Spring Banquet

// Familiar Sensations

At that moment, Cheng Xu almost didn’t recognize him.

It was widely known that Lu Jingxing, despite being criticized by the world for colluding with Princess Danyang, had an attractive appearance. To put it bluntly, he was “charming and handsome.” To put it more elegantly, he exuded an air of elegance and refinement, with a touch of the remnants of a dandy. In short, he possessed the charm of a Southern jade fan, showcasing countless grace and emotions in the corners of his eyes.

However, the current Lu Jǐngxing, let alone talking about grace, had lost even his basic appearance.

“Answer me!” Lu Jǐngxing became anxious when he saw that Cheng Xu remained silent, and his eyebrows furrowed.

Cheng Xu snapped back to his senses and quickly bowed, saying, “Fourth Miss Bai is currently with our Lord in the Bai Residence.”

…With Jiang Xuanjin, together? Lu Jingxing’s pupils contracted, his lips turned pale, and he stared at Cheng Xu for a moment. He staggered a few steps forward, ready to leave.

“Shopkeeper Lu!” Cheng Xu hurriedly called out to him, “My Lord is seriously ill. If Shopkeeper Lu can provide a dose of the elixir…”

With a flick of his hand, Lu Jingxing placed a small red sandalwood box in front of him and said, “Take me to see her, and this is also for your Lord.”

Cheng Xu was overjoyed and expressed his gratitude. He said, “Please follow me.”

In a chamber of the Bai Residence.

Li Huaiyu sat by the bedside, staring blankly at Jiang Xuanjin, while two guards stood behind her, also staring blankly.

Ah, when a person of high status is cautious, it’s burdensome. After finally sending Cheng Xu away, she ended up with two guards left in the room. She couldn’t even approach Jiang Xuanjin, let alone touch his neck with a knife. Just getting closer to him would result in the long swords of the two men being unsheathed from behind.

It was really boring.

The person on the bed coughed twice and opened his eyes.

“Hmm? Awake?” Huaiyu quickly put on a smiley face, approached him, and helped him sit up. She considerately placed a pillow behind his waist.

Jiang Xuanjin had a high fever again, his face flushed, and his ink-dark eyes were hazy. He looked at her, then looked around, and asked in a hoarse voice, “Where is Cheng Xu?”

Huaiyu honestly replied, “He has gone to fetch the elixir for you.”

Elixir? Jiang Xuanjin furrowed his brows, as if he didn’t understand what it meant. After thinking for a moment, he closed his eyes again and asked, “Why are you still here?”

“Me?” Huaiyu chuckled, “You have a high fever again, where else should I be if not here?”

Slightly annoyed, Jiang Xuanjin said, “Others can take care of me too, you should keep your distance.”

Slightly annoyed, Jiang Xuanjin said, “Taking care of me is the same for anyone else. You should avoid suspicion.”

“Avoiding suspicion again and again,” Li Huaiyu shook her head and sighed, “Just consider it as me fulfilling my filial duty to my future uncle-in-law in advance.”

Jiang Xuanjin’s face darkened, and he looked at her with a gloomy gaze.

“Hey, you have such a strange temperament. When I speak casually, you’re not happy. When I speak seriously, you’re still not happy?” Li Huaiyu shrugged, “What should I do to please you?”

“Stay away from me,” Jiang Xuanjin said.

Li Huaiyu felt wronged and said, “Do you really dislike me that much?”

He coldly snorted and remained silent.

Sighing, Li Huaiyu was about to pretend to be wronged and say a few soft words when suddenly the door was pushed open with a bang.

Startled, she turned her head to look, but before she could clearly see who it was, she felt a gust of wind rushing towards her. A streak of silver flashed before her eyes, and without any explanation, she was pulled by the waist and taken several steps back.

“Ah!” Li Huaiyu was startled and instinctively threw an elbow towards the person’s abdomen.

