Chapter 108: Heartbeat Quickens

Guli truly had not expected that she would actually survive such agonizing days. Yet, in her heart, she felt that everything she had endured was not even half of what Lie Chang'an had suffered for her sake.

"Princess..." Lie Chang'an rasped, struggling to squeeze out the word after a long pause.

Watching Guli’s tears fall like rain, her bright eyes brimming with immense joy and contentment, he finally realized whose voice it was that had whispered softly by his ear throughout these days. The voice that told him of his grandmother; the voice that shared amusing anecdotes; and the voice that spoke of his ideals and ambitions.

Lie Chang'an’s gaze drifted to the storybooks nearby. He was so moved he could not speak, his hands trembling slightly at his sides.

Noticing his parched voice, Guli hurried to help him sit up, then poured a cup of water and brought it to his lips. Lie Chang'an was startled. Looking at her practiced, habitual movements, his heart was filled with a complex array of emotions. The Princess, who had always been pampered and waited upon, had now learned to care for others with such proficiency; he could only imagine how she had tended to him herself throughout this time. A dull ache bloomed in his chest as he drank the water with some stiffness.

As the cool water slid down his throat, he finally felt some relief from the burning dryness. Yet, Lie Chang'an frowned slightly. The lingering bitterness of medicinal herbs remained in his mouth, but he was perplexed by a faint, elusive sweetness that seemed to accompany it. Could medicine actually taste sweet?

Seeing that he had finished drinking without reacting, Guli asked solicitously, "Would you like some more?"

Having leaned in to feed him, she was sitting on the edge of the bed, her upper body bent toward him. Their faces were inches apart—so close that their breaths mingled. Lie Chang'an could clearly see her skin, smooth as jade, and the faint, delicate down on her rosy cheeks. His gaze involuntarily fell upon her lips, just a breath away. At that moment, he realized that if he moved just a fraction closer, he could... would her lips taste as sweet as the lingering flavor in his mouth?

Lie Chang'an’s heart hammered against his ribs. He unconsciously licked his lips, then, as if burned, he quickly averted his gaze and nodded in a show of composure. "Mm."

Guli hurriedly poured another cup and fed it to him.

"Thank you."

After setting the cup down, Guli turned back to stare at him, unblinking, as if she feared that if she closed her eyes, she would find this was nothing more than a self-deceptive mirage.

"Princess, where am I?" Lie Chang'an asked. He knew he must still be within the palace, but he could not imagine where he would be staying if not in the Crown Prince's living quarters.

Guli smiled slightly and gave a playful wink. "Guess."

Lie Chang'an was left dazed by her mischievous smile for several seconds before he shook his head. "I truly do not know."

Guli stopped teasing him. "Yunyan Palace. You are in my private chambers."

"What?" Lie Chang'an’s expression shifted to one of alarm, his already pale face draining of what little color remained. "How can I be staying in your chambers, Princess?"

With that, he anxiously threw back the quilt, intending to rise and leave.

"What are you doing? Have you lost your mind?" Guli hurriedly pressed him back down. "You are still wounded, and you have only just regained consciousness. You are incredibly weak—where do you think you’re going?"

"Even so, I cannot remain here."

Indeed, Lie Chang'an was so physically depleted that he, a grown man, was easily pressed back onto the bed by Guli’s slight frame, utterly unable to resist.