Future Beast World: Becoming A Pampered Beauty-Chapter 477 - 416: Falling Ill

Yi Xing was scared out of his wits.

In that moment, he didn’t doubt for a second that the young man would actually kill him!

But how could Yun Qi be this powerful?!

Wasn’t he just some pathetic weakling anyone could push around?!!

"Get lost!"

With a cold sneer from the young man, Yi Xing scrambled to his feet and scurried away, practically wetting himself in fear.

Yun Qi squeezed his eyes shut, a vein throbbing on his forehead.

’Imitation jade...’

’Am I just a substitute, a piece of imitation jade?’

’A cheap piece of imitation jade, to be summoned at a whim and dismissed with a wave, to be used and discarded as she pleases!’

’Why does the Princess’s gaze never linger on me?’

’She clearly said it herself—that she didn’t care that I’m a Black Fox. She said so many gentle things to me. No one had ever gazed at me with such focus and tenderness. I remember every word she ever spoke, clear as day.’

’She was the hope that made me—a weed growing in the mud of the abyss—want to forget the past and grow toward the sun.’

’But just because I said a few bad things about the Young Master, she tore off her mask.’

’Which side of her is real?’

Yun Qi refused to believe that everything he had received was fake.

He had to know if the Princess had even a shred of genuine affection for him!

The spring air was still bitingly cold, and the young man’s body, already frail from past abuse, had yet to fully recover. Add to that the two days he’d spent standing outside the courtyard in the frigid wind like the Wangqishi, and it was no surprise he looked pale. He coughed lightly into his hand, clearly having caught a cold.

’This isn’t enough...’

’Not pitiful enough...’

That night, under the cold, lonely moonlight, the young man found a deserted spot, stripped off all his clothes, and waded into the river.

Yun Qi submerged himself in the cold water. The bone-chilling cold slowly leached the warmth from his body. He clenched his jaw, his face growing paler by the second, and his trembling body began to turn a faint blue. Yet, his eyes were filled with a dead stillness, a flame of madness rising from the depths of his despair.

The river water slowly swallowed him whole, and he sank to the riverbed.

「The next morning.」

Sang Luo and Yun Rong were discussing their trip to Xiangyi Mountain.

Yun Rong wanted to meet with the Mountain Lord of Xiangyi Mountain to discuss some business. Since the Red Fox Clan’s Clan Leader was acquainted with this Mountain Lord, and their territories were close, Yun Rong hoped to have Princess Ji Wan act as an intermediary.

Sang Luo was naturally willing to do him this favor, so she asked the Clan Leader to send a letter of recommendation to the Mountain Lord.

Later, Yun Rong said he couldn’t bear to be apart from her and that he’d be terribly lonely on the road alone, so he invited Sang Luo to accompany him, suggesting they could enjoy the scenery together.

Sang Luo had been searching for clues about her original body these past few days, but to her frustration, she had made no progress. Perhaps her body wasn’t in the Red Fox Clan’s territory at all. It would be good to get out for a change of scenery. Who knew? She might stumble upon a clue when she least expected it.

So, Sang Luo didn’t refuse Yun Rong’s suggestion.

After all, Yun Rong was a distinguished guest of the Princess Mansion, so Sang Luo didn’t have the heart to ask him for travel money. The Princess certainly wasn’t short on cash. However, Yun Qi had been right about one thing: Yun Rong, the Young Master of the Nine-tailed Fox Clan, was truly broke.

Whenever Sang Luo went out looking for clues these days, Yun Rong would always tag along. And when they bought anything, it was almost always Sang Luo who paid. Judging by their dynamic, Princess Ji Wan had probably been the one footing the bill in the past as well.

Because he reminded her so much of Yan, Sang Luo felt a bit strange about it all, but she didn’t say anything. In fact, she felt a little sorry for Yun Rong. For a Young Master, his situation was quite pathetic.

