Midway through, Ji Cheng woke up once. She heard men’s voices outside, a muffled buzz that was indistinct. She tried to open her eyes, but her eyelids felt as heavy as a thousand pounds. Unable to fall back asleep, she realized she had drunk too much water before bed.
Outside, Shen Che was indeed talking to someone.
Ma Yuantong, speaking in his Sichuan dialect, said, “What’s going on? How can someone so young look like a burned-out candle? And you, she’s just an empty shell now, too weak to absorb nourishment, yet you keep pouring it in. Even if you can’t hold back, you should restrain yourself. How could you bring yourself to do that?”
Shen Che’s face alternated between red and pale as Ma Yuantong spoke. He managed to hold back from punching Ma Yuantong, after all, he was asking for help. “I’ve drafted several prescriptions. Please review them for me.”
Ma Yuantong chuckled, “Senior Brother, you’re unsure for once?”
Ever since Ma Yuantong had started learning from Shen Che’s master, it was often the younger Shen Che who taught in his master’s stead. Shen Che had always been arrogant, stubborn, and invariably correct, which utterly demoralized Ma Yuantong. Now that he finally had a chance to mock him, Ma Yuantong wasn’t about to let it pass.
Shen Che was anxious and confused, fearing that if there was any error in his prescriptions, he might not be able to save Ji Cheng, which would undoubtedly be a lifelong, fatal regret.
Ma Yuantong couldn’t help but smirk at Shen Che’s expression, which he interpreted as “despair.” Of course, this was just Ma Yuantong’s perception. “She’s so heartless, why are you still trying to save her? Aren’t you worried about wearing a green hat?”
A faint sound came from the inner room, which didn’t escape Shen Che’s ears. He gave Ma Yuantong a look and said in a low voice, “Keep talking, and I’ll cut out your tongue.”
Ma Yuantong muttered to himself, “Having a woman makes you lose your mind.”
Shen Che entered the bedroom to find Ji Cheng struggling to sit up. He went over to help her into a sitting position, leaning against the headboard. “Sleep a bit more,” he said.
Ji Cheng asked, “Where are Liu Ye’er and the others?”
Shen Che replied, “Isn’t it better to have me taking care of you?”
While it was indeed nice, there were some things Ji Cheng felt uncomfortable asking Shen Che. However, she was desperately in need of relief and, blushing, was about to speak when Shen Che said, “Do you need to use the washroom?”
Ji Cheng closed her eyes and nodded.
Shen Che chuckled, “What’s there to be embarrassed about?” He leaned down and whispered something in Ji Cheng’s ear, then picked her up in his arms.
Ji Cheng punched Shen Che’s shoulder, thinking this man’s shamelessness truly knew no bounds. What hadn’t he seen or done before?
After attending to nature’s call, Shen Che placed Ji Cheng back on the bed, where she promptly fell asleep again.
Once Ji Cheng was sound asleep, Shen Che silently left the room. Ma Yuantong had finished reviewing the prescriptions, making some additions and deletions.
Shen Che took the prescription and examined it carefully. Ma Yuantong said, “Her body is too depleted. She shouldn’t conceive for two or three years.”
Shen Che nodded, “I don’t mind.” Ma Yuantong had put it mildly. Given Ji Cheng’s condition, Shen Che thought it would be safer to avoid pregnancy for at least five years, or both mother and child would be at risk.
Ma Yuantong said, “Senior Brother, I never thought you had the potential to be such a romantic.”
Shen Che, having gotten what he wanted, kicked at Ma Yuantong and said, “Get lost now.”
Ma Yuantong retorted, “You were in such a hurry to bring me here, and now you’re kicking me out before I’ve even sipped water?”
Shen Che laughed and cursed, “I know you’ve got your eye on my treasury. Tell Nishang to open the doors for you, take whatever you like.”
Ma Yuantong was delighted, “Oh, it’s rare to see you, the iron-fisted miser, being so generous.”
Shen Che said, “Hurry up and leave before I change my mind.”
After Ma Yuantong left, Shen Che took the prescription and ordered someone to fetch the medicines. Then he went back to the bedroom to check on Ji Cheng.
Sitting on an embroidered stool by the bed, Shen Che looked down at Ji Cheng. He couldn’t help but take her hand, which was resting on top of the quilt, and cup it in his palms. He lowered his head, pressing his forehead against her hand.
