Tingyun had left the manor under the pretense of acquiring some items for Si Que. Upon returning this morning, she learned that Si Que had fallen ill. Seeing Tingyun back, Liufeng finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Tingyun hastily administered acupuncture to Si Que and wrote a prescription, instructing Liufeng to fetch the medicine. Previously, You Yuji had informed the storeroom staff that the princess’s health was delicate and to provide any medicine needed without hesitation.
Liufeng quickly brought the medicine back, smiling as she said, “Turns out Madam had already informed them. I thought the storeroom would give us a hard time, and I was planning to buy it outside.”
“The instructions on how to prepare it are written down. You go ahead; I’ll come by later,” Tingyun instructed.
Liufeng nodded and hurried off to brew the medicine.
Her tenure serving by Si Que’s side wasn’t as long as Tingyun’s, so she felt more secure with Tingyun’s presence. Heaven knows, this morning before dawn, when Si Que returned with a ghastly pale face and nearly fainted, it had scared her half to death.
Liufeng went to the small kitchen and meticulously brewed the medicine according to Tingyun’s instructions. After a while, Tingyun finished her tasks and joined Liufeng in the kitchen to help.
Si Que’s medicine was somewhat complex and consisted of more than one formula.
“Something strange happened while you were away these past two days,” Liufeng whispered. “The heir’s wife spent the night in the princess’s room for two consecutive nights.”
Tingyun was momentarily stunned, instinctively skeptical, “The heir’s wife?”
Liufeng nodded vigorously, frowning as she explained, “You know how our princess is frail. Sometimes I check on her at night. The first night, I saw with my own eyes the princess holding the heir’s wife while they slept on the wooden couch! The second night, they didn’t hold each other while sleeping, but one slept inside and the other outside. But! But!”
Liufeng raised her hands and continued, “But on the second night, the princess played the ‘Ode to Yunling’ for the heir’s wife, not any other tune, but ‘Ode to Yunling’! Our princess has never played that tune for anyone else…”
As Tingyun listened, her brows furrowed.
Liufeng leaned closer to Tingyun, squinting as she continued, “Last night, the princess asked me to fetch the heir’s wife, but she had returned to her maiden home and wasn’t in the manor. Then the princess disappeared for the entire night. Where do you think our princess went?”
Tingyun’s brows furrowed deeper.
Liufeng shrank closer to Tingyun, speaking anxiously, “Do you think our princess is no longer satisfied with using her own body to refine poison and has started using others’ bodies?”
“What nonsense are you imagining?” Tingyun was startled, her tone harsh.
Liufeng was taken aback by the retort, muttering softly, “Isn’t it?”
Tingyun’s tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed, and she said meaningfully, “The You family is extremely beautiful.”
Liufeng blinked, then blinked again.
At this moment, You Yuji arrived with a pillow and bedding, and Tingyun and Liufeng ceased their conversation. Tingyun remained in the kitchen to brew the medicine, while Liufeng went to greet the guest.
Before seeing Si Que, You Yuji had already learned from Liufeng that Si Que was ill. Liufeng naturally did not mention Si Que’s departure from the manor last night, only saying that he had caught a cold in the rain last night, as he was already frail.
You Yuji had intended to call for an imperial physician but was informed by Liufeng that Tingyun was skilled in medicine and had been caring for Si Que’s health for years.
She tiptoed to Si Que’s bedside, seeing him quietly asleep, his face deathly pale. You Yuji sat beside the bed, carefully pulling Si Que’s left hand towards her and gently unwrapping the white gauze layer by layer. Her movements were gentle, occasionally looking up at Si Que, afraid of waking the princess.
The gauze was completely removed. You Yuji saw the wound on Si Que’s palm and couldn’t help but frown, silently complaining about how he could cut his hand while changing the strings. She gently applied the cool silver ointment to Si Que’s wound using her fingertips. After properly applying the medicine and re-bandaging his hand, You Yuji carefully placed his hand down. She looked at Si Que’s hand and was astonished at how long it was, much longer than her own fingers. She then chuckled to herself, remembering that the princess was indeed much taller than she was.
