"Flattered?" Mei Qingxue burst into laughter.
She had never seen anything like flattery in Du Guqing. In front of her, that man had always been a cheeky figure, only acting seriously on rare occasions. When he slipped into her bed, he was definitely not the Ghost King known to others.
"Xue, let's go to bed early." Du Guqing looked at her with burning eyes. He was eager to be intimate with her but also afraid she might refuse.
"I'm not feeling well these days." It was obvious that she was on her period. Period, menstrual cycle, menses? There were so many terms for it. Mei Qingxue knew that ancient people were superstitious about this and considered it inauspicious.
Sure enough, a hint of disappointment flashed across Du Guqing's face but quickly disappeared.
"I'll just hold you while we sleep."
Every time she slept soundly in his arms, his arm would go numb in the morning, and he couldn't move it at all. He had to lean against the bedside for a while to recover before getting up.
Mei Qingxue had never noticed that he would maintain that position all night long.
"Okay!" Nodding in agreement, Mei Qingxue felt her face flush. Although she was inconvenient at that time, she still secretly hoped he would make a move.
Habit was really a powerful thing. She had been so reluctant just a moment ago, but now, under his tenderness and passion, she was constantly giving in. Mei Qingxue didn't know what was wrong with herself. She never expected that her heart had already unconsciously fallen into his tenderness.
"Princess, Your Highness..." As soon as she entered the Qingxue Pavilion, she saw Yue Ru with her hair done in a married woman's style.
"Why are you here?" Mei Qingxue looked at Yue Ru in surprise.
She usually didn't stay in the mansion at this late hour, and Mei Qingxue already had new maids.
"Han Zhao was worried about you and His Highness and was patrolling the mansion!"
Du Guqing nodded. "I didn't bring Han Zhao. You can go back. It's just across the road. If the princess needs anything, she'll send someone to call you."
Yue Ru looked at Mei Qingxue and then at Du Guqing. She bowed slightly. They were used to serving the prince and princess, and it was really hard for them to be away from their sides now.
Mei Qingxue nodded and walked straight into the inner chamber without looking back...
She had just gotten married, not leaving for a far - away place! Mei Qingxue was a bit reluctant to part with Yue Ru. She missed the days when Yue Ru was by her side. Her habit of staying in bed late hadn't changed, and now there was no one to wake her up or pull the covers off her.
Tomorrow, she would definitely not stay in bed late! Mei Qingxue made up her mind. When she turned around, she found Du Guqing looking at her. There was something in his eyes, but when she looked again, there was nothing there.
Was she seeing things? Mei Qingxue denied it to herself. Absolutely not, because her eyesight was excellent!
"I've asked someone to prepare hot water. I'm not feeling well, so you can take a bath before going to bed. You smell of smoke and dust."
"Okay."
Mei Qingxue was always lazy during her period. She lay down on the bed first and fell asleep soon. She didn't know when the servants brought the hot water. In her drowsy state, she felt something warm and damp moving on her chest and back. She reached out and touched a towel. Trying to fight off sleep, she opened her eyes slightly and saw that instead of taking a bath himself, that man had wet a towel and was carefully wiping her body. He didn't notice that she was awake.
Mei Qingxue quickly closed her eyes. The warm towel in his hand had landed on her face. He was really someone who had never done such things before. Mei Qingxue really wanted to laugh. Before wiping her face, he had already wiped her legs and feet.
Didn't he know to wash the face first? But at this moment, she really wanted to cry.
His movements were extremely gentle. Although he was clumsy, Mei Qingxue could feel his affection. So... the person who cared about her the most was right beside her.
For a moment, the air around seemed to freeze. Mei Qingxue could only hear her own breathing, and even her own heartbeat.
Du Guqing carefully covered Mei Qingxue with the quilt and then turned to enter the washroom not far away. Soon, the sound of splashing water could be heard.
Mei Qingxue's nose felt sour. The memories of her previous nine lives rushed in like a tide, leaving no trace in her mind. Her life in this world was wonderful. She had met the Jade - faced Young Master, her first love.
He was her first husband and the first man in her ten lives, and also her only love. Had she fallen in love without realizing it?
Mei Qingxue placed her hand on her chest. When had that figure quietly entered her heart and occupied a place? Was it his tolerance, his doting, or his indulgence? There seemed to be something she had overlooked and couldn't remember. Mei Qingxue placed her hand under her head. She rarely used this position after getting married, but with her arm under her head, it felt so strange, and she just couldn't get comfortable.
She had forgotten that there was an arm that would stretch out for her, staying like that for a whole night.
Hearing the rustling sound from the washroom, Mei Qingxue knew he had finished bathing and quickly closed her eyes. When Du Guqing came out wearing his inner clothes, he saw Mei Qingxue with her head on her own arm. He smiled softly.
