The Sickly Beauty Official Faked His Death and Now the Tyrant Has Gone Mad - Chapter 39

The rain wasn’t heavy just a gentle drizzle carried by a slanting breeze. It wasn’t enough to drench anyone, but it did bring a welcome coolness to the sweltering heat of Jiangnan.

Halfway along the road, Lin Huaiyu looked at Jing Fei and said, “We’re not going the same way. Let’s part here.”

Jing Fei blinked. “There’s only one umbrella. I’ll walk you back.”

Lin Huaiyu shook his head firmly. “No need. You have a fan use it to shield yourself from the rain.”

Ji Wuyou: “?”

So Lin Huaiyu never intended to return the umbrella?

Jing Fei could only offer a helpless smile. “Well don’t forget to invite me to your birthday banquet.”

Lin Huaiyu replied with a faint smile, “Of course.”

At the crossroads, Jing Fei parted ways with Lin Huaiyu. He obediently opened his fan to shield himself from the rain and headed back.

Lin Huaiyu strolled leisurely through the rain, umbrella in hand, making his way unhurriedly toward the Lin residence.

Su Yang followed closely behind, neither approaching too closely nor falling behind. The distance between them was just a few steps, yet Su Yang dared not take those extra steps forward.

By the time they reached the end of the road, Lin Huaiyu had arrived at the entrance of the Lin residence. He closed his umbrella, and Lin Fei came out to greet him. “Sir, you’re back.”

Lin Huaiyu nodded, glancing back at Su Yang, who had followed him all the way. Neither of them spoke.

Lin Huaiyu walked inside, and Lin Fei closed the main gate behind him, shutting Su Yang out.

As Lin Fei followed Lin Huaiyu, he said, “Sir, His Majesty came looking for you earlier.”

Lin Huaiyu continued walking without stopping. “Did he say what it was about?”

Lin Fei shook his head. “No, he only said it was something very important. I told him you’d gone boating on the lake. I hope I didn’t disturb you and the Seventh Prince?”

Lin Huaiyu glanced at Lin Fei but said nothing.

If Su Yang truly had something important to discuss, he wouldn’t have followed him all the way without saying a word.

Either the matter wasn’t that important to Su Yang, or it wasn’t that important to Lin Huaiyu.

Since it wasn’t important, Lin Huaiyu saw no need to inquire further. He entered the courtyard, where He Qingli was waiting at the door of his room. With the rain falling, He Qingli stood under the eaves otherwise, he would have been sitting in the courtyard, sipping tea while waiting for Lin Huaiyu.

He looked at Lin Huaiyu with a hint of annoyance. “You disappeared first thing in the morning. Are you giving up on curing the poison?”

Lin Huaiyu smiled calmly. “It’s just a matter of delaying. Since it can’t be cured, I’ll delay as long as possible. If I can’t delay any longer, then so be it.”

He Qingli’s expression darkened. “Why do you always speak so pessimistically?”

Lin Huaiyu replied indifferently, “It’s fate, it’s destiny.”

He was waiting for that person the one who could cure this poison but they had yet to arrive. The abbot had no news either, claiming they were missing a crucial ingredient. After searching for so many years, it seemed they weren’t worried he might not survive the wait.

He Qingli followed Lin Huaiyu into the room, saying, “You’re not the kind of person who believes in fate.”

Lin Huaiyu looked at him. “Do you know me that well?”

He Qingli chuckled. “I wouldn’t say I know you well, but after hearing about your remarkable achievements, I can tell you’re not that kind of person. Someone who believes in fate wouldn’t have risked everything to stir up the winds of change in Dayong, helping His Majesty defy destiny.”

Lin Huaiyu smiled faintly. “If you think so highly of me, why didn’t you choose me back then?”

He Qingli fell silent, retrieving items from his medicine chest. “By the way, His Majesty is ill and suffering from acute emotional distress. Last time, I didn’t prescribe him any medicine, and I don’t know where he’s staying. When will Minister Fang arrive?”

Lin Huaiyu immediately turned to He Qingli. “His Majesty is ill?”

