After Marrying the Disabled Crown Prince of the Enemy Country

Chapter 49          Pride

The greenhouse was warm, and the air was humid. Perhaps the temperature and humidity were maintained for these colorful flowers.

The faint breath of peppermint still lingered. Le Zhi calculated the time in her mind, and her mind was very sober. But her heart was a little bit uncontrollable, the violent beating heart was grasped by two opposing forces, tearing it painfully.

She closed her eyes, and in the darkness, she suddenly saw those shocking and bloody scenes.

Le Zhi suddenly snapped back to reality, and slowly opened her eyes to see her hands tightly clutching the fabric of Huo Du’s waist. She stared and watched as the bent fingers loosened little by little and fell weakly on her side.

She lost all her strength.

At the same time as she let go, the hand at her back increased its strength and tighten even more. As if trying to make up for her lost strength.

An agonized smile spread across Le Zhi’s lips, and she suddenly really understood what the price of shortcuts was.

In the beginning, Le Zhi just wanted to make her path to revenge easier. She tried to take advantage of her feelings when she did not understand them and thought she had mastered them. She calculated carefully, trying to control Huo Du’s feelings for her within a reasonable range.

Unexpectedly, in the seemingly hypocritical temptation again and again, in the kisses one by one, she had lost her heart.

Burnt herself while playing with fire.

Le Zhi raised her hand, placed it on Huo Du’s shoulder, and pushed him slightly harder. But the hand that was pressed on the back did not move even a little bit. She had to push harder.

Huo Du hugged her with one hand and had to support himself on a cane with the other. Because of his disabled leg, he could not use all his strength to hug her, so he could only let her retreat from his embrace helplessly.

Of course, if he used his internal strength, Le Zhi would not be able to escape, but he did not want to.

Le Zhi’s expression and her eyes were calm, but Huo Du could feel it.

She is blaming herself. She is in pain.

The joy that originally came from knowing the affection in her heart disappeared in an instant. Le Zhi’s affection for him was inappropriate, burdensome, and unspeakable for her.

Huo Du grew up under scheming since he was a child, and over time, he would naturally be able to understand people’s hearts at a glance.

When Le Zhi came to him and told him that she would choose him over Huo Xu, he knew that this was just her helpless move. But she fell step by step due to her wisdom, courage, and perseverance.

He thought that since she chose him, she would naturally have to bear the consequences of her choice.

Huo Du had been proud of everything since he was a child, even if he was disabled, his pride would not even be reduced by half. Even though he was disabled for a lifetime, he would be the proudest lame person.

Therefore, even if he had feelings for her, he would not force her. What he wanted was her willingness.

Today, Huo Du felt her heart so close to him for the first time. It was precisely in the close proximity that he could even see the wound in her heart, which was still bleeding.

Huo Du had been planning and plotting for many years, even Huo Changyun had difficulty controlling him, and even his thoughts were unpredictable.

Oh, his imperial father even had a beautiful dream of a well-thought-out plan!

Ridiculous.

He was proud that there was nothing in this world that he could not do. However, there was one now. How hard was the deadlock between him and Le Zhi? He could not solve it. He felt helpless for the first time.

Following the force of Le Zhi’s pushing away, his arms gradually loosened, and the two were separated by some distance. Le Zhi lowered her eyes and retreated to Huo Du’s side, not daring to look into his eyes.

She was afraid that she would be caught in his burning eyes again.

Le Zhi secretly scolded herself for her uncertain behavior in her heart. If she said that she was playing with fire and setting herself on fire, she deserved to bear this, but it was bad luck for Huo Du to meet someone like her.

The two of them at the same time adjusted their breaths that were disturbed by hugging each other just now.

After a long silence, Le Zhi looked at the flowers and changed the subject abruptly, “What kind of flowers are these?”

Her voice was soft and weak. Huo Du put away the emotions in his eyes and cooperated with her, just as if the hug had never happened. He smiled casually, “Poppy.”

Hearing this, Le Zhi’s eyes widened in surprise, “So this is the poppy.”

Le Zhi had only read about this flower in books. Just because it was one of the flowers and plants prohibited from being planted in Great Li’s law. Le Zhi also knew a little bit about the usefulness of this flower. The flowers that could have been used as medicine were classified as forbidden flowers because if they were misused in large quantities, it would cause hallucination and addiction.

She turned to look at Huo Du, wondering why he wanted to plant so many poppies in the mansion.

“Let’s go.” Huo Du pulled her up and said as he walked out, “Aren’t you going to see your sister?” Le Zhi then turned her head and followed him out of the greenhouse.

The cold wind outside was much lighter, but it was still breezy. Le Zhi’s loose hair was blown up and brushed on her face, but she was startled to feel the slight scent of peppermint on her hair. No, it was not just on her hair. There was more on her dress that was impossible to get rid of.

Huo Du stopped, loosened Le Zhi’s hand, and slowly raised his hand to straighten her loose hair.

Le Zhi stared at him in a daze, unable to ignore the tenderness in his countenance. So, did he plant so many poppies because the flower represented himself?

Before one realized it, one had already become addicted.

Dangerous and irresistible.

She should not think anymore! Le Zhi forced herself to look away, and shook her head gently, trying to drive away all the messy thoughts in her mind.

“Let’s go.”

“Won’t Your Highness come with me?” Le Zhi asked.

Huo Du cast his gaze on her face and said nothing. In what capacity was he going to go?

Taizi of country Qi? Son of an enemy? Or… Brother-in-law?

