Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Bite Marks

In a flurry of activity, the guards carried Wei Xichen into the Wei residence.

The Wei residence was quite small and had no guest rooms for entertaining guests. Jiang Yinyue led the guards to Hanlan Garden and settled Wei Xichen on a small couch in the west wing.

Fu Zhongcai, who had sent someone to summon the imperial physician, said with a mournful face and choked with sobs, "Your Highness does everything personally; I'm afraid you've overworked yourself and fallen ill!"

The imperial physician rushed over with his medicine chest on his back. The sixty-year-old man was drenched in sweat, but he still made sure to wash his hands before taking Wei Xichen's pulse.

Jiang Yinyue stood outside the door, arms crossed, watching Fu Zhongcai pacing around anxiously. She had never seen the chief steward of the Eastern Palace so worried.

A moment later, the imperial physician came out of the west wing. "Your Highness is fine. It's just that your liver fire is too strong, causing your qi and blood to become disordered and your heart to be attacked by the fire. You will wake up soon."

Fu Zhongcai stepped forward and asked, "Do you need acupuncture or medicine?"

The imperial physician nodded and borrowed the Wei family's stove, intending to brew some herbal soup to clear away internal heat.

Fu Zhongcai dismissed the guards and stood alone by Wei Xichen's bedside, silently facing away from Jiang Yinyue, who was leaning against the door.

The sound of barking came from outside the courtyard; it was Qi Bao, who had been stopped, barking.

In a great hurry, very agitated.

It must be worried about its owner too.

Fu Zhongcai wiped his face and, with his back to Jiang Yinyue, spoke in a hoarse voice, "The old ailment is hard to cure. The arrow wound His Highness suffered for the sake of his wife often flares up when he is overly angry, worried, thoughtful, or grieving. The old ailment has become a heart ailment. My wife, please don't think I'm being nosy, but His Highness's heart ailment originates from you."

Anger, worry, thought, grief, fear, surprise, and joy are the seven human emotions, and Jiang Yinyue embodies more than half of Wei Xichen's seven emotions.

The old eunuch initially couldn't discern the source of the crown prince's anxiety, but now, from an outsider's perspective, he sees it clearly.

The person His Highness never mentions is precisely the "heartache" he dares not confront.

"So, it's all my fault?"

Jiang Yinyue crossed her arms and looked up at the gray sky. She had pondered again and again what she had done wrong to fail to gain the trust of her elder brother, the Crown Prince. Was it her recklessness, pride, arrogance, and haughtiness that made her a person without credibility in the eyes of her elder brother?

She nearly died at the hands of an assassin, only to be met with a torrent of doubts and insults.

Is it only by dying at the hands of an assassin that her brother, the Crown Prince, will see her true heart and trust her completely?

But what does that mean to her?

Later, she realized that the royal family was cold-hearted, and that most passionate love in the world would be betrayed, as exemplified by Empress Yide.

The Crown Prince's path to becoming emperor was destined to be one of suspicion, the severing of all emotions, the paving of a bloody ladder, and a gradual march towards loneliness.

She was nothing more than a stone slab on the bloody staircase.

Perhaps the sooner one withdraws, the more likely one is to escape unscathed, while those ministers, attendants, and advisors who accompanied the crown prince to the throne may not necessarily meet a good end.

"Has Steward Fu ever considered what would have happened if you had faced the same choice that year: would you have escaped alone or drawn the assassins away?" Jiang Yingyue paused, then shook her head and said, "The outcome would have been the same."

Fu Zhongcai was speechless and turned to look at the woman's back.

Yes, anyone in her shoes would have faced Jiang Yinyue's choice, and the outcome would have been the same. It's just that Jiang Yinyue was unlucky; she reached that crossroads of decision, but no matter which path she chose, it led to the abyss.

Escaping alone would be seen as disloyal. Drawing the assassin away and managing to escape by chance would raise questions about why the assassin showed mercy.

It's the suspicion of those in high positions that's causing this.

A heart full of devotion is destined to be betrayed.

The old eunuch was speaking on behalf of his master, but he was rendered speechless by the woman's assumption.

