CH 50

After a while, Siwei left the bedroom and Gu Yan lay on the bed with a splitting headache.

He couldn’t remember much of what happened last night, but he vaguely remembered that Ye Zi seemed to have mentioned Huaiyuan to him. As soon as the name came out, Gu Yan quickly understood everything, Ye Zi had probably been to the villa.

Most likely, he entered the secret room and saw what was inside.

Ye Zi didn’t have those memories and wouldn’t have thought that the person in the painting was actually him.

No wonder from that day onwards, he was often lost in thought, as if he was preoccupied.

Gu Yan was seething with anger and the bottom of the eyes vaguely showed the color of blood.

If this was the case, then what he had done during this period of time wasn’t affectionate to that person at all, but a cold and piercing sharp knife, no different from capital punishment. 

Gu Yan closed his eyes and remembered his last words to Ye Zi yesterday.

“Who are you talking about……me or Huaiyuan?”

“You are Huaiyuan.”

Gu Yan didn’t dare to imagine how uncomfortable Ye Zi, who had misunderstood him in the first place, would feel when he heard this. He probably thought that Gu Yan was just treating him as Huaiyuan’s substitute.

How could he do this to him?

Ye Zi had been treated by him with those cutting sweet words for such a long time yet he still had the audacity to blame the other party for not being frank enough, blaming him for not speaking out what was on his mind.

How could he……

Gu Yan’s mind was in a daze. On one hand, he was thinking about how he was still so lacking. He clearly swore that he wouldn’t hurt him again, but ended up still causing him grief. On the other hand, he thought that he couldn’t let Ye Zi continue to misunderstand him like this.

He had to tell him the truth. Even if Ye Zi blamed him and didn’t believe him, he couldn’t continue hurting that person’s feelings.

Gu Yan’s chest was so tight that it hurt and he was about to get up when he accidentally pulled on his abdominal wound. The sharp pain induced a fishy sweetness in his throat. Finally, Gu Yan couldn’t help but turn his head and coughed up a big mouthful of blood.

“Your Majesty!” Qiu Tang was leading Pei Ge in and when she happened to see Gu Yan coughing up blood, she hurriedly came forward.

Gu Yan’s eyes were bloodshot as he haphazardly pulled the hand of the person beside him: “Where is……A Zi?”

Qiu Tang’s eyes were red with fear as she hurriedly responded: “H-His Highness hasn’t come back yet. Dr. Pei is here, please lie down first and have Dr. Pei take a look for you.”

Gu Yan was stunned for a moment and asked softly: “He hasn’t come back yet?”

“Why hasn’t he come back?”

Gu Yan’s eyes were bright red like blood and his voice was hoarse: “Where did he go? He……”

If you aren’t reading this on acupofhalfmoon.wordpress.com, then it has been reposted without permission. Please don’t give ad revenue to them and come join us for tea. I promise we don’t bite.

Before Gu Yan could finish his words, Pei Ge quickly stepped forward from behind Qiu Tang and tapped twice at the acupoints on his shoulders. Gu Yan’s body went limp and fell back onto the bed.

Afterward, Pei Ge turned his head to Qiu Tang: “Miss, you should go down first. Just leave everything to me.”  

Qiu Tang hesitated for a moment before nodding and heading out the door.

Pei Ge sat down beside the bed and reached out to clasp Gu Yan’s wrist. A moment later, Pei Ge frowned and let go of his hand. He took out a few silver needles from his medicine chest and stuck some needles in a few acupoints on Gu Yan’s arm.

After a while, Gu Yan woke up leisurely.

Pei Ge withdrew the needles: “Your Majesty, how do you feel?”

Gu Yan’s face was pale, but his complexion had regained its clarity: “What happened to me?”

Pei Ge deliberated for a moment before responding: “Your injuries were originally not a big problem, it’s just that the sword ended up hurting your vital energy. You must calm your mind and meditate and don’t think too deeply, or else your qi and blood will attack your heart. I’m afraid……”

Gu Yan’s head still hurt and he frowned: “Dr. Pei, just tell it to me straight.”

