"I only have one wish: to have a child that belongs to her and me, and to be able to stand up, put one arm around her waist and hold my child with the other."
"There's not enough time."
Ji Wushang turned to the last page with writing on it, and there were five words written: "Time is running out." What did he want to do? Looking at this notebook filled with scattered notes, brimming with his love for her, from their first meeting to now, it was all there.
Ji Wushang closed the book and hugged it tightly to her chest. Unbeknownst to her, his love for her had seeped into her very bones…
Cong, this is your secret, this is what's in your heart... I also want to fulfill such a wish, shall we work together?
Ji Wushang sat for a long time, originally intending to write something, but when he picked up the wolf-hair brush, he didn't know where to begin.
Inevitably, I had no choice but to let it go.
Ji Wushang placed the book back in its original spot, her heart filled with longing. What could she do to repay such a deep affection?
He is true to himself, and he wants to know how he can live up to his true feelings.
Ji Wushang was determined to fulfill his wish, no matter how difficult it was!
Ji Wushang's vision turned to another book, the Book of Songs.
I took it, flipped through a few pages, and found nothing special. Just as I was about to put the Book of Songs back in its original place, I sensed that there was something different about it!
Ji Wushang immediately flipped through the cover of the book and touched it. He discovered that there was a hidden compartment inside!
It must be some kind of secret, hidden so well, perhaps even Nan Xuzong doesn't know it? Or maybe Nan Xuzong deliberately put it there?
Ji Wushang went to the dressing table to look for scissors, and sure enough, she found them there.
Just as he was about to slice through the cover with the blade, he heard Nan Xuzong calling from outside, "Wu Shang, Wu Shang!"
Ji Wushang immediately put the Book of Poetry back in its original place, and also put the scissors back.
We can't let him know we've been here, otherwise he'll definitely find out if he's seen his things.
Since I didn't see what was inside the compartment, I can't let him know that I was here for the time being.
Ji Wushang took another path, then circled around before heading towards the sound, "Cong, Cong, where are you?"
"This." Suddenly, a voice came from behind Ji Wushang, startling him. He turned around and looked at him, "You scared me!"
"Are you injured?" Nan Xuzong looked at her. "Who came? Was it the King of the Western Regions or the Second Prince's people?"
"It is the King of the Western Regions." Ji Wushang told the truth. Looking at Nan Xuzong, she thought of everything she had experienced with him in the past. She was so lucky to have met such a man. Seeing him record everything about her and him bit by bit warmed her heart.
Nan Xuzong's dark eyes narrowed. "You opened the mechanism?"
"Um."
"Did he...do anything to you..." Nan Xuzong hesitated for a long time before finally asking the question. He knew that Yiyun Shangcheng had never given up! Fortunately, Ji Wushang knew how to protect herself, knew how to activate the mechanisms, and knew how to hide here to protect herself...Shouldn't he be happy? Even without him by her side, she could slowly learn to protect herself!
"No," Ji Wushang answered seriously, determined not to let him get any closer. However, thinking of him, and the things he had said today, filled her with a strange fear.
If he really did use his own blood as a catalyst to heal Nan Xuzong's legs, would Yi Yunshangcheng really use Nan Xuzong's heart as a sacrifice for his own blood?
Ji Wushang trembled.
At the same time, Nan Xuzong's eyes darkened. "Did he say something to you?" he asked as he stepped forward. "Wu Shang, tell me."
"He just came to warn me not to get involved in the power struggles of the court, and to tell me not to get involved in his duel with you." Ji Wushang thought for a moment and decided to selectively tell the truth. Nan Xuzong was more meticulous and considered more things than he was. The best way to keep it from him was to selectively tell the truth.
I did not lie to him.
Nan Xuzong looked into her eyes, and Ji Wushang looked at him as well. "What are you two going to duel about?"
Upon hearing this question, Nan Xuzong slightly averted his gaze. "It's nothing. A duel is just a matter between men. Listen to me, don't interfere."
"Tell me, why do you want to duel? What are you dueling for?" Ji Wushang looked at him, walked up to him, and was still tightly clutching his white robe in his hand. There were still some things he could do perfectly on his own.
