However, before he could break free, the person behind the beaded curtain suddenly exerted force, causing Wen Qingci to lose his balance and fall forward.
By the time he realized what was happening, he had already fallen into a cold embrace.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye.
A broad palm pressed firmly against the small of Wen Qingci’s back.
Completely cutting off his retreat.
Their chests pressed together.
At this moment, Wen Qingci not only smelled the ambergris incense but even felt, through the thin fabric of their clothes… the distinct rise and fall of the muscles on the other’s chest.
As well as the cold body temperature and an abnormally rapid heartbeat.
Everything was in disarray.
All Wen Qingci could hear was chaotic breathing.
For a moment, he couldn’t tell whether these sounds of breathing belonged to himself or to Xie Bufeng.
After an unknown period of silence.
Xie Bufeng finally responded by greedily calling his name.
“Wen Qingci.”
“Qingci, Qingci…”
The slender eyelashes fluttered gently twice, like butterfly wings.
Wen Qingci slowly opened his eyes.
Now accustomed to the darkness, he finally saw clearly—Xie Bufeng had been sitting behind the beaded curtain all along.
Everything that had just happened occurred within the span of his breath.
Xie Bufeng had silently watched him approach.
Watched him… fall into his embrace.
The next moment, Xie Bufeng suddenly released Wen Qingci’s left hand.
Not giving him a chance to catch his breath.
Xie Bufeng’s hand slid beneath the hollow of his knees and lifted him up.
By the time Wen Qingci realized what was happening, he was already… sitting at an angle on Xie Bufeng’s lap.
“…”
A buzzing sound erupted in Wen Qingci’s ears.
His mind went blank in that instant.
The plans and intentions he had upon arriving were all thrown to the winds at this moment.
In his daze, Wen Qingci realized that although he was nearly six years older than Xie Bufeng, he was now being held in his arms as easily as if he were a child.
Xie Bufeng’s arms were strong and powerful.
…He was no longer the youth from their first meeting.
He was an adult.
An adult… with desires.
“Your Majesty, please release me!” Wen Qingci said sternly through gritted teeth.
However, because of this awkward posture, even Wen Qingci himself felt that his voice was full of uncertainty.
Sure enough, Xie Bufeng did not listen to him.
No longer a youth, Xie Bufeng gently rested his chin on Wen Qingci’s shoulder.
He shook his head and whispered by Wen Qingci’s ear, “No. If I let you go, you will leave.”
The deep voice swept across Wen Qingci’s heart like a veil.
As he spoke, Xie Bufeng’s forehead brushed against Wen Qingci’s earlobe.
Wen Qingci’s body trembled slightly in response.
At this moment, he suddenly realized that, unlike the cold body temperature, Xie Bufeng’s forehead was radiating intense heat.
Was he feverish?
Wen Qingci’s voice involuntarily softened a bit: “Your Majesty, release me first.”
“…I returned to Yongdu specifically to examine Your Majesty’s illness. If Your Majesty doesn’t release me, how can I check your pulse?”
“Please rest assured, Your Majesty, I will not… leave without saying goodbye,” Wen Qingci said, biting his lip.
“Really?”
“Absolutely.”
Having obtained the promise he wanted, Xie Bufeng finally reluctantly loosened his grip.
He pressed his lips against Wen Qingci’s ear and whispered, “Alright.”
Wen Qingci couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.
After regaining his freedom, having gradually adapted to the darkness, he turned to look to the side.
Then he quickly walked to the candlestick and lit the flame.
A single flickering warm yellow candlelight was insufficient to fill the entire palace.
Yet it added a hint of intimacy to the place.
Making one’s heart flutter along with the candlelight.
Xie Bufeng sat on the couch, slowly raising his wrist.
Wen Qingci paused for a moment, then placed his fingers on it, and proceeded to concentrate, checking his pulse.
Throughout the entire process, he never once looked up at Xie Bufeng.
Having devoted himself to medicine for twenty years, the method of pulse-taking had been engraved into Wen Qingci’s marrow, becoming instinct.
The moment his fingers touched Xie Bufeng’s wrist, Wen Qingci’s heart calmed down.
After just over ten seconds, Wen Qingci determined that there was indeed something wrong with Xie Bufeng’s body.
But his pulse was extremely complex, and it took Wen Qingci a long time to detect the pattern.
…The pulse under his fingers repeatedly stopped and started, like a sparrow pecking at food, then moved like a shrimp swimming and leaping.
It was completely chaotic.
Wen Qingci gradually furrowed his brow.
With his recovered memories, he was not easily deceived.
Based on Wen Qingci’s experience, Xie Bufeng wasn’t ill—he had been poisoned.
Most importantly, judging from the utterly chaotic pulse in his wrist, Xie Bufeng had been exposed to more than one type of poison.
