Ji Wujing stared at Gu Jianli’s tear-filled eyes, and he felt a deep urge to pull her into his arms and spank her. However, the hand he raised only landed on Gu Jianli’s forehead, checking her temperature. Gu Jianli had been running a mild fever, but she had been so preoccupied with Ji Xinglou that she hadn’t noticed her own condition.
Gu Jianli, with her head bowed, looked at the red spots on her forearm, her tear-stained eyes full of fear. Who wouldn’t be afraid of death?
Outside, the imperial physicians, who were having dinner, heard the sounds from inside but dared not enter without permission. Jixia hurriedly knocked on the inner door, her voice trembling as she asked, “Should we let the physicians in to take a look?”
Gu Jianli sniffled, vigorously wiped away her tears, and concealed her disheveled appearance before allowing the physicians to enter. She extended her arm wrapped in a cloth for them to check her pulse.
Gu Jianli’s suspicion was correct; she had contracted smallpox two or three days ago, not just today while searching for Ji Xinglou.
Calming down a bit, Gu Jianli obediently drank the medicine the physicians handed her, a concoction said to delay the onset of the disease. However, having spent half the day with the physicians and overhearing their conversations, she knew the medicine wouldn’t be very effective.
As night fully fell, Gu Jianli calmly instructed Jixia to have the physicians rest in the vacant guest rooms. Even though time was of the essence, the physicians were not made of iron. If they fell ill, what would they do?
After escorting the physicians, Jixia returned, and Gu Jianli asked, “How is Lanlan? Make sure she is closely watched and doesn’t run around.”
Jixia nodded and said, “Fourth Miss is very obedient and well-behaved. You don’t need to worry about her. Moreover, Nanny Lin is taking care of her.”
“How is Nanny Lin’s leg injury? Have the physicians looked at it?” Gu Jianli asked again. Having broken her leg before, she knew how torturous the pain could be.
“It’s not serious. Don’t worry about others,” Jixia said, unable to hold back her tears any longer.
Gu Jianli lowered her eyes, her gaze falling unconsciously on the small red spots on her wrist. She didn’t want to think about smallpox anymore and desperately tried to divert her attention. “Is Changsheng still kneeling outside? No one could have predicted such an accident. Don’t let him blame himself. Tell him it’s Fifth Master’s order for him to return to his room.”
Jixia looked at Ji Wujing for confirmation. Ji Wujing, with an expressionless face, stared at Gu Jianli. Seeing no objection from Ji Wujing, Jixia quickly agreed.
Gu Jianli pulled down her sleeve to cover the red spots on her wrist. She suddenly felt an itch on her waist. She hadn’t checked how many more rashes had appeared on her body, and she didn’t dare to look. Resisting the urge to scratch, she gently spoke again, “Father will surely send someone to inquire. Instruct everyone not to say that I’ve contracted smallpox. Just say that no one in the household is allowed to wander around, so I can’t go out either. Jixia, clean up the empty room next door. I will move there tonight. Also, from today on, don’t come into the room casually. Leave the meals at the door.”
Jixia turned her face away to secretly wipe her tears, forcing a smile as she said, “You’ve always had great fortune and will surely be fine. Not everyone who contracts smallpox can’t survive. Isn’t there still a fifty percent chance? Let’s eat something first, alright? You haven’t eaten anything all day.”
Finally, a glimmer of life appeared in Ji Wujing’s previously lifeless eyes as he angrily ordered, “Bring it in!”
“Right away!” Jixia responded, quickly running out to fetch the food box and setting the dishes on the table. The simple meal had already cooled significantly, but fortunately, it was summer, so it wasn’t entirely unpalatable.
After setting the table, Jixia hurried out to carry out Gu Jianli’s instructions, starting with telling Changsheng to return to his room. In the heavy rain, Changsheng looked up at Jixia with a hoarse voice and asked, “Is it really Fifth Master’s order?”
“Of course! Fifth Master said if you don’t go back to your room, you better not show up in front of him again!” Jixia paused before adding, “And think about it, how could I dare to lie about Fifth Master’s orders? Do you think I don’t value my life?”
Only then did Changsheng believe her, letting the grinning Lizi help him up and support him back to his room.
Jixia quickly went to prepare the room next door.
Inside the room, Gu Jianli stared blankly at the dishes on the table, having no appetite at all. Nevertheless, she picked up her chopsticks and slowly started eating the plain rice. Apart from the rice, she didn’t touch anything else.
Ji Wujing placed his cup heavily on the table, startling Gu Jianli. She looked up at him, forcing a smile as she spoke softly, “Actually, this isn’t so bad. I can take better care of Xinglou. I will definitely take better care of him than you can. You don’t need to stay here anymore; just leave Xinglou to me. Also, you shouldn’t eat with me. Have the kitchen prepare a separate meal for you. You need to take good care of your health. Your health is worse than others; if you catch smallpox, it would be terrible…”
Gu Jianli spoke slowly and gently. Her fingers fidgeted with the chopsticks before she put them down, and seriously said, “Fifth Master, go back to the front yard and take care of yourself. Xinglou and I will look after each other here. We’ll take good care of ourselves. We all need to be well, okay?”
