Just a gentle touch and Xiaocao's hand was steady again.
As a doctor, Xiaocao's psychological quality is absolutely strong. She can remain calm without any deliberate control at other times. But now it is not possible. She has to do two things at once. However, her skills are very solid and she will naturally not make any mistakes.
Wei Tingyu wanted to cover it up, but he couldn't beat Xiaocao at the moment, so he could only let it go.
Now, he didn't think about what would happen after his death. He just looked at the grass quietly. She was right in front of him, within reach. No matter how his body was tortured by the pain, at least at this moment, his heart was at peace. He had become accustomed to enduring the pain, so he felt much more relaxed. However, it was just a psychological reason. His physical deterioration was real. This would not change much just because he was in a good mood. His body couldn't hold on any longer.
Before, when he hid the truth from Xiaocao and refused to recognize her, Wei Tingyu really didn't care about his body, and had an attitude that if he died, he died. But now it's different. He doesn't want to die. He wants to live, not just live one day at a time, but he greedily wants to walk hand in hand with his Xuan'er. However, he knows that the possibility is really slim.
Prince Wei felt somewhat regretful. If he had not allowed his body to deteriorate, and sometimes even done things that accelerated the deterioration, perhaps the current situation would not be so bad.
Prince Wei wanted to say something, but looking at Xiaocao's face, he felt that whatever he said might be wrong, so he remained silent with a strong desire to survive. He knew that his current condition must have deteriorated a little compared to the last time he asked Xuan'er to feel his pulse. Xuan'er must know his body better, so whether it was the deterioration of his body that was difficult to control or his own carelessness that caused the deterioration, he should not be able to deceive her. The former is needless to say, the latter will definitely make Xuan'er very angry.
The seriousness of its nature is probably even greater than him lying to her, hiding things from her, and avoiding her.
Xiaocao suddenly raised her head to look at him, and Prince Wei subconsciously straightened his back a little, "Xuan'er, I was wrong!" He admitted his mistake so quickly and cautiously, like a coward.
Knowing that he is in a very bad condition now, it makes people very worried. All the subordinates want to cover their faces. The master is in such a state now, it is really unbearable to look at.
Xiao Cao suppressed her anger and told herself that he was a patient, very ill, so she shouldn't lose her temper with him! She retracted her gaze and decided to let him have a good sleep.
Prince Wei, who had always had poor sleep, soon became unconscious under Xiaocao’s grasp. Prince Wei noticed it almost immediately, and even grabbed Xiaocao in panic, "Xuan'er, don't..." He had tried every means to hide from her before, even though he was suffering from the torment of missing her, but now he didn't want her to leave his sight for even a moment, because one more look would mean one less look at her.
Xiaocao's rising anger suddenly disappeared at this moment. In fact, Xiaocao had always known that Tingyu's attachment to and care for her exceeded hers for him. Seriously speaking, it was not difficult to understand. When he was eleven years old, he was really eleven years old, and when she was eight years old, she was not really eight years old. At that time, in her eyes, he was really just a handsome, sensible, and outstanding young boy.
When it came to the time of consummating the marriage, Xiaocao was still unsure whether she had any romantic feelings for him. Based on this point, she was not a pervert and would not fall in love with a child. Even if there was some love between a man and a woman, it would probably develop in the next year. After all, her living environment was simple, and she only grew taller but not mentally. She even suspected that her mental state had regressed. In comparison, Tingyu was accommodating and considerate of her in every way, and it was not surprising that she would develop some vague feelings for him.
But she knew that Tingyu really liked her. From his subsequent actions, she knew that it was not just likes but deep love. He didn't dare to hold her in his hands before, but now that he had touched her, he didn't want to let go, not even for a moment.
No matter how angry she was, facing his unconscious weakness, Xiaocao could not harden her heart. Besides, when this person was sick, his body and mind would become weak involuntarily. When there was no one to rely on, he would naturally have to support himself. Once he had someone to rely on, his tense nerves would probably collapse in an instant, becoming even more fragile and insecure.
