Chapter 33: He owes me an apology...
As the noise around him subsided, Shang Xu, nestled in her arms, heard a clearer heartbeat. Despite the ambiguous nature of their relationship, he couldn't muster any romantic feelings for her.
Shang Xu kept his eyes tightly closed, and all he could see was darkness. He couldn't see where she was injured or how badly she was hurt, but his worry did not lessen in the slightest.
His pale lips were pressed tightly together, and his drooping hand unconsciously grabbed a section of her sleeve with extra force, as if as long as he used enough force, she wouldn't get hurt.
Yan Yize withdrew her gaze and looked down at Shang Xu in her arms. She put down the sword in her hand, raised her hand and gently patted his shoulder, her voice calm but with hidden tenderness, "Don't be afraid, it's alright now."
Upon hearing her voice, Shang Xu put down the cloth he was clutching, quickly opened his eyes, took a step back, and looked up. What came into view was her bloodied right shoulder.
The clothes on her shoulder were already stained red, but blood was still seeping from the wound. He raised his hand, stopping an inch from the wound, his fingers trembling, his eyes fixed on it, his throat dry. She was injured while saving him.
"You're hurt." Shang Xu lowered his head in self-reproach, his previous dissatisfaction and complaints about her long ago forgotten, leaving only heartache and guilt. "I'm sorry."
Yan Yize remained silent, her eyes unfathomable. He didn't know the truth, but she knew very well that he was the one who had been implicated. Saving him was what she should have done, and she was the one who should apologize.
Having already owed two apologies for the last time, Yan Yize moved his lips, but couldn't bring himself to speak.
Over the years, although Yan Zhaoxi outwardly abandoned her, he secretly groomed her to be the crown prince. Her pride prevented her from apologizing.
After trying again and again, she finally turned away, saying, "It's what I should do."
——
The assassination attempt caused widespread panic throughout the sacrificial procession, especially among the nobles who were accustomed to pleasure and feared that they might be the ones to die unexpectedly.
Due to various considerations, the original return time was brought forward, and the procession set off in a grand manner as soon as the sacrificial ceremony ended.
Just like when they arrived, the two rode in the same carriage, but the atmosphere was completely different from when they came.
Inside the carriage, Shang Xu sat beside Yan Yize, no longer keeping as far away as possible as before. Her wounds had been bandaged, and she had changed her clothes, so there was no longer any sign of injury.
Shang Xu still looked worried, glancing up every now and then with a complex expression in his eyes. He owed her again, and when would he ever be able to repay this debt of gratitude?
Looking at the worry in his eyes, Yan Yize's mood, which had been bothered by the pain of the wound, surprisingly calmed down. Although the wound on his shoulder looked frightening, it had not affected any vital organs and would be fine after a few days of rest.
She moved her injured shoulder, looked at him, and said, "It will heal in a few days, so there's no need to worry too much."
Shang Xu pursed his lips, remaining silent. Such a deep injury was bound to cause concern, especially since she was injured while saving him; how could he ignore it?
"The wound must hurt a lot," Shang Xu said softly.
Yan Yize listened carefully and finally understood what he said. She straightened her face and called out to him, "Shang Xu."
Seeing that Shang Xu looked at her as she had expected, she was satisfied and then continued, "It doesn't hurt anymore."
It still hurts. Although the imperial physician used the best medicine, it is still mortal medicine, not some kind of magic medicine. Although it can relieve the pain, the effect is ultimately limited.
As for why she answered that way, it was because she owed him, and also because she didn't want to see the guilt on his face. In the end, it was her fault, and he shouldn't feel guilty about it.
Upon hearing this, Shang Xu felt even more guilty than before, his guilt only intensified. "It's so deep, how could it not hurt?"
"I'm sorry, you wouldn't have gotten hurt if it weren't for me."
Yan Yize felt a headache coming on. How could things have backfired? She caught a glimpse of guilt in his eyes and fell silent. After a few seconds, she spoke, "There's no need to feel guilty. You were implicated because of me."
"Saving you was just what I was supposed to do."
The guilt in his eyes was so deep that she felt unworthy of it. After much deliberation, she finally told him the truth.
Shang Xu stood frozen in place, implicated?
He lowered his eyes, quickly figured everything out, and when he looked up again, the guilt in his eyes had lessened, but he was still grateful. "No matter what, you saved me, and it's a fact that you were injured because of me."
"Thank you for saving me, Your Highness." He looked up, staring directly into her eyes, speaking solemnly and earnestly, his words stemming from genuine emotion.
Looking into the earnestness in his eyes, Yan Yize felt a sudden surge of heat in her heart, causing her to hastily look away. He could have demanded something in return or blamed her for being implicated because of her, but he did neither.
In contrast to his openness, Yan Yize's eyes flickered; to this day, she still owed him an apology.
He didn't trust him and wronged him by apologizing.
"Shang Xu." Yan Yize opened his lips slightly, the words "I'm sorry" were on the tip of his tongue, but after a long silence, he swallowed them back.
Upon hearing this, Shang Xu looked at her, quietly waiting for her to continue. After waiting for a long time, but not hearing the second half of her sentence, he couldn't help but ask in confusion, "Your Highness, what's wrong?"
"fine."
Yan Yize responded, then turned her face away in a timid manner. The curtain swayed gently, and even her usually calm heart was stirred. It turned out that there were things she couldn't do.
A note from the author:
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