Chapter 43

Chapter 43: Prince Chu Is at Death's Door, and You Still Want to Argue with Me? Song Jiaojiao shook her head incessantly. "No one, I don't know who it was. I could have won, you know that—no one can beat me at Cuju. But I never expected to become the laughingstock of the entire capital. Not only did I lose to my ugly sister, but I also injured my leg..." "Jia Qingcheng, she won?" How is that possible? In her previous life, Jia Qingcheng had made a complete fool of herself at the Cuju match. He had been angry for three days before letting it go. Naturally, he hadn't scolded Jia Qingcheng on the spot—he'd only told her it was fine, that victory and defeat were common affairs for soldiers. But in his heart, he had been deeply bothered by Jia Qingcheng's humiliation and the disgrace it brought upon the Jia family. "Sister won. Don't you know, Brother Wuliang? She's basking in glory right now!" "Second Young Master, then this must have been the doing of the eldest young lady!" "It was her!" Pei Wuliang's face was filled with rage. This was exactly why he'd wondered why this life was so completely different. In his previous life, the one who had been injured was Jia Qingcheng, but in this life, everything had changed... "The eldest young lady is coming out." After retrieving the peace charm, Jia Qingcheng walked out slowly. But when she saw Pei Wuliang holding Song Jiaojiao in his arms, she was suddenly reminded of her previous life—the time she had fallen and broken her leg while picking mushrooms on the mountain... The scene was almost identical to this one. Except the woman in Pei Wuliang's arms had changed. "Sister, congratulations! You won!" Song Jiaojiao nestled in Pei Wuliang's embrace, looking at her with a face full of pride and arrogance. Though she had lost, she knew she had already won against this ugly thing. Completely and utterly won! Because she could see in Pei Wuliang's eyes a disgust toward Jia Qingcheng—an expression that had never been there before! "Sister, you should rest well. Victory and defeat are common affairs for soldiers." With those words, she turned to leave, but Pei Wuliang coldly called out to stop her. "Stop right there. Don't you have anything to say to Jiaojiao?" Say what to Song Jiaojiao? Jia Qingcheng didn't want to bother with Pei Wuliang and prepared to leave directly. But Pei Wuliang suddenly shouted, "Jia Qingcheng, you have disappointed me greatly. To win the match, you actually laid such a heavy hand on Jiaojiao. Doesn't your conscience ache?" What? She was the one who caused Song Jiaojiao to fall? She admitted she had been cautious in this life, but she hadn't pushed Song Jiaojiao. After all, at that time, there had been some distance between them, and she had been too focused on reminding herself to be careful not to fall to notice how Song Jiaojiao had fallen. Now that she had won, Pei Wuliang was placing the blame on her head. Fine then! "So in your eyes, all of this was my doing?" "You dare to make excuses? If not you, then who? You won this match, didn't you?" Pei Wuliang gnashed his teeth. "You remember this—you'd better pray that Jiaojiao's leg is fine, or else I will never forgive you for the rest of my life!" With those words, Pei Wuliang hurriedly carried Song Jiaojiao into the Jia residence, and his anxious demeanor was exactly like the time she had been injured and he had carried her back. Memories of her previous life surged forth like a tide once again. Back then, she had truly believed Pei Wuliang cared about her—after all, the anxiety and heartache in his eyes couldn't be faked... But it wasn't until now that she realized how terribly wrong she had been. A man's deep affection could be disguised. Only in this life did she fully understand that it wasn't that Pei Wuliang had changed his heart—it was that his heart had never been with her to begin with. His sincerity toward her had all been an act. When a person pretends for long enough, they end up moving themselves... Ironic? A little, perhaps. "Miss, please don't be sad. Pei Wuliang doesn't understand anything—he only knows how to shield Song Jiaojiao. We don't need to pay any attention to his words!" Jia Qingcheng merely curled her lips into a smile. Sad? Why should she be sad? For a hypocritical scumbag like him, it wasn't worth it. "Let's go. If we're late, the