How could I possibly be confined in a cage?

Song Yuanliang dared not let his mother notice anything amiss, so these days, apart from going to school, he had been hiding in his study, ostensibly to study hard, but in reality, he just didn't want to face the situation.

Unable to resist, Song Yuanliang leaned against the window and looked towards Yan Ru's direction again. The courtyard of the small building was dark and silent, with only a few unknown insects occasionally making sounds.

In the pitch-black night, only a faint light shone from her window, like a guiding light in the darkness.

But for Song Yuanliang, it was a haunting lantern that bewitched him; as long as it was lit, it would keep him lingering there.

He felt he must be crazy; even a single lamp could haunt his dreams.

He felt utterly worthless. Yan Ru had never made any promises. How could he be so sure they were mutually in love? How could he consider Yan Ru... a betrayer? What if she had no feelings for him?

He wanted to see her, he really wanted to see her, he wanted to ask her clearly, but he was also afraid to see her, afraid that she would say she didn't care about him, and afraid that if she had her own difficulties, if she also had feelings for him, then how should he deal with himself, how should he repay her deep affection?

One moment he was happy, the next he was in pain; Song Yuanliang was almost driven mad.

Yan Ru couldn't concentrate on the book she was reading. The celebrities and art exhibitions that used to attract her attention in the magazines couldn't hold her focus at this moment.

I tossed and turned, unable to sleep, and finally put down my book, walked a few steps to the window, and after some struggle, opened it.

Already dressed in thin clothing, the sudden gust of cold wind sent shivers down my spine and gave me goosebumps.

Yan Ru was only wearing a loose, flowing dress, her long hair loose. There was no bright moonlight in the night sky tonight, only a gust of wind that rustled the leaves, disturbing her peaceful dreams.

Unable to see clearly into the distance, Yan Ru almost leaned out. Then, feeling frustrated, she turned off the lights, opened the door, and stood on the veranda to gaze into the distance.

The lights in the small building went out, and Song Yuanliang sensed it. He involuntarily stood up, stood by the window, opened it wide, and naturally turned his gaze toward Yan Ru.

Without moonlight or lamplight, Song Yuanliang could not see clearly; it was hazy and indistinct, seemingly a slender, long shadow on the other side.

Song Yuanliang was standing in the shadows, and Yan Ru could only make out his features, but she was absolutely certain that it was him.

So they gazed at each other, one clinging to the other with longing, the other feeling at peace.

Knowing that Song Yuanliang was still devoted to her, Yan Ru felt somewhat comforted, at least she wasn't in too bad a situation. However, she couldn't help feeling guilty because she couldn't reciprocate the same feelings.

Song Yuanliang was unsure of Yan Ru's feelings, yet he was also afraid of how he would react once he knew her feelings. He both longed for her and hesitated.

Yanru was unaware of the turmoil and unease in his heart. Having found a small measure of peace of mind, she was finally able to fall asleep tonight.

Song Yuanliang just stared blankly, unaware of when Yan Ru returned to her room, or even when he himself fainted.

Yan Ru might not actually be sick, but Song Yuanliang, this child is tormenting himself so much, his heart is hard to cure, and after being exposed to the cold wind all night, he is filled with anger and worry, so he is definitely sick.

It's a pity that such devoted love couldn't be reciprocated; neither Master Song nor Yanru knew the truth.

The next day, Song Yuanliang's servant, A Quan, found his young master lying unconscious on the floor with books scattered all around him. He was so frightened that he almost lost his mind.

"Young Master, Young Master, someone help!" Ah Quan had never seen Song Yuanliang so weak before. He rushed forward and hugged Song Yuanliang. Song Yuanliang's cold body made Ah Quan shudder, and he became even more frightened. "Someone help! Someone help! Save the young master!"

Ah Quan's loud shouts startled the servants who were cleaning in the morning. They quickly dropped their brooms and rushed in, but didn't know what to do when they saw the situation.

In a panic, Ah Quan yelled, "Go call someone! Go call the doctor! Go call the master and the madam! Hurry up!"

"Oh, oh, oh," the man was clearly in a hurry. Quan had just mentioned so many people that he was completely flustered and even his feet were wobbling.

Ah Quan was so angry his liver trembled. "There are too many people outside. Go and call them to help look for the person, you idiot."

The man rushed out in a hurry, losing one of his shoes in the process. A-Quan didn't dare to trust strangers completely, so he hugged Song Yuanliang to warm him up, rubbing his arm in an attempt to wake him up.

Fortunately, Song Yuanliang was still breathing, but he was likely to catch a cold. Therefore, A-Quan dared not underestimate him, and even now that medicine was available, he could not relax in the slightest.

As the young master's personal servant, his life and safety were of utmost importance to him.

Song Yuanliang was immersed in his fantasy, sometimes in school where he and Yanru were deeply in love, sometimes in the countryside where they were playing music and enjoying each other's company. But then, his master suddenly tore the beautiful picture of their relationship apart, like a sudden downpour from a clear sky.

Song Yuanliang was like a small boat adrift on the dark sea, shivering in the raging wind and rain.

They were finally rescued after a short time, having fallen from the sea into the desert, where they were extremely hot and thirsty and had no way to relieve themselves.

Ah Quan held the trembling Song Yuanliang, tears welling up in his eyes.

Song Yuanliang broke out in a cold sweat, unable to contain his fear. He closed his eyes, his brows furrowed, as if he were trapped in a terrifying nightmare.

They're still young after all; loving someone they can't have is the biggest blow in the world.

Seeing that no one was coming, Ah Quan dared not place all his hopes on a servant he didn't know well, so he gritted his teeth, carried Song Yuanliang on his back, and quickly moved outside.

The person in the coma was already much heavier than usual, and in addition, A-Quan was younger than Song Yuanliang, only about sixteen years old. He usually spent his days reading with Song Yuanliang, so his physical strength could not keep up with the sixteen-year-old boy who was used to working.

Fortunately, after carrying him a few steps, the servant from before finally called for help. Everyone hurriedly took Song Yuanliang to the hospital, with Master Song and his second concubine following closely behind, afraid of hurting their son.

The pungent smell of disinfectant slowly became clear at the tip of his nose, and Song Yuanliang finally slowly woke up. He had been unconscious for a day and a night, and had developed a high fever. At this moment, he was struggling to keep his eyes open, his whole body limp and powerless.

Moving her head around, she saw the second concubine sitting on the hospital bed next to her, resting with her eyes closed, her hand supporting her forehead, her face showing signs of exhaustion.

"Mom..." The call was extremely weak. He had a fever and his throat was parched. When he opened his mouth, it sounded like he had a mouthful of coarse sand, hoarse and unpleasant.

Fortunately, the second concubine was paying attention and heard Song Yuanliang making a sound, which immediately woke her up from her sleep.

Seeing Song Yuanliang weakly open his eyes, the second concubine hurriedly said, "You're finally awake! What's wrong, son? Is anything bothering you?"

Just as Song Yuanliang was about to reply, he found his throat felt like it was filled with razor blades, causing unbearable pain, so he could only shake his head. Already feeling dazed, this shake made him even more dizzy.

Upon seeing this, the second concubine quickly shook her head, "No need, you should lie down and rest. I'll call the doctor to take a look at you right away."