CXD - 21

As dusk approached, Jiang Zhiyi leaned against the low table by the warm pavilion window, her left hand propping her cheek, her right hand idly swaying a peacock feather cat teaser.

The little civet cat on the floor, initially full of energy, leaping and pouncing, was now lying lazily, occasionally raising a paw as a perfunctory gesture – after all, no cat in the world would want to see a cat teaser again after being teased all day long.

One teased with absentmindedness, the other was exhausted from being teased. The two, human and feline, basked in the slanting rays of the setting sun, both feeling listless.

The long day was finally drawing to a close. Never had Jiang Zhiyi looked forward to the arrival of night so much.

Last night, she had finally seized the opportune moment and asked the question that had been weighing on her mind for a long time. But it was like a flower offered to a stream that was preoccupied with sleep...

Knowing he had been working hard lately, she couldn’t bear to blame him, so she didn’t wake him – though she had indeed tried a few times and failed. Thinking she would talk to him in the morning, she woke up to find his side of the bed empty.

If she hadn’t asked, it would have been fine, as the New Year was still some time away, and there was no need to rush. But having asked, and receiving no response, it felt like a fishbone stuck in her throat.

The celebratory breakfast she had sent over had been delivered all day, and she didn’t know when she would receive his reply...

She only hoped that when he saw the item, he would recall her heartfelt words from last night. If he couldn’t recall, it didn’t matter, as long as he wasn’t blind, he would understand what it meant.

Jiang Zhiyi glanced at the golden sunset outside the window, continuing to prop her cheek, listlessly teasing the cat.

Just then, Xiaoman hurried in from outside. “ Princess, Qing Song from General Shen’s residence has come with a message. Shall I invite him in?”

Jiang Zhiyi, clutching the cat teaser, suddenly sat up straight. “Invite him in, quickly!”

Qing Song was quickly invited in. He kept his eyes lowered and bowed respectfully towards the head of the room. He carefully raised his eyelids slightly, looked at the expectation in Jiang Zhiyi’s eyes, and forced a smile. “ Princess, my young master said that since your cold has mostly healed, and considering the rumors that circulated yesterday, he won’t be coming over tonight. He asks you to take care of your health and rest well...”

The light in Jiang Zhiyi’s eyes dimmed. She softly said “oh,” sighed, and leaned back against the low table. After a moment of silence, she suddenly straightened up again, remembering something. “Did he eat the breakfast I sent him today?”

As expected, it was a case of good or bad fortune, but there was no escaping it...

Qing Song’s eyes flickered. “Young master ate it, he ate it...”

“Just ate it?”

“Of course not just ate it, he also... he also highly praised the breakfast you sent, saying it was excellent in color, aroma, and taste! Even the patterns on the steamed buns were very unique!”

“?”

Jiang Zhiyi was stunned. “What patterns?”

“Those red patterns...”

“...Are those patterns?” Jiang Zhiyi’s lips trembled incredulously. “That’s a word!”

“Ah? Is that a word?” Qing Song, sweating profusely, lowered his head to apologize. “This humble servant doesn’t know many big characters, I was indeed blind, please forgive me,  Princess!”

“You don’t recognize the character, doesn’t your young master recognize it either?!”

Qing Song lowered his head, looking troubled. “When the young master used to study at Tianchong Academy, he would skip school over the wall every other day. Later, he went to the border to fight in the war. He might indeed...”

Jiang Zhiyi closed her eyes and calmed herself for a moment.

She had only thought that anyone who wasn’t blind would understand what it meant, how could she not have thought that there were also people in this world who were blind with their eyes open!

After a moment, Jiang Zhiyi opened her eyes, annoyed, and threw the cat teaser in her hand.

“Tell your young master to read more books when he has nothing to do—!”

For several days in a row, Yuan Ce used avoiding the limelight as an excuse and didn’t come to Yaoguang Pavilion again.

Jiang Zhiyi also paid close attention to the aftermath of this “limelight.”

However, she heard that everything outside was calm. Those young masters who had been beaten, like her eldest cousin, were quietly recuperating in bed and didn’t dare to pursue or identify the assailant.

It made sense. After all, they were in the wrong first. If they really pursued the matter, they would inevitably expose their own serious crime of slandering the  Princess. Weighing the options, they naturally had to swallow their anger and blood.

Several days passed without incident, and seeing that the commotion had subsided, early one morning, Jiang Zhiyi had an idea. She sent a guard to the Shen residence to ask if Yuan Ce could come over tonight and when he could explain the unfinished words from last time.

Only then did she learn that he had been extremely busy these days, receiving doctors from all over at his residence every day to treat the “living dead” deputy general who had been brought back from the border.

“From the imperial physicians in the palace to the famous doctors in Chang’an City and even the surrounding counties, almost all of them have been invited by General Shen. Judging by how anxious General Shen is, he probably won’t give up until he saves the man. He probably won’t have any free time lately,” the guard who returned with the news reported.

Jiang Zhiyi had previously seen the near-death state of the “living dead” with her own eyes and knew that this person had been seriously injured on the battlefield while protecting her brother A-Ce. She understood his recent inability to spare time. Thinking about this, she even felt she could forgive him for not recognizing the character “囍” (double happiness).

His life-saving benefactor was still in critical condition, and discussing joyous matters at this time was indeed inappropriate. As his future wife, she should respect what he respected and protect what he protected. His benefactor was also her benefactor, and she should share his worries!

After thinking for a while, Jiang Zhiyi made up her mind and instructed, “Bring my physician here and accompany me to the Shen residence.”

