[BL] Eternal Spring

第二十九章

A/N  Part of the reason this update took so long was that I wasn't sure if I liked how the story was unfolding, especially within this chapter. I wanted everything to have a purpose but this version might just have to be loosely labelled as a draft 

The first thing Liu Qingyuan registered when he regained consciousness was the pain and the cold. His eyelids felt heavy and his limbs heavier, pain sweeping through him with every gentle sway of his limbs. Before Liu Qingyuan could make heads or tails of his surroundings, a wave of dizziness stole his remaining consciousness.

He awoke again not soon after. Perhaps it was his body's desire to survive that forced him to be well enough to wake. Liu Qingyuan lifted his eyelids, hazy vision instilling a sort of dream-like quality to everything he could see. It took him a while to realize that half his face was buried in mud, gentle water lapping at his half-submerged body. At that thought, the mirage seemed to break and the water's chilling sensation swept into his body. His fingers twitched weakly in pain. The winter to come was bitter; naturally the water in this pool would be freezing. Combined with his injures, it would be a miracle if he survived.

Liu Qingyuan lay there, mind fuzzy with pain. His chest hurt with every breath, lungs scraped raw from the icy air. A trace of warmth ran down his face and he belatedly realized he was crying. Perhaps the pain was too great, or his master's ruthlessness hurt too much, but Liu Qingyuan lay there for a while, his face impassive but crystal tears running across the bridge of his nose and into the muddy ground. Laying there immobilized brought a sort of peace within itself. Liu Qingyuan couldn't feel his legs anymore; frozen stiff and injured. He wondered what would happen if he simply closed his eyes.

'You...you definitely have to come back on time. If you...if you dare play outside, we'll see if I'll come punish you!' That indignant voice rang through his head and a trace of a smile graced his lips. His king...his king was still waiting for him. If he died out here in the mountains, how sad would he be? How much would he suffer? Liu Qingyuan's finger twitched lightly. Unfortunately, the mind was willing but the body was not. No matter how much he willed, he only moved slightly. Even that slight movement brought a searing pain to his leg. As if all the frozen nerves were suddenly ignited with feeling. A low grown climbed it's way from his throat, fingers spasming as they gripped the icy ground. His leg was definitely broken.

It was a long while before he managed to move his arm underneath himself. The movement brought pain to his ribs, enough for his vision to momentarily blacken. Forehead pressed to the ground, Liu Qingyuan stared vacantly into the mud, eyelashes trembling as a burning heat seemed to rise in his face. Cold sweat dotted his temples and he reached out, attempting to drag himself out of the water. The ground seemed to form hands, reluctant to let go and clinging to his wet clothes in desperation.

Using all the strength in his body resulted in moving forward barely half an inch. And after that, his strength seemed to drain. Every movement made his muscles burn with pain, but slowly they came back to life. A long while passed before he was able to drag most of his body from the water. Liu Qingyuan gasped for breath, his body twitching helplessly in protest. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't move another inch. Without another word, he closed his eyes and passed out.

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The mountainous area of the countryside offered an exhilarating view for those who wished to see it. However, its terrain was like the two sides of a coin; beautiful, flowery meadows quickly turning into dark, thickened woods. Within these woods, a small dilapidated cottage stood. Its four walls were aged from the sun, dirt long staining its surface. The roof was crooked, looking as though it would fall off any second. Despite its poor appearance, the little cottage was firm, its interior clean and a trial of smoke snaked its way from the short, stumpy chimney. Inside, there was only a simple stove, a mattress of straw in the corner and one rickety, roughly-built chair. Contrary to expectation, the room wasn't bare, in fact, there was barely space to walk; the floor covered with stacks of flat wooden baskets, a plethora of dried herbs and flowers within. It was a harmonious picture, if quite ugly.