A tense moment passed, let’s all take a breath. You all should cast your votes for those vying for the top spots on the charts… “I…” Qi Yue spoke slowly, her voice hoarse.
As soon as she spoke, Chang Yuncheng’s expression eased slightly.
“I… I want to rest for a while,” Qi Yue said softly.
This statement caught Chang Yuncheng by surprise. He scrutinized the woman before him—spiritually exhausted, her gaze distant… Her eyes fell upon his face, yet it seemed as if she didn't truly see him, utterly devoid of the complicated mix of curiosity, disdain, ease, and recklessness that once characterized her gaze. Instead, there was only unfamiliarity and avoidance….
Avoidance? This woman would avoid him?
Chang Yuncheng mocked the thought internally, shaking it off.
It must be from these past few days of relentless exertion…
“Then hurry up and rest. What are you wandering around for?” He barked, his face stern, though his hand did not release her.
A'Ru carefully supported Qi Yue’s other arm, giving it a gentle shake, and called out softly.
“Oh, alright,” Qi Yue nodded, a small smile touching her lips as she looked at Chang Yuncheng. “Thank you.”
Chang Yuncheng’s frown deepened, but he said nothing and released his hold.
Qi Yue indeed lifted her feet to move, though her gait was somewhat stiff.
A’Ru carefully kept pace beside her, but Qi Yue began to walk faster and faster until A’Ru had to jog just to keep up, abandoning the need to physically support her.
Chang Yuncheng remained rooted to the spot, watching Qi Yue’s retreating back. What was this woman doing? She seemed so strange….
Then he pursed his lips again.
This woman. Hasn’t she always seemed strange? Completely unlike the other women he knew or had ever encountered….
“Young Lord, that person won’t make it. We couldn't find out who gave the order,” a person rushed up and reported in a low voice nearby.
Chang Yuncheng withdrew his gaze. He glanced at the courtyard, now reduced to a scorched ruin.
“Destroying the evidence?” He gave a cold smile. “Does destroying the body ensure peace of mind and absolute safety?”
The afternoon sun sliced through the latticed windows into the room. Hu San stepped forward and pulled the half-open window shut.
Turning around, he saw A’Ru taking out a thermometer.
This small device was truly miraculous. Hu San had wanted a closer look at it more than once; he couldn’t imagine what it was made of. However, A’Ru guarded everything belonging to Qi Yue fiercely; even Liu Pucheng rarely got to examine them if he wished.
“How is it? Has the fever broken?” Hu San walked over and asked quietly.
A’Ru shook her head.
“But it’s fine. The young madam said that as long as it doesn’t exceed thirty-nine degrees, it’s just a normal internal heat.” She explained.
“I want water,” the Prefect’s son shouted weakly.
Hu San quickly responded, moving to pour water.
“You stinking man, stay away from me.” The Prefect’s son glared at him. Although his strength was still depleted, his spirit had returned. He pointed a finger at A’Ru. “Let this woman come over. I won’t accept anything fed by a man.”
Hu San pouted at the insult. He had wanted to retort that he had helped rinse the young master’s mouth and even inserted a catheter while he was unconscious, but he dared not speak it aloud.
A’Ru took the water and sat by the bedside.
“The young madam has come. Why aren’t you resting more? I’m fine here,” Liu Pucheng’s voice drifted from the outer room.
Qi Yue had been rushed away from the Autumn Maple Courtyard and gone straight to bed, missing lunch entirely. A’Ru was extremely worried, and upon hearing that she had come out on her own, her heart leaped with agitation.
In her excitement, A’Ru stood up abruptly. The Prefect’s son, who had been waiting with his mouth open for the water, got a mouthful of the bowl instead.
“You wretched little—!” he roared.
A’Ru instantly realized her error and scrambled to kneel, trying to wipe his mouth, but the Prefect’s son roughly shoved her away.
Qi Yue walked in and pulled A’Ru back to her feet.
The Prefect’s son continued to curse loudly.
Qi Yue looked at him without speaking. As she remained silent, everyone else in the room also fell quiet. Amidst this eerie stillness, the Prefect’s son’s tirade slowly subsided.
“What are you looking at?” the Prefect’s son challenged Qi Yue. He felt a shiver under her gaze and feigned fierceness, glaring and ordering her.