Jiang Yinyue glanced sideways, her eyes cold and brooding. "If Steward Fu wants to say more, he should advise His Highness the Crown Prince that now that he has dealt with the person who aroused his suspicion, he should make his move without regret and not let guilt backfire. His heart disease will heal itself."

Qi Bao outside the courtyard got tired of calling and stopped responding.

Aren't you tired of all this commotion?

The wind has been blowing for three years; it's time to turn the page on that chapter of the story.

Jiang Yinyue said no more, no longer harboring any gloom because of Wei Xichen.

As evening fell, the clouds dispersed and the sky cleared, revealing a radiant glow of sunset. Wei Qin returned to his residence, greeted by the evening glow, and first went to visit the Crown Prince, who remained unconscious.

"Your Highness has a fever?"

Fu Zhongcai said helplessly, "Yes, I started to have a fever in the afternoon. I'm sorry to have bothered Judge Wei."

"You're too kind, sir."

Wei Qin returned to the east wing, closed the door, and pulled his wife, who was leaning against the window, back into the room. "What are you thinking about?"

"I wonder when they will be able to leave."

Wei Qin closed the window, completely blocking the view from outside.

However, the room with its doors and windows tightly closed in the summer was extremely stuffy and not well-ventilated. Jiang Yinyue wanted to open the window again, but Wei Qin pulled her back.

Some people show their rejection on their faces, while others keep it hidden in their hearts.

Realizing what Wei Qin was concerned about, Jiang Yinyue chuckled and didn't insist any further. She took out a round fan and gently waved it, a thin layer of sweat appearing on her neck where her hair was piled up.

With outsiders present, it's inconvenient to take a bath; I can only wipe myself with warm water.

After wiping herself down behind the screen, Jiang Yinyue wanted to change into a new set of clothes. She peeked at Wei Qin, who was resting on the couch, and tiptoed toward the cabinet beside the couch.

In the stuffy room, silk suddenly seemed less cool than ramie. On a whim, Miss Jiang took out Wei Qin's ramie outer garment and put it on.

Her large, bluish-gray robe hung to the ground. She stood in front of the bronze mirror, tied her belt, put her hands on her hips, and twisted around, finding it all quite novel.

Thinking of Cui Shihan, who often dressed as a man, she lifted her clothes and ran to the dressing table, took out a plain hairpin, and tied up her long hair. But her delicate face did not look like that of a handsome young man at all.

Just as she was wondering why she didn't have Cui Shihan's flirtatious and carefree nature, a strikingly handsome face suddenly appeared in the bronze mirror.

"You're awake..."

Wei Qin glanced at his wife's fair and rosy face, then his gaze moved downwards, silently observing something.

Jiang Yinyue curled her toes in embarrassment, immediately pulled out the hairpin, and threw it on the dressing table, saying, "Rambar is cool."

"Um."

After Jiang Yinyue gave a reasonable explanation, she secretly moved to the side, trying to hide behind the screen. But as soon as she tried to move, she inadvertently revealed a bare leg.

The woman, who was only wearing an outer garment, immediately gathered the wide hem of her garment, her steps feeling as heavy as a thousand pounds.

From the bronze mirror to the screen, a short distance became a long journey.

*Splat*

She stepped on the hem of her dress and knelt down with a thud, kneeling beside Wei Qin.

He performed a deep bow.

One person is caught in a chaotic situation.

Wei Qin clasped his hands in a fist and coughed, then stepped forward to help her up, bent down to pat her knees, and then picked her up in his arms.

Jiang Yinyue immediately wrapped her arms around his neck to prevent herself from slipping off.

However, the hem of the garment, which did not fit snugly, slid to the sides.

A pair of fair and tender legs were presented to the two of them.

Wei Qin's gaze, which should have been turned away, remained fixed for a long time.

Jiang Yinyue blushed and covered her clothes. In her embarrassment, she lost her shoes and had nowhere to put her beautiful feet.

I'm practically turning into a shrimp.

"Put me down."

Wei Qin carried her to the bedside, and as the woman tried to escape, he suddenly grabbed her waist and pressed her down onto his lap.

He knew she wasn't playing hard to get, but he still couldn't control his urge to break free.

"Miss."

"Put me down."

Jiang Yinyue was so embarrassed that she just wanted to change back into her own clothes as soon as possible and didn't notice Wei Qin's restrained voice.

