feign illness
A faint herbal aroma lingered in Su Manyan's nose, and his senses gradually relaxed. But the most distinct feeling was the throbbing heartbeat in his chest.
The person hugging her was comforting her clumsily. His hands patted her back lightly at first, a little awkwardly, and then slowly turned into a gentle caress.
Through the thin clothes, the body warmth from the broad palm seeped into her body which was almost frozen in the cold winter.
She was a dying person lingering on the brink of death.
There was no love in this hug. It was just two souls who had been lonely for too long, drawing a little warmth from each other, which was a rare comfort in this cold palace.
Su Manyan sobbed at first, then suddenly burst into tears when she threw herself into his arms, and her crying gradually subsided.
Tears soaked his clothes, leaving a large, sticky patch. He was wearing only a single layer of clothing, which was soaked through with tears, and the color of the flesh underneath could be vaguely seen.
After she recovered a bit, Su Manyan realized something was wrong. She was lying in his arms like this, but he was clearly a patient who had just woken up from a coma, and yet he was trying to accommodate her. Her face couldn't help but heat up.
She gently nudged Xiao Lin's shoulder, signaling him to let go.
The swelling at the corners of the eyes was sour and astringent, and you could tell without even looking that they were swollen like walnuts.
She raised her eyes and took a peek, noticing that there was no mockery on his face, but rather a subtle pity in his eyes. Su Manyan's throat tightened and she whispered, "I'm sorry."
He sniffed and added, "I'm sorry for my inability to help, and I'm sorry for losing my composure."
She lowered her head, glancing sideways, not daring to look at him anymore. She only stared at the carved patterns at the foot of the bed. But the tears kept welling up in her eyes, threatening to fall.
I felt the gentle touch of water dripping down my cheeks, followed by the slight tightening sensation of tears running across my skin, leaving behind the traces of water about to dry.
When the next tear falls again, before it dries up.
Su Manyan felt a broad palm holding her face, and the warm fingertips gently wiped away the tear.
"Ayan, don't cry."
Xiao Lin said it again. It seemed like this was the only sentence he could say today.
He was shocked when he heard her words. He didn't understand why she suddenly broke down, and he didn't expect that she had already entangled their lives.
Yes, they were originally entangled. They were investigating the secrets of the Tian family in this cold palace and were enemies with the entire Tian family. If he died, how could Ah Yan survive alone?
His first reaction was heartache. Seeing her crying so heartbrokenly, he began to hesitate, wondering if it was a mistake to drag her into the game in the first place.
When her sobs subsided, he belatedly realized what she was so afraid of. Was it because she saw him unconscious? Or had she found the person behind the incident?
Xiao Lin didn't dare to ask. Seeing her distraught look, he was afraid that if he said something wrong, he would make her cry again.
But his silence only made Su Manyan feel more panicked. Her head drooped even lower, tears rolling down her cheeks like beads from a broken string.
He quickly reached out to wipe it, and frantically coaxed: "Why do you want to apologize? Ah Yan, I should be the one to thank you. I am the one who let you down."
These words made Su Manyan even more sad. She pursed her lips and shook her head, telling him how she had solved the poisoning problem and recounting in detail the reason why he fell into a coma yesterday.
"Your poison will be cured soon. Just drink the medicine."
Xiao Lin's face lit up with joy, having never imagined that this thorny poison could be so easily cured. But then he realized something was wrong. Why was she so frightened of such a joyous occasion?
Su Manyan talked about the jade pendant and the blood-flower again: "The other two poisons, one comes from your jade pendant, and the other comes from the blood-flower in the backyard."
"The jade pendant was brought from the Hu Kingdom's palace when you were a child, and the blood-stained flower was there when you were imprisoned in the Southern Kingdom's cold palace after coming of age. Xiao Lin, this matter is much more complicated than we imagined. Where should we begin our investigation? Could it be that someone from both the Hu Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom wants to harm you?"
"This time span is too long. Xiao Lin, this is too scary. If I hadn't made that sword tassel for you, wouldn't it be..."
She talked about her fear, and felt a chill down her spine when she thought that he might have lived in an environment surrounded by wolves since he was a child.
She looked at him with wet eyes, laying out all her worries before him. Once everything was out of control, all that remained was fear.
Unexpectedly, Xiao Lin looked relaxed.
"Ayan, I've lived on the edge of a knife since I was a child, so I'm not afraid of these things."
He spoke sincerely. He understood her concerns. If it were him, seeing someone could set up such a large scheme, he would inevitably be shocked. But he had long been accustomed to such a life. Being trapped in the cold palace or being poisoned seemed like a calamity destined for him.
Now that he knew the poison could be cured, he felt relieved. Even though he knew someone had been plotting against him since he was a child, he just took it as a normal occurrence.
He just didn't want to believe that the jade pendant was a gift from his mother. But no matter who was behind it, the truth would eventually come out.
He was not afraid. In fact, when he heard her talk about these things, some vague fragments flashed through his mind, as if they had really happened, but also like a dream.
There was an indescribable sense of familiarity and trance, but he was indeed very calm at the moment.
Seeing that she was still frowning, he patted the back of her hand again: "This king knows what is going on."
