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墨書 Inktalez
Hearing Mei Shuang say this, Nangong Nuo couldn't help but feel disheartened. However, if that were the case, what kind of medicine had they used on Mei Shuang before? Moreover, was it the medicine's effect or Mei Shuang's own body's unusual resilience that protected her? Or was there some unknown remedy she was unwilling to share?
These questions remained unanswered.
Nevertheless, based on Nangong Nuo's understanding of the reborn Mei Shuang, he instinctively believed she wasn't lying.
Mei Shuang was still alive and well, which at least proved that the medicines were reliable.
"The so-called 'desperate times call for desperate measures,' I suppose those imperial physicians treated me like a dead horse being used as a live one, and that's how I was fortunate enough to get my life back."
Mei Shuang shrugged. The situation at that time, according to Lin Tian'er later, was simply "beyond saving."
Upon hearing that she was beyond saving, Xiao Luolong was furious and immediately ordered the best medicines in the palace to be sent over, declaring that he would spare no expense to save her; otherwise, there would be no mercy...
Wait a minute, thinking too far ahead, Mei Shuang pulled back her thoughts with a sigh. There was no point in pondering these things now; distant water could not quench immediate thirst.
After competing with Mei Shuang and listening to her stories for an entire afternoon, coupled with just recovering from a headache, Nangong Nuo felt somewhat fatigued. He had someone take Mei Shuang to a place to stay while he went to rest.
Mei Shuang stood inside a stone house, looking around by candlelight. The area wasn't large—about ten square meters by estimation—with a simple bed against the wall. The surroundings were all rock; it seemed like a natural cave. Carving out such a living space from the terrain must have been quite an effort.
After a long day of mental sparring with Nangong Nuo and using up quite a bit of energy in conversation, Mei Shuang felt tired. She threw herself onto the wooden plank bed that hurt her back and had barely rested when her stomach growled.
Fortunately, Nangong Nuo had been considerate; soon someone brought in a food box.
Mei Shuang opened the food box with little hope for anything good from Nangong Nuo but was still attracted by the food inside.
To be honest, ever since she had been sent by Emperor Xiao Luo of the Great Qin Empire to Qishan for treasure hunting, she had bid farewell to the exquisite delicacies of the splendid palace.
The hardships in Qishan were needless to mention; various dangers often upset her appetite. Plus, she hadn't eaten anything substantial for a long time, leading to frequent stomach pains and even symptoms of low blood sugar. Whenever it was mealtime and there was no food in front of her, her stomach would feel like it was blooming; then after returning from Jiangnan, where they said the land was rich and nourishing, she found herself an exception.
Before leaving Lin Tian'er’s place, she had managed to scrape together some silver coins from her. If it weren't for that, she would have starved long ago. To support those impoverished children at home who couldn't afford schooling, she had to live frugally on plain meals; she felt completely undernourished. Then after running back from Jiangnan, at Cheng En Temple, she ate nothing but green leaves every day and felt like she was turning into "green onion."
Although a vegetarian diet is a path to health, if it were to be followed every day, Mei Shuang felt that her subcutaneous fat had significantly decreased. She rubbed her eyes; indeed, what lay before her was an authentic imperial meal.
Having spent some time in the palace, Mei Shuang recognized quality. There were six dishes, two main courses: Pearl Meatballs with Quail and Bird's Nest and Lotus Seed Soup, along with Salted Pork Knuckle and Marinated Fish Fillet among other seasonal dishes, all presented beautifully with rich flavors and abundant nutrition.
Mei Shuang sighed at how well Nangong Nuo enjoyed life. Even in such a harsh environment, he did not neglect his appetite. On the other hand, she felt fortunate to have such a meal today.
Picking up the shiny silver chopsticks, Mei Shuang muttered to herself that Nangong Nuo had thought this through, reminding her that the food was safe to eat—she could verify it herself.
She indeed took the chopsticks and poked at each dish before starting to eat, confirming there was no problem.
Watching Mei Shuang devour her food through the slightly ajar door, Nangong Nuo found it amusing; she seemed quite vigilant.
Just moments ago, he had wondered if this woman would resort to starvation as a means to resist him letting her go. It seemed he had overthought it.
From her eating habits, it was clear that she had not lived well before. He never expected that after achieving success and returning with full honors, she would leave Xiao Luo using such desperate measures.
After all, there are not many people in this world who could turn away from such temptation with courage, yet she was determined to escape.
Indeed, she was very different from before.
Could it be that the reason behind this was her belief that Xiao Luo was merely using her for his own gain? Was that why she only thought of fleeing? She had once schemed extensively to marry Xiao Luo, but now she was trying every way to avoid him! How interesting!
Seeing Mei Shuang puffing her cheeks in delight as she ate and squinting her eyes in satisfaction made Nangong Nuo unconsciously smile. He thought to himself that she should enjoy her meal; only after finishing would she have the strength to help him, right?
Satisfied, he turned to leave while contemplating how he now held two cards in Chu Xiruo and Mei Shuang and needed to make good use of them.
Unless the Emperor of the Great Qin Empire disregarded past relationships and current intentions, no matter which one he chose between them, he would have an advantage.
However, it was hard to say. Xiao Luo, who had built his formidable reputation through cold-blooded killing on the battlefield of Shura, was certainly not just a name without substance. "Cunning in strategy and suspicious by nature," who knew if he would abandon them both just to eliminate him?
