Chapter 22. A jade leaf tonic cure
AT THE SAME TIME
MEI SHEN’S POINT OF VIEW:
The pestle slipped from my fingers, clattering onto the counter. I didn’t even flinch. My hands were trembling too badly, my heart pounding too loudly. I was losing him.
"Jade leaves, seven petals... honey water... steady... keep steady-" I whispered under my breath, but my voice cracked halfway through.
I could hear him, no, Lianwei his laboured breaths from the next room. Every single shallow inhale made my chest tighten, as if his lungs were tethered to my own. If he stopped...
"System prompt: Warning. Subject Lianwei’s vitals are critically unstable. Recommend administering Jade leaf tonic within 12 minutes to avoid organ failure."System warned.
Twelve minutes. I forced my shaking fingers to grind the petals finer, pouring honey water that quivered in its cup like my resolve. But his name wouldn’t stop repeating in my head. Lianwei. Lianwei. Why didn’t he tell me who he was? Why did he let me hate him, let me believe he’d moved on, when all along-
"System clarification: Subject Lianwei initiated four year search post separation. Resource expenditure: Extreme. Physical and emotional degradation: Severe. Host identified as emotional person, loving more than he should."System explained.
I froze, breath caught in my throat.
"What...?"I asked.
Four years. He spent four years looking for me. Even though in the novel, Emperor Lianwei never would have. He was cold, ruthless, moving forward without ever glancing back. But my Lianwei, he...
"Why?" I whispered hoarsely, though I didn’t know if I was asking him or the gods.