Who says the prince is weak and can't take care of himself?

Tang He turned the seal over and over in his hand several times, shaking his head. “Epiphyllum, oh Epiphyllum, so this is what it means. It’s crazy! Crazy!”

Ye Huai came quickly: "My Lord."

Tang Yan tossed the seal to Ye Huai: "Do you recognize this?"

Ye Huai was stunned when he saw the seal and was speechless for a long time.

Tang He clenched his fists and sneered. "How audacious!" Tang He felt as if he had been hit by a club while walking down the street. Not only did it hurt, but it also made him furious.

Is this guy crazy? How dare he?! His sudden disappearance has caused unrest in both Chen and Zhou, and he's sneaking off to Shaoyang. What is he doing here? Is he going to ruin the marriage alliance and force His Majesty Chen to attack Great Zhou?

Willful and arrogant! Unruly and unruly! Doing whatever he wants!

How arrogant must he be to dare knock on the door? Isn't he afraid of being tied up and thrown back to Chen State?!

Tang Yan cursed Qi Xiao from head to toe several times in his heart, and after cursing, he became even more angry, and he couldn't help but suddenly

I want to laugh. Such an arrogant boy is really unique. He ran to Tang Ling regardless of anything, which made Tang He, as a father, feel emotional. He felt comforted but also worried. His emotions were as complicated as a pot of hodgepodge, with all kinds of flavors, but he couldn't tell anything apart.

"Is the young master awake?"

Ye Huai came back to his senses and shook his head, saying, "Not yet. Qinglan said that the amount of medicine he used was not large, and the young master should be able to wake up in about half an hour."

"Go and invite him in and have him wait in the warm room. If you want to see him, you can go."

"My Lord?" Ye Huai was stunned. Tang He's expression was really bad just now. He thought that Tang He would tie the man up and beat him up first.

"Want me to say it a second time?"

"I'll go right away."

***

Tang Ling woke up, feeling groggy. He heard Qinglan's voice without even opening his eyes.

"Master? Master, are you awake?"

"Hmm... Qinglan, I seem to have had a dream."

Tang Ling turned to glance at Qing Lan. Qing Lan's eyes were red, and he was holding back tears. He seemed to have grasped the truth for a moment, but the knot between his brows wouldn't loosen. He couldn't help but let out a soft sigh. He had dreamed that Qi Xiao was in trouble. Thinking of this, he stretched out his left hand to see that the wound was bandaged. It turned out that it was not a dream...

"Master, Qi Xiao is here to see you."

Tang Ling slowly raised her eyes and looked at Qing Lan: "...What did you say?"

Qinglan held back his sobs and repeated, "Qi Xiao is here." He felt sorry for Tang Ling who was becoming increasingly haggard because of Qi Xiao. He would secretly scold Qi Xiao every day, blaming him for provoking Tang Ling and breaking his heart, but he never expected that Qi Xiao would come to Shaoyang to find Tang Ling.

Tang Ling's heart was beating wildly, so fast that she seemed to be sick. She couldn't help but raise her hand to press on her chest.

"Sir? Are you feeling unwell?"

"Qinglan!" Tang Ling grabbed Qinglan with her backhand, "Where is he? I want to see him!"

Tang Ling wanted to jump out of bed as she spoke. Even if it was a dream, at least she wanted him to see Qi Xiao again!

"Sir, sir, lie down. I'll go and bring him over. He's in the yard."

"well."

Qi Xiao was not only in the yard, he was outside the door. Ye Huai brought him in and asked him to sit in the wing room for a while, but Qi Xiao was reluctant. He hoped that when Tang Ling woke up, the first person she saw would be him. However, he didn't want to ignore Tang Yan too much, so he waited outside the door.

As soon as Tang Ling said she wanted to see Qi Xiao, he couldn't help but smile, glanced at Ye Huai, raised his hand to knock on the door, and pushed it open and walked in.

For some reason, Tang Ling had never thought about what the scene would be like when he saw Qi Xiao again, so when he saw Qi Xiao pushing the door and walking in, he was stunned and confused for a long time.

Qi Xiao has changed a lot. He has grown taller, his figure is taller and stronger, his bones are sharper, and he has completely shed his boyish look and become a handsome man.

Qi Xiao walked to Tang Ling's bed, and Tang Ling half-leaned back, looking up at Qi Xiao. Time seemed to overlap for a moment. He knew that in this moment, just one glance, he fell in love with this person and would love him for the rest of his life.

Tang Ling couldn't hold back her tears, and Qi Xiao panicked. He knelt beside her bed, pulled her into his arms, and held her tightly. He had never imagined that when he saw Tang Ling again, he would look so pale and haggard. Instead of throwing herself into his arms with a smile, she would just stare blankly and cry.

"I'm sorry for keeping you waiting for so long."

Tang Ling was speechless and could only hug Qi Xiao with all her strength. His arms and chest felt familiar yet strange. She could hear his heartbeat clearly, a reality he could never even dream of.

Qinglan quietly left the room, closed the door gently, leaned her hands against the door, and couldn't help crying silently.

