Chapter 15#
Chapter 15#
Blurred consciousness was pulled between reason and surrender, like a tide rushing in, dragging Lin Huaiyu deep into the seabed. Everything around him became distant, yet in the next moment of his sinking, he was violently scooped up by a large hand.
Lin Huaiyu felt a sharp pain and let out a muffled groan. Recalling that there was someone outside the room, he immediately bit his lower lip.
Seeing him like this, Su Yang was even more incensed.
“Is Teacher so concerned about Lin Fei’s opinion? Are you afraid Lin Fei will find out that you are humiliated daily by me in the palace, ruining your image in his heart?”
Lin Huaiyu shook his head gently. His face was flushed with an unnatural fever, but his thin lips were pale. Even so, he didn’t let out a single groan or beg for himself.
A Lin Huaiyu like this only made Su Yang angrier. But seeing Lin Huaiyu’s breath as thin as silk, Su Yang’s strength softened.
He hated Lin Huaiyu to death. Lin Huaiyu could plead for the common people, for those irrelevant people, and for a steward, yet he didn’t know how to plead for himself.
Since he had already begged for mercy, why couldn’t he open his mouth to beg for his own sake?
No matter how angry Su Yang was deep down, seeing Lin Huaiyu biting his lip and frowning, knowing the other was in pain, he couldn’t help but soften his heart.
Feeling that he wasn’t being pressed as hard, Lin Huaiyu felt a slow sense of relief in his heart. He whispered, “Has Your Majesty’s anger subsided?”
Su Yang raised an eyebrow and gave a soft snort, not answering.
Lin Huaiyu could only continue the conversation himself: “If Your Majesty’s anger has subsided, please let Lin Fei leave the palace.”
Su Yang’s original fury had indeed dissipated a few points due to Lin Huaiyu’s weakness, but hearing Lin Huaiyu mention Lin Fei again, his anger flared up once more.
He immediately said, “Teacher is clearly tightly entwined with me, yet you are still thinking of another man? Lin Huaiyu, are you really so fickle and shameless?”
Lin Huaiyu’s throat was so parched from the fever that not a drop of moisture remained. His already raspy voice was now completely gone. Yet Su Yang, unable to hear an answer, continued to misinterpret nearby: “Leave the palace? Teacher only remembers leaving the palace. What? Do you think I would also keep Lin Fei under house arrest in the palace?”
Lin Huaiyu refused to speak, but Su Yang insisted on forcing him to open his mouth, his words becoming even more vicious: “The only one I want is you. Do you think everyone is as seductive as you?”
Lin Huaiyu no longer wanted to argue with Su Yang about this matter. He only wanted Su Yang to let Lin Fei go so that he could feel at ease. Even if he lost consciousness, he wouldn’t have to keep his heart hanging in suspense.
“So, can Your Majesty let Lin Fei go?” Lin Huaiyu asked again with his raspy voice, barely managing to speak.
However, the grip on his waist suddenly tightened. Su Yang glared at him and shouted angrily, “Why are you still thinking about him? Oh, I remember now. Didn’t you beg me just for his sake? In that case, let him hear what kind of illicit things the Master Lin he respects so much is doing in the room with his own student!”
Even though Lin Huaiyu’s mind wasn’t very clear at this moment, hearing Su Yang’s words, he immediately thought of what this madman might do.
For example, opening that door and exposing their current scene to everyone!
Su Yang had threatened him like this more than once, and had indeed opened the door before.
So when his back was slammed hard against the door, Lin Huaiyu almost let out a cry.
But reason held onto him tightly, making him bite his own lip.
With such a loud commotion, the people outside couldn’t possibly not hear.
He could no longer deceive himself.
Lin Huaiyu raised his hand, wanting to cover his eyes, but Su Yang seized his wrist and said in a low voice, “Lin Huaiyu, don’t beg for mercy. I want you to cry out.”
He deliberately pressed Lin Huaiyu against the door, intentionally making a lot of noise. The door of Qinchun Palace seemed as if it were about to be torn down by Su Yang. In the fear that the door might be opened and he would appear before everyone in this wretched state, Lin Huaiyu gripped Su Yang tightly, attempting to stay away from that door.
