Chapter 195 The Dream Ends, People Return, and Righteousness Leaks Again

The rain in Yunmengze has stopped.

It was at this time of evening again.

At first, Di Gongzha was in a flurry of activity because someone suddenly fainted, but soon the rain in the sky gradually subsided without warning.

Like a young county magistrate who had fainted, the rain seemed to have grown weary of falling.

It grew smaller and smaller until it finally came to a stop at dusk.

No more raindrops fell.

The dense black clouds that had been pressing down on Yunmengze like a city gate were suddenly breached.

A beam of golden sunlight pierced through the thick fog above the water.

Before anyone could react in their daze, beams of golden sunset light pierced through the air like needles.

The dark clouds overhead were punctured with holes.

Finally, what suddenly appeared before everyone was the same fiery sunset as that evening.

This time, however, no one lingered or took any chances.

...

Ouyang Rong had many dreams, some in fits and starts.

After waking up, I closed my eyes and felt the soft warmth of the blankets on my body. After a moment of distraction, I forgot about it.

Those dreams were blurry and indistinct.

Only a lingering sense of unease remains, leaving one with a slight sense of lingering fear.

"It must be a cold..." Ouyang Rong thought to himself, his eyes closed and his breath coming in weak gasps.

That is, when Ye Weilai brought him ginger soup to warm his body, she mentioned that he was weak and susceptible to colds.

Of course, the cold in this life may be a little different from the cold in the previous life.

But they're all equally painful.

Ouyang Rong didn't know if others had experienced this, but having had this condition since childhood, he was prone to having those obsessive-compulsive dreams that drove him crazy.

These dreams came one after another, as if he were in a smooth little car, but the ground beneath the wheels was bumpy and uneven, and the route he was taking was designed by an abnormal person. He was nauseatingly sliding towards some abyss he vaguely foresaw, unable to turn back...

Lying on his bed, he still feels extremely uncomfortable when he thinks about it now.

Besides that, I'm just tired, not just physically tired, but also mentally tired.

Ouyang Rong stretched and loosened his muscles, preparing to get up.

Halfway through, he suddenly remembered that, in addition to the dream that was driving his obsessive-compulsive disorder crazy, he had also had many childhood dreams.

It includes not only childhood in the previous life, but also childhood in this life, as if it were a dream come true.

Ouyang Rong became increasingly certain of a fact that he didn't know whether to be happy or worried about.

This world seems to truly be his present life.

Or perhaps he arrived in a place similar to a parallel universe.

Hmm, parallel universes, that seems a bit like a classic.

Otherwise, how can we explain these feelings of similarity, presence, and familiarity...?

Perhaps Ouyang Lianghan died after drowning in this life; or perhaps he didn't die, but his soul merged with Ouyang Lianghan's; or perhaps he was born in this life in his previous life, his memories sealed until they were unsealed after he drowned, and so that night in the underground palace, a lost and bewildered soul was awakened.

But thinking about it this way, Ouyang Rong's mind became slightly heavy.

Doesn't that mean that his family and friends in this life are also a kind of bond that he can't shake off?

I just don't know what will happen after the 10,000 merit points from the Pure Land Palace, which I initially saw as the hope of returning home, are redeemed.

If he could go back, it would be his soul returning, and the Ouyang Lianghan of this life would disappear.

Like a lotus flower, another petal sprouted, and he, carrying the same memories and consciousness, was born at a fork in the road, leading to two different worlds: one where he successfully returned, and the other where he did not return, or faced other possible outcomes.

Then, neither of these two identical versions of himself knew of the other's existence...

Goodness, it's like a nesting doll, right?

Ouyang Rong couldn't help but fall into deep thought, then realized he was caught in a vicious cycle of mental exhaustion. He quickly pulled himself out of it, raised his hands, which were chapped and peeling from being soaked in water, and patted his burning face, which was twitching at the corner of his mouth.

"Who cares? The rainy season is over, the floods are controlled, we've made it to the height of summer, and now it's autumn and winter, the dry season... Finally, we can pack up and go home..."

