Grabbing Your Hand, Dragging You Away

Chapter 17

I seem to have not slept like this for a very, very long time, the world within my dream is like my breathing, so close and warm. By my side, he and her, as well as the others, still exists, my life is still filled with shades of black and white, my memory filled with those shades of grey, the overdue, beautiful memories.

How realistic that life was, yet I am unable to feel the liveliness and beating of my heart.

That's right, I died.

I coldly wander away in my dream, when the light appears, I show no hesitance at all, as I head towards it, and then calmly open my eyes to see the light blue canopy above. I try to move my own little thumb, and in the end, I can only find it ridiculous that I'm acting like I've gone back to being one of those severely ill patients, after waking up from a coma, the first thing to do, is use the slightest movement to check whether I have any energy.

I cannot help but to admit I despise diseases, absolutely despise it.

I think that, if I had the opportunity to give myself a name when I was born, then I would definitely give myself the name 'Wu Bing' (no illness – reference to the author's pen name), I pray for a life without illnesses, never to experience pain again.

Right when I am blankly staring at the canopy above, falling into a daze, the door is gently pushed open, followed by the sound of pattering steps approaching the bed, when the arriving person sees me, they cry out in pleasant surprise: "Princess, you're awake!"

I slightly turn my head to see the person's face, dumpling-like mouth and apple cheeks, turns out it's Xi Xi. I don't respond to her words, and only circle my eyes around the room a good few times, before dully asking: "Xi Xi, did we move palace halls?"

Xi Xi turns and adeptly wrings the towel before coming up to my side, her tone light and fast: "No such thing has happened, why move palace halls when there's nothing wrong? Princess sure is a person of great prestige that's very forgetful, do you not remember where this is at all?"

I close my eyes, simply leaving her to wipe my face, thinking to myself, how could I not know where this is, my childhood days were mainly spent with Yuwen Rui leading me around to play, and his room, is naturally not unfamiliar to me. Although it has already been three or four years since I've last come here, the furnishing in here leaves a deep impression.

Although those exquisite sheer curtains has already been replaced with new ones, it is still that sort of light blue colour that looks extremely elegant and graceful. The quietly hanging wind chime may already be behind the times, but is still hung at the head of the beautifully carved bed. That short legged table may already be old, but is still covered in the tablecloth that Yuwen Rui and I had both tie-dyed together.

All these are things of the past that have been kept to this day, this is Yuwen Rui treasuring things for old time sake, sentimental but doesn't match with him as a person, tut tut, this guy sure is a mensao. (闷骚 / mèn sāo refers to someone - usually to describe men - who are reserved and thoughtful on the outside but actually holds passion and wildness within. The actual translation would be 'Man Show' as the term comes from the Chinese pronunciation of the words, but it sounds too cheesy for my liking XD)

"Princess, you really have gone too far this time, how could you disappear without any news at all? Did you know how worried for you this servant was, how afraid I was that something had happened to you?" Xi Xi complains as soon as she opens her mouth, "Although this servant knows nothing will happen with your noble body and blessed life, I still cannot help but to think this and that. Now that you're back, this servant can finally let out a sigh of relief, but do you have any idea how this servant has been spending her nights? Every night when it is time to sleep, I would always get up wanting to check on you out of habit, but upon lifting the blanket, I immediately realise you're not there. Then as I sleep, I would always think about whether you are sleeping well or not, whether you're kicking your blankets away or not, after countless tossing and turning, do I barely fall asleep. The next morning, I would once again routinely get up early to check on you, and then fall into a daze as I face the clear water in the basin."