The War King was startled. His slender figure instantly appeared inside the room. He strode into the inner room and sat by the large bed. On the bed, Dongfang Heng had his eyes closed, his handsome face flushed, his lips slightly chapped, and the cool cotton cloth on his forehead was beginning to warm up.
Reaching out and grasping Dongfang Heng's wrist, the War King carefully took his pulse, his handsome, sword-like eyebrows furrowing tightly: "Li Xue, who did he fight with yesterday?"
“When I saw him, he seemed perfectly normal; he shouldn’t have fought anyone!” Shen Lixue shook her head and looked at the War King: “Father, what’s wrong with him?”
The War King's gaze deepened: "Half of your inner strength has been used up. If you hadn't encountered an evenly matched opponent, you wouldn't have used up so much inner strength in just one day!"
Shen Lixue frowned. He had been helping her channel her internal energy to suppress the aphrodisiac; it shouldn't have consumed that much internal energy. Could it be that he really had fought someone yesterday...?
"Li Xue!" Dongfang Heng murmured with his eyes closed.
"I'm here!" Shen Lixue walked to the bedside and grasped Dongfang Heng's jade-like hand.
"It's so warm!" Dongfang Heng held Shen Lixue's small hand tightly, his slightly furrowed brows slowly relaxed, and his voice gradually lowered.
Upon waking up in the morning, Shen Lixue felt her body was warm and light, with a warm current flowing through her body, making her feel comfortable all over.
The War King glanced at Dongfang Heng's pale face, then at Shen Lixue's rosy cheeks. A glint flashed in his deep eyes. He reached out and grabbed Shen Lixue's wrist, then suddenly froze: "Dongfang Heng transferred half of his internal energy to you!"
"Really?" Shen Lixue was so shocked that she couldn't come back to her senses for a long time. Her eyes were full of surprise when she looked at Dongfang Heng. No wonder he took off his and her clothes in the cold pool. It turned out that he was transferring his internal energy to her.
“Transmitting internal energy is extremely taxing on the mind and body, so it makes sense that his fever won’t go down!” The War King gave Dongfang Heng a deep look, all his words of reproach turning into a sigh: “Stop applying the cotton cloth, give him some heart-protecting pills, and his fever will subside soon!”
"Okay!" Shen Lixue agreed, quickly turned around and instructed the servants to get the medicine and boil water.
The War King stood by the bed, looking at Dongfang Heng's pale face, and frowned slightly. Even a normal person would fall seriously ill after transferring internal energy. He was already seriously injured, yet he still transferred internal energy to Li Xue. Did he not want to live?
Shen Lixue was unharmed, while Dongfang Heng was seriously injured and unconscious. The War King could no longer take his daughter with him, so he left the Holy King's Mansion alone. The servants brought medicine and water and then withdrew.
Shen Lixue gave Dongfang Heng his medicine, covered him with a thin blanket, picked up the clothes that had been scattered at the foot of the bed last night, and prepared to have them washed by the laundry staff. A scarlet silk handkerchief silently fell from the clothes.
Why was there a woman's handkerchief in Dongfang Heng's clothes? Shen Lixue reached out and picked it up in confusion. She saw that it was embroidered with beautiful flowers and two lines of poetry. It was the handkerchief that she had unintentionally given to Dongfang Heng.
He actually kept it and carried it with him every day.
In that instant, something in Shen Lixue's heart was touched, and a layer of mist faintly appeared in her clear and cold eyes.
When Dongfang Heng woke up, the early morning sunlight filled most of the room, warm but not glaring, with a faint fragrance wafting through the air. He looked down and saw Shen Lixue sleeping soundly by the bedside. Her beautiful face was fair with a rosy glow, and her long eyelashes were slightly upturned, like butterfly wings, casting two faint shadows on her eyelids. Her peaceful and serene sleeping face was so beautiful that one couldn't bear to desecrate it.
A faint smile appeared in Dongfang Heng's sharp eyes. His jade-like fingers gently caressed her delicate, porcelain-like face, the smooth touch of which was unforgettable.
Her face felt tingly and numb, as if something was constantly moving around on it. Shen Lixue frowned, opened her eyes unhappily, and stared straight into Dongfang Heng's unfathomable pupils with her cold gaze.
