The Crown Prince did not linger. Having said what he came to say, he departed with his retinue.
The Crown Grandson hesitated briefly before following along.
Everyone bowed together to respectfully send off the Crown Prince and the Crown Grandson.
When the figures of that revered father and son had disappeared from sight, everyone let out a collective breath of relief. Ling Jingyan was the most visibly rattled of all, patting her chest with her hand. “I was absolutely terrified just now.”
Though the Crown Prince was gentle-natured and approachable, his exalted station was undeniable — everyone had been wound tight as a bowstring, not even daring to breathe too deeply.
Seeing Ling Jingyan’s dramatic expression, Ling Jingshu could not help but smile with genuine amusement.
Before she could say a word, Ling Jingyan had already turned to look at her, face full of admiration. “A’Shu, you are truly fortunate. Even the Crown Prince regards you with particular favour. Just now he even specifically reminded Imperial Physician Wei to attend to A’Xiao with all diligence!”
Foolish girl. The Crown Prince’s “particular favour” just now was not so simple a matter.
Goodness knows what hidden circumstances lay behind it.
Ling Jingshu sighed inwardly, yet lifted a smile to her face and went along with the sentiment. “Indeed, that the Crown Prince is so amiable and generous is truly a blessing for A’Xiao and me.”
A blessing?
The sudden kindness and favour bestowed by those in power was not necessarily a cause for rejoicing.
Imperial Physician Wei thought of distant memories from long ago. A flash of sardonic coldness crossed his eyes, then vanished at once beneath the surface, and he smiled gently. “Time is short, and I must still hurry back to the palace. I will not delay any further — I shall administer the acupuncture for Young Master Ling right now.”
Ling Jingshu immediately gathered her thoughts and gave a small bow. “We are grateful for Imperial Physician Wei’s trouble.”
Imperial Physician Wei said nothing further. He walked to Ling Xiao’s side and quietly instructed him to sit still. He then told his medicine apprentice Tian Dong to bring out the gold needles from the medicine chest.
Without needing any reminder from Imperial Physician Wei, everyone held their breath of their own accord, fearful of startling him during the procedure.
The last time, at Returning Spring Hall, Ling Jingshu had been ushered out of the inner chamber by Imperial Physician Wei. Today she finally witnessed the acupuncture procedure with her own eyes.
The moment Imperial Physician Wei picked up the gold needles, the expression on his face became solemn and grave, his gaze focused and keen. One needle descended, and then another…
The fine, slender gold needles pierced into Ling Xiao’s head — the stinging pain was not difficult to imagine.
Ling Xiao kept firmly in mind Imperial Physician Wei’s earlier instructions, and dared not move at all. He did his utmost to relax. He endured the pain in silence. The fair and handsome face contorted faintly from the agony.
Ling Jingshu’s hands had unconsciously curled into fists, as though each of those gold needles were falling upon her own head.
A’Xiao had always been somewhat delicate since childhood, with a very low tolerance for pain. If he scraped himself from a tumble, he would cry out about it for a long time. Yet now, in real agony like this, he bit down and did not utter a single sound.
A’Xiao was afraid she would worry — that was why he was forcing himself to endure it.
A pang of bittersweet feeling rose in Ling Jingshu’s heart, followed at once by overwhelming warmth and relief. A’Xiao could not hide behind her forever. He was striving to grow up and mature.
Very soon, Ling Xiao’s head was full of gold needles.
Ling Jingyan first drew a sharp breath, then murmured under her breath, “He looks like a hedgehog……”
Jiang Shi nearly burst out laughing.
Imperial Physician Wei had exceptionally keen hearing, and even from several metres away he caught Ling Jingyan’s quiet murmur. He furrowed his brow and turned to give Ling Jingyan a look.
The meaning of that look was unmistakable.
Speak up again and disturb us — and you leave immediately.
Ling Jingyan felt a chill in her heart from being looked at like that. She shut her mouth at once. This Imperial Physician Wei, once he hardened his face, was quite frightening indeed.
Half an hour later.
Imperial Physician Wei withdrew all of the gold needles, and Tian Dong immediately cleaned and put them away with a specially prepared medicinal solution.
