Chapter 108: He Dares Not Die

Feng Jinye did not know if the medicine Qingxia produced was truly a feigned-death potion. However, he remembered that day on the eastern outskirts of the city, Leng Ling had stated that once ingested, the potion would take effect within half an hour and induce a state of suspended animation for seven hours. Seeing that Meiji could not confirm if the substance was indeed Leng Ling’s potion, Feng Jinye could not risk Weishao Qianyu’s life. Thus, he had no choice but to test the medicine himself, while sending Lu Liyuan to Yuedu to bring back Leng Ling, doing everything in his power to ensure Weishao Qianyu could be saved.

Weishao Qianyu remained unconscious, beads of sweat continuously breaking out on her skin. Feng Jinye pulled her into his arms and kissed her brow. He felt a deep, gnawing fear that she might never wake up, terrified that if he were gone, she would be devastated. Closing his eyes, he buried his face in the crook of her neck. His mind drifted to the red corridors of the General’s Mansion in Yuedu, where she had once told him, "A graceful youth, the longing of my heart." Then, memories flickered to the tallest tree at the Prince of War’s estate, where she had whispered, "Family sitting leisurely, the lamplight feels so warm." He leaned close to her ear, calling out softly and tenderly, "Qianqian..." He kissed her earlobe lightly, murmuring the three words, "I love you..." Feng Jinye closed his eyes once more and drifted into a deep sleep.

That day, the Prince of Yuan’s estate was in turmoil, only to fall into an immediate, heavy silence, the atmosphere thick with gloom. Half an hour later, Meiji entered the room to check Feng Jinye’s pulse. She found him holding Weishao Qianyu tightly, the sweat from her body dampening his cheeks. Meiji stepped forward to wipe the sweat from them both, but when she checked Feng Jinye’s pulse, she found nothing; he was as still as one deceased. Watching the two on the bed, unable to bear separating them, she simply prayed that in six hours, Feng Jinye would awaken. As she quietly retreated, she felt as though she had witnessed this scene once before.

Lu Liyuan had left for the Prince of Yuan’s estate earlier that day in a towering rage, but upon returning to the Duke of Lu’s manor, he had completely deflated. When the Duke asked what had happened, Lu Liyuan could not bear to reveal Weishao Qianyu’s condition, so he masked it, saying, "The woman the Prince of War brought back to the estate today is indeed Qianyu; the talk outside is nothing but rumors." The Duke nodded, and Lu Liyuan continued, "I have news of Yanran in Yuedu, so I am heading there to investigate." With that, he turned and hurried toward the stables.

At nightfall, Weishao Qianyu awoke in agony, unable to stop herself from spitting another mouthful of blood onto the floor. Her body burning with fever, she turned to find Feng Jinye holding her tightly. Before any sense of sweetness could wash over her, she was seized by panic. She had vomited blood; how could Feng Jinye not notice? Trembling, she cried out, "Jinye..." She suddenly realized that while her own body was scorching, Feng Jinye’s was icy cold. Weishao Qianyu had never been to the Prince of Yuan’s estate; it was a strange and unfamiliar place, and the darkness enveloped her in terror. Enduring the pain of the Gu insects gnawing at her bones, she reached out to touch his face. It was ice cold. Tears welled up as she called his name over and over.

"Jinye, please, wake up, won't you?" Weishao Qianyu pleaded through her sobs. "Feng Jinye, I’m scared..." She leaned down to press her lips to his, hoping it was just a joke, or that they had been taken by Huangfu Xi and this was his way of exacting revenge. Yes, that must be it. Surely, if Leng Ling could craft a feigned-death potion, the Twilight Pavilion must have the means as well. But how could the Twilight Pavilion possess such a thing? It was not created to cure the Pavilion’s own poison, and she knew full well their methods for removing Gu. She burst into uncontrollable tears.

Meiji, listening from outside, wanted to go in and explain the truth, but she hesitated. What if Feng Jinye never woke up? Seeing that dawn was approaching, she decided to wait; perhaps in less than an hour, he would stir. Weishao Qianyu’s weeping drew Xuechun, Qingxia, and the estate’s hidden guards to the scene. Meiji blocked Xuechun and Qingxia at the door, and everyone stood in stunned silence. As Weishao Qianyu’s voice grew hoarse, Meiji watched the light on the horizon, not daring to miss a single reaction, fearing the girl might do something desperate.

