When the Female Lead Becomes Obsessive – Chapter 107

Volume Five: Those Years When I Was the Prime Minister

Detoxification

Sheng Tingwan lowered her head without a word, eating the osmanthus cakes nonstop, as if the cakes in her hand were the last she would ever eat in her life.

“Eat a little slower,” Wen Nuan said, grasping Sheng Tingwan’s wrist. “It’s not as if you won’t be able to eat them in the future.”

“But isn’t it?”

“What?”

Sheng Tingwan lifted her gaze to look at Wen Nuan, her tone light. “Once your poison is cured, won’t you be leaving to roam the four corners of the world?”

When that time came, she wouldn’t be able to eat such familiar osmanthus cakes anymore.

Wen Nuan paused. Just as she was about to say that she wouldn’t leave, what escaped her lips was a pained roar.

“Ah—”

A pain like her tendons were being ripped and her bones dislocated came without warning, instantly making Wen Nuan cry out. Her already wan face turned paper-white with agony, and her body trembled and shuddered uncontrollably—a terrifying sight, like an epileptic fit.

Thick, acrid black blood surged up her throat. Unable to hold it back, Wen Nuan spat out a mouthful, spraying it all over Sheng Tingwan’s white brocade robes, staining the fabric a ghastly blackish-red.

“Wen Nuan!” Sheng Tingwan immediately embraced Wen Nuan and shouted anxiously to the outside of the carriage, “Lu Yan, go find Fang Minghe, quickly!”

“Yes.” Upon hearing the order, Lu Yan immediately went to call for Fang Minghe.

Wen Nuan’s whole body convulsed in Sheng Tingwan’s arms, black blood continuously pouring from her mouth. Her face grew increasingly pale, as if in the next second her soul would return to the Western Heavens¹.

“Wen Nuan? Wen Nuan?” Sheng Tingwan saw Wen Nuan’s eyes slowly closing and feared she would never wake up.

She yelled nonstop, “Wen Nuan, don’t sleep! I’m begging you, don’t sleep, look at me, it’s me, Tingwan! Wen Nuan…”

【Pain inhibitors activated. It can only block half of the effect. For the other half, you’ll have to endure it yourself.】 the System said worriedly.

Wen Nuan felt she could finally catch her breath. Although her body was still trembling and she was still vomiting blood, she truly felt a bit better.

“Thanks.”

Fang Minghe rushed over and administered silver needles to Wen Nuan, whose condition immediately stabilized a great deal.

Sheng Tingwan still felt a tremor, and upon closer inspection, she realized it was she herself who was shaking.

With blood foaming in her mouth, Wen Nuan intertwined their fingers tightly and comforted her, “Don’t… don’t be afraid. I… I’m here.”

Tears welled up, wetting her eyes. Sheng Tingwan, her eyes filled with tears, said in a low voice, “Mm, I’m not afraid. You have to hold on. We’re about to return to the capital city. Just hold on, okay?”

“…Okay,” Wen Nuan said weakly, before fainting completely in the next second.

After applying the needles, Fang Minghe wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and let out a breath of relief. “Your Majesty, the Prime Minister’s condition has mostly stabilized. We cannot continue to rest in Qingzhao City. We must rush back to the Imperial Palace at top speed.”

“Alright.” Disregarding the bloodstains on her clothes, Sheng Tingwan pulled open the curtain and shouted, “Everyone, depart for the capital immediately! Not a moment’s delay!”

Everyone immediately rose. “Yes—”

The silence of the night was shattered by the chaotic and hurried sound of hooves. In the dead of night in the capital, the South Main Gate received the order and was thrown open, clearing a path all the way to the Imperial Palace, with no one daring to obstruct them.

Upon entering the Imperial Palace, Sheng Tingwan immediately had Lu Yan retrieve the Lihuo Lingzhi from the national treasury. She carried Wen Nuan to her own bedchambers.

Qianyang Hall².

Sheng Tingwan placed the blood-soaked Wen Nuan on the couch, making way for Fang Minghe to continue administering needles.

Not daring to delay for a second, Lu Yan immediately returned with the Lihuo Lingzhi. “Your Majesty, the Lihuo Lingzhi is here.”

Sheng Tingwan took the sandalwood box and handed it to Fang Minghe. “Take a look, is this it?”

Fang Minghe opened the box, his heart surging with excitement. He said joyfully, “Your Majesty, this is the Lihuo Lingzhi! The Prime Minister can be saved!”

“Quickly, quickly use it on Wen Nuan,” Sheng Tingwan urged. “Use all of it on her.”

Only half a stalk of the Lihuo Lingzhi remained. It was already a priceless treasure in this world, but right now, Sheng Tingwan only cared about saving Wen Nuan. Even if it meant using all of it, she wouldn’t feel a shred of regret.