Ye Huai patted Qinglan's shoulder gently and took her away, leaving the entire warm room to Tang Ling and Qi Xiao.

"I'm sorry..." Qi Xiao whispered in Tang Ling's ear, gently kissing his ear, neck, and cheek, kissing away the bitter tears on his face, and kissing his lips carefully, gently, and with heartache, "I'm sorry, did I make you worry?"

Tang Ling reached out and stroked Qi Xiao's face, as if confirming over and over again that the person in front of her was really Qi Xiao and that he was not dreaming.

Qi Xiao's hand covered the back of Tang Ling's hand, holding it, tilting his head to kiss his palm, and smiled: "I'm here."

Finally, Tang Ling laughed and lay on Qi Xiao's chest, crying and laughing at the same time.

It took Tang Ling a long time to recover. She looked up at Qi Xiao and asked, "Why are you here?"

"Didn't I ask you to wait for me? Of course I'll come."

"But...the wedding date of Princess Xihe and you..." Tang Ling's voice became softer and softer. Half of the sentence was like a sharp fish bone stuck in her throat, which she couldn't swallow or spit out. It was painful.

Qi Xiao lifted his chin and pecked his lips gently, as if imitating Tang Ling, and whispered, "I ran away from my marriage."

"..."

"The person I want to marry is you." Qi Xiao laughed again, "But I'm afraid your father won't agree. Tang Ling, you have to plead for me and say some nice things."

“…I’m not kidding.”

"Me neither." Qi Xiao chuckled at Tang Ling's shocked expression. "Since your father let me in and let me see you, he doesn't really hate me, does he?"

"What did you say? My dad let you in?!"

"Well, I found this courtyard with your father. I thought about sneaking in in the middle of the night, and I thought about sending you a letter so that you can go out and see me, but after thinking it over, I decided to just knock on the door. An ugly daughter-in-law has to meet her parents-in-law. Hiding and sneaking around would only make your father dislike me even more. Did I do the right thing?"

Qi Xiao's question sounded like a child asking for praise and reward, which made Tang Ling even more surprised and confused.

"My dad is here now?"

"Ah."

Tang Ling was stunned for a moment: "How dare you?!"

"Is it better to hide and be sneaky?"

"That was not what I meant."

Qi Xiao smiled and wanted to hold Tang Ling's other hand, but then he noticed the injury on his hand. He suddenly forgot what he was about to say and only asked, "How did you get hurt?"

"It's okay, it's just a little scrape, Qinglan is making a big deal out of it."

"Really?" Qi Xiao took Tang Ling's hand and pressed it gently on the gauze. Her fingers and palms were broken. Was it just carelessness?

"Have you met my father?"

"Not yet. Ye Huai only said that the Marquis meant that if you want to see me, then I will let you see me. He didn't explain anything else."

Just to let you see...that's all.

Tang Ling couldn't help but frown and lowered her eyes.

"I won't leave. I won't leave you again. Even if your father kills me, I won't leave."

"Qi Xiao!" Tang Ling was anxious, and suddenly squeezed Qi Xiao's hand hard, pinching Qi Xiao so hard that it hurt a little.

Qi Xiao suddenly felt a little aggrieved. He lowered his head and leaned it against Tang Ling's shoulder, saying, "I'm not leaving. Anyone can chase me away, but you can't."

The marriages of children in ordinary families are mostly arranged by their parents, let alone Qi Xiao. His marriage with Princess Xihe involved the two countries of Chen and Zhou. His sudden disappearance caused tension between the two countries. Tang Ling could not let Qi Xiao act as he pleased.

"Qi Xiao, you have to go back."

Tang Ling didn't know how he managed to say this. His voice trembled, his whole body trembled. He seemed to be back three years ago, back in Renliang Prefecture, cruelly and resolutely asking Qi Xiao to let him go. He felt as if his feet were on the edge of a knife, but he still walked away from Qi Xiao step by step. The heart-wrenching pain he felt back then was exactly the same as it was now.

"I saw the Epiphyllum in the yard. Ye Huai said it was damaged by a heavy rain a while ago, and you even fell ill because of it." Qi Xiao didn't rush to argue with Tang Ling, nor did he get angry. Instead, he suddenly brought up the insignificant Epiphyllum. "Epiphyllum, cattail, lotus, you clearly didn't see anything clearly at Baiyan Mountain in the dead of night, yet you wanted to transform this yard into Baiyan Mountain. You wanted to stay in that night, watch the flowers bloom, and you wanted me to be by your side, didn't you?"

"...Yes..." Tang Ling couldn't lie to himself, let alone Qi Xiao. He missed him, so much. For the past three years, he had been on her mind. Tang Ling simply couldn't accept Qi Xiao marrying Princess Xihe. No matter how hard he tried to convince himself, he was still mortified. He wanted Qi Xiao, only him!

