Chapter 36#
A single rain didn’t seem to take away the heat of Jiangnan; instead, the sun became even more scorching, roasting the land of Shenzhou. Pedestrians on the continent were like fish being steamed over a fire, wanting nothing more than to dive into the river for a swim.
And many did exactly that. Many people jumped into the river just to escape the sweltering heat of the blazing sun.
Su Yang looked at the storybook in his hand, feeling that he had likely been swindled.
It had been a long time since Su Yang had tasted the feeling of being deceived. Now, this realization actually made him laugh out of anger.
He had actually believed that a storybook casually bought from a street vendor could resolve his predicament.
He wanted to close the book, but his fingertips flipped to the second page.
True, he was at his wit’s end now; what other way did he have to please Lin Huaiyu?
There were so many people around Lin Huaiyu, and everyone had an advantage over him. In Lin Huaiyu’s heart, he was currently ranked even lower than a stranger. A stranger at least didn’t need to be guarded against, yet Lin Huaiyu was so wary of his approach that he even feared the hangover soup he brought might be poisoned.
Su Yang gave a bitter smile and shook his head helplessly. He flipped to the second page of the storybook, and when he saw the words on it, he froze.
First Style of Pursuing One’s Wife: Thick-skinnedly move in with the person you like, as the saying goes, “the pavilion closest to the water enjoys the moonlight first.”
Su Yang snapped the book shut with a “clap.” He suddenly felt that this storybook was very reasonable; he probably hadn’t been swindled.
Su Yang felt as if he had been given a flash of inspiration. He immediately packed his things and headed back toward the Lin residence.
Lin Huaiyu hadn’t woken up yet and was still sleeping on the lounge chair. The clothes rack he had set up earlier happened to block the sun rising from the east, so the light wouldn’t hit Lin Huaiyu’s eyes. Lin Huaiyu could sleep peacefully without being woken by the sunlight.
Su Yang glanced at the lush, leafy tree in the courtyard, rolled his eyes, and with a light leap, landed on the roof of the room where Lin Huaiyu usually slept.
But as soon as he got up there, he bumped into Lin Fei, who was also lying on the roof.
The two stared at each other for a moment. Lin Fei didn’t bow or move aside because of Su Yang’s status; after all, back in the capital, he already looked down on this Emperor who had made his master gravely ill.
In his heart, Lin Huaiyu was the most important.
Su Yang didn’t mind Lin Fei’s rudeness, but he had no intention of leaving either. He picked a spot on the other side of the roof and lay down, looking sideways at Lin Huaiyu in the courtyard.
Lin Fei: “…”
He’s here to snatch the spot.
However, Lin Fei couldn’t make a move against Su Yang right now, as any movement would surely wake Lin Huaiyu. He had no choice but to let Su Yang be for the time being.
Su Yang watched Lin Huaiyu like this until He Qingli walked in.
He Qingli came to find Lin Huaiyu with his medicine box as usual. Seeing Lin Huaiyu sleeping in the courtyard and noting the clothes rack blocking the sun, he said nothing and walked to Lin Huaiyu’s side to call him: “Wake up, the sun is already shining on…”
It wasn’t shining on Lin Huaiyu.
But Lin Huaiyu woke up upon hearing He Qingli’s voice. He Qingli’s timing for diagnosis and treatment was consistent, so even if He Qingli hadn’t called him, he would have woken up around this time anyway.
Lin Huaiyu slowly opened his eyes. His gaze shifted and fell upon the robe covering him that didn’t belong to him. He pulled the robe aside, turned to see the clothes rack that had been moved out, and let out a cold laugh.
He Qingli quickly said: “That wasn’t my doing.”
Lin Huaiyu glanced at him: “You’re not that kind-hearted.”
He Qingli: “…”
Nonsense.
He Qingli couldn’t take it at all: “If I weren’t that kind-hearted, would I still be putting in all this effort to save you?”
Lin Huaiyu leaned back on the lounge chair, revealing a section of his arm covered in needle marks, and said leisurely: “Then don’t save me.”
He Qingli glared at him: “That’s not what you said when you first arrived in Jiangnan!”
Lin Huaiyu raised his eyes to look at him and asked: “Then what did I say?”
He Qingli snorted and said through gritted teeth: “You said, ‘Director He, I beg you to save me. As long as you save my life, I’ll give you whatever you want.’”
Lin Huaiyu curled his lips into a light laugh: “Does that sound believable to you?”
