Yuanxi found herself being carried to the bed by Xiao Du, watching as his mischievous smile got closer and closer. She shrank back nervously, stammering, “Y-You… you haven’t washed your hands yet…”
Xiao Du frowned, glanced at the dirt on his hands, and reluctantly said, “Then you sit here and don’t move.”
With that, he immediately went to wash his hands outside. When he returned, he found Yuanxi sitting awkwardly on the edge of the bed. As he approached, slipping his hand into his shirt, Yuanxi’s face flushed crimson. Although they had been intimate many times before, it was still daytime, and Yuanxi couldn’t let go of her sense of propriety. Her heart raced as she covered her cheeks with her hands, pitifully saying, “Let’s wait until tonight, okay?”
Seeing her like a startled little animal, Xiao Du couldn’t help but chuckle softly. He gently kissed her hand and took out something from his pocket, saying with a smile, “But I can’t wait until tonight to give this to you.”
Yuanxi moved her hand away in confusion and saw Xiao Du holding a lifelike wooden figurine, with many lines and dots drawn on it. Surprised, she asked, “What’s this?”
Xiao Du smiled, “This is a wooden figurine. An old soldier taught me how to carve it when I was in the army. It’s marked with acupoints and meridians. I know you love studying meridian charts, but they’re not as clear as this physical object. And…” He cleared his throat and continued, “This figurine is made to the exact proportions of my body.”
Yuanxi was both surprised and delighted as she took the figurine and examined it. Suddenly, she noticed a protrusion between the figurine’s legs. Raising her head, she saw a hint of redness on Xiao Du’s face and instantly understood what it was. Blushing furiously, she exclaimed, “You shameless… Why did you make this!”
Xiao Du straightened his neck and said, “Didn’t you used to look at those drawings that way? Better to look at mine than someone else’s.”
Yuanxi felt a mix of anger and amusement, but ultimately, sweetness prevailed. She felt the figurine was both unnecessary and precious. Angrily, she glared at him and said, “Are you jealous of drawings now?”
Xiao Du seemed a little aggrieved, “Who told my lady to always act so knowledgeable? It’s annoying no matter who does it.”
Yuanxi didn’t expect him to still be troubled by their first night together. So, she leaned close to his ear and whispered, “Yours is different, yours…” The last word was barely audible, but it was the boldest thing she had ever said in her life. After saying it, she immediately lowered her head, too embarrassed to look at him.
Xiao Du heard her clearly and couldn’t help but grin proudly. He leaned in closer and said, “How about we compare again now?”
Yuanxi didn’t expect him to bring it up again and was about to protest when he silenced her with a kiss. She tried to struggle, but he held her tightly. Eventually, she could only weakly drape her arms around his neck. After a long while, he whispered in her ear, “Don’t move, let me hold you tight.”
His gentle tone sent shivers down Yuanxi’s spine, and she obediently leaned against him, letting him embrace her tightly as if she were a rare treasure.
Xiao Du pointed to the window and said, “Let’s go plant that Jiaohuang later. By next spring, you’ll have a whole bunch of yellow peonies blooming outside your window.” He paused and added, “If there ever comes a day when I’m not by your side, let this flower and this figurine accompany you. Just seeing them will be like having me by your side.”
Yuanxi felt a sudden panic in her heart, turned to cover his mouth, and said, “I want you to be with me every day, you’re not allowed to just leave me behind.”
Xiao Du gazed at her intently, his eyes holding something she couldn’t quite decipher. After a long while, he sighed and said, “If there comes a day when I have to do something that makes you sad, will you hate me?”
Yuanxi paused, seeming to ponder seriously. She replied, “If that’s the case, then I won’t bother with you anymore.”
Before she could finish her sentence, she felt the hand around her waist tighten suddenly, almost suffocating her. Xiao Du bit her earlobe and said with a hint of determination, “You’re not allowed to ignore me. You can hit me, scold me, punish me however you want, but you’re not allowed to ignore me.”
Yuanxi had never heard him speak in such a tone before. Suddenly, a surge of tenderness welled up in her heart. She softly responded, “Okay, but you’re not allowed to just leave me behind or deceive me at will. Otherwise, I’ll have to punish you properly.”
Xiao Du reached out and held her hand, lowering his head to kiss her lips…
At that moment, everything seemed ordinary. They thought it was just playful banter between a couple, but little did they know that the day would come so soon.
On that day, Yuanxi was embroidering in her room, nearly finishing the two intertwined lilies. Seeing the bright flower buds half open on the embroidery frame, she felt a sense of relief curling her lips. At that moment, her needle slipped and pricked her finger, and the fresh blood dripped onto the nearly completed flower petals. Yuanxi quickly pressed her fingertip, feeling an inexplicable unease creeping into her heart.
Suddenly, Nanny Li rushed in, her face filled with urgency. “Madam, something’s wrong with the Marquis!” Yuanxi stood up abruptly, dropping the half-finished lily on the ground, the pain in her fingertip slowly becoming clearer, penetrating the depths of her heart.