Qi Xiao finally got the truth from Tang Ling. The corners of his mouth rose. He took Tang Ling's hand, lifted his sleeve, and stroked the faint teeth marks on his wrist with his fingertips. He had bitten her so hard at the time, but the wound had healed long ago and the scar was not heavy, which made Qi Xiao nervous. He was afraid that one day he would gradually fade away in Tang Ling's heart. He couldn't help but bite her gently. Tang Ling was his.

Qi Xiao was certainly not satisfied with just kissing and biting, he wanted more, but the timing was not right now. Tang Ling looked sick, and he didn't even have time to feel distressed, let alone force her.

Tang Ling just let Qi Xiao do whatever he wanted, feeling his warm breath and sticky kisses. His heart felt sour, soft, painful and bitter. He couldn't bear to push Qi Xiao away for the second time.

"Qi Xiao..."

Qi Xiao heard Tang Ling's soft call and looked up at him.

"……do not leave Me."

Qi Xiao smiled, and suddenly tears welled up in his eyes. This was the sentence he had been waiting for. When Tang Ling asked him to go back just now, he was really scared. He was afraid that Tang Ling would be as determined as she was three years ago. He came all the way to find Tang Ling, and if Tang Ling still pushed him away and was unwilling to hold his hand, he didn't know what to do.

Tang Ling raised her hand to wipe away Qi Xiao's tears and sobbed, "I'm sorry."

"As long as you don't drive me away, there's nothing to be sorry about."

Tang Ling's eyes were wet, and when she stared at Qi Xiao, her eyes were filled with unconcealable ardent love, but the tangle between her brows was full of contradiction and pain.

"What happened? Why are you here?"

"Are you worried about me?"

It was more than just worry. Tang Ling had been kept in the dark for nearly a month, and as soon as he learned that Qi Xiao was in trouble, he was determined to die. If Qi Xiao hadn't suddenly appeared, he might not have been able to hold on.

"Did I scare you?" Qi Xiao hugged Tang Ling into his arms, using his body temperature to warm the shivering person. He suddenly wanted to slap himself twice. He would become restless and anxious when he occasionally heard rumors that Tang Ling was seriously ill. He knew without thinking how scared Tang Ling would be when she heard the news that he had been assassinated and fell into the water.

"Tell me what's going on." Tang Ling moved to the side of the bed and gently patted the place beside her.

Qi Xiao took off his outer robe and boots, climbed onto Tang Ling's bed, and held her in his arms. He said, "I can't possibly marry Xihe, and I never agreed to this marriage. I've never even coveted the position of Crown Prince. From the beginning to the end, I only wanted you. The wedding is approaching, so of course I have to escape."

Tang Ling looked at Qi Xiao and saw how serious and matter-of-fact he was speaking, and she didn't know what to say for a moment.

"Ever since I became the crown prince, I've become a thorn in the side of Concubine Zhao and the Gongsun clan. However, I originally had no foundation in the court, so it's not easy for them to find something to hold against me. Plus, His Majesty favors me, and Concubine Zhao always wants to skin me alive every time she sees me." Qi Xiao said with a smile, "Also, I've discovered that the military pay case is also related to the Gongsun clan. The Sixth Prince actually raised private soldiers in Liaoshan County. Each of these charges is punishable by death. Of course, they want me dead, immediately."

Tang Ling gently rubbed Qi Xiao's cheek with the back of her finger and couldn't help but say, "You must have had a hard time these past few years."

All the information Tang Ling knew came from the secret reports of Xingluowei, including the benevolent policies of the Crown Prince of Chen in governing the Former Qi, the trade policy between the two countries formulated by the Crown Prince of Chen, the severe punishment of the major corruption case in Xiuhe by the Crown Prince of Chen, etc. They only talked about the Crown Prince of Chen, but never about whether Qi Xiao was doing well.

"It's not so hard." Qi Xiao held Tang Ling's hand, tilted his head to rub it, and said with a smile, "I'm not afraid of those tricks, I just miss you so much. If you were here, you would never let me be bullied."

Tang Ling laughed: "How could anyone bully you?"

"This time when Princess Xihe entered Chen, the ministers suggested that I personally go to Shun'an Prefecture to welcome her as a solemn gesture. I knew immediately that the Gongsun family must be plotting something. But this is just the right thing to do, as it saves me from having to find a way to escape Yuanjing on my own."

"They chose to attack on the Qin River because they knew I would get seasick and I couldn't swim."

Qi Xiao shook his head: "I am seasick, but when did I say I can't swim?"

Tang Ling was stunned. He had always thought that Qi Xiao couldn't swim.

Qi Xiao took Tang Ling's hand and kissed the back of it. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you in advance. No one knew about my escape except Zong Sheng and Lu Fangjin. I was afraid that the news would leak out, so I didn't dare to send you a message. Did I scare you?"

"I'm glad you're okay, I'm glad you're okay." Tang Ling pressed herself closer to Qi Xiao, tilted her head back and kissed his chin.

Qi Xiao smiled, lowered his head and kissed his lips. He had been thinking about Tang Ling for more than three years and could no longer hold it back. His kiss became greedy and he wished he could swallow Tang Ling in one bite.