Silent Lover (The Silent Concubine) - Chap 89
Shen Yu was drenched thoroughly, the icy water extinguishing some of the burning sensation caused by the recurring poison. His once silky black hair clung to his pale skin, his face unusually flushed.
With his head lowered, Shen Yu’s eyes, once deep as a valley, lost their luster. When he was untied, he collapsed to the ground like a sack of flour. As the toxicity in his body slowly subsided, leaving only profound exhaustion, he felt as though he had traversed a frozen hell, enduring a thousand cuts. He struggled to keep his eyelids from closing.
“Clothes…”
Shen Yu’s mind was fixated on one thing: retrieving the clothes on the ground to cover his body. Yet, even lifting a finger required immense effort.
“Yu’er… Yu’er!”
Song Qing’s voice trembled as he called out “Yu’er” for the first time. He quickly removed his own outer garment and wrapped it around Shen Yu’s body. However, when he touched Shen Yu’s icy hand, he was startled. Shen Yu had been so ravaged that he no longer resembled a living being; his once smooth skin now bore a deathly pallor.
“Are you cold? Let me take you back. There’s a brazier in the room. I’ll fetch Doctor Bian…”
Shen Yu grabbed his hand.
He wasn’t cold; he just wanted something to cover himself. He couldn’t bear to be seen naked like this; his sense of shame wouldn’t allow it. It was strange—he had sunk so low, yet he still had this unnecessary sense of shame.
“Take me… to see the Prince.”
Without the influence of the poison, Shen Yu regained some strength and pleaded with gestures to Song Qing.
“Why?! Why do you still want to see him?”
Song Qing was distressed and puzzled.
“I have something to tell the Prince.”
“He means this, right?” Hong Lian gestured towards the bundle Shen Yu was clutching. “He’s been holding onto it the whole time. It must be something important.”
Shen Yu saw the bundle and his gaze became more urgent. He reached out to take it.
“What’s in there?”
Hong Lian dodged, but Song Qing snatched it and handed it to Shen Yu. Shen Yu held it tightly to his chest.
“Tsk.” Hong Lian frowned. “Song Master, if you keep pampering him like this, beware that the Prince gets jealous. Maybe he’ll pour more buckets of ice water over him…”
Ignoring his words, Song Qing carried Shen Yu back to the Shao Hua Courtyard, changed him into dry clothes, and brought a hearth to warm him. He handed Shen Yu a hand warmer…
Hong Lian watched with envy.
As Shen Yu’s numb limbs regained sensation, he ignored Song Qing’s protests and limped to Prince Zhenbei’s study.
With an unusually serene expression on his face, Shen Yu knelt down and bowed deeply.
Prince Zhenbei was slightly surprised and tapped his finger lightly on the desk, contemplating silently for a while.
“What gives you the right to think I’ll let you leave?” Prince Zhenbei asked coldly. “You know my temperament. I’d sooner kill you.”
Shen Yu raised his head. He hadn’t prepared in advance for such a question, so he thought for a moment before making gestures…
“If Prince Zhenbei wants to kill me, there’s no need to use punishment as an excuse, to detoxify me with ice water. It would be simpler to chop me up with Sun Laoliu and feed us to the dogs.”
Shen Yu wiped away some sweat, hoping Prince Zhenbei understood.
“Oh, so you knew all along,” Prince Zhenbei said, slightly surprised…
When the poison was fed by the concubine and treated by Doctor Bian, I was in a daze and heard him say that the remaining poison couldn’t be completely eradicated, and it would recur intermittently. Only cold water could be used to suppress and relieve it.
Shen Yu racked his brains for a long time, but couldn’t decipher whether Prince Zhenbei understood or not…
Prince Zhenbei looked at Shen Yu with interest.