gold shop will be closed." ... For three consecutive days, Pei Wuliang did not come to find Jia Qingcheng. But Jia Qingcheng had been very busy these past few days, shuttling between Chu Wangfu and the Jia residence. Ever since the big orange cat had come to report that Prince Chu had awakened, she had planned to go check on how Prince Chu's health was faring. Of course, she couldn't go with this ugly face, so she specially brought a veil to cover the deliberately disfigured appearance. The wedding date was drawing closer and closer, and she hoped Prince Chu could rise from his sickbed to perform the wedding ceremony with her. Inside Chu Wangfu, security was tight. Jia Qingcheng brought the prepared medicinal pills to the chamber where Prince Chu was staying. The moment she entered, she caught the scent of the big orange cat, because she had a contract with it—four packets of dried meat in exchange for the big orange cat's task of guarding Prince Chu. Seeing her arrive, the big orange cat meowed twice in greeting, then immediately leaped onto the eaves and vanished without a trace. "Miss, that looks like the big orange cat. Why would it be in Chu Wangfu?" Chunyan recognized the big orange cat. Jia Qingcheng naturally couldn't tell her that she had sent the big orange cat to check on Prince Chu's condition. "Perhaps it's a cat that looks the same as the big orange one." Chunyan: "..." "Miss, please wait a moment. This old servant will go inform His Highness." The steward was very courteous to her. After all, had it not been for Jia Qingcheng, Prince Chu might have died long ago. Thus, the steward held great goodwill toward the future Princess Consort Chu. But that face of hers... The steward dared not say more and hurried inside to report, "Your Highness, the eldest Miss Jia requests an audience." Yet no sound came from within the chamber. This struck the steward as odd, so he quickly went in to check. And what he saw was no small matter—the Prince had collapsed on the floor, unconscious... "Your Highness, what has happened to you? Please wake up!" What was going on? Jia Qingcheng, who had been waiting outside, learned that Prince Chu was in trouble. Setting aside all propriety, she rushed inside at once. Upon seeing the Prince lying on the ground, she immediately ordered Chunyan to prepare the silver needles... "Chunyan, bring the medicine box!" After all that commotion, it was not until evening that Jia Qingcheng was able to leave. Fortunately, Prince Chu had survived the scare. She had just returned from Chu Wangfu and had not even had a cup of hot tea when Chunyan's anxious voice came from outside. "Miss, he's here again!" He? Naturally, that referred to Pei Wuliang. Jia Qingcheng was currently preparing medicinal pills for Prince Chu Xiao Zhiheng. Today's sudden collapse of the Prince was due to abnormal activity of the heavenly silkworm within his body, which had caused him to fall into a sudden coma. To prevent such an occurrence from happening again, she needed to develop a medicine to control the heavenly silkworm. "Qingcheng, what are you doing?" Seeing that she was actually preparing medicinal pills, Pei Wuliang immediately assumed they were for him. After all, in their previous life at this time, she had been concocting some health-strengthening pills to give him. Hmph, at least she knew what was good for her. Knowing he had come to cause her trouble, was she deliberately trying to curry favor with him? But these few pills were not enough to extinguish the rage burning in his heart! Jia Qingcheng did not even lift her eyelids, focusing entirely on making her pills as she said flatly, "Is there something?" A distant, indifferent voice. Seeing that she still maintained this attitude, Pei Wuliang immediately strode forward. "Qingcheng, I advise you to first understand your situation before speaking with this young master!" Situation? Jia Qingcheng frowned, finally lifting her gaze to glance at him. "What do you mean?" "Prince Chu fainted in his own chambers today—surely you haven't heard. The physician says Prince Chu won't survive the night. If you marry him, you'll become a widow immediately. Qingcheng, your situation now is that of a widow-to-be. In this world, aside from me, Pei Wuliang, no other man would want you. Are you certain you still wish to be at odds with me?"