Shang Ruyi nodded.
Soon, they cooked so simple dishes at the dock. Tushere even took the opportunity to get the dicine prescribed by the old doctor and boiled a bowl for her to drink.
The strong sll of dicine instantly filled the entire carriage, almost causing Shang Ruyi to faint.
Yet she obediently drank the bowl of ink-like dicine.
The bitter taste irritated her eyes, making them red.
Tushere, sitting beside her, watched her finish drinking, took the empty bowl, set it aside, and then took out a handkerchief to wipe her lips. Shang Ruyi felt that she was unusually quiet today, and couldn’t help but look up. She saw Tushere’s eyes slightly red, her cautious appearance even more than the previous days.
She asked, "What’s wrong?"
"... "
Just a three-word question made Tushere’s eyes redden even more.
She lowered her head, sobbed for a long ti, then finally looked at Ruyi and softly said, "Miss, have you—already known?"
"... !"
Shang Ruyi felt a shock in her heart.
Imdiately, the dicine she had just swallowed, still slightly hot, turned into a wave of warmth that surged into her nose and eyes. Instantly, her eyes turned red, and the sour feeling made her voice raspy when she spoke.
She said, "How long did you think you could hide it from ?"
With just one sentence, Tushere’s tears fell.
Even though her heart was riddled with wounds, seeing her crying so sorrowfully, Shang Ruyi still had to put on a nonchalant appearance, but her choked voice couldn’t deceive anyone. She hoarsely said, "Why are you crying?"
Tushere sobbed, "Miss, you’ve suffered."
"... "
"It’s all my fault. If I had always been by Miss’s side, I wouldn’t let you suffer like this. I’d rather die than let you—"
With a bitter smile, Shang Ruyi raised her hand to cover her mouth.
But Tushere’s tears continued to flow, and soon even her hand was soaked. Shang Ruyi could only softly say, "Everything is already in the past, you don’t have to bla yourself."
"... "
"It’s just, you shouldn’t have hidden it from ."
Tushere, holding her hand, wetted by her own tears, sobbed, "I’m sorry, Miss. But we feared that if you knew, you wouldn’t be able to bear it. The previous doctors said you needed peace and should not be stimulated."
"... "
"I’m sorry, Miss."
"Alright,"
Seeing her guilt-ridden appearance, Shang Ruyi forgave her for colluding with Yu Wenye these days. She only said lightly, "In the future, whatever happens, you must tell directly. Hiding it from will only worry more."
Tushere nodded emphatically, "I understand."
Then she softly said, "Miss, don’t be too upset with the gentleman either. Actually, he’s more heartbroken than I am about this. That night, he carried you, Miss, bloodied, out of the city, but he seed to leave half his life in Jiangdu Palace."
"... "
"Afterward, he stayed by Miss’s side, never leaving for a mont—"
"She’er,"
Before she finished, Shang Ruyi stiffly interrupted her, "Don’t say it. The miscarriage is my own matter; I won’t bla others. Just, from now on, you can’t collude with him and hide things from , no matter what."
Tushere imdiately said, "I know, it was because of Miss’s health that I resorted to such a plan. But I am still Miss’s person, and certainly won’t side with anyone else!"
Watching her earnest expression, Shang Ruyi internally chuckled.
Then she said, "Alright, I’m a bit hungry now, go get sothing to eat. Once I’m full, you can make vows."
Tushere smiled and quickly agreed, getting off the carriage.
Seeing her back, relaxed after finally putting down a heavy stone from her mind, Shang Ruyi also felt a bit relieved inside. Yet, at the sa ti, sothing heavier pressed on her heart.
She raised her head, looking out the window.
Yu Wenye was standing not far away on the dock. The wind was strong at this mont, causing his clothes to flap loudly in the air, yet unable to shake his upright figure.
It seed that wherever he went, he was always so resolute and unyielding, unmovable.
At this ti, their boat left the shore.
Shang Ruyi’s heart moved, she couldn’t help but reach out to hold the window fra, intently watching the boat where several people stood on the deck. It seed they were the ones left by Mu Xian, possibly to take care of soone aboard.
But, besides them, who else could be on this boat?
Shang Ruyi looked attentively but ultimately couldn’t see clearly due to the distance and the mist rising from the wind and water. Soon, the ship faded from their view, rging into the shimring waves.
Only then did Yu Wenye slowly turn around.
Their gazes t, yet both remained silent.
|
Perhaps because she had learned the truth and said so words, even though Shang Ruyi’s ntal knots were not completely untied, she had sowhat eased her burden physically and didn’t feel as heavy as before. After eating so soft porridge, she even felt a bit better.
Then, they set off on their journey.
From the Song State to Bianzhou, the road wasn’t too far, and Liang Shide and Xiao Yuansui hadn’t set troops on this part of the road, so it went relatively smoothly. Still, because they were mindful of Shang Ruyi’s health, the journey was slow, taking two days to enter Bianzhou territory.
To the east, ahead lies Luoyang.
That morning, they left early, but after traveling a bit, Shang Ruyi, looking at the scenery outside, gradually sensed sothing was wrong.
This road, though she wasn’t completely familiar with it, she knew sowhat because of the Xingluo Granary matters, having traveled it back and forth a few tis, and recognized so of the scenery along the way. But now they weren’t on that road.
Shang Ruyi sat on the side of the carriage, watching the sun rise on her right, emitting thousands of rays that dazzled her eyes.
She turned back and looked at Yu Wenye beside her, "Are we heading north?"
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