Tan Hua - Chapter 27

Song Liqing hugged Pei Xingxu tightly and cried uncontrollably. Pei Xingxu was caught off guard, unsure whether to embrace him or push him away.

Caught between propriety and impulse, he chose the latter.

So Pei Xingxu hugged Song Liqing back, letting him lean on his shoulder and cry his heart out.

To Pei Xingxu, this moment was a reward.

He couldn’t help but feel gratified; the surprise came too suddenly.

“Ugh… ugh…”

Song Liqing sobbed incessantly, unable to speak. It took a long time for his sobs to turn into intermittent sniffling.

“I slept for so long,” Song Liqing finally said weakly, “I had so many dreams, even dreamt of the Yama’s court. They dragged me to the eighteenth level of hell, saying I committed all the sins of greed, anger, and delusion, and I had to endure a hundred punishments before I could reincarnate. I was terrified, but then I heard you calling me, and I followed your voice, desperately escaping into a bright light…”

Pei Xingxu’s lips curved upward. He never dreamed that Song Liqing would calmly hold him and recount his dreams and feelings.

Just this made Pei Xingxu feel immensely happy.

“You called my name in that light, and that saved me…” Song Liqing hugged him tighter, “I thought I would never see you again… Qiyu.”

Pei Xingxu’s smile froze on his face.

His previously joyous heart instantly stilled, and his hand trembled in pain.

It turned out that the one he was holding was not himself, but Jun Qiyu.

Pei Xingxu cherished their embrace, even if it meant posing as Jun Qiyu for just a few more seconds.

But he couldn’t bear to deceive him, and Song Liqing would eventually find out, only to hate him more.

“I know I was unconscious for a long time. Have you been by my side all this time?” Song Liqing sounded happy, “Why aren’t you speaking, Qiyu?”

“Liqing.” Pei Xingxu confessed, “I’m not Jun Qiyu.”

Sure enough, Song Liqing paused upon hearing his voice, then abruptly pushed him away.

Song Liqing was weak, so the push was soft, but Pei Xingxu felt it as if it were a thousand pounds.

He watched as Song Liqing, as if avoiding the plague, frantically retreated to the corner of the bed.

“Why is it you?! Why are you in my house?”

Pei Xingxu felt too pained to speak.

“Do you hate me that much, Liqing?”

Song Liqing calmed down, wiped away his tears; he wasn’t used to crying in front of others besides Jun Qiyu.

“I don’t hate you,” Song Liqing answered honestly, “I just thought… it was him.”

Pei Xingxu’s eyes suddenly turned red.

That one sentence was enough.

Getting one sincere word from Song Liqing made everything he did worthwhile.

Song Liqing, recalling the past few days’ experiences, still felt fearful, his back cold.

“But because of your reckless words at the All Nations Banquet, Qiyu got angry with me.”

“I know, it was my impulsiveness that harmed you.” Pei Xingxu said dejectedly, “You should hate me.”

“I don’t hate you either.”

Song Liqing shook his head lightly; he could understand the feeling of risking everything for love.

How could such a person be bad?

“You should leave quickly. If Qiyu finds out you secretly came to the Qilin Mansion for a private meeting, who knows how furious he will be.”

Pei Xingxu comforted, “Don’t worry, he begged me to save you.”

“He begged you?”

Song Liqing really couldn’t imagine that Jun Qiyu would beg for something.

And to beg for his sake?

“I don’t quite believe it. I thought he… he didn’t care about me at all and would rather see me dead,” Song Liqing said doubtfully. “There are so many people at the Imperial Hospital, and Physician Qi’s skills are superb. How could it be you who saved me?”

“Oh, it was with a pill made from blood cistanche,” Pei Xingxu replied frankly.

Song Liqing sensed something was wrong. He remembered Pei Xingxu once said that even with the nation’s resources, they had only found one blood cistanche plant.

How could there be any left to use on him?

“It must be very precious. You don’t have much of that medicine yourself, do you?”

“There were nine pills in total. I started taking them six years ago, and luckily, three were left. Otherwise, I might not have been able to save you,” Pei Xingxu said with a smile.

Pei Xingxu’s casual tone stirred up a storm in Song Liqing’s heart.

“You…” Song Liqing was stunned. “This… this is your life-extending medicine!”

“Yeah, so what?” Pei Xingxu seemed unconcerned.

Song Liqing’s mouth hung open; he was truly… truly shocked!

“This… is your lifespan. How could you use it to save me, someone who has nothing to do with you?”

Pei Xingxu corrected him, “We were unrelated before, but we won’t be in the future.”

“That’s not the point!” Song Liqing’s head was spinning. “The point is, it’s your life! If you give it to me, you’ll die!”

“Heh…”

Seeing his panicked expression, Pei Xingxu couldn’t help but laugh.

Receiving a bit of kindness made him so anxious; the more he looked, the more he found him innocent and adorable…

Pei Xingxu moved closer to Song Liqing, and this time, Song Liqing didn’t evade.

“What does it matter if it’s life-extending medicine? There were only three pills left; I could live for three more years. Now, by giving one to you, I get to spend another year with you. No matter how you calculate it, I come out ahead.”

“No…”

Song Liqing was about to argue when Pei Xingxu interrupted.

“Do you want me to ignore your life and eke out another three years alone?” Pei Xingxu sighed. “Before I met you, maybe. But after knowing you… if you were gone, how could I endure those lonely three years by myself?”

Song Liqing’s tears welled up.

Anyone treated this way would be moved, even if he had tried to keep Pei Xingxu at arm’s length.

His desolate heart felt like it was touched by a spring breeze, bringing it to life.

This warmth, he once felt from Jun Qiyu…

“With you treating me like this, I can’t possibly repay you.”

Song Liqing covered his face, tears seeping through his fingers.

He was ashamed.

Because he had pledged his life to Jun Qiyu, his heart could not accommodate another person.

“What should I use to repay you? What… what do you want? Tell me, and I’ll find it for you and present it with both hands…”

Song Liqing didn’t want to owe this favor!

The favor was too heavy; he had no way to repay it!

Pei Xingxu moved closer, speaking softly, “Usually, when someone saves your life, you’re supposed to offer yourself in marriage, so you…”

Song Liqing lifted his tear-streaked face.

“You know very well that I…”

“I haven’t finished speaking yet,” Pei Xingxu stifled a laugh. “I was asking if you’re planning to be my loyal servant as repayment?”

Song Liqing felt a mix of shame and annoyance. “You can joke all you want, but don’t make me the target.”

“Sigh… you still don’t understand. I’m telling you this not to make you feel guilty or grateful, and not to have you owe me anything. I want you to know that your life now includes part of mine. It didn’t come easily, so you must live well in the future and not waste it. Consider that… your way of repaying me.”

Author’s note:

Aww… I really love him…