“To save you, we have barely slept these past few days…” Qi Yue said. “Though it is the duty of a physician, it truly has been incredibly difficult.”
The Prefect’s son glared. Although he was young, he understood that this woman was defending her maidservant.
“Why are you telling me this!” he scoffed. “Besides, it is this servant’s good fortune to be able to attend to this young master…”
“It is your good fortune to be alive for her to attend to you,” Qi Yue countered. “Though she is a servant, she is not your servant; she is my servant. Young Master Huang, are you suggesting it is my good fortune that I can save you?”
Merely a servant—the Prefect’s son was infuriated. In his daily life, beating servants was common, as was gifting them away. Furthermore, he hadn't done much—just a few harsh words? And the servant was at fault first.
“Did you take the wrong medicine?” Young Master Huang snapped. “She’s just a menial…”
“And what is wrong with being a menial?” Qi Yue interrupted him, raising her voice. “She has served you day and night for so long; is it so difficult for you to offer a bit of respect? Is it so difficult for people like you to show any respect?”
Everyone in the room, including the Prefect’s son, was startled by her sudden outburst and stared at her blankly.
“Young Madam, Young Madam, it’s alright, it’s alright. It was my negligence; it’s not Young Master Huang’s fault at all…” A’Ru quickly reached out to hold her arm, saying.
Liu Pucheng cleared his throat. Looking at Qi Yue, whose chest was rising and falling, her face flushed with emotion, a thin sheen of sweat on her brow, he reached out to take her pulse.
Qi Yue calmed down after her outburst, slowly lowering her gaze.
“The young madam is overtired. Please go sit down; I will have Zhang Tong prepare some lotus seed heart tea for you,” Liu Pucheng said, releasing her wrist.
Hearing the commotion, the Prefect and his wife rushed in.
“What is it? What’s happening?” the Prefect’s wife asked anxiously.
“Mother, this woman is sick…” the Prefect’s son shouted angrily, pointing at Qi Yue.
The Prefect’s wife jumped in fright and immediately smacked her son’s hand away.
“Watch your mouth,” she commanded, her face darkening. “Apologize to the Young Madam.”
The Prefect’s son snorted and turned his head away, refusing to speak.
“It’s nothing. I was just too agitated,” Qi Yue took a deep breath and said with a faint smile. “I have disturbed Madam.”
Hearing her say this, the Prefect’s wife looked even more uneasy.
“It is all for our sake that the Young Madam has suffered so much…” She took Qi Yue’s hand and pleaded earnestly. “Our Zi Qiao is spoiled and willful; please forgive any offense he has caused.”
Qi Yue shook her head with a gentle smile.
“Then I will step out for a moment. Have him drink some water,” she suggested.
The Prefect and his wife nodded in agreement.
Qi Yue sat on the stone bench outside the courtyard, gazing distantly into the space before her.
“Young Madam, the lotus seed heart water is ready,” A’Ru approached, carrying the soup bowl.
“A’Ru, from now on, I will live here for the rest of my life…” Qi Yue sighed, murmuring. “I should have realized this long ago…”
“Young Madam, it is all my fault. I shouldn’t have called out to you then,” A’Ru choked back a sob, saying quietly.
Qi Yue shook her head and offered a smile.
“Even if you hadn’t called out to me, I couldn’t have gone back anyway,” she laughed, with a touch of self-mockery. “There are no such lucky events; time travel isn't like taking a train. Being involved once is enough to count as immense fortune. I was just deceiving myself, unwilling to admit it.”
A’Ru looked at her, at a loss for words.
It must be painful when hope is shattered. Although she had never held any hope herself….
“This is fine too. It’s time to wake up and face reality,” Qi Yue said, shaking her arms loosely.
She wore a mask of forced lightness, which, when observed, looked even more heartbreaking.
“Young Madam, please don’t be sad…” A’Ru felt a pang in her heart, suppressing a sob. “Don’t be afraid…”
Qi Yue took a deep breath.
“I’m not afraid,” she nodded. “I’m just a little unaccustomed.”
She offered A’Ru a bright smile as she said this.
“However, I will get used to it very quickly,” she stated. She took the bowl of soup from A’Ru’s hand, blew on it gently, and began drinking it down in large gulps.