Inside the room, Ouyang Rong propped himself up on the bed with his hands, looked at the furnishings, and nodded to himself.

"Tanlang, you're awake!"

It seemed that through the half-open window of the main house, they sensed the young man in bed getting up inside.

In the courtyard, Ye Weilai was happily spreading out herbs to dry. Her slightly rounder little face was full of surprise. She wiped her little apron with her hands covered in herb crumbs and ran into the house.

Ouyang Rong nodded without answering, then turned to look at the windowsill beside the bed, where a pot of orchids was blooming beautifully in the golden sunlight.

It made me breathe a little softer, afraid of startling it.

This looks a lot like the clivia that Junior Sister grows in the Yilan Pavilion courtyard of the Su family mansion.

He vaguely remembered it.

It seems to be afternoon.

Ouyang Rong's gaze swept across the room, then he looked down at his own tall, slender figure.

There were some things he didn't even need to ask the white-haired maid who came running over with her hands on her chest and a sigh of relief; he had already figured some things out from the clues.

The heavy rain and rising water in Yunmengze should have stopped, and the Digong Sluice Gate should not have collapsed after he fainted.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have woken up in the main house of his family's Meilin Courtyard; he would have been moved to the mountains long ago to avoid the flooded county town.

The whitish blisters on his body had not yet healed, indicating that he had not been unconscious for long.

In addition, she should be almost fully recovered. At this moment, Ouyang Rong was in the room and saw the medicine and treatment he had given his junior sister after she was whipped last time, which had helped her recover from her fever and cold.

Ye Weilai was quite clever; she simply took it and used it.

And on the new bedding beneath her, there was the familiar fragrance of the white-haired maid's delicate body and waist-length silver hair.

It seems she has been staying by his bedside day and night.

"My lord, are you still feeling unwell? I'll go and fetch the doctor from the prefecture..."

Ye Weilai, like a nimble little squirrel that has just emerged from hibernation and is still a bit dazed when she came out of her burrow, brought her white-furred head close to Ouyang Rong's body, who was only wearing a traditional Chinese jacket, took his hand, and looked him up and down.

"Is my love thirsty? Let me get you a glass of water..."

The girl with deep eye bags seemed to have a lot to say, chattering on and on. Before Ouyang Rong could even ask, she raised her small face, her gray-blue eyes glistening as they swept over Ouyang Rong's lips, and the topic shifted to this one.

Before the bed, Ye Weilai turned away with a beaming smile, wiped her slightly reddened eyes with the back of her hand, and skipped over to the table to pour tea for Ouyang Rong.

"Um, I..."

Ouyang Rong touched his slightly chapped lips. Even the hardest heart couldn't help but soften when it saw this small figure bustling around.

"Wei Lai, you've worked hard." Ouyang Rong couldn't help but smile wryly, "It's my fault for not learning my lesson. I had a chronic illness but still insisted on doing it, showing off by soaking in the water, making you and everyone else worry..."

"My love!"

The girl, who seemed to be laughing and preparing to pour tea, suddenly turned around halfway and rushed into Ouyang Rong's arms like a swallow returning to its nest. Her blue eyes were filled with tears, and she couldn't help but cry out.

"Cough cough... Why are you crying? I'm fine."

Ouyang Rong coughed twice, raised his arms, paused, then gently patted the soft, boneless shoulder of the white-haired maid in his arms, and said helplessly:

"Hey, wipe your nose, don't get your snot on me."

"Pfft... There were no tears, just the smell of herbs from my hands made my eyes sting and water a little, but there was no snot, it's not dirty..."

Ye Weilai squirmed slightly in his arms, afraid that the man in front of her would dislike her. She tilted her head up, her expression serious, and explained in a crisp voice.

Ouyang Rong nodded and asked, "Did you suck the snot back in?"

"..." Ye Weilai.

