Lin Rongrong went to the General's Mansion this time to care for Su Cuiping during her childbirth. Seeing how her third brother Leng attentively asked about Cuiping's well-being and devoted himself to her, their deep affection and the upcoming child made her gradually look forward to her own future.
Actually, she didn't ask for much. She would be happy if Leng Nuo could dote on her even a fraction as much as her third brother Leng doted on Cuiping.
Although Lin Rongrong did not ask about Leng Nuo's whereabouts after entering, her expression and smile conveyed her eagerness to see him.
Su Muqing looked at her smile with a hint of pain, opening her mouth but unsure of what to say. Huo Qiyuan, seeing her troubled expression, pointed to the bed behind them.
Lin Rongrong didn't quite understand Huo Qiyuan's gesture. She had never imagined that Leng Nuo would be severely injured one day.
She also couldn't fathom Leng Nuo being so disrespectful of hierarchy, with the Emperor and King standing by, if he were healthy. He wouldn't be lying in bed.
Therefore, it never occurred to her that the person lying in bed at that moment was Leng Nuo.
Seeing the wrong expressions on their faces, with Madam Zhou wiping her eyes, Lin Rongrong's smile slowly faded. The joy and anticipation in her eyes were replaced by an unknown fear.
Lin Rongrong turned to look at Su Muqing, her only source of hope. In Lin Rongrong's heart, Su Muqing was her pillar of strength and an all-powerful being.
She was a renowned physician capable of reviving the dead and healing bone injuries, a chosen one, and a disciple of an immortal. If... if something happened to Leng Nuo, as long as Su Muqing was there, she could overcome any disaster and turn misfortune into fortune.
Lin Rongrong kept encouraging herself in her mind, but when she spoke, her voice trembled. She asked cautiously, "Your Majesty, didn't you say Leng Nuo returned? Where is he? Has he returned to his manor? May I go and see him?"
Her almost humble, probing tone, and the anticipation almost leaping from her eyes, made Su Muqing feel immense pity. Lin Rongrong had always been so cautious.
Su Muqing pulled Huo Qiyuan aside, fully revealing the bed behind them. Madam Zhou also moved to the other side, still wiping away tears.
Only then did Lin Rongrong notice that someone seemed to be lying on the bed. Judging by his shape and outline, she could tentatively call him a person. However, his head was so tightly wrapped in bandages that only his eyes, nose, and mouth were visible.
"Your Majesty? Where is Leng Nuo?" After a single glance, Lin Rongrong turned back to Su Muqing.
Su Muqing pointed to the heavily bandaged person lying on the bed. "Leng Nuo was injured and his condition is somewhat dangerous, so we asked you to come back to see... to take care of him."
She almost blurted out that this might be their last meeting. Thankfully, Su Muqing changed her wording, otherwise, she truly worried Lin Rongrong wouldn't be able to bear the blow.
Lin Rongrong closed her eyes, tears sliding down her cheeks. Su Muqing was her last hope, but now even that hope was shattered. The person on the bed was indeed Leng Nuo...
The Emperor's serious expression indicated that Leng Nuo's injuries must be very severe.
She walked towards the bed step by step. Though it was only a few steps away, to Lin Rongrong, it felt like an endless, long, and heavy journey.
From being rescued by Su Muqing midway, to when she first started following her, she dared not eat much, spoke timidly, and never made any demands. If she wasn't busy, she would always find something to occupy herself.
After entering the no-man's-land, she was injured twice, feeling like she was dragging them down. Several times she hid and cried secretly. Finally, when Su Muqing proposed they learn martial arts for self-defense, she was bruised and battered from falls, yet she persevered with training the next day.
Later, when Huaxia City was first established and everyone received a residence, Lin Rongrong refused one. She said she was initially taken in by Su Muqing as a maid and naturally wanted to stay at the City Lord's mansion to serve her master.
Later, when Su Muqing ascended the throne from City Lord to Empress, she went from being a small maid to a first-class maid to Her Majesty the Empress. When Su Cuiping was granted the title of County Princess, Su Muqing also wanted to grant Lin Rongrong a County Princess title, but she refused again.
Lin Rongrong had always been self-conscious, yet she possessed a strong backbone. She believed that she must not covet things and positions that did not belong to her, as misfortune would surely befall those who were undeserving of their status.
Even when Leng Nuo first expressed his admiration for her, Lin Rongrong immediately rejected him. Leng Nuo was handsome, a close bodyguard to the King, and now a fifth-rank general personally appointed by the Emperor.
She felt she was just an ordinary village girl, and now with the status of a maid, if she were truly with Leng Nuo, it would only bring him ridicule.
Despite her rejection, Leng Nuo did not give up on pursuing her with kindness, chasing her for two years. Finally, she who originally didn't want to compete for anything and only wished to accompany Su Muqing for life, gradually began to yearn for a future.
Perhaps all the suffering she had endured was to lead her to the happy haven that was Leng Nuo.
His originally beautiful and captivating phoenix eyes were now bruised and purple from beatings, and his mouth, which loved to tell jokes and make her happy, was swollen high and covered in blood-cracked wounds.
Finally, seeing the "Leng Nuo" on the bed, who was unrecognizable, Lin Rongrong's tears immediately gushed out, falling like broken beads, large and round, shattering into blossoms of tears.
Seeing Lin Rongrong weeping bitterly, Su Muqing felt unbearable pity. This was why, when she sent people to fetch Lin Rongrong, she only told them to inform her that Leng Nuo had returned, and not to mention that Leng Nuo had been injured and carried back by an eagle.
Lin Rongrong covered her mouth with one hand, shielding her eyes from the endless tears. She reached out to touch Leng Nuo's face, but the bandages made it impossible for her to do so.
Time ticked by, and Lin Rongrong cried for a long time before gradually calming down. Once her emotions had stabilized a bit, she choked out, "Your Majesty, Leng Nuo, he..."
"We have already treated his injuries, but he is too gravely wounded. I have used all the medicinal herbs I have. If he can survive the night, then he will be fine. If... you need to be mentally prepared..." Su Muqing didn't voice the second "if" prediction, but Lin Rongrong understood its meaning.
No! It couldn't be like this! Did His Majesty mean Leng Nuo was beyond saving? Suddenly! Lin Rongrong turned and ran to Su Muqing's feet, falling to her knees with a thud, and pleaded and kowtowed incessantly.
"Your Majesty, Rongrong begs you not to speak like that... Please save him, I beg you to save him... Use my blood, my life, to exchange for Leng Nuo's life. I don't want him to die, I don't want him to die, Your Majesty, I beg you..."