Gan Qiongying didn't notice his gaze. She opened the door, gently held his hand, looked at the injury on his palm, and asked, "Does it hurt?" Gan Qiongying's tone was soft, full of concern.
This was the second time Gan Qiongying had asked him if it hurt; the first time was after he bit his tongue.
Li Hua stared intently at her, his eyes unfathomable.
Gan Qiongying then said, “Husband, even if you are angry with me… our bodies and hair are given to us by our parents, how can we hurt ourselves so casually?”
Li Hua's brow twitched violently, and she quickly withdrew her hand, her whole demeanor exuding a sense of utter embarrassment at being forced into a corner. She had so easily seen through his self-inflicted injury, and Li Hua felt utterly ashamed.
He lowered his head and looked down, wondering what Gan Qiongying would think if she knew he was like this, and he didn't know how to get along with her or how to explain or defend himself.
Gan Qiongying noticed that his ears turned red rapidly and his eyes darted around, and thought that she had misspoke and said something wrong.
The saying "Our bodies and hair are given to us by our parents" can advise most people who harm and destroy themselves, but it does not include Li Hua.
If Gan Qiongying's guess was correct, Li Hua was the one abandoned by her parents. Since even her parents did not cherish their own flesh and blood, it would seem presumptuous for her to say such things in front of Li Hua.
"I just...feel the pain for you." Gan Qiongying forced herself to say something, "Your tongue and your palms hurt so much, don't do that again."
“If you don’t like it, are unhappy, or don’t want it, you can just say so,” Gan Qiongying said. “I’ll do whatever you say.” (God of Wealth)
Li Hua stood there silently with his eyes lowered, like a fossilized door god. Although his face did not reveal any change in expression, he looked very gloomy.
He naturally thought of his parents, but found it all laughable.
The most ridiculous thing is that the first person in his life who will care about him, care about his wishes, whether he is happy, and whether he wants to be happy is someone who has given him countless times of pain and humiliation.
Li Hua was torn between two completely different emotions: one of indulgence and the other of resentment. He felt like he was being torn apart and even began to resent Gan Qiongying.
Why did she have to change? If she remained the same as before, he would not have any expectations. If there was only hatred between them, he could act decisively without having to worry about anything.
But why would she do that?
Why did it suddenly turn out like this?
Li Hua slowly raised his eyes, a storm brewing deep within them. He wanted to ask her directly, "Why did you suddenly become like this?"
But he didn't ask the question in the end. Gan Qiongying tugged at his sleeve and pulled him into the house.
He pressed Li Hua down to sit, then moved a chair closer to him and sat down himself.
She continued, "You have to promise not to hurt yourself again. You have no idea how important you are to me."
This statement may seem like a way of comforting someone, but it is actually the only truth she ever told.
The man in front of her is her shield in the plot, the God of Wealth who gives her 200,000 silver dollars every month.
His hands are the hands that can handle mountains of gold and silver; how could they be injured!
Moreover, Gan Qiongying discovered another weakness of Li Hua: he not only couldn't handle the kindness of others, but he also preferred the way others cared about him.
For Gan Qiongying, showing kindness is so simple, and expressing concern is even easier.
Thinking of the 200,000 taels of silver that Li Hua gave her every month, just like those jokes she had seen online, where a husband gives tens of millions of taels of silver every month to take care of his mistress during her postpartum period, she would not hesitate to do so.
Gan Qiongying softened completely in his presence, showering him with sweet words as if they were free.
Li Hua's ears went numb and his whole body stiffened.
In the dead of night, before the imperial physician could even reach the Imperial Hospital, he was brought back by a carriage from the Princess's residence.
The imperial physician's surname was Zhuang. He was an old man in the Imperial Hospital. He usually only treated a few concubines and the Empress Dowager and rarely made house calls. But who would dare disobey Princess Duanrong's orders? He got off the carriage, secretly yawned, and hurried along with heavy steps, finally arriving in the shortest possible time.
However, when he saw the wound on the prince consort's hand, the imperial physician had a brief moment of doubt. He even examined various parts of the prince consort's body, but after the examination, he was puzzled.
While treating the wound on his hand, Physician Zhuang looked at the Prince Consort with suspicion and uncertainty.
At this moment, Gan Qiongying anxiously inquired whether the cut would have any long-term effects.
How long will it take to get better?
Will it leave a scar? Will it still hurt on rainy days?
"If it leaves a scar later, are there any medications available to remove it?"
When Gan Qiongying asked the first question, Doctor Zhuang was so shocked that his old hand trembled. It turned out that he had been hurriedly summoned just to bandage this wound that looked like it had been cut by a broom blade.
Li Hua felt a little ashamed; she could keep her face straight, but her ears were secretly turning red.
"Please have the imperial physician examine him carefully," Gan Qiongying said, bowing down. "After the wound is bandaged, please also have the prince consort examine his leg."
"Your Highness has always been in poor health. Is there any tonic to help you recover?"
"By the way, the prince consort's tongue was injured before, but he has been talking a lot these past two days. Will that affect the healing of the wound?"
Are there any things I should pay attention to when eating?