Ji Wujing looked at her expressionlessly and said, “Gu Jianli, you’re talking too much today.”
The tears that had been welling up in Gu Jianli’s eyes finally fell, landing on the back of her hand. She bowed her head, a little angry at herself for crying again. She wiped away the tears with her other hand, and with a hint of defiance, she muttered, “If I don’t make it, I’d better say as much as I can…”
Ji Wujing squinted his eyes, quietly watching Gu Jianli. His deep eyes betrayed no emotion.
Gu Jianli angrily widened her eyes at him and loudly said, “Stay away from Xinglou and me, okay?”
Ji Wujing looked at her tearful eyes and felt a growing sense of calm inside.
“No,” Ji Wujing replied as he leaned forward, picking up a peeled shrimp and pushing it into Gu Jianli’s mouth.
Gu Jianli held the shrimp in her mouth, unable to swallow. Ji Wujing brought a spoon to her lips and said, “Eat it all, or I’ll bring Gu Jingyuan here and let him know you’re about to die.”
“Ji Zhao, you’re unreasonable!” Gu Jianli cried out indistinctly but obediently swallowed the shrimp and drank the soup Ji Wujing fed her.
When Ji Wujing brought the spoon to her lips again, Gu Jianli leaned back a little and said seriously, “You have to eat with me. Whatever you eat, I’ll eat. If you don’t eat, I won’t either.”
Ji Wujing quietly looked into her eyes, then grabbed her hand and put the spoon in it. He bowed his head and began eating his own meal silently with his chopsticks.
Jixia knocked on the door and saw Gu Jianli and Ji Wujing eating seriously. She sighed in relief and said, “I’ve prepared the room next door, but the hot water isn’t ready yet. Should I go prepare it now?”
“No need,” Gu Jianli replied. “Jixia, you’ve been busy all day. Go rest in your room. Collect the dishes in the morning; you don’t need to come tonight. If you feel unwell, see the physician immediately.”
Gu Jianli genuinely cared for Jixia.
Jixia nodded, her eyes red as she withdrew.
Gu Jianli turned her head, glanced at Ji Wujing, then lowered her head to continue eating. They both ate quite a bit. Gu Jianli put down her chopsticks, lifted the cover from a bowl, and took out a bowl of goat milk that had been kept warm, carrying it to feed Ji Xinglou.
Gu Jianli gently nudged Ji Xinglou awake, speaking softly, “Xinglou, drink a little, just a few sips.”
Ji Xinglou groggily opened his eyes. In the white blur before him, he could only make out a vague silhouette but couldn’t see who it was. However, he recognized Gu Jianli’s voice. He slowly opened his mouth and obediently drank a few sips before falling back into a deep sleep.
Gu Jianli then used an anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving ointment to gently dab the red rashes on Ji Xinglou’s face. The rashes had become more severe. Though Ji Xinglou was a rambunctious child, his skin was very fair, making the red rashes on his face look especially pitiable.
Gu Jianli sat by the bed, staring blankly at the red rashes on Ji Xinglou’s face, recalling the images she had seen in medical books today, showing the advanced stages of smallpox patients. The thought of her own body soon being covered with pustules and blisters terrified her. The medical books mentioned that even those who survived smallpox would be left with pockmarks all over their face and body.
Remembering those images, Gu Jianli’s eyes reddened with fear, and her hands resting on her lap began to tremble slightly.
“Gu Jianli.” Ji Wujing stood beside her, looking down at her.
Gu Jianli slowly turned her head and looked up at him, tears welling in her eyes.
Ji Wujing lowered the bed curtains, hiding Ji Xinglou inside, and pulled Gu Jianli to her feet.
“What are you doing?” Gu Jianli asked.
“Let me see your body,” Ji Wujing said.
Gu Jianli was stunned, and at that moment, the itch on her waist grew stronger. She lowered her head, her gaze falling on her waist. The more she focused on it, the itchier it became. Finally, she couldn’t resist reaching to scratch it. But as soon as her fingertips touched her clothes, Ji Wujing grabbed her wrist.
Gu Jianli struggled but couldn’t break free.
“Don’t move,” Ji Wujing said in a stern voice.
He held her wrist and began to slowly remove her clothes, examining the red spots on her arms, legs, and waist. The red spots on Gu Jianli’s body were just starting to appear, and there weren’t many yet.
Gu Jianli glanced quickly before closing her eyes and crying, unable to bear looking any longer.
Ji Wujing glanced at her, poured some anti-itch solution into his palm, and gently rubbed it over her limbs and waist. His movements were tender and meticulous, his voice equally gentle.
“If you feel itchy, tell me, and I’ll apply the medicine for you. Don’t scratch yourself,” he said, looking deeply into her eyes, his tone slightly firmer, “Be good.”
Gu Jianli sniffled, holding back her tears, and angrily questioned, “Why don’t you listen? Why won’t you stay away from Xinglou and me? What if you get infected too?”
Where could he go?
His life, after all, was tied to this very room.
