The last time the Ghost Face Flower Poison acted up, Xiao Ning held Shen Guan tightly in his arms, and the two were passionately intimate on the bed all night.
When Shen Guan was lost in a daze, he heard Xiao Ning say many things to him. The withdrawal made most of the words blur in his memory, but one sentence remained etched in his heart. He said, “If you are by my side, I hate you. If you leave, I will be like a lonely wandering ghost in this world, without even a place to settle.”
At daybreak, Xiao Ning held the unconscious Shen Guan, gently tracing his eyebrows and eyes with his fingertips while his heart is at peace. He was willing to be greedy for another twenty years, even if he suffered eternal damnation after death.
Shen Guan was slow to wake this time. A few hours later, his high fever persisted. He was burning with his cheeks flushed, his brows painfully furrowed, and he muttered in delirium. Old Zhou rushed over to examine him for a while and said to Xiao Ning, “The poison is about to dissipate. Feed him the medicine on time, and he’ll be fine once he gets through this period.”
Xiao Ning wrung out the cloth soaked in cold water, placed it on Shen Guan’s forehead, and quietly grasped his icy hand beneath the covers.
Shen Guan’s high fever fluctuated. Sometimes when he woke up, he was also dazed. Xiao Ning often held him in his arms, feeding him medicine spoon by spoon. Occasionally, Shen Guan would vomit the medicine he had just drunk all over him, but he didn’t mind either and just gently stroking Shen Guan’s thin back and softly coaxing him with a few words. During the weakest and most miserable time, Xiao Ning stayed by Shen Guan’s side.
After five or six days of turmoil, Shen Guan finally stopped having a high fever, and Xiao Ning gradually felt relieved.
The day Shen Guan woke up, a burst of autumn rain had just stopped. He opened his eyes, his mind full of tangled thoughts. After a long time, he moved his body, forcing himself to sit up. Having lain down for so long, his vision inevitably went black in waves. After a moment of recovery, his mind was completely clear. He remembered the past as well as every word Xiao Ning had said during these days. He remembered the Prince Mansion that year, and he also remembered how cold the rain was in the ruined temple that year.
Shen Guan raised a hand to cover his eyes. After a long time, tears silently fell. Counting this half of his life, he had failed both Xie Junyi and Xiao Ning.
He staggered to his feet. The medical hall was eerily silent, empty except for him. He didn’t know where to go, perhaps seeking his young master, or perhaps trying to escape, too afraid to face him again.
As he pushed open the medical hall door, Xiao Ning was right outside the door, tying a bow with red silk ribbon on a gift box.
Old Zhou said from the side, “I told you he would definitely wake up today.”
Xiao Ning’s expression changed slightly. He looked at the few gift boxes that hadn’t been properly tied with red silk and a trace of annoyance flashing in his eyes. He tossed the red silk ribbon in his hand, folded his arms in front of his chest, raised his eyes, and said to Shen Guan, “You woke up and came out without even putting on an outer robe.”
Shen Guan was astonished while mumbling, “Young master…”
Xiao Ning tensed for a long moment, then stepped forward, took off his own outer robe, draped it over Shen Guan’s shoulders, and said helplessly, “It would be too improper to let you follow me without a proper title in the future. I took the time today to put together a few betrothal gifts for you.”
Outside the medical hall, several boxes were neatly stacked, containing large cakes, rock sugar, winter melon candy, orange preserves, persimmon cakes, longan, pig trotters, dried noodles, a pair of roosters, and a pair of female ducks. According to local customs, there should be twelve betrothal items, and he hadn’t had time to buy them all, so Niannian and Xiao Yuan were following at the very end.
It barely made up the number.
Shen Guan was stunned until Xiao Ning picked him up, then he finally came to his senses.
“If you don’t speak, I’ll take it as an agreement. Let’s go in, the wind is strong outside.”
“Young master.” Shen Guan pressed his forehead against Xiao Ning’s chest. “My heart is as clear as the sun and moon, and I vow to face life and death together.”
After a long time, he finally heard Xiao Ning solemnly respond, “Alright.”
I like this web site its a master peace ! Glad I detected this on google .