mesbooks Chapter 278 Long time no see
Chapter 278 Long time no see
An Lingrong turned around and struggled to move her stiff legs. Every movement seemed heavy and slow. Then, in a slightly hoarse voice, she said, "Someone, go to the Imperial Hospital and fetch Wei Lin."
In the main hall, she stared blankly at the flickering candlelight. The dim light illuminated her face, clearly outlining every trace of sadness. She sat there blankly, motionless, her thoughts tangled like a tangled mess, unable to be cut or sorted out. She stayed awake all night.
Early the next morning, when the sky was still just beginning to lighten, Su Peisheng braved the light snow and hurried to the Yanxi Palace. He bowed and said, "Your servant greets the Empress. The Emperor has ordered you to escort him to the palace gate."
An Lingrong's eyes were bloodshot, but she showed no sign of fatigue. She slowly stood up and said calmly, "Thank you, Steward Su. Let's go!"
Seeing her staggering, Su Peisheng said carefully, "Your Majesty, how about I go and tell the Emperor that you're not feeling well and come another day?"
"Thank you for your kindness, Steward Su, but it's not necessary!"
Do this sooner rather than later.
There is already a carriage waiting outside Shenwu Gate!
After An Lingrong and Su Ye entered, the carriage started running quickly, and soon arrived at the back door of Ganlu Temple.
Since they came incognito, An Lingrong did not intend to alarm others.
Tiny snowflakes, like fine grains of salt, carried a chill, drifting down in a patchwork, almost imperceptible pattern. As if afraid to disturb the tranquility of this mortal world, they silently seep through the cracks in the leaden clouds, arriving on earth with an almost tiptoeing attitude.
An Lingrong was slender, a pale blue cloak wrapped tightly around her body, the hems trembling in the wind. A large hat covered her head tightly, revealing only her pointed chin and slightly pursed pale lips.
Su Ye clutched an oil-paper umbrella tightly in both hands, his steps a bit unsteady as he followed An Lingrong, trying to shield her from the cold wind with his umbrella. But the wind seemed to have eyes, bypassing the umbrella's protection and blowing straight into their collars.
Walking slowly along the winding path, the trees on both sides of the road were covered in silver, their branches bent by the weight of the snow. An Lingrong turned a corner and the scene before her made her stop abruptly.
In the middle of the road, a tall woman stood quietly in the snow, a thin layer of snow covering her shoulders and hat. She was dressed in a pewter nun's robe. Although the fabric was plain and the style simple, it could not conceal her innate noble temperament.
Although the two were several feet apart and the falling snow blocked their view, An Lingrong recognized her at a glance. It was Zhen Huan.
She stood there quietly, as if blending into the icy landscape, like a fairy from a painting, detached from the world. Her robes fluttered gently in the cold wind, a few strands of hair brushing against her cheeks. Her eyes revealed a tranquility that comes from having experienced many hardships. Her elegant features, reflected against the white snow, seemed even more pure and ethereal.
An Lingrong took a few quick steps, and Zhen Huan also quickly came over. When they got close, they both stretched out their arms and hugged each other.
Feeling the familiar scent of Zhen Huan, An Lingrong breathed a sigh of relief. Zhen Huan also hugged An Lingrong tightly, and her slightly trembling body revealed her excitement at the moment.
After a moment, the two slowly let go.
Zhen Huan gently raised her hand, her fingertips gently sliding across An Lingrong's cheek, her eyes full of tenderness and love, her voice so gentle that it seemed to melt the snow in the sky: "Rong'er, long time no see!"
"Sister..." An Lingrong opened her mouth, but her throat seemed to be blocked. Thousands of words were swirling on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't piece together a complete sentence.
When they returned to the courtyard, they were the only two people in the room.
After taking a few sips of tea and warming up a bit, An Lingrong calmed down and asked, "Sister Zhen, how did you know I would come?"
Zhen Huan didn't say anything, but just slowly moved her eyes to the window.
An Lingrong understood and followed her gaze.
Not far from the window, a figure stood out, slender and straight, with clean lines, and an invisible aura emanating from him. The falling snowflakes failed to diminish his graceful demeanor, instead seeming to add a touch of lonely poetry to his demeanor.
Who else could it be but Prince Guo?
Just as An Lingrong was still immersed in the thought of seeing Prince Guo's back, Zhen Huan's faint voice came: "Rong'er, when can I go back?"
These words were like a hammer, striking An Lingrong's already fragile heart with precision and ferocity. Her eyes flushed red again, and tears flowed uncontrollably like a flood, streaming down her trembling face.
She opened her mouth and tried to respond, but her voice trembled violently due to the violent fluctuations of emotions: "Sister, I..."
Zhen Huan picked up her handkerchief and wiped away her tears drop by drop before she said, "Yesterday, I heard that Sister Mei was grounded for some trivial matter. I knew that he would not let me go after all. It's just hard for you, being caught in the middle and bearing such great pressure."
An Lingrong was choked with sobs and unable to speak. She could only grab Zhen Huan's hand and shake her head.
Zhen Huan's eyes were firm: "I'm going back to the palace!"
These three short words seemed to contain endless determination. There was no hesitation in her eyes. After weighing the pros and cons, she believed that returning to the palace was the only way to gain a firm foothold in this palace struggle and protect Shen Meizhuang and An Lingrong.
"Maybe we can think of other ways!" An Lingrong raised her head eagerly, looked into her eyes and said.
"A few days ago, I received news that my father was ill in Ningguta. Wen Shichu has gone there to treat him, but it's too cold there. Even with his superb medical skills, he can only treat the symptoms and not the root cause. We need to bring him back!
Besides, the fact that you can come today means that there is no room for change!" Zhen Huan raised her head, her eyes full of determination.
She understood An Lingrong's personality. If she hadn't really had no other choice, she would definitely not have made this trip.
"Master Zhen is ill?"
This is too coincidental, right?
"Yeah! Actually, he's been sending people to secretly look after my family for the past two years. But starting this year, those people can no longer protect them. I asked around and found out that they've been told not to give my father any special care anymore!"
But now, for the sake of her father, her family, and so that the people she cares about will not be implicated, she can only choose to compromise.
An Lingrong calmed down, her fingers unconsciously stroking the corner of her clothes. She slowly turned her gaze to the window. After a long moment, she softly asked, "You and him..."
Zhen Huan looked out the window, a faint smile appeared on the corner of her mouth, and then she sighed softly: "He is also a foolish person, alas..."
An Lingrong's heart moved, and she asked anxiously, "Then, do you have..."
Zhen Huan shook her head slightly, a trace of regret flashing across her eyes. "He's been very good to me, taking care of me in every way. His comfort brought a glimmer of hope to my most difficult days. This friendship is truly rare. However, we're not the same kind of people! I can't give him what he wants."
Listening to Zhen Huan's words, An Lingrong felt mixed emotions, and for a moment she didn't know whether to be happy or sad.
I am happy that Zhen Huan and Prince Guo do not have any deep entanglement, but I am sad that although Zhen Huan's words are clear, they still reveal an indescribable loss and melancholy.
An Lingrong slowly untied her purse, and with slightly trembling fingers, she reached inside and pulled out a neatly folded paper package. She pursed her lips, placed the package on the table, and with a hint of determination, slowly pushed it towards Zhen Huan.
A hint of surprise flashed in Zhen Huan's eyes, and she asked curiously, "What is this?"
"Fake death pills!"