“Young Master Ling — how are you feeling today?” Imperial Physician Wei was invariably gentle in his manner with patients.
Ling Xiao had been biting down the entire time, enduring in silence without letting out a single sound of pain. The colour had long drained completely from his face. He heard the question and squeezed out a faint smile with some difficulty. “This much pain is nothing — I can bear it.”
Imperial Physician Wei frowned slightly, his tone still mild. “You have misunderstood me. When I ask how you are feeling, you must answer truthfully. Do not exaggerate — but do not conceal anything either. Otherwise it will interfere with my diagnosis.”
Ling Jingshu had held her tongue for so long that at this point she could no longer stop herself. “That’s right, A’Xiao — whatever you are feeling right now, tell Imperial Physician Wei every detail.”
Ling Xiao stopped hiding it then, and answered honestly. “While the needles were in, there were waves of sharp pain — a numb, swollen feeling. After the needles were removed, the sharp pain eased considerably. But there is still a numb, tight feeling in my head.”
Imperial Physician Wei gave a quiet sound of acknowledgement.
So then — was this state of things good or bad?
Ling Jingshu looked at Imperial Physician Wei with a face full of hope, waiting for him to offer a word of explanation.
But to her surprise, Imperial Physician Wei said nothing at all. He merely instructed his medicine apprentice to pack up the medicine chest, and then made to leave.
“Wait — Imperial Physician Wei.” Ling Jingshu quickly called out to stop him. “Are the symptoms A’Xiao described just now considered normal?”
Imperial Physician Wei stopped walking and turned his head. Rather than answering, he posed a question in return: “If they were not normal, would I conceal it from you?”
Ling Jingshu: “……”
“I understand that Miss Ling cherishes her younger brother deeply, and that her devotion in protecting him knows no bounds.”
There was little expression on Imperial Physician Wei’s handsome, refined face. His tone was level and unhurried. “However, since you have deliberately sought me out for treatment, it is my responsibility to treat him — and in turn, it is your responsibility to trust me. If you harbour doubts and suspicions at every turn, you are welcome to seek a more capable physician elsewhere.”
Meeting those tranquil, clear eyes of his, Ling Jingshu swallowed back everything she had been about to say, and answered with only a brief reply: “I apologise. From now on, I will not ask careless questions or cast doubt on Imperial Physician Wei.”
Imperial Physician Wei tugged at the corner of his mouth. “That is for the best.”
Having said that, he nodded in farewell to everyone, then swept his sleeves and left.
Ling Jingyan and Jiang Shi, in unison and without any prior arrangement, watched Imperial Physician Wei’s retreating figure, then looked at each other — and then, equally without arrangement, turned to look at Ling Jingshu, whose expression was rather complicated.
“A’Shu, you told me before that Imperial Physician Wei shows no particular courtesy to women, and I didn’t quite believe you. Today I’ve finally seen it for myself.”
Ling Jingyan was wide-eyed. “He was actually keeping that cold expression toward you the entire time! And that line — ‘it is my responsibility to treat him, and it is your responsibility to trust me’ — that was incredibly impressive!”
The corner of Ling Jingshu’s mouth twitched. She was rather at a loss for words at Ling Jingyan’s abrupt defection to the other side. “Cousin Yan, exactly whose side are you on?”
Ling Jingyan grinned cheerfully. “Of course I am on your side. But when faced with such a beautiful man as Imperial Physician Wei, one’s loyalties can sometimes, on occasion, waver ever so slightly.”
Ling Jingshu had been feeling a little vexed and stifled — but with Ling Jingyan carrying on like this, she could not help but break into laughter.
Jiang Shi also laughed and said, “It is getting late. We ought to hurry back.”
Ling Jingshu nodded, thought for a moment, then asked, “Cousin-in-law, should we not go and offer our thanks to the Crown Princess before we leave?”
It was best to be thorough with the proper courtesies, so as not to invite fault-finding later on.
Whether or not to go was their affair; whether or not to receive them would be the Crown Princess’s.
Jiang Shi agreed wholeheartedly. “You are the more thoughtful one. Quite right — let us go and express our thanks and say our farewells.”