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墨書 Inktalez
As the strong wine entered her system, even just a sip was enough to overwhelm Qing Wu, leaving her unable to bear its effects.
Before long, her head began to feel heavy. After a while, her thoughts nearly vanished. She could only vaguely see the double vision in front of her, feeling dazed and unsure of what day it was.
Who was it that was so close to her?
And who was it that twisted between her lips, stealing her breath away?
In an instant, she instinctively recognized him by the familiar scent on her lips.
The one person in this world she trusted the most.
However, after this thought flashed through Qing Wu's mind, she could no longer think clearly.
She could only rely on her feelings, vaguely aware that he was taking away her breath, leaving her weak and powerless.
The girl inherently had a bit of a rebellious nature.
Normally, it might not come out, but at this moment, with no reservations left, she acted purely on instinct, and this trait erupted instantly.
He made it hard for her to breathe?
Then she would "get back" at him by making it hard for him to breathe too!
He left her completely powerless?
Then she would hold onto him tightly, preventing him from continuing his mischief!
From the moment he offered her the wine, Huo Yun'ai knew she was doomed, completely lost.
She knew she couldn't handle alcohol, so why did he still do this?
It was merely due to his infatuation!
Initially, he only understood that the long nights were difficult to endure when she was not around.
But after she returned, he realized that the longing kept him tossing and turning, making the long nights even more torturous.
He didn't think being alone was a problem before. Now that he had her, he could no longer bear that loneliness.
He wanted to be with her every moment...
This desire was so strong that he wanted to get closer to her, even closer. Close enough to hold her in his arms, close enough to become one with her...
The passionate youth held his beloved girl tightly, wishing to give her everything and let her know his feelings. As their lips intertwined, he confined her completely, pouring all his passion into her.
Just when he thought this was the greatest joy, unexpectedly, the girl began to struggle violently.
Fearing he might hurt her, he loosened his grip slightly. He temporarily separated them, their noses almost touching as they breathed heavily.
Looking into her glistening eyes, he silently warned himself not to act recklessly again. If this continued, he might end up hurting her.
In the midst of his painful struggle, the girl slightly narrowed her eyes and suddenly reached out, wrapping her arms around his neck.
Then...
She tiptoed and gently bit his lip.
"I'm going to get back at you," she said with a dazed giggle.
Originally, his desires and infatuations could only be suppressed because of her resistance. Now that the girl in his arms was inviting him, how could he still hold back?
Desire suddenly broke free, surging forth in an instant, leaving him unable to think. All he knew was to hold her tightly and not let go.
His hand slipped inside her clothing, the smooth skin making him tremble with excitement.
Unable to resist, he unfastened her collar, exploring and sucking gently.
He couldn't think, didn't want to think. He only wished to act on his feelings.
Just as he was about to completely succumb, the girl suddenly let out a soft moan. It sounded both pained and pleasurable.
Though it was just a light sound, it made him freeze all over.
...That's right. They weren't married yet.
If this continued... could he still hold on?
It would be so improper; wouldn't that be unfair to her?
The torment of enduring this was only for him. Why drag her along to suffer together?
In the end, he couldn't bear to hurt her. Ultimately, he didn't want her to be angry with him when she woke up.
Though the arrow was nocked, he had to force it down.
When Qing Wu woke up, it was still dark. The flickering light in the room caught her attention. Squinting to see better, she realized there was a lamp left in the corner of the room. The candlelight swayed gently in the breeze, illuminating the area within her sight.
She intended to get up but felt her body weaken as she moved. Remembering that this was Huo Yun'ai's chamber, she slowly recalled having dinner with him earlier, and how she had been given a sip of wine... After that, her memories became hazy to the point of being nearly nonexistent.
Struggling to sit up, Qing Wu rubbed her aching forehead. When she opened her eyes again, she noticed a large shadow looming over her. Looking up, she saw Huo Yun'ai standing by the bed, quietly watching her.
Their eyes met, and a flush crept onto the young man's face.
Qing Wu sensed something was off and looked around. Spotting a chair by the bed, she asked in surprise, "Have you been sitting there all this time?"
Huo Yun'ai nodded in response.
He knew that under such circumstances, he absolutely could not lie down beside her again. Yet he couldn't bear to leave her side, so he moved a chair closer and sat beside her.
Qing Wu thought about how she had taken his bed, leaving him no choice but to sit beside her.
So she adjusted her wrinkled clothes and moved toward the edge of the bed.
"Do you want to go back?"
Huo Yun'ai glanced at her collar and then at the delicate skin of her exposed neck. Clearing his throat, he awkwardly looked away, pressed his lips together, and said in a somewhat hoarse voice, "It's chilly at night; you shouldn't run back and forth. Just rest here."
Qing Wu noticed his unnatural expression but didn't think much of it. She assumed her drunken state had embarrassed him. So she complained, "I told you I can't handle alcohol, but you wouldn't listen. Now look, you're suffering, and I haven't gained anything good from it either. What was the point?"
Huo Yun'ai thought to himself that she was right. It truly had been quite a torment. He didn't refute her statement and instead lightly nodded.
Qing Wu thought he had come to understand and would no longer insist on making her drink, so she sighed, "You can't do this again in the future."
She expected him to continue agreeing with her. However, the words that followed from the Young Emperor left her frozen in place.
After a moment, she slowly came to her senses and looked at him in disbelief.
Then she hurriedly jumped out of bed, flung open the door in a panic, and fled in a hurry.
...
When Qing Wu woke up later in the bedroom of Ningxin Pavilion, she felt dizzy and sore all over. Even getting up was a struggle.
After propping herself up with her elbow for just a moment, she collapsed back down.