Xie Bufeng was born with the ability to hear the evil thoughts in people’s hearts.
For anyone to poison him would be nearly impossible.
…Let alone administering so many different poisons.
A ridiculous thought suddenly formed in Wen Qingci’s mind:
Xie Bufeng had poisoned himself.
“Your Majesty is not ill, but poisoned,” Wen Qingci’s cold voice echoed throughout the hall.
After a moment of silence, he finally raised his eyes and looked deeply at Xie Bufeng: “Where did the poison in your body come from?”
Wen Qingci’s expression was extremely serious.
He did not at all appreciate someone playing such jokes with their life.
But now, at this critical moment between life and death, it was not the time to dwell on this question.
Wen Qingci could only temporarily suppress it in his heart.
His ink-black eyes were like a cold pond.
Reflecting Xie Bufeng within them.
Faced with such eyes, Xie Bufeng could not lie.
Moreover… he would never lie to Wen Qingci.
Xie Bufeng slowly smiled, and his cold amber eyes suddenly gained warmth.
“Hasn’t Qingci already guessed?” Xie Bufeng said softly, “I administered it myself.”
His tone was very calm, as if he didn’t think there was anything wrong with this.
Wen Qingci said through gritted teeth: “I’m asking where you got the poison from?”
“This is not something to joke about. To create an antidote, we must first know what the poison is, only then can we treat it accordingly.”
Now he stood before the bed, his hands hanging somewhat helplessly at his sides.
Xie Bufeng, sitting on the bed, did not immediately answer Wen Qingci’s question.
He suddenly leaned forward and gently wrapped his arms around Wen Qingci’s waist.
Wen Qingci’s waist was extremely slender, almost small enough to be encompassed by one hand.
Now it was completely locked within Xie Bufeng’s grasp.
With this movement, Xie Bufeng’s cheek slowly pressed against Wen Qingci’s waist.
He smiled and finally answered this question truthfully: “It’s what you left at the Imperial Medical Bureau.”
Wen Qingci: “…”
He instantly forgot to struggle, asking with an incredulous expression: “Does Your Majesty know what those medicines are? Do you know what consequences they have after consumption? You are the ruler of a nation, how could you play such a dangerous game with your own body!”
Xie Bufeng gently shook his head.
His slightly curled black hair swept across Wen Qingci’s waist as he moved, causing a shudder, almost making the person in his arms go weak.
Wen Qingci placed his hands on Xie Bufeng’s shoulders, trying to push him away.
But Xie Bufeng seemed to be stuck to him.
“Xuanyue Dan, Chihuo Dan, Liyun Dan…” Xie Bufeng mumbled, as if answering Wen Qingci’s question, “I know. If I hadn’t drunk your blood before, I would have died countless times already.”
That voice, accompanied by slight vibrations, transmitted through Wen Qingci’s body from his waist.
He suddenly remembered the “Medical Solutions” book that Xie Bufeng had brought to Lianhe.
…In the year and more since he had left, it seemed Xie Bufeng had gone through all the medical books he had left behind.
He was not ignorant or fearless.
But knowingly committed this act!
Wen Qingci’s tone had never been so cold: “Your Majesty, have you gone mad?”
Unlike “Heavenly Compassion,” the other poisons from the Divine Physician Valley were not incurable.
But Xie Bufeng had mixed and consumed so many pills—was he not afraid that something serious might happen?
In that instant, Wen Qingci was already rapidly thinking about methods to detoxify.
And analyzing what problems might arise from mixing these several poisons.
Xie Bufeng laughed deeply.
He saw worry and anxiety on Wen Qingci’s face.
He knew he was ill.
In his heart, there was a demon.
—At this moment, he was asking Wen Qingci for help.
To maintain warmth and moisture, the walls of the Imperial Medical Bureau halls were thicker than elsewhere.
They stood there, blocking all sounds from outside the hall.
Wen Qingci’s ears were filled with silence, as if at this moment, only he and Xie Bufeng remained in the entire world.
Seeing that Xie Bufeng remained silent for a long time.
Wen Qingci finally couldn’t help but say: “Your Majesty, you…”
However, almost at the same moment, Xie Bufeng suddenly raised his head to look up at Wen Qingci, while gently placing his finger on his lips, stopping his words.
“Qingci, listen to me.”
“…What I regret most is not telling you my feelings immediately before going to the North and after returning to Yongdu.”
Xie Bufeng’s gaze became incredibly vulnerable in that moment.
Wen Qingci’s heart emptied in response.
The young emperor dressed in black brocade robes slowly stood up, holding Wen Qingci tightly in his arms.
This embrace carried not the slightest hint of sensuality.
“I’m in love with a man.”
“…I’ve fallen in love with a man called Wen Qingci.”