“Wu Shang,” Nan Xu Cong sighed, “Actually, it was just him talking. I had no intention of dueling with him. Besides, think about it, he is the King of the Western Regions, and I am just a marquis’s son. How could I possibly duel with him?”
Ji Wushang's eyes were slightly cold, but when she looked into his obsidian-like eyes, her heart skipped a beat and softened. "Cong, I am your wife, your wife. Tell me, okay? If it's for some pointless things, we can leave. We can leave this place and go as far away as possible."
“You know it’s impossible,” Nan Xuzong said, pulling her to his side. “I didn’t mean to hide it from you. Here’s what happened: the King of the Western Regions is very ambitious. He heard that I am highly skilled in martial arts, so he wanted to duel with me. It’s that simple.”
"That's it?" Ji Wushang asked.
"Yes. You know he's changed his personality. Based on my previous investigation, he's probably practicing some kind of Gu poison. Don't worry, I'm a doctor, so I'll definitely be able to break his scheme. Don't worry." In Yiyun City, I, Nan Xuzong, will ultimately fight you to the death! Just you wait!
Ji Wushang remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "You're assisting the Third Prince, right?"
"yes."
“We’ll leave immediately once he ascends the throne,” Ji Wushang said.
"Alright." Nan Xuzong nodded. The Third Prince's ascension to the throne will likely be a year or two away. What will happen in the next year or two? Nobody knows.
However, I can only agree to all her requests. If I cannot fulfill them in this life, I will repay them in the next!
Ji Wushang sighed inwardly, walked behind him, and hugged his neck from behind. "If you lied to me, how will you compensate me?"
"How about I do anything for you?" Nan Xuzong turned to look at her, a smile in his eyes.
Ji Wushang shook his head, "I don't want you to be my slave, because I don't want you to lie to me."
Nan Xuzong listened and nodded, his eyes full of seriousness. He took her hand and walked outside.
“After you come in, if you want to get out, you must remember some important signs here. These lead to different directions. Look at this door…” Nan Xuzong explained as he led her through several places, from one end of the corridor to the other.
By the time we emerged from the ground, it was already dusk, and the city lights had been turned on.
Ji Wushang and Nan Xuzong returned to the study.
"I had someone tidy up the inner room and reinstall some mechanisms, so we'll rest in the study tonight," Nan Xuzong explained, then had someone bring the food to another large round table in the study.
Ji Wushang glanced at the bed in the study. It wasn't that she was being paranoid, but this man insisted on sleeping with her, and if the bed wasn't big enough, she would be at a disadvantage!
Fortunately, Nan Xuzong usually places a chaise longue or a bed in his study for resting at any time.
"The bed is big enough, don't worry." Nan Xuzong looked at her face and said in a deep voice.
Ji Wushang blushed upon hearing this. "It's a bit hot today, I'll go open the window!" Ji Wushang rolled her eyes, then made an excuse and went to the side to actually open the window.
Nan Xuzong smiled and shook his head slightly, then walked to his desk and began to deal with some matters.
A short while later, Ji Wushang returned and sat beside him, grinding ink for him. Nan Xuzong was in a good mood. After finishing writing and reading the letters, he took out a sheet of Xuan paper and began to paint.
"Look, what is this?" Nan Xuzong asked after sketching a few lines.
Ji Wushang smiled and leaned forward, saying, "These are pigeons."
"Hmm." Nan Xuzong smiled, then added a few more strokes. "And this?"
"Yes, I don't quite understand it." Ji Wushang looked up at him, waiting for his answer with a question in her mind.
“It’s a pigeon too.” Nan Xuzong’s lips curled into a slight smile.
Ji Wushang was stunned for a moment, "It's different, it doesn't look like it at all. Look, it's grown so much bigger."
“This is a male pigeon, and the one I just drew,” Nan Xuzong pointed to the one he had drawn earlier, “is a female pigeon.”
Ji Wushang's lips twitched. "These are all different. You can't tell their sexes just by size?"
“Of course, this pigeon is you, and this pigeon is me,” Nan Xuzong said seriously, suppressing a laugh.
"Why are you drawing pigeons?" Ji Wushang asked, looking at him.
"Hmm, you sent me a message by pigeon back then, have you forgotten?" Nan Xuzong said with a smile, looking down.
