Xiao Man reached out, then pulled back. This was the first time she felt afraid. In the past, even when faced with a thousand troops at the city gates, she had never felt the slightest bit of fear. Even when she had faced death countless times, she had not felt this kind of timidity, this dread.
After a long silence, Xiao Man finally put the medicine away. This was not something she could decide for Nangong Yu. All she could do was try her best to keep him alive.
Hugging her legs, Xiao Man sat beside Nangong Yu. Watching his sleeping face, she sighed, "If I hadn't stumbled into your villa and used you to detoxify, perhaps you could have held on until the antidote was ready. But now, you truly have no time left."
Xiao Man's head ached. The medicine she had developed could kill the蠱 poison before it erupted. It also contained her blood, which could neutralize the poison in Nangong Yu's body. However, the medicine was extremely potent, and the success rate was only forty percent!
Forty percent was too low.
Nangong Yu was very likely to die from the violent effects of the medicine. But if he didn't take it... Nangong Yu could die at any moment. Whether he took it or not, there seemed to be no way out.
When Nangong Yu woke up, all was silent. The night was deep. Xiao Man was leaning by the bed, her head buried in her knees, seemingly asleep.
Nangong Yu frowned. It was so cold. Why wasn't this girl sleeping in bed? What if she caught a cold?
He immediately sat up and realized he was bare-chested, but he didn't seem to mind. He covered Xiao Man with the quilt. Unexpectedly, Xiao Man woke up. She raised her head in a daze and saw Nangong Yu kneeling before her, tucking her in.
"Your Highness is awake."
"Yes. Why aren't you sleeping in bed?" Nangong Yu's movements didn't stop. He wrapped Xiao Man in the quilt and carried her directly to the bed.
Sitting on the bed, Xiao Man watched Nangong Yu dress by the bedside. A strange feeling flickered through her. She felt as if the situation was somehow amiss. However, her mind was on other matters.
"Your Highness, the蠱 poison in your body has begun to flare up." Xiao Man's voice was soft, tinged with a slight tremor.
Nangong Yu paused in his dressing, then continued as if nothing had happened. "How much longer do I have?"
"At least ten days, at most a month."
"At most a month?" Nangong Yu listened. His expression flickered in the candlelight. He then sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed. "I know what you want to say, but I refuse."
"I haven't said anything yet," Xiao Man replied slowly. She had thought of using this opportunity to find out who Nangong Yu's favorite woman was. If all else failed, she would have to find that person and do her utmost to keep her alive.
"Your thoughts are all written on your face," Nangong Yu said, smiling as he looked at Xiao Man. "It's just death. How many times have I died? Yet here I am, alive and well. Until the very last moment, I will not give up."
"Your Highness isn't afraid that after you die, Yusheng will be ruined in my hands?" Xiao Man grabbed Nangong Yu's sleeve and asked excitedly.
Nangong Yu's smile grew gentler. "I'm already dead. Why should I care about Yusheng? I'm only afraid that when I'm gone, the girl I like won't take good care of herself and will end up with injuries."
Xiao Man lowered her head, her fingers still clutching Nangong Yu's sleeve. She didn't want Nangong Yu to die. She wanted him to live. This thought was so strong, it surged through her chest. In her mind, only one thought remained: she wanted Nangong Yu to live.
"Your Highness, is it truly impossible?"
"It is impossible," Nangong Yu said without hesitation. "If only one of us can live, I hope she lives well."
Xiao Man took a deep breath. She felt a profound discomfort, but she couldn't quite pinpoint why. Was it because Nangong Yu's death would make her path of revenge even more difficult? Xiao Man didn't know, nor did she want to investigate. She only wanted Nangong Yu to live!
"I... I have developed a medicine," Xiao Man gritted out. "It might be able to cure your蠱 poison, but the success rate is less than forty percent. Do you want to try it?"
"Yes," Nangong Yu answered, still without hesitation.
Xiao Man looked up at Nangong Yu, her eyes red, tears seemingly on the verge of falling but not yet shed. "Do you know that none of the animals I used for testing survived? They all died of ruptured blood vessels. Do you still want to take it?"
"Yes," Nangong Yu nodded firmly.
"Your Highness, the method of transferring the蠱 poison is safer. I might be able to ensure her survival."
"No," Nangong Yu said decisively. "Rather than let her take the risk, I would rather take the risk myself. Give me the medicine."
Xiao Man slowly released her grip on Nangong Yu's sleeve. "Not today. Your蛊 poison just flared up today, and your body is weak. You cannot withstand the potency of the medicine. When your body has recovered a bit, it will not be too late to take it."
Nangong Yu noticed Xiao Man's slight tremor. "Don't worry, I'll be fine."
Xiao Man hugged her knees and remained silent. "I'll be fine" was a lie. Even she had no confidence, let alone Nangong Yu. If there had been even a small chance of success, she would have felt better. But there wasn't. She had tried countless times, and none had succeeded. They all ended with ruptured blood vessels!
"Xiao Man..."
"Since Your Highness is awake, you should return to the Prince's mansion. On the fifteenth, I will personally deliver the medicine to the Prince of Qin's mansion," Xiao Man said with a trembling voice.
Nangong Yu reached out his hand towards Xiao Man, but ultimately withdrew it. He left without a sound. The window opened and closed. Xiao Man remained in the same posture, unmoving.
In the deep night, a figure, already covered in a thick layer of snow, stood stubbornly outside the General's mansion. Nangong Yu had spent a full two hours in the General's mansion, from his arrival to his departure!
"Young Master, let's go back."
Wen Mohan didn't move. He kept replaying Wen Moyu's words in his mind. He didn't want to believe them, didn't want to think about them, but they had taken root in his mind, constantly tormenting him.
So he wanted to go to the General's mansion to seek clarification from Xiao Man. But upon reaching the mansion, he hesitated. How could he ask about such a thing? Then, he unexpectedly saw Nangong Yu sneak into the General's mansion and enter Xiao Man's courtyard, staying for two full hours.
The night was long, a man and a woman alone in a room. Wen Mohan didn't want to overthink it, but the chaotic thoughts kept flooding his mind, causing his temples to throb as if pricked by needles. He told himself to believe Xiao Man, but the scene from Gan Ye Temple that night kept intruding into his mind: Xiao Man, disheveled, stumbling into his arms, her flushed face, her heavy breaths, all stimulating Wen Mohan's fragile nerves.