Chapter 59: Awakening
The night was hazy, with countless stars hanging beside the bright moon.
The sudden events of today added a sense of entanglement and panic to Lu Yuner’s heart. She stood silently in the courtyard, gazing at the tightly closed door of the room, allowing the cool breeze from the mountains to brush past her clothes.
Suddenly, the long-closed door was finally opened. Seeing Old Man Li emerge from the room with a solemn expression, Lu Yuner felt a surge of foreboding. She furrowed her brows and immediately went to meet him, asking anxiously, “Old Man Li, how is it?”
“Alas—, this poison is extremely strong, and he has been poisoned for quite some time. Moreover, this young master has a delicate constitution. The chances of him waking up are very slim.” Old Man Li’s forehead was covered in beads of sweat, his face showing a hint of fatigue as he spoke seriously, “However, I have done my best and administered my family’s secret medicine. The result now depends on heaven’s will. If he doesn’t wake up before dawn tomorrow…”
Hearing this, Lu Yuner felt as if struck by lightning. Her face changed dramatically, her figure stumbling slightly. Her hands, hanging at her sides, clenched tightly together. Her previously suspended heart now plummeted into an abyss.
How could this be? How could this happen?
Having said this much, Old Man Li didn’t continue further. After a pause, he said, “Now, young lady, take that young master to the clean room next door. Remember, you must stay by his side tonight, not leaving for a moment. If there are any signs of him waking up, call for me immediately.”
With that, Old Man Li entered his own room. The dejected Lu Yuner turned and hurriedly ran into the medicine room, carrying Su Qingwan to the bed in the adjacent room.
The weakened young man’s face was as pale as paper, devoid of color. His breathing was extremely faint, as if ravaged by a violent storm, lifeless and fragile, causing one’s heart to break involuntarily.
At this moment, Lu Yuner’s heart ached so much she could barely breathe, as if something was blocking it, feeling both urgent and flustered.
She struggled to suppress the fermenting emotions of anxiety within her, slowly raising her trembling hand to gently arrange the stray hairs on the young man’s forehead.
At this time, Ma Yi, who had walked in carrying a bowl of hot noodle soup, saw the situation, changed his expression slightly, shook his head, and quietly retreated from the room.
Lu Yuner sat quietly by the bedside, gently holding the young man’s pale hand, her gaze never leaving him. Her past interactions with Su Qingwan replayed in her mind like a movie.
She had accidentally rescued Su Qingwan in the Liusu River, then met him at the Imperial Academy and became his teacher. Later, he had stolen a kiss from her when she was drunk, and while apologizing, he had confessed to her several times, only to be rejected.
She had thought it would end quickly, like plucking peach blossoms as usual, but unexpectedly, Yun Qinwang suddenly intervened, and the matter suddenly became complicated, with everything spiraling out of control.
To be honest, she did have some feelings for Su Qingwan, but there were still other intentions. Only Su Qingwan’s approach to love, especially towards her, was pure and clean. He was willing to put aside his noble status and humble himself to the bone in front of her, apologizing to her repeatedly to gain her forgiveness.
He never hurt her or forced her. Even when she was cold and distant, he still wagged his tail like a pitiful little dog, begging for her affection.
For her sake, he would give up everything, even his life!
This intense sentiment born from love was something Lu Yuner had never encountered in her two lifetimes, nor had anyone ever treated her in such a manner.
It was clear that Su Qingwan truly, truly liked her!
And every time she faced Su Qingwan, she lost control, struggling to suppress or calm all the emotional changes and physiological agitation. Yet, a feeling in her heart gradually spread, like a vine, tightly entwining her heart.
Undeniably, Su Qingwan had already established a presence in her heart, and this time, his injury for her sake made her fully understand her feelings for him.
For Lu Yuner, who had lived two lifetimes, she had never made irrational decisions due to any emotions before. But this time, she just wanted to follow her true inner feelings and indulge herself a bit.
But she still had a trace of concern.
As the night deepened and time ticked away minute by minute, seeing the night gradually fade, Lu Yuner became increasingly flustered. She began to gently call out to the unconscious young man before her, but like Sleeping Beauty, he showed no response.
Lu Yuner didn’t give up at all. As she kept calling, her voice gradually became choked and hoarse, as if her heart was breaking.
Suddenly, she felt the hand she was holding brush across her palm. Thinking it might be her imagination, she stared intently at the hand she was holding, only to find that the delicate fingers had indeed moved slightly.
This movement made Lu Yuner’s heart suddenly beat violently. She immediately got up to fetch Old Man Li.
After a thorough examination, Old Man Li’s expression visibly softened. Seeing Lu Yuner’s pale face, he spoke slowly, “Don’t worry! He’s out of danger now, but the young master is still weak and needs proper care and rest. However, considering your kindness to Ma Yi, there are a few chickens raised in the backyard. Take one to nourish this young master! But, I only take care of saving people. Don’t disturb my rest with other matters.”
After giving these instructions, Old Man Li left. Lu Yuner didn’t stand on ceremony, planning to properly compensate Old Man Li later. She went directly to the backyard, caught a chicken, and entered the kitchen.
Lu Yuner had received a good, open-minded education since childhood. Besides various art appreciation courses in her studies, she also had interesting and enriching happy times. She was never spoiled. During school holidays, she would return to her retired grandparents’ home in the countryside, learning embroidery and raising chickens and ducks from her grandmother, and learning cooking, fishing, and chess from her grandfather. So she was quite skilled in cooking.
