Tigers Sniff the Rose - Chapter 102

Chapter 102

Mu Wanyao faced Yan Shang with nothing but sharpness and defenses.

The sorrowful way he looked at her, the way his voice rose, and his rare, genuine flare of anger—all of this only made Mu Wanyao straighten her back further and lift her chin higher.

His accusation that "there are many things you didn't tell me early on" hit her directly, causing her eyes to flash a deep crimson and her pupils to tremble.

Mu Wanyao raged: "And what if I had told you earlier? Would that have allowed you to pull away and escape early, so you wouldn't be dragged into this mess with me?!"

Yan Shang froze, struggling to control his slip of the tongue: "That’s not what I meant..."

Mu Wanyao sneered: "Seeking gain and avoiding harm, a gentleman does not stand under a crumbling wall... isn't that exactly what you meant? Where was I wrong? You are a block of wood; if I don't prod you, you don't move. It was me who kept provoking you, but do you truly think you are innocent? Isn't it you who gave me chances time and time again? If you were truly virtuous and unyielding, you should have died on the spot the first time I kissed you in Lingnan, to prove your resolve with your life!

"But you didn't! You enjoyed it, you sank into it... it was you who gave me the opportunity!"

Unable to defend himself, Yan Shang turned pale as snow.

He did, indeed... no matter what his mindset was—whether he wanted to build a good relationship with Mu Wanyao or simply didn't want to become her enemy—at the beginning, he truly...

He calmed himself slightly and asked softly: "Very well, I am not innocent; my attitude toward you was indeed ambiguous. Then, what of your suggestion that I be your lover without giving me a status, Your Highness?"

Mu Wanyao did not speak.

Yan Shang stared at her: "Do you mean for me to watch you marry another, to become husband and wife with someone else, while I am relegated to sneaking around with you in the shadows?"

Mu Wanyao said impatiently: "I told you I wouldn't marry..."

Yan Shang interrupted: "Only because the interests aren't enough to move your heart! Once they are, you will marry. What do you take me for, hiding me in the dark? A boy toy? A secret lover you can't show the world? Year after year, while you appear openly with someone else, am I just to beg for your scraps of charity?"

Mu Wanyao: "Don't sound so pitiful. I won't stop you from marrying and having children."

Yan Shang looked at her: "Is that so? You wouldn't stop me?"

Mu Wanyao looked at him, stunned.

His eyes shone like ice, and that gaze, which saw right through her heart, forced her to swallow the words she had intended to say—that she wouldn't care—leaving them unspoken.

He was so insightful.

Whenever he wasn't letting his emotions rule him, whenever he wasn't being completely muddled by her, he could easily see through what a person was truly thinking.

Since Mu Wanyao would not say it, Yan Shang softly said it for her: "You say it nicely, that you won't care, but if I were to marry and have children, could you really accept it? Your Highness, are you truly that kind of person? You say this only because you think I won't marry now, and because you think that since I supposedly don't care about these things, why not just go along with you and continue to waste away by your side?

"You want me to follow you, year after year, day after day. You want me to continue like this with you, to let me drag on a lifetime of torment by your side... you are too selfish, Your Highness."

Mu Wanyao stared at him quietly. After a long while, it seemed as if the source of all her anger had suddenly drained away.

She laughed at herself with a self-mocking tilt of her lips.

He longed for marriage and children; she loathed marriage and detested responsibility.

He hesitated because he couldn't have heirs, yet he craved a name; she refused to give him a name because of political entanglements, yet she felt perfectly entitled to enjoy his companionship.

Neither of them was pure.

Mu Wanyao said calmly: "Then what do you want?"

Yan Shang replied softly: "I know my attitude has disappointed you, but I truly am not someone who acts on impulse. I really do need to think through every consequence before I can give a clear answer. However... for you...

"Your Highness, do you feel that you are unworthy of a normal marriage? Do you feel that interests, ambition, and power are more important than me? Do you so despise a marriage, so loathe the promises and responsibilities to a lover, that even I cannot make you favor them?"

Mu Wanyao looked at him.

She saw a man whose character was like a pine tree, whose qualities were like gold and jade, standing before her in such a wretched state.

Mu Wanyao suddenly said: "Let’s break up."

Yan Shang’s mind went blank, and he stared at her blankly.

