Chapter 52: Am I About to Die?

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Xiao Ming’s eyes flew wide. She could hardly believe he had the nerve to say something so shameless.

“Stop holding me!”

At last, he opened his eyes fully, but said nothing more. Seeing how badly her head seemed to hurt, he reached out and rubbed her temples for her.

“Get up and drink a bowl of hangover soup later. Your headache will go away.”

His voice was unbearably gentle, filled with tender affection.

“Don’t drink so much next time.”

She slapped his hand away and once again pushed herself upright.

“Why haven’t you left yet?!”

He rose, his usually dark eyes filled with rare sincerity.

“You’ve forgotten?”

“Wh-what?”

Caught beneath his clear, unwavering gaze, she froze, utterly at a loss.

She truly could not remember much. She rarely drank, and the most she had ever tasted was the rice wine her mother made. Yesterday had been her mother’s birthday. Overcome with grief, she had lost control while chatting with Huai Xi and ended up drinking far too much. Now, the memories in her mind were broken and scattered.

So when Ling Zhao asked her so calmly whether she had forgotten, she found herself lacking the confidence to deny it outright.

Seeing the hesitation and uncertainty flicker in her eyes, he guessed that she truly could not remember what had happened the previous night. After all, she had always been cautious and restrained in the household, never daring to touch alcohol. Lately, however, she seemed to have grown increasingly uninhibited.

Better that she did not remember.

A look of composure returned to his eyes.

He gently took Xiao Ming’s hand and rubbed it between his fingers before looking up at her.

“Ming’er, you really don’t remember? You drank too much yesterday and kissed me of your own accord.”

A loud buzz seemed to explode inside Xiao Ming’s head. He said nothing, merely watching in silence as her expression shifted through one remarkable change after another.

Her entire body stiffened, and she blurted out without hesitation, “Impossible!”

She denied it with such force and agitation that it was obvious she was trying even harder to conceal her lack of certainty.

Ling Zhao remained perfectly calm, recalling the events at a leisurely pace.

“You were already drunk when the carriage brought you here. Sui Feng came to tell me that you were throwing a tantrum and refusing to get out. You insisted that I personally go to the military camp gates to receive you.”

He gave a soft sigh, his gaze distant and shadowed.

“I immediately set aside my work and went to meet you without the slightest delay. But I never expected that, the moment you stepped down from the carriage, you would throw yourself into my arms and start acting spoiled. You kept your arms around my neck and refused to let go. Everyone saw it.”

“Impossible…” Her expression crumbled, and she looked nearly unable to believe him.

“I knew you had drunk too much, so I brought you to the rear chamber. I only intended to have you drink some hangover soup before sending you home, so you would not suffer from the effects of the alcohol. But you refused to drink it no matter what. Then, while I was distracted, you suddenly kissed me.”

“You—you’re talking nonsense.” Xiao Ming’s eyes darted about, and her voice weakened.

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She had no reason to thank him. How could she possibly have taken the initiative to kiss him?

Ling Zhao slowly moved closer, his deep eyes fixed upon her panicked little face.

“You also said that you wanted to sleep with me.”

Her mind exploded with a deafening roar, shattering into pieces and leaving her utterly devastated.

The instant those words reached her ears, fragments of the previous night seemed to assemble in her mind.

She had nestled against his neck, greedily breathing in his scent and telling him how fragrant he was. She had held his face and kissed him again and again. He seemed indeed to have resisted, trying to stop her from kissing him. Then came the other things she had said—something about always sleeping with her, liking her, marrying her…

Ling Zhao watched her with a deep, shadowed gaze.

“Ming’er, what have you remembered?”

She stood there in despair, rigid with shock. How could she—how could she possibly have done such things and said such words?

Seeing that she could not refute him, the corners of his lips curved faintly upward.

She suddenly raised her head and met his smiling eyes. Rage and humiliation surged through her.

“If you’re truly a gentleman, then why didn’t you leave? Why didn’t you send someone to take me home? You even held me, and you— you slept with me…” Her voice gradually dwindled.

“Ming’er, don’t be unreasonable. The court is conscripting soldiers, and official business is overwhelming. How could I possibly get away to escort you home? You were a young woman who had gotten drunk. I would not have trusted anyone else to take you. If something had happened, how would I have answered to your deceased parents?”

Xiao Ming pressed her lips together.

“But…”

“Besides, I naturally intended to leave the chamber and let you rest alone. You can ask anyone outside—I truly did resist you. But you insisted on keeping me there and forced a kiss upon me. You cried miserably, saying you were afraid to sleep alone and would only feel safe if you held me. You even said that if I left, you would hang yourself.”

His eyes seemed to hold nothing but helplessness.

“I’m a normal man too. With you needing me so desperately, how could I bear to leave?”

Her face stiffened, and she was suddenly rendered speechless.

“Ming’er, if I had truly wanted to do something to you, I could have done so long ago, couldn’t I? You know me. I have no interest in taking advantage of someone who cannot defend herself. Don’t you remember? That night in the rain, you had already taken off…”

“Ling Zhao! Shut up!”

The scene from that day was even more mortifying. How dare he bring it up?

He fell silent and looked at her, his gaze as frank and upright as that of a true gentleman.

She knew very well that the man before her was no good person. Yet there was, indeed, nothing in what he had said that she could fault.

Several times, she had thought he was about to do something to her, but he had only kissed her and gone no further. She had clearly sensed how fiercely he had been restraining himself.

With the case concerning her parents left unresolved, he had not mentioned the agreement between them again. It seemed he had forgotten about it entirely. And besides that, he had risked his life to save her…

The anger Xiao Ming had been carrying in her chest suddenly had nowhere to go. All that remained were scattered fragments, drifting through her mind from time to time.

Seeing her suddenly lose her momentum, he tactfully changed the subject.

“The hangover soup is warm. Shall I bring it to you?”

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He rose from the bed and went to the small white porcelain jar simmering atop the brazier in the outer room. He poured a bowl of hangover soup and brought it to her.

“Drink it quickly. You’ll feel better afterward.”

She accepted the bowl and took a small sip, then suddenly realized something.

Wait.

She abruptly lifted her eyes and stared straight at him.

“Ling Zhao! Why did I come to the military camp?”

Yesterday, she had clearly been making tea drinks with Huai Xi at Pear Fragrance Garden. Even if she had drunk too much, she should have spent the night at home. How had she inexplicably been brought to the military camp?

Ling Zhao’s eyes trembled faintly. He pressed his lips together.

So it really had been his doing!

Just then, Sui Feng’s voice came from outside the door.

“Eldest Young Master.”

“What is it?”

“Imperial Physician Li has arrived.”

Ling Zhao glanced at Xiao Ming, gently closed the door to the sleeping chamber, and sat down in the outer room to wait.

“General Ling.”

Imperial Physician Li respectfully cupped his hands in greeting.

Before dawn, the military camp had sent someone to the Li residence to summon him, claiming that General Ling had suffered grave injuries and was on the verge of death. The news had given him quite a fright, and he had hurried over at once.

“General, is something wrong with your health?”

Imperial Physician Li could not help sneaking a glance at Ling Zhao, who sat in the armchair. That complexion, that color—nothing about him looked like a man on the brink of death. Could it be the brief return of vitality before death?

Surely not. But one could never be certain.

Ling Zhao lifted his eyes. His sharp gaze swept over, and Imperial Physician Li hurriedly lowered his head in fright.

Ling Zhao extended a hand and placed it upon the table beside him. An oppressive force seemed to close in as he asked in a deep voice:

“Imperial Physician Li, am I about to die?”

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