“How is he?” Chu Dingjiang asked.

Mo Sigui immediately became defensive. “Let me tell you, you’re not allowed to harm him. Killing someone in my room isn’t what a true hero would do. If you have the guts, wait until he’s better and fight outside.”

Chu Dingjiang sat down on a stool, his expression unchanging. “When have I ever wasted words before killing someone?”

Mo Sigui thought about it and realized this was true, so he relaxed. “Anyway, I won’t let him die in this room. As for the rest…”

“Has his lifespan been shortened?” Chu Dingjiang glanced at the person breathing weakly on the bed.

“Normally, that would be the case. But since he saved An Jiu, I’ll give him a few more years of life,” Mo Sigui sat on the floor, almost buried in piles of medicine. His posture was casual, but after saying this, no one could doubt him.

After speaking, he questioned curiously, “Aren’t you usually concerned about the country and its people? Why aren’t you killing him?”

Chu Dingjiang was known to use any means to achieve his goals. If he wanted to kill someone, nothing would stop him.

“I’ve already left the Crane Control Army and am no longer a subject of the Great Song,” This was just one reason. Chu Dingjiang’s thoughts ran much deeper. He hadn’t taken the opportunity to kill Wei Yuzhi before, and he wouldn’t do it now. Without Wei Yuzhi, the situation in Liao would quickly unify, and that would truly be a nightmare for the Great Song.

Mo Sigui neither agreed nor disagreed with his explanation and didn’t pursue the matter further, as it wasn’t important to him. “Wei Yuzhi will wake up tomorrow, but as for An Jiu… sigh! I can’t say for sure.”

She might wake up soon, or she might lie there for ten days, half a month, or even years. There was also a possibility she might never wake up. This was Mo Sigui’s first attempt at using blood to nourish someone with injured spiritual energy. According to medical texts, it should work in theory, but reality doesn’t always follow theory. Mo Sigui wasn’t one to blindly follow medical texts; he was constantly verifying and refuting the information left by his predecessors, while also accumulating his own experiences.

“It will work,” Chu Dingjiang said, either reassuring himself or speaking to Mo Sigui. His tone was certain as if he had personally experienced it. After a moment of silence, he reminded me, “I won’t harm Wei Yuzhi, but that doesn’t mean others won’t. Don’t forget, this is the Hua residence.”

It was the mansion of a Great Song minister! Hua Rongjian and Mei Jiu often came to see An Jiu.

“I know,” Mo Sigui lit a pipe, and the medicinal fragrance dispersed with the smoke. He leaned against the bed, squinting at Chu Dingjiang. “I never thought we’d be able to sit peacefully under the same roof. It’s just because I’m a good person, otherwise, I would have poisoned you a thousand times over by now.”

Chu Dingjiang replied calmly, “Thank you for your mercy, Divine Physician.”

“Tch!” Along with a sneer, wisps of smoke escaped Mo Sigui’s mouth. “What do you know!”

“I know you’re enduring this to exchange for a favor so that one day you can save Lou Mingyue from danger,” Chu Dingjiang said.

Lou Mingyue had ventured alone deep into Liao territory and would eventually be discovered. When that time came, it would be nearly impossible to escape. Only a master at the Huajing level would have the ability to extract someone from such danger.

Mo Sigui raised his peach blossom eyes. “I don’t understand how two boring people like you and An Jiu ended up together.”

Chu Dingjiang remained silent. Their kind of interest was something others couldn’t understand.

After finishing a pipe, Mo Sigui’s eyes were veiled with a hazy sleepiness. Chu Dingjiang quietly left and returned to lie beside An Jiu. He soon fell into a deep sleep.

In the half-year, since An Jiu had fallen into a coma, Chu Dingjiang had never slept so well. He even dreamed.

In his dream, he was in Zhao. The outskirts were covered in peach and apricot blossoms, a sea of pink and white. The sun was bright, and he was taking a nap on a woolen blanket. Petals were falling, almost burying his form in a pile of flower petals.

He opened his eyes, the light was dazzling, and he vaguely saw someone standing with folded arms, watching him. Even after his eyes adjusted, the person’s features remained blurry.

“Are you awake?” a slightly hoarse voice asked.

Chu Dingjiang’s eyes flew open. Bright sunlight streamed in from the window, and An Jiu stood by the bed with her arms folded, intently looking down at him, backlit by the sun.

Perhaps it was the glare of the sunlight, but a tear suddenly slid from the corner of Chu Dingjiang’s eye.

An Jiu bent down to embrace him.

Chu Dingjiang was deeply moved, thinking that after lying there for so long, An Jiu had finally understood the warmth and coldness of human emotions. That she could now take the initiative to embrace and comfort him was truly precious.

While he was thinking this, An Jiu sighed, “You’ve had it hard these past years.”

“These past years?” Chu Dingjiang asked, puzzled.

An Jiu released him, touching his face and the white hair at his temples. “I must have been lying here for at least ten years or so, for you to have aged like this.”

An Jiu was indeed moved, thinking that for Chu Dingjiang to care for a vegetative person for so many years, it must be true love.

Chu Dingjiang sat up, rubbing his temples with a wry smile. “You wake up and the first thing you do is nearly give someone a heart attack.”

After calming himself for a moment, Chu Dingjiang turned to look at An Jiu. “You’ve only been asleep for less than half a year.”

An Jiu’s eyes widened slightly. “In just over half a year, you’ve gone from looking like an uncle to looking like a grandfather! Why such a rush?”

“…” Chu Dingjiang looked at her speechlessly for a while, then reached out to pull her into his arms.