He remained stunned for a moment, then anger welled up in his eyes, followed by deeper resentment and great sorrow. He knew that she would never talk to him properly, and that in the end, she had abandoned him to choose her power.

He had become so ridiculous standing there.

All his pressures, the way he planned to bear the pain of having no descendants... all of it had become so laughable.

It was, in the end, just another display of playing with him.

In the end, as soon as it touched her interests, she discarded him.

It was a feeling of utter humiliation!

Yan Shang stared at her, not knowing what he was still hoping for. His heart ached intensely, and the light in his eyes shimmered like tears, clear and rippling. Mu Wanyao averted her gaze and sat down, calling out loudly: "Someone, see him out!"

The maids entered.

In front of Yan Shang, Mu Wanyao looked him in the eyes and ordered, word by word: "From now on, without my permission, my manor does not welcome this person. If he dares to enter my manor again without being announced, you will be the ones to suffer the consequences!"

The maids looked at Yan Er-lang with concern, seeing his eyelashes quiver and his face turn pale. Such humiliation was enough to make even Yan Shang unable to stay.

He bowed to her, turned, and left. 

Mu Wanyao sat alone in her chamber, her head bowed.

She looked at the fragments of porcelain on the floor—the pieces she had thrown at Yan Shang just moments ago. She stared at a corner of the rug, thinking that was exactly where Yan Shang had stood.

His eyes had gone from expectation at the beginning to the dullness of ash by the end.

He had finally been disappointed.

But what was he, anyway? A problem of heirs was enough to trap him, to make him hesitate, to make him not want to make a decision!

He wasn't pure either! He didn't love her!

She didn't regret it!

Her maid, Xia Rong, returned and knocked gently on the door, asking if she could enter to clean up the porcelain. After Mu Wanyao gave her consent, the maids entered quietly to sweep.

No one dared speak to Mu Wanyao in this state.

Xia Rong glanced secretly at the Princess, seeing the young lady sitting on the couch with her back stiff, face lowered, staring blankly at the palms of her own hands. The Princess’s eyelashes were long and thick, and her expression was cold.

The Princess clearly showed no signs of vulnerability, yet Xia Rong suddenly felt that as the Princess sat there alone, neither crying nor laughing, she looked very lonely, very solitary.

She thought, the Princess seems very sad.

Usually, Xia Rong wouldn't dare to offer comfort to Mu Wanyao. Although she was a maid in the manor, since Chunhua had left, the other maids didn't understand the Princess’s past, and none could truly enter her heart. They spoke more and erred more, and if they erred, they were punished, so they chose not to speak at all.

However, in this moment, Xia Rong suddenly wanted to say something.

Xia Rong stood by Mu Wanyao, carefully placing a cup of tea on the table beside her. She whispered: "My lady, I was outside earlier, and I actually heard what you and the Young Master were arguing about."

Mu Wanyao looked up at her, her eyes clear and cold, yet she did not flare up.

Xia Rong felt pained inside. So, the Princess couldn't have children. No wonder the Princess always hated children so much before... She boldly continued: "My lady, the Young Master loves you. Just now, the Young Master said that he still wants a status. This shows that compared to children, the Young Master cares more about the status.

"Your servant knows that you love him, too. Since that is the case, why won't you give him that status?"

Mu Wanyao countered: "What makes you think I love him very much?"

Xia Rong was stunned for a moment, then stammered: "Because, because when you are usually with him, my lady, you are like a little girl; you like to act spoiled, you like to have him hold you... you are never like this with us, my lady, and you are like this with no one else.

"Although you are always scolding him, you don't really get angry at him from the heart. As long as he appears, your mood is always very good, which makes us feel good too... your servant thinks you must love him very, very much."

She grew bold, gathering her courage: "Your servant feels that in your heart, my lady, you love him even more than you show."

Mu Wanyao said nothing.

Of course, she knew she loved Yan Shang deeply.

It was precisely because her experiences were so extraordinary that she loved him so much. Her love was clean and crystal clear... it was the only beautiful thing she possessed, something she wouldn't allow anyone to destroy.

Not even Yan Shang himself.

Mu Wanyao lowered her eyes and whispered: "It is precisely because I love him that I will not tolerate even a hint of hesitation from him. I have nothing; nothing in this world is rightfully mine, only my love is the most beautiful thing I have.

