Chapter 358 A Passing Figure in His Life

Chapter 358: The Passerby in His Life

Jiang Shuning gripped tightly the white jade porcelain bottle that Jiang Tianze had given her and hurried back to the yamen without a moment's pause, handing it over to Dr. Sun.

"Dr. Sun, this is the poison Jiang Tianze administered. Please take a look and see if you can formulate an antidote."

Dr. Sun's expression turned grave. He immediately grabbed the bottle, pulled out the stopper, gave it a careful sniff, then tipped a little powder onto his fingertip and rubbed it.

His expression darkened.

"What a nasty poison..." he murmured to himself, then looked up, a determined glint in the physician's eyes. "But with the original poison in hand, there is a way! Don't worry, miss, even if I have to stay up all night, I will produce the antidote for him!"

With that, he dove headfirst into the stacks of jars and herbs, paying no attention to anyone else.

Jiang Shuning watched his focused figure, and her taut nerves relaxed slightly. She didn't leave; instead, she went back to Xiao Lingchuan's room.

The night was pitch black.

She sat on the ottoman beside the bed, staring at him by the faint, yellow candlelight.

He lay there, his breathing weak, his face pale with sickness, his long lashes throwing shadows under his eyes.

Without his usual cold demeanor and authority, he looked a bit vulnerable.

She hardly slept that night.

In the later part of the night, he started thrashing around, murmuring in his sleep, his brows furrowed like he was caught in a nightmare.

"Shuning..."

His hoarse murmur, like a tiny needle, pricked Jiang Shuning's heart.

She instinctively leaned in.

"Shuning... don't go..." he gasped, his expression pained. "Don't leave me..."

His voice was so soft, yet so heavy, with a fragile, almost pleading tone that landed heavily on Jiang Shuning's heart, making it ache and feel like it might crack.

Shuning.

That name again.

The woman carved into his heart, the one he couldn't forget, even in his dreams.

Who exactly was she?

Jiang Shuning reached out, hesitated a long time, and finally gently pulled the blanket up to cover his cold hand.

The woman you love like that must be lucky.

At dawn, she dragged her leaden legs out of the room.

After a sleepless night, her head was dizzy, and dark circles under her eyes.

Just as she stepped into the hallway, she bumped into Ling Wu.

Seeing her, Ling Wu immediately looked worried. "Miss A Ning, you've been up all night taking care of the lord! You must be exhausted. Go rest; I'll take over here."

Jiang Shuning shook her head, her lips parting. The question that had been nagging her all night finally slipped out.

Mustering her courage, she looked up at Ling Wu. "Miss Lingwu, you've been with the lord for so long... have you ever met a lady named 'Shuning'?"

Ling Wu was taken aback, then a smile broke across her face.

"Seen her? I've done more than that!" she blurted out, her voice light as a bird's. "To be honest, the lord hired me specifically to protect her!"

Jiang Shuning's heart lurched. She quickly dropped her gaze, her long lashes hiding the turmoil in her eyes.

"It seems... the lord really cares about this Miss Shuning."

"Of course!" Ling Wu, completely unaware of her reaction, couldn't stop talking about it, her eyes shining. "It's more than just caring! She's the apple of his eye! He cherishes her like a precious gem! If Miss Shuning asked for the moon, our lord would build a ladder without a second thought and pluck it for her!"

The sour, aching feeling welled up again, even sharper than the night before.

Jiang Shuning felt like she couldn't breathe.

"And... where is she now?" she squeezed out the final question, her voice choked. "Why... aren't they together?"

Ling Wu's smile faded slightly. She looked at Jiang Shuning, as if weighing her words, then let out a long sigh. "Ah, there's a bit of a misunderstanding between them. And now they're facing some tricky issues... But from what I see, they're bound to make up and get back together sooner or later!"

Ling Wu thought to herself: When the princess regains her memory and remembers how the prince held her in the palm of his hand all this time and protected her, she will surely forgive the prince for forcing her to stay at Prince Jing's manor against her wishes in the past.

Then, this pair of lovers will surely be reunited.

But to Jiang Shuning, it sounded like the final straw that broke the camel's back.

Make up and be together again.

So they were only temporarily apart.

They would be together again eventually, and she was destined to be a forgotten passerby.

The bitterness almost suffocated her. Jiang Shuning bit her lower lip hard to swallow the humiliation and sorrow.

At that moment, her determination to leave became more resolute than ever.

At dusk, Dr. Sun finally emerged, holding a bowl of pitch-black medicinal soup, his face showing the exhaustion of triumph. "The antidote! It's done!"

Jiang Shuning's heart trembled violently. It was as if her soul, sinking in the abyss, had suddenly been pulled back to shore. Tears of excitement welled up in her eyes. "That's wonderful! Dr. Sun, let me give him the medicine!"

"Then I'll trouble you, miss!" Dr. Sun handed her the bowl.

She eagerly took the bowl, returned to the room, and helped Xiao Lingchuan sit up. She prepared to use a hollow stem to guide the liquid into his mouth.

But he was unconscious, his jaw tightly clenched. The medicine trickled down the corner of his mouth instead of being swallowed.

After several attempts, the front of his robe was soaked, but only a few sips of the medicine had gone down.

Jiang Shuning looked at his pale, bloodless lips, her heart filled with anxiety.

If this continued, the medicine's effect would be wasted.

She glanced at the remaining half of the medicine in the bowl, then at his tightly shut lips. An uncontrollable thought surfaced in her mind, instantly flushing her cheeks red.

But at this moment, there seemed to be no other option.

His lips were beautifully shaped, with distinct lines, now appearing particularly pale and cold from blood loss.

Even at a time like this, there was a certain allure to his lips—a temptation to touch, to taste.

Jiang Shuning closed her eyes, as if she had made up her mind.

She leaned close to his ear and whispered in a voice only she could hear: “My lord, circumstances require haste. Forgive my boldness.”

With that, she took a deep breath, held a mouthful of the bitter medicinal broth, and without further hesitation, leaned down to press her lips against his cold ones.

The moment their lips met, a strange electric current shot through her entire body.

His lips were colder than before, like ice that had yet to melt in the deep winter. The touch felt as if even her heart had frozen.

She dared not think about it. Gently, she used the tip of her tongue to pry open his teeth, slowly letting the medicinal broth flow into his mouth.

Only after she felt his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed did she pull away as if shocked, her cheeks flushing so red they seemed ready to bleed.

Though it wasn’t the first time she had fed him medicine mouth-to-mouth, she still couldn’t help but feel shy.

She didn’t dare look at him and continued the motion—one mouthful, then another.

Until the entire bowl of medicine had been completely fed to him.

Outside the window, Ling Wu happened to pass by carrying hot water, and through a gap in the window, she caught a glimpse of the blush-inducing scene.

She nearly let out a yelp, quickly covering her mouth and ducking behind the wall.

After the initial embarrassment came an uncontrollable surge of joy.

Oh my goodness, the princess actually willingly fed the prince mouth-to-mouth!

This meant she had completely accepted him in her heart!

Wonderful! Their happy union was just around the corner!

What she didn’t know was that inside the room, Jiang Shuning was gently wiping the corner of Xiao Lingchuan’s mouth with a handkerchief, gazing at his pale yet still handsome face—but with thoughts entirely different.

*Lord Jing, once you’re cured of the poison and your body recovers, I will leave this place.*

*You can continue waiting for your beloved, reunite with her, and achieve your happy ending.*

*As for me…*

*I’m merely an insignificant passerby in your life.*

*One day, you will forget me completely.*