The young Xie Bufeng had said this once before.
But when these words were spoken by the emperor who was now a full head taller than himself and could easily hold him in his arms, they immediately gained an undeniable seriousness and sincerity.
Xie Bufeng clearly and distinctly spoke his name.
Wen Qingci could no longer pretend ignorance or avoid it as he had done years ago.
After a pause, Xie Bufeng slowly lowered his head and gently kissed the top of Wen Qingci’s head.
He finally stopped pretending completely.
Offering up his heart that flowed with complex blood.
“I have love for you, greed for you, and even some… base thoughts.”
Cold fingers traced over Wen Qingci’s slightly numb left arm.
He said: “I remember that night in Chang Yuan.”
“…And even after that, I wanted to do more excessive things to you.”
Wen Qingci’s body trembled slightly, and he involuntarily turned away, trying to avoid him.
But Xie Bufeng didn’t give him this opportunity.
Today, Xie Bufeng was extremely unrestrained. He once again pressed his lips close to Wen Qingci’s ear, uttering several sentences he had never dared to say before, fearing they would frighten or taint him.
Xie Bufeng’s voice was as soft as a whisper.
But the side hall was so quiet that every word clearly struck Wen Qingci’s heart.
Wen Qingci tried to speak, wanting to change the subject.
Xie Bufeng, as if guessing what he was about to do, directly covered his thin lips with his palm.
“Song Junran certainly didn’t tell you why we were at daggers drawn in the courtyard that day.”
He smiled, closed his eyes, and revealed everything that had happened that day.
In an instant, Wen Qingci’s slightly numb left arm began to burn as if touched by fire.
Xie Bufeng… he truly was a madman.
Wen Qingci involuntarily widened his eyes.
His mind instantly became a tangled mess.
After saying all this, Xie Bufeng finally stopped.
Now, only shallow breathing sounds remained in Wen Qingci’s ears.
After a long silence, Xie Bufeng finally lowered his hand.
He looked at Wen Qingci as if unburdened, and at this moment, revealed his ultimate purpose today:
“So… do you hate me now?” The dim candlelight reflected in Xie Bufeng’s eyes as he appeared cautious and nervous.
Xie Bufeng slowly released Wen Qingci.
“Why are you telling me all this? What exactly do you want to do?” Wen Qingci struggled to regulate his breathing as he asked with difficulty.
Those black pupils, which usually revealed no emotion, at this moment clearly betrayed their owner’s feelings.
Unease, nervousness, confusion.
…If Xie Bufeng simply wanted to force him to save his life, he could have kept all this buried in his heart.
Why would he speak like this?
Why tell him all of this?
“I just wanted to let you know what kind of person you were trying to save just now… I am dangerous, with many base thoughts. Unless I die, I cannot let go of my obsessions.”
“I’m afraid I… might do something that disgusts you.”
Such as going to Songxiu Prefecture and directly dispatching troops to find the Divine Physician Valley in the mountains.
He was afraid of truly losing control.
Afraid that the prison of rationality couldn’t contain the wild beast of madness within his heart.
As he said this, Xie Bufeng’s heart couldn’t help but ache.
Just thinking about the possibility of “Wen Qingci being disgusted with him” made him extremely nervous and terrified.
Xie Bufeng looked into Wen Qingci’s eyes and said deliberately: “If you despise me and never want to see me again, you may leave Yongdu today, even right now, and I will absolutely not stop or interfere with you. After I suffer the consequences of my actions and the poison takes effect, there will no longer be anyone in this world to restrain your freedom.”
“As for everything today, just consider it my willfulness.”
Wen Qingci’s voice was unbearably dry: “Why call it willfulness?”
Xie Bufeng’s gaze fell toward the north.
He said: “When attacking the Northern Di, I nearly died on the battlefield countless times.”
“I wasn’t afraid then, just… somewhat regretful.”
Wen Qingci’s gaze finally met his.
He heard Xie Bufeng say: “Regretful that before dying, I couldn’t see you one more time, to properly say goodbye.”
As he spoke, this young sovereign’s eyes were full of attachment.
“So, if you truly despise me and never want to see me again.”
“Then don’t hide, and don’t leave without saying goodbye again, alright?”
“Today, say a proper farewell to me.”
In this moment, Wen Qingci suddenly forgot how to breathe.
His body trembled uncontrollably, and his eyes instantly reddened.
Throughout his life as a physician, Wen Qingci had never feared “death.”
He had even lived with death daily.
He thought he could face this issue calmly.
And at the same time, calmly accept the outcome of “death” for everyone, including himself.
But at this moment.
In the instant Xie Bufeng’s words fell.
Wen Qingci suddenly understood the first question of the day.
—He didn’t want Xie Bufeng to die.
Even if he had said these things, he still didn’t want him to die.
