Chapter 439 - Jostling for Favor
Chapter 439 Jostling for Favor
Lin Mengya’s long lashes fluttered once, twice, and the pair of eyes which had sunk in sleep for days finally woke up.
Long Tianyu went into raptures. He called out softly to Lin Mengya, but he did not get the response he expected.
Her pair of bright eyes appeared vacant. No one knew what was happening to Lin Mengya at this moment.
Lin Mengya almost blurted out a curse. In reality, she had not lost her conscious mind.
The strange thing was that a normal person who had ingested such a great amount of knockout pill would be totally unconscious like a vegetable.
However, since the pills took effect, the Shen Nung system in Lin Mengya had ungraded again!
She did not know whether to think that she had profited through misfortune or that she had stumbled upon luck.
Every time her brain was subjected to the crisis of a blow, the Shen Nung system would automatically upgrade itself. In addition, the limits of authority in the Shen Nung system would be extended further.
Lin Mengya had to admit the truth in her teacher’s byword that said, “Not even the most precise instrument in the world could be compared to the human brain in terms of its complication and accuracy and that the brain has infinite potential.”
One ought to know that the human brain was the most important organ in controlling every part of the body.
If the brain suffered a blow from an illness, the other parts of the body would lose their functions.Moreover, the Shen Nung system which had moved on to the second stage would place emphasis on the protective function on the nerves in the human brain.
In other words, she did not have to worry about contracting dementia all her life.
For this reason, when the knockout pills had taken effect, her consciousness had not been entirely numbed.
Fortunately, the knockout pills did numb her sensation for pain. While she was aware of all that was happening around her, she was like a vegetable, unable to move any part of her body.
At present, perhaps the effect of the knockout pills had worn off, coupled with the fact that the imperial physician had fed her large amount of precious herbs, the Shen Nung system had decided that her body was ready for her to regain her consciousness.
It was then that her entire nervous system had been freed. However, she was not completely prepared at this moment to take over control of her own body.
This was why she needed those few minutes as a buffer.
The three men surrounding her had misunderstood.
“It’s finished! Little cousin sister had become an idiot! My emperor brother, Mengya has become an idiot!”
Zuo Qiuyu waved his hand in front of Lin Mengya’s eyes but they seemed unresponsive.
Instantly, he started to lament saying, “You quacks! You have made my cousin into an idiot! Rest assured my cousin-in-law, I’ll surely give you an account of this.”
As Zuo Qiuchen spoke those words, he was boiling with rage.
“It’s alright. Even if she has become an idiot, I will continue to take care of her. Once she recovers, I will bring her back to Dajin,” responded Long Tianyu solemnly and stirringly.
After all, before he married her, it was well known to everyone in the Capital City that Lin Mengya was an idiot.
She had merely reverted to her old self now. He was no doubt heartbroken, but he would surely not forsake her.
“My cousin-in-law, I’m truly touched. Alright, I’ve decided to follow back to Dajin again!” said Zuo Qiuyu.
Just a moment ago, Zuo Qiuyu was pretending to be crying, putting his head on Lin Mengya’s bed. He had sprung up suddenly and spoken sincerely to Long Tianyu, holding his hands.
However, Zuo Qiuchen immediately reached out his large hand to pull his younger brother towards him as he said, “How dare you still say such things! If not for you, little cousin sister wouldn’t have become an idiot! You’d better stay in the mansion to think over your mistakes. Don’t you think about leaving the mansion again for the rest of your life!”
At that instant, the brothers could not stop arguing and the room was in a commotion. Lin Mengya, who heard everything, did not know whether to laugh or cry. After she had regained all her senses, Lin Mengya, who had not spoken for days, forced a word out of her mouth.
“Noisy!”
Silence. The room, which was in total disarray, had in this instant became totally quiet.
All the people turned to look at the girl on the bed with bewildered eyes.
What they saw in her big bright eyes was—disdain!
In the next moment, all three handsome men crowded around her bed, fighting for her attention.
“Mengya, I’m your eldest cousin brother!”
The man who spoke was clad in a royal yellow robe. He had a somewhat familiar face, yet she did know him. While he seemed like a steady and composed man, he was also a little overbearing. He ought to be the emperor of the Nation of Lintian, whom she heard speaking when she was supposedly unconscious.
“Mengya, I’m your second cousin brother!”
Qiu Yu appeared a little frail, but he was still that refined and good-looking Zuo Qiuyu without a doubt. He was once the Imperial Physician Qiu Yu whom she looked upon as a good friend.
“Mengya, I…”
What came into her sight was a thin and pallid yet very handsome face.
His dark eyes were bloodshot and there were dark circles below his eyes. She did not know when his face with well-defined features had become alarmingly thin.
There were cracks in his thin lips, which were below his tall, sharp nose. His unshaven chin was dotted with stubbles. She had never seen such a sloppy Long Tianyu.
“Ugly.”
Lin Mengya spoke with a hoarse voice as her eyes moved from his forehead to the corner of his mouth. The expression on her small face remained rigid, but she was still gazing at him with a look of disdain.
However, deep in her heart, she was so heartbroken at the sight of him.
This was the first time Long Tianyu’s face broke out with a sincere smile from his heart since he came to the Nation of Lintian.
“Ya, I won’t look so ugly after a few days. Are you thirsty? Would you like some water?”