"Wan’er, when shall we set off?" Yun Rong sat across from Sang Luo, resting his chin in his right hand. His soulful, foxy eyes—the kind that could gaze at a dog with deep affection—were fixed on her. The bewitching corners of his eyes curved up, tempting anyone to lose themselves in his beauty and forget all reason.

Even Sang Luo, who had seen her fair share of devastatingly handsome men, was momentarily stunned by his beauty.

She collected herself. "How about tomorrow..."

Kong burst in frantically. "This is terrible, Your Highness! Please, you have to go see my master!"

Yun Rong recognized this Little Monkey. He was the young servant who was always with Yun Qi. Rumor had it Yun Qi had saved him on his way back to the clan, and the monkey was fiercely loyal to him. Yun Rong set down his cup of herbal tea and said slowly, "What’s all this shouting about? Such poor manners, making a scene in front of the Princess. I suppose the servants my younger brother brought from the countryside are always so uncouth."

Kong dropped to his knees with a THUD. "Forgive me, Your Highness! It’s just... I was too anxious! But my master, he’s really... he’s..."

Sang Luo told him to rise. "What happened? Tell me calmly."

"My master caught a cold a few days ago and hasn’t recovered. His condition worsened last night, and when I found him this morning, he was unconscious! He’s in very bad shape. Please, I beg you, go see him!"

Without even grabbing an overcoat, Sang Luo shot to her feet and rushed out.

Yun Rong called out anxiously, "Your Highness, what about your promise to me...?"

"I’m going to check on Yun Qi first. I’ll be right back."

’It’s just a cold, isn’t it? It’s not like he’s going to die.’ Yun Rong frowned, displeased. He wanted to say something else to stop her, but Sang Luo was already out of sight.

Rushing off like that... she probably didn’t even realize how worried she truly was.

The smile vanished from Yun Rong’s lips. He stared in the direction Sang Luo had disappeared, a thoughtful expression on his face.

...

「Plum Blossom Garden.」

The young man lay on the bed, clad only in a white under-robe. The quilt had been half-kicked to the floor, and his messy collar hung open, revealing a patch of porcelain-white skin. Sweat-dampened black hair clung to his forehead, obscuring his exquisitely handsome features. His face was flushed and burning hot, and his entire body seemed to be radiating heat.

Sang Luo sat on the edge of the bed and took his hand. It was ice-cold.

The young man seemed trapped in a nightmare he couldn’t escape. His brow was tightly furrowed, and his pale, chapped lips were slightly parted, whispering soft, unintelligible words.

Sang Luo leaned in closer and could just make out his words.

"Your Highness... don’t leave me..."

"Don’t... don’t abandon me..."

Her heart shook, and an ache spread through her chest. "I haven’t abandoned you," she whispered.

His murmurs were laced with sobs. His long, curled lashes were damp, and tears streamed down his face. He looked fragile, sorrowful, and utterly heart-wrenching.

"I don’t have a home anymore..."

"You gave me a new home, Your Highness... Don’t cast me out..."

"Don’t forsake me..."

"I belong to Your Highness... And you, Your Highness... are mine..."

Sang Luo leaned down, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his chest. Closing her eyes, she murmured, "I never said I would abandon you. I just don’t know what to do anymore. I shouldn’t have gotten this close to you."

"Maybe I should have never noticed you in the first place. We’ve known each other for so long now, and so much has happened between us..."

"The truth is, I really like you."

Sang Luo’s own eyes began to well with tears. She could no longer deceive herself about how special Yun Qi had become to her.

It was precisely this realization that had made her deliberately ignore him for the past few days. If she didn’t, then when the day finally came for her to leave, the regret would be permanently seared into her heart, leaving a wound that could never heal.

She and Yun Qi were, ultimately, from different worlds.

They were destined to be apart. It was better to make a clean break now than to prolong the agony.

At some point, the young man had opened his eyes. His hand moved to rest on her back.

His voice was hoarse. "Your Highness... do you really mean that?"