After a long while.
By now, the sky was brightening, and the early morning light shone into the kitchen. Lu Yuner was slowly stewing the chicken over charcoal fire. As she was about to get up to check on Su Qingwan, her figure noticeably began to sway. She hadn’t slept all night, and Lu Yuner was originally injured, having been holding on until now.
Just as Lu Yuner walked into the room, she noticed Su Qingwan gradually regaining consciousness. Her peach blossom eyes burst with a wild joy as she quickly stepped forward, asking gently, “Young Master Su, you’re awake.”
As she spoke, she helped him sit up, “Do you want some water? Are you feeling any discomfort? Do you need me to…”
Faced with Lu Yuner’s series of caring inquiries, Su Qingwan’s head felt a bit foggy. He spoke weakly, “Sister Yuner, where are we?”
Lu Yuner sat on the edge of the bed and briefly recounted the events of yesterday. Suddenly remembering she had stewed chicken, she said, “Young Master Su, are you hungry? I’ve stewed some chicken soup for you. Wait a moment, I’ll bring it to you.”
“Chicken soup?” Su Qingwan was visibly stunned, looking at the departing figure, he asked uncertainly, “Stewed for me?”
Soon, Lu Yuner returned carrying a bowl of chicken soup. The aroma of the steaming soup instantly filled the entire room. She scooped up a spoonful with a soup spoon, blew on it gently, and said, “Your body is still recovering, you need some nourishment. Come, try it. Is it good?”
Su Qingwan was still in a daze, staring at the fragrant chicken soup, seemingly overwhelmed by the kindness. He realized that upon waking up, Sister Yuner seemed to have changed a bit.
Seeing Su Qingwan motionless, Lu Yuner thought he might not be used to being fed by others, so she set the chicken soup aside, “The soup is still quite hot, I’ll leave it here to cool down. You can drink it later. I won’t disturb your rest, I’ll go out first.”
“Wait!” Seeing her about to leave, Su Qingwan grabbed Sister Yuner’s hand. His eyes suddenly widened as he realized her hand was as cold as ice. Furrowing his brows slightly, he asked with concern, “Sister Yuner, why is your hand so cold?”
“Is it? I didn’t notice. Hasn’t it always been like this?” Lu Yuner’s eyes flickered slightly as she casually withdrew her hand. Her eyes curved into a smile as she deliberately changed the subject, “Oh right, you called me just now. Did you need something?”
No, it’s not. He had held Sister Yuner’s hand before, and it was quite warm.
Although Su Qingwan had some concerns, he still followed her lead, looking at her with bright phoenix eyes, saying sincerely, “Sister Yuner, can you stay here and keep me company? I’m afraid to be alone here, and also… I’m a bit hungry, my body… has no strength. Sister Yuner… can you feed me?”
“Alright.” Lu Yuner sat down on the edge of the bed without hesitation, picked up the bowl of chicken soup, scooped up a spoonful, gently blew on it until it wasn’t too hot, then fed it to his mouth.
Su Qingwan’s face was clearly beaming with joy, savoring every minute and second of the moment, feeling as if he was in a dream and hoping to never wake up.
After feeding him the chicken soup.
“Sister Yuner, what should we do now?” Su Qingwan was still worried, after all, he and Sister Yuner had barely escaped the assassination attempt, so their current safety was naturally a concern.
“For now, let’s wait until you’ve recovered before deciding. Our disappearance will surely lead people to search for us, but we’re still in danger everywhere at the moment.” At this point, Lu Yuner seemed somewhat apologetic, “The assassin came to kill me, but I never expected Young Master Su to be harmed and involved in this. I didn’t protect you well, and you almost lost your life for me. I’m very sorry…”
“I don’t want Sister Yuner to apologize to me. I don’t need that.” If he hadn’t gone through life and death with Sister Yuner, he would never have known how terrifying the dangers she faced were, and he finally understood what Young Master Mu had told him at the Lu residence.
Su Qingwan gazed at her deeply, his tone somewhat heavy, “Sister Yuner should never apologize or say sorry to me, because I’m willing, without any regrets.”
“You…” Although Lu Yuner knew of Su Qingwan’s feelings for her, she was still warmed by his fervent affection. A faint smile inadvertently spilled from her peach blossom eyes as she said tenderly, “Giving so much without expecting anything in return, don’t you have anything you want? How can you be so foolish!”
Lu Yuner’s peach blossom eyes smiled, naturally revealing a tender affection. The light in her eyes, like that day by the lotus pond, sparkled with golden fragments, colliding with Su Qingwan’s gaze, making him feel a bit dizzy.
How could he not have things he wanted? He liked Sister Yuner, wanted her, wanted to gain her love, wanted to be intimate with her day and night, wanted to become her husband – all of these were what he wanted, what he secretly coveted.
Every time he told himself to give up, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Even knowing what the outcome would be each time, he still wanted to try.
Su Qingwan’s breathing quickened, he stammered for a moment, “I… I…”
After understanding her own feelings, Lu Yuner smiled deeply and deliberately repeated, “I what?”
Su Qingwan nervously clutched the bedding and said again, “I… I want… you.”
Just as the word “you” left his mouth, it was covered by a knock at the door. “Benefactor, benefactor.”
He had finally managed to say it, only to be interrupted. He wasn’t sure if Sister Yuner had heard him. As Lu Yuner turned to open the door, the corners of her mouth visibly lifted, rippling with a faint smile.