Liang Yuzhou was worried that it might evoke bad memories for Wan Chu.
She had once saved his life with her warm blood, but for a full three years, he had mistaken another woman for his savior.
Although the two had already cleared up their misunderstandings, the resurgence of those painful memories would always prick their present hearts.
"For me, those are not bad memories," Song Wanchu said with a gentle smile, her eyes shining brightly. "I love you and was willing to offer my heart - blood for you. It's happy and blissful to give for the one you love."
She added softly, "Even if it means death."
The worry between Liang Yuzhou's eyebrows dissipated. "Yes, even if it means death."
They had both given their lives for each other.
They were the love - birds flying wing to wing, the intertwined branches of trees, and the red silk thread that would be intertwined for lifetimes.
Late at night, a carriage left Yun Shen Alley.
There were lanterns of the Duke's Mansion hanging on the carriage.
The coachman was a familiar face in the Duke's Mansion. He was Liang Yuzhou's man and had been closely monitoring the Duke's Mansion for Liang Yuzhou for a year.
The carriage stopped at the west corner gate of the Duke's Mansion.
Even if someone saw this carriage on the street, they would only assume it was someone from the Duke's Mansion coming and going.
Inside the carriage, Taoist Qiu fed Liang Yuzhou a ginseng pill.
"Are you ready?"
Song Wanchu was far more nervous than Liang Yuzhou. She bit her lip and tightly grasped Liang Yuzhou's hand.
The cold sweat seeping from her palm wet Liang Yuzhou's hand.
Liang Yuzhou rubbed his palm against hers a few times to soothe her. "Don't be afraid. Taoist Qiu always has a steady hand."
He lifted his outer robe, undid his inner clothes, and showed his strong chest.
Under the candlelight, the scar on his chest was clearly visible.
Taoist Qiu picked up a sterilized dagger and aimed it at the scar.
Before he could stab, Liang Yuzhou grabbed his wrist.
Taoist Qiu's beard twitched. "What are you doing? It's not the time to back out now!"
"Don't touch this scar. You can go a bit lower or higher."
Taoist Qiu originally intended to cover this scar to avoid leaving a new one on his body.
"Come on, does this scar have some commemorative value?"
"Everything Wan Chu left me is irreplaceable. No one can touch it."
Song Wanchu's throat tightened with emotion again.
Taoist Qiu couldn't help rolling his eyes. "You're showing off your love! You almost got stabbed to death by Wan Chu for your mistake, and now you're proud of it."
Muttering to himself, he selected a new position.
The sharp blade cut through his firm pectoral muscle, and blood gushed out.
Liang Yuzhou remained expressionless, but Song Wanchu's face turned paler and paler.
She had firsthand experience of the pain of extracting heart - blood.
Taoist Qiu's technique was precise. He only made a small cut and extracted enough blood.
He covered the bowl with the heart - blood with a linen cloth and placed it on a small charcoal stove.
Then he skillfully bandaged Liang Yuzhou's wound.
Apart from looking a bit pale, Liang Yuzhou showed no other abnormalities.
His palm was still broad and warm. Feeling his warmth, Song Wanchu felt at ease.
Song Wanchu had insisted on coming with him because she was worried about him, but now it was Liang Yuzhou comforting her.
"Alright, you can go back now. I've already given the prescription to Xia He and Ying Lan. The tonic for qi and blood should be ready by now. Drink the medicine and rest quietly for these five days. There will be a tough battle at the Spring Banquet!"
Before Taoist Qiu's voice faded, he had disappeared.
The lanterns of the Duke's Mansion on the carriage were removed, and the coachman was replaced.
On the way back, Liang Yuzhou leaned his head on Song Wanchu's shoulder.
His wound didn't hurt much, but his heart ached badly.
"Wan Chu, back then you risked your life to extract heart - blood to save me, but I never asked you if it hurt."
In every memory, he was that despicable scoundrel.
