Upon hearing this, Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but grumble inwardly: Why plant a pomegranate tree? Whose idea was that anyway? It’s not as if this is some young wife’s bridal chamber that needs symbols of many sons and great fortune. She’d transplant this tree elsewhere tomorrow and replace it with a flowering crabapple instead.

In her previous life, she had accompanied Lin Shisheng to the palace to pay respects to Imperial Concubine Lin. When passing through the Imperial Garden, she had seen those flowering crabapples.

Standing gracefully in the wind, their buds were brilliantly red, their blossoms radiant and beautiful, like drops of rouge—both fragrant and gorgeous.

She had wanted to plant one at the time.

However, flowering crabapples were extremely difficult to obtain. She had visited Fengtai several times but never encountered any. The flower farmer had asked her to leave her address, saying he would notify her if any became available. But back then, she could barely take care of herself—how could she dare dream of anything else? She could only thank the flower farmer and leave in disappointment.

In this life, she absolutely had to plant a flowering crabapple tree.

Zhou Shaojin hadn’t slept all night. When she got up in the morning, she only drank half a bowl of soy milk. After chatting with Zhou Chujin and Li Shi for a while, cold sweat began to bead on her forehead. Fortunately, since little Guan Ge’er was still in swaddling clothes, Zhou Chujin was afraid he might catch a chill and hadn’t dared bring him out. Seeing that Zhou Shaojin was fine, she rose to take her leave.

Li Shi and Zhou Shaojin escorted Zhou Chujin to the door just as the physician arrived.

Zhou Shaojin had no choice but to return to her room. She sent away the maids and servant women, keeping only Fan Liushi and Nanny Li to accompany her. Through the bed curtain, with a handkerchief draped over her hand, the physician took her pulse.

The physician was about fifty years old with a goatee. He examined her left hand, then her right hand, then her right hand again, muttering mysteriously for quite some time without anyone in the room understanding a word. Finally, he prescribed a formula to calm the nerves and replenish qi before leaving.

Following instructions, Chun Wan had Fan Qi fetch the medicine, but she didn’t dare let Zhou Shaojin drink it. She went through the motions of brewing the medicine but quietly poured it into the bamboo grove behind the house. Meanwhile, Zhou Shaojin grew even dizzier from all this commotion. Before Fan Qi returned with the medicine, she had already collapsed to rest. After a short while, her face flushed red and her body became burning hot.

With the bed curtain half-drawn, Chun Wan and the others didn’t notice.

At noon, when Cheng Chi returned home, Steward Xiang immediately reported the morning’s events to him.

Cheng Chi’s expression changed slightly. Without thinking, he headed straight for the inner courtyard.

Huai Shan’s face changed too.

Since turning sixteen, Cheng Chi had never been this impulsive.

He coughed softly and said in a low voice: “Fourth Master, tomorrow is the Bathing Buddha Festival. Since the eldest young madam came this morning, she’s bound to have mentioned it. I wonder what plans the second young miss and the eldest young madam have made? Perhaps you should go ask? Fourth Master doesn’t usually employ maids, and we men cannot enter the inner residence—I’m afraid this matter requires you to make the trip yourself!”

Cheng Chi couldn’t help but laugh. He said meaningfully: “Huai Shan, I’ve discovered that you can be quite eloquent sometimes.”

Huai Shan choked on this praise and began coughing.

Only then did Cheng Chi lift his feet and enter the inner residence.

While Cheng Chi and Huai Shan had been talking, Steward Xiang had seized the opportunity to send a quick-witted servant woman to report to the inner residence, and Li Shi had returned to the east wing room.

After some thought, Cheng Chi still stood outside the east wing room’s curtain to greet Li Shi and politely inquire about the Bathing Buddha Festival: “…If the eldest young madam has made no other arrangements, you might as well come along with us—I previously promised Shaojin that I would accompany her to the temple fair. I’ve already arranged for guards and servant women. When the time comes, you need only bring Third Young Miss and follow us. Or if you wish to go elsewhere, you may have the guards and servant women accompany you there.”