She was too thin; even with one arm around her, she felt empty.

“Mr. Chu, Madam Hua has come to see An Jiu,” Mei Yanran knocked on the door outside.

“Come in!” Chu Dingjiang was in high spirits.

Mei Jiu was now nine months pregnant and about to give birth, but she still insisted on coming here every day to see An Jiu. She entered, supporting her belly, and was startled to see An Jiu standing by the bed.

Mei Yanran was also stunned.

“How did you get so fat!” An Jiu thought Mei Jiu had become too comfortable as a noblewoman, but then remembered that Mei Jiu was already pregnant before she fell into a coma.

Mei Jiu wept with joy and was about to rush over to hug An Jiu when she suddenly stiffened. “Mother, my water broke!”

Mei Yanran immediately called out, “Someone come quickly!”

A group of servant women rushed in. The lead woman, hearing that Mei Jiu’s water had broken, quickly had people carry her to the delivery room.

Mei Jiu was about to give birth, and because she had been running back and forth every day, Hua Rongtian was worried about unexpected situations. So he had prepared three delivery rooms in the mansion, with one right next to this small courtyard.

“You lie down and rest for a while. I’ll go prepare some food for you,” Chu Dingjiang said.

Hearing the words “food,” An Jiu’s stomach growled. Having been standing since she woke up, she now felt a bit light-headed, so she obediently lay down.

Chu Dingjiang first went to Mo Sigui’s room and found him lying among piles of medicine, reading medical books. In as calm a voice as possible, he said, “She’s awake!”

Mo Sigui scrambled up, not waiting for Chu Dingjiang to ask what An Jiu could eat now. He rushed out like the wind, one shoe flying off at the threshold, but he didn’t come back to pick it up.

An Jiu was lying on the bed, eagerly waiting for food, when a madman kicked open the door. Seeing that she was awake, he hugged her and began to wail.

“Mo Sigui,” An Jiu recognized him by the medicinal scent on his body. Thankfully, her body’s reactions had become sluggish after lying down for so long, otherwise, she would have struck him with a palm strike already!

Chu Dingjiang sighed and went to the kitchen. He found that Mei Yanran had already prepared white porridge and took the pot and bowls with him.

In the room, Mo Sigui had composed himself and was now sitting on a stool, taking An Jiu’s pulse.

“Her blood and qi are deficient. She shouldn’t talk much for the next half month,” Mo Sigui told Chu Dingjiang with a dark face.

Chu Dingjiang knew well that this had nothing to do with blood and qi. It was likely that An Jiu had offended him again as soon as she opened her mouth. So he didn’t respond and simply said, “The kitchen has prepared porridge. You drink some first.”

Mo Sigui rubbed his stomach and went over to take a bowl. “I’ll have some too.”

The three of them gathered around the bed and finished a pot of porridge while next door, Mei Jiu was screaming heart-rendingly.

At first, the news came too quickly and intensely, leaving Mei Yanran a bit dazed. Later, seeing that An Jiu was fine, she went to Mei Jiu’s side.

“She’s screaming so terribly, is she alright?” An Jiu asked.

“She’s screaming with full force, what could be wrong?” Mo Sigui smacked his lips. “It would be nice if we had some pickles.”

Mo Sigui examined Mei Jiu and found that her fetal position was correct and she had been well-nourished. Generally, there shouldn’t be any problems.

After dinner, An Jiu went to the bathroom to freshen up but then felt a bit dizzy. She quickly fell asleep after returning to her room.

Meanwhile, Mei Jiu alternated between resting and screaming, her voice becoming hoarse.

Mo Sigui calculated the time and figured that Wei Yuzhi should be waking up soon.

He picked up the things he had scattered when rushing over earlier while returning to his room.

“Divine Physician Mo,” Wei Yuzhi said.

“Oh, you’ve woken up earlier than I expected,” Mo Sigui tossed the things in his hands into a basket and put on his shoes.

“I just woke up,” Wei Yuzhi’s voice was slightly weak. “Who’s screaming?”

“The first madam of the Hua residence is giving birth. You’ve just woken up, don’t talk too much. The weirdo next door woke up, ate, and even took a bath. I’ve never seen anyone more lively!” Mo Sigui sat back on the couch, picked up his book, and poured a bowl of medicine from the medicinal stove. He handed it to Wei Yuzhi, inserting a wheat straw into the bowl. “It’s easier to drink with this.”

Hearing this, a faint smile spread across Wei Yuzhi’s face. He didn’t ask anything and drank the bowl of medicine through the straw.

The medicine had been prepared in advance by Mo Sigui and kept warm on the stove, making it just right to drink.

After drinking the medicine, Wei Yuzhi felt a bit better. “I slept very well last night.”

It was the best sleep he had ever had in his life.

Before, his sleep quality had been high, so even though he slept little, it was enough for necessary rest. But this time was different. He knew he had slept for a long time, and when he woke up, he felt unprecedentedly relaxed in body and mind, as if all burdens had been lifted.

“Of course,” Mo Sigui wasn’t surprised at all. The medicinal smoke he had used last night was from a new prescription. Even someone like him with severe insomnia and strong drug resistance could sleep well, let alone ordinary people.

“I can maintain your life for a few years, but as you know, the blood from the heart is the essence of the body’s blood and qi. Your appearance has aged considerably compared to before,” Mo Sigui said.

Wei Yuzhi had a gentle temperament and fair skin, so there wouldn’t be too much of a visible difference from before. However, his once jet-black hair was now snow-white, including his eyebrows.