He was anxious and emotional, causing trouble for those around him. Sighing softly, Luo Ran stood by the door, gazing at the sunlight above, his heart silent.
Suddenly, street shadows swayed, brightening his once dead eyes and clenching his fists.
“What are you doing here? You’re not welcome!” he ordered before the person could approach.
“I want to see my lady!”
I must see her!” His tone was cold, his eyes glancing inside the room.
“You disappeared for two days, and now you want to see her? She doesn’t want to see you!” He had already caused her enough harm. If Lingyue weren’t lying on the bed, he would have struck him.
“She is my wife!” His roaring voice blocked Luoran’s angry gaze. He rushed in regardless.
Lingyue lay quietly on the bed, pale and with tight-lipped eyes, showing no intention of opening them.
“Lingyue, I’m sorry I’m late!” His words were filled with remorse, reflecting a husband’s pain at his wife’s life-and-death edge.
“Your Highness!” Although angry about the prince abandoning Lingyue that day, she was now speechless. Such deep affection—how could she judge?
“Tell me, how many days does she have left?” Embracing her cooling body, he kissed her forehead and asked.
“Not more than three days! Unless…” Yanran hesitated, considering whether to mention the “grudge.”
“Unless what?” His dim face suddenly held a glimmer of hope.
“Unless ‘Yuanyuan’ helps!” As a royal, he should know about such spiritual medicine; perhaps it could provide a chance of survival.
“Grudge? Heaven’s cruel joke!”
He smiled bitterly, lowering his head to look at the sleeping woman in his arms, his heart sinking.
“What does Your Highness mean?” Yanran asked, sensing a familiar “grudge” in his tone.
“It was originally my father’s. When I was eight, after shooting a deer while hunting, he gave me this item to commend my courage. Later, it disappeared, and no one ever saw it again.” His voice was thick with disappointment.
“Seems this is Lingyue’s fate! Blame that hateful empress!” Yanran cursed softly.
“Yanran, don’t be disrespectful!” Though Lingyue was poisoned by the empress, she was still Dongfang Che’s mother. Luoran softly cautioned her, aware that careless words might invite disaster.
“Forget it! Having such a mother, I’m truly helpless! My carelessness and weakness harmed Lingyue!” Tears flowed as he thought of the possibility of losing her. As a royal descendant, he faced many helpless moments, but as a son of a nation’s empress, he endured even more, perhaps all arranged by fate.
In the vast room, the three fell silent, lost in their own thoughts.
But what they thought was only for the still-silent woman in Che’s arms.
“Brother, the medicine is here!” Yu Shan put aside her sorrow and walked out from the kitchen. Seeing the prince’s arrival, she was startled.
“What medicine?” Dongfang Che furrowed his brow, looking at the dark things in the bowl.
“These are herbal medicines I personally prepared! Perhaps they can cure the poison in the princess’s body!” Among the four, only Yu Shan still held a glimmer of hope, but the other three’s expressionless faces discouraged her.
“So, even you don’t know if this medicine will work! Forget it, since it’s useless, why make her drink it!” He felt disheartened, perhaps because the person in his arms was the one he loved most.
“Why? No one said the poison can’t be cured! The princess is kind-hearted; heaven won’t treat her this way! Drink this medicine, and there might still be a chance. Don’t give up so easily!” Yu Shan was almost hysterical. For two days, facing her brother’s pain and Yanran’s tears, she wanted to cry too.
“Yes! Your Highness, Brother, Yu Shan is right.”
As long as we don’t give up, we won’t be controlled by fate. For Lingyue, we must be stronger!” Yanran smiled, taking the medicine bowl from Yu Shan’s hand, feeding Lingyue bit by bit.
“Look, the princess can drink the medicine, which means she still has consciousness. We shouldn’t give up! Yanran, keep feeding her; I’ll check the medical books!” Yu Shan said excitedly, walking into the room.
“I’ll help!” Luoran, seeing a glimmer of hope, regained confidence and strode in.
“Your Highness, Lingyue still has hope, right? She is so attached; we should not give up! As long as there’s hope, we can’t give up!” Luoran said sincerely, comforted by her brother’s recovery.
“Ling’er, I love you so much. How could you bear to let me suffer? You must hold on for our future! I won’t let anything happen to you. You can’t just leave me like this; I will never forgive you!” he whispered softly in her ear.
Outside the door, a slender figure watched carefully. After hearing Dong Fang Ce’s confession, she trembled, and two silent tears fell on her cheeks.
Brother Ce, do I really not deserve your love?
The starry sky was bright as day, with stars the size of fingers blinking their bright eyes. But among them, who could understand the world’s sorrowful separation?
“Your Highness, please eat something!” He hadn’t eaten for two days, and his stubble was evident. His once bright eyes were now deep and profound. How could an ordinary person understand the Prince’s deep love? Yan stood silently behind him, sighing.
“There’s only one day left! Tomorrow is the final deadline, but Yu Shan still hasn’t found the antidote! Yan, honestly tell me, is Ling’er beyond saving?” He gazed at the starry sky, his lifeless eyes revealing sorrow. Turning back to Yan, he asked calmly.
“Your Highness, you shouldn’t despair before the last day! Perhaps…” Her red lips moved, but she hesitated. This had been said hundreds of times over two days. Perhaps the Prince already knew but didn’t want to believe it.
The story continues with themes of love, despair, and hope in the face of impending loss.
“Don’t ask me when I arrived. Do you want to save her?” Her tone was icy, her eyes malevolent, no longer the pure Yi Qing of the past.
“What of it?” he asked coldly.
“What if I tell you I have a way to save her?”
Can you promise me one condition?” Yi Qing’s expression was solemn, her eyes fixed on the sunrise.
“What did you say?” Dong Fang Ce’s momentary joy turned cold as he realized he’d been deceived. How could she possibly save Ling’er so easily?
“Don’t believe me?” She reached for a shimmering spiritual object from her shoulder.
Was it the “Grievance Fate”? The object shone brightly in the sunrise, and Dong Fang Ce instantly recognized it as the only thing that could save Ling’er. It had been with Yi Qing all along.
“Give it to me!” Dong Fang Ce nearly lunged for the object, but Yi Qing deftly moved it away.
“Promise my condition! Otherwise, I’d rather destroy it!” she threatened, gripping it tightly.
His anger swelled but he restrained himself, holding her tightly in his arms, his mouth twitching slightly before settling into a firm line.
“My Lord? Why have you returned?” Yu Shan asked softly, stepping out of the kitchen with freshly prepared dishes, noting Dong Fang Ce’s weary, unshaven face.
“Where’s Luo Ran?” he inquired.
“They’ve all gone out, but they’ll be back soon! My Lord, you haven’t eaten yet, right? I just prepared some food. We’ll eat when my senior brother returns!” She could sense the Lord’s mood.
But now, who was not heartbroken?
“Dong Fang Ce, why are you here? We don’t welcome you. Leave immediately!” Upon entering the room, she confronted Dong Fang Ce sitting there, but was surprised to see Yi Qing beside him, angrily pointing.
“Luo Ran, she’s here to save Ling’er!” Yi Qing intervened, seeming to plead.
“What? She’s so kind-hearted? What is your real purpose?” Luo Ran asked sternly, disregarding her weak disposition.
“Didn’t my brother already explain? I’m here to save Lan Ling’er! You should know this,” she said, brandishing the “Grievance Fate” triumphantly.