Song Wanchu planted a soft kiss on his nose. "I've already received too much of your guilt. My heart is almost full."
The past was gloomy, but their future was full of hope.
Liang Yuzhou felt comforted and at ease. Leaning on Song Wanchu's shoulder, he closed his eyes.
Since he started using the Hangzhou white chrysanthemums sent by Cheng Simian, the soreness, swelling, and pain in his eyes had almost disappeared.
His eyesight had recovered by 70%, and it no longer hindered him from leaping over eaves and walking on walls.
It was just that when shooting arrows on horseback, he still couldn't accurately hit targets that were too far away.
Taoist Qiu said that in three or five more days, he would be completely cured.
The stone in Song Wanchu's heart finally dropped. Listening to Liang Yuzhou's gentle breathing, she slowly closed her eyes too.
The carriage was moving forward at a steady pace.
Suddenly, there was a loud "bang", as if a big boulder had fallen from the sky and hit the roof of the carriage.
The carriage body shook violently, and the carriage walls shattered.
Liang Yuzhou suddenly opened his eyes. In the darkness, his eyes glowed brightly.
His first reaction was to protect Song Wanchu in his arms and jump out of the rickety carriage.
What awaited them were sword lights and sword shadows.
A dozen assassins flew out of the darkness, their shiny blades lunging at them like the fangs of wild beasts.
Liang Yuzhou had just had his heart - blood extracted and was at his weakest. He found it difficult to deal with the dangers attacking from all directions.
He was kicked in the shoulder and fell backward onto a big boulder.
But he still tightly protected Song Wanchu. His arms were as firm as cast iron and remained unmovable.
Song Wanchu smelled the blood, but she was unharmed.
Liang Yuzhou's wound had reopened!
She panicked and tried to cover Liang Yuzhou's chest.
Zhou Sheng, Zhou Yan, and a group of secret guards were fighting with the assassins.
Zhou Sheng broke away and helped Song Wanchu lift Liang Yuzhou up.
Liang Yuzhou's breath was a bit unsteady, but he was still clear - headed and calm.
"We've been exposed. The Princess knows we're back in the capital. We can't go to Yun Shen Alley. Notify the secret guards to pick up Nan Zhi and the others and take them to the old Qi family mansion to take shelter for now!"
After giving these instructions, he coughed violently twice. He felt dizzy, and there was a sweet and fishy taste in his throat.
"Zhou Sheng, go to the Eastern Palace immediately and tell the Crown Prince that there's a mole around him!"
The only people who knew about Yun Shen Alley were Taoist Qiu, Shi Luohan, Yaoguang, the Crown Prince, and Cheng Simian.
The Crown Prince had brought four secret guards today, and one of them was the Princess's man!
Zhou Sheng quickly nodded and disappeared into the darkness.
The secret guards blocked the fierce attacks of the assassins. Zhou Yan escorted Liang Yuzhou and Song Wanchu to the Qi family mansion.
Shi Luohan and Yaoguang were awakened and helped carry Liang Yuzhou into the house.
He had just managed to convey the crucial information to Zhou Sheng with his last bit of consciousness and was now almost in a coma.
There were bloodstains all over his body and face.
Shi Luohan quickly put on his cloak. "I'll go and call a doctor!"
"Liang Yuzhou, Liang Yuzhou?"
Song Wanchu's face was deathly pale. She had been so well protected by Liang Yuzhou that she hadn't had time to panic before she was safe.
But seeing Liang Yuzhou covered in blood, the panic deep in her heart suddenly exploded.
"Wan Chu, it's not a serious injury. I'm just... a bit weak."
After Liang Yuzhou said this intermittently, the hand that was tightly holding her wrist loosened.
He fell into a complete coma.
Song Wanchu opened her palm and only then suddenly noticed that her left hand, which had been protecting the back of Liang Yuzhou's head, was covered in thick blood.
The back of Liang Yuzhou's head was injured again!