As Feng Jiu’er spoke, tears couldn’t help but fall.

Just moments ago, she too had been afraid, she too had needed comfort from others—but she couldn’t afford to indulge in it! If she collapsed, both Qiao Mu and the child would be in danger.

“Qiao Mu.” Speaking again, Feng Jiu’er’s voice grew even hoarser.

“You need to get better quickly. This family of ours can’t be missing anyone, Qiao Mu…”

Feng Jiu’er didn’t dare look up—even she couldn’t say for certain whether Qiao Mu would wake up again.

This wasn’t the modern world; there was no way to give a blood transfusion. She had already done everything she could think of.

“Waah…” Perhaps sensing something, the little one in the swaddling cloth began to cry.

“Waah, waah…”

The infant’s voice was loud and clear, yet no one found it too noisy—if anything, it felt like seeing the first light of dawn.

“Madam, the young master is looking for his mother, Madam, wake up quickly.” The maid bent down, gently patting the little one.

“Young master, be good, your mother will be fine very soon, young master needs to…” From time to time, she couldn’t help wiping away her own tears.

“Be good now! Your mother will wake up very soon, she’ll definitely wake up.”

Feng Jiang looked at the little one’s flushed face, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

“Qiao, did you hear that? Our son has quite the set of lungs on him. Wonder who he takes after.”

He used his sleeve to wipe the fine beads of sweat from her forehead and continued, “Once you’re better, you can teach him to ride, and I’ll teach him swordsmanship, how about that?”

“Rest well. From now on, whatever comes, our father-and-son pair will handle it. You just go ahead and do whatever you like.”

“Just… don’t leave us.”

A man rarely sheds tears easily, yet Feng Jiang’s eyes kept welling up and drying, drying and welling up again.

Feng Jiu’er cried, the infant cried, Feng Jiang cried, and the two maids kept wiping away their own tears as well.

Xiao Yingtao walked in, and at the sight of this scene, the bowl in her hands slipped and began to fall.

Fortunately, the blindfolded Jian Yi had sharp hearing and caught the falling bowl.

Xiao Yingtao looked at the medicine, took a deep breath, and pressed a hand to her chest. “Jiu’er, Qiao Mu, she…”

“Is the medicine ready?” Feng Jiu’er looked up.

“It’s ready.” Xiao Yingtao glanced once more at the bowl in Jian Yi’s hands and took the medicine from him.

“Third Imperial Brother, Jian Yi, withdraw your true qi at the same time. Jian Yi, go rest. Third Imperial Brother, feed the medicine to Qiao Mu.” Feng Jiu’er looked at the two men by the bedside.

The little one seemed to understand something and quieted down once more.

“Xiao Yingtao.” Feng Jiu’er shifted her gaze.

“Here.” Xiao Yingtao snapped to attention.

“Take the little one outside and find him something to eat, preferably…”

“Milk.” Xiao Yingtao excitedly cut in on Feng Jiu’er’s words. “Some of the brothers just brought back a young woman who gave birth not long ago.”

“She can provide food for our eldest young master. Jiu’er, Brother-in-law, leave the child to me, you two don’t need to worry.”

“That would be best.” Feng Jiu’er nodded slightly. “Take good care of him.”

“Mm.” Xiao Yingtao bent down to pick up the infant, some color returning to her face.

She looked at Qiao Mu and said, a little smugly, “He looks just like his father—bound to charm every girl under heaven someday. You just rest easy.”

As Xiao Yingtao turned to leave, she bit down hard on her lip.

Qiao Mu, you have to wake up! As long as you wake up, from then on, you’ll be the one who calls the shots!

Out in the courtyard, everyone was still busy at work, adding more fires to speed up the brewing of the medicine Feng Jiu’er had ordered.

The wet nurse they’d managed to find, having accepted the payment offered, tended carefully to little Xiao Jiang.

Everything proceeded in good order—now, all that remained was to wait for the child’s mother to wake.