Lord Zhao said that the qiqiao (7 apertures in human head – 2 eyes, 2 ears, 2 nose holes, 1 mouth) bled because the body could not bear the sudden awakening of the war demon strength. The war demons had a power awakening at the age of 25. Many of them died because their bodies could not bear the enormous power. (T/N : My guess in the last chapter was wrong. Based on what Lord Zhao said, Lu Qianqiao was already 25 years old.)

Lu Qianqiao was currently at this extremely dangerous stage.

“So - Miss, your willingness to stay in this special period twith the General,made my admiration for you, flowing like a torrent of river water...” Lord Zhao was in tears while holding Xin Mei"s hand, “Don"t worry! I"ll do my best with everything I have to write a touching cla.s.sic play booklet for you two that will ultimately make the ghosts and G.o.ds cry! Do you like the two leading characters to die together? Or one die and one goes mad?“ 

Xin Mei drew back her hand, “..... Can"t both be alive and happy?”

“That will not be sensational or touching!” Lord Zhao stared at her with his round eyes.

”You should give me a sensational touching one about yourself!”

More than Silan could bear (Chinese idiom : at the end of one patience), he dragged Lord Zhao out of the room and slammed the door. Then, he sat down beside Xin Mei and looked at the pale expression of a stone cold Liu Qianqiao in silence. He had stopped bleeding, but he had not woken up yet. Today was already the third day.

He turned to look at Xin Mei. The General had pa.s.sed out for three days. She also sat by the bed for three days. She did not show any heart-broken expression though. She just stared blankly at the person on the bed and frowned.

“You..... “ Silan considered for a moment, then he started to talk, “You and the General..... If you both haven"t reached that step yet, then you don"t have to continue on like this. I know, the marriage was bestowed by the Emperor. Maybe you and your family can"t oppose it..... But now, the General looks like this..... Some things can"t be regarded as trifling matter. If you want to go back, none of us will blame you.”

Xin Mei looked at him blankly, “..... What haven"t reached that step yet?”

“You know, like carved in bones and engraved in the heart (Chinese idiom : unforgettable) kind of love and such.....” The way Silan said it was rather unnatural. “You little girl really doesn"t know anything at all. If you think the General is being kind to you, you don"t have to give him anything in return. I think the General himself is willing to. And... He certainly would not want you to see himself in this kind of mess, let alone asking you to be involved in his matter.....”

“I don"t care, I want to stay.” She quickly answered.

“That is to say!” Slan helplessly said, “Do you really love the General so much? How can"t I see it at all?! General, he... The feeling could have been put down, but you"ve got to stick your foot in it and raise his hope... Of course, there"s nothing wrong with that, but...”

She was silent for a long time and then she whispered, “I don"t know.”

She didn"t know what carved in bones and engraved in the heart kind of love was. To live together and died together, she merely saw these kind of things in play booklets. She had never experienced them herself since she was a child. 

“Do you mean, that I should hold him in my arms and cry for a while, and then find a river to jump in and die?”

This seemed to be the way it was told in the play booklet, wasn"t it?

Silan could feel the blue veins on his forehead started to pop out again, “Who told you to do these silly things!”

Her father was able to bring her up smoothly. So, was it a must that she need to have memories full with tears of blood?

“In fact, I also thought of leaving!” She frowned, and felt very embarra.s.sed, “These days I often thinking of going home, you know. Being a widow is certainly not very a very pleasant thing, although I can still remarry... well, these are not the point. Every time I asked myself if I want to go home, I feel like there are things that I can"t let go. It"s like being hungry and not having anything to eat! How could I starve myself!“

... What a messy reason!

“I don"t understand what you mean by carved in bones and engraved in the heart.” Xin Mei took out a wet towel and gently wiped Lu Qianqao"s face. “Anyway, I believe that Lu Qianqao won"t die. So, I won"t leave.”

“You, where on earth did you get your self-confidence from...?”

“It"s not confidence... it"s my willingness to believe.” She looked back at Silan. Her eyes were clear. “I believe he will not die. Other things will be discussed later.”

Silan retreated when he saw her tyrant face. “Anyway... Forget it... You take good care of the General. I think he"ll be happy to wake up and see you as the first person he sees.”

Silan closed the door. Lord Zhao had led a group of small monsters to lay in front of the door, listening through the seam. Silan slap all of them away. (T/N : XD... No mercy!) 

What was carved in bones and engraved in the heart? What was love like crazy?

