Behind the Mask - Chapter 20
Chapter 20: Deep Kiss
Upon seeing Bai Ning, Chu Ye could no longer hold on. Her body went limp, and she lost consciousness.
Bai Ning used all her strength to hold Chu Ye steady. Her simple, elegant white dress was stained with dark red blood. Trembling, she touched Chu Ye's haggard, pale cheeks and felt the world spin. She screamed hysterically at Nuan Hua, "Get a physician! Get a physician!"
Nuan Hua snapped back to her senses, her steps hurried and panicked.
After the diagnosis, the physician shook his head and said the situation was dire. The patient was already extremely weak and drained, had been exhausted for days on end, and had also suffered severe external injuries. She would require a long period of recuperation and must not be agitated again.
"Ye'er..."
Bai Ning looked at Chu Ye, who seemed to be on her last breath, and her heart twisted in agony. She knew it. Something must have happened to Chu Ye, preventing her from coming to find her.
So what on earth had happened? Why was she so gravely injured?
Seeing Bai Ning wiping the grime from Chu Ye's cheeks, Nuan Hua said, "Miss, let me do that."
"No need." Bai Ning only stared at Chu Ye's pale face. "You may leave. Close the door, and don't let anyone in. If someone comes, tell them I am unwell today and have already retired to rest."
"Yes." Nuan Hua knew that at this moment, Bai Ning had eyes for no one else.
After Nuan Hua left, Bai Ning removed Chu Ye's clothes, piece by piece.
Her entire body was covered in countless bruises and wounds, still oozing blood. It was a horrifying sight.
Bai Ning's eyes blurred with tears. She carefully cleaned Chu Ye's body with a warm, damp handkerchief, wiping away the bloodstains.
"A'Ning..."
Chu Ye murmured a few times.
Bai Ning quickly grasped her hand, leaned over to stroke her cheek, and answered softly, "I'm here."
Chu Ye fell silent again, her eyes shut tight, her brow slightly furrowed.
Bai Ning placed a soothing kiss between her eyebrows. Chu Ye seemed to feel her comfort, and her brow slowly smoothed out.
Although she was unconscious, when Bai Ning applied the medicine, Chu Ye still grunted in pain a few times, breaking out in a cold sweat.
Bai Ning finished applying the medicine and changed her into clean clothes. It took her a long time to do all this by herself, and she too was sweating from the effort.
Chu Ye called out "A'Ning" again, then gripped Bai Ning's hand tightly.
Bai Ning simply took off her outer robe, lay down beside her, and, with extreme care, gathered her into her arms.
It was a familiar, reassuring scent. In her daze, Chu Ye forgot the pain of her wounds and clung lovingly to Bai Ning.
"Ye'er, don't move. I'm holding you." Fearing Chu Ye would aggravate her wounds, Bai Ning coaxed softly in her ear.
Chu Ye immediately became obedient, nestling quietly in her embrace.
Bai Ning looked down at her cheek, then kissed her lips, her heart aching all the while.
Bai Ning didn't sleep the entire night. How could she?
The next day, Chu Ye developed a fever in her unconscious state, her body burning hot. The physician prescribed two doses of medicine, which Nuan Hua had a young maidservant brew and deliver while it was still hot.
"Ye'er, wake up and drink your medicine."
Chu Ye only furrowed her brow and murmured.
"Miss, what should we do?"
Bai Ning took the medicinal soup, took a sip into her own mouth, then lowered her head to feed it to Chu Ye's lips.
"Miss..."
Bai Ning gently pressed her lips to hers. At that moment, Chu Ye's lips began to move, parting slightly to let the warm liquid slide into her mouth.
Seeing that it was working, Bai Ning disregarded everything else and fed the medicine to Chu Ye, mouthful by mouthful.
Watching Bai Ning, Nuan Hua was so moved her eyes turned red. The Miss has truly given her entire heart away.
Not long after she finished the medicine, Chu Ye's fever finally broke, and the color returned to her lips.
