AT THE SA TI
I SHEN’S POINT OF VIEW:
I pressed my hand to Lian Wei’s forehead, the heat scorching through my palm, a cruel reminder of how quickly he was slipping away. His breaths ca shallow and ragged, each one a fragile thread I feared might break at any mont. I cradled him close, desperate to find so spark of strength, so sign that he was still holding on. Then that voice, Zeyrith’s voice, cut through the thick silence like a blade.
"Ah, what a perfect scene for tragedy. Your dark romance, i Shen, fading like mist at dawn. You can’t save him now, not unless you want this story to end like all the rest: broken, bitter, and buried in regret." He smirked.
My jaw clenched tight, the sting of his words settling deep, but I refused to surrender to despair. The system buzzed in my mind.
"Warning. Lian Wei’s condition worsening. Imdiate dical attention required. Risk of irreversible failure high."System said.
"Stay with , Lian Wei. Please." I whispered fiercely, voice cracking between hope and fear.
Beside , Huan reached out with trembling fingers, pressing a small hand to his father’s cheek.
"Dad... please co back."He whispered.
Huan’s small hand trembled in mine as we carefully helped Lian Wei up. His body was weak, but his spirit still flickered in those stormy eyes. I glanced at Huan, then back to Lian Wei, the questions swirling in my mind too urgent to ignore.
"How do you know he’s really your father?" I asked Huan softly, trying not to shake as I spoke.
Huan looked up at , confusion and sothing fierce swirling in his gaze.
"Because... he looks like . Like I see myself when I look at him. The scars, the way he holds himself, even his voice. It’s like a reflection I can’t explain."Huan said.
I looked at Lian Wei’s face, tracing the sa rough lines etched deep into my son’s features. The resemblance was undeniable. A chill ran down my spine. Lian Wei’s voice was barely a whisper as he slung a bag over his shoulder, eyes distant but steady.
The system chid softly in my mind, its voice calm but urgent.
"Recomnd imdiate rest and dical treatnt. Emotional stability critical, support him gently. Avoid stress triggers. Monitor vitals closely."System said.
I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat.
"We’ll get you ho, Lian Wei. You’re safe now."I whispered.
Huan stayed close, eyes never leaving his father’s face. I could see the hope flickering behind the worry, and sowhere deep down, so did I.
"Mom." Huan said quietly. "Are you happy to see dad again?"
My breath caught, and for a mont I hesitated, looking down at my hands clenched tight in my lap. The truth wasn’t simple, not after all this ti, all the pain.
"I... I did miss him." I admitted, my voice soft, almost breaking. "But sotis, Huan, missing soone also ans hurting. And I don’t want to hurt anymore. Not like this."
Huan’s small hand reached for mine again, squeezing it gently.
"I want us to be happy. All of us."He said.
I looked up, eting his hopeful gaze, and felt a fierce warmth rise inside .
" too, Huan. too."I said.
As Huan’s words hung in the air, the quiet hum of the system buzzed sharply in my mind, breaking through the fragile calm.
"Subject Lian Wei’s true identity confird, he is Emperor Lianwei. Caution: His health remains critically unstable. Prolonged illness could endanger both his life and the fragile peace of the realm."System said.
The weight of that truth pressed down on like a stone. Emperor Lianwei, the man I had been quietly caring for, not just a stranger, but a ruler whose burden I was now entangled in. And yet, he was so fragile, so human beneath the title. I swallowed hard, glancing at him lying there, pale but steady for now.
"We need to be careful." I whispered, mostly to myself. "Not just for him, but for all of us."
Huan’s small fingers tightened around mine again, and together, silently, we faced the uncertain road ahead. My heart thundered in my chest as the system’s warning echoed in my mind. Emperor Lianwei. The truth was out, no longer just a stranger in need, but the very man who ruled the land. But the weight of his frailty cut sharper than any crown.
"Mom, will he be okay?"Huan asked.
I swallowed the lump in my throat, fighting the panic rising inside .
"I... I don’t know." I admitted, voice barely steady. "But I promise, we won’t give up on him."
