The Dramatic Crown Princess Wants to Poison Me!

Chapter 218: Chapter 218: I Won’t Allow It

Huangfu Jingchen’s face was grim, and his voice carried a hint of anger: ”Do you know why? It’s an epidemic, it’s deadly. Don’t you want to keep your life?”

From his anger, Xia Wenjin heard deep concern, and her heart warmed slightly. She looked up and smiled: ”Did you forget? I know medicine. Maybe I can find a remedy for this epidemic. Even if you go to the Government tomorrow, it might not immediately send medicine. Doctor Zhang always thought it was just miasma, so he couldn’t have prepared in advance. Besides, he’s so greedy and cowardly, once he gets the news, he’d be the first to flee. Those are thousands of lives, can we just watch them get infected and then die?”

”But as you said, you need to research a treatment method, and you don’t have one! How can you be sure you’ll find it? What if you end up sacrificing yourself?”

”I told you I’m a doctor!” Xia Wenjin was not afraid to put herself at risk. She had already died once; compared to how she died in her past life, dying while trying to treat the epidemic would at least have much more meaning.

”Xia Wenjin!” Huangfu Jingchen’s eyes turned cold, and his words became harsh: ”Do you think this is the time to play the hero? If you want to play the hero, there are plenty of ways and times. Why gamble with your own life?”

Xia Wenjin’s expression turned slightly stern. She looked up at Huangfu Jingchen, and then she slowly smiled, a smile that was cool and distant: ”Huang Zheng, in your heart, do you really think I’m staying just to be a hero and to show off? Can’t you see those thousands of lives? They’re living people, Auntie Kang, Hong’er, Zhuzi, you’ve met them. These individuals make up a large group of thousands. They’re just ordinary civilians, living peacefully, striving for simple happiness! The epidemic is merciless and seeks their lives. I just want to do whatever I can for them. Do you not see those lives in your eyes? What kind of attention can outweigh the gravity of human lives?”

”But you’ll die!”

”Yes, you’re right! Death is terrifying!” Xia Wenjin looked into the distance, her gaze distant, but her expression was desolate: ”But if I leave like this, and later hear bad news, and I, as a doctor, flee from the battlefield and disregard human life to save my own, do you think I would live happily in the future? Even if I can live happily, how terrible and cold-hearted would I have become? Is that the Xia Wenjin you know?”

Huangfu Jingchen knew she was right, her every word struck his heart like a giant bell, vibrating and deafening. Nevertheless, the thought of Xia Wenjin dying was something he could not accept.

He could not persuade her, he just shook his head: ”I don’t allow it!”

He knew how powerless those words were. He could mobilize all his strength to do something for the people and was willing to give all he had, but only if Xia Wenjin were safe.

Xia Wenjin shook her head. She looked at Huangfu Jingchen, her voice soft but firm: ”You cannot stop me, nor should you. Huang Zheng, we’ve known each other for so long. Forgive me for any past offenses. Return to your hometown. After reporting to the Government tomorrow, you need not come back!”

Huangfu Jingchen gave her a deep look, knowing she had made up her mind, and there was no need to argue further.

Seeing her still pale face, he asked, ”Do you know something? Or is this epidemic very serious, and you have no confidence whatsoever?”

Xia Wenjin smiled slightly and said, ”You’re overthinking. The epidemic has just begun, not even discovered by others, how could I know anything?”

Seeing her unwilling to say more, Huangfu Jingchen couldn’t bear to press further. He reached out his hand to her and said, ”Let’s go! Let’s head back first.”

Xia Wenjin extended her hand, letting him help her up.

Just a moment ago, her hands were weak, her limbs felt numb and powerless, and her face must’ve looked ghastly, but luckily it was nighttime, so it wasn’t too noticeable.

Huangfu Jingchen wanted her to get on the horse, but recalling the scene described in a wild history record, her legs remained weak and she failed to climb on twice in a row.

Huangfu Jingchen mounted the horse, bent over, and pulled her up, both of them sitting together on the horse’s back.

Xia Wenjin’s feet left the ground, and she fell into a warm embrace. Her back pressed against his chest, and a comforting warmth spread over her.

She came to her senses but said nothing.

She had decided to stay, and she had communicated the severity of the situation to him. If he was wise, he would make his own choice.

They had known each other for months, and tomorrow they’d part ways. This young man, whom she didn’t dislike, would just be a fleeting memory from then on.

No, if she shared the same fate as those thousands of villagers, she would have no memories.

If she miraculously succeeded in developing a treatment for the epidemic, she would continue her travels, meeting more people and experiencing more things. Perhaps this young man would even fade from her memories!

She closed her eyes and said softly, ”Let’s go!”

The two rode together, their bodies in contact; it could have been a romantic scene, but at that moment, neither Xia Wenjin nor Huangfu Jingchen had any room for thoughts of romance.

The words ”epidemic” weighed heavily on their hearts.

Returning to Auntie Kang’s house, they both went to bed early. ℯℯ𝘭.

Early the next morning, they rode to the town. Even if they were to notify the Government, the first to be informed should be the town mayor of Wangshan Town. Xia Wenjin needed to go to town, so they went together.

The mayor of Wangshan Town lived in the eastern part of the town. Huangfu Jingchen and Xia Wenjin set off early from the village, and although they were on horseback, it was already daylight by the time they arrived.

They located the mayor’s residence just as he was having breakfast. Being the highest-ranking official in the town, he was quite pretentious and had them wait.

Huangfu Jingchen waited impatiently, his handsome brows furrowed. This minor official with a substantial ego almost drove him to the point of wanting to punch him. But they came for an urgent matter, concerning Wangshan Town; the mayor would have to take the matter seriously, so Huangfu Jingchen had no choice but to suppress his frustration.

Sometimes, it was just like that. Lower-ranked officials might not be as effective as the ones in charge, and it was best to have the mayor handle it.

The mayor leisurely finished his breakfast and dragged his feet a bit before finally agreeing to see Huangfu Jingchen and Xia Wenjin.

A steward led them to the main hall where the portly mayor sat grandly, sipping tea while casting a sideways glance at the young pair in front of him, saying blandly, ”You claim to have something important to report. What is it exactly?”