Bai Ning had someone call the physician over to check her pulse again. Only after hearing the physician say that she was out of danger did the weight in her heart finally lift a little.
"Miss, you should eat something too," Nuan Hua urged. If this continued, she was afraid Bai Ning would collapse before Chu Ye recovered. "If you don't eat, how will you have the energy to care for Miss Chu?"
Chu Ye woke up on the evening of the second day.
"A'Ning, you have to wait for me."
"Don't marry someone else."
"Come away with me, alright?"
Chu Ye mumbled many things in her daze, then her eyes fluttered open. She saw Bai Ning sitting by the bed, gazing at her and stroking her hair.
The light in the room was warm and beautiful.
Like a dream.
"Ye'er, you're finally awake." Bai Ning was overjoyed, tears clinging to the corners of her eyes.
"A'Ning, am I dreaming?" Chu Ye's eyes were barely open as she gazed at Bai Ning. "Am I already dead...?"
Bai Ning smiled through her tears. She took Chu Ye's hand and placed it on her own cheek. "No, I'm here."
The warmth of her palm... Chu Ye stared at Bai Ning until her consciousness gradually cleared. She struggled to touch Bai Ning's face. It was real.
She had returned. She had finally seen A'Ning.
Gritting her teeth, Chu Ye sat up in bed. Looking into Bai Ning's eyes from a closer distance, she felt a sting in her nose, and tears burst from her eyes.
Bai Ning couldn't bear to see Chu Ye cry like this; Chu Ye was supposed to be the last woman who would ever cry. She wiped Chu Ye's tears. "Ye'er..."
Chu Ye hugged her tightly, hugging her with everything she had.
Bai Ning also hugged her thin frame.
There were too many unspeakable emotions in that embrace.
"I thought I would never see you again," Chu Ye's voice was choked with sobs.
"How could that be? I've always been here." Bai Ning soothed her with endless tenderness. "What on earth happened? How did you get so badly injured?"
Chu Ye didn't wait to answer Bai Ning's question, asking instead, "Did the people from the Minister's Manor come to propose marriage?"
"Yes." Bai Ning stroked her head again and smiled. "Silly girl, I wouldn't agree to it."
"But..." Chu Ye started to speak, then stopped.
Bai Ning didn't hesitate in the slightest. "My heart already belongs to someone. How could I marry another?"
My heart already belongs to someone. A smile appeared on Chu Ye's pale face. She knew it; her A'Ning wouldn't lie to her. But she worried again, "Did they give you any trouble?"
Bai Ning smiled breezily. "No. Don't overthink it. For now, just stay by my side and recuperate, alright?" She didn't tell Chu Ye more; Chu Ye needed to rest her mind.
Chu Ye nodded obediently, still holding Bai Ning tightly. "A'Ning, let's never be separated again." She had never imagined that their last separation would nearly be their last time seeing each other.
"Yes, never again." Bai Ning cupped her face. "You still haven't told me how you got these injuries."
Chu Ye bit her lip, angry and aggrieved. "The day we parted, my brother told me about the marriage proposal, but then he drugged me and locked me up. A'Ning, I was so anxious, but I had no way to come find you..."
Chu Ye told Bai Ning everything—from how she was locked up to how she tried every way to escape. Her journey to Jingzhou had been fraught with hardship. She rode through the night, but fell from her horse off a cliff due to exhaustion. By the time she reached Jingzhou City, she was covered in wounds and on the verge of death.
She kept the story as simple as possible, afraid of worrying Bai Ning.
But she couldn't hide it from Bai Ning. The moment Bai Ning saw her injuries, she knew how much Chu Ye had suffered during their days apart. Listening to Chu Ye's weak voice, her tears flowed uncontrollably.
"Don't cry." Chu Ye grew anxious again and went to wipe her tears. "I'm fine now, aren't I?"
Fine? How is this fine? She had almost not woken up at all. Bai Ning ruffled her hair, her heart aching as if it were being torn apart.
"I was just afraid that if I came too late, you would marry someone else." Chu Ye sniffled. The mere thought of A'Ning marrying another man made her so sad she could barely breathe.
