Silence descended upon the bedroom after Zhang Yi finished speaking, broken only by the faint sounds of his and You Rong's breaths.
You Rong lowered his gaze to Lin Qinghe on the bed, remaining silent. After a long while, Zhang Yi heard him whisper, his voice barely audible, "It's alright, as long as she can wake up. Whether it's a thousand years, two thousand years, or even ten thousand years, it's fine. As long as she can wake up..."
Zhang Yi's mind raced.
Lin Qinghe entering a dormant state was merely their speculation; its truth remained uncertain. Even if it were true, it was exceptionally cruel to You Rong.
The lifespan of Orcs differed from the eternally living Blood Clan. Their lifespans were only a few hundred years. If Lin Qinghe truly needed two thousand years to awaken, You Rong would never see her again in his lifetime.
Zhang Yi sighed and said, "Young Master, this is only our conjecture. Rest assured, Patriarch Chu and I will continue to search the Elder Council's archives for a solution. We'll inform you immediately once we find one!"
You Rong nodded. "...I understand."
"Regarding the defenses here... I will discuss it with Patriarch Chu and have him assign trustworthy Blood Clan members to guard, ensuring the Ancestor's safety."
You Rong nodded again, his expression placid, revealing nothing. Zhang Yi shook his head, unsure how to comfort You Rong. He decided to leave for now.
After Zhang Yi departed, You Rong cupped Lin Qinghe's hand and pressed it to his face. The composure he maintained in front of others vanished, his eyes grew red, and his chest ached with an overwhelming sadness.
He should be grieving, thinking he would never see the smiling Lin Qinghe again. Yet, he couldn't suppress a surge of happiness. He told himself that at least she was unharmed, at least she was alive.
You Rong buried his face in Lin Qinghe's palm. If Lin Qinghe were awake now, she would surely notice the dampness on her palm. Only You Rong's hoarse voice filled the bedroom.
"When you wake up later, will you still remember me? Will you forget me after sleeping for two thousand years? Never mind... if you forget, then forget. It's better if you don't remember. Otherwise, knowing your temperament, if I'm no longer here, you would surely be heartbroken for a long, long time..."
When he heard Zhang Yi's words, You Rong had secretly vowed that as long as he lived, he would stay by Lin Qinghe's side. After all, when his family was murdered back then, if Lin Qinghe hadn't been there, he would have died long ago.
His life was a gift from Lin Qinghe, and it belonged to her. Living his entire life to protect her was only right and proper.
-------------------------------------
Time flew by, two months later.
During these two months, Lin Qinghe's dormant state had brought about many changes within the Blood Clan. Some Blood Clan members harbored malicious intentions, but thanks to the joint suppression by Zhang Yi and Chu Tianhao, no major disturbances had occurred. However, the news of Lin Qinghe's weak, dormant state had been leaked by the Serpent Clan leader Du Qingfeng, spreading like wildfire among the Beastmen tribes. Many Beastmen were stirring in the shadows. Of course, any who dared to provoke the Blood Clan were dealt with ruthlessly by Chu Tianhao.
Since You Rong brought Lin Qinghe back to the castle, he had stayed by her side almost constantly. Even though Lin Qinghe was completely unaware and lay motionlessly on the bed, he remained vigilant. He would occasionally talk to her to himself, personally attending to her needs without delegating any tasks.
Today, as You Rong was cleaning Lin Qinghe's body as usual, he noticed she was different. Her complexion was extremely pale, her skin seemed to have lost its elasticity, showing signs of imminent dryness.
You Rong's face paled dramatically, and he urgently called out, "Someone! Quickly, go fetch Steward Zhang and Patriarch Chu! Hurry!"
The servants were bewildered but, seeing You Rong's panicked expression, assumed Lin Qinghe was in danger. Terrified, they quickly responded, "Yes, I'll go to the Elder Council to fetch Steward Zhang and Patriarch Chu at once!"
Coincidentally, Zhang Yi and Chu Tianhao were returning from the Elder Council, intending to check on Lin Qinghe's condition. They encountered a hurried servant just as they entered the room. Before they could ask any questions, the servant exclaimed, "Steward Zhang! Patriarch Chu! Please come upstairs quickly and see! Young Master says the Ancestor is in trouble! It's bad!"
"What? The Ancestor is in trouble?!"
Chu Tianhao and Zhang Yi exchanged glances, their hearts sinking. Without a word, they rushed upstairs.
Upon entering the bedroom, Zhang Yi immediately questioned You Rong, "Young Master, what happened to the Ancestor? Did someone audacious take advantage of our absence and do something to the Ancestor?!"
Otherwise, with You Rong guarding Lin Qinghe constantly, how could she suddenly fall ill?
You Rong's face was deathly pale. He took Lin Qinghe's hand and said frantically, "Steward Zhang, Patriarch Chu, please look at Qinghe's hand... her condition is not right. It suddenly became like this this morning!"
Zhang Yi and Chu Tianhao stared, and after seeing the state of Lin Qinghe's hand, their tense hearts finally relaxed.
Chu Tianhao cleared his throat twice. "Cough, cough... Young Master, please don't be alarmed. It's alright. The Ancestor hasn't eaten for a long time, and her bodily functions have declined. Logically speaking... she previously entered a dormant state for two thousand years without eating and still woke up. It's fine if she doesn't eat during her dormant period, but her bodily functions will decline, leading to what you're seeing now."
The worry in You Rong's eyes did not dissipate. "Will Qinghe really be alright like this?"
Zhang Yi comforted him, "Young Master, there's no need to worry. I'll have a servant fetch some blood plasma. Feeding it to the Ancestor will resolve this. From now on, feeding her blood plasma every three months will prevent this situation from recurring."
Just as Zhang Yi was about to call for a servant to fetch blood plasma, You Rong suddenly spoke, "No need. She's never liked the taste of that blood plasma... She only drinks my blood."
Zhang Yi and Chu Tianhao exchanged glances. They tacitly agreed not to persuade You Rong, knowing it would be futile. Moreover, Lin Qinghe had indeed only consumed You Rong's blood for the past two years.
Zhang Yi said, "Then, Young Master, please feed the Ancestor first. We will leave and return later."
You Rong nodded. Zhang Yi and Chu Tianhao then exited the bedroom.
As the door closed, You Rong looked at the dormant Lin Qinghe. He gently lifted her, letting her lean against his shoulder, holding her half in his arms. Without hesitation, he bit into his own wrist, took a mouthful of blood, then lowered his head to meet Lin Qinghe's soft lips. He gently pried open her teeth and fed her his blood.
You Rong fed Lin Qinghe mouthful after mouthful of his blood, their lips touching, again and again. His heart began to beat uncontrollably faster, the pounding so intense it felt as though his heart would leap out of his chest.
[The progress bar is steadily increasing. Qinghe is just unconscious, so don't worry yet. (#^.^#)]