Chapter Eighty-Eight: Sorry, I Didn’t Die

Wang Ruosheng had clearly just returned from seeing patients. Weariness sat all over his face, and he stifled a yawn as he drifted forward at an unhurried pace.

Only after he saw Yuhua Liang, whom Cui Chun had collided with, did he start to step over with an apologetic look, intending to say sorry.

But the moment he recognized that face, he would have given anything to be a good three yards away.

Yuhua Liang found his reaction strange and said excitedly, “It’s you. It’s been so long.”

Wang Ruosheng swallowed hard, then drew a needle from his sleeve and, without the slightest hesitation, stuck it into the pressure point in the web of his own hand.

Yuhua Liang said nothing. He remembered that point was supposed to rouse a person to full alertness; the subject had come up during that wilderness survival lesson he once taught.

Come to think of it, he had vanished for so long that everyone probably assumed he was dead.

After pricking himself, Wang Ruosheng looked up and saw Yuhua Liang was still standing before him. Panic flared at once.

Yuhua Liang moved closer and explained, “What’s wrong, Doctor Wang? I’m not a ghost.”

Wang Ruosheng retreated three paces, looking doubtful. “Don’t come any closer!”

Then he edged back one cautious step at a time, as though Yuhua Liang were some savage beast that would devour him at the slightest slip.

Only after Wang Ruosheng touched him and felt warmth did he finally breathe again. Yuhua Liang then told him the whole story.

Wang Ruosheng patted his shoulder and sighed. “My condolences.”

Yuhua Liang’s expression darkened, though he nodded in silence. Wang Ruosheng went on, “You didn’t come back with the Seventh Prince, so all of us thought you were dead. Who would have thought you’d go so far as to fake your own death!”

The more he spoke, the angrier he became. He slapped the table and simply refused to look at him. “Do you know how terrifying that was? Old Master Yu even prepared your grave. I’ve been burning incense for you every Qingming Festival!”

Yuhua Liang could not help but snort with laughter, only to receive a glare in return. “No way...”

He had truly never imagined so much. It was fortunate he had not gone back to the Yu household that night, or he might have frightened those two elders to death after all.

“You’re still laughing! Let me tell you, you are absolutely not to appear in front of Yuzhe without warning!”

Wang Ruosheng warned him with obvious disgust. Yuhua Liang heard that and blinked. He was calling him Yuzhe directly? Could it be that the two of them really had something between them?

Yuhua Liang nodded with a smile. He knew Ji Yuzhe had a heart condition; if Yuzhe saw him alive and well, he might truly have a fit.

Suddenly, Wang Ruosheng said with visible worry, “Still, it’s good that you’re back. Go see Meng Liansheng right away. After he learned you were dead, he was tormented to the point that his illness kept worsening.”

“Liansheng?” A flicker of surprise and concern crossed Yuhua Liang’s face.

Wang Ruosheng nodded. “Yes, yes, the lovesickness kind.”

Yuhua Liang’s face grew warm all at once. Lovesickness... That seemed rather improper when applied to Liansheng.

Seeing through the odd look in Yuhua Liang’s eyes, Wang Ruosheng said, “A sickness of the heart. Your parents blamed him for your death. Between guilt and longing...”

Yuhua Liang could no longer smile. Wang Ruosheng told him that Liansheng no longer lived in the Yu family atelier, probably because his parents had deliberately made things difficult for him.

Yet Yuhua Liang could not understand it. His fake death had nothing to do with Liansheng at all. If they were going to blame anyone, the Seventh Prince was the one they should have held responsible.

By then Liansheng was living at Zhou Yibai’s house. Yuhua Liang had some impression of Zhou Yibai. He did not seem suited to official life; he was too elegant, too free and unrestrained.

He resembled one of those wandering heroes of the martial world. Yuhua Liang had found him favorably impressive at first sight, and he supposed he must be very kind to Liansheng.

