Chapter 30 - 1#

So cold.

This was Jingzhe’s first sensation.

When skin touches the freezing air, it makes one shiver involuntarily, so he had no choice but to curl up on the cool silk surface.

The thin sweat that seeped out was also cold, his forehead damp and chilly.

He raised his hand to wipe it, only to find his head and face covered in wet sweat… The hand, the strong hand, was unbelievably hot the moment it touched his face.

Jingzhe turned his head away subconsciously, as if he were about to be scalded by this scorching temperature.

His reaction caused the shadow looming over him to twist, like falling dark clouds. The suffocating feeling of layers pressing down made Jingzhe unable to stop his desire to flee…

This couldn’t be blamed on him…

Rong Jiu, whom he hadn’t seen for a long time, was not right.

Very, very wrong.

The shadow came closer and closer, and soon, his breath landed on his body, hot as a burning flame, carrying a strange pressure. The falling suffocating feeling made Jingzhe feel indescribable fear.

This wasn’t just towards Rong Jiu the person, but towards the current situation… Rong Jiu’s dark eyes stared at him, a gaze that completely covered him.

It was as if his flesh, bone marrow, nerves, and everything in his body were being peeled away layer by layer under that knife-like gaze, revealing his internal organs most thoroughly.

And this feeling was exactly what Jingzhe resisted the most.

“Rong Jiu… wake up, are you burning up with fever?”

Jingzhe gritted his teeth and squeezed this sentence out of his throat.

Pitiably, heaven knows how weak and powerless that sentence was, like a trembling prey under a beast’s claws, making a futile struggle.

But no matter how futile, he had to struggle.

Jingzhe remembered the note sent by Rong Jiu before. Rong Jiu said he couldn’t enter the palace because he was unwell… So entering the palace today was because… he was better… right… How was that possible!

Just looking at this out-of-control monster in front of him, Jingzhe felt that Rong Jiu had completely lost his mind.

Otherwise… how could he say such shameful words?

Rong Jiu seemed to have listened to Jingzhe’s words. At least, the approaching figure seemed to pause.

Jingzhe seized this moment of distraction, twisted his body nimbly, and tried to escape from under Rong Jiu’s arm. He didn’t think about how embarrassed and strange his posture was, he just wanted to leave the strange Rong Jiu quickly, and then…

And then… Jingzhe was a little stuck. Logically, he should go call an imperial physician… But with Rong Jiu’s status, would an imperial physician see him… They should, he wasn’t a servant like them…

Jingzhe’s brain turned a bit into paste, dizzy, but his movements were not slow.

That nimble escape, if it were really a careless hunter, would definitely have been deceived by his agile feint.

Just as he crawled to the edge of the bed and wanted to get down, Jingzhe suddenly felt the world spin and was slammed heavily onto the soft bed. In this violent movement, Jingzhe fell dizzy and groaned low, covering his head.

“Where are you going?”

Finally, finally, Rong Jiu spoke.

This should have been a good thing.

If he completely refused to communicate, that would be the real headache and annoyance, not knowing where to start.

But Jingzhe’s reaction was completely different. his whole body tensed up, arms hugging his knees. In his misty black eyes, there was a trace of undetectable panic:

“…I’m going, to call an imperial physician for you…”

He didn’t want to admit it, but he vaguely sensed that something terrible might happen tonight.

He stepped vaguely on the boundary of nothingness, not knowing if taking another step forward would mean falling completely into the abyss, never to rise again.

“Imperial physician?” The man’s voice rose strangely, almost a twisted smile, carrying a strange, sticky pressure, “Hahahaha… Imperial physician…”

He laughed low, and the air seemed to vibrate with the sound, bringing a strange pressure.

Jingzhe: “If you’re sick, you need to see a doctor. You can’t hide your illness.” Saying it again, he appeared firmer and calmer than before.

At least, he suppressed those very shameful shivers and tremors.

Rong Jiu could smell the distinct, familiar fear on him.

That smell lurked in Jingzhe’s flesh and blood, slowly seeping out with his words and deeds, fanning the man’s violent desire to destroy.

Jingzhe was afraid of him.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t run.

But this fact, instead of bringing displeasure to Rong Jiu, acted as a strange stimulant, plunging the man’s already manic nerves into a drunken state… Ha… wonderful…

He liked this smell.

Jingzhe fearing him, Jingzhe liking him, Jingzhe shedding tears, Jingzhe trembling, even when he wanted to run away, he looked so cute.

…He had to be tolerant.

After all, sensitive people always have to suffer more than ordinary people, otherwise, how could they have lived so nimbly until now?

…He would tolerate Jingzhe well, so Jingzhe also had to tolerate him well…

Right.

Fingers ran violently through his hair, the man discarded his hair crown on the ground at will, making a loud “thud,” and then revealed a strange smile that could be called gentle.

He was truly tolerant.

giving Jingzhe so much, so much patience.