Just as the time arrived, Meiji prepared to enter, but stopped when she heard Weishao Qianyu wipe her tears and threaten, "Feng Jinye, if you dare leave me alone, I will never forgive you—never!" She continued, "If you dare to die, I will remarry immediately, and when I die, I will be buried with another man!" The crowd outside was horrified. Meiji rubbed her temples, thinking that if Feng Jinye were truly dead, this threat would surely be enough to make him burst open his coffin and jump back to life.

Feng Jinye frowned; his mind had awakened before his body, and he could not move a muscle, but he had clearly heard every word. Weishao Qianyu, eyes blurred with tears, did not notice the furrow of his brow and continued, "If you dare die, I will give another..." Before she could finish, her body stiffened; Feng Jinye seemed to have gripped her clothing. She fell silent. Meiji, who had clearly heard the sound of Feng Jinye’s breathing, smiled and felt the heavy weight lift from her heart.

Weishao Qianyu gathered her courage and reached out to check his breath. Suddenly, she let out a wail and burst into tears again. She touched his face, feeling the warmth slowly returning, and finally saw the slight furrow in his brow. She threw herself upon him, weeping softly. Seven hours had passed, and Feng Jinye’s body was stiff, though his consciousness was sharp. He realized she had truly believed him dead. At the thought of her words—"If you dare to die, I will remarry immediately"—he found it quite terrifying. Fortunately, he was alive, and he would never dare to die again.

Weishao Qianyu’s tight nerves snapped, and she could no longer feel the pain in her body. Feng Jinye slowly opened his eyes, looked at her, and moved his arms to flip over, pinning her beneath him. Watching her drenched in sweat and tears, her eyes red from crying, his heart ached. He leaned in to kiss her eyes gently, whispering, "I wouldn't dare die."

Weishao Qianyu’s composure shattered, and she pushed him away, only to vomit another mouthful of blood. The agony rushed back, invading every bone in her body. Feng Jinye hurriedly pushed her off the bed, but as she vomited blood, she fainted from the pain once more. He quickly gathered her into his arms: "Qianqian..." Meiji entered with Qingxia and Xuechun. She gave Feng Jinye a helpless look, opened the wooden box Qingxia had brought the previous day, and handed it to him. Feng Jinye took the red pill, held it in his mouth, and fed it to Weishao Qianyu.

Watching him hold her, Meiji again felt that the scene was strangely familiar. She withdrew with the others to bring in the two assassins from the Twilight Pavilion. Having tested the medicine himself and witnessed how Meiji removed the Gu, Feng Jinye felt somewhat relieved. Yet, as Weishao Qianyu’s body grew cold in his arms, he remained terrified. She must have been frightened out of her wits by him, he thought, pulling her even tighter. The process of removing the Gu went smoothly, and he watched as the blood-bead-like insects crawled from her wrists.

Perhaps no one understood why she had asked Leng Ling to prepare the feigned-death potion, but Feng Jinye finally understood. He also understood why she had tried to assassinate him. That day on the hillside, she had been removing the Gu from Meiji, which had distracted him, though he had indeed been too careless regarding Feng Qingxuan. Yet, if Weishao Qianyu trusted Feng Qingxuan so deeply, how could he not trust his own sister? He realized she had attacked him to help him purge the poison; without the potion, she had had no choice but to pretend to kill him, even making him believe he was dead. But he still could not grasp the meaning behind the words she had spoken that day.

By sunset, Weishao Qianyu finally drifted back to consciousness. When she woke, Feng Jinye was still holding her. She smiled; Feng Jinye was sometimes so silly he was almost cute. He looked down to see her awake; she looked as if she had just had a long nap, smiling up at him. She reached out and flicked his nose. He watched her silently, the longing of the past month overflowing in his heart. Even with her right before his eyes, he still missed her.

Seeing no reaction, she reached up to flick his forehead, but he lowered his head and kissed her—a tender, lingering kiss on her brow and the tip of her nose. Her heart raced wildly; he was so gentle it felt unreal, making her want to be cherished by him forever. She could not help but reach up to wrap her arms around his neck, closing her eyes to meet his lips. She knew he was always disciplined, for she had once told him to wait until he regained all his memories. Lost in his tenderness, she felt her senses reel and murmured, "Jinye, let's have a little monster..."