“Yes.” The maids all responded and went down to handle their tasks. Gu Chaodong brought over a stool and sat by the bed, gazing affectionately at the person on it.

“There are some things I’ve wanted to tell you for a long time, but I’ve never had the chance.” Gu Chaodong wore a somewhat self-mocking smile. “If you were awake, you certainly wouldn’t be willing to listen to me. Only now can you stay quietly by my side like this.”

“This time I truly know I was wrong. Everything went wrong from the moment I married Shen Guiya.”

“I shouldn’t have married Guiya first just to compete with Second Brother. I haven’t forgotten a single word of my vows to you—I was just temporarily blinded by profit.”

“Now I understand. In my heart, there’s still only you. I can do anything for you. But you’re no longer the you of before. All our past promises—you’ve cast them aside.”

Gu Chaodong had read too much poetry and stuffed his brain with it. As he spoke, he actually moved himself, lowering his eyes with a seemingly sorrowful expression. “Once having seen the vast ocean, other waters seem trivial; except for Wushan’s clouds, no other clouds will do. You remain unchanged in my heart, but what about me in yours?”

A maid came in carrying a brazier. They were all junior maids serving in the outer rooms who hadn’t thought about whether charcoal fires were appropriate for high fevers. Following orders, they brought in many at once, and the room instantly became warm as summer.

Gu Chaodong had previously heard somewhere that high fevers required sweating, and sweating would bring recovery, so he’d thought of this method. Although he also felt it was somewhat hot, thinking that it would help Yan’er recover, he endured it.

After the maids left, he continued, “How I wish time could flow backward to before you and I married. I would find you no matter what, and I wouldn’t marry Guiya.”

Shen Guiyan was in deep sleep. In her dreams, because of this person’s incessant prattling, she began having nightmares. She dreamed that a great fire burned between heaven and earth, and flies kept buzzing by her ears. No matter how she struggled, she couldn’t wake up. It was truly unbearable.

Meanwhile, Gu Chaobei had rushed out to find a medical hall on the nearby street. Without a word, he kicked open the door and grabbed the physician to leave.

The white-bearded physician’s eyes weren’t even open when he was hauled onto a carriage. Gu Chaobei’s crude behavior made him extremely displeased. “You young rascal, how can you be so outrageous?”

Gu Chaobei was too anxious to say much to him. He nodded carelessly. “I’m outrageous, I have no manners. Once we’re back at the residence and you’ve cured my wife, you can scold me however you like.”

Physician Bai froze, pulled his garment on properly to wear his outer robe, looked at Gu Chaobei several times, and unexpectedly fell quiet.

All the way, he frantically pulled the old man back to the northern courtyard, nearly carrying him on his head. Gu Chaobei, panting heavily, reached the entrance of the main house and pushed open the door—only to be met with a wave of heat.

What was going on?

“I know you’re not so heartless. I still remember the last poem you sent me.” Gu Chaodong’s voice carried a sob, speaking with great emotion. “You should be firm as a rock, I shall be like a reed. I’ve kept it all this time—I just don’t know when you’ll remember all our past moments together.”

Softening his breathing, Gu Chaobei raised his eyebrows slightly, then lifted his hand to signal the physician not to enter yet. He himself walked in to see what exactly was going on inside.

Gu Chaodong, addressing Shen Guiyan on the bed, was just getting excited. “Before, you gave me a book of strange tales. I read it, and there was a little story in it—I don’t know if you know it. It said that when a woman fell unconscious, her husband stayed by her bedside day and night without leaving, and finally awakened her. The two of them lived happily together.”

“I’ve already said so many things to you. If you still have me in your heart, won’t you wake up and look at me?”

He spoke as if Shen Guiyan were dying.

Gu Chaobei stood behind him with arms crossed, taking a deep breath.

A bookworm was still a bookworm. Coming to his territory to speak sweet words to his woman? He was truly tired of living. Normally he respected him and called him elder brother, but looking at it now, he really couldn’t avoid teaching him a lesson.

Walking lightly to one side of the room to grab a black cloth, Gu Chaobei quietly approached behind Gu Chaodong.

This fellow was still saying melancholically, “I hope you’ll always be well. Seeing you like this, I’d rather be the one in pain…”

Before he finished speaking, his vision suddenly went dark, and then someone held his head down and beat him violently.

“Mmph!” Gu Chaodong didn’t react in time. He only felt countless iron balls raining down on his head and body—a dull, unbearable pain. He was violently pushed to the ground and couldn’t get up for a moment.

“Elder Brother!” From outside came Gu Chaobei’s very concerned voice. “Elder Brother, what’s wrong, Elder Brother!”

Pulling off the black cloth covering his head, only then did Gu Chaodong see Gu Chaobei entering from outside. Looking around the room, there was actually no one else.

“Who just hit me?” Gu Chaodong stood up, rubbing the painful spots on his face, somewhat bewildered.

Gu Chaobei looked even more innocent, his eyes full of clarity. “Was there someone just now? Fourth Brother just returned with the physician. I just entered and heard Elder Brother cry out in pain. There’s no one else here.”

Gu Chaodong frowned, sucking in cold air and looking at Gu Chaobei suspiciously several times. Thinking about how he’d knocked out Baoshan to enter—which wasn’t exactly honorable—he looked elsewhere. “Forget it. Perhaps I had a delusion.”

“I see. Why is Elder Brother here?” Gu Chaobei asked.