Little did she know, the person was well aware of her moves. Before she could strike, a hand had already blocked the position she was aiming for. Her elbow hit the hand directly and was caught.

This familiar feeling…

Li Huaiyu’s mind stirred, and she looked up.

In the phoenix-like eyes of Lu Jingxing, there was a dazzling light. As his gaze met hers, his expression softened, and he even smiled softly.

“You troublemaker, you truly have a skill that has been passed down for a thousand years.” Leaning in close to her ear, he whispered these words in a very low voice.

The teasing tone sounded familiar as always, but the hand placed on her waist was trembling, and even the teasing tone carried a hint of tremor.

Li Huaiyu smiled and said, “Since you’ve recognized me, what is there to be afraid of?”

The hand holding her waist tightened slightly, and Lu Jingxing’s eyes turned slightly red. “What else could I be afraid of?”

Of course, he was afraid… This was one of his dreams.

Dan Yang had died, and despite his best efforts, he couldn’t find a way out for her. He thought that if he slept for a long time, he would surely be able to have her spirit enter his dreams, but after so many days had passed, he had never dreamt of her even once.

Lu Jingxing felt that he was not a sentimental person, and his relationship with Dan Yang was nothing more than a friendship. But when she truly disappeared, he unexpectedly found that this bustling capital city seemed like a suffocating prison.

When Cheng Xu came to ask for medicine, he had no intention of giving it to him. However, when he saw the letter… the three characters “Come see me” written in cursive script, only Li Huaiyu could write like that, and only Lu Jingxing could recognize it.

A person who was already dead had written these three words for him. He didn’t feel scared; instead, he felt happy. But amidst the happiness, he was also afraid. What if someone suddenly woke him up and discovered that it was just a dream? What if Dan Yang had truly passed away?

His throat tightened, and Lu Jingxing was about to say something when suddenly a surge of killing intent rushed from behind.

“Be careful!” Li Huaiyu immediately

Cheng Xu’s sword didn’t leave its sheath, but it still carried some force as it swung across, accompanied by a sound of breaking air, separating the two individuals.

“What are you doing?” Lu Jingxing asked with a hint of anger.

Cheng Xu remained silent, only casting a cautious glance in the direction of the bed.

Li Huaiyu was momentarily stunned, realizing that there were other people in the room. She inwardly cursed, quickly turning her gaze towards Jiang Xuanjin.

Jiang Xuanjin leaned against the head of the bed, expressionless, watching them with calm eyes.

“… Haha, Shopkeeper Lu arrived suddenly and forgot to pay respects to His Highness,” Huaiyu laughed awkwardly, pushing Lu Jingxing away.

Lu Jingxing glanced at her and then turned his gaze to Jiang Xuanjin, his expression becoming less friendly. “Indeed, it was my oversight. Prince Ziyang, who has always been influential, how did you end up in this state in the guest room of Bai Mansion?”

Jiang Xuanjin didn’t answer but instead asked, “What are you here for?”

“What else could I be here for? Naturally, to deliver medicine to His Highness, so that our loyal and patriotic Prince Ziyang can recover soon and continue to punish the treacherous and eliminate evil.” Lu Jingxing forced a smile as he handed the small box containing the spiritual medicine to Cheng Xu.

Cheng Xu took it and felt a bit embarrassed.

According to the rules, anything His Highness consumes should be inspected, but the medicinal pill was only as big as a thumb. He couldn’t possibly break it in half and taste it first, right?

“What are you thinking? The medicine has finally arrived, and you’re not going to give it to your master?” Huaiyu raised an eyebrow, snatched the box from his hand, and walked towards the bedside.

Jiang Xuanjin coldly said, “I don’t need it.”

“Why don’t you need it? Can’t you see your own complexion?” Huaiyu exclaimed, “Even a dead duck doesn’t have a mouth as stubborn as yours. Hurry up and eat it. Here, there’s tea.”

The box was opened, the pill held between her fingertips, and she brought it to his lips.