The imperial physician was bewildered by the questions, but he dared not show any impatience in front of the tyrannical Princess Duanrong.
So he carefully considered his answers and answered them one by one.
"The wound on the tongue is not large and should not affect your speech in the future, so please rest assured, Your Highness."
"The prince consort's leg ailment is something he has had since childhood, and it is impossible to cure it completely. However, this old minister can prescribe a remedy for the prince consort, and supplement it with hot compresses with medicinal packs. At least on cloudy or rainy days, he will no longer suffer from pain."
"The prince consort's weak constitution is something he was born with, and medicinal diets can help regulate it. He is young, so as long as he takes the necessary tonics, it will not affect his lifespan in the future."
"The prince consort does not look well; his lips and complexion are different from those of ordinary people. Judging from his pulse, this old minister suspects it is due to kidney deficiency..."
Finally, Li Hua heard the two of them talking more and more outrageously, and they even started talking about his kidney deficiency and that they needed to give him kidney tonics.
Li Hua, unable to bear it any longer, said, "I'm really fine."
Li Hua practically gritted his teeth as he spoke these words. He looked at Gan Qiongying and said, "It's getting late. Let the imperial physician go home as soon as possible."
Gan Qiongying didn't insist any further, knowing that he was masking his true feelings, and she couldn't help but laugh when she was told he had kidney deficiency.
After seeing the imperial physician off, she once again gently and proactively took Li Hua's hand and led him back to the main courtyard from the room.
A group of maids followed at a distance behind them, the two groups keeping a great distance from each other. Gan Qiongying and Li Hua's maids were not on good terms because of previous disagreements.
Therefore, as the group watched their masters stroll hand in hand under the moon, their expressions strange, they scratched their heads in bewilderment.
Gan Qiongying led Lihua by the hand, walking slowly as if admiring the scenery along the way. Such a harmonious scene had never been seen before.
The streetlights were dim, and Gan Qiongying deliberately slowed her pace to match Li Hua's limping speed.
The night breeze gently caressed their faces. Neither of them spoke a word the rest of the way, their hands swaying slightly as they held each other, looking every bit the loving couple.
As he passed an arched bridge, Li Hua glanced at his reflection in the river. He seemed to have never done this with anyone before, nor had he ever met anyone who could stand shoulder to shoulder with him like this.
He could feel that Gan Qiongying was deliberately taking care of his speed, not pulling him so that he would stumble and fall.
Since his nanny died, no one has held his hand and walked with him slowly. He has almost forgotten what it feels like to be treated gently.
In fact, when he was forced to come to Nanzhao and learned of the plan to marry Princess Duanrong, he felt helpless and confused, but he also had expectations for this absurd marriage.
Perhaps... he can have a home.
People always crave what they lack. More than anyone else in the world, he longed for a home, for someone to tell him to "come home."
He quickly crossed the stone bridge, and as the reflection gradually disappeared from his sight, he looked away.
He stared at the back of Gan Qiongying's head, unable to control himself at that moment, desperately wanting to know if what she said was true.
Is it true that he can do whatever he wants with her male lovers?
Is it true that you care about his pain and suffering?
Are all those sweet words and tender phrases she uttered—words that make one blush—real?
The two returned to the main courtyard. Li Hua had already washed up, and Gan Qiongying asked him to wait inside while she went to wash up first.
When she returned, Li Hua was already asleep in bed, something she had expected.
Gan Qiongying thought he was asleep, so she quietly got into bed without making a sound.
Li Hua knew when Gan Qiongying had fallen asleep, and he also knew that she had been staring at his back for a long time. He was also very tired, but his eyes were still open, and he refused to close them for a long time, but he never turned around to look at her.
He is waiting.
When the shift change took place outside, the candlelight inside flickered, and the person next to me breathed more steadily than before.
Is it coming soon?
Gan Qiongying drifted off to sleep, lying upright one second and then her hands began to grope around the next. Gan Qiongying's habit of needing to hug something while sleeping in the middle of the night kicked in, and she finally touched Li Hua's back. She immediately moved closer and hugged him from behind.
Li Hua had expected it, but he still couldn't help but tremble when the warm hand touched him.
Feeling the warmth spreading across his body, Gan Qiongying put her arm around his waist, and soon her legs climbed on top of him. Only then did Li Hua slowly close his sore eyelids.
A tiny glimmer of light flashed across the corner of my eye.
He didn't cry; he was just ashamed and even hated his own behavior.
But he couldn't control himself.
He has always been very resistant to being touched by others. Over the years, it's not that no one has tried to get close to him, but he usually reacts excessively and pulls away, keeping people at arm's length.
Even Sanjiu and Tianjiao, who had served him for many years, never got close to him.
It wasn't that he disliked other people being close to him, but rather that he had a peculiar habit that was difficult to talk about.
More than anyone else, he desperately craved to be hugged, kissed, touched, or even forcefully intimate.
This became an uncontrollable desire for him, and he was deeply troubled by and ashamed of this longing.
He felt that at times, he was like a courtesan who had been given too much addictive drug, unable to sleep all night without being embraced.
How could he possibly... stoop so low?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com