Although Li Shi was Zhou Shaojin’s stepmother, she was only a woman in her early twenties. Having married Zhou Zhen, who was more than ten years her senior, she had to appear dignified and composed in every situation, which made her quite constrained. Now, hearing that she could visit the temple fair and, moreover, wander wherever her heart desired, her spirits lifted. She couldn’t help but say: “How thoughtful of you. Let me discuss this matter with Second Young Miss first before giving you a reply.”

Cheng Chi showed Li Shi unprecedented respect, saying: “I heard Shaojin is ill. I was just preparing to go see her—I can ask her for you while I’m there!”

Li Shi smiled and thanked him.

Cheng Chi went to the main house.

Nanny Li said in a low voice: “Madam, is this appropriate?”

“What’s inappropriate about it?” Li Shi hadn’t thought that deeply about it. “No matter what, this is Fourth Master Cheng’s residence. Now that Shaojin is ill, how can Fourth Master Cheng turn a blind eye?”

But isn’t this a bit too attentive?

Nanny Li muttered inwardly. However, hearing Li Shi say this, she pushed these thoughts aside.

Cheng Chi entered the inner chamber. Bitao, who had been sitting by the bed curtain doing needlework while watching over Zhou Shaojin, immediately stood up. She tossed her needlework into the rattan basket on the floor and curtsied, calling out “Fourth Master.”

“How is Second Young Miss?” Cheng Chi hesitated over whether he should lift the bed curtain to look.

Bitao replied: “Second Young Miss took her medicine and slept for a while.”

Cheng Chi stared at the quietly hanging curtain. He knew he shouldn’t continue standing there, yet his feet seemed glued to the spot—he simply couldn’t bear to move them.

He decided to ask about Zhou Shaojin directly: “I heard the raw lacquer made her face swell. How badly is it swollen? Where is the prescription the physician wrote? Let me see it.”

Bitao hurried to fetch the prescription.

Cheng Chi examined it carefully. The more he read, the deeper his frown became.

He looked up to see Fan Liushi and Nanny Shang, who had rushed over upon hearing the news.

His tone grew stern: “Why didn’t you take my calling card and invite Imperial Physician Cao to come? Where did you dig up this physician from some remote corner?”

Fan Liushi and Nanny Shang both knew that Cheng Chi could read medical prescriptions. Hearing this, both were greatly alarmed. One said: “Young Miss won’t have any problems, will she?” The other said: “Steward Xiang helped arrange it. He must have some reputation in the capital.”

Cheng Chi crumpled the prescription into a ball and casually tossed it on the floor, saying: “Go take my calling card and summon Imperial Physician Cao for a house call!”

Nanny Shang responded “Yes” and hurried out of the inner chamber.

Fan Liushi hadn’t had much contact with Cheng Chi, but she knew he was someone who dared to be rude even to the old matriarch of the second branch. When those clear, bright eyes swept over her, she couldn’t help but feel alarmed. She stood there holding her breath, not daring to move.

For a moment, the room was so quiet one could hear a pin drop.

Yet Cheng Chi found it strange—they had made such a commotion, so why hadn’t Zhou Shaojin awakened?

His hand reached out then withdrew. He said to Fan Liushi: “Go see if Second Young Miss wants water.”

Fan Liushi glanced at Cheng Chi. Seeing that he made no move, she had no choice but to lift a corner of the bed curtain and say in a low voice: “Second Young Miss, Uncle has come to see you!”

Cheng Chi frowned upon hearing this.

But there was no movement from within the curtain.

Fan Liushi called out again.

Cheng Chi had already impatiently swept aside the curtain.

Zhou Shaojin’s face was bright red. She lay on the bed drenched in sweat.

“Shaojin!” Cheng Chi felt as if his heart had stopped beating. He stepped forward and pushed Fan Liushi aside, strode over and sat at the head of the bed, gathered Zhou Shaojin into his arms, and reached out to place his hand on her forehead.

