Mistakenly Connected to the Jade Flower Branch

Chapter 155 The Illness

The lamp in Xi Zhai was always lit, quiet but not dark. The room itself, however, was both quiet and dark. Xue Yunting stood outside the door, thinking of Qin Jiu's words: "Are you sure she'll wait for you?"

The tiger isn't the real threat; the one that pretends to be weak to prey on the tiger is the truly formidable one.

Xue Yunting gently pushed open the door, groped in the dark, took off his clothes, and got into bed. The bed wasn't warm, and Xue Yunting gently touched Duan Mingzhu's feet; they were icy cold.

Duan Mingzhu was always cold-sensitive and couldn't stay warm while sleeping. Kunzhou was as warm as Bianjing all year round, but even so, when it got cold, the maids would serve Duan Mingzhu by soaking her feet in safflower water, and the servants would put many hot water bottles in Duan Mingzhu's quilt in advance to keep the quilt warm.

He wasn't here tonight, so there was no one to tuck her in or soak her feet in safflower water. Would she feel wronged? Xue Yunting's discomfort outside the door vanished instantly. He gently pulled Duan Mingzhu into his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head.

Xue Yunting's chest was warm, and Duan Mingzhu slowly warmed up, like a frozen snake wriggling in his arms: "Between the Bianjing girl and the Kunzhou girl, which one is better?"

Duan Mingzhu's voice was soft but abrupt, startling Xue Yunting. Duan Mingzhu touched his face in the darkness, her voice tinged with amusement: "Did I scare you?"

Xue Yunting took a while to say, "None of you are as good as me."

Duan Mingzhu said, "Then let's go."

Xue Yunting held her hand: "Go to sleep, you're sleepy."

Duan Mingzhu pulled her hand away from his and rubbed it a couple of times: "It seems that Miss Bian Jing is still better."

Xue Yunting's voice was tinged with annoyance as he pinned her hands behind his waist: "You can't even handle it on your own, and now that you're pregnant, you still want to tease me..."

Duan Mingzhu obediently hugged his waist, her voice tinged with grievance: "Yun Ting..."

Xue Yunting patted her head, giving in: "Sleep well, tomorrow morning..."

Duan Mingzhu immediately replied cheerfully, "Okay."

Nianyao waited for Xue Yunting until very late yesterday, so she came to find him early this morning.

Nianyao raised her foot to kick the door, but it opened from the inside. Xue Yunting, unusually flustered, exclaimed, "Sister, quickly go call brother-in-law! Mingzhu has fainted..."

Nianyao took off running, calling out as she ran, "Luo An... Luo An..."

Duan Mingzhu's eyes were tightly closed, her face was bluish, and the quilt covered her from the neck down, leaving only her head and hands exposed.

Luo An quickened his pace slightly, but remained calm. He first pressed Duan Mingzhu's neck pulse with his fingers, then breathed a sigh of relief and asked Xue Yunting, "Can I lift the blanket?"

Xue Yunting sat on the edge of the bed and, upon hearing this, lifted the quilt. Duan Mingzhu's undergarments were not disheveled.

Luo An crossed his hands, held them vertically, and pressed gently and continuously against Duan Mingzhu's heart.

Nianyao leaned on Xue Yunting's shoulder. Xue Yunting stared at Duan Mingzhu's face, while Nianyao stared at Luo An's hand. Both of them were on tenterhooks.

Time seemed to stand still, becoming incredibly long and unbearable. Just as Nianyao and Xue Yunting felt suffocated, Duan Mingzhu on the bed coughed, exhaled, and slowly opened her eyes: "Yun...ting..."

Xue Yunting's voice trembled: "It's me."

Duan Mingzhu was very weak, but she still reassured him, "I'm fine..."

Luo An took out a small white porcelain bottle, poured out a black pill, and put it into Duan Mingzhu's mouth. He then handed the bottle to Xue Yunting: "This is a heart-strengthening pill. Give her one beforehand next time, but pregnant women...should take it sparingly..."

Luo An left as soon as he finished speaking, seemingly not wanting to stay a moment longer.

Nianyao's heart, which had been pounding in her chest, finally settled. She slumped onto the bedside table, exclaiming, "How could it be so serious? She was sleeping soundly when she suddenly passed out..."