Fang Minghe shook his head and cut off a slice of the lingzhi. “Just this much is enough. Although the Lihuo Lingzhi is a divine herb, consuming too much is more harmful than beneficial.”

As the saying goes, when the moon is full, it wanes; when water is full, it overflows³. The same principle applied to the Lihuo Lingzhi.

“Fine. You decide. You must save Ling Wen Nuan for Zhen,” Sheng Tingwan said. She didn’t care how Fang Minghe used the Lihuo Lingzhi; as long as he could save Wen Nuan, nothing else mattered to her.

“Yes,” Fang Minghe looked at Lu Yan. “Lady Official Lu, might I trouble you to prepare a bucket of hot water?”

“Of course, this servant will go prepare it at once.”

Lu Yan immediately sent someone to fetch a bucket of hot water.

The water arrived quickly. Fang Minghe looked at Sheng Tingwan. “Your Majesty, in a moment, this subject will be detoxifying the Prime Minister. The scene may be somewhat bloody, and I fear you may not be able to bear it. Would it be possible for you to withdraw from the bedchambers?”

Sheng Tingwan was about to refuse when she heard Wen Nuan’s voice, as faint as a thread, “Tingwan, you should go out first. With… with Fang Minghe here, I’ll… I’ll be fine.”

“I want to stay here and accompany you,” Sheng Tingwan said in a heavy voice.

Wen Nuan panted heavily. “I’ll be fine. You go… out first. When the sun rises, I’ll… come out and find you, okay?”

Sheng Tingwan still wanted to insist.

Wen Nuan coughed a few times. “Tingwan, be good, okay?”

“…Alright.” Sheng Tingwan clenched her fists and looked at Fang Minghe. “Zhen demands that you cure this poison. Otherwise, Zhen will have you buried with Wen Nuan.”

Fang Minghe bowed his head. “This subject accepts the decree.”

Sheng Tingwan gave Wen Nuan one last deep look, then turned and left the bedchambers. She stood just outside the door, not moving a single step away, her eyes fixed on Qianyang Hall.

After a while, the crowd heard a heart-wrenching, lung-splitting⁴ scream from within Qianyang Hall.

The cry was so wretched, like that of someone being flayed by a thousand knives⁵, that it made all who heard it’s blood run cold and their hair stand on end.

Sheng Tingwan took a step forward but forced herself to stop. Her palms were gouged into bloody marks, and her reddened eyes were locked firmly on Qianyang Hall.

She listened to Wen Nuan’s miserable cries from inside the hall. Every scream was like a sharp blade, mercilessly carving into her heart.

Again and again.

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The sky grew bright, and the morning sun began to rise.

The first rays of dawn fell upon the plaque of Qianyang Hall. The tightly shut doors of the hall slowly opened with the shifting light.

Those waiting heard the sound and looked over.

They saw a person dressed in white walking out. The morning light fell upon her slender figure, making her seem to glow with a faint luminescence, as if in the next second she would ascend and become an immortal.

That pair of clear peach blossom eyes seemed to shimmer with starlight and a hint of a smile.

Sheng Tingwan’s lips moved, but she was too emotional to speak. She could only stand there, staring blankly as that immortal-like figure slowly walked toward her.

Wen Nuan walked up to Sheng Tingwan, opened her arms, and smiled. “Tingwan, come here. Let me give you a hug.”

Little crybaby, crying so much it breaks my heart again.

Sheng Tingwan took an uncertain step forward, as if worried that everything before her was an illusion. But the moment she was truly embraced by Wen Nuan, she finally felt that Wen Nuan was alive, that Wen Nuan was still by her side.

“…Wen Nuan?” she called out, her voice trembling.

Wen Nuan chuckled softly in response. “Mm, I’m here.”

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“The Prime Minister’s poison has been cured, but her body is still very weak and requires a long period of recuperation. She must not engage in any martial arts for three months,” Fang Minghe instructed as he wrote out a prescription. “This is the Buddha Soul Decoction Powder⁶ this subject has prepared for the Prime Minister to recuperate. It must be taken for a full three months, once daily at the Hour of the Rooster⁷. Simmer three bowls of water down to one.”

“In terms of diet, I hope the Prime Minister can maintain a light diet. Avoid rich meats, spicy food, and alcohol.”

“In terms of rest, I hope the Prime Minister will sleep early and wake early, and not overexert herself. Mainly…” Fang Minghe glanced at Sheng Tingwan. “This subordinate official… suggests that you refrain from any long journeys for the time being. If… the Prime Minister still wishes to roam the four corners of the world, she can do so in about half a year… er… a year from now, to be safe.”

Sheng Tingwan retracted her threatening gaze and looked pointedly at Wen Nuan. “Fang Minghe comes from a family of divine physicians. You must listen to his requests. This is for your own good, understand?”

Wen Nuan pretended not to understand the little nine-nines⁸ in their hearts and nodded helplessly. “Alright. I’ve troubled Military Doctor Fang during this time.”