"I do not want his hesitation."

Mu Wanyao stopped seeing Yan Shang altogether.

Sometimes when her carriage was blocked in the alley, Mu Wanyao sat inside and never even glanced down. Yan Shang might have come to look for her; she wasn't sure, but from the hesitant look in Xia Rong’s eyes, she could guess that he likely had.

But she didn't care for it.

If she were to cut ties, she would cut them clean.

She knew better than anyone how abnormal her love for Yan Shang was; she knew that just by glancing at him, her heart would flutter. Because he was so good—the most beautiful light in her darkness. She didn't know if there were any better men in the world than Yan Shang, but she certainly hadn't met one.

His influence on her was too great.

She would not allow herself to be weak, would not allow herself to see him and have her head heat up, making her want to bring him back.

Sometimes at night, she would hate herself for bringing everything out into the open; if she had just continued the deception, she could have continued to enjoy the goodness Yan Shang gave her as a matter of course. Sometimes, after drinking too much, she had the urge to find him, to tell him she regretted it, and that no matter what the reason, as long as they were together, it was enough...

But when day came and she calmed down, Mu Wanyao would rejoice that she had survived another day, telling herself once more that she had made the right choice.

Power takes precedence over love.

No one should even think of snatching away the power in her hands!

Not Yan Shang, not the Li family, not the Wei family! Not the Crown Prince, not the Emperor!

She would give everything she had to ensure she lived well, and to ensure that those around her were protected and lived well! 

The next time Mu Wanyao saw Yan Shang, it was already May.

She was at a banquet for court officials, intending to meet with Wei Shu.

Wei Shu’s official career had not been going smoothly recently.

After the military exercise, logically, Wei Shu should have been promoted. But the Ministry of Personnel had blocked him. After all, the position of Censor offended far too many people. There were too many in the court who hoped to bring Wei Shu down, yet Wei Shu refused to seek help from the Wei family, nor would he seek help from Mu Wanyao.

By the time Mu Wanyao found out, she had already decided to resolve the problem of her marriage dilemma between the Li and Wei families.

At the banquet, Mu Wanyao saw the young man as clean as a buddha in the snow. They sat quietly, both feeling a certain unspeakable awkwardness.

Wei Shu peeked at Mu Wanyao, feeling that the Princess’s temperament had grown much colder. He didn't know if it was because of the marriage alliance, but Mu Wanyao didn't smile at him the way she usually did... Wei Shu lowered his lashes, feeling a bit miserable.

Mu Wanyao: "Juyuan, do you want to marry me?"

Wei Shu raised his head to look at her.

Mu Wanyao did not look at him, her eyes fixed on other officials moving about the banquet.

Mu Wanyao said: "If you are unwilling, then we can cooperate and refuse this marriage together. If you want to marry me, then I will make a trade with you—you refuse the marriage with me, and I will help you solve the trouble you are facing in the officialdom."

Wei Shu lowered his eyes: "Is the Princess compensating me?"

Mu Wanyao: "Yes."

Wei Shu said softly: "Why must it be this way?"

Mu Wanyao looked at him, puzzled. She saw him lift his glass-like eyes, quiet and sorrowful.

Wei Shu: "You didn't talk to me like this before, my lady. Have you started to hate my existence?"

Mu Wanyao was stunned, knowing her attitude had hurt Wei Shu. The youth pursed his lips, sitting stiffly, his eyelashes trembling, his eyes clouded with frost. No matter what, he was still a youth four years her junior.

She was suddenly at a loss, not knowing how to coax him. Just then, she heard some official shout "Yan Er-lang," and before her own brain could even react, Mu Wanyao looked over instantly.

She had intended to avoid Wei Shu’s gaze, intended to look instinctively, but she found her gaze locking directly with Yan Shang’s.

He was standing with several officials from the Ministry of Revenue, including the Minister whom Mu Wanyao utilized most effectively. The Minister was just praising Yan Shang for his excellent work, and Yan Shang happened to be looking toward Mu Wanyao’s direction.

He was startled that she had actually looked at him as well.

A month without seeing each other, and both were a bit dazed, their minds going blank for a second.

Just by looking at each other, it was as if they recalled so much of the past... Mu Wanyao turned her face away abruptly, her attitude icy: "Why is Yan Shang here too?"

