Cheng Xu almost didn’t recognize him at first.
Everyone knew that although Lu Jingxing was scorned by the world for his association with Princess Danyang, he was undeniably handsome. To put it bluntly, he was “charming and dashing”; to put it more elegantly, “a phoenix feather that captivates without return, drunkenly sleeping on a carpet under the full moon.” In short, with a flick of his Nanyang jade fan, he exuded countless charms and emotions, all reflected in the corners of his eyes.
But the Lu Jingxing before him now had lost all semblance of that charm.
“Answer me!” Seeing Cheng Xu silent, Lu Jingxing grew anxious, his brows furrowing.
Cheng Xu came to his senses and quickly cupped his hands. “Miss Bai Si is currently with my master at the Bai residence.”
…With Jiang Xuanjin? Lu Jingxing’s pupils constricted, his lips turning pale as he stared at Cheng Xu for a moment before stumbling out the door.
“Master Lu!” Cheng Xu hurriedly called after him. “My master is gravely ill. If Master Lu could spare a spiritual pill…”
With a flick of his wrist, Lu Jingxing produced a small redwood box and held it out to Cheng Xu. “Take me to see her, and this can be given to your master.”
Cheng Xu was overjoyed. After expressing his gratitude, he said, “Please follow me.”
—
**Bai Residence, Guest Room**
Li Huaiyu sat by the bed, staring blankly at Jiang Xuanjin, while two guards stood behind her, also staring.
Sigh. People of high status are always so wary. After finally managing to send Cheng Xu away, she was still left with two guards in the room. She couldn’t even get close enough to Jiang Xuanjin to threaten him with a knife; even if she tried to approach, the guards would draw their swords.
How boring.
The person on the bed coughed a couple of times and opened his eyes.
“Hmm? You’re awake?” Huaiyu quickly put on a smile, moving to help him sit up and thoughtfully placing a pillow behind his back.
Jiang Xuanjin was running a high fever again, his face flushed, and his dark eyes were misty. He glanced at her and then around the room, hoarsely asking, “Where’s Cheng Xu?”
Huaiyu answered honestly, “He went to get you a spiritual pill.”
A spiritual pill? Jiang Xuanjin frowned, seemingly not understanding what that meant. After a moment, he closed his eyes again. “Why are you still here?”
“Me?” Huaiyu chuckled. “You’re running a high fever again. Where else would I be if not here?”
Irritated, Jiang Xuanjin said, “Others can take care of me just as well; you should avoid suspicion.”
Avoid suspicion, avoid suspicion again. Li Huaiyu shook her head and sighed. “Just think of me as your niece-in-law paying respects to my little uncle in advance.”
Jiang Xuanjin’s expression darkened, and he shot her a gloomy look.
“Hey, you’re such a strange person. When I say something frivolous, you’re unhappy. When I say something serious, you’re still not happy. What do you want me to do?” Huaiyu spread her hands in exasperation.
“Stay away from me,” Jiang Xuanjin replied.
Li Huaiyu felt wronged. “Do you dislike me that much?”
He snorted coldly, refusing to answer.
Sighing, Huaiyu was about to feign some more hurt feelings and say something soft when the door suddenly burst open with a loud bang.
Startled, she turned to look, and before she could see who it was, a gust of wind rushed toward her. A flash of silver brushed past, and before she knew it, her waist was grabbed, pulling her back several steps.
“Ah!” Li Huaiyu was so frightened that she instinctively elbowed the intruder in the abdomen.
However, the newcomer was well aware of her intentions. Before she could strike, a hand had already blocked her attack. Her elbow hit his hand, which caught it firmly.
That familiar feeling…
Li Huaiyu’s heart stirred, and she looked up.
Lu Jingxing’s phoenix eyes sparkled with a dazzling light as he gazed directly into hers. Upon meeting her gaze, his expression softened, and he even chuckled softly.
“You little troublemaker, truly possess the ability to cause chaos for a thousand years.” He leaned in close to her ear, whispering lightly.
His teasing tone was as usual, but the hand resting on her waist trembled slightly, and the teasing lilt in his voice quivered.
Li Huaiyu laughed. “You recognized me, so what’s there to be afraid of?”
The hand gripping her waist tightened a little, and Lu Jingxing’s eyes glimmered with a hint of red. “What could I possibly be afraid of?”
Of course, he was afraid… this was just a dream of his.
Princess Danyang had passed away, and he had exhausted all his efforts to find her a way out. He had thought that after sleeping for a long time, he would eventually dream of her soul returning, but so many days had passed without a single dream of her.
Lu Jingxing believed he wasn’t a sentimental person; his relationship with Danyang was merely that of friends. Yet when she was truly gone, he found that this bustling capital felt like a suffocating prison.
Cheng Xu had come to ask for medicine, and he hadn’t intended to give it. But upon seeing that note… the cursive “Come see me,” each stroke unmistakably written by Li Huaiyu, and only he could recognize it.
The dead had written him such words; he didn’t feel fear but rather joy. Yet amidst that joy, he was afraid—what if someone suddenly woke him up and he discovered it was just a dream? What if Danyang had truly vanished forever?
His throat tightened, and just as Lu Jingxing was about to say something more, a sudden wave of killing intent surged from behind.
“Watch out!” Li Huaiyu pushed him away.
Cheng Xu’s sword hadn’t been drawn, but the force of his movement still created a rush of air that separated the two.
“What are you doing?” Lu Jingxing asked, slightly angry.
Cheng Xu didn’t answer but cautiously glanced toward the bed.
Li Huaiyu froze, suddenly remembering there were others in the room. She cursed inwardly and quickly looked toward Jiang Xuanjin.
Jiang Xuanjin leaned against the head of the bed, his expression unreadable as he watched them, his eyes calm and devoid of emotion.
“…Haha, Master Lu arrived unexpectedly; I forgot to greet the Jun.” Huaiyu forced a laugh, nudging Lu Jingxing.
Lu Jingxing shot her a glance, then turned to Jiang Xuanjin, his expression turning unfriendly. “Indeed, I didn’t pay attention. How could the usually imposing Ziyang Jun be in this state in the Bai residence guest room?”
Jiang Xuanjin didn’t respond but instead asked, “What are you here for?”
“What else could it be? I’m here to deliver medicine to the Jun, so our loyal Ziyang Jun can recover soon and continue punishing the wicked.” Lu Jingxing smiled, though it didn’t reach his eyes, as he handed the small box containing the spiritual pill to Cheng Xu.
Cheng Xu accepted it, looking somewhat troubled.
According to the rules, he was supposed to inspect anything the Jun was to ingest, but the pill was only the size of a thumb; he couldn’t just break it in half to taste it first, could he?
“What are you thinking? The medicine is finally here; why aren’t you giving it to your master?” Huaiyu raised an eyebrow, snatching the box from his hands and walking toward the bed.
Jiang Xuanjin said coldly, “I don’t need it.”
“Why don’t you need it? Don’t you see your complexion?” Huaiyu exclaimed. “You’re even more stubborn than a dead duck. Hurry up and take it; look, there’s tea here.”
The box opened, and the pill rested on her fingertip as she held it up to his lips.