When Yuanxi hurried to the scene, she found the room crowded with people. An elderly man was needling the person on the bed, while the princess sat by the bed, tears streaming down her face as she held a handkerchief. Nanny Li and Cai Mama stood nearby, comforting her while shedding tears themselves.
The old Marquis stood aside, solemnly instructing Zhou Jingyuan, “Block all information from going out. No one must know that the Marquis is in trouble. From today onwards, no one in the mansion is allowed to have contact with outsiders. All supplies brought into the mansion must be received by you, and not a word of this must leak out.”
Zhou Jingyuan hurriedly complied, nodding his head and preparing to carry out the orders. As he passed by Yuanxi, he bowed to her, seeming to want to say something, but in the end, he just sighed and left hastily.
Yuanxi felt her feet grow weak. She tightly gripped the handkerchief in her hand, trying to move her steps forward to the bed. There, she saw the person who had been joking and laughing with her just yesterday lying lifelessly on the bed, his eyes closed, lips bruised, and his face devoid of color. Needles were inserted into his head. She cleared her throat, but couldn’t understand why she couldn’t cry out loud, and her voice seemed to float in the air, barely audible even to herself.
The princess, still sobbing, was unable to speak. The old Marquis sighed, his eyes reddening. He turned to Xiaochun, who had already become a tearful mess and said, “Tell Madam what happened today. What exactly happened?”
Xiaochun knelt with a thud, crying, “I don’t know what happened today when we returned to the mansion. The Marquis suddenly collapsed. I don’t know what happened. He seemed to be poisoned. But he’s always been very cautious, I don’t know where things went wrong!” Worried that his master wouldn’t wake up and fearing the consequences if he were blamed, Xiaochun cried bitterly, covering his face with his sleeves.
At that moment, the white-bearded old man, Left Qiao, finally finished his examination, his expression grave as he stood up. This man was Left Qiao, a renowned imperial physician who had retired after the death of the previous emperor. Today, he was personally invited by the old Marquis.
Seeing Left Qiao furrow his brows and sigh lightly, the princess quickly wiped away her tears, grabbing his arm and saying, “Doctor Left, what’s wrong with Du’er? When will he wake up?”
Left Qiao shook his head, seeming very troubled. “In my opinion, the Marquis seems to have been poisoned slowly over time. But what specific poison it is, we’ll have to wait a few more days to see. However, this poison enters the body slowly, and it’s not noticeable at first. But once it erupts, I’m afraid…” He looked at everyone’s expressions and couldn’t bear to continue, but the implication was clear. The princess’s face showed despair, and she staggered back a few steps, then rolled her eyes and fainted. Nanny Li and Cai Mama rushed to support her, and the room became chaotic.
The old Marquis’s hands trembled slightly, but he still suppressed his grief. He said to Nanny Li and Cai Mama, “Take the princess back to her room. We can’t afford to have anyone else in trouble.” Then, he walked up to Left Qiao and trembled as he said, “Doctor Left, please do whatever it takes to save Du’er. Please stay at the mansion for a few more days. Please bear with us.”
Left Qiao sighed, understanding the old Marquis’s concerns. He didn’t mind being practically confined, knowing what was at stake. “At this point, I can only do my best.”
Yuanxi felt her head buzzing, unable to hear many words. She sat on the edge of the bed, staring blankly at the person lying on it, unable to believe that he would just sleep like this. Perhaps all of this was just a joke, and he would jump up in the next second, teasing her for being so easily fooled.
She sat dazedly for a long time, then whispered, “The Marquis’s face is dirty. Get me a handkerchief. I’ll wipe it for him.” Everyone in the room was stunned. Nanny Li wiped away her tears and rushed out to fetch a handkerchief, which she handed to Yuanxi. Yuanxi lowered her head and carefully wiped Xiao Du’s face, saying as she did, “You always like to keep clean. How can you just sleep like this? Clean up and wake up.” As she wiped, she suddenly trembled, and the handkerchief slipped from her hand. Unable to bear it any longer, she burst into tears.
No one in the room had ever seen the Madam cry like this. They all felt a pang of heartache. The old Marquis sighed and said, “Take care of yourself, too. With Doctor Left here to take care of Du’er, you should go rest.”
Yuanxi shook her head. “Father, you go back first. I’ll stay with him until he wakes up.” She wiped away the tears from her face, revealing a determined smile. “Don’t worry, he will wake up.” Because he promised he wouldn’t leave me.
The old Marquis shook his head helplessly. He wanted to say something more, but seeing Yuanxi’s firm expression, he could only let her stay there. Knowing that there were still many matters to attend to in the mansion, he hastily gave a few instructions before leaving in a hurry.
Yuanxi turned around and gently held Xiao Du’s hand, then stood up to adjust his clothes. Suddenly, her hand stopped, realizing that the sachet she had personally made and hung around his waist was missing. A sudden shock gripped her heart, and she felt an inexplicable sense of foreboding.