Fated Hearts [一笑随歌]

Chapter 104

As Feng Suige's voice grew nearer, Feng Xiyang, trembling with anger, suddenly smiled strangely. She said softly, "You are so fearless because you have the Crown Prince backing you, right?" 

Before Yixiao could grasp the meaning of her words, Xiyang lifted her skirt and rushed out like a gust of wind.

At the door, Feng Suige almost collided with Xiyang, who was charging out like a headless fly. He instinctively sidestepped with a short exclamation, and before he realized it, Xiyang had run far away.

Yixiao, equally puzzled, walked out. The two of them looked at each other and simultaneously began to speak, "She..."

At that very moment, accompanied by the startled cries of the servants, there was a loud splash in the front courtyard as something heavy fell into the water.

"Princess!"

"Princess Xiyang..."

"Help... the princess has fallen into the water..."

"Xiyang!?" Feng Suige's face turned pale. He instinctively shouted at Yixiao in anger, "What did you do!?"

In an instant, Yixiao understood the meaning behind Feng Xiyang's smile.

It was late at night, but the pavilion was still bustling with activity. Maids and eunuchs hurried about, carrying basin after basin of hot water into the bedroom. Several medical officers whispered in the outer room. From the back hall came the sound of Feng Suige's furious voice, "Is there not a single trustworthy medical officer in Jinxiu!?"

A chastised eunuch replied in a small, aggrieved voice, "Upon hearing that the princess had fallen into the water, His Majesty sent the best imperial physicians from the inner court."

"Then why is she still unconscious?!" Feng Suige paced anxiously in the room. "What about the civilian doctors? Send someone to the largest clinic in the capital and bring their best doctors." 

The eunuch complied and quickly left.

Feng Suige, frustrated, slammed his fist onto a table and rushed into the room where several physicians were gathered. Holding back his temper, he asked, "Are there any medicinal herbs missing?"

The physicians exchanged glances and finally shook their heads. After a moment of silence, an elder physician stepped forward hesitantly and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, the princess fell into the water, and the cold invaded her internal organs, causing an imbalance in her system."

"Enough," Feng Suige impatiently waved his hand. "Stop quoting ancient texts and speak plainly."

The physician stammered a bit before carefully continuing, "We spoke with the princess's attendant earlier. She mentioned that the princess had been slightly ill even before coming to the capital, with irregular rest and diet. So, the high fever and coma are normal. Please do not worry, Your Highness. As long as the fever subsides within three days, the princess will be fine."

Feng Suige felt a bit relieved but quickly frowned again, holding back unspoken words. He nodded to the visibly anxious physicians and turned, seeing Fu Yixiao standing in the corridor, half-hidden in the shadows, like a quietly blooming night flower in the still night.

"Do you hate her that much?" Feng Suige's voice was weary. "I've done so much; can't you treat her a little better for my sake?"

"Are you asking what I did?" Yixiao turned her face away, her expression unseen, her voice calm. "If I told you I did nothing, that she ran out suddenly on her own, would you believe me?"

Feng Suige was stunned. He hadn't expected this answer.

If Yixiao was telling the truth, then Xiyang...

If...

Suppressing the sudden turmoil in his heart, Feng Suige said decisively, "Enough, now is not the time for this. I..."

"You don't believe me," Yixiao stated calmly, though her fingernails dug deeply into her palms. "You'd rather believe I said or did something to make her feel mortified and suicidal than believe she was just putting on an act."

"No, it's not like that. I'm just more worried about Xiyang's condition," Feng Suige's voice was somewhat unclear. He stepped closer and hugged Yixiao. "Let's talk about this after she recovers, alright?"

Yixiao gave a faint smile and subtly pulled away from his embrace, stepping back. "Do you want a confrontation?"

Feng Suige quickly grabbed her. "I didn't mean anything else."

"Neither did I," Yixiao broke free. Her fluttering sleeves traced a cold, silent arc in the dark night—cold, yet burning. "I'm very tired. I need to rest. Your Highness, please suit yourself."

Feng Suige watched as Yixiao's figure gradually vanished into the darkness. Frustrated, he punched a pillar in the corridor.

Yixiao clearly heard the dull thud but didn't turn back.

If there's no trust or reliance, without hope, there's no disappointment, right? Why hadn't she realized this sooner?

"Your Highness," a voice called clearly from the side.

Yixiao halted and looked towards the sound. In the dim light of the corridor, she vaguely saw a maid standing a short distance away, her head bowed respectfully, a faint, enigmatic smile playing on her lips.

"What is it?" Yixiao asked curtly.

"I have a message for you," the maid bowed slightly. "Please don't alert anyone else. Quietly follow me to a place where you will see the person you most wish to meet."

Yixiao's heart tightened. "Who am I going to see? And who sent you?"

The maid chuckled softly. "It doesn't matter who sent me. What matters is whether Your Highness wants to see him. You have only one chance, so think carefully before you answer."

Yixiao pondered for a moment. "How do I know you're not deceiving me?"

The maid replied calmly, "For his sake, why not take a risk? Has the once fearless Fu Yixiao, who always put him first, become a coward after enjoying riches and honors?"

How could such humble-looking maid speak such sharp words?

Yixiao stared at her, her eyes gleaming like those of a nocturnal beast in the dark, until the maid's previously confident expression turned fearful and her slender body trembled uncontrollably. Only then did Yixiao slowly speak, "Lead the way."

Everything in the darkness was unknown, filled with possibilities and impossibilities, imbued with a mysterious aura. Night, the origin of all beings, blurred the lines of daytime's norms, creating a different realm, encompassing all truths and certain intrinsic matters, impossible to ignore.

Alighting from the tightly sealed black carriage, Yixiao looked up at the golden glazed roof of the building before her. It must be him.

An attendant respectfully escorted her into a lavish and exquisite room, closing the door gently. 

Yixiao walked to one end of the room and casually plucked the strings of a gold-inlaid zitan six-stringed zither. "What a fine instrument," she praised softly.

"If you like it, I'll gift it to you," the Emperor said, smiling as he emerged from the inner chamber, approaching step by step. "Fu Yixiao, after so many years, you're still the same. At the mere mention of Xia Jingzhi's name, you disregard everything else!"

Yixiao didn't look up, her fingers gliding over the strings. "It's a pity it's too ornate, lacking the elegance a fine instrument should have." Only then did she turn and bow deeply to the Emperor. "Your subject, Fu Yixiao, greets His Majesty. Long live the Emperor, long live, long live!"