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Lan Tu helped Su Baiwei back to the room and settled her on a low stool beside Tiao Tiao's bed. Su Baiwei concentrated and calmed her mind, placing her slender fingers on Tiao Tiao's wrist. When she felt the beating of her pulse, the corners of her lips curled up slightly.
Hong Mao looked at Lan Tu's tired face and said softly, "You've been guarding all night. It's my turn today."
Lan Tu shook her head and said softly, "You spent so much energy on Tiao Tiao yesterday, and your face is still pale. You should get some rest."
Su Baiwei raised her eyes and said softly, "There's no need to argue, the two of you. Tiaotiao's pulse is stable now, but the prescription needs to be readjusted. You all should go and rest. I'll take care of this place."
Rainbow Cat and Blue Rabbit exchanged a glance. Rainbow Cat, his expression grave, warned, "Miss Su, if you can't calm down, you absolutely must not practice Tongxi Guiyuan Jue again."
Su Baiwei nodded solemnly: "I understand. I will be extra cautious this time."
Lan Tu asked with concern, "What herbs are needed for the new recipe? I'll prepare them right away."
Su Baiwei recited a string of medicine names. After the two left, the door closed gently and silence returned to the room.
"They're all gone, there's no need to pretend to be asleep." Su Baiwei looked at Tiao Tiao and said softly.
Tiao Tiao slowly opened his eyes, the corners of his pale lips curling up slightly. “I can’t hide it from you after all.”
He tried to sit up despite the pain, but it tugged at his wound, causing him to frown. Su Baiwei carefully helped him to sit up. By the time he was settled, beads of sweat had formed on his forehead. She pulled a silk handkerchief from her sleeve and carefully wiped away the sweat, breathing slightly faster. "Tiaotiao, I have something I want to discuss with you."
Tiao Tiao raised her eyes and met her clear gaze.
"I was thinking..." Su Baiwei looked into his eyes and said softly, "After the Mother Gu Formation is broken, I will give you half of my lifespan. That way, we can still spend another thirty years together. What do you think?"
Tiao Tiao was startled, looking into her clear eyes, which clearly reflected a seriousness and an unconcealable deep expectation. A warm current surged in his heart, and his eyes burned. He suppressed the pain and gently held her in his arms.
Su Baiwei also raised her hand and hugged him back very carefully, as if protecting a piece of glass that was about to shatter. Her voice trembled slightly, "Since we agreed to share the ups and downs together, how can we share the ups and downs if we can't be together?"
He buried his head in her hair, the faint scent of medicine lingering in his heart. He knew too well that if he refused now, it would become a knot in her heart that she would never be able to untie. He had walked alone in the long night for ten years, finally waiting for this glimmer of light. How could he bear to let go?
He no longer hesitated, his voice choked: "Okay."
Su Baiwei raised the corners of her lips slightly, her eyes tinged with warmth: "After the Mother Gu Formation is broken, what do you want to do most?"
Tiao Tiao didn't answer, but asked softly, "What about you? Do you have any wishes?"
"I've been trapped here since I was a child and have never truly left," Su Baiwei's eyes sparkled with longing. "I want to hire a green-covered carriage, slowly travel to Lingnan to see the vast lychee groves, then down to the south of the Yangtze River to enjoy the misty rain, and then go to Bashu to taste a cup of fresh tea... I'd practice medicine and consult with patients along the way, earn a little money, and then continue on my way." She looked up at him, her voice soft, "What do you think, is this a good idea?"
Tiao Tiao pulled her closer to him. A wave of pain shot through his face, and his brow furrowed slightly. When the pain eased a little, he relaxed his brow and said with a smile, "Okay, I'll go with you. But we're not short of money. The jewels I stole from the Demon Cult back then are enough for us to live freely for three lifetimes. If you're really short of money, you can just pawn one or two."
Su Baiwei pursed her lips and chuckled, "Then you'll have to heal your injuries quickly. Otherwise, if you flaunt all that money in the streets, won't that just make thieves jealous?"
Tiaotiao smiled nonchalantly and said, "You can steal it, but I have the divine doctor here anyway. Why worry about not making back the money? You practice medicine, and I'll help you. How about that?"
Su Baiwei pretended to frown and glared at him, "You're so clever. If you secretly learn all my medical skills, and then steal my patients and cut off my livelihood, that would be like 'teaching the apprentice and starving the master'."
Tiao Tiao's eyes smiled gently as she whispered, "What are you afraid of? My heart is already tied to you. Even if I starve to death, I will never let you go hungry."
Su Baiwei couldn't help but smile, her eyes filled with longing: "When that time comes, I want to watch the sunrise with you, the darkest and freest blue before dawn."
Tiaotiao was slightly startled. “You still remember this?”
