You Rong spurred his horse back to the Prince Rong's mansion at top speed. Before he could even enter, he saw the courtyard where he and Lin Qinghe lived engulfed in flames.
You Rong leaped off his horse and charged into the mansion like a madman. Arriving at the courtyard, the servants were in a chaotic frenzy trying to put out the fire.
You Rong frantically searched everywhere, his heart burning with anxiety, desperately looking for any sign of Lin Qinghe.
Not here… not here… Why isn't she here?!
Spotting Fusheng, You Rong grabbed him and asked loudly, "Where is the Princess Consort? Where is she? Her?!"
Fusheng was equally frantic, pacing like a caged ant. "My Lord… when we discovered the fire, we rushed to extinguish it. The flames were too fierce, none of us could get in. And… we didn't see the Princess Consort come out. Madam Xu said the Princess Consort had already retired, so she should, she should be… still in her room…"
As Fusheng spoke, the sound of burning roof beams collapsing echoed through the air.
You Rong froze, his blood turning to ice as if plunged into an abyss. He turned his gaze towards the fiercely burning house, a single thought screaming in his mind.
She's still inside!
She's still inside and hasn't come out!
Seeing You Rong frozen, Fusheng’s heart sank. He was about to reach out and pull You Rong back, but it was too late. You Rong, seemingly possessed, dashed into the inferno.
Fusheng wrung his hands in panic. "My Lord! It's dangerous! Come back! My Lord, My Lord…"
You Rong paid no heed to his words, his figure vanishing into the flames in an instant, as if swallowed whole.
Lin Qinghe, hidden within the courtyard’s rockery, had intended to let You Rong worry for a moment before appearing before him, thus accelerating their progress.
However, just as she was about to emerge, she saw You Rong rush headlong into the blazing house without a backward glance. Her heart clenched, and she quickly ran over, shouting, "You Rong! You Rong! Get out here!"
But You Rong, completely deaf, had already plunged inside.
Fusheng stared blankly as Lin Qinghe suddenly appeared. "Princess Consort, you… you were outside? How did you get out of the house?"
Lin Qinghe was on the verge of madness, utterly ignoring Fusheng’s question. She scanned the courtyard anxiously, spotting servants frantically wrapping themselves in bedding. With a determined grimace, she grabbed a quilt, dashed to the courtyard's lotus pond, soaked it, draped it over herself, and without a word, rushed into the house to find You Rong.
"Princess Consort, Princess Consort… it's dangerous!" Fusheng, near hysterics, immediately yelled at the other servants, "Stop standing there like fools, hurry! Bring water, douse the flames! If anything happens to His Lordship and the Princess Consort, none of us will escape unscathed!"
But with such a raging fire, bucket after bucket of water proved utterly useless. Fusheng watched, his heart pounding with desperation.
You Rong charged madly towards the place where they lived. Covering his nose, he still coughed uncontrollably from the thick smoke. The heat from the fire burned his skin, but he did not hesitate, nor did he retreat a single step, continuing deeper inside.
The interior was thick with swirling smoke, You Rong couldn’t even open his eyes. He could only weakly call out Lin Qinghe’s name, "Cough… Qinghe, Qinghe… cough, where are you? Qinghe…"
Lin Qinghe, who had followed You Rong in, was in slightly better condition. She covered her mouth and nose with a damp handkerchief, her heart burning with anxiety as she searched for You Rong. Finally, she saw him, engulfed in flames, still searching for her.
Lin Qinghe suppressed the discomfort of being surrounded by the inferno and quickly walked towards You Rong. She grabbed his arm with all her might and berated him furiously, "You Rong! Are you insane! Such a huge fire! You rush in without a word, are you tired of living?! Huh?!"
You Rong looked at Lin Qinghe. His eyes, scorched by the heat, could barely open, and he could only vaguely make out the silhouette of her figure… He paused for a moment, then embraced her fiercely, his grip so tight it felt as though he wanted to absorb her into his very being, making her a part of his flesh and blood.
Lin Qinghe was stunned. It was You Rong’s ragged coughs from the smoke that finally brought her back to her senses.
Lin Qinghe pressed the damp handkerchief she held into You Rong’s hand to cover his mouth and nose, tugged at him, and pulled him under the damp quilt. Her throat dry from the smoke, she urged, "Let's get out of here first…"
Though You Rong had a thousand things he wanted to say to Lin Qinghe, he knew the priority was to escape.
You Rong nodded, clutched Lin Qinghe’s hand, and together they painstakingly maneuvered around collapsing beams, making their way out.
The fire raged more fiercely, and even with the wet quilt covering them, Lin Qinghe felt her skin stinging with pain.
As they struggled to get out, Lin Qinghe’s peripheral vision caught sight of a thick pillar falling towards them. Her heart leaped, her body reacting before her thoughts, and she shoved You Rong away with all her might.
You Rong stumbled back a few steps, seeing the burning pillar hurtling towards Lin Qinghe. You Rong’s pupils contracted, and he roared, his voice almost a shriek, "Qinghe—"
Just as the pillar was about to strike Lin Qinghe, she reacted swiftly, lunging forward and rolling a couple of times. With a thunderous crash, the pillar landed precisely where she had been standing.
You Rong’s heart seemed to stop. His strength drained away as if he had been hollowed out. Seeing Lin Qinghe on the ground, having narrowly avoided the falling pillar, he forced himself to walk over, his large hands gripping her shoulders tightly. His eyes held anger, ferocity, and a deep undercurrent of fear.
Shaken by the near-death experience, Lin Qinghe swallowed hard and managed to say, "Let's… let's get out of here first…"
You Rong pursed his lips tightly, saying nothing. He scooped her up into his arms, draped the wet quilt over both of them, and dodging numerous obstacles, they finally struggled their way out.
The moment You Rong emerged with Lin Qinghe, the entire house collapsed with a deafening roar.
Fusheng watched this scene, drenched in cold sweat, wiping his forehead incessantly with his sleeve.
Thank goodness! Thank goodness! If they had been even a step slower, His Lordship and the Princess Consort… the consequences would have been unimaginable!
Fusheng approached, looking at the two of them with their clothes scorched and their faces and bodies blackened. He asked with concern, "My Lord, Princess Consort… are you injured? Shall I send someone to fetch a physician immediately?!"
You Rong’s gaze was still fixed on Lin Qinghe's face. Noticing her slightly furrowed brow, he forced down the fear gripping his heart and said in a deep voice, "Hurry! Go and fetch a physician!"
"Ah? Yes! I'll go right away, right away…"
You Rong, carrying Lin Qinghe, strode purposefully towards another courtyard in the mansion. He kicked open the door of a side room, carried Lin Qinghe inside, and gently placed her on a soft couch. He then knelt down and lifted the hem of her skirt. Her ankle was red and swollen, likely injured when she pushed him away.
Lin Qinghe sat on the couch, closing her eyes, trying to calm herself.
The physical pain wasn't what bothered her. It was seeing You Rong rush into the fire without a second thought that had clutched her heart, a feeling of panic and dread engulfing her…
She needed to quiet her mind first, to take a moment to recover…