Chapter 422: Awarding a drink of water (1/2)
Chapter 422: Awarding a drink of water
…only for Han Yunxi’s eyes to fly open as soon as his face drew near! Not expecting this, Long Feiye choked on his mouthful of water and nearly swallowed it down his windpipe.
How did this woman wake up so soon? Didn’t Gu Beiyue say even the mildest cases needed one to two days to recover?!
Gu Beiyue hadn’t exaggerated his claims, but it was Han Yunxi’s personality to blame. She was so adamant about finishing what she started that her mind refused to rest until she was done, even when she was fighting exhaustion. She looked groggily at Long Feiye, then at her surroundings, before she hastened to ask, “Why am I here? What about Baili Mingxiang?”
Long Feiye didn’t back away, but propped himself up with his hands on either side of her. He looked down at her coldly and said, “Take care of yourself first!”
His sudden antagonism startled Han Yunxi. Why is he being so fierce right now?
“Did you forget how to talk in your exhaustion?” Long Feiye asked irritably.
Han Yunxi put together a general idea of what had happened. She must have collapsed in the end. It felt like the detox system seemed to have shut off for now, making it hard for her to even restart the system. But none of that was important now. Once again, she asked, “Your Highness, has Baili Mingxiang recovered after taking the medicine?”
Long Feiye had unhappy eyes to begin with, but now his entire expression was displeased. “She’s dead!” he told her.
“What?!” Han Yunxi struggled to get up, but Long Feiye forced her back down. She ignored the pain of him pressing against her body and asked, shocked, “How could that be? Was the medicine fake?” She’d done her best to hold on until the woman ate the pill before she lost consciousness. How could this have happened?
“She’s only a subordinate. Why do you have to care so much?” Long Feiye asked coldly.
Han Yunxi shook her head in disbelief. “Long Feiye, aren’t subordinates humans all the same? How much did Baili Mingxiang suffer for the sake of the Beauty’s Blood? Even if she didn’t accomplish any meritorious deeds, she still worked hard. Aren’t you afraid of people losing faith in you when you’re so heartless?”
Han Yunxi didn’t understand. Long Feiye knew how to win the people’s hearts in the disaster areas, but why was he so cruel towards his own men and women? Long Feiye simply gave a start and stared at Han Yunxi. He hadn’t understood things like ‘meritorious deeds’ or ‘hard work’ even since he was young! Whether it was mufei, Aunt Ru, or his uncle Tang Zijin and even General Baili, everyone had told him that such things didn’t exist in the face of their cause! Any and all results were for the sake of the cause, so even sacrifices were worthy of pride.
He had never forgotten his mother’s words: Ye’er, for the sake of the cause, you have to give up everything. All you need to keep is your life.
Han Yunxi couldn’t accept the news of Baili Mingxiang’s death. She struggled fiercely with a stomach full of ire. “Long Feiye, I was the one who gave Baili Mingxiang her medicine! I never wanted to be her executioner! I wanted to fail her even less, after giving her hope!”
She was about to push Long Feiye aside when he pushed her down again, his tone softer this time. “She didn’t die.”
“What?”
Once again, Han Yunxi was left stunned. Her heart rose and dropped with the news, making it hard to breathe. “What did you say?”
“She didn’t die. She can get out of bed now, so she should be fine,” Long Feiye could faintly recall Baili Mingxiang kneeling down to thank him before he left.
Han Yunxi clutched Long Feiye’s hand and said, absolutely serious, “Really?”
Though he only felt impatient, Long Feiye still stopped to nod his head. Han Yunxi exhaled a long breath of relief. “Thank goodness, thank goodness! How is her situation now? Shall I take a look?”
Immediately, Long Feiye’s face fell. Too lazy to waste any words, he said bluntly, “Why don’t you try to get out of bed and see what it feels like?”
Han Yunxi gave a start before she realized a certain someone was currently holding her down! Meanwhile, Lil Thing had been watching their intimate position from a corner all this time. It had no idea what Mama Yunxi and Papa Long were saying, but only felt that their positions were too reminiscent of this and that. It was even starting to feel a little embarrassed. Spying on private moments like this was wrong, but…but the picture was so beautiful that it wanted to look anyways!
Their positions, combined with Long Feiye’s stormy expression, thoroughly turned Han Yunxi docile. As long as the pill was real, Baili Mingxiang would survive. The rest hinged on her recovering her strength, so she didn’t need to worry anymore. Forget about trying to get off the bed, then.
Long Feiye’s look was murderous enough to kill right now. She could admit that she wasn’t generous enough to put her own life in danger for the sake of Baili Mingxiang’s. Her obedient ways and pursed lips caused her to remain still as Long Feiye coldly stared—no, glared—at her. Actually, she was still a bit confused.
I’m just tired, that’s all. Why is he so angry?
Silence reigned in the room until Han Yunxi felt restless. Breaking her gaze from Long Feiye, she asked, “Your Highness, can you award me a drink of water?”
I’m thirsty!
Long Feiye might be unhappy, but he still got the cup of water for her right again. When he saw Han Yunxi trying to get up, he supported her with a hand. But midway through the motion, he pressed her back down again.