Chapter 199 -

Chapter 199: Chapter

Inside the quiet guest room, the world shrank down to a single bed.

Wenzhe lay still against the dark pillows, his chest barely moving under the heavy blankets. The fresh bandages wrapped tightly around his shoulder stood out against his dark robes.

Yueqing sat on the wooden stool beside the bed, resting her chin in her hand as she watched him. The arrogant General who had tried to trap her in his lap that morning was gone. Now he was just a pale, sweating man fighting for his life.

[You really had to push it,] Yueqing thought, her anger softening into worry. [Couldn’t just stay put and rest. No, you had to march right back into the palace with half your blood missing.]

She reached out and pulled the blanket higher over his shoulders to keep him warm. His skin was still way too hot, and his body twitched slightly.

[ Host the emperor is aware of the general being sick, so he pardoned the both of you for not paying him a visit.]

She rolled her eyes, "So what if we didn’t pay him a visit.. he should go suck his visit.. inviting an injured man to a stupid banquet after he didn’t even try to save him.. I just feel like.. ahhhh."

Outside, the palace was supposed to be safe, but it felt like a snake pit. The Emperor, the schemers, and especially Xiao Chen were all waiting just beyond these walls.

Knock. Knock.

The sound cut through the silence.

Yueqing snapped her head toward the heavy wooden door. She figured it was Lu Yue bringing the medicine from the pharmacy.

"Come in," Yueqing called out clearly.

The door stayed shut.

She frowned at the wood. She waited, but no one came in.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

The sound came again, softer, but won’t stop.

Yueqing’s temper flared. She had enough to deal with tonight without playing games with clumsy servants.

"I said, come in!" she snapped, standing up so fast her stool scraped the floor. "If you’re deaf, find another door!"

Still, the door didn’t move.

Now furious, Yueqing stormed across the room, grabbed the handle, and jerked the door wide open.

"Do you have a death wish or—"

The words stuck in her throat.

Before she could blink, a tall figure lunged forward. Strong arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her hard against a sleek, perfumed chest.

"Yueqing!" a smooth, too-happy voice cried out right by her ear. "Oh, thank goodness! I heard you arrived at the palace, and I couldn’t wait a second longer to see you!"

Yueqing froze for a second, shock turning instantly into white-hot rage.

It was him.

Xiao Chen.

She didn’t hesitate. Planting both hands flat against his chest, she shoved him back with all her might, breaking his grip and sending him stumbling into the hallway.

"What do you think you’re doing?!" Yueqing hissed, glaring at the Third Prince.

Xiao Chen caught his balance, a bright smile on his handsome face. He looked way too pleased with himself as he brushed down his robes.

"Is that how you greet me?" Xiao Chen chuckled smoothly. "After all this time apart, I expected a warm smile. Wenzhe must be rubbing off on you."

Yueqing clenched her jaw so hard it ached. She stepped out into the hallway, pulling the door shut enough to block any sound from reaching the bed inside, keeping herself squarely in front of the entrance.

"Are you out of your mind?" Yueqing whispered fiercely, her voice shaking with rage. "Coming here? To these quarters? Why don’t you stay at home instead of coming here?"

Xiao Chen tilted his head, his smile slipping a bit. "What? Yueqing, why are you mad? I came to check on you. I heard the General collapsed at the gates. I worried about how it was affecting you."

"Don’t lie to me!" Yueqing cut him off, jabbing a finger at his chest. "You absolute hypocrite!"

Xiao Chen blinked in surprise. "Hypocrite? Calm down. Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Because I’m not stupid!" Yueqing snarled, her voice dropping to a venomous whisper. "You sit up in your grand palace acting innocent, while behind closed doors, you planned this entire nightmare! You were the one who handed me those sweets to give to Wenzhe, weren’t you? You told me they were a harmless gift, but you laced them with that poison!"

Xiao Chen’s face went blank. A cold, sharp look took over his features.

"That was how he was captured!" Yueqing pressed on, her eyes tearing into his with absolute fury. "The poison weakened him completely, allowing the enemy to drag him away and torture him for two horrific months! And you sat back, knowing you were the one who used me to poison him!"

She stepped closer, her chest heaving.

"You orchestrated everything! And then you have the nerve to show up at my door smiling, pretending to care?"

Yueqing let out a harsh, bitter laugh.

"What is wrong with you, Xiao Chen? Did you really think I was that gullible? You used me to poison my own husband, you let him suffer two months of hell, and then you expect me to let you hug me?!"

For a long moment, the Third Prince didn’t say a word. The playful charm vanished, leaving behind a cold, scary prince who looked at her with an empty, dark stare.

[System 009: Oh, spicy. Should I grab a chair for this show, or are you going to throw the Prince out the window yourself?]

Yueqing kept her eyes locked on Xiao Chen, answering Nine through her mind with pure venom. [Shut up, Nine.]

For a long moment, the hallway was completely quiet.

Xiao Chen’s fake smile was gone. He looked at Yueqing’s angry, hate-filled eyes and slowly let out a heavy sigh.

"Yueqing..." Xiao Chen said, his voice dropping low. "I didn’t know it would go that far."

Yueqing narrowed her eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"I wanted him out of the way," Xiao Chen admitted, clenching his fists. "As long as Wenzhe was around, my plans could not move forward."

"So you poisoned him?" Yueqing hissed.

"I only wanted him weakened!" Xiao Chen argued, taking a step closer. "I gave you those sweets because I knew he would eat anything from your hands. I wanted him too sick to march. I swear, I didn’t plan an ambush! I didn’t know the enemy was waiting to capture him and torture him for two months. That wasn’t supposed to happen!"

Yueqing stared at him in pure disgust.

"You didn’t know?" she repeated, her voice full of venom. "You thought you could just poison a general right before a war and nothing bad would happen? You played with his life like a toy just to get your rival out of your way!"

"I’m tired, Xiao Chen. Please just leave me be." Yueqing turned her back to him, heading back toward the door. "Go back before people see us together and start thinking something stupid."

She slipped inside the room and let the heavy wood shut behind her.

Out in the corridor, Xiao Chen stood still, letting out a heavy, defeated sigh. He had never wanted her to find out the truth. Now she knew, and now she hated him. With nothing left to salvage, he turned on his heel and walked away until the hall fell completely silent.

Back inside the room, Yueqing let out a long, exhausted breath. All she had ever wanted was to save her son and protect Wenzhe from the shadows closing in around them. Was that really so hard? Why did men always have to tear each other apart? Why couldn’t they just stop fighting and live in peace instead of constantly trying to outsmart one another?

Rubbing her aching temples, she dragged herself over to the corner cupboards where extra quilts and wool blankets were stored. She pulled them out, laid them down thick and soft on the cold stone floor, and collapsed onto them.

Her limbs felt heavy, and sleep pulled at her eyelids as the exhaustion finally took over.

Deep asleep on the floor, Yueqing did not hear the blankets rustle behind her.

On the bed, Wenzhe opened his eyes as the fever finally faded. He pushed himself up on his good arm, ignoring the sharp pain in his injured shoulder. He had heard every single word spoken through the door.

He knew the truth now.

For months, he had believed Yueqing betrayed him. He thought she had worked with Xiao Chen to poison him. That anger and heartbreak were what kept him alive through the torture.

Now, looking down at Yueqing sleeping on the hard floor, a heavy wave of guilt hit him. He had treated her so badly. He had glared at her, mocked her, and blamed her, thinking she was the enemy when she had only been tricked.

Wenzhe rubbed his temples, letting out a quiet, tired sigh. He gently lowered his head back onto the pillows, staring up at the ceiling in heavy silence.