Lu Hualiang burst in and saw her sitting by the bed, her face streaked with tears.
Her expression, one of utter heartbreak, shattered his heart.
Once again seeing that familiar face, Xia Weibao was overwhelmed with sorrow, and darkness enveloped her vision as she passed out.
Lu Hualiang was frightened and hurriedly carried her to the hospital.
On the hospital bed, Xia Weibao looked pale, her nose red, and the corners of her eyes still wet with undried tears.
Lu Hualiang sat by the bed, keeping vigil over her.
Receiving a call from Housekeeper Fu, stating that something was off about her, he had immediately left the meeting he was conducting and rushed back home.
He had not expected to find her unconscious.
It was fortunate he returned; otherwise, if she had been alone in the room and something had happened, nobody would have known.
His brows were tightly knotted, and his lips were pressed into a straight line.
The doctor said she had fainted due to excessive grief leading to a lack of oxygen in the brain.
This was the second time she had fainted from overwhelming sadness.
What secrets did her heart harbor?
Feeling somewhat powerless, Lu Hualiang gently held the hand that was not on a drip and brought it to his lips, softly planting a kiss.
Then he rested his face against the back of her bloodless hand.
"When will you finally open up your heart to me?"
He had done everything he could, everything he should, yet he still couldn’t enter her heart.
"I’ve done all that I could for you, tell me what more do you want."
In the hospital room, the man’s voice echoed, filled with deep helplessness.
He had always been in control, manipulating events at will, but she was the exception.
Some say that in the game of love, the one who falls first is the loser.
In this emotional struggle with her, he had lost utterly and completely.
It wasn’t until eight o’clock in the evening that Xia Weibao slowly regained consciousness.
Weakly opening her eyes, she saw Lu Hualiang sitting by the bed.
His handsome features, eyes full of concern and worry, were etched deeply in her memory.
The faint words spilled from her pale lips, so ethereal as to seem unreal.
Lu Hualiang stood up and leaned in to close the distance between them, "What did you say?"
Thinking of how he had lived alone for ten lifetimes to find her, a wave of acid filled Xia Weibao’s heart.
Feeling a surge of emotion, tears once again slipped down from the corners of her eyes.
Her voice was desolate, as if her soul was crying, breaking Lu Hualiang’s heart.
He held her hand, "It’s me."
"Did you come looking for me...?"
Xia Weibao’s low sobs, the longing and mournful look in her eyes, were filled with a humble hope.
Could it really be him?
The man before her, was he her Dog Emperor?
Her instincts couldn’t be wrong; all the people that looked exactly the same, the feeling Lu Hualiang gave her, and the similarities he shared with Emperor Xia Liang – they all pointed out that he was him.
What if all this was merely her misconception, just a figment of her longing for Emperor Xia Liang?
The more she thought about it, the more suffocated she felt, her body beginning to tremble lightly.
"Cough cough cough..."
Xia Weibao started to cough faintly, her body trembling uncontrollably.
Lu Hualiang was startled and quickly pressed his hands on her shoulders, "Calm down, what’s the matter with you?"
Xia Weibao looked at him sorrowfully, her eyelashes brimming with tears.
"Don’t you remember me? I am your empress."
Lu Hualiang’s brows furrowed into a deep crease, empress?