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Ao Yan finally could not move anymore, lying weakly on the bed, as light as a wisp of smoke. Lin Qingmo moved the chamber pot into the room for his convenience. "Wife, I..." Ao Yan's voice was weak, and the words he couldn't express felt heavy, weighing him down. He leaned against Lin Qingmo, gasping for breath. "I know, don't speak," Lin Qingmo said, carefully helping him sit up from the bed and bending down to put on his shoes. Ao Yan shook his head and said with difficulty, "No need... it's too late." Lin Qingmo sighed; it had been half the night of this ordeal with no sign of stopping. "I'll go find Turtle Prime Minister to take a look at you." Ao Yan grabbed Lin Qingmo's hand, his grip soft and weak, raising his pale face that had turned slightly yellow, pleading, "Don't go... let Xi'er go."
Xi'er had already woken up. Initially, it had been sleeping soundly in the next room but was roused by Ao Yan's restless pacing. It stood behind the gauzy curtain separating the outer and inner rooms, peeking in with its eyes. Lin Qingmo caught sight of it yawning widely, its body wrapped in the curtain, half-asleep and seemingly unaware of its surroundings. "Xi'er," Lin Qingmo called in a low voice, urgency lacing his tone. Xi'er jolted awake as if doused with cold water, flying over to Lin Qingmo's side. It saw Ao Yan leaning against Lin Qingmo while sitting on the chamber pot, eyes closed—whether asleep or unconscious was unclear. His pale face bore dark circles under his eyes.
"Is the prince sick?" Xi'er asked softly. Lin Qingmo nodded; his furrowed brows had yet to relax. After a night of turmoil, he too looked haggard, his complexion pale and eyes sunken—a striking resemblance to Ao Yan.
Xi'er continued, "The prince has been weak since childhood. I..." It glanced at Lin Qingmo, "You should go find Turtle Prime Minister to check on the prince; I'll stay here to watch over him." Lin Qingmo understood Xi'er's intention; it wanted him to take the opportunity to visit Lin Xiao. With Lin Xiao's life hanging by a thread and uncertain whether he was dead or alive, Lin Qingmo felt equally unsettled and adrift. Weighing his options, he finally nodded.
Xi'er perched on a round table, gently touching Ao Yan on the chamber pot with its wings while soothingly saying, "Prince, Qingmo has gone to find Turtle Prime Minister; Xi'er will stay here with you." Ao Yan opened his eyelids slightly before closing them again. Unbeknownst to Xi'er, his lips pressed tightly together, eyelids hiding eyes that glimmered with cold light.
Lin Qingmo reluctantly roused the still-sleeping Turtle Prime Minister and explained Ao Yan's condition to him. Turtle Prime Minister remained calm. He wore a simple gray-black robe that lacked the formality of official attire. Without a hat, his hair was tied in a small bun atop his head with a jade hairpin inserted; his head connected to a round face that resembled a small incense burner. He looked kindly at Lin Qingmo and said, "Let's go, Crown Princess." After pausing for a moment, he turned back and added, "Young Master Lin is fine now; it's just a minor injury. Allow me to take you to see him."
Turtle Prime Minister led Lin Qingmo into a room and whispered, "Young Master Lin has just fallen asleep. I will go ahead." "Rest assured, Prime Minister," Lin Qingmo quickly interjected. "I will be there shortly."
A small luminous pearl hung from one side of the bed curtain. Lin Xiao was asleep, looking clean and refreshed in his nightclothes. His complexion had returned to a healthy hue; sparks of life began flickering within him again. His prominent nose was the most striking feature among his handsome traits; steady breaths flowed through it gently brushing against Lin Qingmo's fingers as they hovered near.
Lin Qingmo took hold of his hand but suddenly choked up, murmuring softly, "Lin Xiao... it's good you're okay." Suddenly feeling a firm grip around his hand made him look up into Lin Xiao's bright eyes.
They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity before Lin Xiao said softly, "I must be dreaming again." He tightened his grip as if afraid that letting go would cause Lin Qingmo to slip away from him once more. Lin Qingmo forced out an awkward smile: "You're almost crushing my hand; it hurts! Is this really a dream?" Tears streamed down Lin Xiao's face like a river bursting its banks—uncontrollable and overwhelming. His face turned white as cotton soaked with tears; Lin Qingmo leaned forward to wipe them away only for more tears to seep out—an endless cycle.
Lin Xiao sobbed as he embraced Lin Qingmo tightly; in turn, Lin Qingmo held him close until they both began to cry aloud.
After they had cried enough, they looked at each other's tear-streaked faces and couldn't help but smile through their tears. "What are you crying for? You sound like a girl," Lin Qingmo teased lightly.
Lin Xiao retorted playfully as he leaned closer to Lin Qingmo's face: "You're the one acting like a girl! Look at you—your tears aren't even dry!" Inwardly he added: “If you were really a girl, I might have already married you.”
Lin Xiao tenderly cupped Lin Qingmo's face in his hands—this face was what he cherished day and night; it was like an offering placed upon an altar deep within his heart.
"I knew you weren't dead; you must be doing well," said Lin Xiao confidently. Feeling flustered under his intense gaze made Lin Qingmo lower his head and ask softly, "Do you know where this is?"
"Yes," replied Lin Xiao confidently. "It's Dragon Palace."
