"..."
That voice he had not heard in so long suddenly slipped into his mind, and...
Qing Qianxue wanted very much to call her a heartless little thing.
But... the girl had returned to the capital today and already come to see him. Calling her heartless did not seem quite fair, did it?
Chu Youning did not give him much time to think, though.
"Ahem!"
Soon, a loud cough came from outside the door, and she knocked.
Qian Yan quickly went to open it. Seeing Chu Youning, he froze for a moment.
Only after Chu Youning had entered the room did he recover and bow to her. "Greetings, Your Highness."
"All right, all right, you can go. I have something to discuss with your master in private."
Chu Youning waved them off calmly.
Beside the bed, the corners of Qian Miao's mouth instantly soared skyward.
"Then I shall take my leave."
His voice brimmed with delight as he spoke, and his lively eyes sought credit from Qing Qianxue.
His eyes clearly said, Look, Master! The Elder Princess really has come to bring you a gift.
The world fell quiet.
Chu Youning studied Qing Qianxue intently.
Seeing him looking sickly again, she asked in an even tone, "Has the cold poison flared up again?"
"Yes."
Qing Qianxue nodded, his gaze fixed squarely on Chu Youning.
A few seconds later, he said slowly, "You've... grown a little taller."
"At my age, isn't this exactly when I'm supposed to be growing?"
The scorching summer heat had already arrived, and it was cool beside Qing Qianxue. Without standing on ceremony, Chu Youning brought over a stool and sat beside his bed.
[Over a month!!!]
*[I've spent over a month traveling all that way, climbing up and down and bouncing around like a monkey every