"Chu Chu, let's go."
☆、73 Roasted Whole Lamb (Nine)
The moment Chu Chu boarded the carriage, she looked as if her heart had already flown home. Before the carriage had traveled far, she kept peeking through the window crack, seemingly wishing she could grow wings and fly back to the camp in an instant.
Xiao Jin Yu watched until he couldn't bear it any longer. "Chu Chu... are you in such a hurry to return?"
Chu Chu answered absentmindedly, "Mm..."
"What's the rush to get back?"
"To find my master! We already made plans!" Chu Chu turned her head and smiled sweetly. "I promised my master I'd tell him all about meeting the Turkic people!"
Remembering how Ashina Suwu had teased her until she nearly lost her composure earlier—though Ashina Suwu likely meant no harm—the mere thought of her recounting this as a joke to another man made Xiao Jin Yu's spine grow cold and stiff. His expression cooled accordingly. "No."
"But I already promised!"
"I said no, and that's final."
Chu Chu pouted and turned back to look out the window. "Fine, I won't tell then..."
"Your master... who is he?"
"Not telling."
"I've told you before, you can't easily trust people in the military camp."
Chu Chu turned back with a face full of protest. "My master is a good person, a really good person!"
Xiao Jin Yu pressed his lips together slightly, his voice chilly. "Better than me, isn't he?"
Chu Chu blinked and looked at him seriously. Xiao Jin Yu vaguely felt her gaze linger specifically on his legs.
"Well..." Chu Chu hesitated for a moment. "The two of you can't be compared."
He didn't even qualify to be compared...
Xiao Jin Yu's body trembled slightly, unable to describe his current feelings.
He couldn't blame her—only himself for being narrow-minded earlier, deliberately saying those things to make her jealous, which made her run away from him and gave someone else an opportunity. Now he was reaping what he had sown...
What did it matter if she didn't believe his sincerity? At least back then, when he offered his genuine feelings, she would have happily accepted them. But now... would she still want them?
Xiao Jin Yu suddenly felt pain radiating throughout his entire body, as if he were being torn apart piece by piece. Only his useless legs felt no pain, yet they trembled uncontrollably...
"Chu Chu..."
"Hmm?"
Right now, her heart was preoccupied with someone else—a better person, someone he wasn't even qualified to compare with... Even if he cried out in pain, she probably wouldn't hold and kiss him tenderly like she used to...
Xiao Jin Yu endured the heart-wrenching pain, tightly gripping his trembling legs, and looked at her quietly. "After you see your master, return to your resting tent early to rest..."
"Okay."
As soon as the carriage stopped, Chu Chu jumped down and dashed away in a flash. The guards helped Xiao Jin Yu into his wheelchair and escorted him to his resting tent. Seeing his pale face and slight trembling, as if he were enduring great pain, they couldn't help but ask, "Wang Ye, should we call for a physician?"
Xiao Jin Yu leaned back in his chair and shook his head.
"Then... shall this humble official assist you to bed to rest?"
"Leave..."
"Yes."
Xiao Jin Yu randomly pulled out a medicine bottle from his person, haphazardly shoved a few pills into his mouth, and mustered enough strength to push his wheelchair to the bedside, intending to use his crutches to lie down on the bed.Just as he managed to stand shakily with his crutch, before his other hand could reach the bed frame, a sharp pain shot through his stomach. His grip on the crutch weakened, and he collapsed heavily onto the cold, hard floor, the pain so intense his vision blurred.
In the past, when she wasn't by his side, he had always taken care of himself as long as he wasn't too ill to be unconscious. Falls like this were common, but they had never felt so painful, so filled with grievance...
After several attempts to get up failed, the pain in his organs only grew worse.
Gu He Nian had warned him that recovering from meridian injuries was difficult and that emotional instability was the worst enemy, but now...
The more it hurt, the more he missed her, and the more he missed her, the more intense the pain became...
The thought of her gaze gradually growing indifferent toward his broken body, leaving only pity until it turned into disgust...
Xiao Jin Yu trembled as he curled up on the floor. He remained in pain until he completely lost consciousness, and Chu Chu still hadn't returned. When he woke up groggily, he was already lying in bed. Vaguely seeing someone by the bedside, he called out anxiously before he could see clearly, "Chu Chu..."
"Wang Ye, you're awake?"
Recognizing the voice, Xiao Jin Yu's heart sank. "Xiao Yue..."
In the past, at times like this, that girl would have thrown herself into his arms immediately, as if afraid someone else would take him away. But now...
Why had he never worried before that she could be taken from him too...
Leng Yue noticed that Xiao Jin Yu's complexion was even paler than when he was unconscious. She reached out to touch his forehead and frowned. "Ah, you're still feverish... Those quacks, feeding them is worse than raising a couple of livestock!"
Xiao Jin Yu tilted his head slightly, avoiding Leng Yue's hand.
Chu Chu was already jealous of her; if she were to see this...
"I'm fine now. You can go attend to your duties."
"Wang Ye, you might be fine, but I still have something to discuss."
Xiao Jin Yu stared at the motionless bed curtain and replied indifferently, "Speak..."
"You have to promise not to get angry."
"Then don't say it..."
"But this matter concerns our Imperial Concubine."
"Hmm?"
Seeing Xiao Jin Yu immediately shift his gaze back to her, Leng Yue quickly added, "You promised not to get angry."
"Fine..."
Leng Yue licked her lips and took half a step back. "Wang Ye, honestly, I didn't do it on purpose... Well, I admit there was a tiny bit of intention, but you're always so calm. Who knew you'd react so strongly..."
Xiao Jin Yu glared at her. "Explain it clearly in one sentence."
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