Chapter 265: He’d probably kill you
In case Duanmu Yao still didn’t get it, Tang Li took a step towards the window and made it even more obvious. “His Highness Duke of Qin came just to lose face for Qin Wangfei’s sake. Aye, what can be done about him?”
Duanmu Yao’s head snapped back, her face green with anger. She glared at Tang Li and cried, “Enough!”
Tang Li simply shrugged his shoulders and motioned for her to get lost. Long Feiye had left him to watch over Mu Linger, not Duanmu Yao, but this woman had come of her own accord. She ignored Tang Li’s gestures and looked towards the consultation hall again. Half an hour had passed since midnight, but was Long Feiye planning to sit there until Han Yunxi showed up?
When did he learn to wait for others?
Han Yunxi had been kidnapped, so he should know that it wouldn’t be easy to recover her. How long was he planning to wait there? Had he lost his wits?
“Tang Li, if he wants to use Han Yunxi to deal with Jun Yixie, I can help him. There’s no need for that woman!” Duanmu Yao said seriously. The only reason she’d teamed up with that man was because they each had their own goals. How could they really trust each other? As long as Long Feiye gave the word, she’d do her best to help him.
Tang Li tilted his head her way. “Heheh, how many times do I have to say it before you get it? Han Yunxi is Qin Wangfei, understand?”
Because Han Yunxi was Qin Wangfei, she was Long Feiye’s official consort. Actually, that sentence was enough to explain all of Long Feiye’s actions. If he hadn’t been around to experience so much together and see their kiss, much less Long Feiye braving death to explore the Sky Pit, Tang Li wouldn’t have realized it either. The entire thing was ridiculously simple with Long Feiye’s personality. How could Han Yunxi have a place in the Duke of Qin’s estate if she didn’t have a place in Long Feiye’s heart? He could’ve sent her off to a nunnery a long time ago.
Duanmu Yao hated these words most of all and gave Tang Li a shove. “Be a little more serious, will you? I’m not joking with you.”
“Who’s joking with you?!” Tang Li suddenly grew angry as well. They weren’t familiar with each other at all, so why should she treat him like he’d joke with her?
“Senior brother still has me in his heart, or else he wouldn’t have saved me. You saw it too. For the sake of saving him, he even cast aside Han Yunxi!” Duanmu Yao said urgently.
Tang Li looked helplessly at the skies. Why were women so troublesome? They always ending up twisting the truth. Mu Linger had suddenly pushed Han Yunxi out. Everything had happened way too quickly for anyone to react in time, all right? He was too lazy to acknowledge Duanmu Yao, but was more worried for Long Feiye. The man had been acting strangely ever since he left the secret underground chamber. Actually, the fact that he’d be so aggressive in protecting Han Yunxi was already outside of his expectations. This was actually no good for Long Feiye or Han Yunxi. In many cases, she ended up attracting greater danger precisely because he was protecting her. If he cast her aside more often, she’d have fewer enemies.
“Tang Li, answer my question!” Duanmu Yao grabbed Tang Li’s robes as if possessed.
Tang Li was thoroughly ticked off. This girl looked like some sort of celestial fairy, but her personality was more like a witch! And that Mu Linger too, she looked cute enough, but actually returned kindness with hate. No wonder Long Feiye had her locked up.
Women were seriously scary!
“Duanmu Yao, your senior brother saved you because you’re not 18 years old yet. If you were 18 years old and still cooperating with Jun Yixie, your senior brother would probably kill you!” Tang Li felt that he was being cruel, but such methods were required for a woman like Duanmu Yao. Only a ruthless answer could wake her up. The few times that Long Feiye had saved her was only because his master had ordered him to protect her until she turned 18. Though Long Feiye had agreed, his definition of protection just meant making sure Duanmu Yao didn’t die. He’d never cared a whit about anything else.
Duanmu Yao’s face was full of shock. “You…who told you that?” Very, very few people know of this matter. She thought that senior brother wouldn’t tell anyone, but…
“Stop fooling yourself! Hehe!” Tang Li couldn’t stop his cold laughter. Duanmu Yao saw the contempt in his eyes and was shamed into anger. She stomped her feet and refused to say any more. Actually, she was clearer than anyone else as to the truth, but she’d always avoided it. She spun around and stared fixedly at the courtyard before her without blinking. It was awhile before she started muttering to herself.
“Like losing face? I’ll just wait to see her lose face! I’ll watch her get expelled!” Han Yunxi, since Long Feiye’s protecting you, I want to see you offend the entire world! The medical academy will be the first step!
Many people had been aiming for the poison beast recently. Heaven knows how many of them were hidden in the vicinity to bear witness to Han Yunxi’s reappearance and the good show that would follow. The hours after midnight passed quickly until it was nearly daybreak. Quite a few people had left, but most of them remained behind. They weren’t here to look at Han Yunxi though, but to observe Long Feiye. This man had actually waited from night to morning with no sign of leaving. Was he really going to just sit there until Han Yunxi came back?
