Ji Cheng had no choice but to deal with Shen Che, and she was indeed afraid that her father and elder brother would become even bolder after this matter was resolved, doing things that were even more intolerable.
So when Shen Che played dumb, Ji Cheng pretended not to notice. The two went to Rui Ying Hall together, and along the way, Shen Che fed Ji Cheng quite a few candies, or “pills.”
As they walked, Ji Cheng grew impatient. “Can’t you just let me hold and eat them myself?”
Shen Che replied with a feigned grievance, “How can you be so unromantic?” He then fed another candy to Ji Cheng’s mouth, his index finger lingering to stir her lips. “I was afraid you’d find the medicine bitter and refuse to take it, so I specially made it into candy. It’s orange-flavored, too.”
This made Ji Cheng feel a bit embarrassed. Having someone care enough to coax you into taking medicine was indeed a very heartwarming thing, even though Ji Cheng wasn’t afraid of bitterness at all.
In return, Ji Cheng narrowed her eyes and curled her tongue around Shen Che’s finger. Shen Che almost shuddered, pulling Ji Cheng close to himself. “I don’t want to go to Rui Ying Hall anymore. Let’s go back, shall we?”
Ji Cheng was no longer the naive girl she once was. She immediately sensed Shen Che’s change and moved to push him away. This man’s shamelessness was truly eye-opening – in broad daylight, in the garden, he wanted to…
Although Ji Cheng had pushed her boundaries that day when she won Shen Che back, such situations usually had two outcomes: either becoming much more open from then on or becoming even more shy and withdrawn than before. Ji Cheng’s personality clearly couldn’t handle becoming more open.
“Don’t move,” Shen Che breathed lowly in Ji Cheng’s ear. “Do you want me to embarrass myself in the garden? If I wasn’t being considerate of you, would I need to hold back like this?”
That he could speak of such things so righteously made Ji Cheng furious. She pounded on Shen Che’s chest. “If someone sees us, we’ll be laughed at to death.” As soon as she finished speaking, Ji Cheng felt a bit dizzy. Fortunately, Shen Che was holding her at that moment.
Noticing Ji Cheng’s discomfort, Shen Che said, “Feeling dizzy? I told you not to push yourself, but you insisted.”
Ji Cheng rubbed her temples and said, “I won’t overdo it. I’ll just handle some affairs for an hour at most. It wouldn’t be right to stay out of sight completely.”
After this interruption, Shen Che naturally couldn’t continue his mischief. He supported Ji Cheng by the waist as they went to Rui Ying Hall.
As soon as the Old Madam saw Ji Cheng, she said, “Why do you look so unwell? Oh, child, why didn’t you fully recover before coming? Do you think people would call you unfilial if you didn’t pay respects for a few days?”
Ji Cheng touched her face. “Is it that bad?” She had wanted to apply some rouge earlier, but Shen Che wouldn’t let her use powder. Ji Cheng had no choice, and Shen Che had taken the opportunity to kiss her thoroughly. Her lips were indeed bright red now, but her complexion remained pale.
“It seems the Old Ancestress cares for you even more than for me,” Shen Che said with a smile. He then turned to the Old Madam and said, “A Ruan’s wedding is just days away. How can she, as the sister-in-law, not make an appearance? She can rest properly after these few days.”
The Old Madam sighed helplessly. “Very well, but remember, don’t overexert yourself. We have so many maids and servants in the house who can assist you.”
Ji Cheng nodded in agreement. Just as she stood up, perhaps too quickly, her vision went black and she lost consciousness. The little maid beside her let out a low cry of alarm. Thanks to Shen Che’s quick reflexes in catching her, Ji Cheng didn’t fall and hit any corners.
The Old Madam hurriedly told Shen Che to carry Ji Cheng to the gauze room and sent for the Imperial Physician using the Marquis of Qi’s name card.
Imperial Physician Lin shook his head as he spoke, “How did her condition worsen so much in less than two months? Her blood is weak, her Qi is depleted, yet there’s an excess of Yang and a deficiency of Yin. Emotional distress and anger have caused damage. Stagnant Qi has transformed into fire, and the heat has consumed the Yin of the liver and kidneys.” Imperial Physician Lin coughed lightly and added to Shen Che, “Moreover, she should avoid mental exertion and must rest quietly.”
Thanks to Shen Che’s thick skin, he wasn’t embarrassed by Imperial Physician Lin’s implication. However, he was indeed wrongly accused. They had only been intimate twice, yet due to his cultivation method, he was blamed for excessive bedroom activities.
After seeing off Imperial Physician Lin, the Old Madam didn’t let Shen Che move Ji Cheng. Instead, she gave him a meaningful look, and they went to the outer room to talk.
As soon as they were out, the Old Madam couldn’t help but scold Shen Che, “Look at you! Your wife falls ill every other day, and you don’t even care. Emotional distress leading to liver Qi stagnation transforming into fire – if you paid more attention to the family, would your wife be in this state? It’s all emotional illness.”
The Old Madam’s words hit the nail on the head. “She works hard every day. I’m enjoying my golden years, and your mother is hands-off too. All the responsibilities fall on A Cheng’s shoulders. It’s admirable how she manages everything so well. The servants are becoming more orderly, and the household’s reputation is on the rise. Who wouldn’t praise her as virtuous?”
Shen Che replied carelessly, “Indeed, she is virtuous.”
Hearing Shen Che’s tone, the Old Madam glared at him. “You’re not allowed to bully her anymore. You’re not a child anymore, why can’t you settle down? Is A Cheng’s talent and beauty not good enough for you?” The Old Madam was truly worried that Shen Che’s reconciliation with Ji Cheng was just for show. As for Imperial Physician Lin’s words, she hadn’t thought in other directions, unlike Shen Che who had a guilty conscience, so she only assumed Ji Cheng was suffering from liver Qi stagnation.