Pei Ge lowered his eyes: “This commoner has said to you before, the medicine you have been taking for years and years has accumulated residual poison in your body. These residual poisons were originally suppressed but now that your vital energy has been greatly injured, it is the time for the poison to take advantage of the situation.”

Gu Yan asked: “Can it still be cured?”

Pei Ge replied: “It can be cured but it also cannot be cured.”

Gu Yan asked: “What do you mean?”

Pei Ge truthfully responded: “The medicine came from me and I know very well the effects every time I prescribe it. Although it will take some effort, as long as I give you the right concoction, it is not incurable. But……Your Majesty, forgive me for speaking frankly, if your heart disease still hasn’t been cured, even if I use the best medicine, your fluctuating emotions will make it almost impossible for this commoner to help.” 

Gu Yan smiled faintly: “I understand. Dr. Pei, please prescribe the medicine.”

Pei Ge nodded and was about to turn his head to leave when Gu Yan suddenly spoke: “When you saw the princess consort just now, how was he?” 

Pei Ge hesitated: “The princess consort……looks in poor spirits. He seems to be a little tired and haggard.”

Gu Yan tightened his hands hanging by his side and asked, enduring his splitting headache: “Where did he go? Why didn’t he come back with you?”

Pei Ge said: “He only asked me to come to the Prince’s manor as soon as possible to see you and did not tell me where he was going.”

Gu Yan said, “I understand, thank you for your troubles, Dr. Pei.”

Pei Ge prescribed the medicine and instructed the servants on some medication matters before leaving the manor. After sending Pei Ge away, Gu Yan called for Qiu Tang: “Send a few servants to find the princess consort, if you can’t find him in the city, then go out of the city to look for him, but try not to alarm too many people.”

Qiu Tang was shocked to hear this: “His Highness, he……”

Gu Yan didn’t say much: “Just do as I say.”

Qiu Tang obeyed and retreated, Gu Yan leaned on the bed and let out a bitter smile: “That fool……”

Coming out of the medical clinic, Ye Zi didn’t return to the manor and instead walked aimlessly on the streets.

When he had just taken human form, he was eager to leave but was sent by Gu Yan to be locked up in the Prince’s manor. After that, he promised Gu Yan to pretend to be his princess consort and stayed in the manor, never thinking about leaving again.

Later, he had the chance to leave, but he became reluctant to leave and he didn’t know where to go.

It turned out that without Gu Yan, he really had nowhere to go in this world.

Ye Zi didn’t even know when he became so dependent on that person. Was it from him being so accommodating and gentle, or from his relentless protection of him in front of outsiders, or was it……from the ten years that he took good care of him as that little plant.

Ten years ago, Ye Zi came to this world and had turned into a plant that couldn’t speak or walk.

When he first arrived, he was scared. He even thought that if he wasn’t in the Prince’s manor but in some deep mountain where the wind and rain blew, he would have been driven mad by the uneasiness and loneliness.

During his most uneasy period, it was Gu Yan who was by his side every day, watering him and getting rid of the insects, and talking with him. It was he who made Ye Zi feel that he still had company and that he was not alone.

Since ten years ago, Gu Yan had been very, very good to him.

It was just that he didn’t understand anything at that time.

Ye Zi walked forward in a daze, unknowingly having walked out of the noisy streets and out of the city gates. When he came back to his senses, he was already standing on the official road outside the city.

Ye Zi looked back in the direction of Chang’an, the city gate in the distance couldn’t be seen clearly under the cover of the green trees. He stood there in a daze with hesitation in his heart.

Was he really going to leave just like that?

Last time, when Gu Yan found out that he was imprisoned, he was extremely anxious and afraid. If he knew that he was gone, would that person fall ill again?

He seemed to suffer immensely when he was sick……

But what could he do if he didn’t leave? He wasn’t the one that Gu Yan liked, even if he could get some comfort if that person appeared in front of him now, sooner or later, he would realize that they were not the same person.

At that time, what should he do?

Would that person kick him out of the Prince’s manor? Or, would they allow him to stay but treat him as if he didn’t exist and have him continue to be a fake Princess Consort Rui?

No matter which one it was, Ye Zi couldn’t bear it.

Ye Zi clenched his lower lip and was unable to continue forward for a long time.

He understood all of this, but……he didn’t want to go.

