Chapter 62: Settling In (1)

By the time Qi Ying returned to Fenghe Garden, the sky was already filled with stars.

He had been in a light sleep and woke up immediately as the carriage came to a stop.

Despite his recent exhaustion and lack of proper rest, the short nap of less than an hour had significantly refreshed him. He no longer felt as fatigued as he had earlier in the palace.

As he stepped down from the carriage, Qi Ying remembered something and turned to ask Qingzhu, “Have the maidservants who were with her been brought back from the main house?”

Qi Ying was referring to Shui Pei, Feng Chang, and Zi Jun. When Shen Xiqing was expelled from the Qi household by the matriarch, she had been alone, and the maids hadn’t accompanied her. They had remained at the main house during these past few days.

Qingzhu, of course, understood whom his master referred to and replied respectfully, “I’ve already sent someone to retrieve them. They should arrive within an hour or so.”

Qi Ying nodded and proceeded up the mountain path toward the residence.

He hadn’t eaten dinner yet, so after entering the estate, Qingzhu instructed the servants to prepare a meal.

Qi Ying’s diet was simple, consisting of common ingredients that were easy to prepare—nothing extravagant or rare. Not long after Qingzhu gave the order, the dishes were served in the flower hall. As Qi Ying sat alone at the table, preparing to pick up his chopsticks, he noticed a bowl of steamed egg custard among the dishes.

The egg custard was one he had tasted before. Its vibrant color suggested the addition of milk, and beneath it lay a layer of soft tofu. A sprinkle of green onions adorned the surface, and as soon as the lid of the porcelain bowl was lifted, an inviting aroma wafted out, accompanied by rising steam.

…It was made by Shen Xiqing.

Before Qi Ying lay a variety of dishes, but he reached for the egg custard first, scooping a spoonful into his mouth. He had missed this taste while in Nanling, and now found it just as delicious as he remembered—warm, comforting, and fragrant.

Qingzhu stood by Qi Ying’s side and noticed the softness in his master’s expression. He then heard him ask, “Where is she?”

Qingzhu bowed deeply and replied formally, “We’ve already checked. Miss Fang has finished her dinner and is resting in her room.”

Qi Ying raised an eyebrow and asked, “This early?”

It was barely dusk.

Qingzhu answered, “I heard that Miss Fang wasn’t feeling well today.”

Qi Ying paused mid-chopstick.

She wasn’t feeling well?

Shen Xiqing indeed wasn’t feeling well, though she herself didn’t know whether it was an illness.

Throughout the day, she had felt weak and heavy-bodied. By the afternoon, she began experiencing a dull ache in her abdomen. She didn’t think much of it; since the New Year celebrations, she had been frequently unwell, and her health had never fully recovered. She had grown accustomed to intermittent discomfort and didn’t pay much attention to how she felt today.

However, as evening approached, the abdominal pain worsened, and cold sweat broke out on her forehead. Initially, she intended to wait for Qi Ying to return so they could have dinner together, but the discomfort became unbearable. All she managed to do was prepare a bowl of egg custard for him before retreating to her room to rest.

Wrapped tightly in her blanket, Shen Xiqing lay in bed, feeling the dull ache spread throughout her abdomen. It wasn’t sharp or intermittent but rather a continuous, oppressive pain that left her feeling trapped with no escape.

Qi Ying hadn’t returned yet, and Shui Pei and the others weren’t around either. Shen Xiqing didn’t know whom to turn to or whether she should see a doctor about the abdominal pain. Thinking it might pass if she endured it a little longer, she stayed curled under the covers, waiting for the pain to subside.

When Qi Ying came to check on her, he saw the young girl huddled into a tiny ball under the blanket, her forehead glistening with cold sweat.

Though Qi Ying had always known Shen Xiqing to be taciturn, he hadn’t expected her to remain silent even when suffering so visibly. This left him unsure whether to feel concerned or frustrated.

He quickly instructed Qingzhu to send for a doctor and then sat down beside her bed, asking, “Is it your wound hurting?”

Earlier, Lady Yao had mentioned Shen Xiqing’s illness, leading Qi Ying to believe that her left hand injury hadn’t healed properly and might have developed complications.

Shen Xiqing was surprised to see Qi Ying arrive.

She hadn’t expected him to return so early, assuming he would come back late at night as usual. Even more unexpected was that he would visit her room and sit beside her bed.

She felt a flicker of shyness.

Not wanting him to see her disheveled appearance, Shen Xiqing instinctively pulled the blanket over most of her face, leaving only her eyes peeking out at him. However, Qi Ying promptly pulled the blanket back, revealing her face again, and scolded her gently, “Don’t pull the blanket.”

Shen Xiqing pouted, certain she looked terrible without the blanket to hide behind, which only made her feel even more self-conscious. She heard him press further, “Is it your wound? Let me see your hand.”

His tone brooked no argument, and his serious expression left Shen Xiqing too intimidated to resist. She extended her hand hesitantly, saying, “My wound doesn’t hurt…”

But Qi Ying no longer trusted her words entirely. Taking her hand himself, he examined it closely. Though the injury from the beating was still visible, it showed signs of improvement and didn’t appear to have worsened. Her small hands were cool to the touch, ruling out fever.

Qi Ying tucked her hand back under the blanket and frowned, asking, “Then where does it hurt?”

