Both worlds are like dreams

Gu Qinglan sat up and said, "I'm fine."

"Are you hungry? I'll get you something to eat."

"Xue Huang," Gu Qinglan called her, "Why are you standing there?"

Xue Huang forced a smile and said, "Nothing. I'll get you something to eat." After she said that, she quickly walked out.

After a while, some food came back.

Gu Qinglan had already gotten up. She put the food on the table and said, "Eat quickly."

"Have you eaten?" Gu Qinglan asked.

Xue Huang didn't say anything.

Gu Qinglan walked towards her, stretched out his hand to pull her to sit down and eat together, but she dodged.

He was stunned for a moment and looked at Xue Huang. She seemed to be avoiding him.

"what happened to you?"

Xuehuang smiled and shook her head, "It's nothing, I've eaten, you take your time. I... I'm a little sleepy, I'm going back to sleep first." After saying that, she didn't care about Gu Qinglan's puzzled look and hurried back to the room.

Gu Qinglan felt something was wrong and chased after him, but was stopped at the door by Su Linjin. "You just woke up, where are you going?"

"Xue Huang seems to be a little bit abnormal," Gu Qinglan asked worriedly, "What happened to her?"

"She has been guarding you all night, she must be tired. Let her have a good rest." Su Linjin dragged him into the house.

Gu Qinglan had no choice but to sit at the table and eat, but he couldn't swallow anything.

"Your Highness," he looked at Su Linjin, "did anything happen while I was asleep?"

"No!" Su Linjin said with a smile. "Don't let your imagination run wild."

"What exactly is the Gu in my body?"

“It is unknown at this time.”

Gu Qinglan's gaze fell on him quietly, his clear eyes seemed to be able to see through everything.

Su Linjin sighed in his heart: Why should he come?

"Please let me know, Your Highness."

"You really think too much," Su Linjin smiled calmly, "Your Gu is very peculiar. Mr. Lin Yu is currently researching it and there should be results soon."

Gu Qinglan was silent for a moment, "I just feel a little uneasy."

Su Linjin looked at him, "Uneasy?"

"I can feel that Xue Huang is very sad."

"How can she not be sad when you are like this?"

Gu Qinglan shook his head. "It's different. The last time I saw her like this was the day His Majesty wanted to grant me a marriage. She was neither happy nor sad, as if she had compromised."

Su Linjin didn't say anything. He and Xuehuang had studied together in Guigu for many years, so he knew her very well.

She laughs when she is happy, hits people when she is angry, cries when she is sad, and is silent only when she is truly sad. But most of the time, she hides away to adjust her emotions alone, and always appears happy to them.

"I don't want her to compromise anything because of me. She should have lived freely, but she suffered too much because of me. It's my fault. I obviously don't have the ability to protect her, but I still watched her come back here and let her protect me every time."

"If..." Su Linjin sighed, "If the day really comes when she has to make a choice, what will you choose?"

Gu Qinglan's expression was extremely firm, "I would rather give up my life than let her compromise for me."

Su Linjin looked at his determined look and knew that Xue Huang had not made a mistake in choosing him. This person was indeed worthy of her protection.

After Gu Qinglan's health recovered, he always wanted to see Xue Huang.

But Xue Huang seemed to be avoiding him intentionally, and even if she saw him, she would keep her distance from him.

She was not distancing herself from him. On the contrary, he could see her concern and affection for him in her eyes. But when he wanted to get closer to her, she restrained herself and stayed away from him.

This made Gu Qinglan very puzzled and even more anxious.

Today is Double Ninth Festival, and the market in Shangyang City is very lively.

Gu Qinglan knew that she liked to be lively, so he brought a bunch of snacks that Xuehuang liked to eat and came to her, but Xuehuang's door was always closed.

He knew she was inside, so he knocked on the door, "Xue Huang, it's me."

Xue Huang hurried to the door. She wanted to open the door and see him, but she pulled her outstretched hand back. "Brother Qinglan, why are you here?"

"There are new snacks in the market. I'll bring some for you to try."

"Are you feeling unwell?"

"No. Don't worry."

"That's good." Xue Huang smiled. "If you feel uncomfortable anywhere, you must tell me immediately."

Gu Qinglan was silent for a moment, "Xuehuang, can you open the door? I want to see you."

"Brother Qinglan, I'm a little tired."

"What's wrong with you?" Gu Qinglan's voice was a little low, revealing a hint of sadness. "Why do you seem a little distant to me these past two days?"

"No. You misunderstood."

"Is there something on your mind that you haven't told me?"

"Really do not have."

"You promised to be my wife, remember?"

Xue Huang looked at his shadow on the door and reached out to touch it. "I remember."

"Grandfather is also very happy. He has asked someone to clean up the yard and bought a lot of things you like. Grandfather also said that if you don't want to live in the Duke's Mansion, you can live here."

Xue Huang's eyes were already wet, but she didn't say anything.

Gu Qinglan became more and more flustered. He forced a smile and asked cautiously, "Then... shall we go to the palace tomorrow to report to His Majesty and get married?"