At the same moment, in the east courtyard of the Shen residence, the east wing.

Yuan Ce stood before the bed, his eyes lowered, looking at the person on the bed whose breathing was weak and complexion ashen. He quietly listened to the intermittent breaths.

Qing Song wrung out a damp cloth in front of the washbasin stand, walked to the bedside, gently wiped the face of the person on the bed, and said with worry, “General Gao’s breathing sounds weaker day by day... So many doctors have come these past few days and prescribed many prescriptions, but why doesn’t the young master try any of them?”

Yuan Ce tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Naturally, it’s to wait for the best one.”

“Then the young master didn’t invite any more doctors today. Could it be that you’ve already gotten a good prescription?”

“Yes, this wing room will soon be empty.”

“That’s great!”

...But what kind of miraculous prescription could make such a seriously ill person get out of bed and leave the house so quickly?

Qing Song marveled inwardly. After wiping General Gao’s face clean, he washed the cloth again. When he stepped forward again, he saw Yuan Ce holding out his hand. “Give me the cloth, go out.”

Recently, the young master often stayed alone in this wing room. It was clear that he had deep feelings for this General Gao. Qing Song didn’t disturb him further, handed the cloth to Yuan Ce, retreated, and closed the door.

Only two people remained in the wing room.

Yuan Ce stood silently by the bed for a while, seemingly lost in thought. After a moment, holding the damp cloth in his palm, he leaned slightly and stared at the person on the bed. “They say that although you can’t open your eyes, you can still hear sounds – if I tell you that the person you wholeheartedly served sent a fatal poison prescription yesterday, wanting to kill you, would you still be able to lie on this sickbed?”

The person on the bed still kept his eyes tightly closed, but his brows furrowed, and his exhalation suddenly became heavy and labored.

“Being betrayed by the most trusted person, isn’t it very despairing?”

“My elder brother felt this despair back then too.”

The fragmented breaths grew longer and longer. The person on the bed feebly gasped for air, and a bit of cloudy moisture seeped from the corner of his eye.

Yuan Ce straightened up indifferently, looked at the rising sun outside the window, blinked, picked up the damp cloth, and slowly covered the man’s face, pressing down.

His mouth and nose completely covered by the damp cloth, the person on the bed gasped urgently. His gaunt chest heaved violently, as if trying to draw the last bit of air from his riddled lungs.

Yuan Ce tightened his grip, slowly suppressing his struggling.

Watching the person beneath his hand tremble and twitch like a dying fish, until the taut string snapped with a buzz, and everything returned to deathly silence.

Yuan Ce released his grip, gently picked up the cloth, and tossed it into the washbasin stand beside him.

The cloth fell into the basin, splashing a drop of water.

Ripples spread out in circles, and after a while, the water surface returned to stillness, reflecting a pair of dim eyes.

Yuan Ce stared quietly at the murky water, standing there motionless, as if in an endless wilderness, shutting off all his senses.

He couldn’t see anything, couldn’t feel anything.

Suddenly, three knocks sounded in the silence.

“Brother A-Ce!”

Like being suddenly pulled back into the world by a strong light, Yuan Ce abruptly turned his head towards the door.

Against the blinding morning sun, a delicate figure was reflected on the lattice door.

“Brother A-Ce, I heard you’ve been inviting famous doctors everywhere, why didn’t you come to me? I have plenty of good doctors on hand. I’ve brought one today, see if he can help you?”

Yuan Ce turned his head and looked at the white-haired old man behind her.

Remembering the important matter, Jiang Zhiyi gestured behind her. “Here, this is old Mister Huang. He’s been treating all my illnesses since I was little. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call him a Hua Tuo reborn, with miraculous healing hands. Hurry and let Mister Huang go in and take a look.”

The physician nodded slightly.

Yuan Ce: “There’s no need.”

Jiang Zhiyi frowned and sized him up. “I’m a very picky person. If I say he’s a good doctor, he’s definitely a good doctor. Don’t you trust me?”

“Could it be that you’re worried that if I help you heal the person, you’ll have no more excuses not to come see me?”

“...”

Yuan Ce let out a breath, turned sideways, and gestured for them to enter.

The physician entered the room carrying his medicine box.

Jiang Zhiyi followed closely behind, taking two steps across the threshold when Yuan Ce reached out and stopped her. “Stay back.”

“Why...”

Yuan Ce: “Dirty.”

Jiang Zhiyi said “oh.” “It’s alright, since he’s your benefactor, I don’t mind.”

However, seeing him block her with his arm, Jiang Zhiyi obediently stopped and took the opportunity to tug on his forearm, hooking it with her arm.

Yuan Ce: “...”

By the bed, the physician gently lifted the hand that was hanging over the edge of the bed through the bed curtains. His expression suddenly changed, his eyes widened, and he turned his head to look at Yuan Ce.

Yuan Ce’s expression remained normal. One arm was linked with Jiang Zhiyi’s, and he raised the other hand. “Since  Princess says that Mister is a trustworthy person, I also believe in your medical skills. Mister, please don’t hesitate.”

The physician slowly turned his head back, staring at the person on the bed through the curtains. Beads of sweat gradually formed on his forehead. After a long while, he tremblingly raised three fingers and placed them on the pulse.

After a long wait, Jiang Zhiyi peered over from afar. “Old Mister Huang, how is it?”

But after she spoke, there was no reply for a long time.

Looking at the stiff figure, Yuan Ce chuckled softly. “Mister,  Princess is asking you a question—”