Xiao Cao held his hand, "Tingyu, you need to rest now, and you also want to spend more time with me, right? So, you must listen to me. Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere and will always be with you. You can sleep peacefully. When you wake up, I promise that you will see me at first sight."
Prince Wei finally relaxed a little and stopped fighting against his increasingly blurred consciousness. "Xuan'er, forget your worries..." he murmured before completely losing consciousness. Even so, he still held on to the grass.
Three years have passed, and he has actually changed a lot. If he was still the same as he was three years ago when they separated, there was no reason for Xiaocao to be hidden from him time and time again. But thinking about his situation and everything he had suffered, it would be strange if he had not changed. No matter how angry she was, it was still not as good as the heartache she felt for him.
Xiaocao hugged him for a while, held back her tears, and then carefully put him down.
Xiao Cao held his hand and looked at him quietly, "Ting Yu, I will be with you, always with you. I will do my best to heal you, even though I am not sure about your condition now. One day, I will be with you for one day, one month, I will be with you for one month, no matter how long it is..." She put his hand to her lips, feeling the coolness of his hand. How could the pain of losing and regaining, and losing again, compare to the regret of not being able to accompany each other for the last period of time.
No, it won't. It's not that there is no chance now. As long as we can find a way to extend his lifespan, maybe we can always find other ways to make him better. Not to mention restoring him to the condition he was in three years ago, at least he can live another ten or twenty years.
Xiaocao closed her eyes, put away all her emotions, and gently pinched his acupoints, forcing him to let her go. Just this movement made his brows furrow, but even in his sleep, he couldn't struggle to wake up.
Xiao Cao stood up and was extremely calm and composed when facing Wei Tingyu's subordinates. He did not show any abnormality. "Your master is in a very bad condition now. I mean to let him rest here for a few days and go back when the condition gets better."
"Ma'am, it's up to you to decide." The others said almost in unison.
The title of "Madam" made Xiaocao pause for a moment, but he didn't refute it in the end. "There is nothing here, so we need to prepare something. Your master is in urgent need of medicine now. It's still too slow to rush back to the imperial city to get medicine. I'll write a prescription and one of you will run. I'll go into the mountains to collect the medicine that's urgently needed."
"But Madam, those people who came before also entered the mountain with unknown origins. What if we encounter..."
"I'm very familiar with the mountains here. Even if I encounter them, what can I do? It's easy to escape." Xiaocao was not bragging. Compared to when she was "detained" on the carriage by Bai Qingchuan before, she was really not afraid at all in the mountains and forests.
"How about we send two people to accompany Madam?" Madam can't afford any mistakes now.
"It's up to you. However, some of you are injured, and we don't know if those thieves have other accomplices. The safety of your master is the top priority." In Xiaocao's eyes, Wei Tingyu was the one who really needed care, protection, and was more fragile than porcelain.
"Don't worry, Madam. We will ensure the safety of our master."
Xiao Cao nodded and wrote down the prescription. Just in case, she had prepared some writing brushes, inkstones, and other things in her medical box. "That's it. Whether it's preparing things or going back to get medicine, do it as soon as possible."
Xiaocao looked back at Wei Tingyu, thought for a moment, took off a brocade bag from her body and put it in his hand, then strode out.
Although this place had been "plundered" very quickly three years ago, Xiaocao would come back occasionally later, so all the things needed for collecting herbs were complete. Her dress was quickly modified, her hair was wrapped and fixed, and even the shiny embroidered shoes on her feet were processed. When she appeared in front of everyone again, just looking at the overall appearance, she really looked like that country girl.
"Let's go." She didn't care who followed her into the mountain. After walking a few steps, Xiaocao suddenly remembered something, "My father sent people here before, and they may have met with an accident. Please help me look for their bodies and see if you can find them."
