CH 54

He panicked quite sincerely.

The disordered emotions in Li Ying’s heart were wiped out by his words. He took a breath, tightened his arms and was just about to fish Yun Qingci out of the bed when the latter suddenly struggled.

They fought a little, and Li Ying glanced at him.

In an afterthought, Yun Qingci thought of the state of his body and said seriously: “You have lost so much weight during this time, so let’s eat first.” 

“I’m not hungry.” Li Ying propelled him directly to the bed and leaned forward when there was another growl in Yun Qingci’s stomach.

He laid flat under Li Ying, subconsciously pressing his sunken stomach with both hands, and his expression was a little embarrassed as he met Li Ying’s eyes: “Let’s… eat first.” 

Li Ying didn’t hold back, his eyes curving slightly.

Yun Qingci blushed, sat up sullenly and wanted to get out of bed, but his body suddenly was in the air, held in a tight hug.

He instinctively hooked his arms around Li Ying’s neck and said with genuine concern: “Don’t push yourself.” 

Li Ying: “Shut up.” 

As they walked up to the beaded curtain, Yun Qingci reached out and lifted it open, and was carried all the way to the table.

Li Ying put him in the chair and touched a bowl to test the temperature. The spring was chilly and there was often a cold wind blowing in Shangyang City, so the earth dragon had not been removed yet. Even though they were distracted for a while, the food didn’t go cold in the warm room.

He asked Yun Qingci, “Would you like to ask someone to heat it up?”

“I’m starving to death, I’ll just eat it.” 

Li Ying personally filled half a bowl of rice and put it in front of him. While eating, Yun Qingci didn’t forget to press his feet to him and said, “Does it still hurt?” ”

“It doesn’t hurt.” As long as Yun Qingci was close, even if they were not touching, the pain would ease.

He never thought that Yun Qingci would see him like that, let alone that he would accept him after seeing him like that.

“Ah Ci.” 

“Hmm?” 

“…it’s fine.” 

Yun Qingci gave him a blank look: “What are you doing?” 

“Calling you.” 

Yun Qingci hooked his legs with both feet and pressed them tightly. He touched the braised pork with his chopsticks. Remembering that Li Ying couldn’t eat meat, he moved to vegetables and said, “You can eat it too.” 

“Okay.” Li Ying noticed everything. His expression was calm; Yun Qingci really had seen everything, all his dirty, rotten and disgusting sides.

His throat moved slightly; he suddenly felt that he was exuding a stench from the inside out and his stomach rolled.

Li Ying simply ate a few slices of green vegetables and then started feeding Yun Qingci again. Yun Qingci was really hungry this time; he buried his head in the food and ate with gusto. When he was half full, he realized that Li Ying’s bowl was empty. He casually picked up a spoon of egg custard toward him, “Eat this.”

“I can myself…”

“I’ll feed you, open your mouth quickly.” 

Yun Qingci liked this egg custard very much. It was smooth, tender and not fishy. He’d been a picky eater since he was a kid, and ordinary food wasn’t even worth his attention. If he said something was good, it must be really good.

Li Ying was grateful and took a spoonful of custard in his mouth. Smooth custard slid through his throat into his stomach, like a snake slithering in.

His face turned pale. Yun Qingci had already picked something else. He knew that Li Ying didn’t eat meat, so he picked some light snacks, tofu, green bamboo shoots, and put them in Li Ying’s bowl, saying, “Eat up, you need to get well, look at your thin waist, I don’t think you have any strength left.”

Li Ying: “……”

He moved his leg, and Yun Qingci clamped his foot on him again, “What are you doing, doesn’t it hurt?” ”

“It’s fine.” 

“What’s fine, is it fine if you say so?” Yun Qingci stared at him. Li Ying looked at him, couldn’t help laughing and said, “I’m used to it.”

“Then you got used to it quite quickly.” Yun Qingci kicked him but continued to hold him, urging: “Eat quickly! You need to eat your fill to have enough strength to do that… hmm, you’ll have enough strength.”

Li Ying raised his eyebrows slightly, tenderness in his eyes overflowing, as he justified himself: “I’ll have enough strength even if I don’t eat.” 

“I don’t care, you eat quickly.” 

Li Ying picked up his chopsticks obediently.

Yun Qingci took the opportunity to take a few more bites and turned his head to see that Li Ying was eating slowly. His expression did not improve, he even seemed to be paler.

“Li Ying.” 

“En?” As soon as he called, Li Ying put down his chopsticks, obviously not interested in food at all.

“You have lost a lot of weight.” Yun Qingci reminded him and said, “But if you really can’t eat it, drink some soup, okay?” ”

“Okay.” 

Yun Qingci got up, scooped the soup and put it in front of Li Ying: “No matter what, this bowl of soup must be emptied.” 

