His detached and distant attitude made Song Xiuyuan uncomfortable. He reached out, wanting to smooth away the coldness in her eyes.
But as soon as his hand moved, she had already retreated several steps. His hand froze in mid-air, blood staining his fair, long fingers.
"Your hand is injured?" Xue Xingyue took a handkerchief from her waist and stepped forward to bandage it for him.
He lowered his head, watching her earnest expression, and the cool light in his eyes softened considerably.
"As long as you pretend to be my wife, the Dragon Pendant will be yours in three months."
Xue Xingyue's body trembled. She looked up at him, "You... you know?"
She saw his gaze as sharp as a torch, his eyes, brilliant as stars, seemed to be burning with starlight, hot and intense.
"Yes, in three months, the Dragon Pendant will be yours," he said again in a low voice.
"Deal." It was just pretending; three months wasn't long, she could do it.
"I still have use for that person. They can be returned together in three months."
She was taken aback. She knew he was referring to Qin Erniang's elder brother.
For some reason, she felt as if she had fallen into a conspiracy, and she had no choice but to jump in, because she needed to.
Suddenly, she was embraced by a force. Before she could react, a faint, warm, and moist kiss was imprinted on her forehead.
She pushed him away, only to see his eyes filled with a warm smile. In an instant, the light shifted, becoming incredibly beautiful. "You..."
"Wife, walk slowly. I won't see you out!" He turned and entered the inner room.
"You... you scoundrel." Angrily, she kicked a nearby chair.
However, her anger did not dissipate, and her foot hurt from the kick.
"Miss, what's wrong?" Feng Yun heard the noise from outside and walked in.
Xue Xingyue snorted at Feng Yun and left.
Feng Yun was a little confused. Shouldn't she be happy?
"Feng Yun."
Feng Yun quickly entered the inner room and saw Song Xiuyuan meditating on the ice bed, his expression becoming serious. "Master, has your illness recurred?"
Song Xiuyuan looked up at him, a trace of blood on his lips.
Feng Yun's face turned ashen, "Master, you..."
Song Xiuyuan shook his head, "I'm fine. Keep this matter confidential. Only you and I know."
Feng Yun almost gnashed his teeth to pieces, but still managed to say, "Yes, Master."
"You may go. I need to go into seclusion," Song Xiuyuan said.
Feng Yun withdrew and closed the door to the inner room.
As soon as the door closed, Song Xiuyuan could no longer help himself and spat out a mouthful of blood. He held his chest, his white robe stained with drops of blood like flowers. His dark hair was disheveled, and the human-skin mask had long since fallen off. That suffocating face and those eyes, brilliant as stars, had lost their original luster, dimmed and lifeless.
But he was exceptionally alluring, for at this moment, he was like a succubus of the night, breathtakingly beautiful.
"Tsk tsk, I, the dignified lord of Yu Kingdom..." Before the newcomer could finish speaking, he was interrupted by a sharp, cold light, followed by an ethereal ice blade that struck towards him.
"Are you trying to repay kindness with enmity? If it weren't for me back then, you would have died long ago. How could you be alive today? And you, you are so disrespectful to your savior. You deserve to cough up blood. I shouldn't have come to give you medicine."
After speaking, the newcomer snorted and was about to leave.
A muffled groan was heard, and a man walked angrily before Song Xiuyuan, shouting, "Are you even human? Treating me like this?"
Song Xiuyuan raised his head, his eyes now a bloody red. A cold sneer played on his lips. "If I die, do you think you'll be able to leave here alive?"
"You..." The man was so angry he was speechless, and cursed, "You are truly vicious, not only to yourself but also to others. I see you've given all your gentleness to that Feng something person."
Song Xiuyuan smiled upon hearing this, "Since you know, don't waste time. The medicine."
He extended his hand, his slender fingers already pale and bloodless. Seeing this, the man snorted, "If I hadn't arrived in time, you probably wouldn't have lasted until tomorrow. Even so, you won't even give me a pleasant look?"
"Give it here," Song Xiuyuan said indifferently.
The man pushed the medicine into his hand and said, "It's only because I care about you. Look at the person you treat so gently, she has never cared about you. Instead, you've saved her twice from..."
"I saved her willingly." He raised his head, and his previously dim eyes now shone brightly. A starry light streaked across, creating flowing brilliance, so beautiful it made one sigh.
"Fine, fine, it's my fault for being foolish, running over here to give you medicine," the man said unhappily.
Song Xiuyuan did not reply further, instead, he swallowed the medicine and began circulating his internal energy to regulate himself.
"Let me tell you, my medicine can only prevent your relapse. If you continue to use your internal energy against my advice, even my master cannot save you, let alone the fact that my master wishes you dead," the man said.
Seeing that Song Xiuyuan remained silent, the man sighed, "You should consider yourself more. Otherwise, tell her the truth. Otherwise, I'm afraid you won't be able to hold on one day."
Song Xiuyuan, who had closed his eyes, suddenly opened them. He looked at the man and said coldly, "If you dare to speak, you will lose your head the next second."
"You... you... you are truly heartless. I saved you with such great effort, and you still want to kill me?" The man was furious and couldn't calm himself.
"Because you are not her." Song Xiuyuan slowly closed his eyes.
"You... if you were the emperor, you would be a foolish ruler blinded by beauty." The man couldn't help but curse.