The Sickly Beauty Official Faked His Death and Now the Tyrant Has Gone Mad - Chapter 15

His hazy consciousness was torn between reason and surrender, like seawater surging backward, dragging Lin Huaiyu relentlessly into the depths. Everything around him grew distant, only to be violently yanked back to the surface by a powerful hand the next moment he sank.

Lin Huaiyu gasped in pain, stifling a groan before remembering there were people outside. He immediately bit down on his lower lip.

Seeing him like this only fueled Su Yang’s fury.

“Does my teacher care so much about Lin Fei’s opinion? Are you afraid that if Lin Fei learns how you’re humiliated by me day after day in the palace, it will ruin your image in his eyes?”

Lin Huaiyu shook his head weakly. His face was flushed with an unnatural feverish red, yet his thin lips were pale. Even so, he didn’t utter a single plea for mercy.

This very demeanor of Lin Huaiyu’s only angered Su Yang further. But as he watched Lin Huaiyu’s faint, fragile state, his grip loosened slightly.

He hated Lin Huaiyu to the core. Lin Huaiyu could beg for mercy for the common people, for strangers, even for a mere steward yet he never knew how to beg for himself.

If he was already pleading for others, why couldn’t he open his mouth and beg for his own sake?

But this time, no matter how furious Su Yang felt inside, seeing Lin Huaiyu biting his lip and frowning in discomfort, he couldn’t help but soften a little.

Feeling the pressure ease slightly, Lin Huaiyu let out a quiet sigh of relief and whispered hoarsely, “Has Your Majesty calmed down?”

Su Yang raised an eyebrow and snorted lightly, offering no reply.

Left with no choice, Lin Huaiyu continued on his own: “If Your Majesty’s anger has subsided, please release Lin Fei from the palace.”

Su Yang’s initial rage had indeed dissipated somewhat due to Lin Huaiyu’s weakened state. But hearing Lin Huaiyu mention Lin Fei again, his anger flared back up.

He snapped, “Even as you’re pressed so tightly against me, Teacher, you’re still thinking of another man? Lin Huaiyu, are you truly so fickle and shameless?”

Lin Huaiyu’s throat was parched from the fever, his voice already hoarse and now nearly inaudible. Yet Su Yang, unsatisfied with the silence, twisted his words further: “Release him from the palace? Is that all you care about? What, do you think I’d keep Lin Fei confined here as well?”

Lin Huaiyu refused to speak, but Su Yang insisted on forcing an answer, his words growing even more vicious: “It’s only you I want. Do you think everyone is as seductive as you?”

Lin Huaiyu no longer wished to argue with Su Yang about this. All he wanted now was for Su Yang to spare Lin Fei, so he could rest easy even if he lost consciousness, at least his heart wouldn’t be left hanging in uncertainty.

“So, will Your Majesty let Lin Fei go?” Lin Huaiyu rasped, mustering the strength to ask once more.

But the grip on his waist tightened abruptly. Su Yang glared at him, enraged. “Why are you still thinking of him? Ah, I remember now wasn’t it for him that you begged me for mercy? In that case, let him hear for himself what his revered Lord Lin is doing behind closed doors with his own student!”

Though his mind was clouded, Lin Huaiyu immediately understood what this madman might do upon hearing those words.

Like opening that door and exposing their current state to everyone outside.

Su Yang had threatened him like this more than once and had indeed opened the door before.

So when his back was slammed hard against the door, Lin Huaiyu nearly let out a groan.

But reason clung to him fiercely, making him bite down on his own lip.

Such a loud commotion those outside couldn’t possibly fail to hear it.

He could no longer deceive himself.

Lin Huaiyu raised a hand to cover his eyes, but Su Yang seized his wrist and said in a low voice, “Lin Huaiyu, don’t beg for mercy. I want you to cry out.”

He deliberately pressed Lin Huaiyu against the door, deliberately making the noise loud, as if Su Yang were about to tear down the door of Qinchun Palace. In his fear that the door might open and he would appear before everyone in such a wretched state, Lin Huaiyu clung tightly to Su Yang, trying to distance himself from that door.