With the country fallen and her family suffering in prison, and now the princess was ill… The princess must be feeling terrible, You Yuji thought.
Raising her eyes, You Yuji quietly gazed at the sleeping Si Que, wishing in her heart for the princess’s swift recovery.
While You Yuji watched Si Que, Liufeng was observing You Yuji. Liufeng quietly studied You Yuji, then glanced at the sleeping Si Que, her bright eyes darting around as she pondered something.
Suddenly, there was a slight movement inside Si Que’s blanket. You Yuji found it strange since both of the princess’s hands were clearly outside the blanket. She glanced at Si Que, then carefully leaned over and gently lifted the corner of the blanket.
A small, pure black kitten was sleeping peacefully beside Si Que. The blanket had moved because the kitten had rolled over from its side to its back, belly up, still soundly asleep, purring softly.
You Yuji looked back at Liufeng in confusion.
Liufeng quietly explained, “It rained last night, and the princess brought the kitten back, feeling sorry for it.”
Looking at the sleeping kitten, You Yuji softly said, “The princess is kind-hearted.”
Liufeng’s eyebrows knitted together tightly. Hearing the heir’s wife praise the princess like that made her feel a bit uneasy. She couldn’t help but think that the heir’s wife was blinded by something unknown. Blinded by what? She started pondering again.
You Yuji soon left Yunxiao Courtyard, placing the bottle of Silver Frost Ointment on the small table by Si Que’s bed before she left.
She returned to Tanxiang Yingyue, but even while doing other things, she couldn’t stop thinking about the princess. In the evening, after dinner, she went back to Yunxiao Courtyard.
Si Que had briefly woken up in the afternoon, taken his medicine, and then fallen back asleep.
When You Yuji arrived, Tingyun was covering Si Que’s forehead with a damp cloth.
—Si Que had a fever.
You Yuji had originally planned just to check in, but seeing the princess with a fever in the large, cold, and empty room filled her with a sense of desolation. She sighed softly, sitting by the bedside, refusing to leave.
The small black kitten had already woken up and was hiding in a corner, watching the people in the room with curiosity and caution.
You Yuji didn’t pay attention to the cat, instead reaching out to check Si Que’s forehead. The water from the damp cloth trickled down the side of Si Que’s face into his dark hair. Seeing this, You Yuji carefully wiped it away with a cloth.
As soon as she withdrew her hand, she saw Si Que open his eyes and look at her.
“You’re awake!” You Yuji exclaimed, her face lighting up with joy. Her smile seemed to brighten the entire dimly lit canopy.
Si Que slowly blinked.
You Yuji immediately said, “Since you’re awake, you should eat something. Liufeng told me you woke up this afternoon but only took your medicine without eating anything.”
You Yuji turned to look at Liufeng. Liufeng quickly said that the porridge had been kept warm and hurried to fetch it.
“Since you know you’re weak, you must take extra care in this cold weather,” You Yuji said, moving closer and reaching out to help Si Que. Si Que didn’t resist and allowed her to help him sit up.
You Yuji leaned over to get the pillow from the inside of the bed. The pillow was beside the little black kitten, which immediately became alert when it saw You Yuji’s hand reaching over, even stopping the movement of its tail. You Yuji smiled gently at it, softly stroked its head, and then retrieved the pillow to place it behind Si Que.
You Yuji moved closer to Si Que, wrapping her arms around his waist to carefully adjust the pillow behind him.
She was so close that her front almost pressed against Si Que, and even her faintly scented hair brushed against his chin.
Inhaling the elegant fragrance from her body and feeling her accidental touches, Si Que sighed.
You Yuji looked up at him and asked nervously, “Are you uncomfortable?”
Si Que did not answer this question.
You Yuji assumed that the princess was too uncomfortable to speak. Before long, Liufeng came in with a bowl of porridge with minced meat. You Yuji naturally took it from her.
Feeling that the bowl was somewhat hot, You Yuji scooped a small spoonful and brought it to her lips to test the temperature.
It was just right.
Only then did she lean over to feed Si Que.
Liufeng was about to suggest getting another spoon but was stunned to see the princess actually eating the porridge You Yuji fed him. Liufeng turned her face to the side, blinked several times in surprise, and then turned back as if nothing had happened.
