Doll empathy
Upon hearing this, Li Yin leaned closer. Yu Shu spoke softly, as if floating on silk. Li Yin felt a pang of sadness as she listened, and her slender fingers slowly clenched together.
Yu Shu gripped the bedsheet tightly with her fingers, and the wounds on her body that had been bandaged began to bleed again. Li Yin looked flustered. Logically speaking, with such bandaging, the wounds should stop bleeding after the medicine was applied, unless... it was poison.
The first person Li Yin could think of to poison Yu Shu was Zhao Lianying. But Yu Shu was just a maid. Was she really that desperate? Besides, Zhao Lianying had feelings for Wen Youqing. Wasn't she afraid that doing this would make Wen Youqing hate her even more?
Li Yin was puzzled. She lowered her eyes and looked at Yu Shu. Yu Shu's lips were slightly parted, and she was still murmuring to herself, "I am not... a time traveler. I just had a dream. It was just a dream."
As Yu Shu spoke, she began to cry. Li Yin reached out and gently patted Yu Shu's hand, then reached back to examine her pulse. But... it was still the same result as before. The bleeding wouldn't stop, and the wound wouldn't heal. This was extraordinary. Besides the wind-induced poison, the only thing with such an effect was... Gu.
Li Yin was stunned. Gu poison, it was Gu poison again. She couldn't help but recall the memory of Wen Youqing detoxifying her in the carriage. Li Yin's memory of what happened was already very vague, but her nerves still remembered it: a kind of pain like being bitten by a thousand insects, an unbearable pain, wave after wave, like the tide.
Yu Shu frowned, her pale face flushed, and her eyes reddened, covering her slightly bloodless lips. Her voice was filled with sobs and grievance, "I... I'm not."
Li Yin gently brushed her hand away and said softly, "Okay, you're not."
This was the first time Li Yin had heard the term "time traveler." Time travel, crossing mountains and valleys? She didn't quite understand, but seeing Yu Shu's distressed expression, she felt it wasn't a good word.
She slowly rose and looked at Zhao Yuemu. Zhao Yuemu blinked, and Li Yin said, "Your Highness..."
Before she could speak, Zhao Yuemu said, "No, Brother Wen is very strict with you. If he finds out that I let you leave without his permission, he will be very angry. If he is angry, I will be unhappy too."
After listening, Li Yin remained silent. Zhao Yuemu looked at Li Yin and said again, "Tomorrow, there will be a palace banquet rehearsal. My elder sister likes to join in the fun, she will definitely go."
Upon hearing this, Li Yin's expression relaxed. She said to Zhao Yuemu, "Thank you for informing me, Your Highness, but..." Before she could finish speaking, she looked at the person lying on the bed.
Seeing this, Zhao Yuemu understood. She said, "Sister Li, don't worry. I have some rare medicine here that can solidify blood and flesh. It should be able to last for more than three days."
Li Yin bowed respectfully to Zhao Yuemu. Zhao Yuemu lowered her eyes, her gaze dark, staring at the fair neck of Li Yin revealed as strands of hair slipped down with his movements.
The hand hidden in the red sleeve made a feigned choking motion. Noticing this, she smiled. Li Yin also raised her head. She looked up at Zhao Yuemu, who smiled gently, her eyes as bright as the moon, her mind clear and pure.
Li Yin didn't notice anything amiss. Seeing Zhao Yuemu smiling at him, he asked, "Your Highness, are you no longer learning swordsmanship in the pavilion?"
Zhao Yuemu's eyes widened, and she exclaimed "Oh!" in realization. She smiled awkwardly and said, "Okay, okay, sister, I almost forgot. I've been sleeping too much these past few days, and my brain isn't working properly anymore."
Listening to this, Li Yin said calmly, "It's probably because autumn is approaching." The leaves rustled, the wind was merciless, blowing them down. The withered yellow leaves swirled in the air, and after a while, they gently and quietly landed on Li Yin's shoulder.
The weight on her shoulders was very light, almost negligible, but Li Yin still noticed it. She reached out and picked up the leaf, bringing it to her eyes. She said, "It's not that Your Highness has been sleeping too long, it's just that the days are getting shorter and the nights are getting longer."
Zhao Yuemu smiled faintly as she listened to Li Yin's words. She reached out and took Li Yin's hand, saying, "Sister Li, are you afraid of the dark?"
Li Yin shook her head, and Zhao Yuemu moved closer. She said, "But I'm afraid of the dark... I always feel like there are bugs biting me at night, and it hurts so much. But the bugs are also cute, and they come in all colors. They feel uncomfortable when they're hungry, but I feel uncomfortable if I give them food. Sister Li, what should I do?"
Li Yin listened without paying much attention, but when Zhao Yuemu mentioned insects, she took it to heart and had a guess, but she wasn't sure.
Li Yin tentatively asked, "Did Your Highness raise these insects?"
Zhao Yuemu nodded, then shook her head. After a moment of thought, she said, "I feed it, but it doesn't listen to me."
Li Yin listened and thought carefully. Insects, insects of all colors, the brighter the color, the more poisonous they are. This is... Gu.
Her expression as she looked at Zhao Yuemu was more complicated. What kind of person was this? How could she be as multifaceted as Wen Youqing?
The two talked as they walked, and soon arrived at the pavilion. A copper bell hung from each of the four corners of the eaves, swaying gently and making a tinkling sound from time to time. With each step, the bell swayed and rang.
When Li Yin saw this thing, he found it strange, not for any other reason than that this thing was originally used to exorcise ghosts. Since the current emperor did not believe in gods and Buddhas, doing this was to make his position clear to the emperor.
