Luo Zhiheng almost burst into tears. She quickly turned around to pour water, her hands trembling as she did so. Forcing the tears back, she smiled and turned back, feeding him little by little with a spoon. Her eyes remained fixed on him, and he smiled back at her with his clear, bright eyes.
"Am I really useless?" He drank some water to moisten his throat, which had been almost crippled by the high fever and the poison, and was finally able to speak, but his hoarse and cracked voice was full of vicissitudes that did not belong to his age.
"No, my little Hehe is very brave." Luo Zhiheng said firmly, wiping the water stains from the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief.
"Have I caused you any trouble?" Mu Yunhe blinked, looking as innocent and naive as a child.
Luo Zhiheng knew he was asking about Zhuge Hualuan's death, so she pretended to be silent and thought for a moment. Seeing that he looked a little anxious, she smiled and said, "No, not at all. Because it was Mu Yunhe, no trouble dared to come to me. My little Hehe has avenged me again, and I'm very happy."
Mu Yunhe seemed very happy too, his eyes and brows full of smiles. It was as if he had forgotten all his unpleasantness and troubles as soon as he woke up, and he was the same simple and awkward Mu Yunhe he used to be. He held Luo Zhiheng's hand, his hot palm was dry and sticky, and his thumb gently caressed the back of her hand.
He said with a smile, "When I first saw Ah Heng, I thought that the most beautiful woman in the world could be such an annoying girl who seduces men everywhere. If I die in the future, this girl won't be wasted, because she has already been with many men before."
Seeing that she was smiling and not angry, he continued, "Then I learned that you were very capable. You actually dared to fight with Consort Li. Even my mother didn't want to mess with that woman. Later I learned that marrying me was a mistake. You weren't willing; you were deceived. I actually felt very sorry for you because your happiness was over. I knew I couldn't give you happiness."
Seeing that Luo Zhiheng was about to speak, Mu Yunhe quickly said, "Let me finish speaking, Aheng. I want to talk to you properly, otherwise if I fall asleep later, I don't know when I will be able to tell you what I have to say."
Luo Zhiheng's heart tightened, and she forced a smile, "Okay, I'll listen to you."
Mu Yunhe looked overjoyed, playfully hooking her fingers around his, his gaze growing even gentler: "And then, as I learned how extraordinary you were, I found myself increasingly reluctant to take my eyes off you. I love waking up every morning to see you, even though you're a restless sleeper and sometimes drool. But those initial annoyances have turned into joy as we've spent more time together. I think I've discovered the meaning of the word 'cute'."
"You participated in the talent competition of the Mu Dynasty, you drew a turtle to annoy Consort Li, you wanted a lucky kiss, and you passed the competition with great difficulty time and time again. Every time, I was amazed and delighted. I used to not understand why there could be a girl like you in the world, but later I realized that it's not that girls like you are too rare, but that you are unique."
“You attracted me, stirring up a different kind of emotion within me. But I really don’t know how to describe that feeling. Misunderstanding that you were hurt by the King, I was so desperate. When you woke up and didn’t mention it, I didn’t dare to ask. I would rather pretend that nothing happened, but I still hate myself so much. That was the biggest emotional upheaval I’ve ever experienced in my life. I had murderous thoughts.”
"On the road to the Southern Dynasty, I failed to assassinate the King, while you cut yourself with a knife. I wonder why our journey has been so difficult? Your outstanding and amazing performance in the World Tournament filled me with pride. That pride is called sharing in glory! Because Luo Zhiheng is Mu Yunhe's wife, Mu Yunhe also feels honored and proud."
"But I still hurt you. I didn't know my sister would hate you so much, because I didn't know she hated me to the point that she hated everyone around me. Mother's betrayal, Hu Mama's accomplice, my sister's ruthless pursuit, in every crisis you were the one charging ahead. Ah Heng, I can't do anything for you, so I'm a useless person."
