She felt that someone like Fu Yuxing was only fit to hang on the summit of a snow-capped mountain; she wouldn't dare touch him, as if even touching him would defile him.
Seeing that Ertai was really jealous, Chen Nian also reached out and pinched Ertai's cheek, speaking seriously.
"Yes, I believe you."
Chen Nian's words pleased Ertai greatly, and he obediently let Chen Nian play with his hands, which were making a show of affection on his face.
Standing behind the two, Fu Yuxing's face paled as he listened to Chen Nian's words. His clenched hands immediately turned into a fist, and his knuckles turned slightly white from the force.
Are you afraid to touch him? He can change...
"Ertai, Yuxing, we should go."
Finally, Yongxuan broke the silence after speaking with Qing'er and repeatedly assuring her that he would return safely.
"good.
"Wait for me to come back and marry you."
Ertai agreed and bent down to kiss the forehead of the person in his arms.
Fu Yuxing watched the actions of the two people in front of him, closed his eyes, and turned his head to look at the other side.
Hearing Ertai's solemn, earnest, and expectant words, Chen Nian remained silent, her eyes darkening as a deep sorrow welled up within her.
Watching the three figures disappear into the distance, her emotions surged uncontrollably. Unable to bear the pain in her heart, her face turned deathly pale, and her lips lost all color.
"Nian Nian—"
...
"Doctor Chang, tell me, how much time does Niannian have left?"
The old lady's voice trembled as she reached out and stroked the pale face of Shen Nian, who lay on the bed. Her eyes were filled with deep heartache, and she looked much older.
"At most two months."
Chang Shou, looking utterly defeated, had barely finished speaking.
"Your Majesty—"
Qing'er, who was holding a bowl of medicine and about to step into the room, trembled when she heard the Empress Dowager's words. Some of the scalding medicine spilled from her hand, the bowl fell to the ground, and the medicine spilled everywhere.
Qing'er didn't care about anything else anymore. She hurriedly lifted the curtain and went inside.
"Qing'er—"
"Your Majesty, I'll take my leave now."
Seeing Qing'er staring blankly at the Empress Dowager, Physician Chang sighed and decided to give the two of them some time.
"No refunds allowed! What do you mean by 'how much time is left'? What do you mean by 'at most two months'?"
For the first time, Qing'er directly expressed her anger, raising her voice to stop Chang Shou.
Even the Empress Dowager was momentarily stunned.
"tell me!"
Not receiving a reply from Changshou, Qing'er spoke sharply, her eyes red with anger, her body trembling slightly.
She said that the Empress Dowager and Niannian must be hiding something from her, something they must be hiding from her...
Upon hearing Qing'er's words, Physician Chang glanced at the Empress Dowager with a troubled expression.
"Qing'er, let Physician Chang leave. I have something to say to you."
The Empress Dowager stood up and pulled Qing'er to sit down beside her.
"yes."
Having received the Empress Dowager's words, Changshou respectfully withdrew.
"Your Majesty—"
Qing'er stared at the Empress Dowager with reddened eyes.
"Qing'er, be prepared for what I'm about to say."
The old lady's voice was filled with deep helplessness, and she tightened her grip on Qing'er's hand.
Having kept it a secret for over a decade, Qing'er now knows, and she feels much relieved.
"good--"
Seeing the sorrow in the Empress Dowager's eyes, Qing'er opened her mouth several times before finally managing to utter the word "good".
She felt that the fog of confusion surrounding her was about to be lifted.
What were the Empress Dowager and Niannian hiding from her?
Why did the Empress Dowager send Niannian to Mount Wutai even though she clearly couldn't bear to part with her?
Why did the Emperor visit Niannian at Mount Wutai multiple times, yet not let her know?
"Do you know that even though the Emperor and I were extremely reluctant to part with her, and knew that Nian Nian would definitely be afraid to be alone, we still had to send Nian Nian, who had just lost Yong Xuan, to Mount Wutai?"
Seeing that Qing'er was ready, the Empress Dowager sighed and began to speak slowly.
"I don't know."
Qing'er shook her head honestly.
“I think you must be wondering why the emperor visited Niannian so many times, but Niannian didn’t know. And we can’t tell Niannian, can we?”
The emperor possessed the aura of a true dragon, but Niannian's body was too weak to withstand it, so even though the emperor longed to see Niannian, he refrained from doing so.
...
Niannian suffers from a heart ailment. A fortune teller once told her that if she stayed in the palace or the Prince Rui's residence, she would die young. If she was sent to Mount Wutai, she could barely survive and grow up. As for how long she could live, no one knew... Now Niannian is at her last gasp.
We can only hope for a miracle so that Nian Nian can spend more time with us.
"Your Majesty—"
Upon hearing the Empress Dowager's words, Qing'er's emotions completely collapsed.
She never expected that the Empress Dowager and Niannian were hiding this from her.
She knew why Niannian no longer wanted to sleep with her.
She knew why Niannian always sent her away.
She knew why marriage was brought up. Niannian asked why she wasn't in a hurry; it was because she knew she definitely wouldn't live to see that day...
She now understood why, during their trip to the Imperial Garden, when the Emperor said he would betroth Niannian to Ertai, Niannian had said she didn't want to harm others...
She now knew that when she was asked during the inspection tour if she would wear a red ribbon, she had replied that she didn't want to inconvenience others...
Because Niannian knew she wouldn't be able to wait until then, she knew she could leave at any moment, she knew, she knew everything.
She faced the possibility of death at any moment with clarity and rationality.
Even in the limited time they have, they bring them joy and think of them...
Seeing Qing'er's devastated expression, the Empress Dowager reached out and pulled Qing'er into her arms, her eyes also reddening.
"Your Majesty—recite—"
Qing'er completely broke down, choked up and unable to speak, hugging the Empress Dowager and crying loudly.
...
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