The room deep within the quiet garden, filled with the bitter scent of medicine, became a temporary haven after the storm.
Xin Jiuwei's coma wasn't entirely one of unconsciousness. She was adrift in a bizarre dreamscape, where the狰狞 (zhengning - ferocious/hideous) face of Qi Huaiyu from her past life intertwined with the cold, stern features of Xiao Xun in this life, ultimately settling on the excruciating pain of a cold dagger piercing her heart, and the desolate, howling winds and snow of the northern border. She felt like a feather, drifting in the void, sometimes scorching hot, sometimes icy cold.
She didn't know how much time had passed; her heavy eyelids felt like they were glued shut, and she used all her strength to pry them open a crack. Through her blurry vision, she saw the familiar tent ceiling, and the strong yet reassuring scent of medicine lingered around her nose, along with a lingering, cool, pine-ink aroma.
"Miss! You're awake?!" Xin Kui's voice, trembling with a mix of surprise and joy, rang in my ears, and a haggard yet delighted face drew closer.
Xin Jiuwei tried to speak, but her throat was dry and sore, and she could only manage a weak breath. Xin Kui immediately understood and carefully used a cotton swab dipped in warm water to gently moisten her chapped lips.
"Please don't panic, don't speak... Miss Lin said you've suffered a great loss of energy and need to rest for a long time..." Xin Kui's voice choked with sobs, "You scared me to death..."
Xin Jiuwei struggled to move her eyes, searching the room. Besides Xin Kui, there was no one else. A strange sense of loss, mixed with the weakness of surviving a close call, welled up inside her. She closed her eyes, gathering her strength, and finally uttered a hoarse voice: "...Your Highness...he..."
“Your Highness!” Xin Kui immediately understood and hurriedly said, “Your Highness is alright! General Qin has brought your… your heart’s blood to the Northern Border. Your Highness took the medicine and the poison has been neutralized! The message General Qin sent back the day before yesterday said that although Your Highness is still weak, your life is no longer in danger and you are on your way back to the capital!” When she said the words “heart’s blood,” Xin Kui’s voice trembled with heartache.
Her heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled heavily. Xin Jiuwei let out a long, silent sigh of relief. Her tense nerves suddenly relaxed, and exhaustion washed over her again like a tidal wave. Knowing that he was still alive was enough. As for herself… she felt a dull, persistent pain in her chest, as if a piece of her chest had been hollowed out. She had paid the price.
In the days that followed, under the meticulous care of Xin Kui and Lin Wanyi, Xin Jiuwei slowly recovered, like a broken porcelain doll. Every breath aggravated the wound in her heart, and every step required all her strength. Lin Wanyi's prescription was extremely potent, the medicine unbearably bitter, yet Xin Jiuwei drank every last drop without expression. The physical pain was real, but compared to the despair of being betrayed and drained of her last bit of value before being abandoned in her previous life, this price she paid for a clear goal gave her a strange sense of peace.
She stopped thinking about Xiao Xun's reaction after learning the truth. Whether it was a contract or manipulation, she had preserved her most powerful weapon against Qi Huaiyu in her own way, and also protected her brother's temporary safety. That was enough.
Seven days later, at dusk when the wind and snow had subsided.
The atmosphere in Jingyuan Garden suddenly became unusual. The guards silently increased their watch, and the air grew tense. Xin Kui rushed in, her face showing rare tension and a hint of excitement: "Miss, His Highness... His Highness has returned to the capital! The carriage has arrived at the gate!"
Xin Jiuwei was leaning against the soft pillows when she heard this. Her hand holding the medicine bowl paused almost imperceptibly, the brown liquid swaying slightly. So fast? His injury... is healed? She lowered her eyelashes, brought the medicine bowl to her lips, and the bitter medicine slid down her throat, masking the fleeting flutter in her heart.
"I understand." Her voice was calm and expressionless, revealing no emotion whatsoever.
However, the anticipated arrival of Xiao Xun at Jingyuan did not occur. The Prince's residence seemed to be in an unusually busy state; only You Ye made a brief visit, bringing a large quantity of top-grade tonics and medicinal herbs, conveying Xiao Xun's instruction to "rest well," before hastily departing again. Xin Jiuwei was not surprised by this, even feeling it was to be expected. He was a prince, recovering from a serious injury, and undoubtedly had a mountain of official duties and visitors to attend to. She, this pawn, had temporarily fulfilled her "purpose," and naturally should quietly remain in the background.
Two more days passed. Xin Jiuwei was feeling a little better and was able to walk a few steps slowly in the warm room with Xin Kui's help. Outside the window, the sky was overcast, and the cold wind swirled fine snowflakes.
The door to the warm room was pushed open silently.
A tall figure walked in, bringing with him the chill of the outside air; his dark cloak was still covered with unmelted snowflakes.
It is Xiao Xun.
He was much thinner than Xin Jiuwei remembered, his face still pale from recovering from a serious illness, but his deep, pool-like eyes were as sharp as ever, even more melancholic and... a complex light that was hard to describe. He stood there, not speaking immediately, his gaze fixed on Xin Jiuwei as if it were a physical object, from her pale, almost transparent face, to her thin body wrapped in thick clothes, and finally, it settled on her posture as she leaned on Xin Kui's arm for support.
The air seemed to freeze. Xin Kui felt an immense, invisible pressure and instinctively held her breath.
Xin Jiuwei's heart skipped a beat, but she forced herself to calm down. She released Xin Kui's hand and tried to straighten up and bow: "Your Highness..."
"No need." Xiao Xun's voice rang out, low and hoarse, carrying the weariness of a long journey, yet exceptionally clear, interrupting her weak movements. He walked a few steps to her, so close that Xin Jiuwei could clearly feel the lingering chill emanating from him, as well as that familiar, yet inexplicably unsettling, aura of pine and ink.
He didn't look at her, but his gaze was heavy on her. He reached out, not to help her up, but to touch her wrist, which was resting on the hand warmer.
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