"Ah--"
Shang Shujue lay on the bed, his eyes glazed over, filled with pain, and his face was deathly pale, like a vengeful ghost crawling out of the underworld, his face contorted with rage, wanting to take lives.
At this moment, however, he felt as if he had encountered a Daoist priest's little ghost. Before he could even harm anyone, he was imprisoned in the place where ghosts were suppressed, and even his soul was being torn apart, causing him unbearable pain.
"Bang!"
"Well..."
Shang Shujue rolled around on the bed, and in a daze, she fell off the bed, her head hitting the ground hard. She felt dizzy, but hadn't even passed out yet.
A sharp pain shot through his ankle, the pain of a torn ligament, but it paled in comparison to the agony that was now emanating from the depths of his soul.
He lay helplessly on the ground, the excruciating pain making him feel like he was dying. His earlier desperate shouts seemed to have exhausted his last bit of strength.
He can't even twitch the corner of his mouth anymore; he can only stare at the totem on the ceiling, his vision gradually blurring...
In a daze, he seemed to see a sunny and lively boy, happily holding his favorite toy, going to play with a boy who had a cold face and didn't say a word.
Unfortunately, before the lively boy could formally extend an invitation to the aloof boy, his good mood was ruined by the aloof boy's conversation with others, leaving him feeling bewildered.
"Why do you hang out with that guy Shang Shujue every day? His mother gave birth to him before she was even married. Who knows whose bastard he is? Aren't you afraid he'll pester you?"
The cold-faced boy glanced indifferently at the person who asked the question before saying calmly, "Even without a father, he knows what to say and what not to say."
"Unlike you, even with a father, it's like you have no father to teach you. Your mouth is full of filth, no wonder your mouth stinks. If you don't want him, just cut it off. Whether he pesters me or not is my business and his business. What does it have to do with you?"
The boy's feigned cheerfulness seemed to have been stripped away at that moment, revealing the soft, tender soul within his shell, which was then carefully treasured. He was told, "Don't be afraid, and don't pretend to be happy. I'm here for you..."
"... Song Yanqing, I... it hurts so much..."
Shang Shujue tilted his head to the side, his eyes glazed over, and he was about to fall into a coma due to the pain when the door to the room was violently pushed open. He seemed to see Song Yanqing and a group of people running towards him.
A sudden, even more intense pain surged through Shang Shujue's body, instantly jolting him awake from his dizzy, groaning in agony, "Ahhh—"
" A-Jue! A-Jue, I'm here! A-Jue!"
The moment Song Yanqing burst through the door, he saw Shang Shujue curled up on the floor, covered in sweat and pale-faced. His ankles were swollen and red, and there was a large bruise on the back of his head. He looked utterly disheveled.
Song Yanqing's eyes were bloodshot. Ignoring his injuries, he took off his coat and rushed over to wrap him up inside it and hug him.
His white shirt was already partially stained with blood, but he didn't care about anything else.
Zhang Zhichen and the others who rushed in then discovered that Song Yanqing was still injured, and in a very serious condition.
But he didn't care about himself at all. After arriving here by private jet, he rushed to Shang Shujue's dormitory without stopping, alarming many people.
"Call the doctor right away!"
Zhang Zhichen rushed over to help, and when she got to the bedside, she found that the sheets and blankets were completely soaked with sweat. Her pupils trembled involuntarily, and she immediately reached out to pull away the wet area.
"Here are new mattresses, sheets, and duvet covers! Everyone get to work, something's wrong with Brother Jue, quick!"
Bai Zhiyi went over and found new bedding and blankets. After she called out, everyone finally came to their senses from the chaos. Song Yanqing didn't bother to explain anything and carried Shang Shujue to the sofa to sit down.
" A-Jue, I'll hold you tight, the pain will go away in a little while."
"Song, Song Yanqing... get out! Get them out!"
Shang Shujue finally regained some sensation from the pain and then realized that there were people all around. Feeling embarrassed and uncomfortable, she endured the pain and asked Song Yanqing to drive them away.
Shang Shujue was already exhausted, and his voice was barely audible, so Song Yanqing had to lean close to his lips to hear what he was saying.
He paused, then instantly understood Shang Shujue's thoughts. He immediately looked up at the still-busy crowd and, without a word, said, "You all get out!"
[ Song Yanqing, I used my points to exchange for healing elixir. Quickly give it to the host to drink. It can instantly heal the wounds on his head and ankle, but only you can help him with the pain in his body. I can't save him. I'm sorry > <]
The group, who had been scolded, paused upon hearing the soft, gentle system voice. They were surprised and worried, but said nothing. They turned and left, closing the door behind them even though the lock was broken.
Is Brother Jue experiencing Karmic Punishment?
Le Tianyu immediately thought of what Shang Shujue had mentioned to Nuomi during their conversation: the karma of not letting Le Xiaoyu be born was too great and would be punished. He felt extremely guilty.
"It's very likely... Le Tianyu, don't leave yet. Let's say goodbye to Brother Jue properly after he recovers..."
Zhang Zhichen glanced at the closed door, then looked away and told Le Tianyu and the others to stay for the time being.
No one had a reason to refuse. They glanced thoughtfully at Shang Shujue's dormitory, then turned and went downstairs.
In the end, only Shang Shujue and Song Yanqing remained on this floor. As for the system, it had long been pulled into a small dark room and locked up; what followed was not for it to see.
" A-Jue, take your medicine."
Song Yanqing held Shang Shujue in his arms, feeling him trembling all over, his face as pale as paper, and beads of sweat streaming down his body. He felt as if his heart had been squeezed tightly by something, and it hurt as if it were bleeding.
He held the medicine bottle and tried to feed it to Shang Shujue, but he couldn't drink it. He was extremely helpless, his eyes red and moist, tears welling up in them. " A-Jue, drink it, it will stop hurting if you drink it."
The moment Shang Shujue was embraced by Song Yanqing, the intense pain finally subsided. He no longer had the strength to open his eyes, nor the strength to open his mouth to swallow. His body ached faintly, he was weak and powerless, and his remaining energy trembled instinctively.
Song Yanqing felt the body temperature of the person in his arms getting lower and lower, as if something was stealing his warmth, not stopping until he turned into a cold corpse.
" A-Jue... don't scare me! I can't lose you again! A-Jue! I'm sorry, I shouldn't have left you... I shouldn't have left you..."
"Why is it always like this? I was only gone for a little while... and you've already made yourself like this... You're so heartless! Shang Shujue!"
Song Yanqing was terrified. He couldn't get the medicine into his mouth at all. His temperature was still dropping, and his voice was trembling as he spoke. He rubbed Shang Shujue's body, trying to warm him up, but to no avail.
He had no other choice but to put the medicine in his mouth, then hold Shang Shujue's chin and feed the medicine into Shang Shujue's mouth with their lips touching.
Shang Shujue tasted the sweet liquid and, in his confusion, mistook it for water, so he swallowed it on his own. The moment the liquid entered his body, the back of his head and ankles began to heal and recover at a speed that was invisible to the naked eye but very fast.
Shang Shujue's somewhat cold body gradually warmed up, and the physical pain lessened slightly, not because of the medicine, but because of Song Yanqing's tender kiss.
Song Yanqing felt Shang Shujue's body gradually warming up, no longer cold. Overjoyed, he hugged him tightly, wrapped him in his coat, and as he withdrew his kiss, the pain returned...