Having been bedridden for over a month, Li Fengqi had gained a thorough understanding of the poison within his body. Injuries and poisoning were unavoidable in military campaigns, and he had also attained considerable proficiency in medicine. While he couldn't concoct an antidote, resorting to an unorthodox method of using poison to counteract poison was not entirely hopeless.
The poison he suffered from was of a cold, yin nature. After being poisoned, his meridians became sluggish and blocked, making it difficult to circulate his energy. His internal organs often felt as if they were plunged into an ice cellar, enduring immense torment. Currently, he was merely immobilized due to the meridian blockage. If this persisted, his organs, eroded by the toxicity, would gradually necrotize, leading ultimately to certain death.
The medicinal ingredients he had asked Wu Geng to prepare were all of an extremely hot nature. Using extreme heat to combat extreme cold, some were for soaking his body, while others were to be decocted for internal consumption. This would allow the toxicity to be gradually suppressed from the inside out.
After nightfall, he took the medicine and immersed himself in the medicinal bath.
The ingredients were hot-natured and extremely potent. The internally consumed decoction, stimulated by the external medicinal liquid, took effect rapidly, clashing fiercely with the poison inside his body.
The two violent medicinal forces collided within him. Li Fengqi felt as if he were placed amidst icebergs and seas of fire. The alternating intense heat and cold made him feel as though his meridians were about to burst open from the strain.
The agony was severe and prolonged. He endured solely by sheer willpower. His hand resting on the edge of the tub spasmed and twitched from the pain. The previously numb hand, under the intense suffering, left deep scratch marks on the wooden rim.
Even so, he still clenched his teeth tightly, not uttering a single sound. Fresh red blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, dripping into the dark brown medicinal liquid.
When Ye Yunting woke up, this was the scene he witnessed.
His heart clenched. Seeing the blood still flowing from Li Fengqi's mouth, he quickly found a handkerchief, rolled it up, and offered it to his lips. "Bite on this."
Li Fengqi opened his eyes with difficulty and saw the young man looking at him with a face full of concern. He loosened his clenched jaw slightly, forcing out a strained smile. "Tha...nk you."
"Keep it in your mouth, don't bite your tongue." Ye Yunting didn't engage in further conversation. He placed the rolled handkerchief into Li Fengqi's mouth to prevent him from injuring himself when the pain peaked.
Biting the cloth, Li Fengqi was utterly exhausted, yet he still struggled to keep his eyes open. His unfocused gaze shifted to the young man before him, watching him as he tried to distract himself by thinking of other things.
Ye Yunting remained by his side, staring at his right hand.
In his dazed state, Li Fengqi turned his head to look and only then realized his right hand was also injured—earlier, he had gripped too hard. His nails had damaged the smooth bucket wall, and splinters had lodged under his fingernails.
They say pain in the fingers is connected to the heart, but perhaps the agony in his body was too overwhelming; he hadn't even noticed.
"Your hand needs tending to later as well." Ye Yunting looked at the injuries on that hand, unable to imagine what kind of pain could make someone completely overlook the heart-connected pain of the fingers, not even noticing the hand was wounded.
He reached out and firmly grasped Li Fengqi's right hand, saying, "If it hurts, squeeze me."
Li Fengqi stared fixedly at him, feeling only that his scorching hand was enveloped by a pair of cool, soft palms. His body was too hot, the heat raging uncontrollably, making him crave that touch of coolness intensely. He turned his hand to grasp the young man's, squeezing tightly, like a thirsty traveler desperately drawing in that bit of cool relief.
His grip was too strong. Ye Yunting's hand ached from the pressure, but he endured without struggling.
Gently, he lifted his sleeve to wipe the sweat from the man's cheek, speaking softly, "Once you endure through this, it will be better."
Li Fengqi looked at him, repeating the words in his heart: Endure through this, and it will be better.
This small pain could not break him.
...
Only when the medicinal liquid had completely cooled did Li Fengqi emerge from the tub.
He didn't know how much he had sweated. His tied-up long hair looked as if it had been drenched, wet strands hanging messily by his cheeks, softening his usual sharpness and revealing a rare glimpse of fragility.
Ye Yunting helped him out of the water. Seeing his pale, vulnerable profile made Ye Yunting's heart ache again.
He himself was someone who feared pain greatly, and consequently, he couldn't bear to see others suffer. Seeing Li Fengqi in this exhausted state now made his heart twist uncomfortably.
Having just finished the medicinal bath, this was Li Fengqi's weakest moment. Supporting him to sit on a chair, Ye Yunting helped him remove the soaked undergarments, dried him with a cloth, and wrapped him up before carrying him back to bed. The room was still filled with the strong, pungent smell of herbs. After picking out the splinters from Li Fengqi's fingernails, applying medicine, and bandaging the wounds, he finally went to open the window for ventilation.
After finishing all this, he himself was sweaty and tired. The cool night breeze made him sneeze. Only then did he remember he was also a patient. He hurriedly found an outer robe to put on before slowly making his way to the outer room to find Ji Lian.
Ji Lian was keeping watch in the outer room.
Hearing the sounds of the inner door opening and closing, he guessed Li Fengqi had finished the medicinal bath. Just as he was about to get up to check inside, he first saw his young master.
He instinctively wanted to chide him a little, but seeing Ye Yunting properly wrapped in a thick outer robe, he swallowed his words and instead craned his neck to ask, "Is His Highness done?"
"Yes." Ye Yunting had come to ask him to dispose of the medicinal liquid to avoid discovery during the day.
Ji Lian responded with an "Aye" and said, "I'll go empty the water." Remembering something as he was about to leave, he added, "I kept the fire going on the stove. Would you like to wipe yourself down, young master?"
