Yue Zhan looked at her big, dark, clear eyes blinking, and he was unwilling to say that he would sleep somewhere else. But if he didn't sleep somewhere else, Shi Lan wouldn't let him sit on the bed. Looking around, there were only a few large soft cushions in the room.

"Or, I can sleep here."

Yue Zhan spread the stacked cushions under the couch, pulled over a brocade quilt, and said softly.

Shi Lan's face was flushed and hot. He was a high-ranking official, the governor of the military command, and a second-rank official, yet he had to sleep on the floor to accommodate her.

"How about we forget it? Anyway, this bed is big enough, we can each sleep on one side," Shi Lan said, and then quickly moved closer to the edge of the bed.

Yue Zhan's actions were merely a pretense; he had already anticipated that Shi Lan, with her cold exterior but warm heart, would never allow him to sleep on the ground.

He responded immediately, stepped over the cushion, and got onto the couch.

Although it was the height of summer, the night air was still a bit chilly. She could hear the soft, drawn-out breathing of her own, and the occasional rustling of leaves outside the window. Shi Lan wrapped herself in the blanket, looking at the gauze curtains hanging high from the rafters, and thought about her previous attitude towards Yue Zhan. She said softly, "I'm sorry about earlier."

"I was wrong too, I shouldn't have gotten angry with you," the man's voice was gentle and comforting in the darkness.

Shi Lan smiled slightly, her heart softening.

That's just how she is. If someone treats her coldly, she'll glare back. But if someone is nice to her, she'll reciprocate fivefold. However, she's also quite stubborn. If she discovers that someone is lying to her, she'll take swift and decisive action, determined to get her revenge before she'll give up.

Yue Zhan's actions hit her sweet spot, making Shi Lan suddenly feel close to him. It was as if a small heater had been placed in her heart, warming her and timely driving away her depressed mood.

Shi Lan curled up in the blanket, buried her face in it, and mumbled a soft "hmm".

Yue Zhan turned his head to look at her, but all he could see was a blanket rolled up in a ball.

He truly had no idea that his soft words would have such an effect, far more effective than any oath he had previously made to the heavens.

Men tend to be more pragmatic, and his thoughts were still focused on her illness. Talking to her from such a distance every day was not good news for him, so he turned his attention to the most skilled doctors in the manor, Lady Han and Physician Bo. Physician Bo was particularly good at medicine and acupuncture, while Lady Han was more skilled in massage and medicine specifically for women.

In terms of medical skills, Doctor Bo is naturally more specialized, but Shi Lan's illness is really strange. If it comes to diagnosis and treatment, no matter which aspect, Ms. Han is more suitable. However, as far as he knows, Ms. Han's medicine is not very good. His chubby baby always seems to be going to his death when he drinks the medicine.

This made Yue Zhan hesitate.

"Your symptoms are quite strange. I'll have Ms. Han come over tomorrow to examine your pulse. If possible, it would be best to get you cured as soon as possible."

Yue Zhan was also worried. Autumn was approaching, and every year at this time, the Turks would move south. They did not grow grain and would keep a watchful eye on Anxi before winter. Every year at this time, Yue Zhan would lead his troops to patrol the border, partly to deter the Turks, and partly because many soldiers of the Protectorate had already settled there, so doing so could also stabilize the morale of the army.

But once he left, he wouldn't be back until the dead of winter. He had gone through a lot to find Fatty Baby, and he didn't want to leave her for so long. He was also worried that she would be neglected if he was away from the manor for a long time, so he wanted to take her with him to the army. But she just couldn't stand the smell of men, which left this grown man, who was about to settle down in the army, at a loss.

Shi Lan gave a muffled hum, feeling a bit down. With her stepmother dead, no one knew what kind of ointment the original owner had used. Although Lady Han was well-versed in medicine, she probably wouldn't know about certain secret formulas and remedies within the brothel.

However, having hope is better than having no hope. In any case, I should give it a try.

Nothing happened that night. When she woke up, she was alone on the bed. The bright sunlight shone in, and Shi Lan couldn't help but squint.

When Zhu'er saw that she was awake, she quickly opened the window, and a warm breeze immediately blew in through the window frame. The thin gauze curtains fluttered and danced. Shi Lan lifted the gauze curtains and walked barefoot off the bed.

Zhu'er exclaimed in surprise and hurriedly took the brocade shoes with soft cotton padding. "My lady, please put these on quickly. You've just recovered from your typhoid fever and you're still weak. Have you forgotten what Lady Han said earlier?"

Shi Lan grinned and stood still, while Ren Zhuer put her shoes on.

Dou'er stood by the door with her washing utensils and other items, without saying a word.

Shi Lan caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of her eye and waved to her.

This bean is too honest; if left unattended, she can stand there all day without moving an inch.

Dou'er put down the basin and cloth, and after helping Shi Lan wash up, she said, "The steward said that someone has sent a visiting card and asked if you would like to see him."

A fire suddenly ignited in Shi Lan's heart, and her two delicate, curved eyebrows furrowed into sharp lines.

This was the first time Zhu'er had seen Shi Lan like this, and she was immediately uneasy. She glanced at Dou'er, still not comfortable with her handling the situation, and said, "If you don't want to see him, then I'll go and get rid of him."

Shi Lan shook her head, her face, as white as mutton fat jade, carrying a cold and murderous expression, but a cold smile appeared on her lips. "No, let the steward let him in."

Pearl mumbled "Yes," and hurriedly went out to report to the steward.

Dou'er stood there blankly for a moment, then suddenly said, "Wife, I'll go boil some water."

Shi Lan nodded, straightened her clothes, and sat down in the main seat in the hall with a solemn face.

Soon, the sound of rustling clothes came from outside the door. Zhu'er was the first to come in and report. A moment later, Bu Mingbo walked in with a brisk pace and his clothes fluttering.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!