Chapter 209: So foolish, so naive
Han Yunxi was very anxious. Back then in the carriage, she had hesitated. Medical ethics dictated that she had to save Murong Wanru, especially since she was the one who injured the girl in the first place. Five needles’ worth of super-strength narcosis poison was more than enough to turn Murong Wanru comatose until she was simply a vegetable. There wasn’t much time left. Still, she knew that being a human vegetable was the best way to seal her mouth.
Thought she knew she shouldn’t think that way, both logic and emotion concurred on this point. Murong Wanru’s current fate was all a result of her own actions. She could be forgiven for trying to frame her once or twice, but now she was willing to kill Grand Concubine Yi and pin her for the deed. Was anything more unbearable than this?
All right, things were too complicated. She could temporarily put aside the private grudge between her and Murong Wanru and leave the decision up to Long Feiye. A lifelong secret was more frightening than anything else.
After hearing Han Yunxi’s explanation, the killing intent in Long Feiye’s eyes not only stayed put, but intensified. Although he’d given this woman the Perplexing Butterfly Illusion, it didn’t mean she could know so much! He wasn’t Grand Concubine Yi’s child or related to Emperor Tianhui. Grand Concubine Yi thought she’d hidden the facts well, but ten years ago, the Tang Clan had found him with the truth.
“At most, she can last the length of time it takes to drink a cup of tea. After that, nobody will be able to save her!” Han Yunxi said. Meanwhile, the guards and servants had all rushed over, preparing to rescue the people from the carriages. Seeing this, Long Feiye walked over as well. Han Yunxi watched his retreating form and didn’t catch anything unusual. She assumed the fellow had been amazed as well. After all, if you suddenly discovered one day that you weren’t your parents’ child, even the coldest person in the world would feel something, right? She hurried after Long Feiye, who waved off all the guards and servants to personally straighten up the carriage. When he lifted the curtains, it was to see Murong Wanru and Grand Concubine Yi together in an unconscious heap. Their bodies and faces were covered in injuries from the blunt trauma. Han Yunxi stood on one side without a peep. Slowly, time trickled by. Everything had all happened too suddenly, so her mind was still a mess. She couldn’t fathom the thoughts of this man and his cold, dark pupils.
Suddenly, Long Feiye said, “Get on.”
Get on? Had he decided to save her?
Han Yunxi found that unexpected. Judging by this guy’s personality, she thought he’d preferred to silence the witnesses. Things would get very troublesome if he saved Murong Wanru. Still, if she considered it from a different angle, it was Grand Concubine Yi’s adoption that allowed him to gain his present power and influence. Murong Wanru was Grand Concubine Yi’s own daughter, so he couldn’t exactly repay kindness with enmity.
“Get on!” Abruptly, Long Feiye’s voice turned into a cold command.
Only then did Han Yunxi recover enough to hurry onto the carriage. She’d overthought things. But very quickly, she realized that was wrong. She hadn’t overthought things, but had simply thought too much! As soon as she got in the carriage, Long Feiye sat inside as well without saying a word. He took the reins and drove them away, his speed as fast as an arrow leaving its bow. Han Yunxi clutched the doorframe to keep from falling off. She looked at Long Feiye’s unfeeling, callous face as her heart pounded. What did this man want to do? Had he lost it because he took things too hard?
There wasn’t much time left. She couldn’t let him go on like this, he had to make a choice!
Han Yunxi bolstered her courage and reached out to hold onto Long Feiye’s hands on the reins. “Long Feiye, will you settle down?! I know you’re feeling awful over all this, but you should first calm…”
Before she could finish, Long Feiye suddenly jerked on the reins and came to a stop. Han Yunxi narrowly avoided tumbling out; fortunately, Long Feiye stopped her with his arm. She turned back and happened to meet Long Feiye’s eyes. Finally, Han Yunxi caught a glimpse of the frigid, merciless killing intent in those deep, dark pupils. Her heart jerked as she grew alarmed. Subconsciously, she backed away until she fell back into the carriage.
Could it be that this guy…
Long Feiye lifted the curtains and swept his cold gaze across the unconscious forms of Grand Concubine Yi and Murong Wanru before resting on Han Yunxi’s face. She couldn’t help but give a cold shiver as she suddenly saw through his thoughts. Just who was this cold-blooded fellow? Someone who flipped his hand to summon the clouds and turned his palm to summon the rains. The ice duke Long Feiye held complete power over life and death; how could he permit anyone to know his birth secret? What other choice did he have? Why did she try to figure him out? Once such a frightening secret came to light, he’d definitely silence all witnesses!
That didn’t just include Murong Wanru’s mouth, but her own as well!
Heavens, had her brain short-circuited? Why had she been so foolish, so naive? Instead of trying to protect her own life, she’d actually spoken on behalf of a cheap person like Murong Wanru for the sake of medical ethics. Would a terrifying man like Long Feiye consider such things so deeply? She should’ve turned Murong Wanru into a human vegetable to threaten Grand Concubine Yi and pretended she hadn’t heard or seen anything. After that, hide the truth from Long Feiye for the rest of her life.
Han Yunxi discovered that she was incomparably stupid!
Beneath Long Feiye’s emotionless stare, she kept backing away until she was resting next to Grand Concubine Yi.
“Has the time passed?” Long Feiye suddenly asked, his voice very soft. Still, it was enough to make her hairs stand on end.