Xin Mei bend over the bedside while being propped up with her chin, thinking it over her head. That kind of thing sounds inseparable from tears, fallen flowers and rain. But here, there was only a dark underground palace, and a general who was lying on the stone, while sleeping for a long time. No wonder that something so touching could not be brewed there.

Suddenly Lu Qianqiao moved. His long eyelashes rose up, revealing the blood-red eyes inside as they stared blankly at the top of the mausoleum.

“... Why don"t you light the lamp, Silan?” Lu Qianqao asked in a hoa.r.s.e whisper.

Xin Mei was slightly startled. She brought the candle flame to the front in a haste. “Lu Qianqiao, I brought the lamp over. How do you feel now? Are there any discomforts?”

He did not move, only his eyelashes quivered. After a long time, he said, “Xin Mei, you are still here?”

“Well, I"ll stay and take care of you.”

He must be moved to tears, right? Lord Zhao said that her behaviour seems great. The male leading role would surely be moved to tears, and then he would make her his life commitment or something... but looking at his expression, he seemed to be very calm. She couldn"t even see any signs of him being moved.

Lu Qianqiao closed his eyes and he looked a bit tired. “... I want to sleep a little longer. It is okay for you to go out.”

Huh?

Xin Mei was a little surprised. None of what Lord Zhao said had been right!

“Then, do you want to drink some water or something ..” She put the candlestick on the table and poured a cup of warm water carefully. “It must be very uncomfortable to sleep for several days without drinking water, right?”

He did not speak, but held out his hand hesitantly to receive it. The cup fell gently in his palm. His hold was unstable, so the cup fell on the stone. The crisp sound of shattering cup froze both of them.

“Eh, it"s nothing ... I"ll get another cup.” Xin Mei quickly swept the debris off the ground and took another cup to pour water in.

“Don"t bother.” He shook his head, “My eyes ... I ...”

This time his eyes had became blind. Next time he probably turned deaf. Then, he probably became mute, and finally he would change into a living corpse, who had lost his five senses - these were the process of awakening war demon"s power. Such embarra.s.sment, such cowardice, and to be exposed to her, made him became so much despair, so much more than death.

“Drink some water.”

As if Xin Mei knew nothing about it, she grabbed him by the shoulder and lifted the cup to his mouth.

He didn"t move.

What should she say at this time? Xin Mei thought for a moment in distress before stammering, “Well, that, what, I don"t care..... Don"t worry about it. Oh by the way! In my heart, you will always be the most capable and greatest!“

This kind of reaction, right?

He closed his eyes tightly without saying a word.

How did it happen this way?! Xin Mei had no choice but to gently help him down. She sat by the edge of the bed and rubbed her hands. She murmured hesitantly, “Lu Qianqao, I have never encountered such a thing, so I don"t know what to say. I was wrong to say that kind of remark so rashly. Since your eyes just recently can"t see... You still can"t get use to it, right?” 

He did not respond.

Xin Mei reached out and held his sleeve gently. She thought about it, then said, “I see you when you are in your lowest point. So, let me see you when you are in your most brilliant in the future. That"s much more fair, don"t you think so?”

Still no response.

“People still have to live optimistically. You always think that you will die, so, that"s why you think that may not get through it. You see, I won"t think about my fate of jinxing my husband. I believe that I don"t have that kind of fate, so, I also believe that you will never die. You have to learn more from me in this kind of aspect... hey, if you ignore me again, I"ll think a lot more about this! Give me some face! Tell me, it wasn"t my bad fate that made you this unlucky, was it?“

Lu Qianqiao finally turned around helplessly. His absent-minded red eyes were on her. “You talk too much.”

“People say that husband and wife should complement each other. Since you refuse to talk anyway, so I have to be the one who is talkative.” Xin Mei clapped her hands suddenly. “By the way, we are not real couples yet. Before our wedding night, you nibbled at me twice and then pa.s.sed out after your qinqiao bleeding.”

Nibbled.....

His pale face finally showed a long-lost blush. Suddenly, he pulled the quilt up to cover his head. “... I"m hungry.”

She immediately stood up and asked, “What would you like to eat? I"ll make it for you.”

After waiting for a long time, his m.u.f.fled voice came from under the quilt, “General Tofu.”

She smiled.

As a result, their dinner consisted of two tofu figurines, one was tofu general, one tofu Xin Mei with one being steamed and the other was poured with sauce.