The master and servant whispered tenderly for a while. Ouyang Rong asked about Di Gongzha, Yunmengze, and the many things that happened in the county town during the days he was unconscious.

Just as he had largely analyzed and confirmed in his mind.

The torrential rain and rising waters of Yunmengze stopped less than half a day after he fell into a coma.

The Di Gong Gate did not collapse, but it was riddled with cracks and urgently needed repair.

During this time, Ouyang Rong was in a coma, and the county government was being managed by County Magistrate Diao and Acting County Commandant Yan Liulang.

The residents of Longcheng who had been evacuated to refuge camps such as Dagushan returned to the county town and villages in groups and households after confirming that the floodwaters had receded.

Having gained experience from organizing the Dagushan refuge camp, the county officials handled the matter of going down the mountain and returning home relatively in an orderly manner.

While he was unconscious, Longcheng County was mostly peaceful and quiet. Even the Liu family on the west bank, who were being secretly watched by Liu Ashan and his group, behaved themselves and there were no suspicious movements that warranted too much suspicion.

They even proactively dispatched several skilled craftsmen to help repair the dilapidated Di Gong Gate.

In addition, Liu Zian had somehow heard about the minor crisis at the dam that day, and immediately distanced himself from those Dragon King Temple priests who were spreading rumors. He even went to the county government several times to donate money to show his sincerity and explain...

Ouyang Rong listened silently for a while, then turned and asked instead of summoning Yan Liulang, Liu Ashan, and the others:

How long have I been bedridden?

"Half a day."

Remembering about pouring water, Ye Weilai quickly stopped clinging to her owner and ran to the table to pour tea.

Ouyang Rong glanced at the orchid on the windowsill and suddenly said:

"Junior Sister is back?"

"Yes, that day, when Miss Xie returned home weary from her journey, she found Tanlang injured and, still worried, made a special trip to Jiangzhou to invite a renowned physician there to examine him..."

"Miss Xie comes to visit Tanlang every day, sometimes staying all day, sometimes half a day, only leaving when she has something to do. She stays by his side every day... In addition, members of the Su family also come to visit from time to time, including Su Dalang and Su Xiaoniang..."

The little white-haired maidservant chattered away, recounting all the things she had noticed, before returning to the bedside with a cup of hot tea.

Ouyang Rong listened silently.

After getting a general idea of ​​the situation, I couldn't help but look back at the bright sunshine outside the window. It was hard to associate it with the scene of dark clouds looming over the city and a threatening flood not long ago.

"The sun rises as usual... So... is it all over...?"

Ouyang Rong lowered his head and murmured.

"What is Tanlang saying?" Ye Weilai asked curiously.

"fine."

Ouyang Rong reached out, intending to take the tea, but then saw the white-haired maid in front of him holding the tea and bowing her head, taking a small sip of the tea that was meant for him, as if testing the temperature of the tea.

The girl seemed to nod in satisfaction, and subconsciously leaned closer to Ouyang Rong, her pink lips parted as she sipped her tea.

Ouyang Rong was taken aback.

"Hmm..." Ye Weilai seemed to have realized that Tanlang was not unconscious and did not need to drink tea through his lips and teeth.

Ouyang Rong immediately saw that the white-haired maid in front of him was still in the posture of offering him tea. Her head quickly lowered, even lower than the teacup in her hand, and a blush of peach color quickly rose on her neck under the collar of her jacket.

Ouyang Rong couldn't help but wipe his dry lips, glanced at the inexplicably shy white-haired maid, and some images that might have happened during his coma these past few days flashed through his mind, such as serving tea time and time again.

Ouyang Rong took a deep breath.

He couldn't help but slightly lift the blanket, inwardly cursing himself.

Is your righteous spirit about to leak out again? You've just recovered from a cold, so it seems you're still not sick enough.

Despite being a normal reaction, Ouyang Rong's face hardened. Then, his hand, which was inside the blankets, suddenly touched a thin, soft fabric on the sheets. He wondered if it was made of silk or silkworm silk imported from the Western Regions. Ouyang Rong's fingertips even felt a slight coolness as he rubbed the fabric.

