“Beichen, I regret, we…”

“Youyou.” Xiao Huayong’s index finger gently pressed against her soft pink lips. “The arrow is already nocked and must be released.”

Seeing her eyes rimmed with red, Xiao Huayong let out a long sigh and pulled her into his embrace. “It makes no difference. Youyou, you know that. Just let me leave without regrets, alright?”

A tight, dense pain constricted Shen Xihe’s heart. She never knew a person could hurt to such a degree, surpassing the limits of what flesh and bone could bear – even having one’s tendons torn out couldn’t compare. Shen Xihe felt that with each breath, what entered and left her body was no longer air, but rather a hurricane-carrying blade, slicing through her internal organs.

“Ugh…” A sharp pain in her abdomen made Shen Xihe let out a muffled groan.

“Youyou!” Xiao Huayong scooped Shen Xihe up in his arms and shouted towards the outside, “Zhenzhu!”

By the time Xiao Huayong placed Shen Xihe on the Noble Consort’s couch, a panicked Zhenzhu had already rushed in. Seeing Shen Xihe’s pale complexion, she didn’t bother with formalities and rushed forward to check her pulse. The dangerous pulse readings made Zhenzhu’s face change dramatically. While taking out silver needles, she ordered Moyu who had just rushed in: “Quickly, go call A’xi…”

Zhenzhu swiftly began acupuncture on Shen Xihe. Though she hadn’t yet mastered all of A’xi’s expertise despite his thorough teachings, she could at least handle sudden difficult conditions.

She was halfway through the treatment when A’xi, who was originally coming to treat Xiao Huayong, was dragged in by Moyu from the palace gates.

A’xi felt Shen Xihe’s other wrist pulse, then said solemnly to Zhenzhu: “I’ll take over.”

He then picked up a silver needle and continued where Zhenzhu had left off.

The pain on Shen Xihe’s face gradually eased as time passed, and the sweat on her forehead slowly disappeared.

Xiao Huayong’s unconsciously clenched fists finally relaxed. His nerves, taut for too long, suddenly loosened, causing him to nearly collapse as his vision darkened. Fortunately, Tianyuan quickly caught him.

Stopping Tianyuan from speaking out, Xiao Huayong steadied himself before slowly walking toward Shen Xihe.

A’xi hadn’t yet removed the needles when he pushed Xiao Huayong back, saying: “Your Highness Crown Prince, Her Highness Crown Princess must not experience such extreme emotional fluctuations as she did today.”

Shen Xihe had been weak with heart problems since childhood. Although she had recovered to a normal state after treatment with the Bone-Shedding Dan, a body that had been ill could never surpass that of a naturally healthy person, no matter how well it recovered.

If Shen Xihe hadn’t been living in comfort and paying attention to her health, such fierce stimulation as today’s could have very likely caused a miscarriage.

Xiao Huayong took a deep breath and walked unsteadily to the Noble Consort’s couch, collapsing onto it with a thud. It was only at this moment that Xiao Huayong realized he too could experience such fear that his legs went weak.

Somewhat weakly, Shen Xihe turned to look at him, making an effort to reach out and hold his hand. “I’m sorry, I scared you just now.”

She too was still shaken. Earlier, her emotions had been completely beyond her control. When forced to face the fact that today might be their last day together, a wave of despair and grief instantly enveloped her, leaving her suffocating and terrified.

“It was my fault…” Xiao Huayong’s voice carried a bitter tone as he squeezed her hand. His eyes gradually reddening, and Xiao Huayong controlled his emotions. “Youyou, I didn’t want you to find out tomorrow. I feared you couldn’t bear it. That’s why I told you early, to give you time to prepare mentally. Promise me, after tomorrow passes, you won’t let others trouble your heart anymore, alright?”

Shen Xihe tilted her head back, looking at the ceiling as tears still fell from her eyes. She cried silently.

Each teardrop fell like boiling water across her cheeks, landing on Xiao Huayong’s heart and searing it.

“Youyou, I’m leaving with Ruo Gu to treat the poison.” In a moment of impulse, Xiao Huayong finally revealed the secret in his heart. The air of despair around her was like the setting sun in the west, heavy with evening gloom, filling him with worry and fear.

“Really?” Tears blurred Shen Xihe’s vision, making it hard to see Xiao Huayong. She unconsciously tightened her grip on his hand.

Those eyes brimming with tears still showed doubt in their depths. She must think he was lying to her.

“I’m sorry, Youyou. I had planned to keep it from you because the treatment method is extremely long, and I don’t know if it will succeed. I worried about giving you false hope, making you wait in vain, wasting your life…” Under Shen Xihe’s increasingly cold gaze, Xiao Huayong’s voice weakened and finally disappeared.

“Weren’t you afraid that while you were away being treated, I might remarry?” Shen Xihe deliberately provoked him.

Xiao Huayong could only admit his mistake with good grace: “I didn’t think it through.”

Was it really that he hadn’t thought it through?

Did she not know what he was thinking?

It was simply that the chances of the treatment succeeding were so minute that he had no confidence. He didn’t want her to wait endlessly. If he went to the treatment location and there was a chance of recovery, he had his gyrfalcon – how easy would it be to send her a message?

If he went and confirmed there was no possibility of recovery, then at least she would be spared another heartbreak.

Thinking it through, he had been considering everything for her sake. The stifled feeling in Shen Xihe’s chest dispersed.

Their time together was already limited – why waste it on anger? “Beichen, my child, and I will wait for you.”

Her smile was like sunshine after rain.

Since Shen Xihe had experienced movement in her pregnancy and tomorrow would be dangerous, Xiao Huayong had originally planned to make a grand show of calling for the Imperial Physicians but was stopped by Shen Xihe. She was unusually firm: “I must be there!”

Unable to persuade her otherwise, Xiao Huayong had to agree.

Originally not knowing Xiao Huayong was leaving, Shen Xihe hadn’t prepared anything. As for matters after his departure, without reaching that point, Shen Xihe didn’t want to think deeply about it, much less make early preparations.

Now that Xiao Huayong was preparing to leave, Shen Xihe couldn’t sit still. She treated it as if he were going on a long journey, thoughtfully preparing his traveling bag.

Xiao Huayong didn’t stop her. Seeing her come alive again, his heart also relaxed. He followed behind her, busy helping back and forth. When the mood struck, he would even cause some mischief, making her glare at him in anger, and when truly annoyed, she would throw the clothes and sachets in her hands at him.

The atmosphere in the Eastern Palace became joyful this way, in stark contrast to the heavy mood at Prince Jing’s residence.

Prince Jing had already confirmed his suspicions through Shen Xihe – the Eastern Palace indeed had early preparations for tomorrow.

He fingered the jade pendant in his hand, slowly winding up the attached tassel, and placing it in a box on top of a stack of letters. Closing the box, he lifted it with both hands and presented it to Xiao Changkang: “Twelfth Brother, tomorrow’s life and death are uncertain. These things I entrust to you. In the future…”

After thinking for a moment, Xiao Langyan gave a self-mocking smile: “Never mind. In the future, I hope Twelfth Brother takes care.”

Xiao Changkang looked down without accepting it, instead asking: “Eighth Brother, why wade into these troubled waters?”