Wang Ruosheng took him back to the Zhou residence. Zhou Yibai was equally startled to see Yuhua Liang, though only briefly; to him, Yuhua Liang was hardly someone of consequence.

He invited Yuhua Liang inside, then pushed open the room where Liansheng was resting, his face grave.

The first thing Yuhua Liang saw was Liansheng’s frail body.

Liansheng had never been plump, but now he was all skin and bone. His eye sockets had sunk deep, and his cheeks were wrapped in nothing but a thin layer of skin.

His bony fingers clutched the bracelet Yuhua Liang had once given him.

Yuhua Liang took his hand, wanting to lend him a little warmth. Liansheng woke from his dream with a start, frowning as he slowly opened his eyes, wondering whether Zhou Yibai had once again disturbed his sleep.

But the moment he opened them, he was stunned.

It was the person he had thought of day and night, the one who had occupied every corner of his heart.

That person had actually appeared before him, real and alive. Liansheng’s face lit with rare joy as he murmured, “Ziliang... are you here to take me away?”

Yuhua Liang was startled, terrified that he might truly sink back into sleep like that. He hurriedly explained, “Liansheng! Wake up. It’s me, Yuhua Liang! Alive. If you don’t believe me, touch me.”

As he spoke, he took Liansheng’s hand and brought it to his own face. The instant Liansheng’s fingers touched his cheek, his heart gave a violent leap.

As if awakening a will to live, Liansheng forced his weakened body closer. Understanding what he meant, Yuhua Liang helped him sit up, and Liansheng quietly choked back a sob in his arms.

Yuhua Liang’s heart ached as well. Only then did he remember what a foolish choice he had made; here were so many people he could not bear to leave behind.

He held Liansheng tightly, just as Liansheng had once described being held when they were children.

At his ear, Liansheng’s whisper was still as unkind as ever. “Did you crawl out of the underworld? How dare you come back with a face on you! Why didn’t you just stay dead!”

“I’m sorry... I couldn’t bear to leave all of you.” Yuhua Liang said with tears and laughter at once.

It was past the second night watch before Liansheng finally fell asleep, soothed by him. Wang Ruosheng checked his pulse and found that he was much better already.

Sure enough, a sickness of the heart needed a remedy for the heart.

After seeing Wang Ruosheng out, Zhou Yibai seemed to be suppressing something, saying nothing at all. Only then did Yuhua Liang remember that he ought to thank him properly.

He had only just begun to say the words when Zhou Yibai suddenly leaped up with murderous eyes and punched him.

The blow was so fierce that Yuhua Liang’s head rang with a dull roar. Stars burst before his eyes, and he lay sprawled on the floor for a long while, unable to gather his senses.

The taste of blood in his mouth, however, was thoroughly unpleasant.

Zhou Yibai stood in the shade of the trees, and Yuhua Liang could not make out his expression. He only felt that the man might have been crying.

“I cared for him for so long,” Zhou Yibai said hoarsely, “and still it was worth less than this one sudden appearance of yours.”

Yuhua Liang felt a chill in his heart and understood at once that Zhou Yibai was in love with Liansheng.

“I’m sorry... he is my junior brother. I only wanted him to recover.”

Zhou Yibai let out a sigh, as though he were already used to it. “I heard you died in Fanhe... how did you come back to life?”

Yuhua Liang answered calmly, “It’s a long story.”

He told him the important parts. As for the fall from the cliff, he only said that it had not killed him. Naturally, Zhou Yibai had no wish to hear the details.

The next day, after Liansheng woke, he opened his eyes and stared blankly at the ceiling. Seeing that the one keeping watch beside him was Zhou Yibai, he began speaking to himself.

“Last night... I dreamed of my senior brother... I dreamed he hadn’t died, that he had come back.”

As he spoke, tears fell down his face. Yuhua Liang, standing nearby, also had tears in his eyes.

“I’m back. It wasn’t a dream.”

Liansheng stared at him, jolted awake by disbelief, and examined him as if he could not trust his own eyes. Yuhua Liang smiled and held out a hand to him.

