing as usual, but without any sign of life.
"Bai Ming, Bai Ming, wake up!" Yang Xiao shouted in disbelief, her feet involuntarily retreating until she was pressed against the cold iron pillar, trembling with fear.
"Bai Ming, Bai Ming!" she cried out in despair and helplessness, "Say something! I'm Yang Xiao, don't you recognize me?!"
Large beads of sweat seeped from her back, soaking her clothes, while her right hand, which was tied behind her back, seemed to be strangled, with thick blood slowly flowing into her palm and dripping from her fingertips onto the ground with a crisp sound.
The panic in her heart reached its peak. She took a step back, broke free of the restraints on her wrists, and then forcefully tore off the cloth in front of her. She looked up sharply and saw that there was no one in front of her. In the empty, dark room, only a few red candles flickered. The blood on the floor reflected the surrounding scenery. The cold wind blew in from the wide-open door, causing the blood to wrinkle and blur the reflection.
Yang Xiao's breath seemed to be completely choked, and the world spun before her eyes. With her last bit of strength and reason, she struggled forward, but just as she reached out to rush out of the room, she found herself suddenly sitting up on the bed.
She was panting heavily, clutching the blanket. When she turned around, she saw Bai Ming standing beside her with a worried expression. She calmed her breathing and looked down. She saw that she was holding Bai Ming's hand tightly, and she had pinched his fair hand so hard that it had left red marks.
"Ah Xiao, are you alright?" Bai Ming bent down and gently wiped the sweat from her forehead. "Did you have a nightmare?"
"Mmm." Yang Xiao's voice was trembling with shock, tinged with a hint of tears.
Bai Ming's heart tightened. He reached out and touched her head, then took her hand with one hand and poured hot water that had already been boiled with the other. He then sat down beside her, pulled her into his arms, and gently patted the back of her head. "Don't be afraid, Xiao, I'm here. I'll always be here."
Upon hearing this, Yang Xiao's nose tingled, and she burst into tears. She turned around and hugged Bai Ming's neck, wiping her tears on his clothes. "Bai Ming, do you know, I just dreamt that I was locked in a room full of blood, my hands were tied, and I couldn't see."
She sobbed as she leaned against Bai Ming, “Then you—it was definitely you, there’s no mistake, you walked step by step from outside the door to me, and didn’t say a word to me, just stood there in front of me without moving, and didn’t answer no matter how I called you.”
Bai Ming felt a pang of heartache. He patted her back gently and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. Yang Xiao grabbed his hand and held him tightly in her arms. "Then I had no choice but to break free of the rope. When I took off the blindfold, there was nothing in front of me. You weren't there either. There were only endless candles and blood all over the ground."
Bai Ming bit his lip, his eyes filled with heartache as he pulled Yang Xiao into his arms, coaxing her incessantly.
He had never seen Yang Xiao like this before. He patted Yang Xiao's shoulder, let out a long sigh, and comforted her, "Dreams are always the opposite of reality, Xiao. From now on, I will never leave you and will respond to you endlessly. My feelings for you will always be sincere, and the one I love will always be you, no matter what form you take."
He rested his chin on the top of Yang Xiao's head. "So, don't be afraid, Xiao, I'm always here for you."
Yang Xiao gradually stopped crying, gently nodded against his shoulder, and then looked up at Bai Ming's neck. She couldn't help but raise her hand and gently touch the spot where she had once pointed a gun at him.
Bai Ming's Adam's apple bobbed a few times, then he gently took her bandaged hand and carefully placed it on his chest. "Don't dwell on it anymore, Xiao, it's all in the past." He stroked the back of Yang Xiao's hand and smiled as he touched her forehead. "Besides, the army doctor said that you can't move your hand too much, or it might not heal properly."
Yang Xiao nodded, her eyes shining with genuine emotion as she looked at Bai Ming, and said with a hearty laugh, "Bai Ming, thank you."
“We’re not allowed to talk about ‘thank you’ between us.” He shook his head gently, looking at Yang Xiao with a smile in his eyes, then sighed softly and leaned closer, “Xiao, what would I do without you?”
Yang Xiao's heart seemed to skip a beat. She lowered her eyes to look at Bai Ming's lips, then raised her head slightly and gently kissed him.
The kiss was both light and solemn. She raised her hand to touch the back of Bai Ming's head and then rubbed her nose against his. Their breaths were still intertwined. "We are indispensable."
Yang Xiao's hand slid down from the back of Bai Ming's head, gently stroking his face, and she looked at him with a smile, "It's not just the two of us, it's all of us, we can't do without each other."
“You’re right, we can’t do without each other.” Bai Ming smiled as he gently stroked her lips, then reached out to feel her forehead. “You’re still a little warm. It’s still early before dawn, so sleep a little longer.” He helped Yang Xiao lie down and tucked her in. “Sleep soundly. You definitely won’t have nightmares this time.”
-
Sunlight pierced through the gloom, and a spring breeze carrying the scent of earth brushed against his face. Bai Ming glanced at Yang Xiao, who was fast asleep beside him, and carefully walked to the window, opening it slightly.
A conversation drifted in through the window. He looked up and saw a servant and a general talking about something.
Upon closer inspection, the general was none other than Yang Song.
Bai Ming frowned, turned around to tuck Yang Xiao's blanket in, poured a cup of hot water, then gently pushed open the door and walked towards the person.
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