Yan Xiu’s skin is a healthy wheat color, but his back is covered with many scars, some thick, some thin, some deep, some faint.
This isn’t the first time Li Yuyu has seen them.
The last time, Li Yuyu caught a glimpse while at the Hot Spring Pavilion.
They’re whip marks.
Just like last time, an image of an iron whip with barbs flashed in Li Yuyu’s mind, blood droplets on the whip were slowly dripping down.
"Does it hurt?" Li Yuyu’s fingers gently touched Yan Xiu’s wounds on his back.
The woman’s fingers were soft and cool, gliding over his skin slowly, feeling like a thin snake slithering on his skin, making his body stiffen slightly.
Yan Xiu rasped, "It doesn’t hurt."
"It must hurt, hurt so much that..." Li Yuyu covered her heart.
Her heart ached sharply; she recalled what Yan Xiu said to her in the Imperial Study: "This way, I can feel the pain with you."
"Yu’er!"
Yan Xiu noticed something amiss and leapt out of the water, grabbing the robe hanging on the rack and wrapping it around himself while holding the trembling Li Yuyu tightly.
"Summon the Imperial Physician!"
The commanding voice, containing a trace of panic, echoed in the Luaxin Pavilion.
Li Yuyu woke up to the sound of sobbing by her ear. Her eyes were terribly sore, and she managed to open them with difficulty. She saw Hua Yin by the bedside, eyes swollen like walnuts from crying.
"What’s wrong?" Li Yuyu asked hoarsely, surprised.
"Wuwuwu, Consort, you’re finally awake, this servant was scared to death, wuwuwu..." Hua Yin cried, unable to speak clearly.
"Stop crying, pour me a cup of water."
Li Yuyu rubbed her forehead; the sun outside was fierce, the hour must be late.
Hua Yin seemed to realize only then, quickly stood up, but her legs gave way and she staggered, almost falling.
Li Yuyu sat up in shock from the bed, reaching out to steady Hua Yin: "You haven’t slept all night, have you?"
"Wuwu, how could this servant sleep when the Consort was unconscious all night!"
As Hua Yin spoke, she started crying again, tears squeezing out from her swollen eyes, making her look both pitiful and amusing.
Li Yuyu: ...
She remembered, seeing the whip marks on Yan Xiu’s back while wiping him down, and then...
Li Yuyu touched her heart, her expression suddenly changing.
"Consort, are you feeling unwell again?" Hua Yin rushed over to support Li Yuyu, worried she might faint again: "Summon the Imperial... Mmph?"
Li Yuyu covered Hua Yin’s mouth, her face shifting through various expressions.
Why was her heart aching?
Could this body have a heart condition?
Thinking about how she had experienced unbearable heart pain several times since arriving, she increasingly felt it was possible.
So even if Yan Zixuan didn’t kill her, she might die young from a heart condition?
Then what’s the point of striving for favor?
"Mmph..." Hua Yin struggled to pull Li Yuyu’s hand away.
Li Yuyu composed herself and awkwardly released Hua Yin: "I’m fine, pour me a cup of water and then summon Feng Yin to help me with my makeup."
Hua Yin brought over a tea bowl and said softly: "Consort, have you forgotten Sister Feng Yin cannot get up?"
Li Yuyu froze briefly, indeed, Feng Yin had been punished and was still recovering.
She thought of seeing Feng Yin last night, her body covered in wounds and the almost disfiguring slap marks on her cheeks.
Li Yuyu’s eyes turned cold:
"Choose me a bright dress, I’m going to congratulate Talented Lady Sun on her new residence!"
...