He Qingli: “…”
Lin Huaiyu’s original words back then were: Director He, you’ve already refused to save a dying man once; is there going to be a second time?
Lin Huaiyu knew how to manipulate him, but more than that, He Qingli knew that Lin Huaiyu could have used his family to threaten him, but this time, Lin Huaiyu hadn’t.
He Qingli indeed felt guilty toward Lin Huaiyu. Years ago, Lin Huaiyu had come to the Imperial Academy of Medicine to find him, seeking a way to neutralize the poison, but at that time, he had refused.
Poisoned wine bestowed by the late Emperor—how could a mere Director of the Imperial Academy of Medicine dare to treat Lin Huaiyu?
Now, no matter how difficult it was, he had to give it his best shot.
Silver needles pierced Lin Huaiyu’s arm, once again temporarily sealing his five senses so that he wouldn’t feel too much pain during the bloodletting.
But Su Yang, watching from the roof, knit his brows tightly. He landed softly in the courtyard and walked to Lin Huaiyu’s side. He Qingli looked up at him warily.
Su Yang didn’t say anything; he just walked to the lounge chair and watched the blood seeping from Lin Huaiyu’s arm. That already thin wrist now had to endure such pain daily.
No wonder Lin Huaiyu was so emaciated.
He stood by the side, watching as He Qingli finished the bloodletting, removed the needles, and prepared to bandage the arm.
Su Yang took the gauze and said: “I’ll do it.”
He Qingli looked at him a couple of times. Su Yang wasn’t discussing it with him; he was notifying him.
He Qingli had no choice but to stand aside and pack away his needles and medicine box.
Su Yang’s movements during bandaging were very gentle. Even though he knew Lin Huaiyu’s senses were currently suppressed, he couldn’t bear to cause the other person any pain.
At this moment, he could only hold Lin Huaiyu’s hand without letting go, his fingertips gently brushing over the wounds on Lin Huaiyu’s arm, stroking them carefully as if he wanted to experience Lin Huaiyu’s pain, yet unable to bear it in his stead.
He held Lin Huaiyu’s hand until his senses gradually recovered.
As soon as Lin Huaiyu opened his eyes, he saw Su Yang, and then felt his hand being held by the other. His face immediately turned cold as he pulled his hand back: “Pointless.”
Looking at the ice in Lin Huaiyu’s eyes—which had been exceptionally soft just a moment ago but turned into nothing but indifference toward him—Su Yang felt a sharp pain in his heart, but he could only say softly: “Don’t drive me away.”
Lin Huaiyu gave a cold laugh of anger: “It’s my house; can’t I drive you away?”
Su Yang pursed his lips and said unwillingly: “Then why can Ji Wuyou sleep here, but I can’t?”
Lin Huaiyu looked at him unblinkingly for a moment, then said: “Ji Wuyou won’t hurt me and won’t force me. What about you?”
Su Yang’s lips trembled, his eyes dimmed, and then he said: “I won’t either. Teacher, trust me one more time, alright?”
Lin Huaiyu added: “Without my permission, Ji Wuyou won’t touch me. So, what about you?”
Su Yang looked at his own palm. He had just been holding Lin Huaiyu’s arm, aching for his scars, but now that act became the wordless evidence of his guilt.
He said: “There won’t be a next time. If you don’t let me touch you, I absolutely won’t touch you again. What Ji Wuyou can do, I can do too. What he can’t do, I can do even better.”
Lin Huaiyu lowered his eyes slightly: “I don’t want to hear these meaningless words from you. Su Yang, didn’t you come to Jiangnan for the floods? Or was it to take me back to the capital and imprison me again?”
Su Yang shook his head repeatedly: “No! I won’t do that again, and I won’t imprison you. I just missed you and wanted to see you, that’s all.”
Lin Huaiyu withdrew his gaze. His arm felt weak and powerless, so it could only hang by his side: “Now that you’ve seen me, leave.”
Gazing at Lin Huaiyu, who was shutting him out, Su Yang couldn’t help but ask: “Do you really not want to see me that much?”
Lin Huaiyu let out a cold laugh: “What do you think?”
Su Yang had no other way and could only follow Lin Huaiyu’s wishes, leaving the courtyard.
He stood at the entrance of the Lin residence, looking at the two stone lions. Recalling what Ji Wuyou had said to Jing Fei earlier, Su Yang hesitated for a moment and then sat down beside a stone lion.