The heat she had experienced throughout her body combined with the soreness made her suddenly realize that she was ill. And if she wasn't mistaken, it was likely just a common cold with a fever. She immediately felt some regret. If only she had taken a cloak when leaving Zhaoning Palace in the dark.
It was entirely her fault for leaving in such haste without considering this aspect. Later, when the cold wind blew, she knew it was chilly but refused to go back out of fear of embarrassment.
Now look where that had gotten her—she had fallen ill.
Qing Wu shouted for help. As soon as she opened her mouth, she realized her throat was burning with pain. Unable to raise her voice, she could only grab a porcelain object from the bedside and throw it to the ground.
The sound of shattering startled Azalea outside.
When Azalea entered the room and saw Qing Wu's pale face, she was taken aback. She reached out to touch Qing Wu's forehead and immediately panicked. She ran out of the room, searching for Dou Mama.
Dou Mama was preparing snacks for Qing Wu's breakfast when she heard the commotion. Startled, she quickly dropped what she was holding and hurried to Qing Wu's bedroom.
Qing Wu's forehead was extremely hot. It was clear that she was seriously ill.
Although Dou Mama was anxious, she managed to remain calmer than Azalea. Forcing herself to think clearly, she quickly considered her options. She instructed a maid to go to Zhaoning Palace to find Li Zi. Then she sent Azalea to the Imperial Medical Institute to fetch Doctor Luo.
Azalea accepted the order and rushed off. Just as she ran out of the courtyard, she turned back.
"What if Doctor Luo isn't there?" she asked urgently. "I remember Doctor Luo was on duty yesterday. He shouldn't be here today."
Dou Mama had no idea about such matters.
Having been away from the palace for many years, she was no longer familiar with the doctors at the Imperial Medical Institute.
After thinking for a moment, she said, "You should go find Uncle Yu and ask him who would be appropriate to summon."
With that, Azalea felt somewhat reassured and hurried off.
Since waking up briefly, Qing Wu had fallen back into a deep sleep. She noticed Dou Mama placing a cool cloth on her forehead to help reduce her fever but struggled for a while without being able to open her eyes. Occasionally hearing voices outside, she found them somewhat noisy but lacked even the strength to frown.
Time passed, though she couldn't tell how long it had been. Faintly, she heard that familiar, cold, distant voice, and she felt a bit more at ease in her heart; the pain in her head seemed to lessen as well.
Huo Yun'ai looked at the girl lying on the bed, noticing how weak she was, her breathing much shallower. He couldn't help but feel anxious. He glanced back and slightly shifted to the side to clear the way for the physician to examine Qing Wu.
The physician took her pulse for a long time, and his tense expression gradually relaxed. "There is no serious issue. After taking the medicine and sweating a bit, she will be fine. However, she must not exert herself for the next few days and should avoid the wind to recuperate."
Huo Yun'ai said solemnly, "Then what should we do about her current distress?"
The physician hurriedly replied, "For now, applying a damp, cool cloth to her forehead is very effective. Additionally, you can use alcohol to wipe her body to help lower her temperature."
Upon hearing the word "alcohol," Huo Yun'ai's expression darkened.
The physician dared not say anything further and quickly wrote out a prescription, instructing someone to hurry to the pharmacy.
It wasn't until the herbal medicine was brought that Huo Yun'ai finally woke Qing Wu.
Since his arrival, Uncle Yu and Dou Mama had already sent everyone in Ningxin Pavilion away, leaving only Li Zi and Azalea to attend.
Now that Huo Yun'ai had sent them out again, he personally approached Qing Wu to help her sit up. He then went to the table to bring over the herbal medicine and prepared to feed her spoonful by spoonful.
Qing Wu's head throbbed painfully. When she opened her eyes and saw him, she felt a bit more alert. In a hoarse voice, she said, "I can do it myself." She reached out to grab the bowl of medicine from him.
Despite clearly lacking strength and her fingers trembling, she insisted on doing so.
Seeing her like this, Huo Yun'ai could no longer suppress his anger. With a cold expression, he said angrily, "Do you have to be so polite with me?" After a moment of thought, he felt a pang of sorrow in his heart. The fingers holding the spoon unconsciously tightened until they turned pale.
"Could it be that you disagree with my matter?"
Qing Wu felt a bit dazed. After a moment of hesitation, she thought about what he meant. She opened her mouth but couldn't form a sentence.
Huo Yun'ai, seeing this, first looked dejected, then somewhat frustrated. After pondering for a long time with his head lowered, he became resolute.
"I do not expect you to agree immediately. It's just that... as long as I am alive, you are not allowed to refuse me and seek someone else."
Qing Wu was amused by his tone. She wanted to say a few words, but her throat was hoarse and uncomfortable. She managed to squeeze out one sentence: "That's too domineering!"
Huo Yun'ai smiled lightly and said, "It is indeed domineering. What will you do about it? As far as I am concerned, besides you, I have no intention of speaking to anyone else. If you refuse for a day, I will wait for a day. If you refuse for two days, I will wait for two days. Let's see who can outlast whom. If I can't wait any longer, I will use my authority to pressure the Liu Family and the Marquisate; what can you do about it?"
After saying this, his previously anxious heart calmed down a bit. He then picked up a spoon and fed the medicine to Qing Wu.
As Qing Wu tasted the bitterness in her mouth and recalled his words from earlier, her heart was filled with mixed emotions that she couldn't quite articulate.
She never expected that this seemingly elegant Fellow would suddenly say such things to her in the dead of night when the moon was dark and the wind howled. Even if one were to lack romantic understanding, it shouldn't be at such a time.
—"I have heard that girls can marry at thirteen. Now that there are no heirs in the palace, I have set my sights on you; what do you think?"
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