Wei Shu was astonished, not understanding why Yan Er-ge’s arrival made the Princess react so strongly.

The maid, Xia Rong, curtsied, nervous: "When the guest list for the banquet was announced, Yan Er-lang’s name was not on it. Perhaps he came as a last-minute addition... it is this servant’s fault..."

Mu Wanyao: "Let's go."

She wouldn't stay a second longer, standing up to leave. Wei Shu followed her up, chasing after two steps: "My lady..."

Mu Wanyao reluctantly stopped, showing a trace of a smile to the youth who looked at her and then at Yan Shang, lost, and said: "We will talk another day; don't take it to heart, I am not targeting you."

Wei Shu: "My lady, you and Yan Er-ge..."

He thought, isn't the Princess refusing the marriage because of Yan Er-ge?

Mu Wanyao said: "No matter what happens between me and Yan Shang, it will not affect you. Don't panic just because we have parted ways."

Mu Wanyao left in such a hurry, not even going through the motions of saving face, leaving the officials with strange expressions as they looked inquisitively at the newly arrived Yan Shang.

Yan Shang’s eyes dimmed slightly, and he gave a self-mocking smile.

He hadn't intended to come, but upon hearing she was here, he still wanted to see her... but she was always cold and ruthless; now that she said they were through, she truly intended for them to never see each other again, didn't she?

Wei Shu walked over, looking at the somewhat dazed Yan Shang: "Yan Er-ge..."

Yan Shang smiled gently at him: "Juyuan, don't worry. No matter what happens between me and the Princess, it will not affect you."

Wei Shu did not speak.

He thought, you two really use the exact same words.

However... have you really separated?

Do you truly intend to never see each other again?

But how can a princess who wields power and an official who is rising step by step ever truly be unable to see each other?

Mu Wanyao understood this logic as well, secretly regretting it a bit. This was the trouble with falling in love with a court official.

Even if they parted, she couldn't avoid seeing him. And every time she saw him, there was the possibility of things being rekindled.

What could she do about this? 

While Mu Wanyao and Yan Shang’s relationship had devolved into this, Feng Xianyu left Chang'an to become an adjutant in Jizhou.

Jizhou was a desolate place; Feng Xianyu going there was effectively being demoted by the central authorities.

Feng Xianyu didn't have many friends in Chang'an. After having a farewell drink with a few casual acquaintances, he waited for Yan Shang, who had come in a hurry.

Feng Xianyu and Yan Shang sat under the willow trees at Baqiao to talk.

Yan Shang frowned as he looked at him, his tone gentle: "Brother Feng, back when the envoys from various countries were still in Chang'an, I heard that your submitted poems were meritorious; I even heard you would be promoted once the envoys left. Why then must you go to Jizhou now?"

Feng Xianyu’s expression was somewhat haggard.

He said: "I messed up serving the Princess, that’s why."

Yan Shang was stunned.

Feng Xianyu turned to look at him, discouraged: "When the envoys were there, my poems were meritorious. The Princess saw that I wasn't relying on her but was instead finding other ways to be promoted, and she became unhappy. However, the Princess didn't say anything at the time, which could be considered tacit consent to my promotion. But after that, she didn't look for me much anymore.

"Later, because I suggested to the Princess that she should dismiss those useless boy toys, she was angry that I hadn't told her about my promotion and rejected my suggestion. But my suggestion was overheard by those few boy toys, and they grew jealous. They sowed discord, framed me in front of the Princess, and even tricked me into going into the palace that she forbade anyone to enter—the one belonging solely to her husband and her deceased daughter.

"The Princess was furious, and I didn't even have a chance to defend myself. I couldn't even meet with her to plead my case, and I was demoted to Jizhou to be an adjutant. The Princess has thoroughly come to hate those of us who refuse to stay in our place."

After Yan Shang heard all of this, he sighed softly.

Yan Shang: "Jizhou is bitter and cold, Brother Feng; you must be prepared."

Feng Xianyu laughed: "Thank you for not coming to cry with me like everyone else. Hey... never mind. At least this time when I go to Jizhou, I can go pick up my daughter and bring her with me. I’m only worried my daughter won't be able to handle the hardship and won't want to go to Jizhou with me."

Yan Shang said gently: "Brother Feng can ask her in person."