And this movement made Lin Huaiyu press closer to Su Yang an action that greatly pleased Su Yang.

Su Yang held Lin Huaiyu, who had finally fainted, against the door, his gaze deep and intense.

He wanted everyone to know that Lin Huaiyu belonged to him, to him alone no one else could even think of coveting him.

Su Yang felt the burning heat of the person in his arms, and reason gradually returned. Lin Huaiyu was burning up too fiercely; if this continued, he might truly be damaged.

He gently carried Lin Huaiyu to the bed, pulled the quilt over him, and wrung out a cloth to place on Lin Huaiyu’s forehead.

Then he called Zhou Li over for a diagnosis.

The medicine had been delivered early, but Su Yang found himself at a loss as he looked at Lin Huaiyu, unconscious with his lips pressed together.

How could he make Lin Huaiyu drink every last drop of the medicine?

He sat on the edge of the bed, lifted Lin Huaiyu, and let him lean against his chest. He scooped a spoonful of medicine and brought it to Lin Huaiyu’s lips. “Teacher, open your mouth.”

But Lin Huaiyu remained motionless, as if he hadn’t heard.

Su Yang used the spoon to pry open Lin Huaiyu’s soft lips but couldn’t force his teeth apart, and the medicine couldn’t enter Lin Huaiyu’s mouth.

Su Yang frowned, gripped Lin Huaiyu’s jaw with one hand, forced his mouth open, and poured the medicine in.

But this time, Lin Huaiyu was unconscious and couldn’t swallow. The medicine trickled from the corner of his mouth, wetting his collar.

Su Yang quickly wiped the corner of his mouth, scooped another spoonful of medicine, and threatened, “Lin Huaiyu, if you don’t drink the medicine, do you know what will happen?”

But the person in his arms remained still.

For a moment, Su Yang’s heartbeat thundered in his ears. He didn’t know why his heart was beating so fast and so chaotically.

Receiving no response from Lin Huaiyu, he grew anxious. He took the medicine into his own mouth, turned Lin Huaiyu’s head, and passed the medicine into Lin Huaiyu’s mouth, lip to lip.

Unfortunately, Lin Huaiyu still didn’t swallow the medicine in his mouth.

For a moment, Su Yang was at a loss. He could only watch helplessly as Lin Huaiyu’s breathing grew faint, his entire body burning as he sank deeper into unconsciousness.

Should he call Lin Fei to take care of Lin Huaiyu?

To admit that Lin Fei was the one who could properly care for Lin Huaiyu, while he himself was incapable?

How absurd!

The thought that Lin Huaiyu had been thinking of Lin Fei even before he fainted made Su Yang reluctant to call Lin Fei to care for him.

Su Yang scooped another spoonful of medicine into his own mouth and passed it into Lin Huaiyu’s mouth again. This time, he didn’t release Lin Huaiyu immediately. Instead, he used his other hand to touch Lin Huaiyu’s throat, gently pressing on the sensitive and fragile Adam’s apple.

Fortunately, this method proved effective. Lin Huaiyu indeed relaxed his throat and swallowed the medicine. Even in his unconscious state, he still winced at the bitterness of the medicine and even shied away from Su Yang’s next spoonful.

Su Yang was amused by Lin Huaiyu’s childlike demeanor. He loved seeing Lin Huaiyu in all his forms, especially those unknown to outsiders.

However, the thought that Lin Fei had also seen Lin Huaiyu like this immediately darkened Su Yang’s expression again.

Using the same method, he continued to feed Lin Huaiyu the medicine, but this time he applied a bit more pressure on Lin Huaiyu’s Adam’s apple. Lin Huaiyu’s brow furrowed even deeper, yet he had no choice but to swallow the bitter medicine.

Lin Huaiyu’s cold had struck fiercely, and after being tormented by Su Yang, he remained unconscious for two days before finally waking up.