Ye Yunting had been sweating for a full day and night. He hadn't been awake for long during the day before falling feverish and unconscious again. He did feel sticky and uncomfortable all over, so he nodded in agreement.
After disposing of the medicinal liquid, Ji Lian brought back a bucket of hot water.
After Ye Yunting finished wiping himself down, he remembered Li Fengqi had also been drenched in sweat on his head and face. So, carrying a basin of water, he went back to the inner room intending to wipe his face as well.
But as soon as he opened the door, he saw a well-defined arm reaching out from within the bed curtains. Perhaps from too long without sunlight, the hand was pale to the point of appearing sickly, the blue veins clearly visible.
The hand first fumbled to push up the fallen bed curtain, then attempted to brace against the edge of the bed, lifting half the body up.
"Your Highness?" Ye Yunting's hand trembled, nearly dropping the basin of hot water. He barely managed to hold onto the copper basin and strode, somewhat flustered, to the bedside, examining the man who was panting heavily, half-leaning against the headboard. "It actually worked?"
His eyes held immense joy, even his hushed voice trembled with excitement. He seemed even more thrilled than Li Fengqi.
Li Fengqi looked at him sideways, the corner of his lips curling into a smile. "We gambled and won. This method is effective."
"As long as it works." Ye Yunting put down the water, pacing a few steps in the room to calm his excited emotions. After circling twice, he couldn't help but lean close to Li Fengqi again, his eyes full of anticipation. "Then how long will it take for Your Highness to be completely detoxified?"
He was too excited, completely unaware that he had leaned in too close. His face was less than two fists away from Li Fengqi's. At such an intimate distance, those clear eyes, brimming with eager delight, directly met Li Fengqi's gaze, completely captivating his attention.
Li Fengqi gazed steadily at him, his eyes lingering from his brows and eyes down to his earlobes, noticing a tiny red mole on his left earlobe. It was like a dot of cinnabar, adorning the tender, plump, fair lobe, vividly red and seemingly about to drip.
He suddenly realized with a start that the eldest young master of the Duke of Qi's residence was not only intelligent and resolute but also possessed a face of breathtaking beauty.
"The poison cannot be completely neutralized yet." After a momentary daze, Li Fengqi gave a light cough, reining in his straying thoughts, and answered Ye Yunting's question seriously. Perhaps fearing his disappointment, he paused after speaking, then added, "However, it won't affect our plan. After I adjust the dosage of the medicine and he soaks in the medicinal liquid three more times, we can proceed to the next step."
Ye Yunting nodded repeatedly. "I naturally trust Your Highness."
His expression was firm, his reply without hesitation.
Li Fengqi raised an eyebrow, his gaze taking on an ambiguous meaning. "Why do you trust me so much?"
Of course, it's because I have lived a second life and know you will stage a stunning comeback and ascend the throne.
But that couldn't be said.
Ye Yunting blinked, looking at him innocently, and offered the prepared standard answer: "Your Highness and I are as interdependent as the cheek and the jawbone. If I don't trust you, whom else can I trust?"
Upon hearing this, the tension in Li Fengqi's brow smoothed away. His slightly upturned phoenix eyes revealed a hint of a smile as he said solemnly, "Then I shall certainly not let you down."
...
The medicinal liquid had taken effect; Li Fengqi's hands could now move freely. Ye Yunting handed him a wrung-out cloth. After he finished wiping his face, Ye Yunting extinguished the candle and prepared to rest.
He removed his outer robe and shoes and socks, then climbed into the inner side of the bed with natural ease, shook out the quilt, and got ready to sleep.
Li Fengqi watched his series of practiced movements, his eyebrow twitching. He pressed his lips together and said nothing.
The night was deep, the dew heavy—a perfect time for sound sleep.
Ye Yunting beside him soon fell asleep. His face was peaceful, his breathing soft and light. Only, he seemed to feel a bit cold, burying half his face under the quilt. On the half that remained visible, his elegant, long brows were slightly furrowed, as if even in his dreams, he was feeling the chill.
Having soaked in the medicinal liquid, the potency of the medicine was still slowly dispersing within Li Fengqi, burning so that he simply couldn't close his eyes.
He turned his head to the side and stared idly at Ye Yunting.
Ye Yunting was truly born beautiful—no wonder so many noble ladies in the capital disregarded family status, wishing to become his wife. Before, plagued by illness and pain, Li Fengqi had had no mind to pay attention to anything external. Now, having found a method to suppress it, his worries had lessened somewhat, and he finally had the spare attention to properly examine his nominal consort.
Peach blossoms awaken naturally; the stars sleep within the Milky Way. The wind and the moon—all seemed condensed within the landscape of his mountain-like brows and sea-deep eyes.
There was not a single part of Ye Yunting that wasn't exquisite, not a single part that wasn't natural.
Having held a high position, Li Fengqi had seen countless beauties like clouds, yet he still had to admit that Ye Yunting was superior. There was no one else like him, whose beauty was so pleasing to the eye, like polished mutton-fat jade, translucent and warm. It could firmly capture one's gaze, inviting endless contemplation.
Even someone as strong-willed as Li Fengqi was not immune.
He looked at the man for a good while before coming back to himself and withdrawing his gaze.
Just as he stopped looking, the person beside him grew restless.
Ye Yunting only felt that there wasn't a shred of warmth in the quilt; it was icy cold. He wrapped the quilt around himself tighter and tighter, yet still felt cold. Curled up, even in his sleep he frowned, trying to find a warm spot for better rest.
Li Fengqi watched him toss and turn, turn and toss, until finally he rolled right up to his side, pressing close against him.
