Ye Qingyu carried her unconscious body in, and Tantai Jin felt as if the nails in his heart multiplied and spread throughout his body.

"Put her on the bed," Tantai Jin said coldly, belying the alternating hot and cold pain his heart felt as he looked at her emaciated face. The reddened line on her neck stood out brightly against the whiteness of her skin, and her chest barely moved to prove she was breathing.

His spirit felt like flying on her side immediately, but he stood rooted on the spot.

The physician was quickly summoned, and his assistant nurses went in and out to fetch herbs and other medications. He, Ye Qingyu, and Nian Baiyu were talking, but their voices sounded like buzzing to his ears.

All the while, her gaunt face remained still and cold as if it was carved like marble. He clenched and unclenched his jaw, and his fists remained tightly closed inside his sleeves.

"Your Majesty," he heard Nian Baiyu say. Tantai Jin blinked, and turned his eyes away from her still form. Ye Qingyu had already left, and the physician was putting back bottles in his bag.

"Is it true that if Ye Qingyu and Pian Ran hadn't come to the prison when they had, Ye Bingchang would have succeeded in killing her?" Tantai Jin asked, his dry throat slightly painful at having to speak after being silent for so long.

"Your Majesty," Nian Baiyu started, looking warily at Tantai Jin. He and the physician met each other's eyes, and the physician nodded and stepped back from the bed respectfully. "Third Miss Ye was already weak from days of not eating or drinking much. The force of the scarf on her throat caused such damage that the physician says she might have difficulty swallowing or talking when she wakes up, and…"

"Nian Baiyu."

Nian Baiyu lowered his head. "Yes."

Tantai Jin walked over with heavy steps towards the bed, finally seeing just how much weight she had lost, how colorless her lips were, and how bright the red line on her neck was. He knelt down beside her and tucked her exposed hand back inside the blanket. "I told her to live well," he said grimly, took the edges of the blanket and pulled it up further to her chin, "so she should do as she is told." He placed a hand over her chest, over where her heart is, as if he could feel it beat under his palm. "Her life belongs to me. Without my permission, she isn't allowed to die."

Tantai Jin turned to the physician. "How soon is she going to wake?"

The physician bowed. "It's difficult to say, Your Majesty," he answered in a shaky voice. "Third Miss Ye's pulse is too weak from lack of nourishment, and this event has worsened her condition. She… she is too close to death, Your Majesty, that I am afraid…" When he dared raise his head to look at the emperor, he found him murderously glaring at him. He crumpled to the ground. "Please put me to death for my failure, Your Majesty!"

"I will put you to death if you let her die on your watch," Tantai Jin replied coldly. He stood up. "Do your job."

The physician bowed repeatedly, his forehead hitting the ground in his panic. "Yes, Your Majesty!" He quickly stood up and frantically called his assistants back in.

Nian Baiyu approached Tantai Jin. "Your Majesty, you need to rest as well," he said. "Your injuries haven't healed yet…"

Tantai Jin waved Nian Baiyu's concern away and continued to stand at the foot of the bed to monitor the physician and his assistants treat her.

You cannot die, Ye Xiwu. Not while I'm still alive.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

Tantai Jin was called away from her side because of the scholar, Pang Yizhi. His proposal was an unusual one.

"Your heart's blood for these Yin-yang bracelets," the scholar said, holding up a heart-shaped container. "These bracelets are artifacts of the Xiaoyao Sect I come from, so they are no silly trinkets you can buy anywhere, even with your enormous wealth as the emperor." He looked up intently at the stone-faced emperor on the throne. "The owner of the Yin bracelet will not die as long as the owner of the Yang bracelet is alive. The reason is that the lifespan of the owner of the Yang bracelet will offset the disasters on the owner of the Yin bracelet."

Tantai Jin's eyes darkened.

"Isn't it a good deal?" Pang Yizhi asked, picking up on the change in the emperor's eyes. "Especially as you are bound to lose your love, and regret it your entire life. You will not be able to reclaim your love, and will be trapped in the underworld."