Liansheng seized it at once and bit down hard.

The pain made Yuhua Liang cry out.

“Stop, stop! Let go! Liansheng!”

At the sound of his voice, Liansheng seemed to relax at last. Ignoring Yuhua Liang’s complaints, he burst into tears and laughter and threw his arms around him. “Didn’t you die? Why did you come back! What are you doing here!”

Yuhua Liang smiled and rubbed his back. “I didn’t die. I just fell and ended up in Jincheng.”

Liansheng shoved him away and cursed him out. “Is your brain made of mush? Do you know what it was like for Master and Mistress when they heard you were dead? If you weren’t dead, why didn’t you come back? Couldn’t you at least write a letter?”

Yuhua Liang was rendered speechless and could only sigh. “It’s a long story. I had no choice.”

Liansheng was furious. He pointed at him and shouted, “Yuhua Liang! Why do I have a senior brother like you? You may as well have stayed dead! Why come back at all? Do you think it’s funny to toy with people like this?”

“Qingli!”

At Yuhua Liang’s shout, Liansheng calmed down somewhat.

“Sorry. I’ll tell you everything slowly later. How are you feeling?”

Liansheng said sourly, “Like I’m about to die!”

Yuhua Liang knew he was joking. “You don’t look like there’s anything seriously wrong with you now. Why have you gotten so thin? Haven’t you been eating properly?”

What sort of question was that? Was it not all because of him?

With Liansheng sick like this, how could he possibly have any appetite?

Liansheng glared at him. “What are you suddenly caring about me for, senior brother? Shouldn’t you be off getting intimate with your blue-eyed confidant?”

Yuhua Liang knew he was talking about A Liu, and his expression went quiet. “A Liu... he’s dead.”

Liansheng froze, then his expression softened considerably, as if he too were grieving for A Liu.

Just then Zhou Yibai pushed the door open and came in with a bowl of steaming porridge. Seeing Liansheng sitting up in bed, his complexion clearly improved, he smiled.

“You’re awake. What is it, do you have an appetite today?”

Liansheng replied with deliberate irritation, “No.”

Yuhua Liang looked at Zhou Yibai and smiled. “Give me the porridge. I’ll feed him.”

Liansheng shuddered and looked at Yuhua Liang with undisguised disgust. “Senior brother should worry about how to explain things to Master and Mistress instead. I’m not nearly so delicate.”

With that, he took the porridge and slowly, elegantly, ate it one spoonful at a time.

Seeing this, Zhou Yibai felt a warmth in his heart, followed by a sharp pain. Unfortunately, these changes in Liansheng were not because of him.

Yuhua Liang said, “Then I’ll have to trouble you, junior brother, to come with me for a little while.”

News of Yuhua Liang’s return from the dead nearly swept through the entire capital all over again, reminding people once more that he was the sentimental man who had once killed himself for a man.

Once again becoming the talk of the town, Yuhua Liang simply shut his eyes to it all and holed himself up in the Yu residence, refusing to go anywhere.

Mo Cai’s habit of bursting into tears every time he saw him was as though A Liu himself had possessed the boy. It made Yuhua Liang terribly uncomfortable.

He had only just fallen asleep for an afternoon nap when he heard Mo Cai sniffling and crying in the room. Rolling over, Yuhua Liang said irritably, “Good grief, it’s been a whole week already. Why are you still crying?”

Mo Cai said, “Young... Young Master! Waaaaah, it’s so wonderful that you’re really not dead! The Bodhisattva must have been protecting you!”

“Yes, yes, yes!” Yuhua Liang turned over and looked at him impatiently. “Then why aren’t you hurrying off to the lotus pond to pick a few lotus blossoms for the Bodhisattva? Don’t come back before dark!”

Mo Cai wiped away his tears with great enthusiasm. “Yes, Young Master! I’ll go at once.”

After Mo Cai left, Yuhua Liang finally enjoyed a rare stretch of peace. He was just drifting off again when he suddenly felt someone slip into the room.