At this moment, compared to seeing her, all manners and etiquette go to hell. Even if he were to die tomorrow, he would see her today.
Perhaps because it was a cloudy day, the room was extremely dark. When Huangfu Yi lifted the curtain, his eyes couldn't adjust to the dim light for a moment.
He blinked and then saw the person he had been longing for lying on the bed. He almost couldn't control himself, flung open the curtain, and strode forward.
"I'm sorry I'm late." He stopped in front of the bed, his eyes filled with unconcealed tenderness. Looking at the pale-faced person on the bed, his heart ached uncontrollably.
He had only been away from the palace for two days, and yet such a thing had happened. Seeing how haggard she looked, his eyes tightened slightly.
Meng Wan seemed to sense that burning gaze, and slowly opened her eyes in a daze. Huangfu Yi's figure swayed in front of her, making her head even more dizzy, so she closed her eyes again.
"I can't believe I saw Huangfu Yi cry. I must be blind."
She murmured something softly, then turned over and suddenly found herself in a warm embrace. Huangfu Yi couldn't resist and reached out to pick her up.
"I've only been gone a few days, how could something like this happen? Are you... alright?" His voice lacked its usual carefree tone; his words betrayed a deep, heart-wrenching pain.
The unfamiliar masculine scent made Meng Wan instinctively struggle a couple of times, but she couldn't break free at all; he held her tightly and refused to let go.
"Your Highness, what are you doing!" Mu Ci exclaimed as she entered and saw the scene.
Huangfu Yi still refused to let go, holding Meng Wan, who had fallen into a deep sleep again, tightly with one arm, while taking out a token from his waist with the other: "Take this and go find Hua Jiuye. If anyone dares to stop you, say it was my order."
Mu Ci immediately took her waist token and went to do so, otherwise she knew that the Emperor had already ordered the Jiangyun Pavilion to be sealed off, and without the token, she would not be able to leave.
He took only two steps: "Your Highness, it's probably inappropriate for you to be here..."
Huangfu Yi didn't even glance at her: "From now on, I will protect Meng Wan. Wherever she is, I will be there." He raised his eyes, which gleamed with an unusual light, and slowly, gradually looked at Mu Ci: "I would say the same thing even in front of Seventh Brother."
When he said this, his tone was just as firm. Mu Ci paused slightly, and the words she wanted to say got stuck in her throat.
She glanced at Huangfu Yi again, but he had already lowered his head and was still holding Meng Wan tightly in his arms. Although his posture was a little clumsy and he didn't even know where to put his hands, the tenderness in his eyes made people's hearts tremble. Mu Ci hesitated for a moment before turning around and leaving.
Everything else can be ignored; saving lives is the priority.
--
Meng Wan seemed to be having a long dream, in which countless figures moved about. She wanted to see them, but she couldn't see them clearly no matter what she did. She only felt dizzy and lightheaded.
When she woke up, it was already dark. There was only one lamp in the room, flickering on and off. Looking out, she saw a shadow moving around. She called out softly, "Mu Ci?" but she wasn't quite sure.
Hearing Meng Wan's voice, Huangfu Yi quickly put down the basin of water in his hand, lifted the curtain, and saw Meng Wan trying to sit up from the bed. Huangfu Yi quickly stepped forward and supported her.
"You're not fully recovered yet, so stay in bed and don't get up."
Huangfu Yi said domineeringly, and made a move to stuff Meng Wan back into the quilt, but Meng Wan was surprised.
"Huangfu Yi? What are you doing here?" Her voice was still a little hoarse, with a strong nasal tone. She sobbed a couple of times, then suddenly remembered that she seemed to have seen Huangfu Yi's figure in her unconscious state. It wasn't a dream, but real.
"Why can't I be here?" Huangfu Yi was slightly relieved to see that she had the strength to speak, and teased her with a smile, "Aren't you happy to see me?"
At this point, they even started making jokes.
Meng Wan straightened her expression: "That's not what I meant. This is my palace, not a place for you."
Huangfu Yi, however, didn't care. He even wet a handkerchief and handed it to Meng Wan, saying, "I can go wherever I want. Who can stop me?"
He looked smug, but his smile wasn't very bright; a hint of weariness crept into his eyes.
Meng Wan frowned but didn't reach out to take the handkerchief. At this moment, she really didn't have the energy to argue with him, and said seriously, "Your Highness, I'm not joking with you. You should leave quickly, and I won't see you off."
Huangfu Yi finally put away his unruly smile and paused slightly as he listened to Meng Wan's solemn words.
"Are you... trying to get rid of me?" There was a hint of loneliness in her voice: "But you need someone to take care of your health. I'm worried about not being here."
This concern suddenly made Meng Wan's heart ache. She understood his feelings for her all too well, but as the saying goes, there was no way. It didn't work before, and it certainly doesn't work now.
"I have Mu Ci here, so Your Highness need not worry," Meng Wan could only feign indifference, hoping to get him to leave.
Now her heart is riddled with holes, and she is utterly powerless to cope with any kind of emotion, whether it be love or friendship.
Huangfu Yi grabbed her hand: "Mu Ci is Mu Ci, and I am me. I'm worried about you, so I don't want to leave, Meng Wan. Don't you understand?"
These seemingly spiteful words came so suddenly that Meng Wan was caught off guard and stunned for a moment, staring blankly at Huangfu Yi's handsome face, speechless.
"I..." She bit her lip, "I'm sorry, I can't accept this."
Huangfu Yi suddenly let go of her hand, seemingly realizing her lapse in composure. She chuckled dryly twice and retreated several feet away, saying, "It was my fault. Don't take what I said to heart."
He didn't want to put pressure on her. He could tell she was exhausted, and if he forced his feelings on her, it would only make her unhappy.
The shadows suddenly receded, and light shone directly into Meng Wan's eyes. She squinted, watching Huangfu Yi's red lips move with a hint of apology, and a warmth spread through her heart.
Even at this moment, he was still able to think of her like this. It would be a lie to say she wasn't grateful, but... she couldn't bear it.
"Alright, Your Highness, I need to rest now. You may leave."
Huangfu Yi hesitated for a moment, but ultimately didn't say anything more. He simply stepped forward, lifted the brocade quilt to wrap her up, and then whispered in her ear, "Then you should rest well and not think about anything else."
V109
His voice was very gentle, a stark contrast to his previous unruly manner, which immediately reminded Meng Wan of another person who had once spoken to her so gently and cared for her tenderly. But, in the end, it was all in the past.
The word "once" is truly the most vicious curse.
I once loved you, I once protected you in the palm of my hand, but once you've seen the ocean, other waters seem insignificant. Those memories can only remain in my mind.
I can accept parting with equanimity, but I can't bear to erase the past from my memory.