Low and muffled, almost hoarse.

"you......"

As she turned to look behind her, her waist was suddenly grabbed. Through the light fabric of her ramie dress, she could feel Wei Qin's fingertips tightening their grip little by little.

"What do we need to do...?"

In their usual interactions, Jiang Yinyue was usually relaxed and comfortable. However, since arriving in Yangzhou, she had a vague feeling that Wei Qin's attitude towards her had changed, and he no longer treated her with the same courtesy.

People have become unpredictable.

Especially in the darkness, the aura that bursts forth has an inexplicable and elusive offensive power compared to that of a self-disciplined scholar.

There were a few moments when he seemed like a completely different person, exuding natural majesty and aloofness.

Jiang Yinyue felt completely unfamiliar with Wei Qin, and her body trembled uncontrollably, the trembling penetrating through her clothes and reaching Wei Qin's palm.

The man closed his eyes, released his strength, and let the woman in his arms slink away.

A rustling sound came from behind the screen, and after a moment, a woman in a brand-new dress came out and quickly walked across the bed.

Wei Qin's hand, which was resting on the tatami mat, slowly tightened. He got up and walked towards the door to "visit" the guest across the way.

As soon as the door was opened, several dolls were found piled up by the door, all of which were hand-sewn by Jiang Yinyue.

Qi Bao squatted in front of the door, making "woo-woo" sounds.

Wei Qin understood; it was worried about the man in the west wing and wanted to exchange the doll for the man's help.

Wei Qin rubbed Qi Bao's head. "He's fine."

"Waaah."

Hearing the commotion, Jiang Yinyue quickly walked out of the room and left Hanlan Garden with Qibao, trying to divert its attention.

Wei Qin entered the west wing and saw Wei Xichen, who had already woken up, sitting by the bedside, being fed medicine spoonful by spoonful by Fu Zhongcai.

"What does Your Highness think?"

"It's alright, sorry to bother you."

"Qi Bao is very worried about Your Highness."

Wei Xichen remained expressionless, his slightly furrowed brows relaxing as the door to the east wing opened. He suddenly smiled, drank a bowl of herbal medicine, and then left with the group.

The bitterness left on the tongue from the herbal decoction disappeared without a trace, but the dull pain in the chest was not relieved.

Soon, Qi Bao ran into the west wing and bit Jiang Yin Yue's skirt, whimpering.

Jiang Yinyue reassured him, "He's gone, he's alright, don't worry."

Wei Qin stood by the door, lost in thought.

Jiang Yinyue stole a glance, and that strange sense of unfamiliarity disappeared. Was she just imagining things?

**

As night fell, Manager Xie, leaning on his cane, wandered through the alleys of the city, whistling every hundred steps, but received no response until he reached the Wei residence, where he was stopped by a dirty figure.

Where are you hiding?

Manager Xie pinched his nose and backed away, his face full of resistance.

Yan Yi, now dressed in a new outfit, snorted, "Station."

"Hidden all day?"

"Do you know how dangerous today was?" Yan Yi muttered as he shook the horse manure off his clothes. "The Crown Prince actually fainted in front of the Wei family's gate and was carried into the Wei family by the guards. I almost got exposed."

"Incredibly stupid."

"You bastard."

Manager Xie poked Yan Yi's back hard with his cane to vent his anger, "Have you thought about the consequences of getting caught?"

"Don't worry, if I get caught, I'll..."

"Shut up."

Yan Yi ground his back teeth, eager to wash away the smell of horse manure from his body, and flew away, his right palm still wrapped with thick strips of cloth.

Manager Xie shook his head as he watched the young man's figure disappear. This guy almost dragged the young master down with him.

“It’s you.”

A woman's voice suddenly rang out, startling Manager Xie so much that he almost cracked his voice.

"W-who are you?"

Wei Ying, returning from the clinic with her medicine, said awkwardly, "I've heard so much about you..."

"Ah, it is the lady who does not know me but has long admired my name."

Wei Ying led Miao Die to the hunchbacked man, held up the lantern, and looked him up and down. "Who were you talking to just now?"

“Talking to oneself,” Manager Xie tapped the ground with his cane. “Even a lonely person talks to themselves.”