Such a movement made Lin Huaiyu take the initiative to press closer to Su Yang, a move that made Su Yang particularly satisfied.
Holding the eventually unconscious Lin Huaiyu, Su Yang leaned against the door, his gaze deep.
He wanted everyone to know that Lin Huaiyu belonged to him, to him alone, and no one should even think of coveting him.
Feeling the heat of the person in his arms, Su Yang’s reason gradually returned. Lin Huaiyu’s fever was too high; if this continued, he might really be burned out.
He gently carried the person to the bed, pulled over a quilt to cover him, and wrung out a handkerchief to place on Lin Huaiyu’s forehead.
Then he called Zhou Li over for a consultation.
The medicine was delivered early, but Su Yang was at a loss looking at the unconscious Lin Huaiyu with pursed lips.
How could he make Lin Huaiyu drink the medicine without losing a single drop?
He sat by the bed, lifted Lin Huaiyu, and let the other lean against his chest. He scooped a spoonful of medicine and held it to Lin Huaiyu’s lips: “Teacher, open your mouth.”
But Lin Huaiyu acted as if he didn’t hear, remaining motionless.
Su Yang used the spoon to pry open Lin Huaiyu’s soft lips, but he couldn’t pry open the other’s teeth. The medicine couldn’t be sent into Lin Huaiyu’s mouth.
Su Yang furrowed his brows, used one hand to grip Lin Huaiyu’s jaw, forcing him to open his mouth, and poured the medicine in.
However, this time, Lin Huaiyu, having lost consciousness, didn’t swallow at all. The medicine juice flowed out from the corner of his lips, wetting Lin Huaiyu’s collar.
Su Yang hurriedly wiped the corner of his lips, scooped another spoonful of medicine, and threatened, “Lin Huaiyu, if you don’t drink the medicine, do you know the consequences?”
The person in his arms remained still throughout.
In that instant, Su Yang’s heartbeat was deafening. He didn’t know why his heart was beating so fast and so chaotically.
Unable to get a response from Lin Huaiyu, he became anxious. He held the medicine in his own mouth, turned Lin Huaiyu’s head, and passed the medicine into Lin Huaiyu’s mouth mouth-to-mouth.
Unfortunately, Lin Huaiyu still didn’t swallow the medicine in his mouth.
For a moment, Su Yang was actually helpless. He could only watch helplessly as Lin Huaiyu’s breathing became faint, and he fell into a coma with his whole body burning.
Should he call Lin Fei to take care of Lin Huaiyu?
To admit that Lin Fei was the one who could take good care of Lin Huaiyu, while he could do nothing?
Preposterous!
As soon as Su Yang thought about how Lin Huaiyu was still thinking about Lin Fei before he passed out, he didn’t want to call Lin Fei to take care of Lin Huaiyu at all.
Su Yang once again scooped a spoonful of medicine into his own mouth and passed it into Lin Huaiyu’s mouth again. This time, he didn’t let go of Lin Huaiyu immediately, but instead used his other hand to touch Lin Huaiyu’s Adam’s apple, gently pressing the sensitive and fragile area.
Fortunately, this method worked. Lin Huaiyu indeed relaxed his throat and swallowed the medicine juice. Even in a coma, Lin Huaiyu was still spurred by the bitterness of the medicine to frown, and even dodged Su Yang’s next spoonful.
Su Yang was amused by Lin Huaiyu’s childish appearance. He liked seeing every side of Lin Huaiyu, especially those sides unknown to outsiders.
But as soon as he thought that Lin Fei had also seen such a Lin Huaiyu, Su Yang’s face immediately darkened again.
He used the same method from before to continue feeding Lin Huaiyu the medicine, but used a bit of force while pressing Lin Huaiyu’s Adam’s apple. Lin Huaiyu’s frown deepened, but he could only be forced to swallow the bitter medicine juice.
Lin Huaiyu’s cold came on fiercely, and after being tossed about by Su Yang, he was unconscious for two days before waking up.