Shen Che thought he should have noticed earlier, but his anger had blinded him. Ji Cheng had been visibly losing weight day by day, and she, who had never worn makeup before, had started applying rouge daily.
The person before him was not only harsh on others but also on herself. Shen Che had discovered the scars on the inside of Ji Cheng’s thighs last night, remnants from her desperate search for Ma Yuantong in the grasslands.
At that time, Ji Cheng hadn’t had the luxury to tend to her injuries, leading to infection and abscess. Later, she caught a cold and wandered alone in the frontier. If Saiya Danian hadn’t rescued her, she would have perished long ago.
The harsh conditions of the grasslands had prevented Ji Cheng from properly treating her injuries and recovering her health. Even after Shen Che had brought her back to the capital, perhaps as self-punishment, Ji Cheng hadn’t taken care of herself. She suffered from insomnia night after night, yet had to muster up energy during the day to deal with people and affairs. Such burning of the candle at both ends would wear down even the strongest person.
Later, when Ji Cheng fell seriously ill from heatstroke, she forced herself to get up on the fourth day and started managing household affairs again.
Not to mention the emotional turmoil with Shen Che, the sorrow and despair had made Ji Cheng wish for death at the time.
All these factors had completely broken down Ji Cheng’s once-excellent constitution, especially the sleepless nights – even immortals couldn’t withstand such strain.
Shen Che kissed Ji Cheng’s hand, unable to help hating himself for being so heartless then. He had known Ji Cheng’s exceptionally proud nature, yet he had insisted on forcing her to bow her head. In the end, wasn’t he the one left with regret and heartache?
For all his intelligence, he hadn’t seen through this. In matters of love, who was right or wrong, who lowered their head first – what did it matter? The one who bowed first didn’t necessarily lose, and the one who bowed later didn’t necessarily win. What was most precious was for the two of them to live together in harmony. Unfortunately, he had only now understood this truth. He could only hope it wasn’t too late.
Ji Cheng had no idea how long she had slept. When she woke up, it was Yu Qian’er who excitedly told her, “Young Madam, you’ve been asleep for three whole days!”
Ji Cheng was shocked. “How did I sleep for so long? Where’s the Young Master?”
“The Young Master is brewing medicine for you,” Yu Qian’er said as she helped Ji Cheng sit up and lean against the headboard.
“Brewing medicine?” Ji Cheng wondered if she had become stupid from oversleeping, as Yu Qian’er’s words sounded so strange.
Yu Qian’er smiled, “Yes, don’t you find it odd too? The Young Master said he was afraid we wouldn’t get the heat right and ruin your medicine, so he’s been brewing it himself these past few days. He’s even been feeding you the medicine himself.”
The stark difference in treatment made Yu Qian’er cover her mouth and laugh.
Ji Cheng felt a sweetness in her heart, sweeter than honey water. However, she wasn’t used to Yu Qian’er’s repeated “Young Madam.” “Why are you suddenly calling me Young Madam?” she asked. Before, Yu Qian’er had always called her “Miss.”
Yu Qian’er stuck out her tongue and said, “That day, I called you ‘Miss’ in front of the Young Master, and he turned and stared at me. I didn’t dare call you ‘Miss’ again after that. Besides, I should have changed how I addressed you long ago.”
Ji Cheng laughed, “Look at how timid you are.”
When Shen Che entered with the medicine, Ji Cheng was already dressed and sitting at her dressing table, having her hair combed by Yu Qian’er. Yu Qian’er was complaining as she combed, “Young Madam, why is your hair falling out so much recently? If you didn’t have such thick hair, you’d be bald by now at this rate.”
Ji Cheng laughed, “You’re exaggerating.” She brought her hair from behind to the front and felt it. “It does seem a bit thinner.”
“It’s normal to lose hair during the transition from autumn to winter. It will improve after this period,” Shen Che interjected as he walked to Ji Cheng’s side and took the comb from Yu Qian’er. “Why are you up and dressed so formally?”
Yu Qian’er silently withdrew. Over the past few days, she had come to understand that when her Young Master was present, he didn’t like having others in the room.
Ji Cheng said, “A’Rong’s wedding day is coming up soon. I didn’t expect to sleep for so many days, so I need to get busy quickly, or I won’t be able to manage everything in time.”
