RPAGF Chapter 431 Heartbroken
Chapter 431 Heartbroken
Shen Yanzhou was both annoyed and amused by his stubbornness.
He knew Choi Ji-ho too well. He seemed gentle, but he had a strong will in his bones. Once he made up his mind about something, nothing could change it.
He meant well by offering a friendly reminder, but seeing how persistent the other party was, and how clearly and logically they spoke, demonstrating both courtesy and determination to protect, he knew that anything he said would be futile.
"That's all,"
Shen Yanzhou waved his hand, his tone carrying a hint of helpless indulgence.
"You're such a stubborn person, once you've made up your mind, you just stay single-minded like this."
"Do as you please, but remember to always keep things in mind."
Although he was the crown prince, he was unwilling to be too forceful at this time and hurt his brotherly relationship.
More importantly, he could see that Cui Zhihao's concern for Shi Wanxia was genuine, and with him by her side, Shi Wanxia might feel more at ease.
Seeing that he had relented, Cui Zhihao's eyes flashed with gratitude, and he nodded again: "Thank you for your understanding, Your Highness. I understand."
After saying that, he didn't delay any longer. He took the medicine bowl to the bedside, gently touched Shi Wanxia's forehead to make sure she didn't have a fever, and then leaned down and whispered, "Wanwan, wake up, it's time to take your medicine."
His voice was extremely soft, as if afraid of disturbing the fragile dream.
Shi Wanxia, lying on the bed, trembled slightly with her eyelashes and slowly opened her eyes.
She was still a little dazed when she first woke up, but after seeing that the person in front of her was Cui Zhihao and smelling the medicine in the air, she slowly came to her senses, her voice hoarse from just waking up: "Brother Cui..."
"Well, I'm here."
Choi Ji-ho responded gently, brought the medicine bowl to his lips, blew on it lightly, and tested the temperature.
He carefully scooped up a spoonful and brought it to her lips. "The medicine is ready. It's a little bitter, but bear with it. Drinking it will help you recover faster."
As Shi Wanxia watched him earnestly blowing the medicine, her nose tingled slightly. She obediently opened her mouth and swallowed the spoonful of bitter medicine.
The taste of the medicine instantly spread in her mouth, so bitter that she frowned.
Upon seeing this, Choi Ji-ho had already taken out a candied fruit wrapped in candy wrapper from his sleeve.
After she finished taking a spoonful of medicine, I handed her a candied fruit to her lips: "Put one in your mouth first, it won't be so bitter."
Shen Yanzhou, who was standing to the side, looked at this scene with a slightly softened expression.
He turned to Yuan'er, who had been keeping her head down, and said, "You go out first and stay outside to keep watch. Don't let anyone come in and disturb us."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Yuan'er responded and quietly slipped out, closing the door behind her.
The room fell silent again, with only Cui Zhihao's gentle coaxing and Shi Wanxia's occasional slight frown.
Shen Yanzhou didn't linger any longer, but stood quietly to the side for a moment, watching Cui Zhihao patiently feed Shi Wanxia spoonful by spoonful of medicine and candied fruit, and watching Shi Wanxia obediently listen despite her suffering.
The heaviness in my heart caused by worry gradually dissipated, replaced by a complex emotion.
There was a sense of relief, a touch of emotion, and a hint of barely perceptible envy.
He turned gently, tiptoed out of the inner room, leaving this warmth and tranquility to the two people by the bedside.
Some acts of protection may truly not need to be disturbed by others.
The bitter medicine slid down my throat and into my stomach, but instead of bringing relief as I had expected, it seemed to trigger a hidden pain that surged up from the depths of my body.
The most painful part was the wound on my back caused by the rubble; it felt like countless tiny needles were pricking me at the same time.
It was accompanied by a burning, stinging pain that spread along the skin, making even breathing a delicate process.
She instinctively tensed up, her fingertips gripping the brocade quilt beneath her tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force.
You must not make a sound.
She said to herself.
Brother Cui had been watching over her the whole time, and there were still faint dark circles under his eyes. She didn't want him to worry anymore.
So she bit her lower lip, gently grinding her teeth against her soft lip flesh, trying to distract herself with the slight pain and swallow back the muffled groans that were about to burst from her throat.
But her subtle trembling and sudden pallor couldn't escape the notice of Choi Ji-ho, who was watching her intently.
As soon as Cui Zhihao put down the medicine bowl, he saw her eyelashes tremble violently, a fine layer of cold sweat appear on her forehead, and her already pale lips were bitten until they turned bluish-white.
His heart tightened suddenly. She was so obedient when he was feeding her the medicine, how could she have turned into this in the blink of an eye?
"Late night?"
He tentatively called out softly and reached out to touch her forehead, but she flinched again, as if the place he touched was in pain.
In an instant, Choi Ji-ho realized—his wound was hurting again.
It must be the pain before the medicine takes effect, or the medicine irritated her injury, that caused her to be in so much pain.
His heart felt like it had been tugged by something, a mixture of sourness and bitterness.
This girl is always like this; no matter how much pain or hardship she faces, she refuses to show weakness easily and shoulders everything by herself.
Choi Jiho didn't ask any more questions. He simply softened his movements, carefully reaching out his arms to gently lift her up from behind her shoulders and knees.
His movements were as gentle as if he were holding a fragile piece of glass, carefully avoiding the wounds on her back and arms with every inch of movement, for fear that the slightest force would aggravate her pain.
He half-held her in his arms, letting her head rest against the crook of his neck. He could clearly feel the uncontrollable trembling of the person in his arms, like a young sparrow in the cold wind, so fragile that it was frightening.
He freed one hand and gently placed it on the back of her slightly cool hand, using the warmth of his palm to envelop her icy touch.
"Does it hurt?"
His voice was deep and hoarse, filled with undisguised heartache, and his warm breath brushed against the top of her hair.
"Tell me if it hurts, don't hold it in, okay?"
Shi Wanxia buried her face in his clothes, smelling the crisp scent of soap shavings mixed with a faint scent of ink on his body. That familiar scent made her tense nerves relax a little.
She shook her head, her voice muffled by the fabric, barely audible: "No...it doesn't hurt."
Seeing his contradictory behavior, Choi Ji-ho felt both helpless and heartbroken.
He tightened his arms, holding her even closer, but deliberately controlled the force so as not to make her feel pressured.
"Late night,"
He lowered his head, his chin gently resting on the center of her hair, his voice carrying a hint of vulnerability and lingering fear that even he himself was unaware of.
"Promise me you won't put yourself in danger again, okay?"
I recalled the harrowing experience of her being swept away by the flood a few days ago, and how she was soaking wet and barely breathing when we found her.
His heart felt as if it had been crushed by a boulder, and he still feels lingering fear to this day.
The fear and anxiety of those days almost dragged him into the abyss.
"I can't lose you,"
He spoke slowly and deliberately, each word seeming to come from the depths of his heart, carrying a burning warmth and heavy affection.
"I really can't. If anything happens to you, I..."
He didn't say the rest, but the tremor in his voice was enough to send chills down one's spine.
He held her in his arms, waiting quietly for her response, but the person in his arms was unusually quiet.
There was no rebuttal, no response, and even their breathing became unusually slow.
Choi Ji-ho was slightly taken aback. He carefully lowered his head, his gaze passing over the top of her soft hair to her face.
The afternoon sunlight fell perfectly on her profile, casting a soft shadow on her long eyelashes.