XH 298 - I just wish

Once the news of Xiao Hua's new batch of brewed tea no longer worked, Long Zhu moved in an urgent pace after telling Long Lian to keep an eye on Xiao Hua.

Long Zhu, with one track of mind, advised Heise what he should do with the modified spring pool after leading him the way.

After that, only a group of trusted servants were allowed to know about this spring pool's existence and helped out in distributing the content to purity the contaminated area.

In the future, only war heroes and those that contributed to their country will be allowed to use the spring pool, but in a limited amount. The four Celestial Beasts' vassals, also their Kingdom's next ruler, will revise this plan until the concerned parties were satisfied.

Once they saw the new spring water worked just like Xiao Hua's tea and purified the dark mist released by the demons, Long Zhu passed all the responsibility to his eighth brother and hurried back to his wife's side without a moment of delay.

Long Zhu found Xiao Hua working beside her foster fathers, treating the patients with a polite, serviceable smile as she patiently listened to their complaints.

Normally, the lazy Xiao Hua would be easily distracted and be the first one to notice a new person's arrival. Currently, she was trying very hard to invest her energy in helping people instead of thinking depressing thoughts.

Yu Zheng and Bai Chuan had long sensed Long Zhu's arrival before he entered the tent, and because of his concerned gaze, Bai Chuan does not make it difficult for his apprentice. He took over Xiao Hua's job and gestured her out of the tent.

Long Zhu's worried expression eased a little when Xiao Hua smiled upon seeing him. He strode towards her and took her away after giving his teacher a grateful look.

They stepped into an empty tent and Long Zhu immediately gave his wife a tight hug. His body temperature was higher than usual, as he had hurriedly come back. "There's no need for us to remain here. The others can handle everything without us. Let us return home."

"...Okay." Xiao Hua agreed since her movement was not as fast as Doctor Bai and Yu Zheng when it comes to bandaging and applying medicine. Plus, it was her habit to glance at Doctor Bai to look for confirmation before treating the patient's injuries, in case she did something wrong.

It wasted a lot of time by doing so.

Once Long Zhu gathered his servants, he passed down the order, "Xiao Liu and San Sheng will be following us. The others will stay behind and help out."

An Jing's gaze shifted to Xiao Liu, who quickly straightened his back and answered seriously, "Xiao Liu will risk his life to ensure Master and Madam will return to the manor safely!"

Da Bei stared up at Xiao Hua with his pair of bright, clear eyes like a dog faithfully waiting for his owner's next order.

"Da Bei, please stay behind and help others in my stead?" Xiao Hua reluctantly requested. It was not that she does not want Da Bei to rest, but she could guess that Long Zhu will ask Da Bei to follow them back by foot instead of letting him into the carriage.

Xiao Hua could see Long Zhu's mood was not good because of her matter and their conversation was best done between them. At least with others, Da Bei could rest and return home at an easy going pace.

Much to her relief, Da Bei nodded like an obedient child and she followed Long Zhu to go back home with an easy heart.

When the couple was no longer in sight, An Jing dropped a sentence for his son to hear. "How are you going to help in this form?"

Da Bei shifted to his human form, which was now as tall as his mother. "Go to Da An and help him out."

An Jing's eldest son was with his father, helping in transporting the spring water. Da Bei, who had already known of the spring pool's existence, will be a nice addition to the helpers.

Before Xiao Liu went to retrieve his horse, 'Red Bean', he pulled out the carriage from his spatial bag. San Sheng stood on guard outside while Long Zhu already pulled Xiao Hua into the carriage to rest. Inside the carriage was as spacious as anticipated, as Long Zhu would never skim on budget when it comes to self-comfort.

Sitting side by side with each other, Long Zhu's thumb caressed her eye bags that were still swollen despite Doctor Bai's effort to reduce it. His jade red thumb ring was chilly to the touch and it feels nice on her warm face.

"Your tea-"

"Is good riddance," Xiao Hua quickly cut in. Instead of waiting for her husband to slowly peel off the band-aid on her heart, it was less painful if she took the initiative instead.

Xiao Hua's firm answer clearly took Long Zhu aback that he was speechless for quite a while. The momentarily silence allowed Xiao Hua to gather more strength to continue speaking with a bright tone.

"I do think it's unfortunate that I could no longer get some private earnings from Prince Heng, but at least no one will continue calling me the tea girl behind my back."

Long Zhu's eyes narrowed. "Who dared to call you that?"

Xiao Hua shrugged uncaringly. "I don't know, but there should be at least one person that secretly calls me that? Actually, losing this cheap skill is nothing compared to what I've experienced earlier. Do you remember that I've fainted back in Gu Dan? Actually, my soul went back to my body, back in my world."

The sudden strong bloodlust coming from the carriage San Sheng was protecting immediately had him on high alert. He had purposely deafened himself towards the sound he could have heard from inside the carriage, so he does not know what caused his master to get this enraged.

"I came back! I came back!" His madam's voice quickly echoed inside the carriage and his master slowly regained his usual bearing, pulling back the bloodlust.

San Sheng knew it was not his business so he deafens his hearing again, just in time for Xiao Liu to bring back his horse.

"My body is so badly injured that even the doctors could not fix me. I think the World Spirit gave me the last chance to meet my mom again and I've said my goodbyes before my body died for real." Xiao Hua blinked, trying to dry up the tears from her eyes. Once she had started crying for the day, it became easier to cry for the rest of the day.

"I'm glad she has a boyfriend now and has someone to support her and stay by her side to help her get over my death. My boss, your look-alike, promises he will take care of my mom for me. He could be nice even if he likes to bully me or use my stuff, but... but..."

Long Zhu wiped her tears as Xiao Hua sobbed. "He is one of my best friends. I don't know what he thinks about me, but he is my best friend."

"I think he views you as his good friend too."

Le XiaoTing hopes so too, that he would be so concerned about her not because he felt guilty for indirectly hurting her, but because he genuinely worried about her.

Like how good friends do.

Xiao Hua smiled rather dreadfully with her tear-filled face and red eyes filled with self-condemn. "You know, I feel relieved when I find out I'm going to die, that I don't need to live as a cripple that will need people's help to do everything. I'm a coward to be thankful that I was not given a choice to either live or die. You have no idea how happy I am when I wake up and see you, that I'm back in this world with a healthy, moving body-"

Long Zhu patted her back when she choked on her words because she cried so hard that her whole body trembled. "I... I don't even know if I will return as 'Xiao Hua' but I don't care. I'm just so afraid of being a useless person forever."

"I'm glad you are a coward because it means you are here with me," Long Zhu admitted. "If you are not, you will insist on staying in your world, just to stay with your mother and in the world you are familiar and born in."

"No, no, I-"

Long Zhu clasped her head, stopping her from shaking it in denial. He waited until her gaze met his before saying. "That's why I'm glad that your real body died and your soul came back to me."

Towards his words that could be interpreted as selfishness, Xiao Hua's shuddering reduced because there was someone that did not condemn her for her cowardly thoughts.

"I do feel apologetic to my mother-in-law for taking her daughter away, but you are now my wife and I'm not letting go now that you are with me. I will compensate for her loss by treating her adored daughter well. Even after my wife no longer regrets or despises herself for choosing me, I will still continue treating her well."

Xiao Hua made a weird sound of laughing and choking at the same time. "I don't regret choosing you. I just wish..." that I can choose both you and my mother.

But God was fair and humans were not allowed to be greedy.