Shen Che picked up the medicine bowl again and handed it to Ji Cheng. “The medicine has cooled down enough.”
Ji Cheng took the bowl and drank the bitter, dark medicine in one go. As she put down the bowl, she noticed Shen Che’s strange look and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Shen Che smiled helplessly as he took out a small package of preserved fruits from his pocket. “How can you not be afraid of bitterness at all? The dried peaches I specially prepared are useless now. A’Rong always acts like she’s being killed when taking medicine and needs to be coaxed with sweets.”
Ji Cheng looked at Shen Che in the mirror, unsure how to react. Was Shen Che disappointed that she didn’t act coy? “When I was little, no one coaxed me to take medicine. If I refused, my mother would punish me by making me stand.”
Shen Che put his hands on Ji Cheng’s shoulders and lowered his head to her ear, saying, “In the future, if you refuse to drink, I won’t punish you by making you stand.”
Ji Cheng’s ear tingled from Shen Che’s breath. She dodged to the side and said softly, “It tickles.”
Shen Che didn’t push Ji Cheng further. He straightened up and gently began combing her hair again. “You’re not well yet and need to recuperate. Will the household fall apart without you? If you trust me, I’ll have Nishang handle affairs for a few days. She’s been in the household for so many years and knows how to manage things. If there’s anything she doesn’t understand, she can come and ask you.”
Ji Cheng was accustomed to keeping power in her own hands. Her experiences had taught her that no one was reliable, so she couldn’t easily refute Shen Che’s words. She could only look at Shen Che’s reflection in the mirror without speaking.
“Say it. Say what’s on your mind,” Shen Che said gently.
His voice was soft, and his gaze seemed full of affection as he looked at Ji Cheng, but she immediately sensed the danger in it. Fortunately, Ji Cheng’s mind was quick. She leaned back against Shen Che, wrapped her arms around his waist, and said, “You can’t blame me for overthinking. When you say this, doesn’t it mean you intend to take Nishang as a concubine?”
Shen Che snorted, but before he could speak, Ji Cheng continued, “I’m not happy. Anyway, you’re not allowed to have anyone else before I give birth to a child. It would make me sad.” This statement was both coquettish and willful, but it surprisingly suited Shen Che’s taste.
Shen Che tapped Ji Cheng’s nose and said, “You can rest assured, as long as you’re here, there won’t be anyone else.”
This time it was Ji Cheng’s turn to snort twice. Shen Che had finished styling Ji Cheng’s hair into a loose bun that looked ready to fall apart, but at least it had taken shape. Ji Cheng didn’t criticize it; if Shen Che had done it too well, she would have been more suspicious.
Shen Che casually opened Ji Cheng’s jewelry box but didn’t seem to find anything suitable. “Why are there so few? Where are the others?”
Ji Cheng had too many accessories to fit on her dressing table, so the extras were stored away and managed by Liu Ye’er, who would change the selection every ten days.
“Oh, they’re in that cabinet over there,” Ji Cheng pointed.
Shen Che walked over, searched for a moment, and found a jade hairpin shaped like a camellia flower. It looked very similar to the one Ji Cheng had given to Li Rui, though the flower shape was slightly different.
“Don’t you like this hairpin? I’ve never seen you wear it,” Shen Che said as he inserted the pin into Ji Cheng’s hair.
Ji Cheng reached up to touch the jade pin. “It’s precisely because I like it that I haven’t worn it. Who did you commission to make it? Even the imperial workshops couldn’t create such an exquisite jade hairpin, at least not the paper-thin jade petals. I’m afraid if this one breaks, there won’t be another like it in the world.”
Shen Che smiled and kissed Ji Cheng’s cheek. “You can set your mind at ease. I don’t know if others can make it or not, but you’ll have one. If it breaks, I’ll make you another one.”
“You made it?” Ji Cheng looked at Shen Che in utter surprise. In truth, Ji Cheng had already guessed as much. When Li Rui’s hairpin broke, she had been somewhat suspicious, and Shen Che’s recent behavior had been too obvious.
So Ji Cheng deliberately said what Shen Che wanted to hear, pretending not to know.
Shen Che smiled and tapped Ji Cheng’s nose again. “You little fox, you already guessed, didn’t you?”