"Exactly what do you mean by that?" the emperor's cold tone belied the simmering anger that rose up because of the scholar's words.

The scholar smiled. "I'm just the messenger," he said lightly. "I do not profess to be an expert in divination, and I merely relayed what was shown to me. I had to say it, or I might explode." He stepped forward. "So what will it be, Your Majesty?"

Tantai Jin stood, and strode forward towards the scholar. Seeing this, Nian Baiyu quickly stepped forward and blocked his path. "Your Majesty," he said, hands raised up in supplication, "we don't know what the scholar wants with your heart blood, and I fear he's up to no good. Besides, your injuries—"

"Nian Baiyu," Tantai Jin cut him off. "Give me the dagger."

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

The magical dagger healed Tantai Jin's wound immediately as it brought out the heart blood that Pang Yizhi wanted. Tantai Jin poured his blood from the dagger into the small bottle that the scholar brought, and put the cork in. He placed both dagger and bottle on the tray that Nian Baiyu held, and gestured for him to give it to Pang Yizhi immediately.

Nian Baiyu nodded in acknowledgement, and left the room.

Tantai Jin sat heavily on the space beside Ye Xiwu, who was still unconscious. The doctor said, in a trembling voice, and in defiance of his death threat, that if she couldn't wake up today, she might not wake forever. He sought her hand under the blanket, and finding it, held it gently in his, feeling keenly its fragility. His finger moved over her pulse, which was indeed beating so slowly and weakly that he had to press hard just to find it.

You will not die, not while I am alive.

Nian Baiyu returned with the bracelets from Pang Yizhi. He held out the tray, and Tantai Jin opened the container and took out the bracelets.

First, he put on the Yang bracelet. Immediately, he felt the heat of the bracelet searching out his life energy and endured its pain. Then he took out Ye Xiwu's hand from under the blankets and slid the Yin bracelet over it. As soon as the steel of the bracelet touched her skin, it set off a reaction between the bracelets. He felt the sudden pull of the Yang bracelet, and had to gasp at the piercing pain as he felt his life energy flow out of him and into Ye Xiwu, the Yin bracelet glowing gold with his every pulse. He let enough energy flow into her until he saw her face slightly regain its color.

His nail-pierced heart throbbed painfully, and he tasted blood in his mouth.

Tantai Jin let go of Ye Xiwu's hand, and tucked it in the blanket again. He stood, and called the physician to assess her. Nian Baiyu, as always, quickly stepped up to assist him.

After checking Ye Xiwu's pulse, the physician turned to Tantai Jin, relief clearly shown on his face. "Good news, Your Majesty!" he said delightedly, more for himself than for Tantai Jin. "Third Miss Ye's pulse is stronger now. She may wake up anytime soon."

"Good," Tantai Jin said, clutching his chest. "Leave us." The physician and his attendants bowed respectfully and left the room. He approached the bed again, and sat on the space beside her. He gave a small sigh of relief at the color returning to Ye Xiwu's cheeks, and the clearly apparent rise and fall of her chest. Her eyes were starting to move under their lids, showing that she was now dreaming.

"Your Majesty," Nian Baiyu said. "Third Miss Ye is recovering, but at the cost of your shortened life span. Is it worth it?"

Tantai Jin looked blankly at Nian Baiyu, and did not answer. "As soon as Ye Xiwu is recovered enough, place her in the Cold Palace," he said gloomily. "Keep her out of sight, because if she is killed, my life span will be deducted further. No one should know about the bracelets, especially Ye Xiwu."

He stood, and walked away from the bed. Near the door, he cast one last glance at Ye Xiwu sleeping.

Now our fates have become one. Ye Xiwu, you will not die, not as long as I am alive.

He turned away, and did not hear Ye Xiwu whisper in her sleep, "Tantai Jin… I'm sorry."