“To see Yan’er.” Gu Chaodong’s gaze softened again as he looked at Shen Guiyan’s sleeping face, saying quietly, “If only I could see her wake up.”

Gu Chaobei laughed coldly. Given that he’d just enjoyed beating him, he didn’t plan to continue arguing. “Elder Brother should return first.”

“Mm.” Gu Chaodong lowered his eyes and was preparing to leave when Shen Guiyan, lying on the bed, suddenly moved.

She was truly waking up!

Gu Chaodong’s eyes lit up instantly. Probably thinking of the story he’d mentioned, the romantic feelings in his heart burst forth. He called out in delight, “Yan’er!”

Shen Guiyan opened her eyes with furrowed brows. The high fever hadn’t subsided yet, and her mood was extremely irritable. Without even seeing who it was clearly, she just growled, “So noisy.”

There was a moment of silence in the room. Gu Chaodong opened and closed his mouth, not knowing what to say. The physician behind had already entered and immediately said upon entering, “Who committed this sin? The patient has a high fever and you’re still burning charcoal braziers—aren’t you just waking her up with the heat?”

All the maids looked toward Gu Chaodong. The latter was somewhat surprised. “Don’t you need to sweat it out?”

“If you don’t know, don’t pretend you do. You’ll kill people.” The white-bearded old physician came in, waving his hand to have people open windows and remove the charcoal fires, then took out medicinal pills and gave them to Gu Chaobei. “Give these to your little wife.”

So she was woken by the heat. For some reason, Gu Chaobei felt relieved. Taking the medicine, inspiration flashed. He picked up the tea to feed Shen Guiyan the medicine.

“Yan’er, lift your head.”

Shen Guiyan was confused from the fever and had no idea what she was doing. Hearing Gu Chaobei’s words, she instinctively complied.

With maids, the physician, and Gu Chaodong all present in the room, they watched as Gu Chaobei took water in his mouth and personally fed Shen Guiyan the medicinal pill.

Gu Chaodong’s face froze as he stood rooted to the spot.

After taking the medicine, Shen Guiyan obediently returned to the pillow to continue sleeping soundly. Gu Chaobei contentedly stroked her hair, then turned his head. “Elder sir, please take her pulse.”

The old man nodded and took out a silk handkerchief to check her pulse. Gu Chaodong stood for a while, then turned and walked out on his own.

Gu Chaobei did it deliberately—he knew. Perhaps Yan’er didn’t like him—he could guess that too. But he couldn’t watch that scene.

He couldn’t continue like this anymore.

When Baoshan woke up, she was full of fury. She rushed to the main house planning to settle accounts with Fengxiao, but discovered that the First Young Master had already left at some point.

Only one lamp was lit in the room. Miss was still resting. Fourth Young Master sat by the bed, quite improperly leaning against Miss lying down, as if he’d fallen asleep.

Breathing a slight sigh of relief, Baoshan tiptoed over, wanting to properly cover her mistress with the quilt.

Who knew Gu Chaobei would suddenly open his eyes—his gaze so sharp it nearly scared Baoshan into screaming. “Young Master.”

“It’s you.” Gu Chaobei softened his gaze and even smiled slightly at her. “I’m here with Yan’er. You go rest.”

“…Alright.” Baoshan, still shaken, clutched her chest and withdrew.

It seemed that with Fourth Young Master present, she didn’t need to worry about anything at all.

The next day at dawn, when Jiang Shi came over, Shen Guiyan’s high fever had already broken. Gu Chaobei needed to go to the Ministry of Justice, but this time he left Zhuiyun behind and didn’t take him.

He felt there was nothing much to investigate about the palace assassin case, but Yan’er said he should investigate it, so… he’d just go through the motions.

Now the Empress and Empress Dowager held military power and were formidable, while the Emperor was of the most legitimate imperial bloodline and couldn’t be easily shaken. How should he give an answer that would satisfy both sides?

“Is your wife better?” As soon as he entered the Ministry of Justice, he saw Yuwen Changqing again. His exceptionally handsome face had some abrasions—it looked like he’d scraped against some wall.

Gu Chaobei thought of last night’s events and felt somewhat guilty no matter what. “She’s better. The high fever broke.”

Yuwen Changqing smiled without warmth. “Everyone outside says the Gu family’s Fourth Young Master values women most. Originally I didn’t believe it, but it seems I was wrong. I heard that yesterday Madam Gu suffered a great disaster—not only losing a roomful of antiques, but being injured as well.”

Gu Chaobei’s face was grave. “I also feel heartache for Mother.”

“Oh? Really?” Yuwen Changqing squinted at him. “Why do I feel that since I arrived in the capital, you’ve gradually gone to the Drunken Flower Pavilion much less, and you care very much about your wife? You even raged for a beauty’s sake?”

“Heh heh.” Gu Chaobei turned his head toward the window, not answering.

Yuwen Changqing snorted. “Now that master has become Crown Prince, you should secure this Vice Minister position for him and properly establish some influence. Your work in hand—I’ll handle it all recently.”

“That’s just what I wish for.” Gu Chaobei smiled. “Then it’s settled. I’ll go investigate the case.”

“You think it’s that simple?” Yuwen Changqing glanced at him. “Be more careful yourself lately. This position—you need your life to sit in it.”

Gu Chaobei stopped smiling and began pondering a very serious problem.

In her room, Shen Guiya ate fruit while asking the old physician beside her, “How is Madam?”