He placed his hand on his own pulse and, unbelievably, circulated his inner energy for a cycle, discovering that the poison in his body had been cleared. Looking again at her slightly blackened lips and hand covered in black blood, he guessed the truth. A spontaneous compassion welled up in his heart. He reached out to caress her smooth cheek, and a strange tremor passed through his fingertips. His gaze became soft and focused, filled with guilt and self-reproach. His mind, clouded by hatred, had hurt her so badly. He gently lifted her foot, covered in water blisters that had burst and become infected. He took out a white glass bottle and poured the cool liquid on her injured wrist and foot. When he pulled off her shoe, the pain caused her to unconsciously moan even in her unconscious state. Huoyan Nan quickly stopped his actions, filled with compassion and heartache.
Chapter 036
Jing Wang dispatched a large number of subordinates to draw many portraits of Shan Xiaoye, searching for her in An City.
He did not know her name or where she lived, only her appearance and those memorable eyes etched in his mind. Soon, everyone in An City knew that Jing Wang was searching for a girl who was particularly important to him, offering a reward of 10,000 taels of silver for information about her location.
Jing Wang had contracted a strange illness that numerous imperial physicians could not cure. Since the day he saw her cold and beautiful figure on the street, Jing Wang had been unable to eat or sleep. Especially after learning that Chen’s guard had lost track of her, he became even more distressed. For the first time, Jing Wang experienced the taste of longing for a woman.
One day, Jing Wang finally received news about her, though the information was more frustrating than helpful. It turned out that Hu Yan Nan had carried Shan Xiaoye back from a mountain cave and was seen by Chen’s guard, who followed them to the General’s Mansion.
After investigation, Jing Wang learned that she was the bride bestowed by the Emperor – but not to himself, rather to Hu Yan Nan. His heart felt like it was being scratched by a cat, all because he had missed the morning court that day, allowing Hu Yan Nan to take this great advantage.