He tiptoed to the other side of the bed, gently lifted Mei Qingxue's head, removed her arm, stretched out his own arm, and let her lie in the crook of his arm.
Mei Qingxue was already sleepy and couldn't hold on. With her head on his arm and in a comfortable position, she soon fell into a deep sleep.
Du Guqing looked at her eyebrows and eyes with a smile, sleeping on his side in that uncomfortable position. He didn't move all night.
When Mei Qingxue got up in the morning, seeing Du Guqing's awkward sleeping position, she knew he hadn't turned over all night. Sleeping in that position would only make him sore and backache. Moreover, she had been lying on his arm all night. That fool must have maintained the same position all night for fear of waking her up.
Suddenly, it occurred to her why the energetic man every night would lean against the bedside for a while when getting up in the morning. It was because his body was numb and he couldn't even get out of bed.
Something cold flowed down her cheek and into her mouth. It was salty. Mei Qingxue felt a sharp pain in her chest, followed by an uncontrollable sourness. Tears welled up in her eyes.
She turned around and ran out of the bedroom. Mei Qingxue squatted beside the door, letting her tears flow freely.
Du Guqing could tell that Mei Qingxue's footsteps were strange. He endured the stiffness of half of his body and chased after her. What he saw was the little woman squatting beside the door, with tears blurring her vision as she looked at him.
"Don't cry anymore."
Although he didn't know why Mei Qingxue was crying, Du Guqing gently wiped the tears from her face with his only sensitive hand. His big hand was warm and soft.
"Ah, why did you get up?" Mei Qingxue quickly stood up and reached out to support Du Guqing. "Sit down and talk."
"Xue, why are you crying?"
As soon as Mei Qingxue heard his gentle voice, her tears welled up again. "Fool, are you really a fool? Why are you so good to me?"
She had even thought about teasing him, making him angry, tormenting him, and even leaving him.
Du Guqing grabbed her hand and gently kissed her fingertips.
The stiffness in that half of his body was relieved a bit after moving. He held Mei Qingxue's hand with one hand and slowly raised the other. Through her clothes, he pointed at her chest. "Because of this!"
There was a purple butterfly there. That purple butterfly had brought a touch of warmth to his heart on that painful and cold night.
That one glance was for a lifetime.
"I've loved you for six years!" Du Guqing's words made the tears that Mei Qingxue had just managed to hold back flow down again.
"Six years ago, I dressed up as a little eunuch. When I had an attack of the cold poison, a girl carried me into the hot spring pool. Later, I saw you in the brothel and recognized you. For six years, you were the only woman I wanted to marry." Du Guqing's voice was soft, but it was like a heavy hammer. Every word hit her heart hard.
She remembered the little eunuch she had met at the banquet and knew they were looking for the Sixth Prince. That was... six years ago.
"I was betrothed, and I couldn't resist. Fortunately, there was something wrong with that girl. So, that marriage was nullified. I waited for that little girl to grow up, but I was also hesitant."
Du Guqing summoned up his courage and looked into Mei Qingxue's eyes. "I don't have much time left, but I can't control my heart. When you finally married me, do you know how happy I was? I was just afraid that I would leave you before you, and I would be so reluctant! I was so conflicted."
Du Guqing's voice became a bit lower.
There was nothing else in Mei Qingxue's eyes. "Qing, Qing, you won't leave me. I'll search for famous doctors all over the world and definitely cure you."
At this moment, Mei Qingxue finally understood her own feelings. With tears in her eyes, she hugged his waist and whispered a sentence in his ear. It was her heartfelt confession.
"My heart is not a stone!"
Hearing this, Du Guqing's body trembled violently. He grabbed Mei Qingxue's shoulders in disbelief and stared at her fixedly. "Xue, are you... serious?"
Those four words from Mei Qingxue's mouth made him so excited that he could hardly contain himself. He could hardly breathe. For a moment, he thought that even dying would be worth it.
My heart is not a stone, and it cannot be turned! He suddenly hugged the little woman he had loved for six years tightly into his arms.
Du Guqing murmured, "It's so good, so good!"
Now that he knew her feelings, what more could he ask for? There were no more regrets. Really.
The two of them didn't know how long they had been hugging. Mei Qingxue's new maid, Xuan Qiao, saw their tightly - embraced figures outside the window. Instead of approaching, she obediently stood outside the door.
"The fifteenth is coming soon. I'll be with you!"
This was the day when he would disappear every month. Now he had told her everything.
Mei Qingxue could feel Du Guqing's body stiffen for a moment. After a while, the man replied in a low voice, "Okay!" With his Xue by his side, he was not afraid of anything.
He still had the wish to get rid of the cold poison. It was a pity that he had tried so many methods, but he would hold on for even just one more day.