He couldn’t bear to go.

If you aren’t reading this on acupofhalfmoon.wordpress.com, then it has been reposted without permission. Please don’t give ad revenue to them and come join us for tea. I promise we don’t bite.

He couldn’t ask for it, but he also couldn’t let go.

Suddenly, a slightly old voice sounded behind Ye Zi: “Hey, young man, why are you in a daze here?” 

Ye Zi turned his head, it was an old man with white eyebrows.

The old man had a young face and white hair and his Taoist robe was washed white. Behind his back, he was carrying a bag that was also washed white. Seeing Ye Zi looking towards him, he gave him a kind smile.

Ye Zi wiped his eyes and shook his head: “I-It’s nothing.”

The old man stroked his beard and came forward, lecturing: “Young people are young people, they cry when they encounter a small matter. They truly have never seen the big world.” 

After being randomly lectured, Ye Zi patiently asked: “Can I help you with something?”

“Naturally there is something.” The old man straightened up: “I have been traveling all over the world and when I noticed that you seemed to have something preoccupying your mind, I came over to enlighten you.”

Ye Zi: “……”

Ye Zi refused: “Many thanks, but no need.”

Ye Zi was about to leave, but was grabbed by the old man: “Hey, don’t leave in a hurry. I think both you and I were fated to meet. I simply cannot bear to see you sad, why don’t you tell me what’s on your mind, maybe everything will be solved once you get it off your chest.”

Ye Zi helplessly responded: “There really is no need.” 

“Of course there is!” The old man seriously said: “To tell the truth, I am a Taoist Priest of Zhongnan Mountain. My purpose in Chang’an this time was because I had been entrusted by an old friend to come collect demons.” 

Ye Zi was stunned: “You are here to collect demons?”

The old man stroked his beard and was proud: “Precisely.”

“Then……” Do you realize that you have a demon standing right in front of you?

Ye Zi was in a complicated mood and swallowed the latter half of his sentence.

This was probably the wandering Taoist Priest who bluffed and deceived others in those rumors.

The old man was oblivious and bragged shamelessly: “Not only am I strong in Taoism, but I am also kind and charitable and enjoy helping young people like you who are in a state of confusion. I don’t need any payment, just a meal. What do you think, young man?”  

Ye Zi vaguely realized something, looked him up and down for a moment, and asked tentatively: “How many days have you not eaten?”

The old man sighed: “It has been three days.”

Ye Zi: “……”

At a post house outside the city, Ye Zi took a sip of tea, glanced at the old man who was feasting beside him, and pushed the teacup in front of him: “Eat slowly, otherwise you might choke.” 

The old man didn’t respond as he drank the tea and took another bun from the table.

This old man was named Guang Xuzi and claimed to be a priest from Zhongnan Mountain. He traveled the world to cultivate and his reputation was spread far and wide. Not long ago, he received a message from a powerful man in Chang’an City who had asked him to come and collect the demon wandering the city.

But not long before he set out, he was robbed at an unreputable inn and wasn’t able to even afford a carriage. After aimlessly wandering for some time, he finally arrived outside Chang’an City.

Ye Zi endured and endured. In the end, he didn’t ask him why a Taoist Priest couldn’t cover a thousand miles by flying in the sky. 

It wasn’t easy for someone to come out and scam at his age so he didn’t poke any holes in his story. 

After Guang Xuzi was full, Ye Zi was about to say goodbye to him but was held back once again. Guang Xuzi laughed: “Won’t Young Master Ye let me solve your problems for you? I can’t just have you treat me for nothing. Where is Young Master Ye’s house? When I’ve finally gone to Chang’an to collect the demons and get my reward, I will come to visit you as thanks and return the money to you.” 

Ye Zi shook his head and his eyes darkened: “No need, I……I don’t have a home.”

Guang Xuzi thought it was just an excuse and tried to persuade him: “How can you not have a home, Young Master Ye? Don’t be polite to me. To be honest, the person who asked for my help is the eldest son of the current Duke of Protection. Once this matter is finished, there will be no shortage of rewards.”

Ye Zi was stunned: “Who did you say it was?”

Guang Xuzi laughed: “Wen Yi, Little General Wen.”