Luo Zhiheng frowned in disapproval and said, "No! You're just temporarily afflicted by this illness. Believe me, we'll get rid of it soon, and you'll be fine. You're strong enough to protect me."
Mu Yunhe smiled bitterly, "But Aheng, you should know that my body won't last until then. I've been hit too hard. Such a vicious thing happened to me, I felt like I was going to die, I felt like I had become dirty and unclean. I killed someone when I was so young, and it was my little nephew. I'm burdened with sins, tainted by filth, how can I be worthy of you?"
"But I'm still selfishly unwilling to let you go. I'm afraid you'll look down on me, afraid to see disdain and shock in your eyes. I don't dare look into your eyes, and I don't dare get close to you anymore. But in the end, I can't resist your charm and my feelings for you."
"Have I ever told you that I've fallen in love with you?" Mu Yunhe grasped her hand tightly and smiled faintly.
Luo Zhiheng's heart skipped a beat, and the smile on her lips widened uncontrollably: "Yes, he said it once, but not to me, but I heard it. It was very beautiful." 17.
Mu Yunhe couldn't help but cough a few times, then held his breath and endured the itching before smiling and saying, "Although I don't know how I fell in love with you, and I don't really understand what love is, I know I love you. I fell in love with you without even realizing it."
Luo Zhiheng had to admit that she was overjoyed and happy to hear these words. But she asked him playfully, "Then how can you be so sure you've fallen in love with me?"
"If loving you means wanting to see you forever, not wanting to be separated from you for even a moment, being afraid of hurting you, wanting to give you the best of everything, wanting to get rid of everyone who hurts you, and being willing to risk my life for you, then I think I must be in love with you!" Mu Yunhe said hoarsely and earnestly.
For a fleeting moment, Luo Zhiheng's smile froze.
If what Mu Yunhe was talking about was love, then didn't she also fall in love with Mu Yunhe?!
She didn't want Mu Yunhe to be hurt in the slightest, she didn't want him to die, she desperately tried to save him, striving and seizing every opportunity to do so, always risking her life. Is this love? Had she unknowingly fallen in love with Mu Yunhe too?!
Yes, she loved him too. She probably loved him even earlier than Mu Yunhe, otherwise, how could someone like her give so recklessly and selflessly?
Mu Yunhe also wanted to know if Luo Zhiheng loved him, but he didn't ask because he knew he was unworthy. He was dying, so he dared not ask such a question. He feared that if Luo Zhiheng gave an affirmative answer, he would be reluctant to leave her like this. But he couldn't resist the call of fate; he couldn't break free from the shackles of death. Therefore, Luo Zhiheng's answer could only remain a beautiful and mysterious enigma in his heart.
Luo Zhiheng didn't say whether she loved him or not, but simply smiled and said, "Thank you for loving me!"
If I don't say it out loud, will Mu Yunhe be unwilling to accept it? Will that make him stronger?
Mu Yunhe smiled at her, his lips trembling slightly. Luo Zhiheng could hear his teeth chattering; she knew he was in pain again. But he didn't say anything. Instead, he smiled at her, his clear gaze fixed on her, as if trying to see her into his soul and remember her forever.
His eyes no longer held despair, resentment, or pain; they were calm, yet filled with tenderness and joy.
"Aheng, you'll always remember me, won't you?"
Luo Zhiheng nodded: "Yes, I will never forget, and we will always be together."
At that moment, Mu Yunhe smiled like the purest and most beautiful lotus in the world, untouched by any dust, filled with contentment and joy. He smiled and said to her, "I'm a little tired, let me sleep for a while."
Luo Zhiheng felt a chill run down her spine. She sensed something was wrong. Hesitating, she looked at Mu Yunhe's increasingly pale face and the smile he was trying so hard to maintain. Finally, she nodded, gently kissed his forehead, and said, "Then you should rest well. I... I'll come see you in a bit."
"Okay!" Mu Yunhe touched her face and then let go.