Lianwei’s eyes fluttered open, faint but focused on . He tried to speak, but only a whisper escaped.
"i... you have to... stay away... from this... it’s dangerous..."He muttered.
My breath hitched.
"No. Not now. You need ."I whispered.
A cruel laugh echoed in my head, that damned god Zeyrith’s voice dripping with mockery.
"Ah, the fragile threads of hope unraveling. Can you save him from himself, or will tragedy claim you both?"He grinned.
I clenched my fists. Not this ti. But even as I fought, doubt clawed at . How many secrets was he still hiding?
"Mom... what if we lose him?"Huan asked.
Tears stung my eyes.
"We won’t."I said.
"Mom..." Huan’s small hand gripped my sleeve. "What’s wrong with him? Why isn’t he waking up?"
My lips parted, but no sound ca out. Because how could I explain? That his father, emperor Lian Wei was a man who had spent years burning himself out to keep a realm from falling apart, and now he might not even survive a simple fever? I knelt by the bed, pressing the back of my hand gently to his flushed cheek. His skin burned under my touch. My heart thudded painfully.
"Subject Lianwei’s fever remains dangerously high. Recomnd imdiate preparation of Jade leaf tonic. Ingredients required: Jade leaf, starflower petals, Honey water extract."System said.
The list echoed in my mind. Jade leaf and Starflower petals, I recognized them at once. Both are common enough in this region. And Honeywater extract... we had a small jar tucked in the pantry. Relief, bitter and fleeting, washed over . At least this wasn’t the impossible quest I had feared.
But even with an easier recipe, my hands shook as I reached for the old dicinal texts stacked on the shelf. I flipped one open, pages yellowed and curling at the edges. Why didn’t you tell ? My fingers stilled on the page as Zeyrith’s velvet-smooth voice slithered into my mind.
"Ah, how deliciously tragic. The emperor himself, wasting away in your little hut, his secret life unraveling strand by strand. Did you feel betrayed, i Shen? Or is it that you feel sothing far worse...?"He asked.
"Shut up." I whispered under my breath, flipping another page harder than I ant to.
"Oh, don’t glare. I’m rely observing. Isn’t it fascinating? The woman who once loved him now trapped between anger and yearning."He smirked.
"I’m not trapped." I said sharply, though my voice trembled.
"Aren’t you? He kept the truth from you, yet your hands still tremble when they touch his skin."He smirked again.
"Enough!" I hissed. Huan looked up at from where he sat by the bed, startled.
"Mom?" His small voice pulled back.
I forced a smile, though it felt brittle on my lips.
"It’s nothing, sweetheart. I’m just... thinking."I whispered.
I forced myself to focus again on the book, tracing the sketched leaves and neat handwriting describing the tonic. Three crushed Jade leaves. Seven starflower petals steeped gently in Honeywater extract until golden. Administer warm every three hours. Simple. But ti was still against . I glanced back at Lianwei. His lashes fluttered weakly as if he were caught in so restless dream. A broken whisper slipped past his lips.
"i... forgive... ..."He muttered.
The words cut through like a blade. My throat tightened painfully. I wanted to shout, to demand why? Why hide your na? Your past? But instead, I reached out and brushed damp strands of hair from his forehead.
"I should be furious at you." I murmured softly. "And yet... all I can think about is keeping you alive."
Zeyrith’s laugh rippled in my head again, low and knowing.
"Ah, there it is. The fragility of a heart still tethered to the past. So tell , i Shen, will you save him to scold him later? Or because deep down... you’ve already forgiven him?"Zeyrith asked.
I bit down hard on my lip, turning away as hot tears threatened to spill.
"Huan." I said, forcing my voice steady. "I need to get so herbs from the garden. Stay with your father. Call if anything changes."
"Okay, mom." His tiny fingers clutched Lianwei’s hand. "I’ll watch him."
I stepped out into the crisp mountain air, trying to breathe past the storm in my chest. Anger, relief, longing it all tangled together until I couldn’t tell where one ended and the other began. But one thing was clear. I wouldn’t let him slip away. Not now, not when we still had many things left to discuss.
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