Chapter 22
Pei Yun's gaze swept over Xi Xiao's face, which was covered in blood and as pale as paper. His face was cold as if it were carved from jade. He looked at her as if she were a stranger, as if the man who had shown his emotions that night was just an illusion.
He lowered his eyes slightly, his gaze empty of anger and pity, as if he were examining an object.
This look in his eyes was a thousand times colder than the day Xi Xiao first met him. Even the carefully maintained, gentle and refined facade he used to present to others had completely crumbled, revealing his cold, hard, and inhuman nature beneath.
He parted his thin lips slightly and uttered four words, his voice not loud, but each word piercing the deathly silence: "As you wish."
The moment he finished speaking, he turned around without hesitation, his dark robes drawing a cold, hard arc, bringing with them a subtle yet biting gust of wind.
Inside the Crane-Dwelling, wisps of smoke curled from the incense burner. Pei Yun picked up the pills from the ebony box and examined them closely in the dim light streaming in from the window. An eerie luster emanated from the pills, as if life were pulsating within them. On a nearby table, a white porcelain bowl sat quietly. The dark red liquid within had long since solidified, forming a thick, stagnant blood clot, emitting a faint, metallic odor.
He Ying stood to the side, his brows furrowed, his gaze darting back and forth between the pill and the bowl of congealed dark blood. Finally, he couldn't help but hesitate, his voice trembling with doubt: "My lord, this medicine was given by Wu Lingwei. Perhaps I should examine it first? Or..." He lowered his head, his gaze falling on the bowl of blood, his Adam's apple bobbing, but he ultimately said nothing more.
Upon hearing this, Pei Yun's gaze remained fixed on the crimson pill, but a resolute, almost crazed smile curved his lips. Without uttering a word, he swiftly popped the pill into his mouth, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed it!
Almost instantly—
A surge of molten heat, like lava, exploded from his throat, rushing through his limbs and bones. The excruciating pain that had been gnawing at his heart day and night was forcibly smoothed out by this domineering force, and a long-lost, chilling warmth seeped in.
His pale face flushed with an eerie red at a visible speed, as if withered trees were reborn in spring. His limbs, which had been heavy and sluggish due to weakness, now felt light and strong. A surge of power coursed through his bones and muscles. He closed his eyes slightly, feeling this transformative change.
He Ying was startled to see Pei Yun sway slightly and instinctively reached out to help him. Pei Yun abruptly raised his hand to stop her. He opened his eyes, a flash of crimson light appearing deep within them before being swallowed by a dark, abyss-like depth. His voice was low and menacing: "There's only one of these pills. If we cut it up for testing, the medicinal properties will be lost, and it might not be as effective as it seems. Never mind..."
He slowly rose, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over the bowl of congealed dark blood on the table. He paused almost imperceptibly, and the surrounding air seemed to freeze as well.
He Ying, observing the situation with trepidation, reported in a low voice: "The young lady has settled in the West Garden. She has been eating normally these past few days, and is chatting and laughing with her personal maid. She seems...very happy. When Xiang Mo goes to collect blood, the young lady is very cooperative, always filling a bowl to the brim without refusing..." He carefully chose his words, trying to convey a sense of "all is well".
"Shut up!" Crane Shadow's words were abruptly interrupted by a cold, sharp rebuke. The voice wasn't loud, but it carried an air of authority: "Get out!"
Outside the door, Xiangmo saw Heying looking blank, so she sighed heavily and shook her head repeatedly, her eyes filled with helplessness and pity for someone who was "too rotten to be carved".
Before He Ying could recover, Pei Yun's deep voice pierced through the doorway, "Tomorrow, let her go." After a brief silence, the voice rang out again, like a verdict, severing all ties: "Let Xi Yu go as well. From this day forward, Xi Yu is no longer a subject of my Yuan Chu."
*
Deep within the Prince's mansion, in a strangely cool pavilion, a young servant boy knelt timidly on the cold, gold-brick floor, his shoulders hunched. Before him, in a large armchair, leaned a young man in fine clothes.
The young man was exceptionally handsome, with skin as white as snow. He had a pair of long, upturned phoenix eyes with slightly reddish corners, which carried an almost eerie, gloomy allure. His thin lips were pursed in a half-smile, blurring the line between strength and gentleness, making it difficult to distinguish his gender. One could only feel a sinister aura emanating from him.
"Heh," the young man let out a soft, enigmatic chuckle, his fingertips casually fiddling with a warm, smooth jade pendant at his waist. "The old man is facing imminent disaster, yet he still has the leisure to spend every night in Rongxi Palace?" His tone was languid, tinged with a hint of amusement. "Xiping, what did your lover say again?"
After saying that, he casually picked up a teacup from the small table next to him, crossed his legs, and gently blew on the foam. His posture was exactly like that of someone waiting to listen to a good show for three days and three nights without getting tired of it.
