Chapter 58: Starting Over part 1
His body trembled slightly, and his voice also carried a few tremors.
Just a few short words consumed immense strength from him.
Every word he spoke, with just a tiny bit of exertion, caused pain in his chest as if knives were twisting. It hurt from the inside out; not a single spot was intact. The injured area felt a sharp, piercing pain, as if it penetrated deep into the bone marrow, drilling in bit by bit.
“Why didn’t you put on a robe when you got up?” Enduring the pain, Gu Zhen looked at her and said warmly. “Although it is summer, the wind is strong at night and carries some chill. Be careful not to catch a cold.”
His throat was filled with the smell of blood. The needle-like pain spread, causing his face to lose color.
Faintly pale.
But he dared not let Yiyi know even a bit.
Worried that if she knew, she would suspect he was doing it on purpose, adding unnecessary annoyance to her heart.
When she didn’t speak, Gu Zhen just smiled and continued softly, “Go back with Us, alright? The palace servants said you drank wine today. Have you had hangover soup?”
The flickering candlelight shrouded that handsome and clear face. His eyes were full of tenderness, and his thin lips hooked into a three-part smile.
Since he said he was fine, Zhao Yiyi didn’t ask further.
Just casual concern; who would take it seriously?
Who would keep it in their heart?
That smile was too gentle. Her vision swayed a few times. Her lips parted slightly as she stared blankly at him.
For a moment, she didn’t come back to her senses.
Bursts of cicada chirping came from the bushes in the courtyard. Zhao Yiyi blinked, suddenly remembering this wasn’t Shangyang Palace, nor the Xiangsi Hall where she temporarily resided.
It was in the ancestral residence, in the courtyard of her childhood.
“What is Bixia doing here?” Suddenly sobering up, Zhao Yiyi half-lowered her eyelashes and asked again.
Gu Zhen’s fingertips trembled slightly as he hid the sleeve containing that flower note paper behind his back. He said warmly, “The palace servants reported you were missing. We were very worried about you.”
“Perhaps this concubine walked too fast and they didn’t keep up.” Zhao Yiyi bit her lip, looked away slightly, and whispered, “Don’t want to go back.” Pausing, she added, “Bixia can go back yourself.”
Her cheeks were still dyed with some flush. Those rosy cheeks against her snow-white skin were exceptionally eye-catching.
Her long eyelashes covered her eye color, casting a small patch of dense shadow under the candlelight.
Fluttering, extremely beautiful.
Gu Zhen smiled, wanting to reach out and touch her head, but suddenly realized and shrank back abruptly.
Zhao Yiyi toyed with her sash boredly, her gaze drifting to the few fruits hanging sporadically outside the window, and started chasing him away again. “Bixia go quickly; this is my home.”
Indeed, she had drunk wine; her mind wasn’t very clear.
If it were usual, she wouldn’t speak like this.
A hint of amusement appeared in Gu Zhen’s eyes. While thinking secretly, he replied warmly, “Curfew has already started; We cannot leave.”
Curfew?
Zhao Yiyi pouted. He was the Emperor; what was a curfew? Wasn’t it just a matter of his word or a token?
Staring at her for a while, Gu Zhen suddenly stood up and walked out. “We will have someone boil hangover soup for you. Drink it before sleeping.”
Zhao Yiyi didn’t hear clearly what he said.
Her brain just carried some post-drinking confusion. Although not drunk, she was dizzy. Lying by the window and looking at the brilliant stars for a long time, she suddenly closed the window, groggily returned to the inner room, and lay back on the couch.
This time she couldn’t sleep. Under the moonlight, she stared blankly at the newly replaced primrose-patterned bed curtains.
The silver sachet hanging on the bed curtain was filled with dried flowers, currently emitting a faint fragrance. The scent wafted in strands, seemingly enveloping the entire bed.
Since she could remember, she had lived in this courtyard alone.
Actually, in her childhood, she had been to Luoyang a few times, but not for long stays—just two or three months before returning to Chang’an.
It wasn’t until later when her grandfather’s official position was transferred and she followed him to the Eastern Capital that she truly stayed in Luoyang.
Zhao Yiyi lay on the couch lost in thought when her vision suddenly darkened. A tall figure loomed over. Long, powerful hands lifted the bed curtain and hooked the madder-red curtain onto the gold hook at the side.
“Be good, take the hangover soup before sleeping.” Gu Zhen called softly, reaching out to help her up.
Zhao Yiyi wasn’t very happy. She turned her body to face the inside and said in a muffled voice, “Don’t want to take it. Bixia take it yourself.”
Gu Zhen laughed despite himself. “We are not drunk; why take hangover soup?”
Zhao Yiyi’s heart was a mess, and with him chattering by her ear, she became even more unhappy. Burying her cheek in the diamond-patterned pillow, she refused to speak for a long time.
Behaving like this today, she was clearly unwilling to listen at all, yet revealed a trace of obedience.
Even her slightly messy hair from sleep revealed softness.
Gu Zhen sighed secretly in his heart and reached out again, intending to help her up.
“Where did you go to play today?” he asked in a low voice.