Han Yunxi swallowed her saliva before hastily replying, “It’s passed. No one can save her now. She won’t wake up for the rest of her life, but will only age until she dies! Your Highness can set aside a hundred cares!”
Long Feiye nodded and asked, “And you?”
“Chenqie won’t breathe a word or tell anyone else. Your Highness gifted chenqie with assassination weapons with the intention to cultivate chenqie’s skills. Chenqie definitely won’t disappoint Your Highness. Chenqie is willing to go through fire and water for Your Highness’s sake and won’t hesitate under any circumstances!” Han Yunxi didn’t stop as she spoke breathlessly. Her eyes on Long Feiye were as clean and pure as a newborn babe. She hadn’t looked this sincere or pious even when she first made her medical vows as a student. Still, Long Feiye’s eyes were as cold as before.
He asked icily, “Why should your lordship believe you?”
“Because, chenqie and Your Highness are husband and wife, two people on the same boat. The Han Clan’s already suffered defeats, so chenqie can only rely on Your Highness. Your Highness’s safety and danger, honor and disgrace is chenqie’s safety and danger, honor and disgrace. If Your Highness lives, chenqie will life. If Your Highness dies, chenqie will also die. Chenqie has no reason to betray Your Highness!” Han Yunxi explained in a rush.
“Once you’re dead, you won’t be able to betray your lordship all the same!” Long Feiye’s face was expressionless. This wasn’t a retort, but a iron truth!
Han Yunxi was clearly afraid, but in this moment, her heart suddenly clenched. A nameless ache rushed forth, making her more pained than fearful. She had no more words to say, but looked silently at Long Feiye with her crystal clear eyes. Rarely had she looked at him for so long in such proximity. The more she stared, the more she felt like he was a stranger. His eyes truly were very deep and very cold. It was a type of endless depth that one couldn’t penetrate and made it impossible to read his heart. The frost that reached to the depths of his bones was an inherent part of him, but his cold, detached indifference came from struggles in court intrigue and the dangers of the jianghu.
Long Feiye, do you really want to kill me?
So as it turned out, there was really nothing between us in this past year but business deals. We exchanged one condition for another, but we weren’t even considered as friends.
If Tang Li and Chu Xifeng could see this scene now, they would definitely find it out of character. How could Long Feiye’s personality allow for so many superfluous words? Besides Grand Concubine Yi, which he needed as an essential figurehead, anyone who knew of his past were all killed without question! He should’ve made his move long ago! But he was actually giving Han Yunxi leeway to talk?!
When Long Feiye saw Han Yunxi fall silent, a glint of unhappiness flashed through his eyes. This damnable woman, doesn’t she always have a glib tongue? He wanted to see how she’d convince him with her words. How could she give up so easily? Was she really so sick of living? His blade drew closer until it was in front of Han Yunxi’s body, before he said coldly, “Answer your lordship’s question!”
Han Yunxi was startled to her senses. She didn’t want to die! As a doctor, she grabbed onto any chance of hope when it came to saving lives. Now that it was time to save herself, she’d struggle to create hope even when none existed! Though Long Feiye was already right in front of her, Han Yunxi still bravely raised her chin.
“Your Highness, if I’m dead, who’ll help you face off against Jun Yixie? He’s a poisons expert. I can guarantee that there’s less than three others who can match him in the art of poisons on Cloud Realm Continent, and I’m one of them! Moreover, my poison skills might be far superior to his.” Han Yunxi had no idea, but her self-confidence infused her entire being with a radiant, stirring brilliance.
“Moreover, since Your Highness gave me the Perplexing Butterfly Illusion, you must trust my poison skills. I’ll do my utmost to help Your Highness uncover its secrets. Furthermore…” Han Yunxi trailed off as she lightly pushed aside Long Feiye’s sword. Her cool and indifferent smile was beautiful enough to devastate cities and states. “Furthermore, I can promise that if Your Highness kills me, you yourself…won’t live much longer, either!”
So speaking, she took out a portion of poison. If he had the guts to kill, then she had the guts to poison! Though she couldn’t beat the speed of his sword, she could at least make them even. Long Feiye’s eyes narrowed as he dodged out of the way and got off the carriage. Seeing this, Han Yunxi’s smile grew even more dazzling. Only she was aware of the bitter pain hidden in her heart.
Long Feiye’s eyes flashed with satisfaction before the emotion quickly vanished. “Han Yunxi, you had plenty of chances to poison me. Why didn’t you take them?”
When he was next to her just then, she could’ve poisoned him silently. Though he didn’t want to admit it, he had the damnable habit of lowering his guard against this poisons woman. Still, she hadn’t taken out her poisons until the very end, nor did she truly move against him.
“Chenqie’s already said, chenqie and Your Highness are on the same boat,” she paused before adopting a teasing tone. “No, Your Highness is chenqie’s boat. With so much water around, chenqie wouldn’t kill off her only way out, right?”
In the vast and boundless realms of Tianning Country, he was her boat…
Long Feiye pondered her words with interest. Though he didn’t express his views, he still sheathed his sword in the end. Seeing this, Han Yunxi finally expelled a breath. She thought that she was right. In front of this man, her existence had to carry some sort of value. Long Feiye walked over and tossed her his sword. Han Yunxi fumbled to catch it, so heavy! Just what did this fellow mean? He wanted to kill her one second but was giving her his weapon the next.
Long Feiye sat atop the carriage and darted another glance at the two people inside. Mildly he said, “We’ll talk when we get back.”