Xue Yunting held the small porcelain bottle and said to Nianyao, "I'm sorry to have worried you, sister."

Given the current situation, Nianyao couldn't say anything to Xue Yunting, so she could only say to Duan Mingzhu, "Mingzhu, you should rest well. Call us anytime if you need anything. Don't spoil Yunting too much."

Duan Mingzhu forced a smile: "Thank you, sister, but I won't spoil him."

Nianyao patted Xue Yunting's shoulder and went out. Xue Yunting covered her with the quilt: "That's terrible, you almost died under the peony."

Duan Mingzhu coughed twice and laughed, "Even as a ghost, I'll still be romantic."

Xue Yunting said nervously, "Don't laugh, don't laugh, don't laugh, I'm scared... How can a grown woman like you be so out of control..."

Duan Mingzhu remained calm: "If I don't want to control myself, I'm going to die anyway, so I might as well die a quick death."

Xue Yunting said, "You're pregnant now. If you don't think about yourself, you should at least think about the baby."

Duan Mingzhu said, "Survival of the fittest. If he can survive, he will live; if he can't, he will die. You don't need to call him brother-in-law; you can massage me yourself. It's not the first time, so what are you afraid of?"

Xue Yunting couldn't argue with her or persuade her otherwise: "Brother-in-law is the best doctor in the world, better than me... You lie down and rest, I'll go get you breakfast."

After finishing breakfast, Luo An went to the palace, saying that the Emperor and Empress had returned. Nian Yao, worried about Duan Mingzhu, came to check on her again.

The door wasn't closed, and Nianyao peeked out from the doorway. She saw Duan Mingzhu sitting on the bed, and Xue Yunting was feeding her porridge spoonful by spoonful. The atmosphere was very warm.

Nianyao then recalled Xue Yunting helping Duan Mingzhu style her hair, the two of them seemingly oblivious to everyone else. Xue Yunting's technique was very skillful, as if he had done it many times before.

Whether shoes fit or not, only the wearer knows. Whether a couple is compatible or not, only the other person knows. Nianyao watched for a while, then quietly left without disturbing anyone.

Xue Yunting glanced back at the doorway: "My sister is kind-hearted, and my brother-in-law is a skilled doctor. I feel more at ease with you and them on Chongming Island."

Duan Mingzhu said, "Okay."

Nianyao and Qin Jiu were chatting by the fish pond when Duan Mingzhu came out arm in arm with Xue Yunting: "Sister, Yunting, come out for a walk with me."

Duan Mingzhu wore a light purple jacquard silk brocade long coat, a plain white shawl with scattered and intertwined flowers, and her hair was styled in double buns. Next to Xue Yunting, she looked like a little sister.

Nianyao earnestly instructed, "Don't go far. If you feel unwell, come back immediately. Yunting, take the medicine with you."

Xue Yunting repeatedly agreed, and Nianyao escorted them to the door, watching them head towards Hefang Street.

The two who said they were going out for a stroll didn't return until dark. When Luo An returned from the palace and heard about this, his expression darkened.

Duan Mingzhu brought red bean cakes for Nianyao: "Sister, I've heard that red bean cakes are a specialty of Hefang Street, you should try them."

Before Nianyao could reach out, Luo An took the red bean cake from the side and threw it on the ground.

Nianyao and Xue Yunting both looked a little stiff, while Duan Mingzhu acted as if nothing was wrong, pulling Xue Yunting along and saying, "Yunting, I'm sleepy."

Xue Yunting curled his lips and followed Duan Mingzhu away.

After they left, Nianyao said coldly, "What's wrong with you? Can't they go out?"

Luo An said, "Xue Yunting is the young general of Nan Yue. Even if you don't go with him, you have to send someone to go with him. How can we let them go out alone?"

Nianyao said, "One of them has his kung fu sealed, and the other is seriously ill. What can they do?"

Luo An walked into the room, pushed the door open heavily, took off his coat and threw it on the rack: "Those who labor with their minds govern others; those who labor with their bodies are governed by others."

Nianyao followed behind him: "What do you mean? You're saying I'm stupid?"

Luo An grabbed a bottle of wine from the shelf, tilted his head back, and gulped down several large mouthfuls, looking quite exhausted: "Whatever you say goes."