"No matter how long it took, I would have waited for you." Bai Ning's gaze was resolute. "Didn't I tell you? In this life, I only want you."
"Mmm..." Chu Ye smiled through her tears. They would stay together forever; no one could tear them apart.
Chu Ye only sat up for a short while before growing weak again. Bai Ning put an arm around her waist and helped her lie back down.
"A'Ning." But Chu Ye held her weakly, unwilling to let go. She stared straight at Bai Ning's face, wanting to hold her just like this forever.
Bai Ning smiled. "I'm not going anywhere. I'll stay with my Ye'er every day."
My Ye'er.
Chu Ye wrapped her arms around her waist and smiled foolishly. Her head began to feel heavy again. Her eyelids drooped, and she dozed off.
By the third day, Chu Ye's condition had finally improved. She could sit up in bed by herself and no longer fell into a stupor at a moment's notice.
Bai Ning took care of her personally, allowing no one to disturb them.
"Here, drink your medicine."
Chu Ye obediently opened her lips and slowly drank the soup Bai Ning fed her. She could have drunk it herself, but she wanted Bai Ning before her eyes at all times.
"Is it bitter?" Bai Ning asked with a smile, seeing her brow furrowed as she drank.
"Mmm."
"It's even more bitter if you drink it slowly."
"But it's so bitter, how can I drink it quickly?" Chu Ye haggled with Bai Ning.
"If you drink your medicine properly, you'll recover faster. When you're well, you can take me away from here." Bai Ning had only realized from Chu Ye's murmurs that she had been longing to take her to Xizhou.
Chu Ye forgot to drink her medicine. Although she desperately wanted to take Bai Ning away, she had always felt it was an extravagant hope. Now, hearing Bai Ning say it with her own lips... She stared blankly at Bai Ning. "You want to leave with me?"
Bai Ning looked at her. "You don't want to?"
"Of course I do!" Chu Ye answered hastily, a thousand, ten thousand times yes. She took the medicine bowl from Bai Ning's hands and drained it in one gulp.
"Slow down." Bai Ning couldn't help but smile. She reached out to wipe the corner of Chu Ye's mouth.
Subconsciously, Chu Ye leaned closer.
Bai Ning realized she hadn't prepared anything to counteract the bitterness and asked softly, "Do you want some preserved fruit? I'll go... Mmm..."
Chu Ye took the opportunity to kiss her, drawing that familiar, gentle breath between her own lips.
Bai Ning had no time to speak again. She closed her eyes and kissed Chu Ye back, the empty medicine bowl in her hand tumbling to the floor.
A kiss as fluid as water. They kissed each other's lips, meeting each other's eyes for the briefest moment, a bittersweet feeling rising in their hearts in unison—
Their lips parted for only a moment before Chu Ye impatiently pressed forward again, deepening the kiss.
Bai Ning wrapped her arms around Chu Ye's neck, pressing against her. Their lips were sealed together, their soft tongues like gliding snakes, tirelessly twining and soothing, wanting only to taste the other's breath more deeply, more thoroughly.
"Mmm—"
A bitter taste swept over their tongues and mouths, whether from the medicine just now or from the silent tears now trickling down their faces, it was impossible to say. All the flavors mixed together, melting between their wet, lingering lips and tongues like a continuous spring rain.
All the sorrow, longing, anxiety, and confusion seemed to dissolve in that kiss. Filled with affection, neither wanted to stop.
"Mi..." Nuan Hua came out from behind the screen, about to call for Bai Ning, but instead stumbled upon the scene—the two were sitting by the bed, embracing and kissing passionately, their lips entwined and inseparable.
The sight made Nuan Hua blush to the roots of her hair. She covered her eyes but couldn't resist peeking through a crack between her fingers, only to see the two of them tumble onto the bed, still kissing, and tugging at each other's clothes... She finally turned and fled in a panic, pulling the door shut behind her. She then instructed the young maidservants outside that the Miss forbade anyone from entering.
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