Chapter 154 Personal Care

Who was that? Ying Niang sat awake that night, staring at the flickering candlelight in Qin Xiangnuan's room, her heart agitated. She had never seen such a gentle young man, his handsome face, like a figure from a painting. Ever since she entered this mansion, Ying Niang had been keeping an eye on him. After all, when she heard the news that they were going to be rounded up, Ying Niang was terrified.

She was afraid of death, but had to obey the officer's order and came here reluctantly.

"Don't be afraid. I will do my best to help you." It was Qin Xiangnuan who whispered these words of comfort to Ying Niang as she sobbed. She could never forget the look on her face as she looked up and saw Qin Xiangnuan bending over and patting her back. At that moment, Ying Niang's heart was filled with Qin Xiangnuan, and she always wanted to find an opportunity to speak to her.

But Qin Xiangnuan was extremely busy and she couldn't find an opportunity.

Only today did Ying Niang muster the courage to finally knock on Qin Xiangnuan's door and hand her the handkerchief she had been embroidering for several days. "The wild geese as a betrothal gift were a sign of affection, but I wonder if he would understand." Ying Niang's heart was filled with anxiety, like a fawn constantly jumping and darting. In the afternoon, she thought she saw the young man put the handkerchief on his face. Perhaps he liked her, right?

"If I go over there, will he think I'm cheap?"

Ying Niang whispered hesitantly, but saw several figures flashing through the corner door, "Are they the young master's friends?" She stood up, looked into the room with worried eyes, and found that the candlelight was a little brighter than before.

Inside the room, An Feng and An Liu put Jiang Lin on the couch. Qin Xiangnuan stood in front of the bed and looked at him. She asked in a cold voice, "When did the fever start? What are the other symptoms of high fever when you go out? Did you come into contact with him? Or did anyone else come into contact with him? Do you remember what food you took?" She asked several questions in a row. An Liu and An Feng felt dizzy and didn't know how to answer for a moment.

"Speak!" Qin Xiangnuan turned around, a trace of anxiety in her eyes, "If you're any later, even if the Great Luo Immortal came, he wouldn't be able to save your son's life!"

Qin Xiangnuan admitted that she had exaggerated a bit. Anfeng and Anliu were frightened and immediately knelt on the ground. "Please, Miss Third, please save the prince. He did it for you..." Anfeng wanted to speak for Jiang Lin, but Anliu pushed him with his arm, interrupting him. He gathered his thoughts and said, "Since the prince returned, he hasn't left the house. We two have been taking care of him personally. We both wear handkerchiefs."

"After the prince came back, he said that his appetite was upset and he hasn't eaten since then."

An Feng added, and Qin Xiangnuan noticed a hint of doubt in their answers, but now was not the time to dwell on that. She narrowed her eyes, quickly assessing the situation. "You two must stay here, too. Take up residence in the house next door. I'll deliver your meals three times a day on time. If you feel unwell, tell me immediately. Don't come into contact with anyone else."

"But Prince..." An Feng was a little worried.

As soon as he finished speaking, Qin Xiangnuan frowned and asked in a stern tone, "What do you think I am? Jiang Lin, I can take care of him! What can you do by staying here?" Except for causing trouble! Qin Xiangnuan didn't waste any more words. She helped Jiang Lin drink two sips of tea. When the room was empty, she closed her eyes, went to the space and fetched two bowls of cooked white porridge, mixed it with a little spiritual spring water, and slowly fed it to Jiang Lin.

Although she could have given Jiang Lin the same morning's method, giving him a sufficient amount of spiritual spring water, he would have woken up refreshed and healthy the next day. It might even have helped clear the blockages in his muscles and bones, aiding his future martial arts training. But Jiang Lin's meticulous mind naturally sensed something was amiss. Rather than the two of them testing him and explaining things painstakingly, Qin Xiangnuan felt that letting him suffer a little was the right approach. After all, only through personal experience can one learn from one's mistakes.

"Nuannuan."

After drinking the porridge, Jiang Lin's fever subsided a bit, but his mind was still a little hazy. He opened his eyes and saw the double figure of Qin Xiangnuan. Mistakenly thinking he was in a dream, he weakly reached out his hand. Qin Xiangnuan frowned and ignored her for a while. After realizing his unusual persistence and perseverance, she sighed helplessly and walked over to place her hand in his palm. Her palm was cool. Jiang Lin closed his eyes in satisfaction and sighed comfortably, "Nuannuan, I also want to be open with you."

"But I can't." Jiang Lin's voice was unclear, but Qin Xiangnuan's eyes lit up.

They say the truth comes out when drunk. But there's another way: in a dream! Taking advantage of Jiang Lin's weakened consciousness, perhaps she could get something out of him. Qin Xiangnuan wanted to turn back, bring a round stool, and sit down to interrogate him properly. But when she turned around, she found Jiang Lin gripping her wrist tightly, refusing to let go. The force was so strong that Qin Xiangnuan felt like her bones were about to break.

"What a stubborn temper."

Qin Xiangnuan muttered to herself, lifted up her skirt, and casually sat down beside the couch, looking at Jiang Lin with a raised eyebrow. It's no wonder that the aloof and high-ranking Xiaoyao Hou's son, when sick, was like a child, a little adorable. Qin Xiangnuan poked Jiang Lin's face with her hand, and he frowned, trying to dodge with some displeasure, "Don't move! Don't..."

"How long have you been hiding this from Qin Xiangnuan?" Qin Xiangnuan saw that he was about to cry, so she calmed down a bit, lowered her head and leaned in front of him and asked, "Is it that you want to use the Qin family as a weapon, instigate the relationship between them and Gu Mingqi, and let General Qin act as a shield for you, so that you can reap the benefits?"

Qin Xiangnuan has been able to guess a few things these days and slowly expressed her guesses.

"No!" Jiang Lin frowned in confusion, but spoke with an exceptionally firm tone, "General Qin is... someone I admire. How could I use him to do something like this?"

Qin Xiangnuan raised her eyebrows in surprise. Besides this, what other reason could Jiang Lin have to hide? She simply couldn't think of one. "Jiang Lin?" She called out twice more, but there was no response. Qin Xiangnuan frowned and slowly leaned forward, having untied her hair crown before going to sleep. Now, her sleek black hair fell over her shoulders, draped by her movements, enveloping both Jiang Lin and herself.

The hair brushed against Jiang Lin's nose, and the slightly itchy feeling made him sneeze lightly.

"Nuannuan?" Jiang Lin leaned forward, and before Qin Xiangnuan could sit up straight, their noses brushed against each other. He suddenly opened his eyes, a moment of confusion and clarity. "Since it was just a dream, why not..." He said, raising his upper body slightly, his warm lips touching Qin Xiangnuan's.