"You're awake!" Shen Lixue exclaimed in surprise, quickly sitting up, her heart filled with a joy she herself was unaware of.
"How long have I been asleep?" Dongfang Heng propped himself up on the bed and slowly sat up.
“Three days!” Shen Lixue gently supported his arm and placed a soft pillow behind his back.
"So long?" Dongfang Heng frowned. His injuries had indeed worsened; he had been unconscious for three days.
"Passing on internal energy is dangerous, and your heart is seriously injured. Why take the risk?" Shen Lixue raised an eyebrow at Dongfang Heng. The War King once said that if his internal energy were slightly weaker, he would not be able to protect his heart meridian and would die on the spot.
Dongfang Heng smiled, a hint of pity flashing in his deep eyes: "Now that you have internal energy, you can handle most people even when I'm not by your side!"
"What do you mean?" Shen Lixue's cold gaze darkened. She felt as if Dongfang Heng was giving his last words.
"Prevention is better than cure!" Dongfang Heng smiled slightly, slowly turning over and getting out of bed. "Noble families are treacherous; you have the ability to protect yourself, so I can rest assured..."
"You're leaving?" Shen Lixue looked at Dongfang Heng, her brows furrowing slightly.
"No." Dongfang Heng embraced Shen Lixue and whispered in her ear as if making a vow: "I will always be by your side!" Even if he is gone, his inner strength will always be with her and protect her.
"Thank you!" Shen Lixue nestled in Dongfang Heng's arms, clearly hearing his heartbeat. His heartbeat was weak, no longer as strong as before. More than two months of the three months had passed. He didn't have much time left, and his words sounded like his last words.
"Li Xue!"
"What is it?" A soft voice called from above. Shen Lixue looked up and saw Dongfang Heng's sexy thin lips press down, like a dragonfly skimming the water, and he placed a light kiss on her soft and alluring cherry lips.
Shen Lixue blinked, not pushing Dongfang Heng away. He seemed encouraged, his hands tightening around her waist, and he began to take advantage, his thin lips lingering on her cherry lips, kissing them lightly, and then, without restraint, entering her mouth, slowly expanding his territory.
A faint scent of pine lingered in the mouth, and Dongfang Heng's movements were as gentle as a breeze, making one feel as if floating on clouds, ethereal as a fairy...
"Dongfang Heng, Dongfang Heng..." The man's low voice suddenly came from afar.
Shen Lixue suddenly woke up with a start and shoved Dongfang Heng: "Someone...is coming..."
Dongfang Heng reluctantly released her lips, his deep gaze glaring angrily at the door. He had come at the worst possible time.
Nangong Xiao swaggered into the courtyard, fanning himself with a fan. He had just stepped through the door when Zi Mo stopped him: "Your Highness, the Prince is resting."
"What time is it? He's still not awake?" Nangong Xiao looked at the sun high in the sky and frowned deeply. "I have something important to discuss with him. It's extremely urgent. If we delay, no one can afford to take the blame!"
"What is it?" Dongfang Heng put on an overcoat, walked out of the room, and a sharp light flashed in his deep eyes.
Shen Lixue straightened her clothes, stepped out, and her moist lips looked exceptionally beautiful.
Nangong Xiao was taken aback, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the two of them. He gritted his teeth, thinking, "No wonder he slept until now. If it were me, with such a beautiful woman in my arms, I would sleep until dark."
"Nangong Xiao, what's going on?" Dongfang Heng stepped forward, blocking his gaze from Chen Lixue.
"Do you still remember that ugly monster who kidnapped me that night?" Nangong Xiao pulled back his sour thoughts and got back to the main topic.
"Of course I remember!" That ugly monster was an absolute gem; Shen Lixue couldn't forget him even if she wanted to.
"The guards just spotted her in Yunshan. It seems she's not alone. Would you be interested in coming with me to take a look?" Nangong Xiao lowered his voice, subtly enticing them. That ugly woman wasn't very skilled in martial arts, but she was an expert in poisons. He figured it would be safer to find a few highly skilled martial artists to go with him to investigate.
"Yunshan?" Dongfang Heng frowned slightly.