The moment Luo Zhiheng turned around, tears finally welled up in her eyes and streamed down her face, blurring her vision. Her leg hit the stool with a thud, but she felt no pain. There was no sound of Mu Yunhe's concern behind her. She bit her lip tightly and walked away step by step.
Mu Yunhe could barely speak. He watched Luo Zhiheng leave, his heart numb, aching to the point of numbness! Yun Chou Shi listened.
Ah Heng, please let me retain one last bit of dignity. Before you, I've been so utterly exposed—my filth, my depravity, my illness—all witnessed by your own eyes. But please let me, before I die, send you off with a smile. Just this once, Ah Heng, from this world to the underworld, we will never know each other!
The moment the door closed, Mu Yunhe finally couldn't hold back any longer and released his pent-up anger. Thick black blood gushed out, and his entire body quickly contorted into a ball. He convulsed violently, his face contorted. His trembling hands frantically reached under the pillow, but he couldn't reach it several times. When he finally pulled it out, it was a sharp little knife.
At that moment, Mu Yunhe's smile was both eerie and resolute. His battered body could finally understand that pain and guilt were gone. One more knife, plunged into his fragile heart, and he would be utterly free!
Mu Yunhe's hands were weak, and the violent trembling and convulsions prevented him from making a clean cut.
Outside the door, Luo Zhiheng stood stiffly, her expression gradually going numb, then turning into a maniacal grin, and finally a scream. She was going insane, driven mad by death. She wanted to preserve that last shred of dignity for Mu Yunhe, but how could she bear to let him die?!
She flung open the door and rushed in, only to be terrified by what she saw! She lunged forward and snatched the knife from Mu Yunhe's hand, too frightened to utter a single word.
Mu Yunhe grabbed her wrist. His face, contorted in agony, was no longer handsome. Every word he uttered seemed to tear his vocal cords apart, yet he pleaded humbly, "Kill me! Aheng, kill me!"
The knife fell to the ground. Luo Zhiheng stared in horror at Mu Yunhe, who seemed to be in agony. He had endured the poison's effects to tell her about his love for her and his feelings! He had smiled as he watched her leave. Then, one succumbed to the poison, the other committed suicide; he chose death!
"Kill you? You want me to kill you? Why don't you kill me?!" Luo Zhiheng roared in anguish.
But Mu Yunhe could no longer respond to her. His body gradually stiffened, as if it could not be pried apart, and he trembled in agony on the bed, his throat emitting dry, deathly hoarse sounds, and dark blood soaking the sheets. His gaze towards Luo Zhiheng was filled with sorrow and despair.
His gaze shattered all of Luo Zhiheng's reason and anger. She held his convulsing body tightly, her entire being a final act of madness, a desperate gamble! She roared hoarsely, "Give him the medicine! If those two pills are poison, I'll die with him!!"
Chapter 1 is here! Hua Sha, hurry up and finish Chapter 2! Please vote, leave comments, and give me monthly tickets! Hugs to all my darlings! I'm almost cured! Oh my god, I'm finally getting better! Waaaaah!
271. The gamble paid off! Detoxification successful!!
Updated: 2013-08-20 16:40:26 Word Count: 3345
Luo Zhiheng had been driven to the brink of despair; she had no other choice. If both taking the medication and not taking it would lead to death, then she would rather choose the most decisive way to end their lives.
She came here for Mu Yunhe, but Mu Yunhe is gone. What use is it for her to stay?
Elder Tong and others strongly opposed the use of the medicine left behind by Mu Qingya, as it had been confirmed to be poison but not an antidote. Therefore, they dared not risk administering the medicine to Mu Yunhe.
But in front of Luo Zhiheng, Elder Tong and the others had no say. Even though they were Mu Yunhe's elders, the Imperial Tutor, and the Grand Marshal of the Army, whoever stood in her way was an enemy in Luo Zhiheng's eyes. Her eyes were already red.