"Madam, rest assured. As long as it is still there, we will find it."
Xiaocao nodded, and without further delay, almost jogged into the mountains.
Huayu and another guard followed behind. They originally wanted to help Xiaocao carry the things. After all, all the various herb-picking tools, backpacks, and ropes added together were not light. However, Xiaocao refused. These things were nothing to her.
In the mountains and forests, except for places that are too deep and too far away that she has never been to, Xiaocao is very familiar with other places. She knows exactly where the herbs are distributed and which herbs are suitable for picking in this season. In addition, she knows which herbs are needed and they are urgently needed, so she will not be distracted to pick other herbs. Therefore, when she first entered the mountains, Xiaocao had already planned a route map in her mind and would never walk any extra distance.
Later, Huayu and the others just followed along, unable to help in any way. In the end, they could only rush to help Xiaocao get some things, or ask for instructions in advance about the next route to take when Xiaocao was picking herbs. There were few people in the mountains and forests, and in this hot summer, all kinds of plants grew very lush, so it was necessary to clear the path to avoid appearing too useless.
The grass doesn't talk much, but you should give them some opportunities to show their abilities.
However, even so, they can only "help" with the journey ahead. As time goes by, the distance to be walked becomes longer and more difficult. Rather than helping, they are actually a bit of a hindrance.
Including Huayu, they are all martial artists, and they are very good in both ability and physical fitness. Some of them have even taken on missions and have blood on their hands. However, it does not mean that they are good at things like traveling through mountains and forests. They have good physical strength, but that is only relative.
Moreover, Xiaocao only had one mosquito repellent sachet on her body, and she was only thinking about collecting all the medicines as soon as possible and going back early, so she didn't care about them. Normally, this was considered an "all-around" skill, but she was defeated by mosquitoes. Xiaocao accidentally saw the sachet on her face, which looked like a good girl was about to be disfigured. Xiaocao was silent for a moment.
There was no way to ignore it, so Xiaocao spent some time to pick some medicine for them and brought it back. "I didn't think it through. Take this medicine, crush it and apply the juice on the skin outside. It can relieve itching and repel insects."
In comparison, these two were actually more ashamed and hurriedly said "thank you, ma'am".
Seeing that their faces and hands still had some scratches from grass and branches, and even their clothes were damaged, Xiaocao thought for a moment and said, "Why don't you go back first? If you are really worried, you can wait for me at the big rock we encountered before. I should be able to return in an hour at most."
The two of them didn't have the confidence to say "no" at this moment. It would obviously be a hindrance. If they delayed any further, it would only delay the master's condition. After hesitation, they said, "Then Madam, please be careful."
"I got it. If there are not enough herbs, just go pick them yourselves. There are some nearby." After Xiaocao finished speaking, she turned around and walked away with her things on her back. The grass and trees were dense enough that she soon disappeared from sight.
The remaining two looked at each other, their eyes showing frustration. So it was no wonder that their wives were confident enough to say that even if they met those people in the mountains, they would be able to escape. Those people were essentially the same as them. In the hands of their wives, they were all "defeated". Alas...
Xiaocao knew what was going on. She had been moving at a pretty consistent pace since she entered the mountain. No matter if she was climbing a tree, climbing a cliff, or in a place where wild animals roamed, she could not slow down. When she said an hour, it was pretty much just an hour.
When she turned back, she looked at the two people waiting for her without even raising her eyelids, "Let's go back."
The two did not dare to delay. There is a saying that goes "It is easier to go up the mountain than to go down." Here in Xiaocao, this saying is not very applicable. They use the tools in their hands, hook here and borrow force there from time to time. They walk on the places they can step on, and slide on the places they cannot step on. The speed is much faster than going up the mountain.
The duo at the back were in a miserable state. They stumbled and were left far behind by the grass. They got anxious and fell again.
The way back was not too far, so Xiaocao ignored them and walked straight ahead...