Foster Son, Don’t Be So Crazy (59)

Qiao Huan smiled. Seeing the woman her husband admired struggle so pathetically made her feel a shred of pity for her.

She crouched down and twirled the knife in her hand. She should do this quickly in case the lord comes back. Qiao Huan wanted to act a perfect scene, with blood all around, her eyes filled with tears, saying pitifully that an assassin had broken into the room.

She was determined to look even more pitiful than Song Jia.

Qiao Huan raised the knife and plunged it down without any hesitation.

The moment the knife pierced her body, Song Jia pulled out an eyebrow pencil from her storage space ring and stabbed it into Qiao Huan's left eye.

"Ahhh!"

"Ah!"

The two girls both cried out.

Qiao Huan staggered to her feet clutched her face. She caught sight of her reflection on the mirror and immediately fainted, not being able to stand the sight of the pencil sticking out her eye socket.

Song Jia lay on the floor, pain accompanying her every heartbeat, her every breath. It was so painful that she wanted to curse. The ornamental knife had pierced her left chest. That was the location of the heart.

Song Jia estimated that at most, she had three of four minutes left in this world.

She endured the pain and stood up, swaying heavily from side to side. Blood spilled into her dress, soaking it. Just as she reached the doorway that separated the bedroom from the sitting room, she saw the door to the tower burst open.

Xiang Feng stood there, dressed very handsomely, holding a puzzle box in one hand. The smile on his face froze when he saw her.

Staring at him, Song Jia said, "You're late."

Then she lost the feeling in her legs, her long golden hair made a beautiful arc in the air, and she fell into a warm embrace. Xiang Feng clutched her with shaking hands, slowly lowering her to the floor.

His lips were trembling, his tongue felt too heavy, and he stuttered, "Ji...Jia?"

Xiang Feng's face was pale, it was as if all the blood had been drained from his body. He stroked her face, his fingers light on her skin, afraid that a single touch would cause her to disappear.

Song Jia put on a smile, but this simple act made her heart burst into pain, and a slightly sweet liquid poured from her throat. She pressed her lips tightly together, trying to push it back, but a trickle of blood still gushed out from the corner of her lips.

"Xiang Feng, promise...me..."

Xiang Feng's thumb wiped the blood from her lips. His eyes were filled with helplessness, like a child at a loss of what to do.

"Jia, don't speak, when you're healed later, I'll promise you anything. That's right, Jia, I wanted to give you something. Later when I give it to you, you definitely can't say no, alright?"

Xiang Feng tried to lift her gently, to take her to the royal physician, but Song Jia shook her head vehemently from side to side.

"Heart..." she tried to tell him. "No cure."

The arms that held her shook, and Xiang Feng hastily put her back on his lap, not wanting to hurt her. He clenched his fists until the muscles in his hands stopped twitching spasmodically. His face was pale but calm.

"Jia, don't joke around, didn't you promised that you would never leave me? You promised that you'd always stay by my side."

Song Jia was seized by pain so severe that she couldn't speak at the moment. There was darkness in front of her eyes, and cold sweat soaked her dress.

"Sorry..." she whispered, and reached out a hand to touch his face. Xiang Feng covered it with his. "I'm sorry..."

"If you're sorry, then don't speak nonsense and stay with me!" he roared at her. He tightly gripped her hand.

Hearing her speak words of goodbye, he finally lost his temper.

His voice sounded furious, but underneath his anger, Song Jia could hear his desperation, anxiety, and panic.

Warm tears dripped down on her face, but Xiang Feng's voice was still steady.

"Alright, Jia? Stay with me forever."

"Xiang Feng..." Song Jia forced herself to open her eyes and move her lips, "You must live well. Find another girl to love...you must have a long life."

She could no longer see anything, only darkness that was trying to drag her under. The doubt that made her distrust Xiang Feng disappeared like passing smoke, and Song Jia thought that with Xiang Feng here, she wouldn't worry about Princess Bai Xue. He was so clever and strong, and she raised him well.

Song Jia struggled to raise her head. She pressed her lips against his, as soft as a dying breath.

"Xiang Feng...promise."

The moment she whispered this to him, she could no longer resist, and everything around her became silent.

At the moment her head fell back, she only heard a voice, so low that it was almost inaudible.

"...I promise."

Song Jia smiled.

Her eyes fluttered closed, and it seemed that she was only sleeping. Like she was going to wake up at any minute.

The moment she couldn't see him, like a child, Xiang Feng completely broke down.

He bent down and clutched her body to his chest, his fingers digging into her skin. He was like a small animal which had been fatally injured and was now suffering a shock to its life.

"Jia...Jia..."

He rocked back and forth, his hoarse voice whispering her name. He clung to her, burying his head into the crook of her neck as he cried. Xiang Feng cried like he never did before, even when his mother abandoned him, even when he suffered as a child, even when he was beaten in that slave encampment. Because he had nothing to lose before, his heart was numb.

But now he cried, he cried extremely loudly, until his voice became low and hoarse. Xiang Feng cried until he nearly shredded his vocal chords. His eyes reddened, but he did not have the urge to kill.

He kissed Song Jia, kissed her until he tasted the saltiness of his tears mixed with her blood, whispering his desperate plea.

"Jia...open your eyes...I will be good, I will no longer make you angry..."

"Jia, why won't you speak to me? Is it because you're still mad? I'm sorry that I was late, you can beat me, hit me...just open your eyes..."

"Jia, stop being mad at me! I promise I won't make you angry anymore!"

"Jia, where are you going? Don't go too far, wait for me..."

"Jia, please talk to me..."

"Jia..."

It felt as if his heart was being dug out, giving him unbearable pain.

"Jia, I'll be good, just don't leave me behind..."

"Please..."