"Administer the medication immediately!!" she roared.
If this was the dilemma Mu Qingya had left her with, then she admitted defeat. She had lost to Mu Qingya's final scheme and gamble! But she preferred to believe that even a dying person's thoughts are good! Though she didn't say it aloud, Luo Zhiheng preferred to believe, at this moment, that Mu Qingya's intentions were benevolent!
Poison Saint was startled and instinctively looked at King Shi. King Shi, however, looked at the wet nurse.
The wet nurse looked at her young master with heartache. Her young master was struggling so hard, filled with pain and inner conflict; perhaps no one could be more distressed than her. The wet nurse only considered Luo Zhiheng her master, so she absolutely treated Luo Zhiheng's words as gospel! 17.
"If you truly care about your sister, then please listen to the young lady." The wet nurse looked at the King, her own humility reaching its lowest point. She dared not treat the King with arrogance and hatred anymore; she dared not hate the people of Silver Moon Kingdom for her mistress's sake. Because her young mistress needed this man's blood.
So, if Your Majesty truly cares about your sister Qin Yinheng, then please save Luo Zhiheng and help her!
The King was deeply moved by the wet nurse's profound sorrow and resolute determination. She glanced thoughtfully at the distraught Luo Zhiheng, then asked the Poison Saint, "You're confident in the other antidotes, aren't you? How much of my blood do you need as a medicinal ingredient?"
The Poison Saint's expression changed drastically: "You really want to use your own blood to save his life? Are you crazy?!"
"This is my promise to Luo Zhiheng. She has kept our deal, and I cannot go back on my word. Besides, consider this my way of repaying... the debt I owe her." She was repaying the debt her sister owed to Luo Zhiheng's mother, so that Heng'er would no longer have to refer to herself as a servant in front of Luo Zhiheng.
"I need two-thirds of your blood! Qin Yinshi, are you willing? Two-thirds! That's practically replacing all of Mu Yunhe's blood, and you might even die from blood loss! What do you think you are? A god? Even if you bleed yourself, you might not be able to save Mu Yunhe!" Poison Saint roared anxiously.
The king said with a half-smile, "You care about me?"
"I don't care about you! You deserve to live or die. I wish you were dead right now," the Poison Saint roared, his words contradicting his true feelings.
The King chuckled and said, "Isn't that perfect? You can end my life yourself and avenge your beloved childhood sweetheart and fiancée. Besides, I've already made up my mind. I trust you with my life in your hands. Even if I die by your hand, I will have no regrets."
Poison Saint was shaken by the King's words. Almost in a daze, the King had already rolled up his sleeve and cut open his arm. Blood immediately gushed out from Bai Xi's arm, but flowed very slowly and was very viscous. The King shouted, "What are you still standing there for? If you don't hurry up, I'll bleed even more."
The Poison Saint, his face pale, cursed angrily and rushed out. When he returned, he was carrying a large wooden basin to collect the blood, along with a special tube. In a fit of rage, he drove everyone else out, leaving only the World King and Lady Fire Cloud behind.
Luo Zhiheng stood stiffly at the doorway, her gaze blank. Time passed slowly, night turned to day, but no one emerged from the room. No one dared to disturb the person inside. And Luo Zhiheng had stopped her breakdown, crying and screaming. She had become calm, no longer hysterical.
She sat opposite them, her eyes closed, seemingly asleep. Her calmness, however, was unsettling and eerie. Almost everyone remembered her outburst yesterday: if Mu Yunhe truly couldn't survive, then Luo Zhiheng might very well follow!
The wet nurse watched her with alarm, keeping a close eye on her, afraid that something might happen to Luo Zhiheng.
Time stopped two days later in the afternoon. The tightly closed door was finally opened, and a disheveled Madam Huoyun walked out. A group of old men rushed to greet her, while Luo Zhiheng sat there stiffly, watching Madam Huoyun.
