At the time he finished speaking, Chu Yu himself was startled, quickly turning his head to avoid Lou Xi's smiling gaze.
Lou Xi was amused by his appearance, squatting down to grab his chin with her hand and asked, "Do you really miss me coming?"
"No." Chu Yu lowered his eyes, not looking at her, but his voice was a bit softer than before.
"Oh, really?" Lou Xi let go of him and stood up. "Since you don't want me to come, then I'll go."
After she finished speaking, Lou Xi turned around without hesitation and walked out. Chu Yu almost subconsciously reached out to grab her hand.
"Don't go."
Lou Xi pulled back her foot that had already stepped out and looked back at him in confusion: "You don't want me to come, and yet you're stopping me from leaving. What does that mean?"
Chu Yu didn't say anything, but he held her hand tightly without letting go. In fact, he tightened it even more.
He didn't know why he behaved like this. He hated Lou Xi so much that he wanted to kill her, but he was afraid of not seeing her, and even hoped she could stay here with him forever.
"Chu Yu," Lou Xi lifted his head, forcing him to look at her, cooing softly to entice him, "You have to tell me. How can I know what you're thinking if you don't?"
Chu Yu still didn't say anything, but Lou Xi didn't force him. She sat by his side on the bed, leaning against him and touching his broken leg through the covers.
"I've sent someone to find a divine doctor who can reconnect your leg. It won't be long before you can stand up again. Are you happy?"
Chu Yu's dimming eyes lit up instantly upon hearing her words, and he asked joyfully, "Is it true?"
After she finished speaking, she suddenly remembered something, and her eyes dimmed again: "Will you let me stand up?"
"Yes." Lou Xi touched his face with her hand, softly stroking his lips, her voice exceptionally tender but her tone extraordinarily cold: "But you'd better not think about running away. Otherwise, I'll break your leg again."
Chu Yu knew she was telling the truth, but to stay by Lou Xi's side forever and cater to her was something he absolutely could not do.
If it were before, with his pride, he would never speak softly to Lou Xi or cater to her. But after being tortured for so long, his pride was long gone.
He lifted Lou Xi's chin and bent down to kiss her lips, moving very gently and softly: "I will never leave you by more than half a step in my life."
"That would be best." Lou Xi's face showed a beautiful smile as she reached out to wrap her arms around his neck.
As their kiss became more passionate, Chu Yu's hand unconsciously reached towards Lou Xi's waist. He leaned his head on Lou Xi's neck, breathing heavily, and asked in a hoarse voice, "Is it okay?"
Lou Xi's eyes were also tinged with a few shades of confusion, but her face showed no emotion. She inserted her hand into Chu Yu's hair and kissed his sideburn, not answering him.
"A Ji," Chu Yu couldn't help calling her name again, his voice hoarse with a touch of restraint, "Is it okay?"
Seeing him act like this, Lou Xi's lips curved even deeper, and her charming and melodious voice echoed in his ear.
"That's okay."
With her permission, Chu Yu no longer restrained himself. Although his leg was weak, Lou Xi was extremely cooperative with him.
This surprised him, but he didn't have time to think about it.
The bed curtains fell, entangling the sheets.
Chu Wei outside the door listened to the sounds coming from inside, and his face paled instantly.
He wanted to push open the door and kill Chu Yu with a sword, take Lou Xi with him and hide her away, but his reason told him that he couldn't do this.
Once he did, Lou Xi would never forgive him in her life.
Chu Wei stood outside for a long time, so long that his limbs went cold before the sounds inside the room stopped.
"Wan Xiang, have someone bring in some hot water." Lou Xi's hoarse voice came from the room.
"Yes." Wan Xiang responded, with several guards carrying hot water and bathtubs ready to push the door in.
Chu Wei, however, took the hot water bucket from her hand and, without a word, pushed open the door and walked in.
Wan Xiang's face showed no change in expression, took the hot water bucket from another person, and walked in.
Lou Xi was her master and benefactor as well. If it hadn't been for her, she would have died in the hands of Queen Xiliang years ago. So even though she was from Xiliang, even though Chu Wei and Chu Yu were the princes of Xiliang, her only loyal servant was Lou Xi.
"Ai Wei," Lou Xi looked at the person who came in with the hot water, slightly surprised.
Chu Wei put the boiling water aside and walked over to the bedside to help her dress: "Go take a bath first."
His movements were stiff, but his voice was still gentle.
Lou Xi was smiling and about to speak when a large hand pulled her back onto the bed.
Chu Yu tightened his arms around her waist, looking provocatively at Chu Wei: "Thank you for the hot water. We have something to say to each other. You can leave now."
Chu Wei's eyes narrowed dangerously, fixating on the hand on Lou Xi's waist: "Take your dirty hand away."
If it weren't for the fear of making Lou Xi unhappy, he would have rushed up to break Chu Yu's neck long ago.
Chu Yu didn't fear him at all, knowing that Lou Xi would never let him kill himself. He kissed her corner of the eye and looked provocatively at him: "Chu Yu and I are legally married. What are you, Wan Xiang?"
"Chu Yu, shut up," Chu Wei said, his hands tightly clenched into fists, his cold eyes fixed on him.
Watching them in this tense posture, Lou Xi couldn't help but burst out laughing. She took off Chu Yu's hand placed on her waist, got up to straighten her clothes.
"What are you two doing? Aren't you happy together now just like when we were first together?"
Upon hearing this, Chu Yu and Chu Wei stood still in place, their faces pale instantly, forgetting even to breathe.
Lou Xi gave them a derisive look before leaving with Wan Xiang, saying nothing.
Chu Wei was the first to react; he turned to chase after them, but before he took a step, Chu Yu's voice echoed behind him.
"Chu Wei, you can give up on the idea that she will ever love you in this lifetime."
Chu Wei's face hardened, and he turned a few steps forward, lifting his hand and delivering a heavy blow to him, directly knocking him off balance.
He didn't stop after hitting him. He also squeezed Chu Yu's neck fiercely: "Even if she won't love me, she will never love you either. Chu Yu, you better not challenge my patience. I have one hundred ways to kill this crippled person of yours!"
After saying that, he forcefully threw Chu Yu onto the bed and turned around to storm out of the room.
Chu Yu covered his neck and took deep breaths of fresh air. He watched the back of Chu Wei leave, his eyes filled with cold terror.
He had planned to have Chu Wei escape with him from Lingjiang, using the tiger seals in their hands to recruit soldiers and horses to take back Xiliang.
It seems that Chu Wei has been fooled by Lou Xi, and it's almost impossible to get his hands on the tiger seals. If that's the case, he will have to rely on himself.
However, at the moment, he must first placate Lou Xi and treat his leg first. Thinking of this, Chu Yu's eyes and face showed a hint of cold derision.
To think that Lou Xi would make him submit through the means he has left, she is truly naive.
*
Chu Wei saw Lou Xi walking out of the plum blossom garden, already dressed neatly, and quickly went up to grab her hand, asking: "Where are you going?"
Lou Xi tucked her hair into place and raised an eyebrow in mockery: "The palace messenger said that Lao Yao and Wei Fu Qu publicly accused me before the officials of disregarding the law and treating people like grass. I intend to go see for myself."