Xi Ping lowered his head even further. His "lover" was just a palace maid named Fang Cui from the next village. Last time, when he accompanied the prince to the palace, he happened to run into Fang Cui carrying a food box coming out from the direction of Rongxi Palace. The two struck up a conversation and discovered that they were from the same village. Meeting an old friend in a foreign land, they naturally exchanged a few words, and from then on, they had a little bit of a bond.
He knew his master's temperament well and was too lazy to argue about the word "lover." He simply hunched his shoulders even tighter and, in a clear and articulate voice that was completely at odds with his humble demeanor, began to speak: "Fangcui said that Consort Li has been having a poor appetite lately, and the kitchen has tried everything to improve it, but with little effect. Then... His Majesty came over once, and Consort Li's appetite suddenly returned. However..." He paused, lowering his voice even further, "...but Consort Li's tastes have become extremely strange; she only wants to eat spicy and pungent ingredients, which is very different from before."
After he finished speaking, he cautiously lifted his eyelids slightly to steal a glance at the young man seated on the throne. He saw the prince casually resting his chin on one hand, tilting his head, and his long, captivating eyes were now surprisingly bright, his face carrying an almost childlike innocent curiosity, as if he were listening to an extremely interesting story.
Xi Ping inwardly pursed her lips, knowing what her master loved to hear, and added, "Fang Cui also mentioned that... she once tidied up the Empress's clothes and found... the blood on the Empress's menstrual belt... seemed to be unusual..."
"Tsk!" The young master made a short, light tsk. He had wanted to pick up the teacup and put on the air of a refined and gentle young master, but the action felt very awkward on him, so he simply slammed the teacup back onto the small table with a "clatter".
Then, without warning, like a nimble yet slightly wild cat, he sprang up from his chair and lightly leaped onto a nearby table. The hem of his crimson brocade robe drooped down as he looked down at Xiping, who was kneeling on the ground, his eyes gleaming with excitement and malice: "Is the old man going to give me a little brother? How can I not offer my congratulations on such a 'joyful' occasion?" He drawled, his smile growing increasingly wicked. "Go and get some food to help Consort Li."
Before he finished speaking, he had already lightly leaped down from the table, stretched out a big yawn, and his joints made a slight clicking sound.
The sun was shining brightly outside the window, its rays streaming through the carved window lattice and falling on his overly delicate profile. He seemed boneless, lazily leaning most of his weight on Xiping, who had just gotten up, causing Xiping to stumble.
"Sigh, I've been holed up in the manor these past few days, my bones are practically melting." He muttered, then his tone suddenly brightened, filled with a childlike, pure interest. "I just arranged to go boating on the lake with that brat Pei Qie... and while I'm at it," he turned his head and whispered a few words into Xi Ping's ear, a cruel glint of curiosity in his eyes, "to meet that one..."
The malice was so thick it was impossible to dissolve, yet it was enveloped by the pure, childlike expression on his face, making it eerily unsettling.
*
Inside the West Garden, the sunlight was warm and gentle. Xi Xiao leaned against a pillar, watching the black bird carrying the letter take flight until its dark silhouette completely disappeared into the azure sky.
A smile unconsciously crept onto her lips, as if the gloom that had been hanging over her brows for days had been swept away by the clear sky. Even her steps became lighter as she turned to pack her few simple belongings.
Seeing her beaming face, Yunwu reached out and gave Xi Xiao's arm a light pinch, then carefully brushed aside the stray hairs on her forehead to examine the wound that had already formed a thin, dark brown scab.
As her fingertips touched the uneven scar, Yunwu couldn't help but sigh, "Miss, how could you do this? The young master repeatedly warned me that your body... absolutely cannot bleed or get injured."
Xi Xiao sat down nonchalantly, casually picking up a plain dress and folding it, her smugness barely concealed in her eyes: "What do you know? This injury is perfectly timed." Suddenly remembering something, she paused, a serene and distant smile playing on her lips, like the first melting snow of winter, clear yet warm. The gloom and sorrow that had shrouded her for days had vanished, replaced by a tranquil beauty, a sense of peace and hope for the future after everything had settled.
Is Doctor Xi here?
Just as Yunwu was about to offer further advice, a clear voice from outside the door interrupted her. The master and servant looked in the direction of the voice and saw a clever young servant peeking out from the doorframe. Behind him stood a young man in a brocade robe, none other than Pei Qie. His gaze was unfocused, sometimes looking at the sky, sometimes at the ground, his toes unconsciously grinding the pebbles on the ground, refusing to look directly into the courtyard.
Xi Xiao put down her clothes and walked gracefully to the courtyard gate. Pei Qie heard the footsteps and turned to glance at her quickly. His handsome face showed a hint of restraint and awkwardness, and his ears seemed to be flushed.
He cleared his throat, trying to make his voice sound natural: "I was blind to your greatness and have offended you before." He paused, then quickly added, "Now that my brother is in good health, it is all thanks to Doctor Xi's miraculous healing skills. He has made an invaluable contribution... Today, I have specially chartered a pleasure boat in Chencangfang and prepared some light wine and snacks to bid farewell to Doctor Xi."
He spoke as if he had memorized a script, and after finishing his speech in one breath, his entire face turned bright red.
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