He Qingli nodded. “It’s nothing serious just caught a chill from the rain, along with some emotional turmoil that caused him to cough up a little blood. Once he takes medicine to dispel the cold and calm his internal heat, he’ll be fine. He might have already sought a physician.”

Lin Huaiyu frowned, gazing at the rain drifting outside the window. After a moment of thought, he said to Lin Fei, “Go open the door.”

Lin Fei blinked. “Yes.”

He hurried to the main gate of the Lin residence and opened it to find Su Yang still standing there, staring straight at him. When the door opened, a faint glimmer of light appeared in Su Yang’s dim eyes.

Lin Fei scratched his head, exchanging a bewildered look with Su Yang.

Su Yang asked, “Did my teacher allow me to enter?”

Lin Fei shook his head. As Su Yang’s eyes dimmed once more, he said, “Sir didn’t say anything he just told me to open the door. I don’t know what he meant.”

Before his words even finished, Su Yang had already stepped into the courtyard.

It didn’t matter if Lin Fei didn’t understand Su Yang did.

Su Yang walked through the corridor to Lin Huaiyu’s room and saw him once again undergoing bloodletting to detoxify. His heart trembled.

Every time he saw the countless knife scars on Lin Huaiyu’s arm, his heart ached.

If not for him, Lin Huaiyu would never have had to endure such suffering.

He stood at the doorway, not daring to enter. After He Qingli finished treating Lin Huaiyu, Lin Huaiyu’s senses had not yet returned. He lay in the light, his eyes half-closed, unable to see anything.

Su Yang had never seen Lin Huaiyu look so fragile. Just as he was about to step forward, He Qingli stopped him. “Lord Lin asked me to examine Your Majesty.”

Su Yang was taken aback as He Qingli pushed him to sit down, placing a hand on his wrist to check his pulse. Su Yang’s gaze softened as he looked at Lin Huaiyu.

Lin Huaiyu… still cared for him, didn’t he?

A faint smile tugged at Su Yang’s lips. He Qingli withdrew his hand. “Your Majesty, why haven’t you sought a physician? This chill has lingered for two days without improvement.”

Su Yang replied, “It’s nothing serious.”

But He Qingli paid him no mind. “I’ll go prepare the medicine. Your Majesty, please keep an eye on Lord Lin.”

With that, he left the room.

Only Lin Huaiyu and Su Yang remained.

Su Yang walked over to the bedside, watching the motionless Lin Huaiyu. He knew Lin Huaiyu’s senses were temporarily sealed and had not yet returned.

He knelt down, looking up at Lin Huaiyu. “Why are you so kind to me?”

Lin Huaiyu couldn’t hear him, so naturally, he didn’t respond.

Su Yang simply watched Lin Huaiyu, waiting for his senses to return.

Slowly, Lin Huaiyu’s gaze focused, and he saw the person before him kneeling like a puppy at his feet. He asked, “Where is He Qingli?”

Su Yang answered truthfully, “He went to prepare the medicine.”

Lin Huaiyu nodded, shifting his gaze away from Su Yang.

Su Yang said nothing, continuing to watch Lin Huaiyu from his kneeling position as if he could never get enough.

“The medicine is ready!” He Qingli entered from outside, placing the bowl of medicine on the table. Glancing at the kneeling Su Yang, he cleared his throat. “Your Majesty, it’s time to take your medicine.”

Su Yang finally stood up. He glanced at the exceptionally strong-smelling medicine, frowned, and asked Lin Huaiyu, “Teacher, this medicine smells so bitter. Can you feed me?”

Having realized that Lin Huaiyu had a soft spot for him, Su Yang began to push his luck.

Lin Huaiyu shot him a cold glance. “If you don’t want to drink it, you can leave right now.”

Su Yang quickly replied, “I’ll drink it.”

He walked over to the table and began sipping the bowl of medicine spoonful by spoonful.

He Qingli brought another bowl to Lin Huaiyu. “You drink too.”

Lin Huaiyu looked at him. He Qingli seemed to have no intention of leaving, insisting on watching Lin Huaiyu drink the medicine on the spot.