"Of course I remember." Her smile deepened.
"Then I will go around the world and look for white hibiscus flowers. If I find one, I will put it in our carriage so that you can see it every day. There really are hibiscus flowers like you in this world, as pure white as before." His eyes were soft and his words were doting.
Su Baiwei tilted her head slightly and asked with a smile, "What if you can't find it?"
Tiao Tiao's lips curled up slightly. "I haven't even started looking for it yet, so how do I know I won't find it?" His voice trailed off, as if carrying a deeper meaning. "Besides... I already have one in my arms."
Su Baiwei knew he was referring to her, and her eyebrows curved into a smile.
The two separated slightly, Su Baiwei gently wrapping her arms around his neck, their eyes meeting in a tenderness filled with love. Yet, this moment of tenderness reminded her of the uncertain future, the uncertainty of life and death, and whether she could truly wait until the day the Mother Gu Formation was broken. Thinking of this, her heart ached.
Tiaotiao noticed the gloom in her eyes and asked softly, "What's wrong?"
Su Baiwei inserted her fingers into his hair and gently combed it, looking into his concerned eyes. Her own image was clearly reflected in his pupils, and her heart suddenly moved.
Twelve years of heavy shackles had long since shattered her memory, and she'd forgotten what it felt like to live for herself. The future felt like a lonely boat in the fog, uncertain where tomorrow would lie. So, why not let go of her own will for once? She simply wanted to truly feel this existence, to break free from all constraints, to confirm, even if only for a moment, that they were truly alive.
Her fingertips had landed on his belt without her noticing, caressing it unconsciously. After a moment's hesitation, she made up her mind, closed her eyes, and raised her head to kiss his lips.
Tiao Tiao's whole body stiffened and he stood there in a daze.
Her kiss was awkward, and she trembled as she untied the belt of his blue shirt, carefully avoiding the wound between his ribs. Her hot breath fell on his neck, and her breath was a little short: "Tiaotiao, I want you."
For a moment, everything was silent. Even the birdsong outside the window suddenly stopped, and only the rapid breathing of the two people mingled in the air.
Tiao Tiao's pupils shrank. He had never imagined such blunt, passionate words would come from her, the usually aloof and cold woman. His heart felt like it had been struck hard, shock and throbbing like a tide. The wound between his ribs ached with each rapid breath, but he simply stared deeply into her eyes: "If I... don't even survive three days..."
"If you can't survive three days, I will never live alone!" Su Baiwei's eyes were blazing, and every word was sonorous. "I will accompany you on the road to the underworld!"
She approached, a strange blush rising to her pale cheeks. "Heaven and earth are cruel. If I'm destined to be unable to escape this fate, then I will hold it in my hands right now! Even if I have to die, I will die with full satisfaction, without a single regret!"
Tiao Tiao's breath hitched, his heart aching from the all-consuming fire in her eyes. That resounding oath resonated through the air, echoing in his ears.
"Even if I have to traverse the underworld, I will definitely retrieve your soul!"
My throat suddenly choked, a warm current rushed to my eyes, a mixture of pain and warmth surged up, quickly spreading throughout my body.
"Okay!" Sparks lit up in his eyes, and then they spread like wildfire, igniting into a raging flame in the blink of an eye. "Destiny can take our life or death, but it can't control how we live! Since that's the case, then live to the fullest! Even if I die in the next moment, at this moment, I must laugh to my heart's content and love to my heart's content!"
He suddenly lowered his head, gently grasped the wooden hairpin in her hair with the tip of his teeth, and yanked it out. The hairpin sliced through the air with a faint sound, and her long, dark hair cascaded down like a waterfall, scattering around her cheeks, flushed with passion. The hues of ink, snow, and peach intertwined, a breathtaking and captivating sight.
As their lips met, Su Baiwei's fingertips inadvertently brushed against the bandages wrapped around his ribs. Her fingertips trembled, and she instinctively tried to withdraw them, only to be gripped by his burning hand. His arm trembled with pain, yet he stubbornly held her palm, pressing it tightly against his blazing chest. Beneath his palm, his heart beat like a drum, surging and pounding.
A low, hoarse gasp rolled out of his throat, wrapped in pain and surging with heat:
"Come."
In the midst of their passionate embrace, she suddenly paused. "Wait for me." She quickly placed a kiss on Tiao Tiao's lips, then stumbled towards the door. Her trembling fingers fumbled for the bolt. After two tries, she finally heard a soft click. The door was securely bolted. She turned and slammed the window shut, separating the two worlds.
Outside the window, the bright sunshine finally broke through the clouds, sweeping away the days of gloom. The birdsong was melodious and crisp, each sound pleasing to the ear, but it could no longer penetrate the enchanting atmosphere of the room.
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