He paused, his gaze falling into her wet eyes, with a self-deprecating smile: "Ever since I can remember, I haven't seen much sincerity. The snacks given by my father are always mixed with medicine, my brothers always try to outdo me, and even the people who serve me can turn around and spread my words to my rivals."
"You said this matter involves the two Southern Hu countries, and the span is too large. But have you ever thought about it? The bigger the network, the easier it is to reveal flaws. They were able to plant the poison in the jade pendant when I was a child, which means this game has been set up for more than ten years. They should be the ones who are anxious. After all these years, they have failed to succeed. Now that I'm awake, they will only be more panicked."
He lowered his head, his eyes level with hers, his tone filled with unquestionable certainty: "You've detoxified me, and you've already torn through the first layer of their network. We'll slowly dismantle the rest. You understand medical principles, and I understand people's hearts. Tell me, with us like this, are we still afraid of those rats hiding in the shadows?"
"As for what you said about 'if you hadn't made that sword tassel,'" he suddenly smiled, his eyes filled with heartache and a hint of relief. "But you did it anyway. This isn't luck, it's our confidence."
"But Ah Yan, are you still willing to help me? I know this is too reluctant. Being an enemy of the Heavenly Family will ultimately do more harm than good. You can leave or stay, it's up to you. No matter what you choose, I will protect you."
Seeing that he was truly fearless, Su Manyan's fear subsided a little. Naturally, she couldn't leave. How could she leave when her Darkness Points hadn't been reset yet?
She shook her head: "A Yan swears to be loyal to His Highness until death."
Su Manyan's mind suddenly became clear. Yes, either way was a dead end. He had gone from being a favored child of heaven to a hostage in the cold palace. There was no way out. It didn't matter if he was the king or anyone else, there was nothing to be afraid of.
They had nothing to begin with, and were so poor that they only had each other.
Xiao Lin saw the wrinkles between her brows gradually relax, and finally smiled. He reached out and rubbed her hair, with a bit of pity: "Don't let your imagination run wild. I'll hold up the sky if it falls, and I won't let anything happen to you. Don't say stupid things in the future."
Su Manyan muttered to himself, "This isn't nonsense. If he dies, I won't be able to live either."
Of course, I didn't say this out loud.
Her face suddenly flushed, and when she thought of the hug they had just had, her ears turned red with embarrassment.
Xiao Lin probably thought she was a man and that it was no big deal for two men to hug each other.
But she knew she was a girl, and she had never been this close to a man in her life. In the end, she had lost her sense of propriety and forgotten the differences between men and women.
She quickly wiped the tears from her face and said in a panic, "I'll go stew the medicine."
After saying that, he turned around and left. He walked too fast and tripped over the threshold. He stumbled and almost fell, looking very embarrassed.
Just as he was about to turn the corner of the corridor, he heard Xiao Lin's low laughter coming from the house.
Su Manyan's face turned even redder and his steps became more flustered.
"Ding! The male protagonist's dark value has dropped to 70%. Host, please continue to work hard!"
While she was guarding the casserole, Yan Zhao passed by the kitchen door and they met. Just as she was about to say hello, he suddenly turned his head away and snorted contemptuously.
Su Manyan was stunned:?
This guy is so rude! He looks tall and strong, but his heart is as small as a needle. I don't know how I offended him.
He watched the white mist rising from the casserole, wisps of it dispersing between the old beams. Calculating the days, the medicine the prince gave him wouldn't be long before it took effect. With Xiao Lin in a coma this time, the prince would surely have received the news.
It would be better to let him continue to pretend to be sick and spread the news that he has been staying indoors for days. As for the specific words, I need to think carefully about them.
Xiao Lin had just finished drinking the medicine, and there was still some brown stains on his lips. Su Manyan handed him a handkerchief, and her fingertips accidentally touched his hand, and she retracted it as if she was burned.
"Your Highness," she cleared her throat and lowered her head to gently stir the medicine residue in the bowl with a bamboo spoon, "There is something I want to discuss with you."
Xiao Lin raised his eyes when he heard this: "You say."
"Those people hiding in the shadows have been plotting to kill you, and now that they see you unconscious, they must think they've succeeded." The bamboo spoon tapped lightly on the edge of the clay pot, making a crisp sound. "Why don't we just go along with their wishes and make them happy?"
Xiao Lin raised his eyebrows slightly, tapping his knees lightly with his fingertips: "What do you mean?"
"Pretending to be sick." She stood up and poured the medicine residue into the bamboo basket. Her movements slowed down, but her tone became clearer. "Tell everyone that you're awake from a coma, but your fundamental injuries are severe. The imperial physicians are helpless. You can only lie on the couch and rest. It's difficult to even get up."
She did not mention the prince at all, and put the blame for the prince on the unknown bad guy.
Anyway, it's just a matter of robbing the thieves.
Xiao Lin smiled. "That's exactly what I was thinking. The brothers from Fengya Slope arrived at the Imperial City yesterday. Although Yan Zhao has a hot temper, he's an expert in disguise. Let him disguise himself as a traveling doctor and come to see me every day. Then tell everyone that I'm relying on his medicine to stay alive."
"This way, he can use the excuse of being seriously ill as well as the excuse of taking my pulse to spread the news of what's going on in the palace."
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