Feng Xianyu sighed: "My daughter is too young and isn't close to me..."

Yan Shang: "Even the youngest children have their own thoughts. Brother Feng should always ask first. You have missed these few years with your daughter; you must miss her extremely deeply in your heart. One only lives once, and the ties between parents and children are not easy to come by; you should cherish them, brother."

Feng Xianyu heard this and smiled.

Though he was sad to be demoted out of Chang'an, the thought of being able to see his daughter soon made him feel a faint expectation for the future. For the sake of his daughter, he had to persist; he couldn't die in Jizhou.

Feng Xianyu looked at Yan Shang: "And you?"

Yan Shang was startled: "What about me?"

Feng Xianyu: "You are almost twenty, aren't you? Is your family not urging you to marry yet? When I was your age, my Nannan had already been born."

Yan Shang shook his head and smiled slightly.

The look in his eyes was lonely.

He said softly: "I am afraid I do not have that fate."

Feng Xianyu only saw the desolation and sorrow in the young man’s eyes, not knowing the rest, thinking that Yan Shang was in the same situation as him. Feng Xianyu sighed and said: "We have known each other for a time, yet we have similar destinies. Are you still with Princess Danyang now?"

Yan Shang was silent. After a long while, he finally gave a soft "Mhm."

Feng Xianyu then advised him: "Look at my current state, and you will know that being the Princess’s consort is not a good job. Although one can rise to the top relying on a princess, the princesses of Great Wei all have big tempers, and Princess Danyang won't have a much better temper than the Princess of Luling.

"I do it for the sake of my official career, with truly no other path to walk. But why must you be this way? You are young and have a bright future; why must you go serve these princesses?

"Does she refuse to give you a status, refuse to give you children, and use you just like a boy toy?

"Suchen, take my advice as a brother: while you are young, leave Princess Danyang. Serving the Princess is not worth it."

Yan Shang said softly: "Serving the Princess... that’s nothing... it’s just, does she really care so little for me?

"Was she just playing with me from start to finish? Did she just find me fun, and so she teased me repeatedly? Once I gave my heart, she backed away time and time again, using excuses time and time again. Did she only treat me as a way to pass the time, as something fun? Does she truly have no room for me in her heart?

"Or is it because my status is not high enough, my rank too low? Why does she never let me participate in her affairs; she always solves things by herself, never even thinking of me? We have been like this for so long, yet she neither enters my life nor lets me enter hers... I initially thought it would be fine if we waited for a long time, but... it has already been so long."

He lowered his eyes, embarrassed: "I am not afraid of waiting, not afraid of time, not afraid of those troubles... those can all be solved. The problem is, how long is this deadline? Is it a lifetime? Is it never to see the light of day?

"And now... she has even... given up entirely."

Feng Xianyu patted him on the shoulder, not knowing what to say. Princeses, after all—how could an ordinary person handle them?

Yan Shang and Feng Xianyu drank a little wine at Baqiao and sent Feng Xianyu off. After blowing in the cold wind for a while, Yan Shang felt a bit tipsy, but he still chose to return to the Ministry of Revenue to work.

Through his daily training in tolerance, a little turbid wine would no longer affect him much. Besides, when his heart was in pain, Yan Shang found that drinking a little wine truly could improve his mood. It was very exhausting for him to rely on himself to control his emotions; sometimes he had to rely on this external aid.

When Yan Shang arrived at the Ministry of Revenue, he happened to run into people from the Ministry of Works coming to demand silver.

In the eyes of the other departments, the Ministry of Revenue was the richest. But in the eyes of the Ministry of Revenue, they were forever short of money. It was always very difficult for the other departments to come and demand silver. This time, when the Ministry of Works came, their Minister had come in person.

The high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Revenue immediately hid, sending their low-ranking officials out to deal with the Ministry of Works.

Yan Shang had just returned to the office and was immediately sent to deal with this matter.

When he arrived, the people from the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works were arguing, and the volume was getting louder and louder. Yan Shang rubbed his aching forehead, walked over to stop the fight, hoping that both sides would calm down and discuss it properly.

His temper was gentle, and he was usually well-versed in dealing with such matters. But this time, the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works had sparked a fire; as they shouted and pushed, Yan Shang was caught in the middle and urged: "Everyone, calm down..."

An official rebuked him: "Stay out of this!"