“My sister’s illness is very serious.” Le Zhi tugged at his sleeve and batted her eyelashes, with a hint of coquettishness in her aggrieved tone, “Your Highness’s medical skills are brilliant, can you…”

Huo Du was angry but also found it laughable, ironically that he had been thinking about it for a long time, but other people simply wanted to use him as a doctor.

“Are you blatantly using me?” He deliberately raised his face and asked, “Le Zhi, do you think that as long as you act coquettishly, I will do anything for you?”

Le Zhi loosened his sleeve, her cheeks flushed red. She bit her lip as she lowered her head. She also realized that taking shortcuts could be addicting. She began to ask him more and more naturally relying on his liking towards her.

She was done. She was becoming more and more like the bad woman who took advantage of others wantonly as written in the storybook.

Her nose was sour, and her eyes were turning red. She quickly turned around and wanted to leave, but her palm was caught, and she could not break free.

She heard Huo Du give a soft tut, walked in front of her, and said with a smile, “Let’s go.”

“I didn’t…” Le Zhi’s voice was muffled, and she did not know what she was feeling, “If Your Highness is reluctant, you don’t have to force it.”

“Le Zhi, why are you…” Huo Du raised the corners of his lips and said in a leisurely tone, “Are you getting more and more hypocritical?”

Le Zhi’s face was so hot that she tried to break Huo Du’s hand with her other hand, but he put his cold white fingers through hers, and then held them tightly, entwining their fingers.

“Not reluctant.” Huo Du rubbed the back of her hand with his fingers, “I’m… very willing to do it.”

Le Zhi was stunned, letting him pull her and walking slowly in the direction of the dining hall.

Huo Du used the afterglow to look at her crumpled face from the corner of his eyes and curved his lips.

Even if he had not found a way to unravel the deadlock between the two of them, he could not let go. In this case, he could only use this stupid method to make her more and more dependent on him, and more and more inseparable from him.

What did taking advantage consider?

He was only afraid that there was nowhere in himself that she could use.

Could this method work?

Huo Du did not know, so he could only give it a try.

—

In the dining hall.

Le Jin sat at the dining table in a daze, drinking the hot sweet soup silently. After Le Zhi calmed down, she asked Huo Du to wait outside the door for a while, and then raised her leg to enter the door.

“Sister” she called softly.

Le Jin raised her eyes, and her eyes were soft. Although she was still dazed, she nodded slightly towards Le Zhi.

In an instant, Le Zhi’s eyes turned red. She sat beside Le Jin and held her sister’s hand. After a pause, she said again, “Sister, I found a very good doctor to help you check your pulse, all right?”

Hearing this, Le Jin frowned slightly, and her shoulders shrank a little unconsciously.

Seeing this, Le Zhi patted her on the back and comforted her softly.

Huo Du stood outside the hall, looking at the mountains in the distance. At this time, An Xuan brought Fu Xian over.

On the way here, Le Zhi asked him if he could let Fu Xian come to see Le Jin, and he agreed without even thinking about it.

Remembering the secret prison that day, Huo Du turned his head unnaturally and did not look at him.

And Fu Xian was thinking about Le Jin, he hurriedly stepped in, and even An Xuan could not stop him.

“Xiaojin!”

The people in the hall were obviously frightened. Le Jin shrunk her head and drilled into Le Zhi’s arms. She had an inexplicable fear of men. But she could not help but look at Fu Xian, and her eyes were full of panic.

Huo Du was forced to enter the door when Fu Xian made such a fuss. He glanced at Fu Xian impatiently, then lowered his voice and said to Le Zhi, “Cover your sister’s eyes.”

Le Zhi immediately understood what he meant. She raised her hand and gently covered Le Jin’s eyes. After a while, Le Jin’s body relaxed a lot.

Huo Du walked to her side, while Le Zhi cooperatively put Le Jin’s hand on the table, and then looked at Huo Du, only to see him silently saying the words to her.

“Handkerchief.”

She was stunned for a moment, lamenting at his carefulness and propriety. Then she took out the handkerchief and put it on her sister’s hand.

Huo Du put two fingers on Le Jin’s pulse, but after a while, he withdrew his hand. He nodded to Le Zhi, then left the hall.

He had to ask someone for some medicine.

Soon, a carriage rushed out of the Taizi mansion and ran in the direction of the suburbs.

Not long after, the carriage left the city and entered the suburbs, getting closer and closer to the imperial mausoleum. But before he arrived at the imperial mausoleum, he stopped in front of a bamboo house.

Huo Du got off the carriage, went straight inside, pushed open the door of the bamboo house, and called out, “Old Man Yin.”

The man inside walked out quickly. He was about forty years old, with a little bit of heroism in his elegance. Seeing Huo Du, he looked surprised but quickly regained his indifference.

“Tsk, a rare guest.” In an eccentric tone, “Why, finally willing to see your mother this year?”

Hearing this, Huo Du’s face darkened a little bit.

“Didn’t you come to see your mother? Then what are you doing here?” The man understood what he wanted and yet asked deliberately, “Is it possible to treat your leg?”

After a long while, Huo Du did not speak. The man knew the knot in his heart, so he stopped talking about it. He waved his hand and let Huo Du go into the back room and he turned around and walked inside.

“En.”

The man’s footsteps stopped. He thought he had heard it wrong, but Huo Du, who was standing behind him, continued to speak.

“Come to treat the leg.”

The author has something to say：

Du: I’m tired of holding my wife in one hand!!! 

Reader: We all remember that someone said that he would be a lame person for the rest of his life.

Du: It’s not me anyway. (Indifference)