Nangong Nuo furrowed his brows slightly and returned to his inner chamber, deep in thought.
After finishing her meal, Mei Shuang patted her belly, satisfied as she packed the empty plates into the food box, then waited for someone to come collect them. She lay down on the bed, rubbing her belly, not wanting to get up.
It seemed that the people outside sensed something through the door; shortly after Mei Shuang put down her chopsticks, someone came to tidy up.
Mei Shuang lay on her side, her hands tucked into her wide sleeves as she rubbed her swollen belly, beginning to close her eyes and rest.
The person collecting the food boxes looked a bit uncertain at this action and asked, "Are you feeling unwell?"
Mei Shuang paused her hands slightly, turned a bit to the side, and saw that the person was curiously watching her. She casually replied, "I ate too quickly and too much; my stomach feels uncomfortable, so I need to massage it to help with digestion."
The person responded with an "oh" and said nothing more before leaving after tidying up.
Mei Shuang turned back and continued to rub for a while before getting up and stretching. "I'm so tired," she murmured, rubbing her sleepy eyes as she blew out the candle on the table and climbed back into bed to rest.
After an unknown amount of time had passed, the door opened gently, and light footsteps approached Mei Shuang.
After pausing for a moment, a low voice whispered in her ear, "Are you asleep?"
Perhaps the person was very close; their warm breath brushed against Mei Shuang's sensitive skin, causing her body to stiffen and goosebumps to rise all over.
Seeing that Mei Shuang did not respond, the visitor gently poked her side with a finger. After a few attempts, Mei Shuang mumbled something indistinctly in her sleep and curled deeper into the bed, clearly still in slumber.
Only then did the visitor seem reassured. After pausing for a moment and estimating that Mei Shuang was sound asleep, they reached out to touch her body—starting from the sleeves and moving downwards, checking her front and back, even where she lay pressed against the bed. After a quick search yielded nothing, they got up and left quietly, closing the door softly behind them.
Moments later, Mei Shuang gently opened her eyes and listened intently to the outside; it was very quiet.
Before her was a vast darkness. She wondered how the other person had managed to find her accurately in such dark surroundings. It seemed that her post-meal belly rubbing had raised their suspicions.
She gently withdrew the hand that had been resting against her cheek, concealing in her palm the item that the other person had suspected she was carrying.
The earlier search had been quick and light, with just the right amount of pressure applied, yet they had not touched her palm at all.
Fortunately, she had been thoughtful; it seemed that the most dangerous places were often the safest.
Though she felt drowsy after eating, she dared not let her guard down. This was not a place of comfort but rather the territory of someone who had once wanted to kill her, and she needed to be extremely cautious.
Mei Shuang quietly sat up from the bed and returned the item in her palm to her sleeve. The earlier act of rubbing her stomach had been a pretense; she had used the candlelight to clearly see what Zhengyi's Mother had given her.
It was nothing else but what she needed.
It seemed that Zhengyi's Mother still had some conscience, knowing that she had entered a den of wolves to save her son and did not forget to help her in return.
Mei Shuang carefully felt her way down from the bed. She had already measured her steps and, relying on memory, avoided the table as she made her way to the door.
Peering through the crack in the door, she saw nothing but darkness, which left her feeling disappointed. After thinking it over, this was indeed an underground world that could not bear light; how could it possibly be bright as day at night?
Given the current situation, trying to sneak out seemed unrealistic; being unfamiliar with the terrain was a major disadvantage for escape.
However, if she did not run and waited for tomorrow to come, Nangong Nuo would pursue her for a remedy that she could never provide. She had witnessed Nangong Nuo's ruthlessness; he was the type who could kill without blinking. Remembering Cong Yue's tragic death and Shijieyu's grim fate sent chills down Mei Shuang's spine.
In this wretched place, every minute spent increased the danger.
She must save herself!
Mei Shuang had already been missing for three days.
Since that day when Mei Shuang hurriedly left, there had been no news of her.
Princess Bilian and Master Jing were anxiously waiting, their hearts in turmoil.
A few days ago, Princess Bilian had been tirelessly caring for the seriously ill Mei Shuang, leaving her own body weak and frail. With Mei Shuang seemingly vanished into thin air these past few days, she had lost weight in her worry.
Propping up her weakened body, she leaned out the window once more to ask Master Jing, "Has she not returned yet?"
Master Jing had just stepped outside to look around for a long while, only to return disappointed.
In truth, one could tell from Master Jing's demeanor that if Mei Shuang had come back, she would surely have returned with good news.
Princess Bilian was both anxious and angry. "Jing, where on earth has Shuang'er gone? It's been several days; why is there still no sign of her?"
Master Jing handed the medicine she had brought to Princess Bilian and comforted her, "Miss Mei Shuang left in a hurry. She only instructed me to take good care of you, saying she would be back soon. She made a promise to a child and said adults must keep their word; they can't let children wait endlessly..."
Master Jing had repeated this several times already. Upon hearing it, Princess Bilian's expression dimmed slightly, and sorrow welled up within her.
This mother and daughter had just reunited and should have been joyfully celebrating their reunion. Yet now, Mei Shuang had gone elsewhere, claiming she did not want to break a child's trust. But was she really so unimportant? It had been several days of silence without any word from her.
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