“En.” 

Yun Qingci smiled at him, propped his elbows on the edge of the table, rested his face on his fists and said solemnly: “I’m watching you.” 

Li Ying sipped the soup carefully and suddenly felt the stench getting stronger and stronger. He bit his tongue and whispered, “Ah Ci, do you, do you smell anything?”

Yun Qingci wrinkled his nose and sniffed, and said, “Yes.” 

Li Ying’s face turned blue.

Yun Qingci slapped a kiss on his face and muttered, “Why are you so greedy, you smell delicious.” 

Seeing the teasing in his eyes, Li Ying regained his senses. Perhaps because of this sweet kiss, the smell disappeared suddenly. He stretched out his hand and pinched Lord Empress Yun’s cheek with his white fingers.

“Oh, you have to eat quickly.” Yun Qingci dodged and said, “I want to take a bath.”

“Tell someone to give you first…”

“Can you leave me?” Yun Qingci said, “What will you do if I go?”

Li Ying finally drank all the soup, but Yun Qingci wanted to give him something else, so he said quickly, “I’m full.” 

“You eat too little.” Yun Qingci wanted to feed him some more but put the chopsticks down and said rationally: “Well, you can stop eating if you feel uncomfortable.”

Anyway, he had plenty of time to stuff Li Ying, and he would eat with him all the time in future, so he would feed him back to his original appearance.

Yun Qingci made up his mind and rushed directly into Li Ying’s arms, his eyes shining: “Let’s go to the warm pool and soak in the hot spring.” 

As soon as he said it, before Li Ying had time to agree, there was Liu Ziru’s voice outside: “Your Majesty, Prime Minister Yun begs to see Lord Empress.” 

Li Ying suddenly tightened his arms around Yun Qingci’s waist, took a deep breath and said: “Let him in.” 

Yun Qingci knew exactly what his father was here for. He looked at Li Ying’s face, hesitantly moved out of his arms and sat a little further away.

Li Ying didn’t stop him. Yun Qingci glanced at his face and pressed his foot against Li Ying’s.

Prime Minister Yun walked in quickly, and Yun Qingci tried his best to behave like a host, hurriedly greeting: “Father, have you eaten yet? Would you like to join us…”

Under Prime Minister Yun’s glance, he quickly closed his mouth.

“This old minister has seen Your Majesty.” 

“Teacher, sit down.” 

“I will not be sitting down.” Prime Minister Yun was straightforward and humble: “This old minister is here to pick up Xiao Ci and return to the mansion.”

He and Li Ying had already discussed it properly, and the situation with the peaceful separation was bound to be completed. Now that the emperor had agreed, the matter was half done, so he did not call Yun Qingci Lord Empress.

He could tell that Yun Qingci’s heart softened, probably because Li Ying had taken care of him during that time. Yun Qingci had feelings for Li Ying, and he, his father, was negligent.

Li Ying looked at Yun Qingci, and Prime Minister Yun also looked at Yun Qingci.

Their stares collided. Yun Qingci could understand both his father and Li Ying. For the time being, he didn’t know how to react.

Seeing his embarrassment, Li Ying took the initiative to resolve his conflict and said softly: “You go back with the teacher first and think about it clearly.” 

Yun Qingci didn’t expect that he would be willing to give up on him. He opened his eyes wide and said with displeasure: “You…”

“Xiao Ci.” Prime Minister Yun stopped him.

Yun Qingci frowned and walked out of the table at the urging of his father. Prime Minister Yun stretched out his hand to pull him over, bowed and said, “Then Your Majesty will rest well, and this old minister will not bother anymore.” 

Yun Qingci was even more displeased.

Why didn’t Li Ying stop him?

If he insisted on keeping him, his father would definitely be unable to do anything.

He looked back at the other party who sat with his head hanging, his long hair hiding his expression. He didn’t know what Li Ying was thinking.

Yun Qingci was dragged into the carriage. As soon as he sat firmly, he heard Prime Minister Yun shout, “What’s the matter with you, kid? After talking about separation, after a long time of trouble, His Majesty finally agreed, and you rush to stick to him? What do you want to do?” 

Yun Qingci panicked in embarrassment: “I, I didn’t stick to him…”

“Qingci.” Prime Minister Yun sighed: “Have you forgotten that he kicked you out?” 

“No.” 

“Then have you forgotten that he threw you off the bed and knocked your forehead? How many days has it been since the scar on your forehead faded?” 

“Of course I haven’t forgotten.” 

“Then do you think you were wrong at that time?” 

“Of course I was right!” Yun Qingci was like a cat whose tail was stepped on, as he exploded retorting: “It was wrong of him to go drink with Ning Rou!”