Li Yin lowered her eyes, ceasing to think further. After all, this matter was none of her concern, nor was it her place to interfere. She took a step, then turned to look at Zhao Yuemu, tilting her head to ask, "Your Highness, do you have a sword?"
Seeing her slightly stunned expression, Zhao Yuemu seemed to remember something and suddenly smiled faintly, saying, "Yes, it's been sharpened."
Li Yin frowned slightly upon hearing this; these words were exactly the same as what Wen Youqing had said to her in her dream. Only the person before her…
Just as I was about to use the word "simple" to describe it, I realized that this person was deliberately leading me. But then I remembered that this person was pretending to be an ordinary person in front of me, but hadn't changed their words and thus revealed their identity.
Whether the miraculous cure was truly a coincidence or not, Li Yin originally trusted her first judgment, but after meeting Wen Youqing, she dared not trust anyone anymore. Wen Youqing's act was too good, so good that she was almost unwilling to believe it.
Zhao Yuemu, dressed in fiery red, strode toward a guard beside her, drew the sword from his waist with a soft "whoosh," and the long sword was drawn, its cold light reflecting off her face and landing on her hair.
She walked towards Li Yin with a smile, placing the longsword horizontally in front of him. Li Yin took it; the blade was long and slender, somewhat flexible, and gleamed with a cold light. It felt heavy in his hand, not very light.
Li Yin swung his sword backhand and executed a swift, clean, and decisive sword flourish. However, a strand of hair was a beat too slow and was cut off by the sharp blade. It swayed in the air before finally landing in Zhao Yuemu's hand.
Zhao Yuemu was staring at the strands of hair. In a corner unnoticed by Li Yin, Zhao Yuemu gently wrapped the strands of hair with a handkerchief and moved them quietly, afraid of disturbing Li Yin.
Li Yin took the initiative, then wielded his sword in a flourish, unleashing a killing intent against the flowers. Layer upon layer of flowers rippled and swayed, stirring Zhao Yuemu's hair. She looked at Li Yin with a smile on her lips, tightly clutching the handkerchief containing Li Yin's hair in her hand.
Li Yin looked at her and asked softly, "Have you learned it?"
Zhao Yuemu shook her head decisively, "No, I still don't know how. Why don't you teach me step by step, sister?"
Li Yin said, "Alright then," and walked over to Zhao Yuemu's side. He reached out and placed his hand over Zhao Yuemu's hand, his fingertips gently caressing her hand. It felt smooth and tender, without any scars or marks.
Li Yin lowered her eyes, concealing her doubts. Why was there no scar? Even insect bites would leave a mark. Could it be that Zhao Yuemu was lying to her?
Thinking of this outcome, Li Yin smiled. It's true that everyone in the capital is cunning. She grasped Zhao Yuemu's wrist, and the two pressed close together, their hair touching.
Li Yin smelled a familiar herbal scent. She was startled at first, but then quickly composed herself. This was... Wen Youqing's scent.
She tightened her grip on Zhao Yuemu's wrist, then slowed her movements and began to dance with her sword.
Zhao Yuemu inhaled the faint fragrance emanating from Li Yin, softened her body, and moved with Li Yin's movements, a smile involuntarily curving her lips.
Where Li Yin couldn't see her, her eyes were full of mockery and amusement...
Li Yin demonstrated the movements once, then released his grip and asked softly again, "Have you mastered it?"
Zhao Yuemu nodded, then raised her sword and held up the flower, her red dress billowing in the wind. She thrust out with her sword, the wind carrying her with her, and then withdrew her hand to retrieve the flower. However, the movement was too forceful, and her lower body was unstable, with a faint tendency to fall.
Li Yin stepped forward, pulled Zhao Yuemu into his arms, supported her back with one hand, and gently patted her shoulder to steady her.
Zhao Yuemu smiled, then quickly lowered her eyes to hide her emotions. Everything that had happened seemed like a mirage, a fleeting dream.
Her eyes reddened, and she tugged at Li Yin's sleeve, saying, "Sister Li, I was so scared just now..."
Seeing the person who had been smiling crying, Li Yin was at a loss and could only soften his tone and say, "I'm here, I will protect you."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Yuemu burst into tears, large tears falling as she buried her head in Li Yin's arms.
Li Yin was at a loss and somewhat bewildered. After hesitating for a moment, he reached out and gently patted Zhao Yuemu's back, saying, "I'm here."
...
In the Wen residence, Wen Youqing sat on a recliner under a tree. His hand, which was holding a folding umbrella, paused slightly. Thousands of silver threads, extending from his wrist to a black Gu, swayed gently in the air with his movement, blending with the sunlight like a starry sea.
He suddenly laughed and whispered, "Li Yin, you... really haven't changed, still soft-hearted."
Then he spat out a mouthful of blood, the blood tinged with black, staining the hem of his clothes and the ground red...
He lowered his eyes, raised his hand to wipe the blood from his lips, then smiled gently and said, "The doll is actually disobeying."
As he finished speaking, he gently tugged at the silk thread on his wrist, the movement as elegant as plucking the strings of a zither.
"Li Yin, it seems my puppet likes you quite a bit. This is the first time she's lost control of herself." He said, then laughed.
He lowered his eyes and continued, "However, her reaction is also a reflection of my reaction. I do lose control when I see you, but... I'm still so jealous. Why don't you take my hand and teach me swordsmanship? I want to learn too. Li Yin, please teach me."
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