Fang Minghe handed the prescription to Lu Yan. “It is all what this subject ought to do. The Prime Minister is too kind.”

He packed up his things and bowed. “Then, Prime Minister, please rest well. This subject will take his leave.”

Sheng Tingwan waved her hand. “Go.”

“Your Majesty, Prime Minister, this servant will go brew the medicine,” Lu Yan said.

“Good, go ahead.” Sheng Tingwan was still a little worried. “The medicine stove cannot be left unattended. You stay there and watch over it.”

She couldn’t trust others; only Lu Yan was her confidante.

Lu Yan replied, “Yes.”

Only Wen Nuan, whose complexion had clearly improved as she lay on the bed, and Sheng Tingwan, who stood to the side feeling awkward and embarrassed, were left in Qianyang Hall.

Wen Nuan watched Sheng Tingwan with leisurely amusement and patted the space beside her on the bed. “Is Her Majesty the Empress Regnant standing over there because you’re afraid this commoner will infect you with her illness?”

Sheng Tingwan looked at Wen Nuan. She was wearing only a thin, white robe, its collar wide open, revealing the graceful curve of her collarbones and the endless beautiful scenery beneath.

She swallowed and walked to the bedside, sitting down shakily. “…No.”

Sheng Tingwan looked at Wen Nuan’s exposed chest and the strange pattern there. When Fang Minghe had been treating Wen Nuan’s wounds earlier, she had seen the pattern on Wen Nuan’s right breast. It looked like a flower; the stem below was red, as if dyed by blood, and the petals above were black, exuding a bewitching aura.

Wen Nuan followed her gaze down to her own right breast and teased deliberately, “Is it pretty?”

Sheng Tingwan snapped back to reality and immediately turned her face away, stammering, “I… I didn’t mean to look. I… I was just curious.”

“Curious about what?”

“Is that a flower?” Sheng Tingwan asked curiously.

Wen Nuan nodded. “It is a flower. It’s called a rose.”

“Where is that flower from?”

Sheng Tingwan had never seen such a bewitching and beautiful flower.

Wen Nuan chuckled lightly.

Seeing Wen Nuan’s eyes curve into a smile, Sheng Tingwan’s heart skipped a beat. “Wh-what is it?”

Did she say something wrong?

Wen Nuan sat up and moved closer to Sheng Tingwan, her voice low and soft, as if coaxing. “It’s the flower that blooms on the tip of my heart.”

It moved from the inside of my thigh to my chest. This was the rose that “she” personally planted and dyed red.

The moment she was struck by the arrow, the rose on her chest was stained red with blood, making her realize with a jolt why this rose had appeared on her chest.

It turned out this was the red rose that “she” had personally given her, a passionate and direct declaration of her deep love.

Sheng Tingwan stared blankly at Wen Nuan, her gaze slowly sliding from her beautiful brows to her elegant nose, and then to her full, rosy lips.

She was lost in the foolish, heartfelt fantasy of stealing a kiss.

The distance between them slowly closed. Wen Nuan didn’t move, waiting for her to draw near. She had retracted her sharp thorns, revealing only her softest petals for her.

The atmosphere grew heavy with ambiguous tension, pressing down on their hearts. It felt as if everything had come to a standstill, with only the frantic beating of their two hearts remaining.

“Prime Minister? Zhijin has come to visit you!” Shen Zhijin’s voice came from the doorway. “Are you alright?”

The main doors of Qianyang Hall were not closed, so Shen Zhijin stepped inside with ease. Seeing the two people by the bed, he was completely oblivious to the icy atmosphere in the hall.

He walked in with extreme familiarity, saw Sheng Tingwan by the bed, and bowed. “This consort greets Your Majesty.”

Then he turned to Wen Nuan, asking with concern, “Zhijin greets the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, are you feeling better?”

A vein throbbed on Sheng Tingwan’s forehead. She said through clenched teeth, “Shen Zhijin, you…”

Being called out by Sheng Tingwan, Shen Zhijin was suddenly reminded of the matter she had entrusted to him earlier. He immediately twisted his body, turned, and sat down on Sheng Tingwan’s lap, saying coquettishly, “Aiyah, Your Majesty, the Prime Minister is still ill. How could you be so impatient?”

Sheng Tingwan: “…..”

Wen Nuan sighed, suppressed the urge to smile, and lay back down, turning away. Feigning exhaustion, she said, “Your Majesty, this commoner is tired. I won’t see Your Majesty and Noble Consort Shen out.”

Sheng Tingwan: “…..”

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The author has something to say:

Female Lead: First time I’ve ever wanted to kill someone this badly.

Shen Zhijin: Aiyah, Your Majesty, they say hitting is affection and scolding is love.

Wen Nuan: Keep acting. I’m finding this quite interesting to watch.

Author-jun: Ehehe, a double update~

(My gastroenteritis is acting up, everything hurts)

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