The moment he opened his eyes, Lin Huaiyu still felt the world spin for a moment, but fortunately, it quickly recovered. He still felt fatigued, but it was much better than before he passed out.
Lin Huaiyu slowly shifted his gaze. The person by the bed, seeing him wake up, immediately wept with joy: “Master! You finally woke up! Wuwuwuwuwu…”
Seeing Lin Fei, Lin Huaiyu’s gaze flickered for a moment.
He hadn’t forgotten the noise Su Yang made while pressing him against the door that day. It was impossible for Lin Fei not to have heard it across a door.
Lin Fei was just a child. How was he supposed to face Lin Fei…
Lin Huaiyu rarely lost all his strategies, and for a moment after closing his eyes, he actually wanted to escape.
But Lin Fei was completely unaware of Lin Huaiyu’s internal complexity at this moment, only looking at him in confusion: “Master? Are you feeling unwell anywhere? I’ll go call the Imperial Physician again!”
He was about to run out when Lin Huaiyu spoke to stop him: “No need.”
His throat hurt a bit—not inside, but outside. It was as if something had forcefully crushed his Adam’s apple, almost breaking it.
He raised his hand to gently rub his Adam’s apple. Seeing this, Lin Fei’s eyes immediately turned red: “Master, you aren’t living well in the palace at all. You are the Emperor’s teacher; how can he treat you like this?!”
Hearing this, Lin Huaiyu’s entire body stiffened. He lowered his gaze, not daring to look at Lin Fei, only saying faintly, “You… you heard everything.”
“Yes!” Lin Fei said with a face full of anger, speaking out against the injustice for Lin Huaiyu.
Lin Huaiyu’s eyelashes trembled, and his breath seemed to be stuck in his throat.
He was silent for a moment, only to hear Lin Fei say righteously, “Even if His Majesty is the Son of Heaven, he cannot treat his teacher like this! How could he hit you! A teacher for a day is a father for a lifetime, and besides, you are still sick!”
Lin Huaiyu was stunned, thinking he had misheard, and repeated, “Hit me?”
Lin Fei nodded vigorously: “Yes! Did His Majesty push you against the door, Master? Or did he smash something against the door? This servant didn’t actually hear much, only heard something crashing against the door before being taken away by Eunuch De Fu. Was it this servant who angered His Majesty, and His Majesty took it out on you? It’s all this servant’s fault…”
For some reason, Lin Huaiyu suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.
Lin Fei hadn’t heard everything; Su Yang was just scaring him.
Lin Huaiyu relaxed his stiff expression and said to Lin Fei, “His Majesty… did not hit me.”
Lin Fei pursed his lips: “But he won’t let you go home, Master. He’s about to appoint an Empress. What are you doing staying in the back palace, Master?”
Lin Huaiyu’s cold expression suddenly faltered. He shifted his gaze to Lin Fei and asked, “The Emperor is about to appoint an Empress?”
Lin Fei nodded: “Yes, the imperial decree has already been issued. It should be certain.”
Lin Huaiyu’s gaze dropped, his fingertips curling. He asked again, “Who… is the Empress?”
Lin Fei shook his head: “This servant isn’t sure about that. Master, Master, let’s just return to the manor.”
Lin Huaiyu looked out the window, his thoughts drifting for a while. After a long time, he said, “Xiao Fei, His Majesty will let you out of the palace. You go back first.”
Lin Fei looked at Lin Huaiyu. His master seemed to have little interest, looking even thinner than before, with a pale face, as if the wind outside the door would blow him away at any moment.
He couldn’t help but feel a tightening in his heart and asked, “What about you, Master?”
Lin Huaiyu’s gaze fell back on Lin Fei, his eyes containing the same strategic depth Lin Fei had seen before: “I have something I need you to do.”
Lin Fei immediately said worriedly, “Then what will you do, Master? Are you not leaving the palace with this servant?”
Lin Huaiyu shook his head gently and coughed twice: “Whether I can leave the palace depends on you, Xiao Fei.”