Chapter 42

Chapter 42: Did the Heir Apparent Not Know?

Meng Yang’s voice shook: “So it was Sheng Zhi Wan?!”

Qi Shu Xian’s voice was so faint it was almost nothing: “It’s fine. It’s only three months…” It was unclear whether Qi Shu Xian meant to comfort Meng Yang, or to convince himself.

Meng Yang burst into tears: “But how can you endure this kind of pain for three months?” Meng Yang had already guessed it. Meng Yang choked, “Was it Princess? Did Princess make you take poison before Princess would give Heavenly Pearl Fruit?”

Qi Shu Xian did not deny it. Qi Shu Xian did not have the strength to deny it.

[It was only Cold Poison… so why was it this hard to endure? Had Sheng Zhi Wan been enduring it like this before? If Sheng Zhi Wan had no Heavenly Pearl Fruit, would Sheng Zhi Wan have to endure it like this anyway?]

A sudden wave of guilt rose in Qi Shu Xian’s chest.

Meng Yang cried, furious and heartbroken: “How could she be so vicious? How could she watch you suffer like this? Heir Apparent, I’m going to find her. I don’t want Heavenly Pearl Fruit anymore. I’ll give my life back to Princess. I’ll go beg her – beg her to give you the antidote!”

Meng Yang wiped tears and tried to get out of bed again.

Qi Shu Xian, who had been gritting his teeth in silence, suddenly grabbed Meng Yang hard. Qi Shu Xian’s mouth was full of the bloody, salty taste of Qi Shu Xian’s own bitten flesh: “Enough! Do you think it isn’t messy enough already?”

Meng Yang stared blankly, then slowly came back to herself.

Qi Shu Xian forced his voice gentler: “Don’t provoke her. You can’t beat her. Be good, and give birth to the child.”

Meng Yang nodded through tears: “Alright. Heir Apparent, don’t talk. I’ll listen to the Heir Apparent. I’ll listen to everything.”

Qi Shu Xian endured until dawn, half in pain and half in sleep.

Meng Yang stayed with Qi Shu Xian until dawn as well. Before breakfast could even be served, Meng Yang could not hold on any longer and finally fell asleep.

Qi Shu Xian carefully settled Meng Yang back onto the bed, then gave Qing Xing careful instructions before leaving Wei Yang Courtyard as quietly as possible.

The pain from yesterday was still vivid.

Yet Qi Shu Xian’s steps seemed to move on their own, carrying Qi Shu Xian to the gates of Ping Lan Residence.

Daylight had only just begun. It was not yet time to attend morning court. Qi Shu Xian suddenly felt curious about what Sheng Zhi Wan was doing.

Was Sheng Zhi Wan sleeping soundly in bed, or was Sheng Zhi Wan too angry to sleep because Qi Shu Xian had taken Heavenly Pearl Fruit last night?

If there were no Meng Yang and no child in Meng Yang’s belly, Qi Shu Xian should have been sleeping beside Sheng Zhi Wan now.

Thinking of that, Qi Shu Xian pressed his lips together, and a hard-to-name irritation rose in Qi Shu Xian’s chest.

The woman who once looked at Qi Shu Xian with open adoration, obedient and gentle, had become so decisive and ruthless. With a single move, Sheng Zhi Wan had made Qi Shu Xian suffer unbearably.

But Qi Shu Xian had done nothing. Qi Shu Xian had only been plotted against, and that was how Qi Shu Xian ended up with Meng Yang.

Did Sheng Zhi Wan really have to be so unforgiving?

While Qi Shu Xian was lost in thought, the door of Ping Lan Residence suddenly opened a crack.

Huan Zhu saw the person standing outside and froze. Then Huan Zhu’s pretty almond eyes instantly reddened.

Qi Shu Xian recognized Huan Zhu at once among several Fourth-Rank Maidservants. Seeing Huan Zhu’s clothing, Qi Shu Xian frowned: “Huan Zhu? What is this?”

Huan Zhu dropped to her knees: “This servant… this servant angered Princess.” Huan Zhu lifted her face slightly, revealing half a slender neck.

Huan Zhu’s fingers trembled with excitement.

[Finally. She had finally waited for the Heir Apparent.]

[As long as the Heir Apparent asked why she angered Princess, and why she was reduced to a Fourth-Rank Maidservant, she could tell the Heir Apparent everything she had done. She could make the Heir Apparent see her loyalty, and her feelings.]

Huan Zhu waited, repeating the words she planned to say again and again in her mind.

Sure enough, Qi Shu Xian dismissed the other maids.

Huan Zhu lifted her small face, eyes full of adoration: “Heir Apparent…”

Qi Shu Xian’s voice cut over hers: “Does Sheng Zhi Wan truly suffer from Cold Poison?”

Huan Zhu went stiff. Every carefully prepared line vanished at once.

Huan Zhu did not understand why the Heir Apparent would ask something everyone knew. Even people who did not know Princess still knew Princess feared cold, and that every winter Princess went to a palace residence to avoid the season.

How could the Heir Apparent ask such a question?

Qi Shu Xian pressed, “I asked if it’s true.”

Being stared at like this by someone from Sheng Zhi Wan’s side made Qi Shu Xian feel strangely uncomfortable, as if Qi Shu Xian had asked something he should not have asked.

Huan Zhu tested carefully: “Heir Apparent… does the Heir Apparent not know?”

Qi Shu Xian’s face tightened: “Should this Heir Apparent know?”

Huan Zhu hesitated, then answered, “Princess was born with cold in the womb. It was almost cured, but after Princess saved you from Ice Lake, the Cold Poison became even worse.”

Qi Shu Xian’s eyes sharpened: “Worse? How bad did it get?”

Qi Shu Xian suddenly remembered that it was true.

On the eve of Sheng Zhi Wan’s marriage into the manor, the Empress Dowager had summoned Qi Shu Xian to the Imperial Palace for a scolding. The Empress Dowager had said many things, but Qi Shu Xian only remembered the humiliation and anger from that day, and Qi Shu Xian had even forgotten the final warnings and reminders.

Huan Zhu said softly, “If the Heir Apparent is asking how painful it is… sometimes Princess begged this servant to tie Princess up, or stuff a cloth into Princess’s mouth, just so Princess could endure it…”

Huan Zhu spoke honestly.

Even though Princess treated Huan Zhu that way, Huan Zhu still hoped Princess and the Heir Apparent could reconcile.

[Because only then would she have more chances to see the Heir Apparent.]

Qi Shu Xian’s hand clenched inside his sleeve.

Huan Zhu kept talking, but Qi Shu Xian could not hear a single word anymore. Qi Shu Xian only stared deeply into Ping Lan Residence.

After a long time, Qi Shu Xian finally turned and strode away.