Steamed Tofu
Sourcevia Meishi China

Tofu Poured With Sauce
Source   via Meishi China

Xin Mei viciously and merciless grabbed her tofu head with a pair of chopsticks and sent it to Lu Qianqiao"s mouth, “Here, let me give you my head.” (T/N : Must you do that, Xin Mei? XD)

... Why did he find it so difficult to swallow?

She then proceeded to cut off the general"s tofu head while saying, “I"ll eat your head.”

Cross-cup Wine
Source

Lu Qianqiao was still unable to get used losing the light. So, he ate his meal slowly. As a result, two grains of rice stuck on his lips. Xin Mei leaned over and gently picked up the grains with her fingers. Lu Qianqao suddenly grasped her wrist gently.

“Xin Mei, sit down.”

Xin Mei sat beside him obediently. In the next moment, his warm, slightly rough hand stroking her cheeks gently. His thumbs caressed along her eyebrows, slowly and lovingly, inch by inch, and finally stopped on her soft, plump lips. There, the movement of his thumb became slower. Every fine line on the lips seemed to feel the heat of his skin. The unfamiliar and strange feeling seemed to come back to her.

Xin Mei"s heart began to beat wildly and she did not know why.

His eyelashes hung low. His face was so close, as his heavy breath mingled with hers... Was he going to kiss her? He was, wasn"t he?

After his thumb stroked her lips for a long time, Lu Qianqiao finally picked up another grain of rice. He smiled mischievously, “You also have rice on your mouth.”

“... “Could she beat him up?

“Xin Mei, I can"t give you anything now.” His voice suddenly dropped, “But you are here. That"s already.....”

For her to be here and didn"t leave him was her greatest gift.

She nodded, “En, I"ll stay with you. Don"t worry.”

His fingers tightened abruptly and then loosened. He stretched both his arms and hug her tightly.

There seemed to be a hot tear on her neck, or perhaps it was just her illusion. (T/N : Awww... Poor Lu Qianqao.)

Xin Mei patted him on the back, “Lu Qianqiao, you will definitely survive this.”

*

On the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar year, the ghost entrance was opened. (T/N : My boss said, the seventh month in Chinese Calendar is called ghost month. This year, it falls on August. They will not received or pay any money this month, and mostly focus on visiting and burn some offerings on the grave or places where their relatives had pa.s.sed away on the 15th this month, which they called Hungry Ghost Festival. That"s why on some sidewalk at my place will be full of burn yellow and red offerings to their corpse relatives who died in accidents.)

When the resentful ghosts of those who were buried alive in the pit went crazy because of the Ghost Festival, people sent by the war demon clan took the chance to sneak into the underground palace.

Of course, Xin Mei didn"t know about this. She was hidden in the most secret and hidden room. While eating melons, she asked Silan, “Why are you hiding me? Afraid that I will make a sneak attack on Lu Qianqiao?“ (T/N : Xin Mei, your husband is going to be kidnapped... I think...)

Was it because she tried many times to have cross-cup wine a with Lu Qianqiao? That...... Wasn"t that normal? They were both married, hadn"t do cross-cup wine ceremony, also didn"t yet do a wedding night. According to dad, without doing these ceremonies, the marriage was on the verge of collapse!

Silan looked a little nervous, did not know what was he afraid of, “In short, it is for your own good..... by the way, the General who has lost five of his senses is no different than a living corpse. What"s the use of you doing a sneak attack on him?！”

“Can I see him tonight?”

Only after the end of each day would Silan relax and took her to Lu Qianqao"s room so she could see him. Lu Qianqao had lost his five senses since his transformation five days ago. He couldn"t hear, he couldn"t see, he couldn"t feel and he couldn"t even talk – just like a living corpse.

However, it was said that no matter if one was pure blood or mixed blood war demon, more than 80% of them would have to go through these changes. Since everyone was calm in this matter, so did Xin Mei.

Before Silan could say anything, he heard a string of dark copper bells jingling on the door. His face changed dramatically and he got up immediately.

“You stay here! Don"t leave the room. I beg you with the General"s life!”

Once he done taking, he sped off.

Note (from the author) : The five senses actually refer to touch, smell, taste, hearing and vision.

Lu Qianqao"s current situation is that he does not even have consciousness activities. Apart from heartbeat and breathing, he can be considered a dead person, or commonly known as in a coma.

To use five senses to generalize his condition is not actually precise though. 

It"s weird that Silan won"t let Xin Mei went to Lu Qianqao"s room during daylight when Lu Qianqao was already in a coma. 

But did Silan knew about the war demon clan slipping in into the underground palace?