It didn’t matter. If Lin Huaiyu wouldn’t let him sleep inside, he would sleep outside. As long as Lin Huaiyu was there, it was fine.
He was no longer thinking about anything else—no imprisonment, no coercion. He only wanted to stay by Lin Huaiyu’s side. Wherever Lin Huaiyu went, he would follow. Days without Lin Huaiyu… he really couldn’t go on.
He sat by the entrance leaning against the stone lion, took the “Twelve Styles of Pursuing One’s Wife” from his robes, and continued flipping to the next page.
Second Style of Pursuing One’s Wife: When in doubt, apologize first. It’s okay to kneel; there’s no gold under a man’s knees, only a lack of a wife.
Su Yang: “…”
Nonsense. He had found this book somewhat reasonable before, but now it made no sense at all.
He was the Emperor of Great Yong. It was one thing for Lin Huaiyu not to kneel to him—he had permitted Lin Huaiyu to forgo formal etiquette—but to ask him to kneel to Lin Huaiyu was absolutely impossible.
He snapped the book shut. Before he could think further, a cry of alarm suddenly came from He Qingli inside.
Su Yang’s heart skipped a beat. He hurriedly stuffed the book into his robes and rushed in.
He saw Lin Huaiyu still leaning on the lounge chair, but blood was seeping from the corners of his mouth, and there was blood he had spat out on the ground.
Su Yang’s pupils contracted. He rushed to Lin Huaiyu’s side and gently wiped the blood from his lips with his sleeve, asking: “What’s going on?!”
Lin Huaiyu turned his face away, distancing himself from Su Yang: “Why are you still here?”
Su Yang was speechless for a moment, only asking: “What’s wrong with you? Why are you spitting blood again?”
Lin Huaiyu said nonchalantly: “I told you, spitting blood is inevitable during treatment. Besides, the poison has entered my heart meridian; isn’t spitting some blood perfectly normal?”
Su Yang stared intently at Lin Huaiyu’s blood-stained lips. Those thin lips were originally very pale, but now, stained with blood, they appeared strangely alluring.
Su Yang poured a cup of water and handed it to Lin Huaiyu, then asked He Qingli: “Is this normal?”
He Qingli hesitated for a moment, then nodded: “It’s… it’s quite normal.”
Su Yang didn’t say anything more; he just looked at Lin Huaiyu with a complex expression.
He knew Lin Huaiyu wasn’t telling him the truth, and He Qingli was naturally helping Lin Huaiyu keep it from him.
Lin Huaiyu’s poison… how exactly was it? Could it only be suppressed to linger on, or could it really be cured? Or… was a great price required?
Su Yang watched as Lin Huaiyu lost his strength and fell back asleep, standing there quietly.
It wasn’t his imagination; since he had met Lin Huaiyu again, he noticed that Lin Huaiyu slept much longer than before. Lin Huaiyu was never someone who slept a lot; it was because his body was too exhausted to allow him to stay awake.
Su Yang’s gaze darkened as he looked at He Qingli: “Follow me.”
He used “I” (the imperial ‘Zhen’). Since arriving in Jiangnan and meeting Lin Huaiyu, this was the first time he had referred to himself this way. He Qingli felt the pressure of Su Yang’s status as the Emperor. He suddenly realized that Su Yang wasn’t actually easy to talk to; he was only humbling himself before Lin Huaiyu.
But that didn’t mean anyone other than Lin Huaiyu could walk all over him.
He Qingli thought about his attitude toward Su Yang over the past two days…
He was doomed!
He followed Su Yang to the side, trembling, waiting for his punishment.
However, Su Yang didn’t get angry but asked him: “The poison in Lin Huaiyu—who was it that administered it?”
He Qingli hadn’t expected Su Yang to suddenly bring up old matters. Recalling the situation back then, he spoke hesitantly: “This humble subject… does not know.”
Su Yang looked at him coldly, a layer of frost forming in his eyes: “Say that again. Do you know the consequences of deceiving the Emperor?”
He Qingli’s lips trembled, not daring to say more, only saying: “This matter involves the late Emperor; this humble subject dares not speak recklessly.”
The late Emperor?
Su Yang’s eyes narrowed instantly. So, the reason he couldn’t find the truth for so long was that it was related to his so-called “Imperial Father.” No wonder he couldn’t find anything.
The people and matters related to the late Emperor had long since vanished along with him.
Su Yang’s face darkened as he barked: “Explain clearly! In the twenty-first year of Yonghe, who exactly poisoned Lin Huaiyu!”