Ji Cheng couldn’t pretend anymore and just smiled, “I did guess a bit, but I didn’t wear this hairpin because I cherished it too much. How could I dare hope you’d make me another one back then? Now, I can wear it every day, year after year. You don’t know how much Fourth Sister-in-law’s eyes bulged when she saw this hairpin. She asked me for it directly. I couldn’t refuse her to her face.”
Shen Che could see that Ji Cheng was explaining the past incident. He led her to the couch outside and sat down. “After you eat, go rest in the top courtyard for a while. You’ll inevitably be disturbed in Woyu Hall.”
Ji Cheng said, “I can’t. There are still many things to handle. Although Nishang can help me, this time it’s A’Rong’s wedding. If I, as her sister-in-law, don’t come out to manage things, I’ll be gossiped about later. Besides…” Ji Cheng paused, “A’Rong still has some misgivings about me. If I claim illness now, she might feel estranged again.”
“I think you’re just overthinking and wearing yourself out,” Shen Che said bluntly. But he also realized that it was indeed difficult to change one’s nature. Ji Cheng was inherently more cunning than Bi Gan, and it was simply impossible to ask her not to think too much.
Ji Cheng pouted and said, “You’re not a daughter-in-law, so naturally, you don’t know how difficult it is to be one.”
Shen Che had to admit that Ji Cheng had a point, but her health could no longer withstand such strain.
As for Ji Cheng herself, she might not have been unaware of her condition, but she had too many concerns. She also feared that if their love faded in the future, Shen Che might turn these things against her.
“Alright, I can’t argue with you. But after A’Rong’s wedding, I’ll take you to stay at the hot spring villa in the suburbs for a while. How about soaking in the hot springs, drinking tea, and enjoying the snow in winter?” Shen Che suggested.
Ji Cheng nodded, agreeing to pacify Shen Che for now. He could leave at will, but she was entangled in various affairs.
As they were talking, Yu Qian’er brought in the meal. Ji Cheng asked, “Why don’t I see Liu Ye’er? Tell her to come with me to visit the Old Madam later.” Since she was able to get up, Ji Cheng naturally wanted to pay her respects to the elderly lady.
Yu Qian’er had to tell Ji Cheng about Liu Ye’er’s accident of falling into the water. “But she’s almost recovered now. She should be fully healed in a couple of days.” However, because Liu Ye’er had a cough, Shen Che didn’t allow her to attend to Ji Cheng, which was why she hadn’t been seen these past few days.
“I’ll go see her,” Ji Cheng said, about to walk out.
Shen Che held Ji Cheng’s hand and said, “Go after you eat. It’s not urgent. Aren’t you hungry after lying down for so long?”
She was indeed hungry, but Ji Cheng’s appetite was much smaller than before. She only managed to finish one bowl of rice under Shen Che’s insistence. “You’ve become skin and bones. When I hold you, it hurts my bones,” Shen Che said.
After breakfast, Ji Cheng only looked in on Liu Ye’er briefly at her door and said a few words, as Shen Che was following her, and she couldn’t stay long.
Ji Cheng looked at Shen Che suspiciously. “Don’t you need to go out today?”
Shen Che smiled, “I happen to have time to stay home with you today.”
Ji Cheng blinked her eyes. She hoped Shen Che would go out for a while, as she was concerned about Ji Yuan’s matter. She hadn’t been able to send out the exam papers for so many days due to her illness and didn’t know how anxious they might be. However, due to a subtle mindset, Ji Cheng didn’t want to mention it in front of Shen Che.
“You don’t need to. I’m fine. If you have things to do, go ahead,” Ji Cheng said understandingly.
Seeing Ji Cheng’s calculating look, Shen Che knew what she was thinking. “Don’t worry, I’ve been to Orchid Lane for you.”
Ji Cheng felt her face flush and then heard Shen Che say, “I’ve already admonished your father and eldest brother. You don’t need to worry.”
“How did you admonish them?” Based on Ji Cheng’s understanding of Shen Che, his so-called admonishments usually involved threats and intimidation, forcing people to comply.
Shen Che rubbed his nose and said, “The night we quarreled, Yu Qian’er went to Orchid Lane in the middle of the night to inform them. So I just went along with it. When you next see your father, don’t let anything slip.”
“What do you mean ‘went along with it’? Did you threaten my father saying you would divorce me?” Ji Cheng’s eyes widened.
Shen Che hugged Ji Cheng and said softly, “What divorce? If anything, it’s more likely you’d divorce me.”