The pool of already cooled blood on her palm seemed to be scalding hot. Song Wanchu's hand trembled uncontrollably.
Her body began to tremble as well.
Liang Yuzhou lay there pale and still, his eyes tightly shut.
Overwhelming fear engulfed Song Wanchu like a tide. Liang Yuzhou's eyes...
She dared not think about it, yet couldn't stop herself.
Yaoguang stepped forward and gently hugged Song Wanchu. "He'll be fine. He has you in his heart, so he's always been strong."
Song Wanchu bit her pale lips stubbornly, refusing to let the tears fall.
Yaoguang consoled her softly, "Last winter, he coughed up blood every day and had a high fever that wouldn't subside. Sometimes he even fell into a coma. Zhou Sheng would place the sachet you embroidered on his chest and say, 'My lord, look. This is a gift from your wife. She embroidered it herself.' Every time, he would be miraculously awakened."
She had witnessed Liang Yuzhou struggling back from the brink of death bit by bit.
Love and guilt had forged his indestructible wall.
Song Wanchu held his hand and felt a bit calmer, though the corners of her eyes were still a bit moist.
The doctor arrived soon. He was a familiar face, often visiting the Qi residence to check the pulses of Uncle and Aunt Qi.
He was a steady and reliable old doctor.
However, he had been roused from his sleep in the middle of the night by Shi Luohan, so he was still groggy.
When he saw Liang Yuzhou covered in blood, he suddenly woke up.
He first re - bandaged the wound, then examined the injury on the back of his head and lifted his eyelids to take a look.
While feeling his pulse, he frowned, looking serious and solemn.
Everyone held their breath.
"His pulse is still stable, but his eyeballs are slightly swollen and the red blood streaks are increasing rapidly. It's possible that the blood clots in his brain have accumulated again."
"We've always used Hangzhou white chrysanthemum in the medicine before, and it had a good effect." Song Wanchu said quickly and recited the prescription skillfully.
The old doctor pondered for a while. "It's a rare good prescription, but with his external and internal injuries, it's possible that his eyes have suffered permanent damage."
The atmosphere in the room froze. Everyone frowned and looked solemn.
The old doctor had put it euphemistically, but everyone could understand.
Liang Yuzhou's eyes might go completely blind.
Song Wanchu's vision went black. It felt as if an invisible hand was gripping her throat, making her breathing intermittent.
"No, last time when he fell off the cliff with such serious injuries, he managed to pull through."
Song Wanchu seemed to be comforting everyone, as well as herself, but her voice was so light that it seemed to have no weight.
"Sometimes, a secondary injury, regardless of its severity, can be fatal."
The old doctor, having seen so much of the joys and sorrows of life, made it clear. "Maybe a miracle will happen, but you should also be prepared."
He wrote out a new prescription, adding a few more herbs than the one previously given by Taoist Priest Qiu. The medicinal effect would be stronger.
Shi Luohan saw the old doctor out.
Song Wanchu held Liang Yuzhou's hand all the time. Her fingertips had unconsciously dug into her palm. Cold sweat slithered like a cold, winding snake on her back.
Yaoguang looked at her thin and stubborn back. Her throat tightened, and she was too sad to speak.
Shi Luohan didn't come back in, and Yaoguang quietly slipped out.
The two stood in the cold night, silent for a while.
"Brother Han, I can't wait any longer. I hate the Princess. I wish she could die right now!"
The lantern on the eaves illuminated Yaoguang's face. Her beautiful and colorful eyes couldn't hide the surging hatred.
Shi Luohan draped his cloak over Yaoguang and let out a soft sigh.
Yaoguang and he had been together day and night. Their love was deep, and they had no secrets from each other. He knew better than anyone how much Yaoguang hated the Princess.
Her greed and cruelty were the direct cause of the fall of the Gaochang Kingdom.
She wouldn't spare anyone who opposed her.
Wanchu and Liang Yuzhou were the first to bear the brunt.
They were also the people Yaoguang cared about the most.
"I understand, but the Crown Prince hasn't found a suitable person to present the jade yet."
Their plan was to choose someone the Princess trusted to present the Blood - Drop Rose.
Only when this step was carried out smoothly could the grand play at the Spring - Welcoming Banquet proceed.
There were still five days until the Spring - Welcoming Banquet. They didn't have anyone around them who could get close to the Princess without being suspected. The Crown Prince was even more cautious, screening again and again and making no decision for a long time.
"Or I could just kill her at the Spring - Welcoming Banquet!"
Yaoguang clenched her fists so tightly that they cracked.
Shi Luohan gently stroked her hair that had been disheveled by the cold wind.
"Wait a little longer. We should trust the Crown Prince."
The Crown Prince was the one who most wanted to bring down the Princess.
In the second half of the night, Liang Yuzhou woke up once.
Song Wanchu fed him the medicine.
It seemed that there was no light in the room. Liang Yuzhou saw nothing but darkness in front of his eyes.
He blinked his swollen eyes hard, but still couldn't see anything.
Wanchu's hand was in his palm, so he wasn't panicked.
"Wanchu, is it dawn?"
A gentle voice came from beside his ear. "It's still far from dawn. You can sleep peacefully."
Liang Yuzhou felt at ease and closed his eyes again.
Song Wanchu glanced at the window.
The faint morning light shone on her face. Two tears silently slid down.
She shed tears quietly. After a moment, she calmly wiped them away and lay in Liang Yuzhou's arms.
If only the day would never dawn.
But she knew all too well that such a wish would never come true.
The world was too big to care about the joys and sorrows of her and Liang Yuzhou.
The sun would rise as usual.
Liang Yuzhou was too weak and slept deeply. His long, black eyelashes cast two shadows on his face.
They were staying in Song Wanchu's boudoir in the Qi family.
The room was as clean and new as ever.
Nanzhi and Suyue came in to serve her wash and dress.
The two girls saw Song Wanchu's pale face and tired eyes. They felt depressed and sad.
Silently, they fetched water, brought clothes, set out the dressing case, and combed Song Wanchu's hair.
Song Wanchu looked at herself in the mirror and suddenly laughed. "When Liang Yuzhou wakes up later and sees me like this, he'll be worried and blame himself. Apply an extra layer of powder today and choose a bright color of rouge."
Tears welled up in Suyue's eyes. She turned her head and sobbed softly.
Would Liang Yuzhou still be able to see the girl's radiant beauty?
Nanzhi held back her tears and smiled along. "The girl is naturally beautiful. With a little dressing up, she'll surely charm Taoist Priest Qingzhou."
Song Wanchu spent a long time choosing from the jewelry box. Holding a ruby twin - hairpin in one hand and a blue - field jade plum - blossom hairpin in the other, she couldn't make up her mind.
"The red one is nice. The shape of the peony is very delicate. It suits your complexion."
A hoarse voice came from behind.
Song Wanchu was stunned.
She suddenly turned around.
Liang Yuzhou was awake, lazily reclining against the soft pillow, a faint smile on his lips.
Song Wanchu stared intently into his eyes.
There was a certain distance between the bed and the dressing table. When Liang Yuzhou's eyesight had recovered to seventy percent, he still couldn't see the details of the jewelry from such a distance.
But just now, he had accurately described the shape of the twin - hairpin.
"Your eyes..."