The man hugged the cornered Jingzhe from behind. Jingzhe was caught off guard, his defensive movements dismantled, and his whole person embedded into the wall of hot flesh.

Fingers nimbly covered Jingzhe’s mouth and nose, pressing Jingzhe’s head back against his shoulder. Rong Jiu almost reenacted the scene just now. That gushing vitality struggling under his palm made indifference and fanaticism climb into Rong Jiu’s eyes at the same time.

At the beginning, you could have escaped…

Rong Jiu leaned close to Jingzhe’s ear, murmuring, the sticky cold tone suddenly brushing past the spine, stinging Jingzhe’s nerves.

Ugh ha…

The moment Jingzhe saw Rong Jiu, compared to his eyes and emotions, Jingzhe’s instinct was the first part to be activated.

Rong Jiu could feel Jingzhe’s fingers stiffening where they held hands.

…It wasn’t just because of the cold, but also because of some unspeakable fear… Jingzhe sensed it… in his subconscious.

But the moment he was grabbed by Rong Jiu, Jingzhe’s emotions overwhelmed the rational warning. Even though signs of danger were screaming in his body to run, Jingzhe still involuntarily followed Rong Jiu into the darkness.

Rong Jiu stood in the darkness, his body trembling too. That wasn’t fear or cold, but mixed with violent excitement.

On his cold face, a strange smile appeared, like a monster crawling out of a ghostly domain, desperately suppressing the vagueness in his throat: “…One step, two steps…”

Three steps, four steps.

These were the steps Jingzhe took to walk to Rong Jiu on his own initiative after being captured by danger.

“It’s you…” Rong Jiu’s expression turned cold, as if all the violent emotions just now were frozen by frost, only those eyes seemed to still flicker with a faint glint in the dim room, “This is all your fault, Jingzhe.”

His mood changed so quickly, as if in an instant, turning from a manic summer to the cold of ice and snow, but the strong emotion in those words remained unchanged, mixed with indelible feelings.

The man was so cold, tough, and unreasonable, attributing all responsibility to Jingzhe.

In that hot palm, Jingzhe was forced to let out a short muffled groan.

He couldn’t see the man’s movements, but he felt them.

…No… he whimpered…

This moment…

Shame with nowhere to hide.

In this baseless accusation, Jingzhe was so pitiful, so unlucky to lose all possibility of rebuttal, not even a chance to defend himself, only able to watch helplessly as Rong Jiu passed judgment.

He breathed with extreme difficulty. Being held all over, he didn’t even have the possibility to struggle with his hands and feet. His body, which almost bounced up, was firmly pressed back.

Jingzhe gripped the man’s arm tightly, scratching out several bloody marks on the bulging muscles.

So scary…

He whimpered, feeling so wronged.

The feeling of confinement looming from all directions finally loosened its grip the moment he truly cried.

But Jingzhe had lost the strength to run. He lay on Rong Jiu’s body wailing, crying so pitifully, his voice hitching, breathing too rapidly, causing him to hiccup uncontrollably, then gasp even more violently.

The feeling of suffocation just now made him crave the feeling of air passing through.

“…I, didn’t… it’s you…”

Jingzhe couldn’t speak clearly at all.

He was interrupted by one sob after another.

Rong Jiu lifted Jingzhe up, looking at his tearful appearance from bottom to top, then lowered his head and licked the salty tears.

The taste was slightly bitter.

But the man didn’t mind at all, licking Jingzhe’s eyes, making his eyelids unable to open, two hands pushing Rong Jiu’s chest indiscriminately, hiccuping one after another.

So ugly, so shameful, how could he still kiss him?

Jingzhe was very confused, crying too hard, the lingering fear of suffocation still haunting his heart, his breathing very rapid, afraid he wouldn’t be able to catch his breath again.

His head was dizzy, completely turned into paste, slowly laid flat on the silk surface by the man, looking at Jingzhe’s flushed face, teeth grinding loudly.

Jingzhe turned his head in a trance and saw the arm supporting him by his shoulder was tensed to the point where muscles were distinct, as if using all strength not to crush him completely.

…

“Where is His Majesty?”

On this New Year’s Eve, Zong Yuanxin had no thought of celebrating the festival. After all, he was alone, who would he spend it with?

Oh, no, there was one person.

Zong Yuanxin decided that tonight, he would keep watch in Qianming Palace.

It was just that others were staying up for the New Year, and what about him?

He was guarding Emperor Jingyuan.

Since Emperor Jingyuan planned to condition his body, the happiest were not Ning Hongru and Shi Lijun, but Zong Yuanxin.

Ning Hongru would occasionally even see Zong Yuanxin humming a tune while twisting his waist in front of the medicine pot… very unsightly.

It had been a full month since Zong Yuanxin started conditioning Emperor Jingyuan’s body.