The moment he opened his eyes, Lin Huaiyu still felt as though the world had spun for an instant. Thankfully, it quickly settled. He still felt exhausted, but it was far better than before he lost consciousness.

Slowly shifting his gaze, Lin Huaiyu saw the person by his bedside burst into tears of joy upon seeing him awake. “My lord! You’re finally awake! Wuwuwuwu.”

When Lin Huaiyu saw Lin Fei, his eyes flickered with unease.

He hadn’t forgotten the commotion Su Yang had caused that day, pressing him against the door with only a thin barrier between them. Lin Fei couldn’t have missed it.

Lin Fei was just a child. How was Lin Huaiyu supposed to face him now.

For once, Lin Huaiyu felt utterly at a loss. Closing his eyes, he even felt a momentary urge to escape.

But Lin Fei remained oblivious to the turmoil in Lin Huaiyu’s heart, merely looking at him with concern. “My lord? Are you feeling unwell? Should I call the imperial physician again?”

As Lin Fei turned to rush out, Lin Huaiyu finally spoke up to stop him. “No need.”

His throat ached not from the inside, but from the outside, as if something had forcefully pressed against his Adam’s apple, nearly crushing it.

He raised a hand to gently rub his throat. Seeing this, Lin Fei’s eyes reddened. “My lord, you’re not living well in the palace at all. You’re the emperor’s teacher! How could he treat you like this?!”

At these words, Lin Huaiyu stiffened. He lowered his gaze, unable to meet Lin Fei’s eyes, and replied softly, “You heard everything.”

“Yes!” Lin Fei exclaimed indignantly, his anger flaring on Lin Huaiyu’s behalf.

Lin Huaiyu’s eyelashes trembled, and his breath seemed to catch in his throat.

He was momentarily speechless, but then he heard Lin Fei declare with righteous conviction, “Even as the Son of Heaven, the emperor shouldn’t treat his teacher this way! How could he hit you? A teacher for a day is a father for life, and you were already ill!”

Lin Huaiyu was taken aback, wondering if he had misheard. “Hit me?”

Lin Fei nodded emphatically. “Yes! Did the emperor push you against the door? Or did he throw something at it? I didn’t hear much, just something hitting the door before Chief De Fu took me away. Did I anger the emperor, and he took it out on you? It’s all my fault…”

Somehow, Lin Huaiyu suddenly felt a wave of relief.

Lin Fei hadn’t heard everything. Su Yang had only been trying to scare him.

Lin Huaiyu slowly relaxed his tense expression and said to Lin Fei, “The emperor did not hit me.”

Lin Fei pouted. “But he won’t let you go home. He’s about to take an empress, what are you doing staying in the rear palace?”

Lin Huaiyu’s indifferent expression suddenly faltered. His gaze shifted to Lin Fei as he asked, “Is His Majesty planning to establish an empress?”

Lin Fei nodded. “Yes, the edict has already been issued. It should be confirmed.”

Lin Huaiyu lowered his gaze, his fingers curling slightly. He asked again, “Who is the empress?”

Lin Fei, however, shook his head. “This servant does not know, my lord. My lord, let us return to the residence.”

Lin Huaiyu looked out the window, his thoughts drifting far away. After a long while, he finally said, “Xiao Fei, His Majesty will allow you to leave the palace. You should go back first.”

Lin Fei looked at Lin Huaiyu. His lord seemed disinterested, and he appeared even thinner than before, his face pale, as if the wind outside could scatter him away at any moment.

Lin Fei’s heart tightened involuntarily. “And what about you, my lord?”

Lin Huaiyu’s gaze returned to Lin Fei, his eyes holding the same strategic calm Lin Fei had seen before. “There is something I need you to do.”

Lin Fei immediately grew concerned. “But what about you, my lord? Will you not leave the palace with this servant?”

Lin Huaiyu shook his head gently, coughing softly twice. “Whether I can leave the palace depends on you, Xiao Fei.”