Xue Huang looked at his shadow, wanting to open the door and tell him her answer, but she was struggling in her heart. Lin Yu had not made any progress, and the person who had put the poison on her had not made any new moves. She was afraid that if she acted rashly, it would bring greater harm to Gu Qinglan.

Gu Qinglan didn't get a response from her, and a familiar pain spread in his heart. He covered his chest and asked in a trembling voice: "You... promised me that you wouldn't compromise... right?"

Just as Xue Huang was about to speak, she heard a clang sound coming from outside.

She was startled and quickly pushed the door open, only to find Gu Qinglan lying on the ground with a look of pain on his face.

This time, the attack of the heart-eating poison was obviously much more serious than the last time, because his whole body was twitching and he was even unconscious.

"Brother Qinglan?!" Xuehuang wanted to get closer to him, but was afraid of adding to his pain. Her face was full of hesitation and helplessness.

But at this time, Gu Qinglan had been tortured beyond recognition by the heart-eating insect. He was unconscious and even started to hurt himself.

Xue Huang didn't care about anything else and rushed forward to stop his self-harm. She hugged him tightly and used her body to block him from hurting herself!

Gu Qinglan's hand pinched her arm like an iron clamp, but she just endured it silently and comforted him softly, "Brother Qinglan, don't be afraid, I'm here."

Gu Qinglan regained some consciousness, the strength in his hands weakened, and he said tremblingly: "Don't... leave... me..."

"I won't," Xue Huang hugged him tightly, "I will always be by your side..."

Mo Xingyue lived next door to Xue Huang, so she was the first to hear the noise and went to call for help immediately.

Soon, Wei Yunzhou and Su Linjin came with Lin Yu.

At this time, Gu Qinglan had vomited blood and fainted. His face was pale without a trace of blood, and even his breathing was very weak.

Lin Yu quickly used silver needles to relieve Gu Qinglan's pain, while Wei Yunzhou pulled Xue Huang away.

Mo Xingyue quickly helped to support Xue Huang, "Are you okay?"

Xue Huang seemed not to hear anything. She just watched Su Linjin and Lin Yu help Gu Qinglan into the house, and then she hurriedly followed them.

Gu Qinglan's injuries were temporarily stable, but a few blood-red lines appeared in the blood vessels of his skin.

Su Linjin frowned and asked in confusion: "Why is this happening?"

Lin Yu looked at Xue Huang, "Have you gotten close to him again?"

Xue Huang shook her head, her eyes full of self-blame and regret, "I didn't let him see me. He was outside the door the whole time. He was fine at the beginning, but suddenly it became like this."

Lin Yu looked puzzled, "You didn't run into him?"

"No." Xue Huang said. "He and I have always kept our distance."

Lin Yu was even more puzzled, "Come here first."

Xue Huang slowly came up to him, but kept observing Gu Qinglan's situation. Seeing that he didn't react, she felt a little relieved.

"Try touching him." Lin Yu said.

"May I?"

Lin Yu nodded, "Don't worry."

Xue Huang nodded and carefully held Gu Qinglan's hand, while Lin Yu took Gu Qinglan's pulse.

After a long while, he showed an unbelievable look. But he did not speak, instead he pierced Xue Huang's fingertips and squeezed a drop of blood onto Gu Qinglan's palm, but Gu Qinglan still did not react.

Lin Yu was stunned for a moment, "How is it possible?"

Mo Xingyue asked anxiously, "What's wrong with you? Tell me quickly!"

Lin Yu looked at Xue Huang, "It's obvious that he would be in agony if he got close to you, but he didn't react at all at this moment."

Mo Xingyue was even more puzzled, "How could he react while he was asleep?"

"But the poisonous insects in his body were not stimulated."

Mo Xingyue didn't quite understand what was said, but Wei Yunzhou and Su Linjin did.

Su Linjin said, "It is true that his Gu worm broke out because of the Snow Phoenix, but it did not break out because she was close to him. This means that there is another reason for the Gu worm to break out."

Lin Yu nodded.

Su Linjin continued to summarize, "Then this Gu is either not a heart-eating Gu, or it has another secret."

"You're right."

Mo Xingyue also reacted, "Is there any solution?"

Lin Yu shook his head, "Forgive me for my poor medical skills. I can't do anything for now."

Su Linjin frowned, "If even you can't solve it, who else can?"

"I'll keep trying, but I'm afraid the hope is slim."

Xue Huang asked, "How long can he last?"

"The heart-eating poison has been completely planted. Every time it attacks, it will be like the poison eating flesh. It will be worse than death. It depends on whether he can bear it. But if the pain is too extreme, I am afraid he will lose his mind and want to die."

After he finished speaking, Gu Qinglan suddenly looked painful again, and his whole body trembled.

"Brother Qinglan?" Xuehuang was startled and worried that it was her fault, so she quickly let go of her hand, but it did not relieve his pain.

Gu Qinglan opened his eyes in a daze, and seeing Xuehuang's face full of worry, he held her hand tremblingly, signaling her not to worry.