Zhao Yiyi wasn’t very clear-headed right now, and besides, there was nothing shameful about it. Since he asked, she answered truthfully. “Went to a tavern.”
Gu Zhen responded, then asked gently, “Stayed in the tavern the whole time, or played something else?”
Even though he already knew her whereabouts today from the palace servants, he just wanted to hear her say it personally.
Zhao Yiyi was already getting impatient. Frowning, she said, “Watched the Huxuan dance. There was also an actor singing; looked quite nice too.”
The night wind blew in. The unlatched window creaked, then was blown open by the wind, and the south wind poured in just like that.
The room was filled with fresh breeze, carrying a few traces of fresh scent from the courtyard.
Gu Zhen looked down at her, laughing in agreement, and asked a few more questions in a low voice.
Zhao Yiyi was a bit resistant. Her brows slightly furrowed, she turned over and pushed gently. “Bixia stop asking. This concubine doesn’t want to say, and doesn’t want to drink hangover soup.”
She didn’t open her eyes, just pushed casually, but pushed his arm.
Actually, she didn’t use much strength, but Gu Zhen was completely unprepared. The hangover soup in his hand tipped, spilling all over him.
Splashed with scalding heat, the hangover soup slowly seeped in, seemingly soaking the cloth wrapped around his body to fix the broken bone.
Piercing pain surged up. Looking at his empty hangover soup bowl, Zhao Yiyi’s brain was stunned first, then recovered, and she sat up abruptly.
Her breathing was a bit rapid. She looked at Gu Zhen blankly, her lips moving, but didn’t know what to say.
Too long.
The two hadn’t spoken for too long.
For a moment, she didn’t even know how to speak.
If it were before, what would she do?
Zhao Yiyi tried hard to recall, closed her eyes, and suddenly thought that if it were before, she would definitely be extremely careful with him; how could she splash soup on him?
“Bixia.” Zhao Yiyi frowned slightly, just calling out once, but was interrupted by him.
Gu Zhen smiled and said, “It’s okay, We are fine.”
He placed the small white porcelain bowl on the table, first got up to press her back onto the couch, tucked in the soft thin quilt, stroked her hair, and said, “We will go boil another bowl. You are not good at drinking; sleep after drinking it, otherwise you’ll have a headache tomorrow.”
Although her vision was shrouded in shadows, even in the darkness, Zhao Yiyi still clearly saw the wetness on his clothes.
Wanting to look again, her eyes were covered by his hand, and she could see nothing.
After the Emperor left, she lifted the brocade quilt and sat up, hugging her knees, looking sideways outside in a daze.
Outside was still that screen, but she seemed to pierce through that screen, glancing out the window at the lush pear trees outside.
She recalled the time she first met him.
It was by the pool in the ancestral residence, under the tree full of snow-white pear blossoms. The bright young man smiled at her, asked her for directions, and thanked her politely and modestly.
Perhaps the first encounter was too beautiful, making everything later appear so wretched.
She bent her body, yet couldn’t get even a trace of his backward glance.
Recalling the past again, her heart no longer held the sadness of before, nor the turbulent feelings. Just occasionally a trace of dazedness passed through, merely recalling old times, recalling past years.
In those memories, there was not only him but also herself.
After passing that most uncomfortable time, it was no longer so unthinkable or untouchable.
Just thinking of it occasionally brought a hint of sighing regret to her heart.
That day of the Heavenly Dog eating the Sun, she was extremely afraid and went down the pagoda with panic steps. The further down she went, the darker the sky became. Amidst the dim lights, she suddenly saw him.
In that instant, she had breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Later when the earthquake happened, he subconsciously protected her. Amidst the darkness, she clearly heard something smashing onto him. That muffled sound rang right by her ear.
Having been husband and wife for many years, she knew his physical condition clearly. On those firm muscles, there were several scars; she had asked, and he answered they were from the battlefield.
For someone who had suffered such injuries, if he made a sound because something smashed onto him, it was certainly no small matter.
Someone protecting her with his life—if she said she had no reaction, it would naturally be false.
Footsteps came faintly from outside. Zhao Yiyi moved the thin quilt away and looked up.
Gu Zhen had changed his clothes somewhere and walked in striding, holding a bowl of hangover soup again. Seeing her sitting on the couch half-hugging her knees, he couldn’t help being slightly stunned. “Why aren’t you lying down? Is there somewhere uncomfortable?”
Zhao Yiyi shook her head, turned her head to avoid his hand reaching out to touch, and whispered, “Haven’t seen Bixia all these days. Regarding the matter in the pagoda that day, I haven’t had time to thank Bixia either.”
Gu Zhen was dumbfounded. “Yiyi, between you and Us, there is no need to say thanks.” He paused for a moment, his voice dyed with some astringency. “Moreover… that day We protected you voluntarily; you need not overthink.”
“Naturally should thank.” Zhao Yiyi lowered her eyelids slightly, staring at her own skirt hem, her voice soft. “That day was dangerous, but Bixia protected this concubine underneath. This concubine is endlessly grateful in heart.”
She suddenly got off the couch and clasped her hands in a formal bow.
Gu Zhen frowned slightly and reached out to help her up, but she avoided him.
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