You Yuji fed Si Que half the bowl before suddenly remembering something.
She had been observing a vegetarian diet while mourning her father. Although it was no longer necessary, she had become so accustomed to it that the smell of meat now made her uncomfortable. She did not plan to remain vegetarian forever and had been trying to overcome this, but with little success.
However, she was feeding Si Que porridge with minced meat. In fact, the spoonful she tasted earlier had a large piece of minced meat in it.
“No more,” Si Que’s voice was somewhat hoarse.
You Yuji snapped out of her thoughts and withdrew her hand, looking down at the remaining half bowl of porridge. She hesitated, then tried scooping a bit of the minced meat and slowly eating it herself.
Si Que lifted his eyes and watched her.
To her surprise, she did not find the taste of meat as repulsive as before. You Yuji took a few more bites.
Seeing Si Que looking at her, she smiled shyly and said, “It tastes very good.”
Liufeng quickly asked, “Does the Crown Princess want more? Shall I get you some?”
“No, no…” You Yuji quickly refused, already scolding herself inwardly for her lack of propriety. She placed the spoon back in the bowl, and at that moment, the little black kitten, which had been hiding in the corner, suddenly jumped up and sat on Si Que’s lap, staring expectantly at You Yuji.
You Yuji was startled and hadn’t yet reacted when Si Que took the bowl from her hands.
Si Que handed the bowl to the kitten.
The little black kitten immediately stood up, placing its front paws on the edge of the bowl and burying its head in it to eat the minced meat eagerly.
You Yuji smiled, feeling even more that the princess was kind-hearted.
Liufeng, on the other hand, was silently grumbling to herself — the two of them and a cat sharing a bowl of porridge, anyone who didn’t know might think they were experiencing a famine…
Si Que ate the porridge and took his medicine again before lying down weakly to rest once more.
Before falling into a deep sleep with her eyes closed, You Yuji was still sitting by the bed.
Later, when Si Que woke up again, he still saw You Yuji by the bedside. He didn’t know when she had fallen asleep, lying on the bedside with a small section of her fair neck exposed.
You Yuji still held the wet cloth she used to wipe Si Que. Half of the wet cloth was in her hand, and the other half was on the bed, dampening the mattress.
Si Que took the wet cloth from her forehead and picked up a silk handkerchief beside the pillow. It was a light purple, soft in texture, with a single magnolia flower embroidered in the corner.
It was left behind when You Yuji wiped the moisture from Si Que’s forehead.
Si Que looked at the silk handkerchief for a while, then slowly moved his gaze to the small section of You Yuji’s exposed neck and said leisurely, “At least you have some conscience.”
You Yuji woke up groggily and looked at Si Que.
Si Que’s expressionless face instantly bloomed into a slightly obedient smile.
Chen Anzhi returned home very late.
Fang Qingyi had insisted on moving out of the Prince of Jinnan’s mansion yesterday. She didn’t want to see him at all, completely severing ties. Even his attempts at persuasion had to be relayed through Chen Lingyan.
This morning, after returning from the You family with You Yuji, he didn’t go back to the mansion directly but went to find Fang Qingyi. However, he still faced a closed door. Frustrated, he sought out three or five friends to drink and play cards.
As soon as he returned home, he saw Gu Momo, who had been waiting for a long time.
Gu Momo conveyed a message from the princess consort, just one sentence—under no circumstances should the concubine’s child be born first.
Chen Anzhi pondered for a while and went to Tanxiang Yingyue, only to find it empty. He learned that Si Que had caught a cold, and You Yuji was there taking care of him.
Chen Anzhi was stunned, sobering up from his slight drunkenness, and hurriedly rushed to Yunxiao Courtyard.
On the way, his mind was filled with thoughts of Princess Que.
When he saw Yunxiao Courtyard from afar, Chen Anzhi remembered another thing.
You Yuji was taking care of Si Que? Si Que was his concubine, and You Yuji, as the main wife, was personally attending to him. Wasn’t it all for his sake?
She was showing goodwill to him; she still had him in her heart.