"How is it?" Old Tong and the others asked anxiously.
Lady Huoyun was exhausted, but her eyes were bright as she looked at Luo Zhiheng. She didn't have the strength to say another word, but simply smiled and said, "Perhaps... it's a success!" (This is a reference to a story about a woman named Zhiheng.)
Her answer was somewhat ambiguous, but for people who are always afraid of bad news, success is far more wonderful than death or apologies!
"What do you mean? How is the young prince?" General Murong asked, trembling.
"It means Luo Zhiheng got incredibly lucky and actually won the gamble. Those two pills really were the antidote for the last two secret poisons!" The Poison Saint's hoarse voice suddenly rang out, filled with intense displeasure and resentment: "But while saving Mu Yunhe, she almost took the life of that bastard Qin Yinshi! Luo Zhiheng, you're quite the ruthless one!"
Poison Saint appeared before everyone, carrying the World King, who was either unconscious or dead. It was the first time people had seen the powerful and domineering World King so delicate and quiet, softly held in Poison Saint's arms. Poison Saint finally showed his manly prowess, acting like a man in front of the World King.
But who cared about any of that? What they cared about was whether Mu Yunhe could survive. The Poison Saint's words instantly relieved their anxieties, and the dark clouds in the sky dispersed, revealing a sky full of golden light.
Her emotions felt like they'd been ripped apart by a steel blade, and Luo Zhiheng was almost unable to compose herself. Her taut nerves finally relaxed abruptly at this moment, yet Luo Zhiheng still felt somewhat disbelieving and dazed. How could the pain, which had lingered for so long, suddenly stop?
Luo Zhiheng's almost numb face had just managed a smile that looked more like a grimace when the Poison Saint poured cold water on it: "Although he's been detoxified and his life is temporarily saved, nobody knows how far Mu Yunhe will go in the future. Maybe he won't live for more than a few days, maybe he'll live for three to five years, or maybe he'll live to be a hundred. It all depends on his fate. Of course, he must take good care of himself in the future, and I will prepare medicine for him."
Luo Zhiheng suddenly stood up, but her numb legs caused her to fall hard, her hip hitting the table leg painfully. This impact also quickly restored sensation to her numb lower limbs.
"Since he's been detoxified, why is he still like this? Shouldn't he be completely healed?" Luo Zhiheng hadn't spoken for more than two days, and her voice was now hoarse beyond recognition.
"Hmph! Do you know about the aftereffects? He's been poisoned for almost fourteen years, his body is practically destroyed, and his constitution is already weak. He might have an attack every now and then; that's called a latent ailment. Even though he's been detoxified, his damaged body will still cause him pain from time to time. Don't touch him now; it'll be at least two more days before he wakes up." The Poison Saint finished speaking impatiently and carried the World King away.
Elder Tong and the others, however, were not discouraged at all. The Poison Saint was simply unhappy, which explained his anger and the harsh words he uttered. But at least Mu Yunhe had survived, hadn't he? Even if he suffered from hidden ailments and pain in the future, he wouldn't die. As long as they protected Mu Yunhe and helped him recover from his injuries, what was there to fear?
So, the diviner was saved?!
After their initial shock, Elder Tong burst into laughter. With a diviner in the Mu Dynasty, the future of the Mu Dynasty would surely be even more prosperous! 16628389
"A narrow escape from death! This is what a narrow escape from death looks like! Those who survive a great calamity are sure to be blessed! The young prince is blessed with good fortune and a long life; the heavens have protected him. What a blessing for our Mu Dynasty!" The old men danced with joy.
Luo Zhiheng finally understood what it meant to cry tears of joy! But her dry eyes couldn't produce any tears. She forced a silly smile, and only now did she feel pain; her throat was killing her, yet she was so happy.
Mu Yunhe survived! After experiencing so much turmoil, overcoming so many hardships, and tasting so much joy and sorrow, Mu Yunhe bravely overcame this ordeal!