After Chapter 49, hide behind me.

After Chapter 49, hide behind me.

"Open your mouth."

Pei Yunjing held a bowl of medicine that was as black as ink and emitted a strong, bitter smell.

Like a heartless killer, he held the white porcelain spoon to Tangli's lips.

His movements were really clumsy.

You could even say it was somewhat rude.

The spoonful of medicine was so full it almost overflowed.

The angle at which it was handed over was wrong; it hit the pear's teeth hard with a "clink" sound.

"Hmm..."

Tang Li frowned, shrank back, and looked utterly resistant.

"Your Highness...this medicine is too bitter...and could you be gentler? I chipped my tooth..."

She's seriously injured right now, can't this lunatic have a little self-awareness in serving people?

This wasn't feeding her medicine; it was more like pouring poison down her throat to send her on her way.

"Delicate."

Pei Yunjing snorted coldly, his brows furrowing even more tightly than hers.

His hands, which usually hold knives for killing and approve memorials for governing the country, have never done such meticulous work of serving people.

If anyone else dared to be so picky, he would have smashed the bowl in their face long ago.

But looking at Tang Li's pale face, and how pitiful she looked when she frowned.

Pei Yunjing took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the impatience in his heart.

He twisted his wrist and poured out some of the medicine to prevent it from spilling.

Then, incredibly clumsily, he brought the spoon to his lips, gently blew on it to make sure it wasn't too hot, and then handed it over again.

"drink."

His tone remained firm, as if issuing a military order:

Good medicine tastes bitter. If you want your wound to heal quickly, stop talking nonsense.

Tang Li looked at his expression, as if he were facing a formidable enemy and making some kind of meticulous strategic deployment. Although she was still complaining about how bitter the medicine was, she couldn't help but smile.

"Gulp."

Tang Li, holding his hand, endured the bitter taste and drank the medicine sip by sip.

With each swallow, Pei Yunjing's gaze remained fixed on her throat, as if to confirm whether she had swallowed it properly and whether she had choked.

Until the last drop of medicine was gone.

"Cough cough..."

The medicine was too bitter, and Tang Li couldn't help but cough twice, a little brown medicine stain spilling from the corner of her mouth.

She was about to raise her hand to wipe it.

A long, slender hand with calloused skin reached out even faster than her.

Pei Yunjing did not use a handkerchief.

He used his rough fingertips to gently but firmly wipe away the trace of medicine from the corner of her lips.

The fingertips brushed against the delicate lips, bringing a tingling, electric sensation.

Tang Li froze, instinctively looking up at him.

Their eyes met.

Pei Yunjing did not withdraw his hand.

His fingers remained on the corner of her lips, and her phoenix eyes, which were usually filled with violence and madness, were now as calm as an abyss.

There, only her reflection could be seen.

"Tangli".

He suddenly spoke, his voice low and hoarse, revealing an unprecedented seriousness.

"Huh?" Tang Li looked a little confused.

Pei Yunjing looked into her eyes, and the image of that rainy night in the cave, where the sword pierced her shoulder, flashed through his mind again.

He never wanted to experience that kind of heart-stopping fear again in his life.

"You'd better remember this."

Pei Yunjing pressed his fingers slightly harder against the corner of her lips, his tone domineering and cold:

"Your life belongs to me."

"In this world, no one but me has the right to decide your life or death. Including yourself."

Tang Li was stunned.

This sounds like a threat, but why does it also sound like... a promise?

Pei Yunjing withdrew his hand, took out a clean handkerchief from his pocket, and slowly wiped his fingers, his gaze still fixed on her, as he said, word by word:

"If we encounter this kind of danger again in the future..."

He paused, a look of extreme arrogance and power appearing on his handsome face:

"Hide behind me."

Tang Li's heart skipped a beat.

"Stop being so clever and charging forward, and stop thinking about taking a knife for me."

Pei Yunjing stood up, his tall figure casting a shadow in the candlelight, completely enveloping Tang Li.

He looked at her, his tone arrogant, yet incredibly reassuring:

"The sword in my hand is not just for show."

"As long as I don't die..."

Pei Yunjing leaned down and whispered this weighty vow in her ear:

"You can't get through the gates of the King of Hell's palace."

"Did you understand? You idiot."

Tangli stared blankly at him.

The man in front of her still had that arrogant, foul temper, and kept calling her an idiot.

But his words just now were like a warm current, instantly piercing through all her defenses.

"I...I understand..."

Tang Li sniffed, her eyes welling up, and her voice was soft and sweet:

"Then... Your Highness must live a long life."

"Otherwise, who will buy me braised pork?"

Upon hearing this, Pei Yunjing laughed in anger, reached out and roughly ruffled her hair, making her already messy hair bun look even more like a bird's nest.

"Promising."

He cursed, turned around, and strode out.

But his steps were much lighter than when he came.