Long Feiye was indeed waiting, both for his subordinates’ news and for his own heart to calm down. He was very clear that his methods were foolish, and that there were probably hidden eyes watching him right now, but he couldn’t be bothered with all that. The hopelessness in that woman’s eyes had finally taught him the meaning of ‘fear.’ Unconsciously, he wanted to do something for her sake so he could calm himself down. His subordinates and the medical academy’s men had already scattered all over Medical City to search, but nobody knew that he had transferred over some men from his secret troops stationed nearby to completely surround the city as well. If Jun Yixie showed up, he wanted him dead without a trace!
The day was gradually growing lighter, but Han Yunxi had long fallen unconscious in a copse of grass. She’d held on for the entire night, walking forward through sheer willpower. That was the kind of strong woman she was, so much that she didn’t even spare herself. When midnight passed last night and she had clearly lost, she didn’t give up. Still she persisted in walking until her entire body collapsed and forced her to kneel on the ground. Even then, she wanted to crawl to her feet and keep going.
It got to the point that she forgot about everything else beyond to keep moving forward. She wanted to continue walking until eternity without having to think of anything. By the time she reached the entrance to Lotus Mountain and was just a step shy of entering Medical City territory, she fell unconscious.
Actually, she was just a very ordinary human. She’d get weary and tired and sad, she’d get injured and reach her limits. By now, the white-robed man had woken up. After resting for an entire night, his vitality and inner energy had recovered somewhat, if not completely. Now he sat by Han Yunxi’s side, those slender, jade-like fingers carefully softly stroking her cheek as if she was a cherished treasure. The tender affection in his eyes was so strong that it seemed like nothing could melt it away.
His fingers brushed past her nose and forehead, but paused at her lips before moving away like a gentleman. Instead, all he did was gather back the long hair that had fallen loose about her.
“Yunxi, I really want to take you away,” he sighed softly, voice so low that he couldn’t even hear it himself. He took off his outer robes and draped it on her again, before murmuring, “It’s a pity that I’m only qualified to guard you.”
The little squirrel woke up then as well, its face full of exhaustion. It hadn’t fallen unconscious from fright, but because of blood loss. It stuck its head sneakily out of the medical pouch to peek at its own master, then the white-robed man. Then it quickly and soundlessly ducked back inside. It had no reservations against that man.
The white-robed man delivered Han Yunxi to her rooms at the medical academy before preparing to leave, but the little squirrel suddenly jumped out of the medical pouch and ran up his shoulder, tugging at his clothes. The white-robed man was curious. Where had this squirrel come from? Why wasn’t it afraid of strangers? Was it Han Yunxi’s pet? Or was it…
“Chee chee! Chee chee!” the little squirrel chittered, waking up Han Yunxi.
The white-robed man hastened to leave, but Han Yunxi had already cried out, “Wait a minute!”
Though he still wanted to go, the white-robed man only smiled helplessly and stilled his steps. “What is it?”
“You didn’t come for the poison beast, so why did you save me?” Han Yunxi asked seriously.
“I’ll tell you next time,” the white-robed man stood with his back to her, refusing to turn around.
“Do I have connections to the West Qin imperial family? Just who was my mother? And my father…” Han Yunxi had too many questions, but the white-robed man had left before she finished asking them all. He said he’d tell her next time, but when would be the next time they met?
Han Yunxi felt dazed, but quickly recovered enough to get off the bed. It was already noon. She was late, but how was Long Tianmo doing? Without a second thought, she hurried out of her room to head towards the consultation hall. On the way, she ran into a few Medical Apprentices.
“Qin Wangfei?”
“Y-you…where did you come from?”
“Weren’t you kidnapped?”
… …
All of the Medical Apprentices were alarmed. Last night’s dispute had long spread throughout the academy. Fortunately, the Head Elder and the rest rarely came to the consultation hall, much less looked after such matters. Otherwise, even Third Elder would suffer for causing such a commotion. His Highness Duke of Qin had been sitting there waiting in a chair since last night. Meanwhile, Third Elder had been attempting to treat Long Tianmo inside the rooms, but was still unable to make a diagnosis even now! According to reports from inside the room, Long Tianmo didn’t have many days left to live.
Han Yunxi didn’t notice the peculiar glances thrown her way, much less the whispered conversations, as she went in a beeline towards the consultation hall. Who knows if that fellow trapped in the underground chamber had escaped yet? Would he come look for her? Would he think to look here? What would he think if he knew that she’d be chased out of the medical academy and forbidden from entering again in the future?
In the end, Han Yunxi just shook her head. Forget it, she wouldn’t worry over such matters.
Now that things had come to this, she had to save the person first. Whatever Third Elder wanted to do then could be up to him. She’d done her best, so her conscience was clear. Ignoring the feeling of disappointment in her heart, Han Yunxi took large strides and kept walking forward! As soon as she reached the entrance, she saw a crowd of people that blocked her way as well as her line of vision.
Just what was up with this? She’d only been late by a night, but now this courtyard was full of people. Was Third Elder only satisfied after he made a big deal out of things?
She took a deep breath before announcing, “I’ll have to inconvenience you all to make way, Han Yunxi is here!”
At her words, everyone turned around. Long Feiye suddenly stood up from his seat of honor, his icy eyes finally revealing a ray of light as they warmed up. Han Yunxi stood facing the scores of stunned gazes and had no choice but to repeat herself.
“I’ll have to trouble you all to make way.”
Finally, the crowd in front of her dispersed to both sides to make a path. It was at this moment that Han Yunxi saw…
