Tan Hua - Chapter 16

Song Liqing had been thinking all the way home. He shouldn’t hide the blood consumption disease from Jun Qiyu. He decided to tell Jun Qiyu about it if the right opportunity arose.

“If I really don’t have much time left, I should cherish the rare time remaining…”

That was what he thought.

He didn’t want to spend the rest of his life being pitied by others.

So when he returned to Qilin Mansion, the gloom on his face disappeared. He pushed the door open with a calm expression, as usual.

Song Liqing thought there was no one inside, so he was surprised to see Jun Qiyu sitting on the soft seat.

“Qiyu… why are you here?”

“Shouldn’t I be here?” Jun Qiyu replied coldly.

“I thought you hadn’t finished court yet,” Song Liqing said with a smile. “You usually come back after dinner. Did the Emperor not have many memorials for you to assist with today?”

Jun Qiyu didn’t answer him. Instead, he seemed a bit angry and embarrassed.

“What right do you have to question me?”

“I’m not questioning you,” Song Liqing replied, giving up. “Never mind, political affairs are indeed troublesome. It’s understandable if you don’t want to talk about it…”

Jun Qiyu interrupted him, “I want to ask where you went. Does it take half a day to get back to Qilin Mansion from the palace?”

“Me?”

Song Liqing was about to say he went to the Imperial Medical Institute, but when he met Jun Qiyu’s cold eyes, he fell silent.

It seemed… there was no need to explain.

His desire to speak was blocked by indifference.

“I didn’t go anywhere,” Song Liqing said with a smile. “The scenery in the capital is beautiful this season. I lingered longer and came back late.”

“Oh? Really?” Jun Qiyu asked expressionlessly. “Then where did you get the thing in your hand?”

“This? I was just about to show you. It’s from Lianxiang Pavilion.”

Song Liqing walked over, smiling brightly, and opened the food box, taking out a plate of osmanthus cakes.

“It’s osmanthus cake, Qiyu. You used to like it. Would you like to try a piece?”

Song Liqing held a piece of cake near Jun Qiyu’s lips.

Jun Qiyu looked at him sideways, not opening his mouth. Song Liqing’s lips moved slightly.

“Smell it, the osmanthus fragrance is very strong…”

Smack—

Jun Qiyu suddenly swung his hand, knocking the osmanthus cake to the ground. It broke and rolled twice on the yellow pear wood floor, crumbs scattering everywhere.

Song Liqing’s hand hurt from the hit. He covered his hand, which was wrapped in some bandages, to prevent the wound from bleeding again.

“Do you have a single truthful word in your mouth?” Jun Qiyu grabbed his wrist.

Song Liqing’s heart sank, not knowing why he was so furious.

Jun Qiyu said sternly, “I’ll give you one more chance. Did you buy this osmanthus cake?”

Song Liqing’s heart was in chaos. Jun Qiyu’s anger came so inexplicably that he didn’t know how to respond to calm him down.

“Yes…” Song Liqing shook his head. He was really bad at lying and confessed, “No, I didn’t go to Lianxiang Pavilion…”

“Hmph, full of lies,” Jun Qiyu seemed extremely disappointed. “But of course, for someone like you, do you even need to think when you lie? If someone hadn’t told me you went to the palace for half a day today, I wouldn’t know how restless you are!”

Someone told him?

Song Liqing immediately thought of one person: Prince Loulan, Pei Xingxu!

This person was indeed cunning. When his entanglement didn’t work out, he really went to complain to Jun Qiyu.

Who knows if he also exaggerated, describing his meeting with Qi Miao as something sordid and scandalous.

No wonder Jun Qiyu was so angry.

“I went to the Imperial Medical Institute to see Qi Miao,” Song Liqing said, lowering his head. “I haven’t been feeling well recently…”

“What kind of illness takes half a day to diagnose?” Jun Qiyu said coldly. “Don’t tell me it’s some terminal disease.”

Song Liqing opened his mouth, his nose filled with a swirling sense of bitterness. His eyes brimmed with tears, but he forced them back, unable to say a word.

“It’s… a cold.”

Jun Qiyu interrupted angrily, “The doctor at Qilin Mansion can’t treat your cold? Is Qi Miao’s medical skill so unparalleled that you have to see him for your illness to be cured?”

“Qiyu.” Song Liqing asked incredulously, “What are you suspecting? Do you think Qi Miao and I have… have something improper going on?”

Jun Qiyu retorted, “If there’s no secret affair, why are you full of lies? Hmm?”

“You… you know I’ve only ever liked you,” Song Liqing said, trembling. “I married you, and the only person I love is you. Why do you say such groundless things to humiliate me?”

Seeing his agitated rebuttal, Jun Qiyu’s gaze fell on the plate of osmanthus cakes on the table.

“These osmanthus cakes were given to you by him, weren’t they? He sure knows your tastes well. How can you deny he has inappropriate feelings for you?”

“He…” Song Liqing was silent for a moment, then said, “Even if he had feelings for me, that’s in the past. I’ve made it clear to him. He’s not someone who doesn’t know his limits.”

Jun Qiyu flung his hand away, causing Song Liqing to stumble as he lost his balance.

“He knows his limits? Ha! I’ve known him for a long time. I see now. During the years I was in the Western Regions, you two went from enemies to friends and developed feelings over time. He’s your true childhood sweetheart. He’s so good and considerate in your eyes. Why didn’t you marry him?”

Song Liqing’s face turned red, feeling his blood rush and his body heat up, his stomach churning.

Feeling nauseous, Song Liqing clutched his chest uncomfortably.

Jun Qiyu glanced at him and scolded, “Speak! Don’t think you can get away with this by pretending to be pitiful!”

Song Liqing, struggling to hold back his dry heaves, said, “A clear conscience is not afraid of false accusations. I…”

“I knew you were smiling when you came back because you were happy to meet your lover. It’s rare to see you smile like this. Since we got married, you haven’t smiled at me this much, have you?”

Jun Qiyu’s words made Song Liqing feel dizzy, as if an arrow had pierced his stomach.

He wasn’t happy at all.

He just wanted to smile, so it wouldn’t seem so bleak.

“Osmanthus cakes, huh? You actually dared to bring them home! The things you two used for flirting, I find them disgusting!”

Jun Qiyu swung the plate, sweeping it off the table. After a crisp sound of shattering porcelain, the osmanthus cakes scattered all over the floor.

“Qiyu, don’t…”

Song Liqing could only weakly shout, unable to stop him.

His knees gave out, and he grabbed onto the screen for support.

“If you dare go to the palace and see Qi Miao again, or if I find out you’re flirting with anyone else…”

Song Liqing started to hear ringing in his ears, missing the rest of Jun Qiyu’s words.

A metallic taste filled his throat, something was surging up his esophagus, and his stomach throbbed with pain.

“Did you hear me?!”

Jun Qiyu turned impatiently, only to see a red stain spreading on the screen – blood vomited by Song Liqing.