Ouyang Rong subconsciously took it out, glanced down at it, and his expression froze. He seemed to regret taking it out.

She didn't know if she had noticed Ouyang Rong's unusual reaction out of the corner of her eye, or if she was simply very familiar with her master's body and reactions.

Ye Weilai, who was serving tea by the bedside, suddenly spoke softly:

"Master, your servant is truly not dirty..."

As if in response to Ouyang Rong's feigned disgust at her runny nose, she couldn't help but explain in a pitiful and weak voice.

Moreover, Ye Weilai's explanation even included a different form of address... The two had once made a pact to whisper secrets late at night: Ye Weilai would call him Tanlang in public, but could call him Master in private.

The white-haired maid seemed to have noticed long ago that whenever she called out that title in a sweet voice, the man would become even more dignified and awe-inspiring. She wondered if all men were like this, even a gentleman like her master was not immune to it. However, she would only call him that to her master in her entire life.

Ouyang Rong immediately took the teacup, bent down to sip the tea while covering himself with the blankets, and looked out the window.

"Master, I've been so worried about you these past two days. What if, just what if, you were gone? How could I face Madam, how could I face myself? I won't live on alone..."

Ye Weilai spoke somewhat hastily, unable to contain her emotions.

Ouyang Rong put down his teacup, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping himself.

In this era, although the social atmosphere is gradually becoming more open and women's status is no longer as lowly and subservient as in previous dynasties, this does not include slaves. Some nobles easily tire of the female slaves they keep, and even eighteen or nineteen-year-olds are considered too old and boring. They are fickle and are sold or given away because slaves are not people but commodities, and can naturally be traded at will.

Having served as an official for several months, Ouyang Rong was well aware of the female slaves' plight and his heart softened.

Seeing that Ouyang Rong remained silent, Ye Weilai noticed a hint of nervousness in her blue eyes. She waved her hand and explained, "Master, your hands and feet were cold a few nights ago, and I was worried, so I warmed your feet at the foot of the bed. I forgot to put away your undergarments last night..."

Ouyang Rong took a deep breath and exchanged a glance with Ye Weilai.

The two, their eyes locked, seemed to be of one mind, and suddenly leaned forward together, as if they were both moved by each other's actions.

However, Ouyang Rong seemed to only want to hug the white-haired maid and comfort her, while Ye Weilai wanted to offer her her best without hesitation, including her clumsy lips that were somewhat lacking in words at this moment.

And so, the two heads, one big and one small, bumped into each other, both covering their heads in shock.

However, Ye Weilai was covering her master's forehead.

After a moment of silence in front of the bed, the white-haired maid smiled sweetly, rushed forward, and scurried into her den like a little squirrel.

Ye Weilai felt compelled to cover up everything for him, including his noble and upright character.

Two small hands suppressed the overwhelming righteous energy between heaven and earth.

"I'll warm it up for you, Master, and it'll be fine..." she said.

"No..." Ouyang Rong was reluctant to push away the girl's infatuation. He only managed to utter one word before his mouth stopped, as if his words had been covered.

I was given tea as I had been a few days before.

However, while it's easy to cover one's mouth, how can one so easily suppress righteousness?

"Don't move." At that moment, Ouyang Rong suddenly spoke up to finish what he hadn't said.

"Mmm." Her sweet, nasal voice was so endearing that Ouyang Rong felt it could melt steel.

A blazing sun in the sky recklessly unleashed its midday heat.

On the windowsill, the orchid displayed its graceful and slender figure, swaying gently up and down in the midday breeze, and finally bathed in the sunlight, which warmed it up in an instant.

The sun rose as usual, and the afternoon was quiet; perhaps everyone was asleep.

I walked a lot today, and did *that* again. So tired, feeling a bit weak… Sorry for the rambling. Starting tomorrow, I'll abstain from sex; let's all check in together.

(End of this chapter)