LIGHTNOVELONLINE
Chapter 36
After Yuan Qingling had finished hooking up Yuwen Hao's IV drip, she went back to wash up and change before coming over. She then saw Chu Mingcui entering the yard with her maids.
Chu Mingcui was dressed in a light green, embroidered, flowing cloud brocade skirt with wide sleeves and green piping around the cuffs. Around her slender waist was a sash of the same color, showing off her dainty figure.
Her hair was styled in a elegant bun, and she wore a phoenix-tail hairpin encrusted with strands of gold and jade. Her fair earlobes held golden hollow lantern-shaped earrings that jingled against her skin as she moved, emitting crisp, melodic sounds like breaking jade.
When the Prince Qi saw her arrive, he gave her a gentle smile and took her hand, saying, "Was the carriage ride tiring?"
Chu Mingcui returned his gentle look and softly replied, "Not at all."
The two held hands as they climbed the stone steps together.
Yuan Qingling just stood by the doorway, watching Chu Mingcui expressionlessly.
Chu Mingcui discreetly withdrew her hand from the Prince Qi's clasp and gave Yuan Qingling a curtsy, saying, "Greetings, Consort of Chu."
"Mm," Yuan Qingling gave a noncommittal murmur in response.
The Prince Qi was irritated. According to protocol, she should have said "Greetings, Consort of Qi," not just "Mm."
What was that supposed to mean? Putting on airs, was she?
Chu Mingcui gently pressed his hand and smiled, shaking her head at him to indicate he shouldn't bother with someone so uncouth.
Seeing Chu Mingcui being so understanding, the Prince Qi couldn't help but feel sympathy for his fifth brother, having married such a woman as his consort - truly an injustice!
"Let's go inside!" The Prince Qi wanted to take Chu Mingcui's hand again, but she had already stepped inside ahead of him.
Yuan Qingling didn't follow them in, but leaned against the doorway quietly watching and listening.
Chu Mingcui walked to the bedside, looking up with worried, anxious eyes, "Your Highness, are you well?"
Her eyes were fixed on the wound above his eyebrow, her heart shaken.
Even so, he was still so handsome it made her heart race erratically.
Why didn't this man have more backbone? If he could have become the Crown Prince, she wouldn't have ended up like this, would she?
A sudden sadness welled up within her, and looking at him, her eyes couldn't help becoming a little more resentful.
Yuwen Hao, however, appeared quite calm. He even gave a faint smile and mildly replied, "It's nothing serious, thanks for Consort Qi coming to see me."
"You and I are like siblings. There's no need for such formalities between us," Chu Mingcui sighed lightly. Her exquisite makeup could not conceal the layer of sorrow that veiled her beautiful face.
Behind her, the Prince Qi naturally could not see her expression.
Yuwen Hao neither confirmed nor denied her words, though the smile at the corner of his lips froze.
"Who exactly was so ruthless as to do this?" Chu Mingcui asked.
The Prince Qi said coldly, "If I find out who it was, I will chop him to pieces."
Chu Mingcui glanced back at him, a hint of helplessness in her eyes, before turning again to face Yuwen Hao. "Your Highness must have some idea who it was and why they would make such a vicious attempt. Please tell me."
Yuwen Hao remained silent, seeming to have fallen asleep.
The Prince Qi exchanged a look with Chu Mingcui. Why did she seem so concerned with finding the assailant? Yet she hadn't asked about Fifth Brother's condition at all!
"Let's go," he said, taking Chu Mingcui's hand.
Seeing that Yuwen Hao appeared to be asleep, Chu Mingcui had no choice but to leave with the Prince Qi.
At the doorway, Chu Mingcui paused and looked at Yuan Qingling. "Take good care of His Highness and don't upset him."
Yuan Qingling coolly replied, "Consort Qi is meddling too much."
The Prince Qi was angry, afraid she would say something even more rude, and pulled Chu Mingcui along saying, "Let's go, don't bother with her. His Majesty only sent her back to take care of Fifth Brother, yet look at the job she's doing."
Chu Mingcui's eyes flashed in surprise, but the Prince Qi had already dragged her away.
Yuan Qingling watched them leave, and heard Chu Mingcui ask the Prince Qi, "It was His Majesty who summoned her back to take care of Fifth Brother?"
The Prince Qi instead asked her, "Why do you keep asking about the assailant?"
Chu Mingcui sighed lightly, "I'm thinking of you. If someone wants to kill the Prince of Chu, they may well come after you too. I'm worried about you, why can't you understand?"
Yuan Qingling shut the door, cutting off the conversation between the Prince Qi and his consort.
She slowly walked back in and craned her neck to look at the bed. His eyes were closed but his breathing was ragged - he wasn't asleep.
She didn't know if he had heard the Prince Qi and Chu Mingcui's earlier conversation, given the distance. He probably hadn't.
However, he looked very upset.
"What are you staring at?" Yuwen Hao suddenly opened his eyes and glared viciously at her.
"Nothing!" Yuan Qingling got up to fetch a cushion and knelt on it by the bed.
Yuwen Hao ignored her, but didn't go to sleep either, lying there with eyes open, lost in thought.
Yuan Qingling was also pondering the matter of the medicine box.
She had originally thought it would only produce medicines from her lab, but she discovered that wasn't the case. As long as she thought of a medicine in her mind, the box would make it appear.
Why was this medicine box so mystical? Could it be a wormhole connecting the two worlds?
But that reasoning was flawed too. The contents of the medicine box came and went like they were being controlled by someone. Who was controlling the medicine box?
"I never said those words to her."
In the midst of her chaotic thoughts, Yuan Qingling was startled to hear Yuwen Hao's hollow voice.
"What?" Yuan Qingling frowned in confusion.
Yuwen Hao looked at her, seemingly wanting to say more but stopping himself. In the end he turned his face away without looking at her or saying anything else.
Weirdo!
Yuan Qingling ignored him and decided to stop puzzling over the medicine box. She would just take it out and examine it herself.
She removed the medicines from the box's two layers and placed them on the floor, making sure the box was empty before closing it again. In her mind she thought: hemorrhoid cream!
Slowly opening the box again - nothing inside.
Clearly she wasn't the one controlling the medicine box.
She smiled wryly, realizing she was being silly. She put all the medicines back in place, and was about to close the box when she saw a tube of hemorrhoid cream lying next to the cotton pads in the upper layer.
"Damn it!" She couldn't help crying out in astonishment.
A hand stretched out from the bed and slapped her forcefully across the face.
Yuan Qingling jumped up, fury shooting up from the pit of her stomach. Disregarding his injured brow, she slapped him back just as hard and coldly said, "Go die!"
With that, she picked up the medicine box and stormed out.
She gave up. She didn't want to save this man anymore. He was going too far. Just because seeing Chu Mingcui put him in a bad mood, he took it out on her. What kind of man was that? She had tried so hard to heal him, yet he was better off dead!
As she yanked the door open, Tang Yang and Xu Yi were standing outside. They had heard the slap but were hesitating whether to enter. Before they could make a move, Yuan Qingling had flounced out carrying the medicine box.
Seeing the slap mark on Yuan Qingling's face, Xu Yi felt relieved. The one who got hit wasn't His Highness, but her - great!