“Yingzi, I don’t trust this Jiang Chen one bit.”

“A silent dog bites the hardest! How many times have we run into him since we got here — has he said more than three sentences to us?”

“Just now, the whole family was frantic over his son, and there he was, sitting off to the side sipping tea like some great Buddha!”

“That takes real nerve!”

“You think a man like that wouldn’t be wary of our master?”

“Whatever’s on his mind, we just need to keep watch over our master ourselves.”

“Sigh… once this typhoon hits, letters won’t be able to get through. I wonder how things are going with Her Ladyship…”

Yingzi had been talking for quite a while now, but Physician Gu hadn’t answered. Finally noticing something was off, Yingzi looked down — and found Physician Gu staring, dumbstruck, at their master beside them!

Following Physician Gu’s gaze, Yingzi froze in shock as well, then cried out in alarm, “Master!”

Jun Beiyue’s hands were trembling, his eyelashes fluttering — as though his hands were about to move, as though his eyes were about to open!

Physician Gu’s first instinct was to clap a hand over Yingzi’s mouth, terrified that Yingzi’s shout might startle their master.

But even as he clamped his hand tight over Yingzi’s mouth, he himself cried out anxiously, asking again and again, stubbornly, “Master, are you waking up? Master, are you waking up?”

Suddenly, Jun Beiyue’s hands stopped trembling. Physician Gu immediately fell silent, and the two of them held their breath, not daring to make a sound.

He was a physician, after all — how could he be flustered like this?

He should be able to tell whether a patient was close to waking. He should be examining him right now.

And yet his mind had gone completely blank; all he could do was wait carefully, terrified of frightening away this hard-won glimmer of hope.

Suddenly, the trembling in Jun Beiyue’s eyelashes stopped as well.

Physician Gu and Yingzi could practically hear each other’s hearts pounding, giving a violent lurch.

What was happening?

Was it just like last time? Just another false alarm, another moment of hope for nothing?

But just as Physician Gu and Yingzi were gradually calming down, gradually growing disheartened, those long lashes suddenly trembled once more, and Jun Beiyue’s eyes opened. That deep, ocean-dark gaze — still carrying its usual icy coldness — felt, after so long, both achingly familiar and warmly welcome.

He’d woken!

Had he really woken?

Yingzi’s lips trembled uncontrollably; it was a long while before he managed to choke out, “Master…”

Physician Gu trembled so badly he couldn’t even speak, quickly clapping a hand over his own mouth, though his quivering, nearly-weeping lips set his hand shaking along with them.

Their master was awake, looking right at them.

And yet, it all lasted only a moment. Jun Beiyue looked at them, and looked, his somewhat dazed eyes slowly drifting shut once more.

“Master!”

Physician Gu finally snapped fully back to his senses, hurrying forward with trembling hands to check the pulse — and the instant he did, his face lit up with joy. Without explaining anything, he immediately sent Yingzi rushing off to fetch Physician Hua.

Overjoyed, Yingzi didn’t dare ask questions or waste time, hurrying off at once. Before long, Physician Hua and Master Gu both arrived, anxious and hurried.

But when Master Gu entered and still didn’t see Jun Beiyue awake, his mind still on his wife, he grew impatient. “Didn’t you say he woke up? Is he going to wake up or not?”

The joy on Physician Gu’s and Yingzi’s faces froze at once. Physician Hua, well acquainted with Master Gu’s short temper, quickly stepped forward to check the pulse himself, easing the awkward moment.

The moment he felt the pulse, he too lit up with delighted surprise. “My lord, he’ll wake, he’ll wake! His pulse has returned entirely to normal, his qi and blood have both recovered. It’s just that his body is somewhat weak — after months unconscious, his vital energy and blood are quite depleted. If we can nurse his body back to health these next few days, he’ll surely wake within five days!”

“Truly!” Master Gu was overjoyed at once.

“Truly. Congratulations, my lord, many congratulations! I daresay the young master may have turned misfortune into blessing!” Physician Hua said quickly.

That title — “young master” — he only now dared to use it, now that Jun Beiyue’s waking seemed certain.

“How should we nurse his body back to health, what medicines are needed? Physician Gu, feel free to take whatever you need from the storehouse!” Master Gu instructed at once.

Physician Gu’s expression finally eased, and he nodded immediately. “My thanks, Master Gu.”

“No need for thanks, it’s only right, only right!” Master Gu said happily, gazing at Beiyue, rubbing his hands together again and again, pacing back and forth, wishing he could speak with Jun Beiyue this very instant.

Had Physician Hua not reminded him, he would have very nearly forgotten that his own wife still lay unconscious.

Physician Hua and Physician Gu discussed matters at length before leaving together with Master Gu. The moment they’d gone, Physician Gu immediately began writing furiously, filling out a large prescription sheet, and said earnestly, “Yingzi, go to the storehouse at once — these herbs are extremely precious, we must obtain them without fail!”

“Don’t worry — even if I have to climb mountains of knives or wade through seas of fire, anything that can nourish our master’s body, I’ll bring it back!”

Yingzi grinned so wide he could hardly close his mouth, scanning through the prescription quickly. Seeing nothing unfamiliar, he hurried off at once.

At this moment, aside from his somewhat pale complexion, Jun Beiyue looked entirely normal — that handsome face as still and serene as a painting. Physician Gu stayed by the bedside, checking his pulse every so often.

He thought to himself — their master truly couldn’t have woken at a more crucial moment.

Otherwise, with Madam Gu’s internal energy entirely spent, the Gu family might well have ended up with an outsider truly running the household!

Whatever motives had driven the Gu couple to save their master, even if their master had no intention of staying on, this debt of gratitude would certainly be repaid in full.

He would never let the Gu family fall to the point of having to fear a mere son-in-law.

At this moment, Jiang Chen was in the west wing, paying no mind to his sleeping son, packing his belongings with rough, heavy-handed movements — loud enough that the racket could be clearly heard even next door!

Gu Suying, in the next room over, held Jiang Yuan in her arms, soothing him, long since accustomed to the noise from next door. However much of a scene that couple made, it never amounted to anything truly serious.

They were, after all, both extremely self-interested people — never the sort to actually do anything that might genuinely harm themselves.

In the room, Jiang Chen had already finished packing, leaving the place in disarray. Gu Meiting stood blocking the door, eyes red, staring coldly at the husband before her.

“I’ll ask you one last time — are you staying, or are you coming with me?” Jiang Chen asked coldly.

“Are you done making a scene? Yuan’er is still sick!” Gu Meiting said angrily.

Jiang Chen shot back immediately, “A scene? Am I the one making a scene? You heard it yourself just now — what your father said. The old man said he’d been feeding me for nothing! Heh, was I born into your Gu family’s household? Or what exactly, that he’d ‘fed me for nothing’?”