After the explosion, he wilted again: “But he is different now from before…”

Prime Minister Yun didn’t hear it clearly: “What are you whimpering about?” 

“I said.” Yun Qingci raised his voice and said, “I’ll knock his head and make it even with him.”

Prime Minister Yun shook his beard in anger, and Yun Qingci said unhappily: “Originally, I was going to leave with him, but…”

“It’s just that he took care of you inexplicably for a few days?” Prime Minister Yun said helplessly: “Qingci, since ancient times, emperors are often unlucky. Father does not want to make you break up, father is afraid that he will hurt you.” 

Yun Qingci recalled his previous life, his eyes reddening slightly, as he whispered, “He won’t…”

“You also said this when you got married.” 

Yun Qingci tugged at the corner of his clothes.

Before he got married that year, his relationship with his father was very bad. Prime Minister Yun hurriedly came to the other courtyard, chased after him and analyzed the pros and cons for him, telling him that the Empress Dowager planned to suppress the Prime Minister’s Mansion. Li Ying was the emperor first and foremost and his husband second. He bitterly told him that Li Ying was not a good man.

Yun Qingci remembered that he was so annoyed and said fiercely: “You just don’t want to see me doing well! It’s not enough for you to kill Mom. You have to watch me die in this courtyard without relatives, lonely and helpless for the rest of my life, right?!”

Ignoring his father’s distorted face, he slammed the door without looking back and shut the man out.

Twelve years later, he jumped off the tower and committed suicide.

But that was his previous life. Now that Li Ying had explained everything to him and he had said he wouldn’t do it again, Yun Qingci said, “That time, that time it was because I drugged him and he was angry…”

“Yun Qingci!” Prime Minister Yun slapped his legs angrily, and his old voice shook: “Dad won’t hurt you.”

“He is the emperor, the Son of Heaven, he can give you everything, and he can take back everything at any time. The so-called puppy love cannot be relied on for a lifetime!” 

“But…”

“No buts.” Prime Minister Yun felt helpless and said solemnly: “He is willing to let go now, which is a great opportunity for you to get out of the fire pit. Yun Qingci, if you don’t do it, if you encounter any difficulties in the palace in the future, your father will not be able to help, do you understand?” 

“I……”

“What do you want?” 

“I…” Yun Qingci lowered his head and said sullenly: “I will think it over.”

Prime Minister Yun stared at him for a moment, then sat closer hesitantly, patted his hand and said, “Over the years, father didn’t fulfill father’s responsibilities to you. Now father doesn’t know if he is qualified to say this…”

“But Dad doesn’t want you to be soft-hearted for a moment and hurt yourself for the rest of your life.” 

Yun Qingci nodded.

Prime Minister Yun looked at him for a while, and suddenly he missed the child who fought tit-for-tat with him. He was ill-behaved and unreasonable, he was obsessed and domineering, he never took anyone to heart and could speak ill of anyone.

He once stung everyone and made everyone retreat.

That kind of Yun Qingci, with armor and barbs, would always be indestructible, so the whole family could harden their hearts, close their eyes and let him do what he wanted.

It was better that way… and now such a soft and obedient appearance, on the contrary, was worrying for no reason.

Prime Minister Yun raised his hand and slowly rubbed his youngest son’s head.

When Yun Qingci arrived at the Prime Minister’s mansion, he was dragged by his father to have another bitter talk. After returning to his small courtyard exhausted, he threw himself on the bed.

He recalled that when there was only Li Ying in his heart, he only needed to care about Li Ying alone. He didn’t need to struggle or maintain a balance. Anyway, no matter who it was, no matter what it was, as long as there was Li Ying, everything had to step aside.

But now, he had to re-examine this relationship and not look at Li Ying in everything.

It’s really hard to balance his family and his loved one.

Which one was more important and which one should he care about? Yun Qingci had never made such a choice before, and he was so confused that he didn’t know where to start.

“Li Ying…” He muttered in dissatisfaction: “Why didn’t you keep me and make me be the villain.” 

The bedroom in the small courtyard had not been occupied for a long time, and although the smell was faint, Yun Qingci still smelled the familiar scent of agarwood.

Oh great. He can’t open his mouth and make people stay but as soon as they go home, he has to follow. In the end, he is the Son of Heaven, so he can hide and sneak around, not fearing to lose his status.

Yun Qingci rolled his eyes and continued to mutter: “What should I do? Ah Ying can’t be without me, but Dad doesn’t allow me to be nice to him…”

“If I cut off my finger and give it to Ah Ying, will it keep him from hurting?”

He got up solemnly, took out a small knife from the drawer of the desk case, and his wrist was immediately grasped by a thin hand.

Yun Qingci looked startled, raised his head and said, “Oh.” 

“…don’t mess around.”