“Master…”
Hu San saw Qi Yue enter and hurried to greet her.
Qi Yue had already put on her outer robe and nodded and smiled back at him.
“I’m taking over now. I’ve already told Doctor Liu to rest. You should go rest too; A’Ru and I will manage here,” she said.
“I’m not tired. I want to stay with Master to learn more,” Hu San replied cheerfully.
“There’s no rush to learn this moment. When there’s time, I will teach you thoroughly,” Qi Yue smiled. “When it’s time to rest, you must rest. Only then can you have the energy to treat patients properly.”
Hu San was elated by her words. This was the first time Qi Yue had mentioned teaching him in detail, which meant she had acknowledged him as a disciple. His persistent efforts these past few days had finally paid off.
“Yes, yes,” he said, bowing respectfully before retreating.
The Prefect’s wife personally stood watch inside. After they finished speaking, she approached, carefully scrutinizing Qi Yue’s expression.
“Young Madam, is Zi Qiao completely out of danger now?” she asked softly.
Qi Yue glanced toward the inner room and saw that the Prefect’s son was asleep.
“For the time being, he is fine,” she replied with a gentle smile.
“But he is still running a fever,” the Prefect’s wife said worriedly.
“It’s nothing, that’s because…” Qi Yue began to speak, the words spleen removal almost slipping out before she managed to catch herself on the verge of utterance, “…the trauma injured his vitality. It’s a self-limiting fever…”
The Prefect’s wife couldn’t understand and looked at her with confusion.
“In short, Doctor Liu has prepared the prescription. It will resolve on its own in about ten days to half a month,” Qi Yue explained simply.
Liu Pucheng had told her this, but the Prefect’s wife was reassured hearing it come from Qi Yue’s mouth. She sighed in relief and nodded, thanking her again.
Soon after, the Prefect’s son awoke, and A’Ru brought the medicinal soup.
“Let me do it,” the Prefect’s wife said quickly.
“Let me, please,” A’Ru bowed.
“No, no. You are doing important work alongside the Young Madam. Don’t trouble yourself with these small, trivial chores, girl,” the Prefect’s wife said with a warm smile.
A’Ru became flustered and anxious by the compliment, but Qi Yue understood that the Madam was trying to apologize on her son’s behalf.
“Thank you, Young Madam, for your consideration. She is my only helper right now. Although what she does isn't grand work, nursing care is crucial for the patient's recovery. Furthermore, feeding, drinking, wiping, and washing—these are all ways to observe the patient’s condition,” she said with a smile, accepting the Prefect’s wife’s politeness with ease.
The Prefect’s wife confirmed her earlier thought: this maidservant was clearly extraordinary in the Young Madam’s eyes. Her husband was right—it was like the Imperial Court: offending a high official near the Emperor might not be disastrous, but offending a close personal attendant of the Emperor would certainly cause trouble.
“You are treating an illness; this person saved your life,” she scolded her son thoroughly when they were alone.
“I didn’t do anything to her…” the Prefect’s son argued petulantly.
“Regardless, you must show her respect,” the Prefect’s wife insisted, her expression turning serious. “This Young Madam is a divine physician. Who in this life can live without doctors? Befriending a good physician is a blessing that prolongs life, son. You scared your mother half to death this time; if anything had happened to you, your mother wouldn’t want to live either…”
The Prefect’s son was, after all, only a half-grown boy. From the excruciating pain of nearly dying to having his abdomen cut open, the memory made his face pale. He only pretended to be nonchalant, but he had been terrified. Hearing his mother speak this way, he felt an urge to cry.
“Mother, your son is unfilial; I made you worry,” he mumbled into his chest.
Mother and son shared a moment of mutual wistfulness and lamentation.
“Young Madam, you didn’t need to go to such lengths for your servant,” A’Ru said quietly to Qi Yue as they left.
Qi Yue turned to look at her and smiled.
“I told you, I protect what is mine,” she laughed.
“Can anyone live without experiencing a little grievance?” A’Ru smiled, pursing her lips.
Qi Yue shook her hands and stretched her back.
“I can’t manage others, but…” She turned back to flash a toothy grin at A’Ru. “…we should try our best not to suffer any. We only live once, after all; we might as well make ourselves a bit more comfortable.”