How can Fourth Master be holding Second Young Miss?

Although Second Young Miss hasn’t yet come of age, she is still a grown young lady after all…

While Fan Liushi was thinking this, Cheng Chi’s sharp gaze had already swept over. He said: “What are you standing there stupidly for? Hurry and fetch a basin of cold water. Second Young Miss has a severe fever—she’s probably delirious!” Though the last sentence was directed at Zhou Shaojin.

“Oh!” Fan Liushi responded in a fluster, stumbling out of the inner chamber.

Cheng Chi gently patted Zhou Shaojin’s cheeks, softly calling her name.

Zhou Shaojin struggled to open her eyes. With a listless expression, she glanced at Cheng Chi and called out weakly, “Uncle Chi.”

Cheng Chi’s heart felt as if a piece had been gouged out. Unable to control his heartache, he quickly said gently: “Don’t talk. It takes too much effort. I’ve already sent Nanny Shang to fetch a physician. Just bear with it—you’ll be better soon.”

Zhou Shaojin felt as if she were dreaming.

She was in a daze, her body feeling as if it were being roasted over a fire, unbearably uncomfortable… She missed her elder sister… and Uncle Chi too… But her sister now had little Guan Ge’er… and who knew where Uncle Chi had gone… She felt like crying… Then when she opened her eyes, she saw Uncle Chi.

Uncle Chi was looking at her with a face full of anxiety, as if she were some precious treasure.

With a “wah,” she burst into tears.

It was all Uncle Chi’s fault. If not for him, she wouldn’t have fallen ill!

Cheng Chi’s heart was thrown into chaos by her crying. He let her curl up completely in his embrace, gently patting her back while coaxing her softly: “Where does Shaojin feel unwell? The physician will be here soon! Don’t cry, don’t cry.”

Sick people are generally more fragile than usual. When no one comforted her, it was bearable, but with someone coaxing her like this, Zhou Shaojin cried even harder.

Cheng Chi kept comforting her. When he inadvertently looked up, he saw Fan Liushi standing in the doorway holding a copper basin, mouth agape. Thinking of how so many of them were attending to Zhou Shaojin yet hadn’t even noticed she was ill, anger welled up inside him. His gaze at Fan Liushi grew sharp as he said: “Wring out a cloth and bring it here!”

Fan Liushi shuddered. Her heart surged like waves crashing against the shore as she tremblingly wrung out a cloth and handed it over.

“Good girl! I’ll help you wipe the sweat. Once the sweat is wiped away, you’ll feel better!” Cheng Chi said gently. Seeing that her neck was also covered in sweat, he had Fan Liushi wring out another cloth to wipe her neck. Then, discovering that her back was also sweaty, he thought for a moment and helped wipe her back as well. He then said to Fan Liushi: “Bring a clean handkerchief to place under my arm.”

Fan Liushi’s mind was still in a fog, like a copper oil lamp—Cheng Chi had to prod her for each movement. When she placed the clean handkerchief under Cheng Chi’s arm, she realized that at some point, his sleeve had become soaked with water. With the clean handkerchief placed under his arm, when Zhou Shaojin leaned against him, she wouldn’t get wet.

She was profoundly shaken. As she walked out carrying the water basin, her hands trembled, and the basin felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.

Zhou Shaojin’s consciousness remained muddled and confused. She only vaguely knew that she was ill, that Uncle Chi had been with her the whole time, that the physician came, that Uncle Chi fed her medicine, that he tucked her blanket around her, and that when he tucked her in, she had grabbed his hand and wouldn’t let him leave, so he truly hadn’t left… She fell asleep feeling secure and at peace.

When she woke up, the sun had already reached the center of the room. The inner chamber was quiet, with only Chun Wan leaning against the bedpost, dozing off.

Zhou Shaojin stirred.

Chun Wan’s eyes snapped open immediately.

Seeing that Zhou Shaojin had awakened, her eyes grew moist. She rushed to the bedside and said excitedly: “Second Young Miss, you’re awake!”