Ye Luan did not see the two people who followed, and she rushed all the way to Lu Feibai's courtyard.
Inside, the room was crowded.
On the bed, Lu Feibai had fainted, his face a sickly pale. By the bedside, a white-bearded old man was taking his pulse.
It was him!
The old man who had given her the jade bead earlier.
Seeing her confusion, Qing Luan explained, "Miss Ye, this is our young master's master, Master Mingyuan."
Ye Luan nodded vaguely, not caring about such things.
She looked at the person lying unconscious on the bed, a feeling of powerless panic spreading through her limbs, making it difficult for her to breathe.
"Old man, how is he?"
Xie Beihan, seeing him frown and remain silent, couldn't help but ask.
Mingyuan withdrew his hand, sighed, and said nothing.
The day had finally come.
He got up to get his medicine box, and as he turned around, he saw Ye Luan.
"Oh, it's you, little girl."
Ye Luan nodded as the person looked at her.
Mingyuan, with no mind to speak, glanced back at his disciple on the sickbed, sighed deeply, and was about to leave.
Xie Beihan stopped him and asked, "When will he wake up?"
"The medicine he took forced out the frost poison, and he'll probably be unconscious for a few hours."
"And what will happen to him after he wakes up?"
Mingyuan shook his head mournfully, "Congenital frost disease, beyond medicinal help. I don't know how long he can last, but that Hándan Pearl is a worldly treasure. Perhaps it can help him last a little longer."
Cannot save him, cannot save him.
For so many years, he had searched all the lands and regions, consulted various difficult and rare diseases, but congenital frost disease was incurable, incurable!
He had lived more than half his life, only to see a white-haired man send off a black-haired one.
"Fate has ended, fate has ended."
As he spoke, Xie Beihan's eyes were a little vacant, his sinister face devoid of any expression.
Ye Luan felt a pang of sorrow in her heart. Looking at the unconscious person on the bed, her eyes turned red, and tears welled up uncontrollably.
Xiao Chizhan, standing at the door, felt as if his heart were being stabbed when he saw her cry.
"Luan Luan."
Ye Luan heard the familiar voice and did not turn back.
Congenital frost disease, why this particular incurable illness? How could it be rooted out?
The snow outside fell intermittently, covering the ground with a thin layer of frost.
The bleak moon hung high in the sky. Inside the house, the people finally began to regain consciousness.
"He's awake."
"Senior brother is awake."
Lu Feibai, his face pale, turned his head. His gaze swept over the people in the room, finally landing on Ye Luan's face.
"How are you feeling?"
Xie Beihan strode over and helped him up.
He shook his head slightly, his pale lips curling into a faint smile.
"It's nothing. You all should leave first."
Seeing him like this, the others had nothing more to say and withdrew.
Ye Luan pursed her lips, but ultimately said nothing and left with the others.
Inside the room, only Xie Beihan remained.
Lu Feibai leaned against the bedside, silent. He had been staring at Ye Luan's retreating back for a long time.
"What do you want to eat?"
Xie Beihan poured him a cup of tea.
Lu Feibai, with Xie Beihan's help, sat up. He glanced at the night scenery outside the window and suddenly spoke.
"Beihan, take me out for a look."
It was too stuffy in this room.
Xie Beihan said nothing, got him a mink coat to wear, and pushed him out the door.
It had snowed these past few days, and the night outside was very cold.
The two of them sat in the courtyard, looking up at the moon in the sky.
"The moon in Beiqi is bigger and rounder than the one outside the frontier."
Xie Beihan rested his head on one hand and glanced lazily at him in the wheelchair, saying, "Do you want to go back to Beiqi?"
"Yes, unfortunately, there's no chance anymore."
Lu Feibai chuckled self-deprecatingly. "After I die, bury me quietly. Don't alert anyone."
The bleak, desolate wind, mixed with snowflakes, fell on Xie Beihan's face. He closed his eyes silently and hummed in agreement.
"Qing Luan."
"Young Master."
Lu Feibai said lightly, "Is everything ready?"
Qing Luan respectfully brought over a brocade box and placed it on the stone table.
"After I'm gone, give this to Aluan."
His clean, pale hand gently pushed the brocade box over.
Xie Beihan glanced at it and nodded faintly.
Lu Feibai said, "You know about my dark stakes in the Nine Provinces. You should clean them up."
"Mm."
"And those estates—"
"Alright, shut up. You're annoying me."
Xie Beihan impatiently turned his head and glanced at the plum blossoms beside him.
Lu Feibai wasn't angry. He smiled gently and leaned back in his wheelchair, saying no more.
He looked at the scenery in the distance, his gentle eyes filled with peace.
The lanterns under the eaves of the garden hung high, casting specks of light into the dim courtyard.
After a while, Xie Beihan's calm voice sounded faintly.
"Jingzhi, don't forget the childhood promise."
Lu Feibai chuckled, "Naturally." He paused, curled his fingers, and said, "Beihan, go and dig out the wine I buried under the peach tree."
Xie Beihan's voice stiffened, and he looked up. "Is it time?"
"It is. It's time to drink."
He had never tasted wine in his life.
The next day, when Ye Luan arrived and pushed open the door, she saw Lu Feibai lying in the wheelchair with his eyes closed.
The gentle sunlight fell on his handsome and gentle face, as if casting a golden glow.
Xie Beihan, dressed in black robes, sat beside him, his eyebrows lowered, his expression indifferent.
At their feet, several wine jars were scattered around.
An unspeakable premonition arose in Ye Luan's heart. Her body froze in place, her feet seeming to be rooted in the mud, unable to move.
The dew dripping from the lush branches in the corner of the wall felt icy cold on her neck, sliding down her collar into her clothes.
It made her whole body shiver.
"Little girl, come here."
Xie Beihan had sat there all night, and a layer of frost clung to him.
Ye Luan stiffly walked over. She stood beside Lu Feibai, leaned down slightly, and extended her pale, numb hand to check his breathing.
"Jingzhi."
Her hands were trembling, so much so that she could barely stand.
Xie Beihan took her hand, saw her red eyes, and tears welled up. His pale lips curved slightly. "What are you crying for?"
Is he dead?
Hearing the commotion, Lu Feibai opened his eyes slightly. Seeing Ye Luan's red-rimmed eyes, he was taken aback and managed a weak smile.
"Aluan, I'm fine."
Ye Luan watched as those gentle eyes slowly opened. Her stiffened hands immediately relaxed, and she stood up straight, letting out a breath.
"Why are you lying here?"
She had thought the person was dead and had been terrified.
Lu Feibai, his lips pale, tugged at the corners of his mouth and said, "We were watching the moon for a while."
Could they have been watching the moon all night?
Ye Luan said, "How are you feeling?"
"Much better." Lu Feibai smiled gently. "Aluan, I will be leaving Wuhui Gate this afternoon."
"Ah, you're not well yet. Where are you going?"
Lu Feibai said, "I need to go out for a bit to handle some personal matters."