Even though Su Chengyu agreed, Su Haoyu was still uneasy, and he demanded: "Swear an oath, a venomous one. No matter what Chenglin does, you won’t kill him—you’ll spare his life. Otherwise, you will et a horrible end."
"It’s not necessary!" At last, Gong Juechen spoke, though the three words, loud and sharp as they were, carried a choking, tearful tone.
Su Chengyu hadn’t expected Su Haoyu to ask him to swear such a venomous oath. He was montarily stunned, but without paying heed to Gong Juechen’s objections, he truly swore the oath—just to put his father’s mind at ease: "With the gods as my witness, I, Su Chengyu, solemnly swear here today that no matter what my seventh brother does, I will spare his life. Should I break this oath, may I die a terrible death."
Even though Gong Juechen knew Su Chengyu took the oath to calm Su Haoyu, his heart was nonetheless deeply shaken.
Hearing Su Chengyu’s oath, Su Haoyu was finally at ease. After briefly smiling, he turned to Gong Juechen: "Chenglin, I’m dying. Before I go... could you... could you call Father Emperor just once?"
Gong Juechen didn’t call him. He only gazed at Su Haoyu with reddened peach-blossom eyes.
Su Haoyu didn’t press him further. He weakly smiled again, then slowly lifted his gaze toward the other two standing by the bedside—Xiao Changyi and An Jing.
"You needn’t bla yourselves. This truly is my fate. I..." Su Haoyu struggled for breath, and as soon as he managed, he coughed up a mouthful of black blood: "Guh—"
An Jing saw and her eyes reddened further: "Foster Father, please don’t say more. We’ll find a better doctor to treat you. You’ll recover—you’ll surely live a long life."
Xiao Changyi quickly took the brocade handkerchief from the palace attendant’s hand, sat by the bedside, and wiped the blood from Su Haoyu’s mouth.
"Let speak..." Su Haoyu’s voice was weaker still, barely in-coming breaths, his out-going ones scant. "If I don’t speak now... I won’t be able to..."
"Yi Er... Yi Er..." Suddenly, Su Haoyu called out Xiao Changyi’s na, his hand clawing at the air.
Xiao Changyi hurriedly put down the brocade handkerchief, grasped Su Haoyu’s searching hand, and softly answered, "I’m here. Old man, I’m right here."
Su Haoyu’s aged eyes turned red, yet there was a smile on his face. "I’m on the brink of death, and you’re still calling old man."
Xiao Changyi said nothing.
Su Haoyu smiled weakly again before speaking faintly: "Though you are my foster son, I’ve always treated you as my own flesh and blood. And with you taking my surna, you’re considered to have been adopted under my knee—you are my true son now. You count as Chengyu and the others’ eldest brother, their true eldest brother... The eldest brother is as a father. When I pass away, I hope... I hope you’ll take good care of Chengyu and the others."
"Mm." Xiao Changyi answered without hesitation.
"Jingjing." Su Haoyu called out to An Jing next.
An Jing imdiately answered, choking back tears. "Yes."
"You are the eldest sister-in-law. The eldest sister-in-law is like a mother. I hope you’ll care for Chengyu and the others just as Yi Er will."
"Foster Father, you can be at peace. I will." After a brief pause, she added, "We will." She and her husband both would.
Su Haoyu smiled faintly, nodding weakly at An Jing, then clasped Xiao Changyi’s hand even tighter.
Then he turned to Su Chengyu. "Chengyu, co here."
Su Chengyu imdiately understood, reached out one hand, and rested it atop Xiao Changyi’s hand, allowing Su Haoyu to hold them both.
Su Haoyu then turned to Gong Juechen. "Chenglin..."
Gong Juechen stared at him with reddened peach-blossom eyes, remaining silent for a long while. Finally, he extended a hand, resting it atop Su Chengyu’s hand, also held by Su Haoyu.
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