"What business is it of yours!"

Amidst the pushing and shoving, Yan Shang’s slender body was shoved hard from behind by someone he didn't see. Because Yan Shang was weak from the wine, he bumped into the lamp behind him, and the flame and oil instantly spilled toward him as the lamp fell...

Mu Wanyao was dragged along by Liu Ruozhu to play at a banquet for young ladies.

Mu Wanyao originally had no patience for this, but she couldn't resist this Miss Liu who was exceptionally good at pestering others, speaking in soft, gentle tones. Mu Wanyao just couldn't do anything about this kind of person, so she really went.

But once she went, she felt very awkward. Because she hadn't adapted to these kinds of banquets for many years. She was accustomed to dealing with high officials, and she really couldn't find much to say to these pretty, delicate young ladies... Liu Ruozhu was worried she wouldn't adapt, so she insisted on following her step by step.

Because Yan Er-ge had asked for help, saying the Princess had been in a bad mood lately and hoping that if she had time, she could keep the Princess company.

Liu Ruozhu naturally agreed instantly.

Liu Ruozhu was just keeping Mu Wanyao company, talking, when suddenly her maid rushed over, leaned into her ear, and whispered something. Liu Ruozhu’s face changed instantly, and she stood up at once.

Mu Wanyao raised an eyebrow: "What now?"

Liu Ruozhu’s bright eyes looked toward her.

Liu Ruozhu was panicked, blankly saying: "My... my lady, you don't mind if I tell you? Yan Er-ge... Yan Er-ge was doused in lamp oil..."

Mu Wanyao’s mind went empty, and she stood up abruptly. She was stunned, and for a moment, she didn't say a word, turning to run toward the outside.

At first, it was just a fast walk, then, consumed by anxiety, she broke into a full run.

Liu Ruozhu chased after her. When she reached the manor gate, she saw that Mu Wanyao had already mounted a horse and left ahead of her servants. Liu Ruozhu was frantic but forced herself to stay calm: with the Princess there, Yan Er-ge would surely be fine.

Mu Wanyao spurred her horse to fly. She was a master of horsemanship, but with the many commoners on the streets of Chang'an, she rarely rode fast enough to disturb the people.

Today, she couldn't care about that.

The guards chased after her on horseback, and Mu Wanyao only had time to order: "Go to the palace, invite the imperial physician, make sure it is the best one, the very best..."

Her heart was in chaos; she barely managed to calm herself to make decisions, but her eyes had already started to become damp; she was just controlling it.

Mu Wanyao ignored those blocking her way, and after dismounting, she ran toward the back courtyard of the Yan residence. She was out of breath from running. In the courtyard, she saw a servant holding a roll of white silk, and the servants all looked as if they had lost their parents; her heart went cold.

Pushing open the door, Mu Wanyao shut the servants outside and walked toward the inner chamber. She saw a young man lying on the bed on the verge of death, his face as white as paper, gauze wrapped around his forehead, his undergarments in disarray, and bandages appearing to be wrapped beneath them. He lay there with his eyes closed, as if his very breath could not be felt.

She was dumbfounded, thinking he had died.

Mu Wanyao’s tears fell instantly.

She threw herself onto the bed, wrapped her arms around him, hugged his unconscious body, and began to sob and choke: "Yan Shang, Yan Shang... what happened to you? Yan Shang, Yan Shang, Yan Shang...

"What do you want me to do now that you're like this? I cannot live without you! You cannot leave me! You are the best person in my life; I do not want you to go! Yan Shang, sob, sob, sob..."

In his delirium, Yan Shang heard Mu Wanyao calling him, hugging him and crying. He struggled to raise his eyelids and opened his eyes, only to see her thrown onto the edge of the bed, hugging him tight and not letting go, crying as if she were about to lose her breath. He was severely wracked with pain, and now his neck felt as if it were about to be drowned by her tears.

He saw a blurred, slender figure hugging him tight, crying until his brain hurt. Yan Shang mumbled: "Yaoyao..."

She sobbed, hugging him even tighter, burying her tears in his neck. In his dazed, miserable state, Yan Shang struggled to sit up on his elbows and hold her, and she cried even harder.

But after she had cried for a long while, she finally remembered something.

Mu Wanyao lifted her tear-streaked face: "You're not dead?"