Ji Wushang recalled that day when he had spent money on him, though he was rather ugly.
Nan Xuzong then took out a small piece of paper from his pocket, opened it, and then opened it again. Inside was the small portrait of a person that Ji Wushang had painted.
"You've kept it all this time!" Ji Wushang exclaimed in surprise.
“Of course.” Nan Xuzong nodded, then said meaningfully, “Sometimes when I take it out to look at it, I feel like you’ve always been by my side, never far away.”
"Mmm." Ji Wushang pursed his lips.
But when I look at the two pigeons in this picture, something feels off. I'll just add a few strokes myself!
Having made up his mind, Ji Wushang took a wolf-hair brush from the brush holder and said, "I'll also draw a few strokes."
Nan Xuzong tacitly moved the Xuan paper a little closer, then simply pulled Ji Wushang into his arms. Ji Wushang struggled for a moment, "No, it won't be good for you to paint later if you're here."
"I'll just watch you paint," Nan Xuzong said with a smile.
"It wouldn't be good if the maids came in and saw this." Ji Wushang lowered his head, a hint of shyness flashing across his face.
"No one dares to look, and even if they do, they won't dare to speak. There's no need to pay them any attention." Nan Xuzong held her tightly, one hand around her slender waist, the other holding her. She knew that escaping to another place was impossible.
Ji Wushang pouted, struggling but giving up. She just didn't want others to see her and him being so intimate, after all, she didn't want others to talk about her and him.
Picking up the wolf-hair brush, Ji Wushang leaned forward slightly to begin painting. Nan Xuzong's hand, which was on her waist, moved slightly and then rested on her lower abdomen. Ji Wushang was startled and immediately turned to look at him. He looked into her eyes with a smile on his face.
Ji Wushang lowered her hand that wasn't holding the wolf-hair brush, intending to move his large hand away a little, but he instead flipped his hand up and grabbed her hand instead.
Ji Wushang's eyes narrowed slightly; this man was anything but honest.
Ji Wushang forced his hand out, then let his large hand move lightly around his waist or lower abdomen, helplessly letting him do as he pleased.
Leaning down and slightly adjusting his position, Ji Wushang began to paint on the two pigeons, adding strokes little by little to make them appear fuller.
Ji Wushang added a lot of feathers to the male pigeon and then drew many fluffy things on its head. As for the female pigeon, he added some delicate lines to make her look even more beautiful.
Nan Xuzong held her in his arms, watching her movements with such focused intensity that he couldn't bear to disturb her. She was so serene; he inhaled the fragrance of her hair and body, savoring everything about her in his embrace.
“Look, isn’t this painting beautiful?” Ji Wushang said, turning her head. Unexpectedly, she met Nan Xuzong’s thin lips. Their lips met, and Nan Xuzong’s eyes were deep. He bit her cherry lips and kissed her in return.
The large hand that was originally on her waist had unknowingly slid down towards her lower body.
"Hmm..." Ji Wushang frowned, thinking of opening her eyes to his demands, but he only held her even tighter.
“Cong…” Ji Wushang pushed away his kiss before calling out.
Nan Xuzong's eyes gleamed. "I'm here," he said in a sexy voice.
Ji Wushang's eyes held a hint of anger, but more so, helplessness. Seeing how annoying he was but unable to actually hit him, he had no choice but to change the subject, "Look at my painting." He pointed to the two pigeons in the painting.
Nan Xuzong smiled and hugged her from behind, then gently placed his head on her shoulder, leaned over, and looked at the two pigeons on the Xuan paper, which were now entwined and nestled together.
"Excellent, excellent painting!" Nan Xuzong immediately praised, "How did you come up with this idea? It's lifelike and exquisite!"
"Isn't it because that was your original idea? And you said it on purpose." Ji Wushang pretended to be angry and scolded him, as if she could see through his thoughts.
"Haha!" Nan Xuzong laughed, looking at her. "I like it, I really like it!"
As Ji Wushang watched him laugh wildly with his heart full of joy, he suddenly felt that he should have been a person who could look down on the world. He had an arrogance in his bones and a domineering aura that could intimidate the world. However, he had disguised it to the extreme, or perhaps he had to suppress it in that wheelchair.