Shen Che rubbed his nose and said, “Old Ancestress, your grandson knows he was wrong. I’ll change from now on, alright? It’s just…”
“Just what?” The Old Madam’s temper was rising.
Shen Che said, “You heard what Imperial Physician Lin said earlier. A Cheng’s body is severely depleted. She’s naturally prone to overthinking and worrying, and it will take time to nurse her back to health. She’s taking medicine every day, and it might not be suitable for her to have children for a year or more. I was thinking of taking Liu Ye’er as a concubine to fulfill your wish of holding a grandson sooner.”
The Old Madam didn’t let Shen Che off this time. She picked up the back scratcher beside the couch and struck Shen Che’s back several times. “Are you unsatisfied because you haven’t driven your wife to her death yet?”
Shen Che shrank back and said, “I’m not getting any younger, and I was worried you might be anxious.”
The Old Madam naturally wanted to hold a grandson – she dreamed of it. But she couldn’t tolerate Shen Che doing this. “It’s not that A Cheng can’t bear children. What’s wrong with taking a year or two to recuperate? You said yourself that she overthinks and worries too much. If you take a concubine now, I’m afraid the bond between you two will never recover.” The Old Madam was a woman herself, and she hated it most when men took their wives’ closest maids as concubines. Not only did it add a romantic rival, but it also deprived the wife of her right and left arms. Putting herself in Ji Cheng’s shoes, she knew Ji Cheng would be devastated if she found out Shen Che wanted to take Liu Ye’er as a concubine. So while taking other concubines might be negotiable, Liu Ye’er was off-limits.
Shen Che remained silent.
The Old Madam took his silence as unwillingness, so she scolded him again, “Although our family doesn’t have a rule against taking concubines before forty, as long as I’m alive, your firstborn must come from A Cheng’s womb. A child born to a concubine before the main wife bears one is the source of family chaos.” Unsatisfied, she hit Shen Che a few more times. “You should treat your wife well. If you don’t cherish her now, you’ll regret it later. You were the one who insisted on marrying her, and now that the novelty has worn off, you’ve tossed her aside. How did I raise such an inconsiderate child?”
The Old Madam assumed Shen Che’s interest in Ji Cheng was just a passing fancy. After all, Ji Cheng was exceptionally beautiful, but even the most beautiful person couldn’t remain novel forever. Moreover, Shen Che still had Fang Xuan in his heart; she was the one he truly loved. His feelings for other girls were just temporary. But since he had married Ji Cheng, the Old Madam had accepted her as her grandson’s wife. She wouldn’t allow any talk of divorce in the family. Even with Ji Lan, whom she didn’t like, she never suggested that the Third Young Master divorce her.
Shen Che kept shrinking his shoulders as he was hit, repeatedly saying, “Alright, alright, I’ll do as you say.”
Meanwhile, Ji Cheng’s fainting spell in front of the Old Madam came at an incredibly opportune time. When she woke up that evening, the Old Madam explicitly forbade her from handling any affairs and only allowed her to rest and recover. Once Shen Ruan was married, she would let Ji Cheng go with Shen Che to the hot spring estate to recuperate.
Ji Cheng was quite aware of her physical condition. While she had been feeling unwell lately, often experiencing dizziness, blurred vision, palpitations, and tinnitus, along with difficulty sleeping, it was unlikely for her to faint so suddenly. Ji Cheng carefully recalled the situation at that time. Although she had stood up too quickly and felt a bit dizzy, it wasn’t enough to make her faint. Instead, it felt as if some force had suddenly pulled her, causing her vision to go black.
“Why are you staring at me like that?” Shen Che looked at Ji Cheng innocently.
Ji Cheng narrowed her eyes and said, “Was it you doing today in Rui Ying Hall?”
Shen Che was blowing on the medicinal soup to cool it. “You pushed yourself when you hadn’t fully recovered, and now you’re blaming me? Is that the kind of person you think I am?”
Ji Cheng nodded without hesitation.
Shen Che leaned in and nipped Ji Cheng’s lips. “It seems someone isn’t appreciative.”
Ji Cheng winced in pain and mentally rolled her eyes, feeling that Shen Che was extremely willful and impossible to reason with. No matter what he agreed to on the surface, he would still do things his way and force you to go along with his arrangements.
Ji Cheng remained sullenly silent.
Shen Che said, “The medicine has cooled. Let me feed you.”
Ji Cheng was about to shake her head when she saw Shen Che take a big mouthful of the medicine himself and then seal her lips with his. She could imagine how he had fed her medicine during the days she was unconscious.
Ji Cheng thought to herself that this man before her was truly cold when he was indifferent, cold enough to chill one to the bone. Yet when he loved, he was extremely passionate and clingy. Such hot and cold behavior always left her feeling uneasy.
“I’ll drink it myself,” Ji Cheng said, snatching the medicine bowl before Shen Che could take a second mouthful.
Shen Che raised an eyebrow. “I was just trying to share the bitterness with you.”
Great, now it was Ji Cheng’s fault again.
After finishing the medicine, Ji Cheng remembered the important matter at hand. “Now that I can’t manage affairs, what about A Ruan’s wedding gifts? Who will oversee that?”
“The Old Ancestress personally invited your sister-in-law. She’s over three months along now, and the pregnancy is stable,” Shen Che paused before continuing, “She also invited Third Sister-in-law and Fourth Sister-in-law to help.”