As Long Tianyu held her hands, he had never felt so emotional, not even when he was bestowed the prince’s title or when he returned victorious from a battle for the first time.
She was well, even though her body was still frail given that she had just woken up from a coma. However, she felt that she was fine at this moment.
The Zuo brothers looked downcast as they were sidelined.
The saying went that married daughters were like spilled water. The little cousin sister whom they had been waiting expectantly for did not even glance at them.
Humph, they had not grown up together, and now there was no hope of gaining her favor.
Although they were troubled in that sense, they were still elated to see that Lin Mengya had woken up.
After the brother exchanged looks, they hurried along to announce the news that their little cousin sister had woken up.
After Lin Mengya was fed half a bowl of warm water, her voice had recovered.
“You should have a sip of water as well. Your lips are cracking and bleeding from dryness.”
Lin Mengya’s voice was soft and weak as she had just woken up and had not recovered her strength.
Long Tianyu, however, was behaving like an idiot who could not stop smiling. No matter what she said, he agreed and complied with her.
“I’m hungry. I want to eat something.”
Although Lin Mengya was not used to such an accommodating Long Tianyu, her heart was warmed by how sweet he was towards her.
This man was like an oversized toy which only knew how to smile foolishly. He was nothing like the usual intelligent and quick-witted Long Tianyu she knew.
“Alright, I’ll have someone prepare it for you.”
Long Tianyu then dashed out of the room excitedly, but after waiting for quite some time, what Lin Mengya got was some plain porridge brought in by Zuo Qiuyu and Zuo Qiuchen.
“You’re finally awake, dear little cousin sister. Oh yes, I suppose Long Tianyu had not told you that I’m your second cousin brother. This man here is my elder brother, so he is your big cousin brother, Zuo Qiuchen. From now on, you’ll be Princess Anle of the Nation of Lintian!”
Zuo Qiuyu explained to Lin Mengya, as if he was showing off his treasure. Although she knew their identities even when she had not woken up, she nodded at Zuo Qiuyu. Thereafter, she then sat up with the help of the maidservants who then fed her the aromatic porridge little by little.
“What about him? What happened to him?”
Lin Mengya had not seen Long Tianyu even after she finished eating the porridge.
When Lin Mengya inquired Zuo Qiuyu about Long Tianyu with a gentle voice, Zuo Qiuyu’s face fell and with a tone of dissatisfaction, he said, “Hey, little cousin sister, you’re really showing favoritism here! I’ve come to wait on you even when I myself have not recovered from my injuries, don’t you…”
Lin Mengya suddenly kicked Zuo Qiuyu away.
Zuo Qiuchen who had been standing there watching Lin Mengya and Zuo Qiuchen with tenderness in his eyes immediately came over to the side of Lin Mengya’s bed and sat down.
“Don’t worry, cousin-in-law must be too exhausted. When he went into the kitchen to ask them to prepare food for you, he actually fell asleep there and then. I’ve sent men to carry him back to his room. Don’t worry too much, you’ve just woken up.”
Zuo Qiuchen’s warm and friendly attitude created a rather good impression of this cousin brother in Lin Mengya.
Perhaps it was because this elder cousin brother was the emperor, his mannerism seemed much more trustworthy and steady compared to Zuo Qiuyu.
Although they were merely cousins, there was still some resemblance in their features.
Lin Mengya had no doubts about this person before her eyes being her cousin whom she shared half of a common bloodline.
“Thank you so much, dear cousin.”
Perhaps it was because Zuo Qiuchen had waited a long time for Lin Mengya to address him as her cousin, he was immediately filled with a feeling of comfort and a brilliant smile spread out on his face. He earnestly wished that he could give the entire nation to her as a gift.
Lin Mengya, on the other hand, did not feel so strongly towards them. She thought that it was rather strange for the two brothers to be so affectionate towards her.
It was only after Zuo Qiuyu casually mentioned to her situation in the palace that female heirs were rare in the royal family and that there were only male heirs that she finally understood why she, being Princess Anle, had so quickly become the nation’s favorite.
Was there not a phrase that went, “Scarcity increases value?”
Long Tianyu, who was utterly exhausted, slept for three days and three nights before he appeared before Lin Mengya again, enlivened in his spirit.
She even heard from Zuo Qiuyu that Long Tianyu had eaten a large bowl of rice after waking up from his long sleep.
For this reason, when Lin Mengya saw him again, he appeared to have been revitalized, even though he was still skinnier than before. Nevertheless, Lin Mengya felt reassured that he was finally alright.
“How are you feeling today? Is your right shoulder still hurting?”
Long Tianyu had tenderly inquired about her condition while squatting by her bedside.
He was clad in a robe of sapphire blue, which brought out his outstanding manners.
His long, messy hair had also been pulled back and tied up with a white jade crown in the shape of a kylin, just like he used to do.
He was clean-shaven and his lips had regained their suppleness.
Lin Mengya could not help but be indulged in his deep, dark eyes filled with tenderness.
“I’m alright. Cousin Chen had delivered a lot of rare and precious herbs for my use. My shoulder doesn’t pain as much as before.”
As she was speaking, he gently pushed her fringe to the back of her ear using his long slender fingers.
The tender romantic feelings rose from the mutual contact and Lin Mengya could no longer bear the bursting feeling within that she had to look away.