"I have no idea what to do... Let's kneel a while longer, wait until His Highness wakes up before we decide."
"..."
Xiao Jin Yu awoke to a violent, twisting pain in his organs. A sweet, metallic taste rose in his throat, and he turned his head to spit a stream of dark red blood onto the floor beside the bed.
Only then did Gu He Nian withdraw his acupuncture needles and feed him a pill.
"Your Highness, are you feeling somewhat better now?"
Recognizing Gu He Nian by his bedside, Xiao Jin Yu struggled to prop himself up, leaning halfway against the headboard. "Thank you, Mr. Gu..."
Gu He Nian waved a hand dismissively. "Your Highness is too courteous... If this old man hadn't been dim-sighted and failed to recognize the villain, I wouldn't have nearly cost you your life."
"It was my own carelessness. There's no need for you to blame yourself... I must also thank you for cooperating and keeping this secret for me..."
Observing how Xiao Jin Yu, despite his weakness, still maintained polite formalities, Gu He Nian shook his head and sighed. "Forgive an old man for speaking out of turn, Your Highness... No wonder you show signs of complete exhaustion despite your youth—you're actually taking Mind-Calming Powder."
Xiao Jin Yu frowned slightly. "How does Mr. Gu know about Mind-Calming Powder..."
Gu He Nian smiled bitterly and shook his head. "That medicine was originally created by my eldest disciple. How could I not know?"
Xiao Jin Yu looked slightly startled. "You are..."
Gu He Nian waved again. "Just an old man nearing his grave, not worth mentioning..." He knitted his brows and said gravely, "Your Highness, this medicine can indeed concentrate your spirit temporarily, but it does so at the cost of depleting your vital energy. You were already born with constitutional weakness, and now with cadaveric toxin deep into your bones, plus chronic rheumatism—you truly cannot afford such depletion!"
Xiao Jin Yu offered a faint, wry smile. "Master Ye said the same... It's a method of last resort... Ever since being infected with cadaveric poison, even at my healthiest, without this medicine I cannot endure through a single public trial..."
Gu He Nian stroked his white beard and sighed. "If it had been a year or so earlier, this old man might have had methods to try for Your Highness. But now the poison has penetrated deep into the bones—I'm truly powerless to help... However, there is one thing: Your Highness should inform the Imperial Concubine about this matter as soon as possible, to avoid..."
Xiao Jin Yu interrupted Gu He Nian's words with measured firmness. "Thank you, Mr. Gu."
Gu He Nian paused briefly, then after a moment sighed softly and shook his head. "Your Highness is too courteous..."
By the time Chu Chu had washed up, carefully fumigated herself with Chinese Honey Locust and Atractylodes Smoke, and been led by Jing Yi to that room, Xiao Jin Yu was already dressed properly and sitting in his wheelchair. Though his complexion was quite awful, he didn't appear to be seriously ill.
Chu Chu rushed to Xiao Jin Yu's side, looking at him anxiously. "Your Highness, you... what happened to you earlier? You scared me to death!"
"It's nothing..." Xiao Jin Yu responded lightly, then said to Jing Yi, "I'll depart immediately. You stay here to settle the remaining matters, then return to the capital."
Jing Yi was taken aback, looking at Xiao Jin Yu's pallor. "Depart now?"
Xiao Jin Yu nodded, speaking vaguely, "To avoid complications..."
Seeing the indescribably strange expression on Xiao Jin Yu's face, and knowing further questions would yield the same answer, Jing Yi simply replied, "I'll have your two guards make preparations right away."
"Very well..."
Even after being helped into the carriage by his guards, assisted onto the bed to lie down, and with the carriage having traveled quite some distance, Xiao Jin Yu hadn't spoken another word.
Chu Chu couldn't hold back any longer. Biting her lip, she moved to Xiao Jin Yu's bedside. "Your Highness, I was wrong..."
Xiao Jin Yu looked slightly surprised, turning his head to see her wearing an expression of earnest repentance. "What were you wrong about?"Chu Chu’s face flushed bright red as she struggled to speak. "I... I hit someone with a board in the main hall."
Xiao Jin Yu didn’t understand why she suddenly brought this up now, feeling both exasperated and amused. "Didn’t you say that’s how Zheng County Magistrate always does it?"
Chu Chu anxiously replied, "But the Divine Detectives of Six Doors don’t act like that!"
Xiao Jin Yu was caught between laughter and frustration, with neither the energy nor the inclination to argue with her about it. "It’s good that you realize your mistake..."
Chu Chu threw herself into Xiao Jin Yu’s arms. "I’ll never do it again! Please don’t ignore me!"
"I’m not..."
"You just don’t want to talk to me anymore!"
Hearing the slight tremble in her voice, Xiao Jin Yu sighed silently and patted her back gently. "It’s not that I’m ignoring you... I’m just not feeling well."
Every time he recalled Ji Dong He’s words and that cold smirk, it felt as though something were gripping his heart.
So much so that he didn’t want to stay in Shangyuan County for even a moment longer.
He had never felt this way before.
Chu Chu quickly lifted her head from his chest, looking at him with concern. "Wang Ye, where are you feeling unwell? Let me get you some medicine!"
"No need... I’ll be fine after lying down for a while."
Chu Chu tucked the blankets around him, moved the charcoal brazier closer to the bed, and leaned over the edge, watching Xiao Jin Yu with a worried expression.
Xiao Jin Yu didn’t know why, but being stared at so intently and silently by her should have made him feel awkward and uncomfortable. Yet, strangely, the gripping discomfort in his heart eased considerably.
"It’s getting late. You should sleep too..."
Chu Chu obediently replied, "Alright."
As she stood up to help him, Xiao Jin Yu stopped her. "You sleep on the inside... The bed isn’t wide, so don’t fall off."
Chu Chu shook her head. "No! What if you fall off?"
Xiao Jin Yu smiled wryly. "I won’t. I can’t move..."
Chu Chu took off her outer robe, climbed into bed, slipped under the covers, and wrapped her arms tightly around Xiao Jin Yu, who stiffened in surprise.
"Chu Chu, what... what are you doing?"
"If I hold you, you won’t fall off."
"..."
Xiao Jin Yu had been somewhat drowsy, but her embrace chased all sleepiness away. He lay rigidly, not daring to move.
After holding him for a while, Chu Chu suddenly spoke up. "Wang Ye, you’re too thin."
"Is that so..."
Chu Chu gently felt his ribs through his clothes. "I can feel your bones... Wang Ye, can you please stop getting sick?"
As she carefully touched him and spoke with such heartfelt concern, Xiao Jin Yu gave a faint, bitter smile. "Regretting letting the Emperor issue that decree now, aren’t you..."
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