Wei Ying nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.

Miao Die muttered, "Isn't the shopkeeper rolling in money? Why is he all alone?"

"Who says wealthy merchants aren't lonely? Even emperors and generals are lonely; the higher you climb, the colder it gets!"

Miao Die's lips twitched as she pulled her young mistress through the gate, not wanting to have any more contact with this slovenly man.

Wei Ying grabbed a handful of maltose from the paper bag and handed it to Manager Xie. When he refused to take it, she waved her hand.

Wei Ying, who couldn't play with the neighborhood children since childhood, could understand Manager Xie's loneliness.

**

Late at night, after taking a bath, Jiang Yinyue leaned against the bed, holding a handful of hazelnuts that Wei Ying had bought. She peeled them one by one, her gaze intentionally or unintentionally glancing at Wei Qin, who was sitting at the table flipping through official documents.

He usually doesn't bring official documents back to his residence. Did he only rush back with the documents after hearing that the Crown Prince had fainted in front of his house?

"It's late at night, be careful not to damage your eyes."

Wei Qin continued to peruse the official documents, without much reaction.

Jiang Yinyue arranged the peeled hazelnuts on a plate, without any fawning or flattery, her tone carrying a hint of pride, "Do you want some? If not, that's fine too."

Wei Qin closed the official document and put it in the drawer of the shelf. Then he walked to the bedside, sat down on the edge of the bed, and under the open hem of his clothes were his long legs wearing trousers.

Thinking of his current predicament, Jiang Yinyue couldn't bear to look at him, so she picked up a hazelnut and held it to his mouth.

However, Wei Qin avoided it.

Despite being rejected, Miss Jiang smiled and said, "I'll have one."

"I don't have the habit of eating at night."

Jiang Yinyue placed a plate of hazelnuts on the bed, her face serious, and said truthfully, "You need to give me some time to accept your..."

Thoughts.

"how long?"

Wei Qin lifted his eyelids. Although his tone was ordinary, it was definitely not one of easy negotiation. He wondered if it was related to Wei Xichen's usurpation of his position today.

Jiang Yinyue could never have predicted that things would unfold naturally. Since being forcibly kissed, she felt she was slowly accepting it, but she still couldn't fully embrace that passionate and lingering intimacy.

There always needs to be a period of adjustment.

In the past, she always thought that the two of them were just living together for convenience and could gracefully break up at any time. It wasn't until Wei Qin expressed his feelings that she realized that she was the only one who wanted to live together for convenience, and that Wei Qin wanted to live a good life with her.

"One month..."

"good."

Jiang Yinyue was always the type to respond to gentle persuasion but not force. After giving in and making a promise, she suddenly felt unbalanced. She glared at Wei Qin, who had easily taken advantage of her, and then leaned in and bit Wei Qin's left shoulder.

They used strong flavors even through the clothes.

Because of his movement, he knocked over the fruit plate on the bed.

Wei Qin reacted quickly, grabbing the fruit plate and watching as hazelnuts scattered all over the ground.

The bite wound on her shoulder was neither painful nor itchy. Wei Qin grabbed the back of Miss Jiang's neck and forced her to lean back.

"Feeling better now?"

Sensing the coaxing tone, Jiang Yinyue immediately added, "Two months."

"no."

Jiang Yinyue pulled away from Wei Qin's hand, stood up angrily, bent down to pick up the hazelnuts on the ground, and put them back on the plate one by one.

Some hazelnuts rolled under the bed, and she crawled on the floor to continue picking them up.

Her prone position and drooping waist accentuated the roundness of her buttocks, which swayed slightly as she picked them up. Her snow-white nightgown fell down, revealing a section of her fair waist.

Wei Qin raised his hand and pressed his bitten shoulder, slowly got up, squatted down beside the woman who was lying face down, and his gaze fell on that fair skin.

"Hiss... Ah..."

Jiang Yinyue, who was lying under the bed, suddenly groaned. She bit her lower lip, as if a wild beast had bitten her vital spot, and dared not move.

The pain in his lower back was Wei Qin's tit-for-tat revenge.

-----------------------

Author's Note: Our little Wei has a temper too! [doge emoji]