Chapter 223
Both the man in black and Zi Yu were startled upon hearing Chu Xiang’s words. However, with the noise outside gradually approaching, they could not afford to take the time to think of something else.
Propping himself up onto the bed, the man in black leaped next to Chu Xiang, albeit with somewhat hesitant movements. Even without his presence, the bed in the doghouse was already quite small. Thus, if he wanted to stay hidden, he had no choice but to press up against Chu Xiang under the quilt and stick close to her.
“Do you want to get caught?”
At that instant, he felt a sense of regret in his heart, thinking that he should not have followed this woman back to the doghouse. But even if he wanted to make his escape now, it was already far too late. Without any other options, he could only dig into the quilt and stick close.
Laying next to him, Chu Xiang suddenly sniffed out a faint scent of blood. “Are you injured?”
“It’s only a small wound,” the man in black muttered softly within the quilt. Since hiding under the quilt was quite an unpleasant experience for him, he kept his words to a minimum.
Pondering for a moment, she lifted the quilt and passed a handkerchief over to him. “Cover your wound. The more blood you absorb, the better. Quickly.”
Understanding her intentions, the man in black tore apart the cloth near his collarbone and pressed the silky white handkerchief down onto the wound on his right shoulder, which instantly absorbed most of the blood that leaked out.
Taking back the handkerchief, Chu Xiang leaned in as close as she possibly could against the man in black. At the same time, Zi Yu hurriedly tidied up the quilt and made sure to cover the two of them up properly. Then, she placed her own quilt down on them, making it seem as if there was only one person within the quilts.
The maid’s face was bleached pale at the clanking sounds of the gate opening. “Master…”
“Place a piece of wet cloth on my forehead. Remember, I’m going to die soon.” Chu Xiang instructed her calmly, not showing even the slightest hint of nervousness.
Quickly composing herself, Zi Yu soaked her handkerchief with some water from the gourd and swiftly placed it on Chu Xiang’s forehead. At the same time, Chu Xiang wiped her face with a bit of water as she covered her mouth with the blood-soaked handkerchief and began coughing profusely. Zi Yu was immediately startled as she realized that Chu Xiang’s face was drenched in a cold sweat. Moreover, she looked haggard and lacked even the faintest hint of vigor, seeming as if she was about to breathe her last breath!
Shocked, Zi Yu asked worriedly, “Master, could it be that you’re still feeling unwell? You shouldn’t keep forcing yourself if your condition is that serious!”
“Go,” Chu Xiang uttered a single word before she continued coughing.
Though Zi Yu felt distressed for her master, she nevertheless could not think of another method to ease her suffering. As tears welled up in her eyes, she immediately dashed outside, past the head of the imperial guards, and grabbed onto the palace eunuch in charge of the doghouse. “Please call the imperial physician over. I beg of you! Master keeps coughing out blood! She won’t be able to hold on for much longer! Please, help her! I’ll work extremely hard to return the favor to you…”
Just as the palace eunuch shook her off to the side viciously, Zi Yu seized the opportunity to kneel down on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly while crying. “Please, I beg of you! Please help my master! She hasn’t eaten nor drunk anything for the past two days. Inflicted with such a serious illness, if she doesn’t get attended to by the imperial physician, I’m afraid she won’t be able to live on for much longer…”
Zi Yu’s act of desperation may have fed up the few imperial guards, but she nevertheless caused them to subconsciously assume that the man in black had not come to this place. Otherwise, the palace maid would not have reacted in such a manner. Even so, they still had to search through the place thoroughly. With a wave of his hand, the head of the imperial guards signaled his men to enter the house.
Standing at the doorway, the imperial guards scanned the room while some of them rummaged through the cabinets and other possible hiding spots.
“Did anyone suspicious pass through here just now?”
Zi Yu shocked her head and replied, “It’s been two whole days since anyone has come in here.”
Walking to the side of the bed impatiently, she looked at Chu Xiang and kneeled on the floor, crying. “Sir, please, I beg of you. Master has been coughing non-stop for the past day. Please help her. Ask the imperial physician to attend to her. Please…”
In that instant, a bright idea suddenly occurred to her. She too began coughing like Chu Xiang. Everyone who saw this scene was still taken aback. Could Chu Xiang possibly have been infected with some sort of contagious disease? At that moment, the imperial guard instinctively stepped back and kept their distance from the bed.
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