Stone Chamber

“Brother Bai!” The man in white lying on the stone bed was none other than Li Bai. Chen Yage cried out in alarm, sprang to her feet, and rushed to the stone bed, while everyone else looked on in astonishment.

“Brother Bai, Brother Bai, wake up!” Chen Yage shook Li Bai’s body, but he remained unresponsive.

“What’s wrong, Brother Bai?” Chen Yage touched Li Bai’s face, her voice anxious, but he continued to lie there as still as ever.

In that moment, Chen Yage’s heart leapt into her throat. She stretched out her hand to feel for Li Bai’s breath, but hesitated with her hand suspended in midair. Retracting it, she pressed her palm tightly to Li Bai’s chest, listening to the faint, almost imperceptible beating of his heart.

Only then did Chen Yage realize how broad a man’s chest could be, like a vast blue sea where she could savor tranquil happiness. Yet now this sea was too quiet; all she could hear was her own hurried breathing, which made her panic. She was afraid—afraid to lose this rare, fleeting encounter, even more terrified that from now on, they would be separated by the ends of the earth.

“He’s not dead, but he’s been poisoned.” Ziyu, whose arrival had gone unnoticed, stood behind Chen Yage and spoke coldly.

“Poisoned?” Chen Yage looked at Ziyu in confusion, seeking an explanation: “Could it be that Brother Bai was poisoned because he absorbed the poison for me?” The thought unsettled and frightened her. She grabbed Ziyu’s hand, pleading, “Please, save Brother Bai—you must be able to help him, right?”

Ziyu said nothing, standing silently. Ziye came over, took Li Bai’s hand to check his pulse, his expression calm and unruffled, while Chen Yage fidgeted like an ant on a hot pan. Unable to hold back, she finally asked, “How is Brother Bai now?”

Ziye released Li Bai’s hand, swept his black sleeve, and reclined on the chaise longue. Lowering his head, he fiddled with a bronze wine cup and spoke coldly, “Ziyu, don’t you know the rules of Peach Blossom Spring?”

“Brother, I just...” Unable to say the words, Ziyu paused. She had felt an inexplicable attraction to Li Bai’s sunny and handsome appearance when she first saw him by the lake last night. She had considered killing him, but couldn’t go through with it. For so many years, Li Bai was the first man who made her lose control.

“In Peach Blossom Spring, there are no ifs, no justs—there are only rules. From today, you are forbidden to leave your quarters for one month!” Ziye’s tone was icy, authoritarian, brooking no dissent.

Chen Yage immediately ran to Ziye, grabbed his sleeve, but let go at the sight of his cold gaze. “Please, save Brother Bai,” she whispered in supplication. Here, he was the king, while she was as insignificant as an ant. If it weren’t for Li Bai’s peril, she would never beg so easily.

“Why should I save him?” Ziye replied, his voice frosty. He lifted Chen Yage’s chin and appraised her.

“You...” Chen Yage was indignant. “I saved you once, didn’t I? Repay kindness with kindness—a fair and just exchange!”

Ziye sneered, dismissing her words. “Hmph, in my world, there is neither fairness nor justice—only rules and commands!”

“I, Chen Yage, have never regretted anything I’ve done, including saving you! I will find a way to save Brother Bai!” She spoke each word with unwavering determination, her small face raised in defiance, eyes full of resolve.

Then Chen Yage entered the stone chamber, cradled Li Bai’s face in her hands, gazed at him for a moment, pressed her face to his. This time, she did not blush, murmuring, “Brother Bai, let’s go. I will save you, no matter what.”

With that, she helped Li Bai up, resting him on her shoulder. Before she could stand, darkness closed in and she fainted.

“Yage, Yage, go now. Don’t worry about me. Leave here—leave Peach Blossom Spring!”

“No, Brother Bai, I won’t abandon you. If I must leave, I will leave with you!”

“Don’t be foolish. The two of us can’t escape. Go—leave here, quickly!”

“No, no, Brother Bai! Wherever you are is my home. I won’t leave you, and I will never abandon you...”

“Very well. Since you won’t go and I cannot escape, why not end it now and spare ourselves further pain?” With that, Li Bai drew his sword and plunged it fiercely into his own chest.

“Don’t!” Chen Yage cried out, abruptly awakening from her dream. She sat up in bed, wiped the cold sweat from her brow, and suddenly a magnified face appeared before her eyes. Startled, she scooted back a few steps. “Why are you here?” Her voice trembled, and she looked at Ziye with fear and unease.

For some reason, whenever she met Ziye’s gaze, Chen Yage felt uncomfortable all over—perhaps because of his aura of coldness, or maybe his identity. Yet what perplexed her most was why Ziye, the young master of Peach Blossom Spring, would be injured. Who had harmed him?

Love in the Tang Dynasty: Poet Immortal, Please Stay! Chapter 16. Stone Chamber updated!