Lin Qingmo was surprised: "Did Turtle Prime Minister tell you?"
Lin Xiao nodded: "Turtle Prime Minister is a good person. I woke up not long after arriving here; my neck wound has healed without any trace thanks to him." He tilted his neck for Lin Qingmo to see. “Lin San and Lin Liu were pretending to be madmen; we should never have let those two scoundrels go free! They knew you weren’t dead and tried to lure me into their trap by staging an act of self-harm to draw you out for treasure—but I didn’t agree! They first made a shallow cut on my neck so I wouldn’t die right away but later I couldn’t hold on any longer and fainted.”
Lin Qingmo interrupted him: “Those two scoundrels are dead now; they got what they deserved! That day I planned to return home but unexpectedly ran into you on the road... My mother—how is she?”
"Lin Aunt is doing well," replied Lin Xiao reassuringly. "She lives in town; I wanted her to come stay at my place but she refused. However, I visit her every day. Your mother... although she doesn’t say it outright, I know she misses you."
As if recalling something important, he added: “Who exactly took you that day? The next day your corpse washed ashore on the beach but I knew you weren’t dead! Everyone in the village thought you were gone but I told Auntie that you wouldn’t die—you definitely wouldn’t die!”
Lin Qingmo couldn’t meet Lin Xiao’s gaze anymore and turned away instead. He dared not reveal the true nature of his relationship with Ao Yan; if he did so, surely Lin Xiao would want to rescue him from this predicament—a laughable notion given their limited strength against Ao Yan’s might.
Ao Yan’s temper was not only fierce but also possessive; if he found out that he had secretly rescued Lin Xiao while keeping it from him... misunderstandings would arise leading inevitably to disaster for Lin Xiao.
The tale of severing ties over love had always been distant knowledge for Lin Qingmo until now—it was no longer just something read in books or heard from teachers but something lived through firsthand experience where even men could become rivals in love.
Sweating from fear now coursing through him made him think carefully about how best to weave truth with lies: “It was Eight Prince from Dragon Palace who invited me here for fun.”
“Do you remember your dog Da Hei? Back when we were young? You sent your dog after me thinking it would bite me—I ran away terrified while it chased me relentlessly! At that time Eight Prince happened to be playing by the sea and saw Da Hei get swept away by a wave—I met him then.”
Although suspicious of this explanation given by Lin Qingmo regarding how they met initially—Lin Xiao couldn’t find another explanation either since clearly he stood before him alive and well.
"But..." began Lin Xiao cautiously again after pondering over things further: “But who invites someone only for such short stays? It’s been nearly half a year!” Moreover that night—the circumstances were too strange—it felt less like an invitation than an outright abduction!
“Furthermore,” continued Lin Xiao pressing further still: “Why would someone go through all that trouble of making a fake corpse just so people would think you're dead?”
With each probing question hitting closer toward reality made it hard for Lin Qingmo not to falter under scrutiny—his eyes flickered nervously while desperately thinking up counterarguments until finally he managed: “The prince indeed intended for me to stay long-term because he’s lonely without parents around—he thought fondly back on our childhood friendship wanting me around...”
Before he could finish speaking however—Lin Xiao interrupted urgently: “That can’t happen! That can’t happen!”
“I know it can’t,” replied Lin Qingmo hastily trying to reassure him further: “But I’ve been trying to decline ever since—but then suddenly the prince fell ill again so I’ve been delayed.”
Lin Xiao didn’t delve deeper into whether or not there was truth behind what was said—he simply wanted assurance that they could return home together soon—that mattered more than anything else right now.
As time slipped away, Lin Qingmo felt an increasing urgency. The longer he lingered, the greater the danger became. He had no choice but to bid farewell to Lin Xiao. "I need to return to the Crown Prince. He hasn't been feeling well; he's been suffering from diarrhea for half the night. That's why I came to ask Turtle Prime Minister for help. I intended to check on you first."
Lin Xiao grasped his hand tightly, unwilling to let go. Lin Xiao's palm was broader than Lin Qingmo's, but both had developed calluses from years of hard work. As their thick calluses rubbed against each other, they were reminded of their days in Lin Family Village—two childhood friends growing up together with the sea breeze, the beach, boats, and dogs. The nostalgia washed over them, easing Lin Qingmo's homesickness just a bit. He found it hard to pull away.
"Can't you stay just tonight? Can't you talk with me a little longer?" Lin Xiao pleaded. His words jolted Lin Qingmo back to reality, and he steeled himself. "The Crown Prince has treated me well during my time at Dragon Palace. I can't ignore him when he's sick. We won't abandon each other either. Just wait a bit longer; perhaps you can return with me later. There are many days ahead of us; there's no need to rush this moment."
Lin Xiao understood the difficulty of the situation. Though he was reluctant to part ways, his throat felt dry and tight, and tears threatened to spill from his eyes. Before they could fall, he urged Lin Qingmo, "Go quickly! I'm fine." After a moment of hesitation, Lin Qingmo replied, "I'll come back to see you in a couple of days. Just stay within Turtle Prime Minister's palace and don't wander off. The Dragon Prince doesn't know you're here; it would be troublesome if others in Dragon Palace misunderstood."
"I understand," Lin Xiao assured him. "Don't worry; I won't make things difficult for you."
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