His frown made him look stern, causing Shen Xiqing to shrink back slightly. Realizing his tone might have frightened her, Qi Ying softened his voice and repeated the question gently.

This approach worked.

Shen Xiqing’s beautiful eyes darted toward him as she hesitantly replied, “…My stomach hurts.”

Qi Ying acknowledged her response with a hum and fell silent for a moment before asking, “Did you eat something inappropriate?”

Shen Xiqing’s meals had been taken either at the main house or at Fenghe Garden, and there was nothing unusual about her diet. After pondering carefully, she shook her head while looking at Qi Ying.

Qi Ying gazed at her, recalling his two younger brothers. When they were children, no matter what hurt, they would always claim their stomachs ached. Often, it wasn’t actually their stomachs that hurt—they were simply too young to distinguish the source of their discomfort and defaulted to saying their stomachs hurt.

Perhaps Shen Xiqing was the same.

He glanced at her again, noticing how pale she looked, curled up weakly under the blanket like a kitten drained of energy. He couldn’t help but reflect on his mother’s words: raising a child truly wasn’t easy.

Sighing, he prepared to guide the girl through her confusion when suddenly, Shen Xiqing’s face flushed red, and she tried to burrow deeper into the blanket. Qi Ying, unsure what was wrong, instinctively grabbed her slender wrist, calling softly, “Wenwen?”

Shen Xiqing stared at his hand gripping her wrist, feeling tears well up in her eyes.

She… she didn’t know what had happened, but suddenly, she felt dampness beneath her. She couldn’t understand why, but alarming thoughts crossed her mind. And now, with Qi Ying sitting right beside her bed, what if he noticed…?

Shen Xiqing dared not imagine further. Her face burning red, she huddled under the blanket, using her free hand to push him away weakly, murmuring, “Go out… please go out…”

The frail girl’s feeble pushes barely registered, akin to a kitten’s gentle scratch. Naturally, she couldn’t budge him.

But Qi Ying released her wrist, and thinking he was leaving, Shen Xiqing looked up to see him staring blankly at her bedding.

Following his gaze, she glanced down and saw… fresh red stains on the blanket.

Shen Xiqing froze.

Completely stunned.

She had briefly considered the possibility earlier, but never imagined it would actually happen—and so suddenly. She wasn’t prepared for it, especially not in front of him…

Her mind reeled with embarrassment and shock, while Qi Ying was equally dumbfounded.

Stomach pain… How had he failed to consider that this might be a young girl’s first menstrual cycle?

At that moment, countless thoughts raced through his mind. He recalled his mother warning him that he wouldn’t be able to handle caring for a quiet, reserved girl. At the time, he thought there might be some challenges, but surely nothing too troublesome. Yet here they were, just hours later, facing this unexpected situation.

Additionally, ever since encountering Shen Xiqing on that snowy street, he had always thought of her as a child. Even after their subsequent interactions, though he wasn’t exactly her elder, he at least considered himself somewhat of a mentor. But now…

…He suddenly realized she wasn’t a child anymore.

Qi Ying found himself momentarily flustered.

Though both of them experienced a whirlwind of emotions, their stunned silence lasted only briefly. Once it passed, Shen Xiqing began to feel an overwhelming sense of shame and fear.

Qi Ying immediately sensed the shift in her mood. Without hesitation, he retrieved another blanket to wrap her up, then moved farther away and turned his back to her, saying, “…Qingzhu has gone to fetch a doctor, and Shui Pei and the others will soon return from the main house. From now on, they’ll continue to care for you.”

His deep, soothing voice remained steady, as it always did. On any other day, hearing his voice might have comforted Shen Xiqing, but now it only heightened her unease. She felt her face burn hotter than ever before, overwhelmed with humiliation. If she could, she would have buried herself in the ground and disappeared forever.

Lost in her emotions, she didn’t respond to Qi Ying. Though he couldn’t see her expression, his mind conjured an image of the girl curled up tightly like a ball.

Hearing no sound from her, he worried she might be crying silently. Normally, he would have turned to check on her, but now, realizing she was no longer a child, he felt it inappropriate for them to remain in the same room, especially… with her still on the bed.

Qi Ying, who could effortlessly wield power in court and slay enemies without batting an eye, now found himself uncertain about whether to turn around and see if the girl was crying. Just as he hesitated, voices were heard outside. It was Shui Pei and the others returning, arriving at Shen Xiqing’s door.

Assuming the room was empty save for Shen Xiqing, they pushed the door open without knocking. To their surprise, they found the second young master standing inside. The startled maids quickly bowed and greeted him.

Seeing her sisters return, Shen Xiqing felt a mix of relief and joy, finally breaking into a smile. She then heard Qi Ying instruct Shui Pei and the others, “Yes, go and help her rest.”

Shui Pei, Feng Chang, and Zi Jun all acknowledged his command, sensing something subtly awkward in the atmosphere. Before they could dwell on it further, their master had already exited the courtyard.

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Author’s Note: Lady Yao: Son, listen to me—raising a child is incredibly complicated. I don’t think you’re cut out for it.

Qi Er: Mother worries too much. I’m sure I can handle it…

—Two minutes later—

Qi Er: …Mother was right.

There are about four chapters left until Wenwen grows up. Thank you, dear readers, for your reviews!