Gan Qiongying had no idea what was wrong with Li Hua, why she was crying all of a sudden.
Gan Qiongying stood opposite Li Hua, watching Li Hua tremble violently all over. She was even somewhat at a loss. "What's wrong with you?"
"Is the weather going to change tonight, that's why your legs hurt?"
Gan Qiongying couldn't think of any other reason besides that Li Hua was in "too much pain." He even pressed his legs, bent over, and hunched his back, as if he would collapse to the ground and faint at any moment.
Li Hua was indeed suffering, but this suffering did not come from his body; it came from his soul.
He has a scar that was carved by his biological father and mother since birth, a scar that stretches from his disabled left leg all the way to his heart.
Even though time has passed and the surface of the scar has long been covered by fresh flesh and blood, and it looks like it has healed, no one except Li Hua knows that the scar is connected to his soul, and has never stopped rotting and stinking over the years.
Every time he sees someone running, every time he sees someone riding a horse and shooting arrows, every time he sees someone steadily holding the hand of their loved ones as they cross the street, his wounds bleed again, remaining fresh and refusing to heal.
Especially after he saw Zhongli Zhengzhen, and his younger brother who was born later than him but was not abandoned because of his natural strength, Li Hua's heart began to mold and twist.
This resentment and humiliation, like a persistent carbuncle, roamed through his body, consuming his soul, his health, his temperament, his meager happiness, and everything else he possessed.
But at this moment, he was pressing his leg, in so much pain that he almost knelt down. He stared intently at his leg, as if he could see through the intact clothing to the scar... The rotten scar that was covered by "intact" flesh had been torn open by Gan Qiongying.
It's oozing pus now, dripping with blood mixed with filth, and rotting flesh and maggots are falling off.
Li Hua couldn't hear anything, and he couldn't see anything. He just stared at his left leg, unable to believe that one day someone would suddenly tear open the wound he had hidden and that was not easily noticed, and "clean it" for him.
The process of cleaning the wound was undoubtedly painful, and Gan Qiongying was the knife that could cut through all filth. Li Hua was instinctively afraid of her and avoided her.
That's why he avoided Gan Qiongying, because he was completely unprepared. He never imagined that Gan Qiongying would celebrate his birthday specially, and he never imagined that she would give him such a birthday gift.
Throughout his life, Li Hua received countless birthday gifts and collected all the rare treasures in the world, but no one could ever turn something rotten into something magical and give him a "whole" leg.
Her slender frame and shoulders effortlessly overturned, rewound, and reset Li Hua's world.
In just two short months, Li Hua had gone all in, treating her like family, and he thought that was the limit.
He wasn't even sure if Gan Qiongying would be willing to be his family if he really confessed everything and asked her.
Li Hua was always timid and hesitant, always caught in a dilemma, and always found it difficult to move forward.
But all those concerns and all those difficult choices seemed to crumble in the few steps he had just taken, like a sandcastle collapsing and being easily drenched into ruins by the torrential rain called "Gan Qiongying".
Li Hua was still crying, but he supported himself with his own legs and laughed tremblingly.
At first, it was just a low, muffled laugh, but it quickly became unrestrained, hoarse, and even wild and unruly.
He felt like a horse that had run tens of thousands of miles and was already exhausted. He had no master, no origin, and no way home. He kept running until someone stopped him and said, "Stop. Your leg is injured. You can't run anymore. This is your home."
Li Hua stopped and slowly raised his head.
He straightened up, his muddy eyes looking at Gan Qiongying. Then, his muscles, flesh, skin, and bones all transformed into two pools of hot water in his eyes, condensing into a torrential downpour that poured down on Gan Qiongying.
"Sanjiu! What are you still looking at? Go find someone... Where's Chen Wa? Chen Wa, call two people over and carry the prince consort back into the house. Manyue, Manyue, go quickly and call the imperial physician!"
Gan Qiongying was somewhat incoherent, supporting Li Hua's arm with one hand. She didn't notice Li Hua looking at her, and her other hand kept patting Li Hua's back. While frantically giving orders to the guards, she also comforted Li Hua, saying, "It's alright, it's alright...it'll be over soon..."
Gan Qiongying didn't even know what was wrong with Li Hua. She was just instinctively trying to comfort him and was instinctively infected by the "pain" he was radiating. She was terrified and panicked.
However, Li Hua quickly grabbed her wrist with great force. He pulled Gan Qiongying, but not towards the main courtyard. Instead, he pulled her towards the carriage.
He couldn't wait.
Just like how Gan Qiongying was so eager to show him her birthday gift and to make him wear these specially made shoes so he could walk like a normal person, she was so eager that she couldn't even wait to get back into the house.
Li Hua pulled Gan Qiongying along at breakneck speed, his feet barely touching the ground, as steady as a mountain, as if he had never been born with any disability, as if he was born with a pair of perfectly healthy legs. He knew how to use them, and even more so, how to make them accelerate so that he could reach his goal as quickly as possible.
The one who stumbled and staggered became Gan Qiongying. She was completely confused and didn't know why Li Hua was suddenly crying and laughing, or where Li Hua was dragging her to. Following behind him, she was being pulled unsteadily by the usually gentle Li Hua and thought that the God of Wealth was angry.
She was racking her brains trying to figure out what he had done to offend the God of Wealth. What had she done to offend him?
Could it be... that the gift he gave made Li Hua think he disliked his lameness?
Gan Qiongying was pulled to the side of the carriage by Li Hua. Li Hua got into the carriage first, and Gan Qiongying was pulled by him. His strength was too great, and his eagerness was almost bursting out of his body. If he hadn't been concerned about his dignity and face, he wouldn't have even gotten into the carriage.
Gan Qiongying was pulled and almost fell onto the carriage shaft.
When the two finally got into the carriage, the horses paced restlessly, causing the carriage to sway back and forth. Gan Qiongying fell directly onto the soft cushions of the carriage.
Li Hua, however, fell onto the cushion just before her, landing right beneath her.
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