It had to be said that He Qingli sometimes truly understood him well.

Lin Huaiyu sighed softly. Since he had nothing sweet on hand, he could only drink the bowl of bitter medicine.

Only then did He Qingli say, “That’s more like it. If you always eat sweets, the medicine’s effectiveness diminishes. You’d have to drink several more bowls, so you might as well skip the sugar.”

He Qingli muttered to himself as he took the bowls out. Passing by Su Yang, he glanced at his medicine—still more than half full. He shook his head and left.

The room fell quiet, with neither of them making a sound. Only the slow, deliberate sips of Su Yang’s spoonfuls of medicine broke the silence.

Lin Huaiyu finally couldn’t bear it any longer. “If you keep drinking at this pace, the medicine will go cold.”

Su Yang pursed his lips and took the opportunity to pull a packet of sugar cubes from his sleeve, placing it beside Lin Huaiyu’s hand. “Eat it secretly. Don’t let He Qingli find out.”

Lin Huaiyu looked at the sugar and chuckled. “You, the emperor of Dayong, afraid of He Qingli?”

Seeing him laugh, Su Yang smiled too. “I’m not afraid of him, but you need him to cure your poison.”

Lin Huaiyu picked a small sugar cube and placed it in his mouth, then wrapped the rest and tucked it under his pillow. “Finish your medicine. Once you’re better, return to the capital.”

Su Yang paused in his drinking. “I don’t want to go back.”

He knew Lin Huaiyu was trying to send him away. He had deliberately been drinking slowly, unwilling to let this rare time with Lin Huaiyu slip away too quickly.

Lin Huaiyu looked at him and asked, “If the emperor of Dayong isn’t presiding over the court, what will happen to the capital?”

Su Yang replied, “I’ve entrusted it to Zhao Xiangyi. Didn’t you praise him for his capabilities? I’ve appointed him to oversee the state and handle court affairs.”

Lin Huaiyu immediately frowned. “This is reckless!”

Seeing his anger, Su Yang stopped drinking his medicine and simply stared at Lin Huaiyu.

Lin Huaiyu scolded, “Overseeing the state is a grave responsibility. Are you planning to hand Dayong over to Zhao Xiangyi in the future?”

Su Yang smiled. “In any case, I won’t have heirs in the future. Dayong has long been without a successor. Let the capable take charge. If Zhao Xiangyi truly has the ability to win the people’s support, there’s no harm in entrusting it to him.”

Lin Huaiyu frowned deeply. He could sense that Su Yang wasn’t joking.

Su Yang seemed to feel his words weren’t precise enough and added, “Of course, during my lifetime, I will protect Dayong. After all, it was Teacher who fought to secure this realm for me.”

Lin Huaiyu retorted irritably, “I didn’t do it entirely for you.”

Su Yang’s smile faltered slightly before he replied, “It doesn’t matter. Teacher’s vision is also my vision.”

Lin Huaiyu lowered his gaze. “I won’t return to the capital with you. Ever since I erased all traces of myself there a year ago, I had no intention of going back. If you need someone to assist you, Zhao Xiangyi can do it, Fang Zhixu can do it you don’t lack for people. You don’t need me.”

Su Yang’s heart tightened in panic. “I don’t need anyone else to assist me. If I had to choose, it could only be you. If you refuse to return, it’s because you resent me I know that.”

Lin Huaiyu neither confirmed nor denied it, simply dismissing him. “Finish your medicine and get out.”

Not daring to argue further, Su Yang continued drinking his medicine, but at a painfully slow pace, letting the bowl grow cold.

Lin Huaiyu saw right through his intentions and said irritably, “Do you not want to recover?”

Su Yang replied, “If my illness takes longer to heal, will you talk to me a little more?”

Lin Huaiyu shot him a glance. “No. From now on, I won’t say another word to you.”

Su Yang responded weakly, a hint of grievance in his voice. “If Zhao Xiangyi came to find you, would you be willing to return to the capital with him?”

Lin Huaiyu suddenly let out a bitter laugh.