In this month, Zong Yuanxin was in charge of Emperor Jingyuan’s food, clothing, shelter, and transportation. He really managed every aspect: when to get up, when to sleep, when to take medicine, when to soak in a medicinal bath, and even what to eat, was very particular.

In Zong Yuanxin’s view, Emperor Jingyuan’s body was a broken pot that was strong on the outside but weak on the inside. He looked very tough and his physical strength was amazing. But this was all at the cost of overdrawing his life span.

When the time comes, what must be repaid will eventually be repaid.

Now, what Zong Yuanxin had to do was to fill in the leaks on this broken pot one by one, otherwise it would only continue to leak air. Once all the holes were healed, it would be easier than before to add more flesh and blood inside.

But this was a slow process.

Because this filling was exactly the process of removing the toxicity from Emperor Jingyuan’s flesh and bone marrow bit by bit. Zong Yuanxin had to control the efficacy of the medicine very precisely to force out the toxicity bit by bit without destroying the body’s balance.

The poison was a very cold poison.

It wouldn’t kill immediately, but it would make life worse than death.

Emperor Jingyuan was poisoned at a very young age, and until he grew up now, this toxicity had accompanied his survival for many years.

The poisoned person would have the fire in their body suppressed by the overly cold toxicity, so much so that even their emotions would be affected, gradually becoming cruel and heartless.

In Zong Yuanxin’s view, Emperor Jingyuan’s violence partly came from nature and upbringing, but partly because of this insidious poison.

In order to mobilize the suppressed fire again, Zong Yuanxin gradually added harmonizing medicines to Emperor Jingyuan’s daily meals.

These medicinal meals were all made by Zong Yuanxin and could fully adapt to Emperor Jingyuan’s condition.

Only one thing, they tasted bad.

The medicinal meals smelled more terrifying than real decoctions, simply nauseating.

But every meal, Emperor Jingyuan ate it without changing his expression.

After a month of nourishment, Emperor Jingyuan’s body finally changed, and his emotions were more exposed than before. Of course, this change was so subtle that it was almost imperceptible. If it weren’t for someone very familiar with Emperor Jingyuan, it would be absolutely impossible to discover.

After confirming from Ning Hongru and Shi Lijun that his direction was correct, Zong Yuanxin naturally gained confidence and was eager to enter the next stage.

In this stage, Zong Yuanxin would be heavier handed.

For this reason, he specially instructed the two managers of Qianming Palace very solemnly: “This stage is very critical, absolutely cannot let His Majesty lose control. Remember, maintain a stable state, neither too cold nor too hot.”

Ning Hongru understood Zong Yuanxin’s meaning and kept a close eye on His Majesty the Emperor.

But a month passed, and Emperor Jingyuan behaved as usual, showing no sign of losing control at all, let alone the state Zong Yuanxin instructed.

Although Ning Hongru was vigilant again and again, on New Year’s Eve, he lost track of Emperor Jingyuan in a moment of inattention.

At this time, Zong Yuanxin had already rested in the side hall.

Of course, he didn’t sleep,

Just lying in bed reading a book, frowning, not knowing what he saw, looking quite grave.

Hearing the urgent report from Ning Hongru’s men, Zong Yuanxin jumped up from the bed, furious.

This fire burned from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, making Zong Yuanxin’s face turn red with anger. He rushed out directly without even putting on his shoes.

At this moment, Ning Hongru had already had people check inside and outside Qianming Palace, but found no trace of Emperor Jingyuan. Plus, the emperor was very skilled, always coming and going without a trace. These ordinary guards didn’t notice the emperor’s departure at all.

The emperor not being in Qianming Palace was originally a small matter.

But in Zong Yuanxin’s view, it was a big matter.

In the eyes of a doctor, every detail is crucial.

Emperor Jingyuan had been fine for this month, indeed acting as if he wanted to be treated well. Even some harsh demands, the emperor never refuted.

What did this show?

It showed that Emperor Jingyuan knew in his heart and really wanted to condition his body. Then he would naturally know that what Zong Yuanxin said was not without aim.

Since food, clothing, shelter, and transportation all had to be carefully supervised by the doctor, Emperor Jingyuan would certainly not leave for no reason.

All this was based on Zong Yuanxin’s understanding of Emperor Jingyuan.

He was indeed a willful and very elusive person, but similarly, once Emperor Jingyuan promised something, his word was his bond.

Right now, the emperor had done something unexpected.

Zong Yuanxin: “Bad, must find His Majesty as soon as possible.”

Ning Hongru had already sent people out to look when he couldn’t find anyone in Qianming Palace. Hearing Zong Yuanxin’s words, he keenly sensed a tension more distinct than before.

He asked: “Is there any problem?”

Zong Yuanxin was still furious, but his anger had lowered much compared to before, thinking quickly about Emperor Jingyuan’s condition: “…The medicine is fierce. His Majesty, impacted by the manic medicinal properties, will subconsciously want to vent it out…”

But the dose he prescribed should be enough to suppress it.

How could he lose control!